Knowing the Call of Duty Black Ops 4 best weapons is a great way to get an advantage in the game’s multiplayer and Blackout modes. A Black Ops 4 weapon tier list can prove a useful tool when choosing guns in the Create-a-Class menu. Whether you’re on PC, PS4, or Xbox One, there’s a weapon for you! While the best weapon attachments are a little more subjective, based on your style of gameplay, knowing the best guns will give you a solid foundation to build upon. Here’s our current list of the best guns in Black Ops 4, for Multiplayer, Blackout, and Zombies, which we plan to keep regularly updated following buffs, nerfs, and patch/updates!
Black Ops 4 Best Weapons – Best Assault Rifle
Rampart 17
The Rampart 17 is the best assault rifle in Black Ops 4 multiplayer. While its fire rate does leave something to be desired, the amount of damage per shot makes up for it. This weapon rewards accuracy, and when combined with the High Caliber attachment, becomes truly devastating. (Note that High Caliber II increases damage to the upper chest, turning this weapon into a true beast!)
Black Ops 4 Best Weapons – Best SMG
Spitfire
The Spitfire rocks the fastest fire rate of all SMGs found within Black Ops 4‘s multiplayer. Combine that with the Wild Fire Operator Mod and you’ll be dropping enemies with super speed. Admittedly, this will use up a bunch of your Pick 10 points, but if you’re looking for the best SMG no matter the conditions, the Spitfire is a must-use gun!
Black Ops 4 Best Weapons – Best Tactical Rifle
ABR 223
The ABR 223 not only looks cool, but it’s also the best tactical rifle in Black Ops 4. Its only real weakness is its effective range, but you should be fine so long as you stick to medium range engagements. Utilize the three-round burst to take foes down quickly. A 30-round magazine means you’ll have ten bursts to dish out as much damage as possible before reloading. This should be especially helpful to those of you who are prone to spraying and praying to down one enemy, before having to reload and getting downed yourself.
Black Ops 4 Best Weapons – Best LMG
VKM 750
Grind your way to level 46 and you’ll unlock the VKM 750, which is Black Ops 4‘s best LMG. This light machine gun 50 rounds per magazine with which to deal out an unholy amount of damage. You will suffer low mobility while using this weapon, which will slow you down when running away, but you shouldn’t even be running away in the first place! High Caliber II is also available with the VKM 750, helping an already deadly weapon become pretty damn ridiculous!
Black Ops 4 Best Weapons – Best Sniper Rifle
Paladin HB50
The sniper rifles in Black Ops 4 are in a pretty sorry state. Quickscopers are no doubt disappointed at the lack of options available to them, as the Outlaw, SDM, and Koshka have all proven pretty inconsistent for one-hit kills. Fortunately, there’s the Paladin HB50 to (sort of) save the day. The compelling thing about this Black Ops 4 sniper rifle is its ability to one-hit kill to the head, chest, and shoulders.
Black Ops 4 Best Weapons – Best Pistol
Strife
The Strife pistol does well to output a significant amount of damage per shot, while still retaining a relatively large magazine size. It’s easy to depend on in battle, which ultimately makes it the best pistol in Black Ops 4.
Black Ops 4 Best Weapons – Best Shotgun
MOG 12
There are only two shotguns to pick from in Black Ops 4. The MOG 12 stands out as the best for its high damage per shot at closer ranges. It also stops the enemy thinking that you’re a complete noob, so that’s nice. The Dragon Breath rounds look cool, too, which is nice for those extra style points during Best Play clips!
Black Ops 4 Best Weapons – Best Launcher
Hellion Salvo
You’re limited to just one launcher in Black Ops 4, which makes the Hellion Salvo the best by default. It is capable of firing dummy rockets and lock-on missiles. It’s most useful for anti-air responsibilities, taking down UAVs and higher streaks. Do be sure to utilize the weapon’s attachments for extra rockets, faster reload, and other helpful buffs!
Black Ops 4 Best Weapons – Best Blackout Weapons
Beating the competition in Blackout requires a very different strategy compared to other game modes, with spacial and situational awareness and patience being of far higher value than quick reflexes and a glued sprint button.
