Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Warzone Season 5 Weapon Tier List
With a new season of Modern Warfare and Warzone comes a new set of weapons added to the ever-expanding roster of armaments in the game, while balancing changes, meta shifts, and new discoveries have re-defined the best weapons and builds over the course of the last season. Season 5 brings the ISO SMG, based on the Swiss B&T APC9 recently adopted by the US Military, plus the AN-94. Neither of these weapons change the meta too much, but huge shifts in Season 4 have rolled over into Season 5.
Both Modern Warfare and Warzone saw several loadouts and setups go viral after a few seemingly mundane balancing changes, which ultimately caused some weapon like the FAL to skyrocket in power and popularity. While some weapons are still at rock-bottom, many guns have slowly trended up in power, while others, like the MP5, have been nerfed considerably. Things will continue to evolve as Season 5 carries on, but for now this list represents the current state of the meta in Warzone and Modern Warfare. Guns are rated on power, versatility, and the elusive, all-important fun-factor.
At the start of Season 5, only a few weapons grace the bottom of the barrel as worst in class, which is a sign that balancing changes are working. Weapons can end up in D-Tier if they are frustrating to use, woefully underpowered, or if there are other weapons that do all of the same things far better. For example, the EBR-14 is a decent gun, but everything it does, the FAL does far better, making it practically obsolete and putting it firmly in D-Tier. Likewise, the M19 is a decent 9mm pistol until one considers that the Renetti is 9mm, fires faster, and has a wide array of attachments that make it several classes above the M19.
The Kar98k is a slow bolt action without the stopping power of a sniper, the MG34 is an outdated LMG that can't compete with any of its modern counterparts, and the Dragunov lacks the damage of a sniper or the versatility of a DMR. The VLK Rogue can provide some entertainment as a frighteningly mobile shotgun, but it will surely tank the K/D of any user. All of these belong in D-Tier as guns that don't have a competitive use, and aren't even that much fun to mess around with either.
C-Tier weapons are often decent enough, but lack the versatility to compete with top-tier guns that can be pushed into a variety of circumstances across all the ranges that the game presents. Some C-Tier weapons are great for a specific purpose, but fall flat outside of one relatively unlikely circumstance. For example, the Oden is amazing at tearing through body armor and doing high damage, but its slow fire rate and oppressive recoil make it far less useful in other areas, making the Oden a solid C-Tier choice.
The P90, Uzi, and PP19 Bizon are all very respectable SMGs, with the P90 and Bizon sharing the advantage of high ammo counts. However, the SMG class is already full of strong contenders like the MP5 and MP7, making these guns less viable by comparison. The M91 is a middling LMG without any real flavor. Meanwhile, the SA87 has great range advantages, but with 5.56 ammo and a slow fire rate, it is out-competed by ARs set up for ranged combat.
The Model 680's slow pump action is incredibly damaging, but its saving grace is Dragon's Breath rounds. They are extremely strong and fun to use, barely hoisting the 680 out of D-Tier and into C. Likewise, the .357 Revolver has great damage but a slow fire rate and glacial reloads, making it far worse than the Desert Eagle. At the very least, it is an extremely fun and satisfying weapon to use, and with Snake Shot rounds, it can do some serious work as a pocket shotgun. The Riot Shield is the last weapon in C-Tier. It is extremely valuable as a utility, but anyone who has tried to get damascus will likely remember getting triple-kills with the Riot Shield as a dark time.
Past the B-Tier threshold, weapons are viable in a variety of situations and are typically pretty fun and unique. Usually, though, one or two glaring downsides prevent these guns from reaching the hallowed halls of the A- and S-Tiers. For example, the FR 5.56, or FAMAS, has great damage, blistering fire rate, and plenty of customization options. However, it is restricted to three-round bursts, which makes it a fun challenge to use but definitely holds it back from competing with the likes of the M4A1.
In the same class is the Kilo-141, a slightly slower competitor to the M13 and M4A1 that has tweaked damage multipliers and the option of a drum mag, but just doesn't hold up in DPS. The FN SCAR and AK-47 are solid 7.62 caliber weapons, but the SCAR suffers in mobility and ammo where the AK has low accuracy despite its wealth of customization options. The CR-56 out-competes them both as a mobile, accurate 7.62 gun with good customization choices. The Striker 45, on the other hand, is a great B-Tier weapon because with a little practice it can compete strongly with high-tier guns. Its slow rate of fire is a downside, but can also help keep it accurate at range.
