Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 – All Assault Rifles Ranked for Multiplayer

How to Unlock: Level 46

Special Camo Challenges:

• Astral Cry: Get a kill without taking any damage beforehand 30 times.
• Hammerhead: Get 20 kills with the underbarrel launcher attachment.

There aren’t many weapons in Black Ops 6 that I actually hate, but this is one of them. There’s no reason to use the Goblin Mk2 over any other. As a semi-auto AR, it’s already going to be limited in uses. But the low damage makes it a nightmare to use in any game mode. Sure, you can use it in hardcore where basically everything is a one- or two-shot kill (two now that they nerfed every AR for no good reason), but why do so? If you want this style of weapon, I’d recommend going with a marksman rifle over this any day. Even with eight attachments, the Goblin is still just a horrible weapon. Trying to get kills with this thing in core game modes feels impossible, and it’s just no fun to use in hardcore either. Avoid this thing at all costs, and use hardcore mosh-pit to finish its camos quickly if you plan on doing so.

#6 Model L

How to Unlock: Level 40

Special Camo Challenges:

• Cherry Blossom: Get 50 kills while using the Recon specialty perk.
• Elk: Get 50 kills while using a suppressor.

Honestly, I’m not a fan of the Model L. I won’t say it’s horrible, but it’s definitely not doing much to impress. The slow firing rate paired with mediocre damage (especially post-nerf), just don’t add up to much. If you’re really good with it, you can use it to pick off easy headshots, but even that isn’t very impressive right now. I just feel like the Model L is too slow to be great. The best attachments for it are probably the ones that give bonuses to fire rate and handling, but I’m not too excited about it even with those options.

#5 GPR 91

How to Unlock: Level 28

Special Camo Challenges:

• Ambush: Get a kill after running 30 times.
• Cacti Cathode: Get a kill while moving 50 times.

The GPR 91 is really going to struggle more than most ARs from the damage nerfs. It doesn’t offer much in terms of damage, but it is very accurate with a good firing rate and overall really good “feel.” I really enjoyed using this weapon while grinding camos, but I’m worried about its viability now that all assault rifles do less damage. Even before this nerf, it was only good due to how easy it felt to use. I think this weapon is still going to be alright, but getting consistent kills is not as easy as with the other top assault rifles. Utilizing attachments to further boost it’s accuracy and fire rate is a good idea, or you can try to increase the handling and mobility even further. No matter how you build it, just prioritize a good feel since that’s one of the GPR 91’s best traits.

#4 AMES 85

How to Unlock: Level 19

Special Camo Challenges:

• Heatstroke: Get a kill without taking any damage beforehand 30 times.
• Burial: Get two kills without reloading 10 times.

The AMES 85 is a perfectly fine assault rifle, with really good accuracy and firing rate that makes it a contender in hardcore modes. In core modes, I think it’s a bit underwhelming, but still usable. With attachments focused on increasing the already-high accuracy you can make sure you land the necessary headshots to actually get a kill with an AR right now (even though the headshot multiplier is hilariously low). Overall, the AMES 85 is a good, well-balanced AR that you can use in just about any situation you want. It isn’t the best, but it’s far from the worst.

#3 AS VAL

How to Unlock: Level 55

Special Camo Challenges:

• Crimson Steppes: Get 50 kills with the Recon specialty perk active.
• Elk: Get 30 hipfire kills.

I’m a huge fan of the AS VAL, even though it is pretty situational. Let’s start with the obvious pros: it has a built in suppressor and a high fire rate. On the down side, though, it has fairly low damage. This weapon feels a lot like an SMG, which I don’t think is a bad thing. In hardcore modes you’ll be able to tear through entire teams with this thing, but in core it can be a bit harder. It’s really good for close-quarters fights, so you’ll have to play differently than with a lot of other assault rifles. I think you’re best off if you take attachments focused on movement speed and range (especially if you plan on sliding around a lot), since the handling (ADS, reload speed, etc.) is already quite high.

#2 XM4

How to Unlock: Level 4

Special Camo Challenges:

• Muddled: Get kills right after sprinting 30 times.
• Machina: Get a kill without taking any damage beforehand 30 times.

Honestly, it’s hard to be too critical of the XM4. It has pretty average stats all-around, with good stats in every field and no real downsides. It’s the perfect standard for what a good AR should be, and it’s very flexible in terms of how you modify it with attachments. If you want a more long-distance weapon, you can do that easily. If you want it to be better at mid-range, that’s not hard to do either. The only thing the XM4 doesn’t really do well with is close-range fights, but even then it’s far from the worst. I really like utilizing longer-range attachments and a fair bit of recoil control to make it feel great at both mid- and long-range fights, but I don’t think there’s really any wrong way to build the XM4.

#1 AK-47

How to Unlock: Level 10

Special Camo Challenges:

• Whitecap: Get 50 kills with the Strategist specialty perk active.
• Vengeance: Get 20 kills with the AK-47 underbarrel attachment.

As always, the AK-47 is one of the best assault rifles in the game. It has just a bit more damage than the XM4, but does struggle with heavier recoil and lower accuracy. But as long as you focus on close- to mid-range fights, the AK-47 is one of my favorite assault rifles. You’ll want some attachments to help with recoil and maybe even some bonus fire rate and/or quicker reload speed, but that’s not hard to accomplish. This thing feels great when fighting up close, and in hardcore modes it absolutely shreds everything it touches. You could argue that SMGs fill the same role as the AK-47, but I think it still stands out as a great option. For core game modes where the damage across the board feels lower than in previous COD games, the AK-47’s high damage makes up for that with ease. Overall, I’d say the AK-47 is the best assault rifle in Black Ops 6 right now.