Vanguard Best Guns: Top 10 Weapons And Loadouts

As players settle themselves into the latest Call of Duty, the Vanguard best guns are already being debated. Returning to the Modern Warfare engine, Vanguard is a far snappier shooter than Cold War, and with its WW2 era arsenal of weapons, it is a far different COD experience. Luckily, we’ve settled the score with a guide to the Vanguard best guns and the loadouts to use with them. 

• Check out Vanguard perks that can compliment your Vanguard best guns. 

Vanguard Best Guns: STG44 

The STG44 might seem like an odd choice to include in the Vanguard best guns, considering it is the starter assault rifle. However, this is the perfect all rounder in Vanguard, with its low recoil and decent range. We’d recommend building this for those slightly larger maps, such as Castle and Red Star. While we have a good loadout choice below, you can check out two of the best Vanguard STG44 loadouts in our dedicated guide. 

• With 20 maps on launch, we’ve got a Vanguard maps guide so you know what you’re getting into

• Muzzle - Scythe Compensator
• Barrel - VDD 320mm 02B
• Optic - MK3 Sunfilter
• Stock - Krausnick S11s Folding
• Front Grip - M1941 Hand Stop 
• Mag - N/A
• Ammo Type - FMJ Rounds
• Rear Grip - Stippled Grip
• Proficiency - Sleight of Hand
• Kit - On-Hand

With the likes of the Scythe Compensator, M1941 Hand Stop, and Stippled Grip, you’ll see a massive improvement to accuracy and recoil control. To ensure you are hitting those mid to long range shots, the MK3 Sunfilter is a great no-nonsense scope, and the Krausnick S11s Folding and VDD 320mm 02B will help with your speed and aim down sights (ADS) speed. To round out this Vanguard best guns loadout, the FMJ Rounds will work in line with Vanguard’s destructible environments, the Sleight of Hand proficiency perk will speed up those reloads, and On-Hand means you can toss out those grenades with speed. 

Vanguard Best Guns: MP40 

Another starter weapon to make it into the Vanguard best guns list, the MP40 is a Call of Duty classic. This is one of the sturdiest of the SMGs, offering decent range, dependable recoil and high damage. For this loadout, we’d recommend trying to speed things up, as it is one of the slower SMGs, whilst maintaining its high damage output. Like the STG44 above, we also have a dedicated best Vanguard MP40 loadouts guide.

• Muzzle - Strife Compensator
• Barrel - Krausnick 221mm 01B
• Optic - Slate Reflector
• Stock - Krausnick 33m Folding
• Front Grip - Mark VI Skeletal
• Mag - 9mm 24 Round Fast Mags
• Ammo Type - Subsonic
• Rear Grip - Fabric Grip
• Proficiency - Unmarked 
• Kit - Quick

Starting out with this Vanguard best MP40 loadout, you’ll want the Strife Compensator muzzle to counter the Krausnick 221mm 01B barrel. This barrel will boost ADS speed, hip fire accuracy, aim while walking and sprint to fire speed, while reducing recoil control. Keeping with the snappy ADS speed, we have the Slate Reflector optics, Krausnick 33m Folding stock, Fabric Grip, and Mark VI Skeletal underbarrel. 9mm 24 Round Fast Mags help a run-and-gun playstyle, while both Subsonic ammo and Unmarked proficiency give you that stealthy edge. Lastly, Quick helps you speed around some of the smaller maps with ease. 

Vanguard Best Guns: M1928

Another SMG, and there are none as iconic as the M1928, otherwise known as the Tommy Gun. This is a fast SMG with reasonably tame recoil, and some of the best ammo options out of all of the Vanguard best guns. This is a close-range machine, and excels in hip fire accuracy, so we’d recommend leaning into those components. 

• Muzzle - G28 Compensator
• Barrel - CGC 14.5" Shrouded
• Optic - Slate Reflector
• Stock - CGC S Adjustable
• Front Grip - Carver Foregrip
• Mag - .45 ACP 30 Round Fast Mags
• Ammo Type - Hollow Point
• Rear Grip - Pine Tar Grip
• Proficiency - Sleight of Hand
• Kit - Quick

The G28 Compensator muzzle, CGC 14.5” Shrouded barrel, CGC S Adjustable stock, Pine Tar Grip and Carver Foregrip, will deliver a great balance of recoil control, hip fire accuracy, and sprint to fire speed. Next to up reload speeds, we’ve picked the .45 ACP 30 Round Fast Mags, which sacrifice mag size, however, paired with Sleight of Hand, you’ll be swapping out mags before the enemy knows what hit them. The Hollow Point ammo works well with hip firing, and Quick, means you can run circles around enemies. Lastly, you can’t really go wrong with the Slate Reflector optic. That makes up one of the Vanguard best guns loadouts. 

