At launch, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War features a roster of five different assault rifles, from the standard AK-47 to the highly mobile QBZ-83. These five weapons form the backbone of the mid-range arsenal for players in multiplayer, Zombies, and campaign, at least until Treyarch adds more assault rifles to the game post-launch.
“Across the board, an assault rifle will have relatively balanced statistics,” writes Activision; “making it a great baseline for comparison against other primary weapon categories. However, their strength lies in their customizability, making them ideal for a loadout with the Gunfighter Wildcard. Assault rifles are so modular that they can even be customized to excel in close quarters or at a distance outside of their typical range.”
The Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Assault Rifles
As veteran Call of Duty players will well know, assault rifles tend to perform best in two areas; mid-range shooting and customizability. The latter category makes them ideal for players who want to carefully tweak and fine-tune their weapons to suit a particular playstyle. At present, there are five different weapons available in this category. These five are as follows:
- XM4 (Assault Rifle – Alpha): The only assault rifle which players have access to automatically at Level 1, the XM4 is the default firearm of Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War. It features good accuracy and recoil, with a respectable fire rate, making it forgiving and well-suited for beginners.
- AK-47 (Assault Rifle – Bravo): Unlocked at Level 7, the AK-47 takes a different approach to the fairly balanced XM4. It has more powerful shots, increasing its damage to both infantry and vehicles. However, it also has poorer recoil and accuracy.
- Krig 6 (Assault Rifle – Charlie): At Level 16, players will unlock the Krig 6, which is arguably the most accurate assault rifle in the game. It lacks the power of the AK-47, but has extremely good recoil, providing excellent accuracy and stability.
- QBZ-83 (Assault Rifle – Delta): Next up is the QBZ-83, which unlocks at Level 31. The selling point of this weapon is mobility – the best of any assault rifle – offering faster ADS and draw times. Indeed, the QBZ-83 is very well-suited for players who prefer to run rapidly from encounter to encounter.
- FFAR 1 (Assault Rifle – Echo): The final assault rifle, unlocked at Level 40, is the FFAR 1. What sets this rifle apart from the previous four is its sheer fire rate. The weapon is akin to a “light” Light Machine Gun, suited to laying down suppressive fire. However, unlike an LMG, its default magazine is quite small, with the fastest default reload speed of any assault rifle.