Out of all of the recent Call of Duty titles, 2019’s Modern Warfare is arguably one of the most balanced COD games in recent memory. Almost every gun packs a serious punch and can be customized to suit your playstyle.

With the introduction of Call of Duty: Warzone, a battle royale game mode where 150 players duke it out on a large map, bringing powerful weapons to the fight is more important than ever. Some weapons have flourished under this new game mode while others have fallen to the wayside. Whether it is from a custom loadout or a loot drop, here are the seven strongest weapons in Warzone that players should look out for and seven to avoid.

Updated August 6th, 2020 by Charles Burgar: Call of Duty: Warzone has seen many changes since it was first released back in March. Dozens of weapon sandbox changes and the new areas introduced in Season 5 have made Verdansk a much different place than it was previously. Ten weapon entries will not cut it with how varied Warzone’s weapon sandbox is, but the main list also needed some changes. The weapon choices present in the original list were too critical of secondary weapons and disregarded the learning curve some weapons required to master. After much more time in the chaotic sandbox of Verdansk, here are the seven best and worst weapons available in Call of Duty: Warzone.

Updated December 3rd, 2020 by Hodey Johns: With the addition of several guns that have rocketed to the top spots in win rate and a litany of patches that have buffed and nerfed previous weapons, this list has been updated to prepare readers for the new metagame that has arrived and will continue in the upcoming season. A few of these entries were replaced to reflect the current status of these weapons.

14 Strongest: MGL-32 Grenade Launcher

They don’t just throw the word “legendary” out there without some kind of reason and everyone from amateur to veteran will realize very quickly why this weapon has earned the title.

It kills fully armored combatants in one hit and vehicles in two hits with almost no dropoff. Players will employ a variety of strategies to survive a firefight at the Superstore, but when somebody unleashes this thing, it’s best to run away and let them have it.

13 Weakest: Crossbow

Modern Warfare’s Crossbow finds much more use in Warzone than it does in the base game. An explosive bolt is all it takes to down a fully-armored opponent if the bolt sticks onto them.

Unfortunately, this Crossbow only gets one shot before the weapon requires a rather lengthy reload—even with Sleight of Hand. Missing a bolt is all it takes to turn a gunfight in the enemy team’s favor. It can be a force of destruction in Solos, Plunder, or the final circle in Battle Royale, but this weapon requires the player to replace their holdout weapon in exchange for a situational one-shot kill. And if you need tips on hot-dropping into a zone? Here’s a start: Leave this weapon at home.

12 Strongest: Kar98K

Who would have thought that a World War 2 rifle would be so powerful? The iconic Kar98K is back in Modern Warfare and finds a great niche in Warzone.

The engagement ranges in most Modern Warfare maps are rather small, yet players can fight targets from hundreds of meters in Verdansk. The Kar98K won’t out-duel an HDR or AX-50, but the weapon’s high handling stat and mobility allow this weapon to be used as an aggressive sniper at medium distances. When used to apply pressure while repositioning, the Kar98K is a fantastic choice when fighting targets in open terrain such as the runway at Airport or the northern section of the map.

11 Weakest: Strela-P

There’s nothing quite as insulting as hitting a vehicle with a hard-to-aim rocket launcher and hearing that the enemy vehicle has been “disabled” but not destroyed. Don’t be embarrassed, every player goes through annoying experiences like finding out their lovely rocket launcher has the strength of a pea shooter.

Virtually every other heavy weapon is a better option. When you have the choice of weapons to outright blow up an enemy vehicle or giving the drivers and passengers a chance to escape, why in the world would anyone choose the second option?

10 Strongest: MP5

Submachine Guns have always been powerful in Call of Duty, and Warzone is no exception to this trend. Out of all of the SMGs, the MP5 stands above the rest.

This gun deals a great amount of damage per bullet, has an above-average range for an SMG, and can be modified to take down targets at close range. Containing a wide range of attachments, this gun can be customized to suit any playstyle. It might not compete with assault rifles like it used to or the raw damage of the Uzi, but the versatility and ease-of-use of the MP5 make it the best weapon in its class.

9 Weakest: MK2 Carbine

Style is the only advantage the MK2 Carbine has over its competition. Few things can compare to killing a team using a lever-action rifle, but the damage and fire rate leave a lot to be desired. This weapon heavily punishes players for missing, yet it can’t down targets as quickly as a Kar98K, FAL, or even the buffed EBR-14 from a distance. It’s one of Warzone’s coolest weapons, but it certainly can’t compare to the game’s meta picks.

