Warzone 2 / MW2: Best Assault Rifles Tier List

With the release of 2022’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 as well as Warzone 2, it’s safe to say these are going to be some of the biggest video game releases of the year. Players looking to up their game and learn which weapons to use will be happy to know we’ve discovered stats for Assault Rifles and have ranked each one of them based on their performance in game.

There will inevitably be patches that balance gun performance during the lifespan of MW2 multiplayer, and we will continue to update this list with up-to-date information. Make sure to save this post and come back after any update to the game to see what has changed and which guns are the current meta.

Updated by Nathan Round on 24th October 2023: We have updated this guide to include the TR-76 Geist, which was released for Season 6.

Modern Warfare 2 / Warzone 2 Gun Ranking Criteria

This tier list ranks the guns according to the following criteria:

1. Time-To-Kill
2. Damage Range
3. Recoil Control and Stability
4. Mobility
5. Bullet Velocity

The biggest criterion for most players is typically going to be Time-To-Kill (TTK). Time-To-Kill refers to how fast a gun can kill a target. The faster the time to kill, the more likely you’re going to kill them before they kill you. Keep in mind that the Damage Profile (how much damage a gun does to specific parts of the body and at what range the damage declines) also affects the Time-To-Kill, so some guns may perform better in specific scenarios, and that’s where the other factors come into play.

• Damage Range is very important for AR’s; AR’s generally favor mid to long-range fights. If one gun has its damage drop off sooner than another it will likely lose to one that has a longer range.
• Recoil Control and Stability are key stats for many players to be able to hit their shots. This is particularly important the further a target is from you. With enough practice learning how a gun handles, stability can be compensated for.
• Mobility is less important for AR’s as most fights will be mid to long-range encounters. Aim-Down-Sight (ADS) speed is a key indicator, but the difference between each AR is very minimal.
• Higher Bullet Velocity means faster kills and an easier time hitting the target, however, all Assault Rifles so far have the same Bullet Velocity.

COD Modern Warfare 2 & Warzone 2.0 AR Tier List

Best AR MW2 & Warzone 2.0 – Assault Rifles

Lachmann-556

The Lachmann-556 has an average rate of fire and low damage per round, but not the lowest of all ARs. It has an average time to kill for headshots and body shots at all ranges. Its closest comparison would be the M4, but has a better headshot damage profile that would make it more suitable for long-range encounters. The Lachmann-556 has also recently surged in popularity due to its low-recoil and high-damage output, making it a laser beam at all ranges.

TAQ-56

The TAQ-56 has the second-slowest fire rate of all Assault Rifles, but is a great all-purpose weapon choice and a heavy hitter at a distance. The TAQ-56 has an average ADS speed and is a little more sluggish than the Lachmann-556. However, the reload time is the best, and the recoil is quite easy to manage – making it great to use at long and medium ranges.

ISO Hemlock

The ISO Hemlock is among one of the most popular weapons among the player base, and is an all-around great weapon for both Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone 2. Though the fire rate of this gun is on the lower side, its average bullet velocity and ease of use make it a superb gun to use at a distance – second to that of the TAQ-56.

M4

The M4 is tied with the M16 for the highest rate of fire of all Assault Rifles but low damage per bullet. It has an average aim-down sight (ADS) speed and is tied with the M16 for the fastest reload time when factoring in both partial and empty reloads. It will take 3 shots to kill for headshots below 27 meters, after which it becomes 4. Its performance can be summed up as the best overall on average for most scenarios. It performs best at further distances (> 45 meters), and is still fairly average at mid-range (25-45 meters). However, it has one of the slowest time-to-kill speeds of all Assault Rifles at close range.

Great AR MW2 & Warzone 2.0 – Assault Rifles

Kastov 545

The Kastov 545 is very similar to the Kastov-74U except for the slower aim-down sight speed and standard AR hip-fire spread. In practice, this gun performs nearly identically to the Lachmann-556. The damage profiles are practically the same. The main trade-offs between these two are that the Kastov 545 has a slower rate of fire but a faster reload speed than the Lachmann-556.

FR Avancer

The FR Avancer is one of the more recent additions to the long line of Assault Rifles, seeing its debut for the launch of Season 5. This Assault Rifle boasts the best level of range in its category, along with a decent level of damage to match. This gun is best compared to the Tempus Razorback, as both boast a high-fire rate. However, out of the two, the FR Avancer does have better damage, fire rate, range, and accuracy. Although the FR Avancer has some pretty good attributes, it does have the poorest levels of recoil control in the AR category. Furthermore, its small magazine size and fast fire rate will have you burning through your ammunition fairly quickly.