So which Black Ops 4 Blackout weapons should you be searching for? You can’t just spawn with your preferred weapon in Black Ops 4 Blackout, so you’ll often have to make do with what you salvage from the ground around you.
When playing Blackout, you’ll need to eliminate any unnecessary movements to limit the information (like movement noise) enemies could use to pinpoint your location, while listening out for their own tells to get the drop on them. The current Black Ops 4 Blackout best weapons tier list can help eliminate time spent looking for the wrong weapons.
Best Blackout Sniper Rifle
If you like to camp and shoot from a distance, long-range weapons like sniper rifles will be your go-to equipment. Three of the game’s four currently available sniper rifles rank high on the Black Ops 4 Blackout best weapons tier list, so be on the lookout for the Paladin, Koshka, and Outlaw. The SDM, on the other hand, will be a far more common find and should still get the job done in most cases.
Best Blackout Assault Rifle
For long-medium range battles out in the open, Tactical Rifles like the ABR 223 and Swordfish are great options thanks to how burst fire can improve accuracy over long distances compared to Assault Rifles. If you prefer the full-auto approach, however, the Rampart 17 and Maddox RFB will serve you well.
Best Blackout SMG and Shotgun
If you’re running around a more claustrophobic environment like a housing complex, submachine guns and shotguns combined with lots of crouching will usually trump those using long-range weapons in the same situation. The Black Ops 4 best weapons tier list would suggest scouting for weapons like the MOG 12 shotgun or Cordite SMG. Just about any pistol will fill the shotgun role in a pinch, with the MX9 or Saug 9mm being great SMG substitutes to look out for.
Black Ops 4 Best Weapons – Best Guns in Zombies
The fan-favorite Call of Duty game mode has returned yet again in the most recent iteration of Treyarch’s successful franchise, but which guns are actually worth using? If you want to advance further than Level 10, you should read through the following list of the best guns in Black Ops 4 Zombies, which will also include tips and tricks to help you along the way.
Black Ops 4 Best Guns in Zombies – Maddox RFB
The Maddox has ammunition to burn. If you’re in it for the long haul, this could well be the gun for you. Once upgraded with the Pack-a-Punch, the Maddox combines huge power with a bottomless magazine. As an assault rifle, it’s great for crowd control. The best thing to do with the Maddox is to set up in an area near the Pack-a-Punch that you’re familiar with; that way, you can keep tabs on everything happening around you and your trusty Maddox.
Black Ops 4 Best Guns in Zombies – VAPR-XKG
The VAPR-XKG is another Assault Rifle. Interestingly, it manages to boast quite a high fire rate without compromising accuracy. As a result, this Assault Rifle suits aggressive playstyles as well as the more reserved, position-based styles that are traditionally associated with ARs. The Maddox is perhaps a better Assault Rifle, but if you come across a VAPR-XKG, you may find that it suits you a lot better. This AR is definitely worth a try, as it could become a staple to your Zombies build.
Black Ops 4 Best Guns in Zombies – Spitfire
As mentioned above, the Spitfire has the highest fire rate out of all the Black Ops 4 submachine guns. With that being said, it’s easy to see why it’s so valuable in Zombies. With hordes of undead to take care of, a high fire rate will allow you to quickly incapacitate groups at a time, but you’ll need to be wary of ammo. Visit the Pack-a-Punch as often as possible so that you can keep your ammo reserves replenished, lest you be surrounded by flesh-eating zombies with an empty clip.
Black Ops 4 Best Guns in Zombies – Saug 9mm
Very similar to the Spitfire; the Saug 9mm has a slightly slower fire rate, but makes up for it by being slightly more accurate. Although the difference in stats seems almost negligible, the Spitfire lends itself better to a run’n’gun style. If you’re the kind who loves to allow the Zombies to chase you before turning around and unleashing a barrage of SMG bullets on your unsuspecting enemies, the Spitfire may be better. If, however, you like to take a breather every so often, the Saug’s higher accuracy stat may lend itself well to your cause.
