FAL

The FAL is a semi-automatic assault rifle featured in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and Call of Duty: Black Ops.

Campaign
The FAL is commonly used by the Brazilian Militia in "Takedown" and the OpFor in "Team Player". The FAL is also used by Russians in the early stages of the invasion, but the AK-47 is more commonplace later in the conflict. It is usually seen with a Red Dot Sight, ACOG Scope, or Shotgun. It can be found in many Spec Ops missions, abundantly in the missions in the Favela, including Bomb Squad and O Cristo Redentor. It is the only semi-automatic assault rifle in game. What it lacks in rate of fire it makes up in power, accuracy, and range.

Multiplayer
In multiplayer, the FAL is unlocked at Level 28. While this rifle's semi-automatic nature reduces its effectiveness at close range, an experienced player with a fast trigger finger can easily unload a full magazine on an enemy in close range, like a fully-automatic weapon. This same semi-automatic firing allows the player to control how much ammo is used and increases the FAL's effectiveness at long range, even though the shooter must pause briefly between shots to let the recoil settle. Because of this long-range prowess, the FAL bridges the gap between assault rifles and sniper rifles.

The FAL is the strongest assault rifle in Modern Warfare 2, with a damage range of 55-35, and as such, Stopping Power has a minimal effect, opening up a second tier perk slot. Shots will always kill in two hits at close and medium range, but three are required for a long range kill, regardless of the use of Stopping Power. However, with Stopping Power, the FAL is able to achieve one hit kills with a headshot up close. Moreover, like the UMP45, the FAL is one of the few non-sniper weapons in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 that can kill in a maximum of three shots regardless of range, perks, or attachments.

The Red Dot Sight is not properly aligned on the FAL, as shots land below and to the right of the dot. The Holographic Sight can fix this problem and increases the FAL's minimum damage by 5, which makes it 40, and when using Stopping Power, gives two-hit-kills at all ranges. This includes Bling combinations, in which a Holographic Sight would go well with a Suppressor or Grenade Launcher. A recommended tactic is to use the shotgun for close quarters along with Stopping Power, which allows a player to be more versatile in his/her engagement.

In Hardcore, due to the gun's minimum damage being 5 points higher than a player's normal health, when paired with a Thermal Scope it can become a viable sniper rifle. However, due to the fact that many players in Hardcore use Cold Blooded to hide from air support, the FAL is outperformed by the M14 EBR for easier penetration kills, higher zoom, higher movement speed, lower recoil, and a handy Ghillie suit.

Attachments

 * Grenade Launcher
 * Red Dot Sight
 * Suppressor
 * ACOG Scope
 * FMJ
 * Shotgun
 * Holographic
 * Heartbeat Sensor
 * Thermal Scope
 * Extended Mags

Call of Duty: Black Ops
The FAL returns in Call of Duty: Black Ops as the FN FAL, and looks much different from the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 version, having a wooden stock, the standard-capacity 20-round magazine, and lacking a rail system for attachments.

Campaign
In Campaign, the weapon is used heavily by the Tropas in &quot;Operation 40" and is the primary assault rifle used by the NVA in "The Defector." It is powerful and effective, but is usually passed up for other weapons that can be found.

Multiplayer
Unlocked at level 32, the FN FAL has medium recoil and high damage, killing in two to three shots in Core game modes and always with one shot in Hardcore game modes.

The FAL is a powerful weapon in Black Ops, killing opponents with less shots than most other automatic weapons in the game, but is semi-automatic, which somewhat limits its effectiveness in close quarters. The FAL excels at mid to long range gunfights due to its superior damage and accuracy, as well as moderately low recoil.

The FAL is a versatile weapon that can work with many different attachments and perks to be effective. Optics are an extremely common choice, as the FAL's sights are reasonably good, but optics allow for more accuracy at range. The Red Dot and Reflex Sights are great choices, as they provide better peripheral vision than the iron sights. The ACOG and Infrared scopes are also useful, but further limits the FAL's close quarter abilities by slowing ADS time and increasing recoil. Dual Mags are useful as it shortens reload time and grants 2 extra starting magazines, negating the need for Scavenger and Sleight of Hand. Extended Magazines can be helpful when facing multiple enemies at once, but for the most part, 20 rounds are enough, as the FAL's semi-automatic nature and high power conserves ammunition very well, and its reload is rather quick. The Suppressor is also useful, as its high minimum damage allows it to kill effectively with 3 shots or less at any range.

Warlord is a great perk to use, as Sleight of Hand and Steady Aim are not immediately necessary for the FAL, although they are effective with the FAL. An optic paired with Dual Mags or the Suppressor would be a good choice for a silent, deadly marksman class. Hardened is also useful, as the FAL has high penetration for an assault rifle, and Hardened will increase your chances of killing an enemy behind cover. Hardened Pro is also useful, as accuracy is vital to be successful with the FAL, and flinching in the middle of a firefight can be fatal.