Vanguard Best Guns: M1 Garand

We wouldn’t expect this marksman rifle to make its way into the Vanguard best weapons, yet here we are. Besides that satisfying ping however, the M1 Garand is a superb way to pick off enemies from mid to long ranges. The M1 Garand can struggle with recoil, so our loadout is all about keeping that under control. 

• Muzzle - G28 Compensator
• Barrel - Cooper 21" Shrouded 
• Optic - G16 2.5x
• Stock - Cooper Adjustable 
• Front Grip - Heavy Foregrip
• Mag - .30-06 16 Round Drums
• Ammo Type - Lengthened 
• Rear Grip - Stippled Grip
• Proficiency - Vital
• Kit - Defender

Firstly, pick up the G28 Compensator muzzle, Heavy Foregrip, Stippled Grip and G16 2.5x optics to boost that accuracy and recoil control. The Cooper 21” Shrouded barrel and Cooper Adjustable stock help out with accuracy even more, while depleting hip fire and movement speed - however the M1 Garand is pretty bad with hip fire as is, so this shouldn’t change playstyle too much. The .30-06 16 Round Drums, doubles your ammo capacity, and while it reduces movement and ADS, the original 8 round mag doesn’t quite cut it. Lengthened ammo type packs an extra punch and Vital proficiency increases the critical hit zones, meaning even more damage. Lastly, we’d recommend picking the Defender kit, as the M1 Garand is superb as a mounted weapon. 

Vanguard Best Guns: Volkssturmgewehr

Blending weapon classes is an easy way to secure a place on the Vanguard best guns list, and that’s exactly what the Volkssturmgewehr did. This fast-firing assault rifle is much more akin to an SMG, with its high fire rate and quick handling, suited for close to mid range. For this loadout, we’d recommend leaning into the Volkssturmgewehr’s speed, and honing in on recoil control. 

• Muzzle - G28 Compensator
• Barrel - Reisdorf 407mm Custom
• Optic - G16 2.5x
• Stock - SA Converted 
• Front Grip - Mark VI Skeletal 
• Mag - 7.62 Gorenko 30 Round Mags
• Ammo Type - Lengthened 
• Rear Grip - Fabric Grip
• Proficiency - Sleight of Hand 
• Kit - Fully Loaded

The G28 Compensator muzzle, Reisdorf 407mm Custom barrel, Mark VI Skeletal underbarrel, SA Converted stock, Fabric Grip and 7.62 Gorenko 30 Round Mags, make the Volkssturmgewehr a speed beast, with insanely fast ADS. Going one step further you have the Sleight of Hand for quick reloads, the G16 2.5x for a clear and concise scope, and Lengthened ammo to offset some of the lost power. Lastly, you’ll want the Fully Loaded kit for more starting ammo, as this thing tears through ammunition. 

Vanguard Best Guns: MG42

LMGs are easily overlooked amidst the Vanguard best guns, but the MG42 should be the one to buck that trend. This classic LMG holds a hefty amount of ammo, includes a fast fire rate and is surprisingly versatile, compared to some of the heftier LMGs in the game. For its loadout, you’ll want to hold onto that snappiness for an LMG that is just as good at hunkering down as it is on the run. 

• Muzzle - L Brake
• Barrel - N/A
• Optic - MK 3 Mod. 2 Sunfilter
• Stock - Krausnick S91MG
• Front Grip - Mark VI Skeletal 
• Mag - N/A
• Ammo Type - FMJ Rounds 
• Rear Grip - Fabric Grip
• Proficiency - Tight Grip
• Kit - Fully Loaded

ADS is key here, so the likes of the Krausnick S91MG stock, Mark VI Skeletal underbarrel and Fabric Grip are paramount. Depending on whether you’d like to play things slightly slower or not, you could go for the F8 Stabilizer muzzle, but we’ve picked the L Brake to increase accuracy. Tight Grip and Defender go together excellently, in proficiency and kit, however powering through ammo as quickly as you do makes Fully Loaded a better pick over Defender. Lastly, you can blast through cover with FMJ Rounds, and see it all clearly with a simple MK 3 Mod. 2 Sunfilter optic. This will make for a surprisingly lightweight LMG, that is deadly at close to mid range and unstoppable when mounted at long range. 

Vanguard Best Guns: Kar98k

There are only three sniper rifles in Vanguard, but the Kar98k stands among the most prolific. Not only is it the most powerful of the three, but it maintains solid speed and accuracy along with it. This makes the Kar98k a great fit for the smaller maps of Vanguard. Without as many sniper nests to stay in all game, we’d opt for a dynamic loadout, that mixes accuracy with quick handling. 