Black Ops 4 Best Guns in Zombies – Special Weapons
It would be shameful to write a guide for the best guns in Zombies without mentioning the new feature included in Black Ops 4‘s iteration of the iconic game mode. Special Weapons are set to a cooldown and can be upgraded as you progress through the Aether story and the Chaos story. These weapons are incredibly powerful, so it’s worth mentioning all of them in a Black Ops 4 Best Guns in Zombies guide, as they are all technically some of the best weapons available to players. Some are better than others, sure, but they’re all great in their own right.
Black Ops 4 Best Guns in Zombies – Aether: Hellfire
Purely useful in terms of incapacitating crowds at a time. This is substantially weaker than the rest of the Special Weapons, but substantially stronger than the majority of regular Zombies’ Weapons. That being said, this flamethrower may be the worst of the best, but it’s still one of the best, technically speaking. Also, it’s particularly fun to use, so even if it costs you the game, at least you got to shoot fire, right?
Black Ops 4 Best Guns in Zombies – Aether: Overkill
This is a minigun. Miniguns are always fantastic weapons, regardless of what game you’re playing. It does everything Hellfire does, but better. If you have the option to choose between Hellfire and Overkill, choose Overkill, because it does all the same things, but it actually kills zombies. Hellfire is one of the worst best weapons in the game, whereas Overkill is one of the best weapons in the game. This minigun tears through enemies so quickly that it can potentially kill them before you even knew they were there.
Black Ops 4 Best Guns in Zombies – Aether: Path of Sorrows
The Path of Sorrows is like the Viper and the Dragon, which is mentioned below, except without the Dragon. This is a katana that’s fun to use, especially if you’ve ever played Genji in Overwatch. However, like Hellfire, it’s the lesser version of a different weapon. If you have the option to use it, definitely don’t let it go to waste, but beware that there are better options. For some players who struggle to use melee weapons effectively, it may even be better to stick to your regular gun. However, if you’re a melee aficionado, you’ll cut through zombies like warm butter.
Black Ops 4 Best Guns in Zombies – Aether: Ragnarok DG-5
The Ragnarok DG-5 is quite literally imbued with the power of the gods, as it contains Thor’s lightning. This is an incredibly powerful melee weapon that can make use of devastating AoE attacks. This and Overkill are the best Aether Special Weapons, so if you learn how to use them effectively you’ll progress through the Aether story without any issues. Ragnarok DG-5 is perhaps more versatile, though, and definitely a lot more fun to use.
Black Ops 4 Best Guns in Zombies – Chaos: Chakrams of Vengeance
Ragnarok DG-5 may boast the God of Thunder’s lightning, but the Chakrams of Vengeance has the properties of Mjolnir imbued in them. These weapons allow the player to employ an incredibly aggressive playstyle. One of the chakrams is a melee weapon, whereas the other is a throwable that returns to your hand after you fling it at an enemy, like Thor’s hammer. You can launch this one at groups to create space for yourself, while meleeing enemies with the other one along the way. Very God of War-esque.
Black Ops 4 Best Guns in Zombies – Chaos: Hammer of Valhalla
A very strong and useful melee weapon that knocks regular Zombies back and staggers bosses. Well worth having, especially if the other members on your team have upgraded firearms. While your teammates tear through enemies, you can act as their protector, making sure that no stray Zombies get within melee range.
Black Ops 4 Best Guns in Zombies – Chaos: Scepter of Ra
Perhaps slightly weaker than the previous two weapons, but also incredibly powerful in its own right. The melee ability of this weapon is essentially a weak crowd-control mechanic, but its ranged attack fires a beam at enemies that causes them to slow down as well as damaging them. If used well, this can ensure that hordes of Zombies never even get near your teammates.
Black Ops 4 Best Guns in Zombies – Chaos: Viper and Dragon
The Viper and Dragon are a sword and a pistol, respectively. Both deal incredible amounts of damage, allowing you to fight enemies regardless of how close they are to you. This weapon has more value if you’re a player that’s focused mainly on themselves, as it doesn’t offer the same abilities for crowd control as the other three. However, it’s so good that you might not even need to protect your teammates. With the Viper and Dragon, you’re a one man army.