TR-76 Geist

The TR-76 Geist sports one of the best levels of damage and accuracy and damage among all the Assault Rifles in the game. The TR-76 Geist’s mobility attributes are also decent, but the ADS speed is on the slower side when compared to other weapons of the same category. This gun is essentially a sibling to the Tempus Razorback. However, out of the two, the TR-76 has the edge when it comes to longer-distance gunfights, sporting better damage, accuracy, and mobility.

Tempus Razorback

The stats for the Tempus Razorback are interesting. This gun features a bullet velocity fairly consistent with many other weapons of the same category, along with a fairly high fire rate. The major drawback behind running the Tempus Razorback is its high amount of recoil, meaning it takes a lot more control to be able to use this gun effectively from afar. Despite this main drawback, however, this weapon is in fact a formidable gun for both Multiplayer and Warzone 2.

Kastov 762

The Kastov 762 has the slowest firing rate of all the Assault Rifles, however, to make up for this slow rate of fire it has a much higher damage per bullet – second only to the 3-round burst of the M16. The time to kill with the Kastov 762 is the fastest among all the assault rifles for any part of the body hit. The one caveat is for upper torso shots below 24 meters, where the M16 has a very slight edge on it. It will take 2 bullets to kill any target for headshots below 46 meters, and 3 from further away. The Kastov 762 will be a strong contender at any range. This is our top pick for long-distance encounters.

Good AR MW2 & Warzone 2.0 – Assault Rifles

STB 556

The STB 556 has a fast rate of fire, second to the M4 and M16, and also has a pretty decent damage profile for close encounters. After 15 meters its performance drops off significantly and is middle of the pack until 47 meters where it has some of the worst time-to-kill speeds. Outfitting this gun with more close-range attachments would be a very wise choice. Its reload speed is pretty slow though, so it would be helpful to equip it with the Fast Hands perk given that the majority of encounters are going to be close-ranged.

M13B

The M13B made its appearance for Season 1, and is in no way a bad Assault Rifle. This nifty gun has a high-fire rate and superb recoil control, but its bullet velocity is on the lower side when compared to other Assault Rifles. If you are looking for a gun that beams players from afar, then the M13B is not for you. However, it is a considerable option for close and medium-range engagements.

Kastov-74U

The Kastov-74U is very similar to the Kastov 545, with only slight changes. First, the faster aim-down-sight time, and second, it has a tighter hip-fire spread, something unique to this gun in the Assault Rifle category. There’s no question this gun was intended for close-range fights, as the damage falloff is rather extreme past 21 meters.

Chimera

The Chimera saw its debut back in Season 1 Reloaded, and is an ideal Assault Rifle for run-and-gun gameplay. The Chimera features a fast fire rate and aim-down-sight speed, but lacks the necessary range and bullet velocity to perform well at a distance. With an integrated suppressor and superb handling, the Chimera is more suited for close-range gunfights – it is even capable of rivaling weapons of the Submachine Gun category.

M13C

The M13C is quite similar to the M13B, but sacrifices a bit of range and damage for increased mobility and handling. Though this weapon does possess the highest level of mobility of its weapon type – along with one of the highest levels of handling – pretty much every other AR outclasses this gun from mid-to-long ranges. However, the M13C is still a great choice for a Sniper support.

Worst AR MW2 & Warzone 2.0 – Assault Rifles

M16

The M16 is the only 3-round burst Assault Rifle at launch. It has one of the highest fire rates, tied with the M4, but the delay between burst shots is 160ms. Though this weapon is arguably one of the most iconic to be featured in Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone 2, it is arguably the worst Assault Rifle to date. Some of you may get away with getting a couple of one and two-burst kills in Multiplayer, but the M16 fails to compete with any other Assault Rifle when it comes to Warzone 2.

Summary

Not all Assault Rifles are made equally, so we’ve also included our top picks for different scenarios, Close-Range and Long-Range, and All-Purpose. While ultimately the choice for the best AR depends on preference and also how you use said weapon, here are our top picks.

Best Close-Range AR In Modern Warfare 2 / Warzone 2

Chimera

The Chimera is arguably the best Assault Rifle when it comes to close-range gunfights. This gun is built around stealth and has superb handling and mobility. The close-range meta for the Assault Rifle category is a narrow margin, and weapons like the STB 556, M13B, and Kastov-74U are all great in their own right – but the Chimera takes the cake for close and personal gunfights.

Best Long Range AR In MW2 / Warzone 2

Lachmann-556

The Lachmann-556 ever so slightly beats out the Kastov 545 with its 2-point damage advantage. While there is a case to be made for the Kastov 545 having a better damage profile for body shots, at long range, you’ll definitely be wanting to take the time to line up those headshots.

Best All Purpose AR In MW2 / Warzone 2

M4

Given the fact that it is the first gun unlocked, the M4 has great stats that the average player will do well with. It is a respectable choice for any encounter, though it can be beaten by many of the other guns on this list, should one play to the strengths of their preferred weapon.