The Caldera map offers a whole new experience with over 15 distinct areas, featuring hundreds of new POIs, new vehicles, new game mechanics and much more.
And if an all-new map isn't enough, the integration with Vanguard has brought over 40 new weapons to the battle royale, which means the meta will be more diverse than ever as people have more options at their disposal.
Things get particularly interesting in the Assault Rifles category, as the already popular class now grows with eight new rifles added to the mix.
Picking the right Assault Rifle for Caldera will be crucial in the first few weeks of the new map, as things are still new and no one really knows what the best choice will be here.
And while our previous experience with these weapons is important, what's even more important is understanding how these guns will fit into Caldera and all of the possible combat situations the map offers.
We've tested the weapons and done extensive research on the new map, and based on these and other aspects, we now present to you the best Assault Rifles to use on Caldera.
Warzone Pacific Assault Rifle Tier List for Caldera
The Verdansk era ended with 23 Assault Rifles, and now with the start of the Warzone Pacific era, the game will feature 31 ARs in total, with all eight new WW2 Rifles coming from Vanguard, including the Cooper Carbine , which is added with the release of Season 1.
Before we continue with our tier list, keep in mind that we do our best to create very accurate tier lists, but right now we're at the start of the new Warzone Pacific cycle, where everything is new and the meta won't settle for at least a month before everyone finds out what are arguably the best weapons and strategies on the new map.
With that being said, let's move on to our AR tier list.
Description of levels
- S-level: The best of the best. Even with mediocre attachments, these guns are powerhouses that will blast enemies to smithereens.
- Level A: These weapons are incredibly powerful and can closely compete with Tier S weapons if paired with the right attachments.
- Level B: The middle of the ARs pack for Warzone Pacific. Using the Perfect Loadout allows you to compete against players with A-level weapons. They are great for specific situations or playstyles.
- C-level: These ARs shouldn't be your main weapon and should be used in a circumstantial way with another weapon or require expert level skills to shine.
- Level D: This is the "junk level" weapon list. You should not include ARs of this level in your loadout at all.
Level S
- AK-47 (CW)
- STG 44
- XM4
- FARA 83
- M4A1
- War 6
- 5,56
The STG 44 joins our S-Tier in Warzone Pacific as one of the most powerful Vanguard guns, which will also shine on Caldera due to its high bullet speed and accuracy, making it a perfect weapon for a large variety of battlefields on the new map.
The AK-46, XM4, and FARA 83 also remain strong contenders for best AR, as their versatility and overall reliability perform well on the new map.
Level A
- EM2
- C58
- Serious
- M13
- people
- Cooper rifle
- BAR
We're not 100% sure about the Cooper Carbine just yet, but the newest Assault Rifle came in handy in our early tests.
On the other hand, the Volk and BAR are exceptional rifles that can easily work their way into the S-Tier as the meta settles in and things become clearer.
EM2 and C58 dominated the meta a few seasons ago until a wave of nerfs made them less oppressive, but they're still powerful in the right hands.
Level B
- FACT 1
- RAM 7
- QBZ-83
- CR-56 AMAX
- AS VAL
- 141 weight
- ITRA Burst
- Fedorov Avtomat
Each of these rifles isn't bad on its own, but just doesn't make a difference for higher tiers. The CR-56 AMAX was a powerful weapon, but nerfs resulted in significantly lower power and this is especially evident on Caldera. FFAR 1 is a similar case. He was heavily nerfed back in the spring and hasn't reappeared in the meta since then.
The Fedorov Avtomat (473mate) boasts high accuracy and low recoil, which could be very useful on Caldera, especially if you modify the weapon's proper attachments to deal more damage.
Level C
- AN-94
- NZ-41
- Basket
- FN scar 17
- FAL (Bravo Assault Rifle)
- AS44
These Assault Rifles aren't something we recommend for the current meta unless you're really confident playing with them. They're either inherently weak or their design doesn't fit the Caldera map, and we expect the developers to make some adjustments in the near future to make them more viable in Warzone Pacific.
Level D
- Oden
- FR 5.56
- AK-47 (MW)
Just ignore them. They've been in the trash tier for a few seasons now, and we don't see that suddenly changing on Caldera. They lack damage, they're unreliable, and they're just not fun to play.
And there you have it, we have come to the end of our Assault Rifle tier list for Warzone Pacific Season 1. As we continue to play through Season 1, we will make necessary changes and adjustments as needed, especially regarding Vanguard weapons.
- Read more: Best weapons in Vanguard Royale – The most powerful and the most broken weapons
Excited about Caldera? Check out our dedicated Call of Duty: Warzone hub for all the latest news and guides.
Image courtesy of Activision Blizzard.