The FN FAL has some advantages over the other single-shot assault rifle in the game, the M14. The FN FAL has much more open, less obstructed iron sights, easily stays on target in close to long range gunfights, can accept Dual Mags, and does not require a grip like the M14 to lower recoil. The FN FAL features arguably lower, but less predictable recoil, unlike the M14, which has a more powerful linear vertical recoil. However, one can argue that the linear recoil allows for easier headshots and the fact that some prefer this type of recoil, but this choice is up to the player. Another notable fact is that the M14 has a tighter hipfire spread than the FN FAL, therefore increasing the performance of the latter in close quarter combat. Finally, the FN FAL lacks the x1.5 damage multiplier to the neck and has lower damage multipliers to the head than the M14 has, meaning that the FN FAL needs two headshots to two-hit at long range, while the M14 only needs one of the two bullets to hit the head or neck in order to get a two-hit kill at range.

Attachments

 * Grenade Launcher
 * Flamethrower
 * ACOG Scope
 * Red Dot Sight
 * Reflex Sight
 * Masterkey
 * Suppressor
 * Dual Mag
 * Infrared Scope
 * Extended Magazines

Zombies
The FN FAL appears in the Zombies maps Kino der Toten, Five, Ascension, Call of The Dead, Shangri-La, and Moon. It also appears in the updated Black Ops versions of Nacht der Untoten, Verruckt, Shi No Numa, and Der Reise. In Zombies mode, the FN FAL can be only obtained from the Mystery Box. It comes with a 20 round magazine, moderate power (one-hit-headshot until round six) and high accuracy. Due to the larger magazine size and double the power on headshots, the FN FAL is considered superior to the M14. The Pack-A-Punched version is better, but both versions should be exchanged during the mid rounds.

When Pack-A-Punched, the FN FAL turns into the "EPC WN", which sports a Reflex Sight with a randomized reticule and switches to a three-round burst firing mode, with a one-hit-headshot capacity lasting until round 12. However, one will seldom see a player using the "EPC WN", due to the ineffectiveness of the normal variant. However, It can be effective until round 30 if aiming for headshots.

Gallery

 * For Camouflage images, see FAL/Camouflage

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

 * The FAL's rear sight sways unless equipped with the Shotgun attachment.
 * The FAL's hand guard appears to have a discolor or stain on it.
 * On the right side of the gun, it says FN FAL and then some indiscernible text but backwards. This backwards lettering is also present in the letters "R" and "S" on the fire selector.
 * The FAL has a unique way of reloading. The player flicks the magazine release with the new magazine and inserts it. Also, when the player reloads, the magazine appears to go through the trigger-guard to flick the old magazine out.
 * The FAL appears to have scratches and marks on the barrel.
 * The pick-up icon for the FAL with a grenade launcher says "FAL Grenade Laucher" instead of "FAL Grenade Launcher"
 * When equipped with a Heartbeat Sensor, and reloaded with an empty magazine, the player's hand will clip through the monitor.
 * Enemies firing from behind cover, particularly doors, fire the FAL as if it were fully automatic.

Call of Duty: Black Ops

 * Emblems on the FN FAL appear "backwards" or as a mirror image of the emblem.
 * Like the M14, the FN FAL has a wooden stock and handguard, but when a camouflage pattern is applied, the stock and hand guard turn into a synthetic material. This only occurs in multiplayer.
 * On the Wii version of Call of Duty: Black Ops, the camouflage does not change the wooden stock.
 * With a Grenade Launcher, Flamethrower, or Masterkey attached, the player character releases the magazine slightly differently due to the trigger guard obstructing the magazine well.
 * When Pack-A-Punched, the name change, EPC WN, is a short variation of "Epic Win", while the FN FAL is a short variation of "Effin' Fail".
 * The FN FAL's serial number is 723750402.
 * By viewing the FN FAL in third-person the player can see the word B3AN1ES, which translates to "beanies".
 * The NVA in The Defector will occasionally shoot the FN FAL as if it was fully automatic.
 * The EPC WN deals the most damage of all bullet-based weapons, with the exception sniper rifles and shotguns.
 * In real life, the FN FAL is fully automatic, but this was likely not done for balancing reasons.

Videos
Video:Call of Duty Black Ops: M14 vs FAL|The recoil of the FAL compared to the M14 in Black Ops'' Video:FN FAL Assault Rifle - All Attachments Weapon Guide Series (Call of Duty®: Black Ops)|Attachment Overview

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