Call of Duty Wiki:Ask A Veteran/FAL Guide

Callofduty4 has written this guide to the FAL assault rifle.

The FAL is a semi-automatic rifle, and one of the most powerful guns in the game. It is generally unliked due to it's semi-automatic nature, though if used correctly it can be very deadly.

Specs
Damage - 55-35 (77-49 with stopping power) Recoil - Low Rate of Fire - up to around 700 RPM max Magazine Size - 20 rounds (30 with ex. mags) Wall Penetration - Good

Pros

 * Great accuracy
 * Great power
 * Manageable ROF
 * Quick reload

Cons

 * Semi-automatic
 * Awkward iron sights
 * Red dot sight is glitched

Overview
The FAL is a powerful weapon which is truly at its best at medium-long range. It has a 2-shot kill capability even without stopping power, and a 3-shot capability at long range. Stopping power makes no difference on this gun, unless using the holographic sight, which will make it a 2-shot kill at any range and therefore very effective. Close range encounters can be handled in a pinch if one spams the trigger, as 2 shots are bound to hit. The FAL is also capable of one shot kills at up to medium range with a headshot with stopping power.

Attachments
The FAL uses the same attachments as the other assault rifles:


 * Grenade Launcher (7.5/10) - As with all assault rifles the grenade launcher is a great attachment. The grenade launcher allows users to take out groups of enemies with ease. If you can handle the FAL's iron sights, consider this attachment.


 * Red Dot Sight (6/10) - A good replacement for the stock iron sights, but it is plagued with a glitch which makes the bullets hit a bit below and to the side of the red dot. However, this really only becomes a problem at long range, and it can be overcome with enough practice.


 * Silencer (6/10) - The silencer makes the FAL an effective stealth rifle, as it is still capable of 3-shot kills at long range without stopping power. If the iron sights aren't a problem for you, then this could be an attachment worth considering.


 * ACOG Scope (7/10) - The ACOG scope extends the FAL's long range capability to almost that of sniper rifles. The ACOG scope is very clear and provides a better sight than the regular iron sights, as well as being able to zoom in further. The FAL's recoil is not too bad with the ACOG and should be easily handled.


 * FMJ (6/10) - The FAL isn't the best gun to use to shoot through walls, but with FMJ 3-shot kills through walls become quite common. In hardcore, the FAL will pretty much kill at any range, even through a wall when using FMJ.


 * Shotgun (8/10) - The FAL's close range capability is very limited. The shotgun makes up for this and frees up the secondary slot for something else other than a shotgun. Great when paired with the holographic sight and stopping power.


 * Holographic Sight (8/10) - The FAL becomes a 2-shot kill machine at any range when the holographic sight and stopping power are used. This makes the FAL extremely effective, and it can easily stand up to sniper rifles at long range.


 * Heartbeat Sensor (8/10) - The heartbeat sensor, while providing the great advantage the heartbeat sensor provides for all weapons, is also able to be seen when aiming down the sight. This is a huge advantage.


 * Thermal Scope (6/10) - Not as good as one may think - the FAL's recoil is made much more obvious and is hard to land 3 shots for a kill at even medium range. Not the worst attachment though.


 * Extended Mags (4/10) - The FAL's semiautomatic capability, high accuracy and quick reload means ammo is used rather sparingly and reload times aren't a problem. Extended mags doesn't really serve any major purpose.

Perks
Because stopping power makes no difference on the FAL (except when using the holographic sight), perk 2 is free for something more tactical.

Tier 1

 * Scavenger - Mitigates low amount of ammo. Good for camping/defending the objective.
 * Sleight of Hand - Good when paired with a Stinger and cold blooded, as it allows killstreak rewards to be taken down very quickly.

Tier 2

 * Cold Blooded - This makes the FAL a great anti-air class when paired with a Stinger.
 * Danger Close - Great with the grenade launcher. The FAL won't lose any bonus provided by stopping power when danger close is used.
 * Stopping Power - When used with the holographic sight, the FAL becomes a 2 shot kill at any range when stopping power is used.

Tier 3

 * Steady Aim - Greatly improves the FAL's CQB prowess.
 * SitRep - Good when flanking the enemy. Great when paired with cold blooded.

Tactics
The FAL is probably best used defensively. Rushing with the FAL is very risky due to the possibility of being caught off guard in CQB by someone with an SMG/automatic assault rifle.

Camper

 * FAL attachment - Heartbeat Sensor
 * Perk 1 - Scavenger
 * Perk 2 - Cold Blooded
 * Perk 3 - Steady Aim

Defender

 * FAL attachment - Shotgun and Holographic Sight
 * Perk 1 - Bling
 * Perk 2 - Stopping Power
 * Perk 3 - Steady Aim

Anti-Air

 * FAL attachment - ACOG Scope
 * Secondary - Stinger
 * Perk 1 - Sleight of Hand
 * Perk 2 - Cold Blooded
 * Perk 3 - SitRep

Stealth

 * FAL attachment - Silencer
 * Perk 1 - Sleight of Hand
 * Perk 2 - Cold Blooded
 * Perk 3 - Ninja

Grenadier

 * FAL attachment - Grenade Launcher
 * Perk 1 - One Man Army
 * Perk 2 - Danger Close
 * Perk 3 - SitRep