8 Strongest: SP-R 208

When the game first released, there was room for a great deal of debate over what the best sniper rifle might be. After releasing several patches and giving players access to more attachments and perks, there is very little debate anymore.

While marksman rifle users are looking up tips on how to reduce recoil in the game, users of the SP-R 208 (nicknamed the “Darkwood” by the community) can only sit back and laugh. It can be customized for perfection at anything from medium to ridiculously long range and is a must-have item for winning the game at range.

7 Weakest: 725

It’s hard to think that any buff could fix the inherent problem this weapon has. This gun takes only two shots to kill an enemy, but guess what? So does every other shotgun in the game. So that’s not any kind of advantage at all. And since it only has two rounds in the chamber, that means if the enemy is alive after firing off a couple of shots, you will not be.

That’s right, if either shot misses, you’re dead. And it’s not even the fastest shotgun at firing those two shots! In a game filled with underrated strategies to try, trying to make this gun usable is not on the list.

6 Strongest: Bruen MK9

Fans of LMGs rightfully praise the PKM for its large magazine and reasonable mobility. It is certainly a good weapon for suppressive fire or taking down entire squads, but the Bruen MK9 is arguably better.

When modded properly, the Bruen has the damage profile of a light machine gun but the mobility and recoil of an assault rifle. Combined with a 60 round magazine that has a quick reload time, the Bruen MK9 is a better assault rifle than most weapons it is competing against. It would be even higher on this list if unlocking the Bruen was easier for players that don’t own Modern Warfare.

5 Weakest: Dragunov

If any sniper rifle had to be on this list for being bad, it had to be the Dragunov. This gun doesn’t excel at anything to keep it relevant in the meta.

A rapid-fire sniper rifle sounds incredible at first-glance until players experience this weapon’s immense kick with each shot. When players are lining up their next shot, it gives the enemy precious time to counter-attack or reposition. If players used any other sniper rifle, a well-placed headshot would instantly down a target instead of damaging them. The Dragunov is easily the worst sniper rifle in Warzone.

4 Strongest: Grau 5.56

Nerf after nerf to the assault rifle category has done little to change what most players use. The M13, Kilo 141, and even the M4A1 could all be in this spot. These weapons are on par with and, in certain scenarios, exceed the Grau 5.56.

So what makes it edge out over these meta-defining giants? Its near-hitscan bullet velocity. Infinity Ward can keep nerfing its range and attachments as much as they want, but it doesn’t change the fact that this weapon’s near-hitscan nature will terminate even the most annoying enemies in the game. Couple its fast bullet velocity with its non-existent recoil and it’s easy to see why many consider the Grau 5.56 as the best assault rifle in the game.

3 Weakest: EBR-14

Despite Infinity Ward buffing the EBR-14 in Season 5, this weapon is still falling behind snipers and some assault rifles. Its range limit was effectively removed, allowing it to down an opponent in a few shots. It sounds fantastic on paper, but it suffers the same issue as the Dragunov does where players would be better off lining up one shot instead of three or four. The SKS is a better choice for most scenarios.

2 Strongest: FAL

Every Warzone player that has logged in during Season 4 knows how strong the FAL is. This weapon has the fastest time-to-kill out of every assault rifle in the game, capable of downing fully-armored opponents in as little as four shots. If you need some advice on how to survive the final circle, bring this guy to the party.

The FAL makes most marksman rifles irrelevant excluding the Kar98K. As long as the player has a trigger finger and can keep their sights on target, the FAL is the uncontested king of Warzone. Expect this weapon to be nerfed sometime during Season 5.

1 Weakest: FR 5.56

Burst weapons have had trouble remaining relevant in Warzone due to their mixture of recoil and lacking damage. Infinity Ward effectively gave the FR 5.56 infinite range in Season 5, but this has done little to fix this weapon’s largest issue.

That issue being the FR 5.56’s recoil. It can take down enemies from long range in a few bursts, but that means little when the player misses two out of three bullets with every trigger pull. It doesn’t fair much better at close or medium ranges, either, as it is consistently outgunned by full-auto submachine guns and assault rifles. This weapon desperately needs a damage buff to even be relevant in Warzone’s sandbox.

NEXT: 10 Games To Play If You Like Call Of Duty: Warzone