The R9-O is a strong shotgun with a lot of ammo and the benefit of two rapid shots before needing to pump the action, but its customization options are lacking. The Holger-26 has the benefit of being an LMG-style weapon with relatively quick handling, but its damage is lackluster. The SKS is a strong choice as a DMR, but is just edged out by the FAL in damage, fire rate, and versatility. The 1911 and JOKR are both middling choices in their respective classes, with not much to make them stand out from the rest.
The knife also finds itself in B-Tier because as fun as it is, the Kali sticks and Dual Kodachis do everything it does better. Likewise, the Rytec AMR is a great compromise anti-material rifle for taking out killstreaks, but other snipers outplay it against human opponents. Closing out B-Tier is the new ISO SMG. It seems like a strong contender at first, but all of its benefits can be had in other, better SMGs. It does have a good recoil pattern and high rate of fire, but its ammo counts are too low, and other weapons like the MP7, MP5, and Fennec can all out-compete it in each of its strong areas.
A-Tier is the ideal position for a weapon in Modern Warfare and Warzone. A-Tier weapons are strong, fun, yet not overpowered. They are typically versatile all-rounders, but usually have a quirk or two that make them unique to handle. For example, the M13 has a high fire rate and great accuracy and mobility, but also has low body-shot damage and a high headshot multiplier. That characteristic isn't quite a downside, it just means that to really master the M13 players will have to get used to it, at which point it is extremely strong.
Other examples of solid A-Tier weapons include the MP7, with its high DPS, accuracy, and sharp damage dropoff, the Fennec with its blistering rate of fire balanced by limited ammo, and the 725's brutal damage limited to two shots at a time. The Origin-12 shotgun can be strong even in Warzone, but has its limits, while the X16 pistol offers great damage up close but lacks the rapid-fire of the Renetti or the stopping power of the .50 GS. The MK2 Carbine is another great example of a gun with amazing one-shot potential, but unique handling that makes it challenging to master.
Some weapons end up in A-Tier just because they are so fun, even if the downsides are heavy. The Crossbow is the best example, followed by the Kali Sticks and new Dual Kodachis, both of which are incredibly satisfying to use depending on the map. Others are not quite so lucky, falling into A-Tier just because they are strong without quite being overpowered. The Bruen MK9 LMG, the HDR and AX-50 snipers, and the PILA and Strela-P launchers are all great at what they do, but typically stay in their lane without being OP.
At long last, S-Tier weapons sit at the very top of the game as genuinely OP guns that still feel great to use. While many of these guns have had balancing changes that stopped them from being too overpowered, they are still best-in-class weapons with no true rivals. The fact that none of these guns are still absolutely broken is a testament to the balancing efforts of the developer, but nonetheless they can't be beat. The MP5 is the quintessential example. Despite a nerf to 10mm ammo, it still sits at the top of the SMG food chain with great mobility, incredible point-blank DPS, smooth recoil for ranged fights, and a wealth of customization options.
The M4A1, RAM-7, and Grau 5.56 are all well-rounded, reliable beasts. The Grau offers negligible recoil and amazing range, the RAM-7 has the highest DPS, and the M4A1 is still the perfect middle ground as the gold standard by which all other ARs are measured. In 7.62 caliber rifles, the FAL is one of the most competitive guns currently in Warzone, and still serves admirably in core playlists. Meanwhile, the CR-56 offers great accuracy, low recoil, and respectable handling, blowing the AK-47 and SCAR out of the water.
The PKM is arguably the best LMG in the game, giving it an automatic S-Tier rating, and the RPG-7 is the best launcher for taking out players but can still damage killstreaks in a pinch. The Renetti offers a blistering 3-round burst mod, but is still a great pistol even without it, and the .50 GS blows enemies away with incredible stopping power and even more stunning style. The newest addition to S-Tier is the AN-94. Added just this season, the AN-94's hyperburst feature on the first shot heavily rewards landing accurate flicks, but it still follows up with great damage and a well-rounded list of stats. As the season progresses, the meta will undoubtedly change and more weapons will come, but as always the key to victory is finding the gun that feels best for each individual player.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and Warzone are available on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
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