• Muzzle - L Brake 
• Barrel - Krausnick 560mm LWS03K
• Optic - SVT-40 PU Scope 3-6x
• Stock - Reisdorf Wire
• Front Grip - M1941 Hand Stop
• Mag - N/A
• Ammo Type - Lengthened 
• Rear Grip - Fabric Grip
• Proficiency - Shrouded 
• Kit - Defender

For this Vanguard best guns loadout, ADS speed will allow you to nip around maps, without fear of being too slow to the scope. For that, attachments like the L Brake muzzle, Krausnick 560mm LWS03K barrel and Fabric Grip will speed things up. Additionally, the M1941 Hand Stop and Reisdorf Wire stock, will increase accuracy and sprint to fire speed. For a scope you’ll want the SVT-40 PU Scope 3-6x, which may take away from ADS, but makes up for with a scope that’s great for mid and long range. Topping off this build, Lengthened ammo increases bullet velocity for added power, Shrouded hides your scope glint, and Defenders gives you added manoeuvrability while mounted. 

Vanguard Best Guns: Type 100  

The Type 100 finds itself among the Vanguard best guns as another solid SMG pick, with quick handling and low recoil. It’s more in line with the Sten than any other SMG on this list, but edges the Sten out for its adaptability at slightly longer ranges. You aren’t going to be out sniping a Kar98k anytime soon, but the Type 100 holds its own, especially with our best Vanguard Type 100 loadouts.

• Muzzle - Strife Compensator
• Barrel - Shiraishi 374mm
• Optic - G16 2.5x
• Stock - Warubachi Skeletal 
• Front Grip - SMLE Pistol Grip
• Mag - N/A
• Ammo Type - FMJ Rounds
• Rear Grip - Pine Tar Grip
• Proficiency - Sleight of Hand 
• Kit - Fully Loaded

Holding onto that aspect of long range SMG, you’ll want the Shiraishi 374mm barrel partnered up with the Strife Compensator muzzle, SMLE Pistol Grip underbarrel, Pine Tar Grip, Warubachi Skeletal stock and G16 2.5x optic. These will mix accuracy bonuses with some speed perks, however, ADS time does take a noticeable dip. This is more than made up for in pin-point accuracy, only helped by FMJ Rounds to add that extra punch. You’ll also want to throw on Sleight of Hand and Fully Loaded for this one. 

Vanguard Best Guns: Automaton

The Automaton is likely on its way to become one of the most popular of the Vanguard best guns amongst professional players. With the right build this assault rifle can shred through its enemies with a high fire rate and dependable recoil. Following this loadout - and the ones in our best Vanguard Automaton loadouts guide - you can craft an even more formidable version of the Automaton. 

• Muzzle - G28 Compensator
• Barrel - Anastasia Sniper
• Optic - G16 2.5x
• Stock - Empress Broadsword
• Front Grip - M1941 Hand Stop 
• Mag - 6.5mm Sakura 75 Round Drums
• Ammo Type - Lengthened 
• Rear Grip - Fabric Grip
• Proficiency - Sleight of Hand 
• Kit - Fully Loaded

This build is based on accuracy at the mid to long range, so the likes of the Anastasia Sniper barrel, G28 Compensator muzzle, G16 2.5x optic and M1941 Hand Stop underbarrel are a must. To counter the lack of speed we’ve opted for the Empress Broadsword stock and Fabric Grip. For this build we want to keep shooting so we’ve gone with the 6.5mm Sakura 75 Round Drums and Lengthened ammo type, and Fully Loaded kit for additional starting ammo. And to ease the slow reload times we’ve chosen Sleight of Hand. This easily makes the Automaton one of the Vanguard best guns, and an absolute beam machine. 

Vanguard Best Guns: Combat Shotgun

With Vanguard’s tight knit map design, the Combat Shotgun has easily soared into the Vanguard best guns list as the close range king. This sturdy pump action shotgun will tear through the enemy squad, and given the right attachments, it will be borderline unstoppable - especially if you take it across to Vanguard zombies. 

• Muzzle - M97 Full Choke 
• Barrel - Sawed-Off
• Optic - N/A
• Stock - CGC 3M Adjustable  
• Front Grip - SMLE Pistol Grip
• Mag - 16 Gauge 10 Round Drums
• Ammo Type - Incendiary 
• Rear Grip - Stippled Grip
• Proficiency - Sleight of Hand 
• Kit - Quick

To ensure you essentially never have to ADS, the M97 Full Choke, SMLE Pistol Grip and Sawed Off barrel make this a hip firing dream. To speed things up a little, you’ll need the CGC 3m Adjustable stock and Stippled Grip. Then for ammo you’ll want the 16 Gauge 10 Round Drum and Sleight of Hand so you’ve always got a shell in the chamber, along with Quick, so you can get up close and personal before they know it. The last and most crucial part to this loadout is the Incendiary rounds, which will burn away at your enemies even after you've been dispatched. 

That’s all of the Vanguard best guns that you should be checking out, however, they are just a small portion of the game's arsenal. Check out our guide on the Vanguard weapons to see what else Vanguard has on offer.