What’s the best Assault Rifle in Call of Duty: Cold War Season 5? Every gun ranked & tier list
Is there anything better than a powerful Assault Rifle drilling holes through your opponent? Well, Black Ops Cold War Season 5 now boasts a healthy selection of guns, and we’ve tiered them, ranked them, and will show you the best one.
An absolute must for any first-person shooter is guns that provide amazing feedback and feel fantastic to use. ARs are the pinnacle of deadly firearms as they are the most well-rounded murder machines. Whereas SMGs are quicker and more mobile, and Shotguns are devastating at close range, ARs just hit hard at any range, and they’re more versatile.
Season 5 has brought in the new TEC-9 SMG to shake up its respective class, but we’re more interested in the EM2 which is causing a great deal of destruction in lobbies.
Cold War is now chock-full of guns to switch between, and its AR selection is exemplary. Thanks to recent buffs for Season 5, every AR is now worth trying out, and even guns nerfed into the ground like the FFAR are now viable again. So we’re gonna go through the game’s Assault Rifles and rank them for you.
Also, check out our ranking and tiers of SMGs, Shotguns, LMGS, Tactical Rifles, Pistols, and Sniper Rifles in Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War.
CoD: Black Ops Cold War: Assault Rifle tier list
We’re going to take a moment to assign each of Treyarch’s Cold War Assault Rifles an official tier before we officially place them in order. Some were born and bred for greatness, and some were simply not.
Just to explain our system:
- S-Tier weapons are the top-of-the-line powerhouses
- A-Tier are amazing
- B-Tier weapons are just missing something
- C-Tier ones are not worth your time
Here is our official tier list of all of Black Ops Cold War’s Assault Rifles:
- S-Tier: Krig-6, AK-47, FARA 83, EM2, XM4
- A-Tier: Groza
- B-Tier: FFAR, C58, QBZ-83
- C-Tier:
CoD: Black Ops Cold War best Assault Rifles
9. QBZ-83
It’s a solid enough weapon, with decent accuracy and a fairly standard fire rate. Its only major downside is that it doesn’t have the greatest firepower in the world, and it doesn’t really do anything special to warrant using.
- Read More: Best QBZ-83 loadout for CoD: Cold War
It’s had its recoil reduced a decent amount in Season 5, but in the grand scheme of things, there are other weapons that outperform it. Still, it’s worth giving a go as you never know what may click for you.
8. FFAR 1
One of the game’s first meta-weapons. Its insane rate of fire made it deadly in close-range shenanigans, but its initial godlike status was quickly noticed and nerfed into the ground.
- Read More: Best FFAR 1 loadout for CoD: Cold War
Recent updates have made it far more serviceable at shorter distances, but it still may lean towards inefficiency when it comes to mid-long-range gunfights. Still, if you can be accurate, the FFAR can still do a job.
7. C58
Whereas the C58 has been improved and handles better at longer range than the FFAR. There was a lot of hope and expectation that the C58 was going to kick down the door in Black Ops Cold War Season 4 and challenge the elite, but this hasn’t quite proven to be the case.
- Read More: Best C58 loadout for CoD: Cold War
It’s now finally been buffed, and its performance over greater distances now matches up to some of Cold War’s ‘elite’ ARs thanks to a reworked recoil system for it.
Find out how to unlock the C58 in Cold War here.
6. Groza
The Groza launched with Cold War Season 1 and was a free weapon in the game’s initial Battle Pass. One thing has to be said about the gun, and it’s that its Iron Sight is tall and bulky.
- Read More: Best Groza loadout for CoD: Cold War
However, this is less of an issue in Season 5 as its Iron Sight is not as zoomed in anymore, allowing for a greater field of view when ADSing. The Groza is more mobile and faster than some of the game’s meatier ARs, and for this reason, it should be considered for use.
Here’s how you can unlock the Groza in Cold War.
5. FARA 83
Welcomed in Season 2, this is where our eligible bachelors really begin to step up to the plate as the FARA 83 is capable of delivering some excellent games.
- Read More: Best FARA 83 loadout for CoD: Cold War
Treyarch says that the FARA 83 “the best range of any AR,” and this is invaluable, especially on some of the game’s spacier maps. It’s not had too many buffs for Season 5, but like the Groza, its had the zoomed-out Iron Sight treatment, plus, its initial recoil has been reduced too.
Here’s how you can unlock the FARA 83 in Cold War.
4. XM4
This gets a huge nod for being available from the get-go. Fast-forward a few months since the release of Cold War, and you’ll find that many people still attest to the XM4 being a top dog.
- Read More: Best XM4 Loadout for CoD: Cold War
It’s telling that most of the XM4 buffs have been centered around attachments as the gun’s base stats are nothing to scoff at. A huge bonus added to this reliable stalwart is its handling with a bigger emphasis on reloading for the XM4.
It now has its own exclusive attachment that increases its reload quickness by a whopping 50%! Add in some steady recoil, and the XM4 continues to be there or thereabouts in Cold War Season 5.
3. AK-47
The industry-standard Assault Rifle known around the world. This tried and tested brute boasts supreme firepower and will end your enemies quickly.
- Read More: Best AK-47 loadout for CoD: Cold War
As always, the gun has horrendous recoil and kicks harder than a herd of angry mules. It has had no buffs or nerfs heading into Season 5, meaning that Treyarch is very happy with it, and they should be.
The AK-47 is a monstrous AR in the right hands, and if you are able to get a stranglehold of its recoil, then you can drop some big kill numbers to bump up that Cold War K/D.
2. EM2
It hasn’t been in Black Ops Cold War, but the EM2 is already making waves as one of the game’s best guns. It adopts the slightly slower fire rate of the C58, but more than makes up for it with incredible accuracy.
- Read More: Best EM2 loadout for CoD: Cold War Season 5
Given that that players only need to reach Tier 15 of the Season 5 Battle Pass to unlock it, the EM2 has become a popular choice in many games of Cold War. Blistering accuracy is a valued commodity in Call of Duty, and the EM2 has it in spades.
1. Krig 6 – Best Assault Rifle in Black Ops Cold War
The Krig-6 is simply a bonafide, laser-targeting animal. Its initial accuracy is already something to write home and gush to your friends about.
- Read More: Best Krig 6 loadout for CoD: Cold War
But once you start customizing this miniature star destroyer, it becomes clear why this is the best Assault Rifle in Black Ops Cold War. Again, like the AK-47, the Krig has had no buffs for Season 5, and leveling the Krig up ASAP is key as you can practically nullify its recoil, increase its clip, and create a relentless beast.
That completes our list. These are the best Assault Rifles ranked and tiered in Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War.
Be sure to check out the best guns in Cold War and the best guns in Warzone too!
Do you disagree with any of our selections? Be sure to let us know on our Charlie INTEL Facebook Page and Charlie INTEL Twitter Page!
Image Credit: Activision / Treyarch