The best Call of Duty: Vanguard guns in Warzone

Want know the best Vanguard Warzone guns? Of course you do. The new Caldera map is the perfect stomping ground for these weapons to shine bright, but which Warzone guns to choose? 

Call of Duty: Vanguard has a whole host of guns in Warzone now, so I'm here to help you narrow down which ones you should level up first. Without further ado, then, here are the best Vanguard guns in Warzone, helpfully divided by weapon category and offering a little extra advice to help you figure out which direction you want to take your Caldera journey.

The best Vanguard guns in Warzone, by weapon type

Assault rifles

Assault rifles are your bread and butter in Warzone, and these are the ones you should be looking at to try out first:

STG44

The STG44 was completely dominant in the Vanguard early access period. This hasn't changed a bit in its integration into Warzone. The STG44 is great at a variety of things, from mega-ranged, almost LMG-style play, to supporting a sniper or marksman rifle. You can kit this gun out in so many ways and it's unlocked by default —what a treat.

Have a look at our best STG44 Warzone loadouts if you want to know exactly how to kit this weapon out.

Automaton

If you're going for long-range dominance, go with the Automaton. It isn't massively powerful, but in the same vein as the likes of the Bruen loadouts of old, it has exquisite recoil control and keeps a respectable time-to-kill up to huge ranges. Boost that recoil control and bullet velocity and the Automaton will be a reliable threat in Warzone.

Go and try some of our best Automaton Warzone loadouts for a bit more info on it.

NZ-41

The NZ-41 is a slightly different beast than the other two weapons in this category. It's a slow-firing assault rifle with a huge amount of power per shot. Remember when the CR-56 AMAX dominated the Warzone meta? The NZ-41 should give you a similar feeling. You can kit it out for range or for versatility, but either way, it's well worth ranking up and giving a shot when you get it unlocked.

Here are our best NZ-41 Warzone loadouts to help you make the best of this gun.

SMGs

SMGs are best used at close range, traditionally with quicker time-to-kill values than ARs, until you get further out. Here are the best ones to try out in Caldera:

PPSh-41

The PPSh-41 from Vanguard is a terrifying monster of an SMG. When you bring the right loadout, this gun allows you to completely tear your enemies to shreds. Per shot, the PPSh-41 isn't really anything to write home about, but the fire rate of this gun brings its time-to-kill to unassailable levels.

Also, bring a 71-round mag—you'll need it when you realise how quickly this gun spits out bullets.

MP-40

The MP-40 is a classic SMG that'll feel absolutely golden and familiar to anyone who's used to using weapons like the MP5 and Bullfrog. The MP-40 is a versatile SMG that'll reward quick, run-and-gun play, and shouldn't take too much time and effort to master. It's a grab-and-go SMG that'll treat you excellently in Caldera's close-quarters situations.

Shotguns

I wouldn't recommend shotguns as your primary option, but you can do a number on enemies if you bring the right one and kit it out well:

Combat Shotgun

The Combat Shotgun is as close as you'll get to a usable shotgun from Vanguard in Warzone. It has some decent ranged potential for a shotgun and allows you to get a few kills if you get the drop on your enemies. You'll get beaten out by a lot of guns at a lot of ranges, but the Combat Shotgun can hold its own, too.

LMGs

LMGs are traditionally the big, hefty ranged guns. These ones are no different:

Bren

The Bren is my favourite LMG in Warzone. It's got the potential for all kinds of different loadouts, from a standard low-recoil LMG to a .50 calibre monster with a slow fire rate, huge recoil, but huge amounts of damage. It's a fun one to use in a number of different ways.

Interested? Here are the best Bren Warzone loadouts.

DP27

The DP27 is a different kind of LMG, sacrificing the ludicrous range you can get out of the Bren for a slightly lighter build. With a lot of DP27 loadouts, you'll be trying to adapt into more of an assault rifle-type weapon. Working great as sniper-support, it's going to be a fan favourite for a while.

Marksman rifles

Marksman rifles come in all shapes and sizes. From pseudo-snipers to semi-automatic rifles with two and three-shot kill potential, you'll want to pick the right one for Caldera. In other words, the following:

SVT-40

The SVT-40 is the best marksman rifle in Warzone. It's a semi-auto gun that works similarly to the FAL and DMR of old. It isn't devastating the meta as the DMR did at one point, but with solid mobility and decent firepower, the SVT-40 is a decent off-meta pick.

Sniper rifles

Sniping is essential in Warzone, and you'll want to get to grips with the best Vanguard snipers to ensure you're bringing the right kit into long-range engagements.

Kar98k

The Warzone Kar98k is already in the game, but this version works just the same. It's just in the sniper rifle category. I enjoy using it as a quick-scoping beast with an assault rifle on hand, but feel free to bring out a more accurate and long-ranged loadout, too.