User blog:Didikins/My Opinions on Weapon Classes of Advanced Warfare

Hey guys, Didi here, and I'm bringing something new for me: my opinions on the weapons in this game, and how they stack up against everything else. So sit back, relax, and let's begin.

Assault Rifles
Ah, the Assault Rifles. Average, all-around weapons. They mainly excel at medium ranges, and find some usage up close and from afar, but more specialized weapons for these roles can easily overpower Assault Rifles. However, things have been tilted towards their favour, as they have no sway. This makes them extreme long range weapons, more so than even Heavy weapons or Sniper Rifles in some cases. In terms of usefulness, the BAL-27, the AK-12, the IMR, and the HBRa3 are good choices to use. The ARX and the MK14 lack the damage necessary to get the job done, but are nonetheless good weapons for long range due to accuracy.

Submachine Guns
Submachine guns are your go-to close-medium range weapon. Every submachine gun is a beast if used correctly, but few stand out as reliable weapons in general, as their short ranges and ammo conservation problems make them less reliable. In terms of usefulness, the KF5, the SN6, the ASM1, and the MP11 are good choices to use. The SAC3 is only useful in close range, and the AMR9 gets way too many hitmarkers, and the burst delay is too big. You'd need Rapid Fire just to make the AMR9 decent.

Up close, Submachine Guns have troubles against shotgun users, and most weapons with longer ranges will give trouble for a Submachine Gun.

Shotguns
If you thought Submachine guns were close range kings, check out these badass weapons. Brutality up close, but leaves users helpless at even medium range. You will need another weapon for use in longer range engagements. And as well, the hip-fire might look intimidatingly large, but I find few problems with it. In terms of usefulness, these wepaons are really underpowered, and only the Tac-19 is a good shotgun to use. The S-12 will burn through ammunition faster than Charlie Sheen goes through hookers, and the Bulldog lacks a good capacity, the slow reloads will be frequent.

Basically any ranged weapon will defeat a shotgun if given the chance, so it's really important to capitalize on power up-close.

Heavy Weapons
These futuristic weapons decided to shit the bed this time around. They all move sluggishly slow, and always have severe problems in certain areas, such as recoil, damage, or reload times. However, they make up for it by being weapons that almost never run out of ammunition, and are good fun in general to use. In terms of usefulness, the Ameli and the EM1 are good choices for use, and possibly the Pytaek if one can somehow get over the monstrous recoil for the first 10 shots. The XMG has horrible accuracy and the lockdown mode is a bad idea altogether, and there's the DMP3... Oh wait, sorry. I mean EPM3. This weapon is so forgettable it isn't even funny.

Heavy weapons fare horribly in close quarters due to their bulky size, but the XMG and the EM1 can do good up close due to their fast fire rates, and the EM1's laser hip-fire accuracy.

Sniper Rifles
Sledgehammer has finally decided to say goodbye to powerful sniper rifles everywhere. You'd expect that the guys that brought us the MSR, the RSASS, and the Barrett would bring some more devastating snipers to the table, but no. Our long range weapons have been gutted. They aren't bad and can actually dominate long ranges if deployed correctly, but changes to various things (such as Toughness being less powerful) have caused snipers to fall through. I honestly want to punch the guy who dreamed up the NA-45, it is a horrible idea. And the Lynx somehow became the new WA2000, a hitmarker machine if you will.

The best choices here are the Atlas 20mm and the MORS. The MORS is a reliable sniper, and the Atlas 20mm, although having a nasty sway, will almost never get a hitmarker if you hit your target.

The Sniper Rifles lack versatility, and their handling characteristics up-close makes practically any other weapon ready to kill the user.

Specials
We have three Specials: the Heavy Shield, the MDL, and the Crossbow. The Crossbow is good fun for tactical players, and the Heavy Shield can help out your teammates with distraction, but who was high enough to place the crappy MDL in this game? The grenades can't fly far at all, and hitmarkers for days make the MDL a bigger joke than the MK32. No attachments is also a bummer for it. I dunno, I guess you can run Danger Close as a troll.

Pistols
Pistols are very good backup weapons, and in this game, they follow the trend. Back in BO2 we had problems with balance with the pistols, but Advanced Warfare does not. My two recommendations are the Atlas 45 and the RW-1, as they will reward accuracy with great damage. The Grach has poor handling, and the PDW, whilst fully automatic, lacks Akimbo capability and literally the rest of its stats are poor for a pistol.

Pistols are easily outpowered by Submachine Guns and Shotguns for close ranges, but are capable of contending with helpless foes.

Launchers
Launchers are usually good weapons, but the tone of Advanced Warfare sort of distracts people from what these useful things can do. Killing off that UAV or helping to bring down a Warbird can really help out your team if you have the balls to use it over a sidearm.

Combat Knife
The Combat Knife can be used to some effect, as it is stealthy, does not use ammo, is light, and the new Advanced Movement and perks allow players to effectively use the knife, even though it is 2049. A bummer is that you chose this over your Falcon Punch though.

If someone from afar notices you, you're screwed.