I've been playing video games pretty much nonstop ever since I got my first 360. I love arena shooters, MMOs, and MOBAs, but I'll pretty much try any kind of game.
Reviewed by Benjamin Barr
There’s always been something exciting about using sniper rifles in Call of Duty games. While the small maps of Black Ops 6 have pushed them a bit out of the meta, there are still some great options here. There are only three snipers in this year’s game, but each is unique and has its own place. From long-range killers to semi-auto room clearing machines, in this article I’ll rank all three of them from worst to best!
#3 LR 7.62
Special Camo Requirements:
- Chapparal: Get 30 one-shot kills.
- Nimbus: Get 15 longshot kills.
The LR 7.62 is the premier long-range, “hold your line” type of sniper rifle in Black Ops 6. It’s a bit slower than the LW3AI, but has much more impact to it. Don’t expect to run around quick scoping successfully with the LR 7.62, but it’s not really meant for that. It stands out as the only sniper that’s effective at holding long sightlines without much damage fall-off.
That being said, since there aren’t a ton of long-range maps in Black Ops 6, it’s hard to rank the LR 7.62 too high. There are a handful of maps it really excels on (Red Card, Vorkuta, etc.), but overall most of the maps are just not designed for this kind of weapon. If you want to make it work, I recommend some attachments that help with fire rate, ADS speed if you feel like it’s too slow, and aiming stability.
At the end of the day, I don’t think the LR 7.62 is going to see a ton of use. However, this isn’t because it’s bad. This just isn’t the game for hard scoping, which is what this sniper is all about. You certainly can still do that if you want to–nobody’s gonna stop you. But the LW3AI just fits better into the “standard” sniping experience for this game, and the SVD is more unique and usable on most maps. Hopefully ranked or future modes and maps will see more use for the LR 7.62, but I’m not sure at this point.
#2 SVD
Special Camo Requirements:
- Pixelized: Get 50 eliminations while using the Recon combat specialty.
- Patchwork: Get 50 eliminations while using a 4.0x magnification or higher scope.
The SVD is definitely the most unique sniper rifle in Black Ops 6. What it lacks in accuracy and reliability, it makes up for with fire rate. As the only semi-auto sniper in the game, it stands out as one of the more unique weapons you can use. It still has enough damage to one-shot reliably to the chest and upwards, so you can use it for both quick scoping and holding longer sight lines. But its slow ADS speed and high flinch rate makes it very unreliable if you’re not in a really good position.
Unlike the other two snipers, you can feel free to use the SVD on really any map. It’s quite a versatile weapon since it doesn’t have to be used in any specific way, but it also doesn’t feel like the “best” option on any either. You can clear out rooms by emptying the mag down long hallways or drop multiple enemies in a single room, but like I mentioned, the inaccuracy makes this hard to accomplish. You can also try to take a ranged approach, but at that point I’d prefer either of the other two snipers, depending on the map.
To make the most out of the SVD, I’d highly recommend attachments for stability, ADS speed, mobility, and whatever makes it feel more reliable to you. It’s just a hard weapon to use, so you’ll want to try and make it easier. It doesn’t need help with fire rate, at least, so there’s one less thing to worry about. This is a fun weapon to use and really good in the right hands, but it’s complex and difficult to master.
#1 Best Sniper Rifle Overall: LW3AI Frostline
Special Camo Requirements:
- Copper: Get 50 eliminations while using the Recon combat specialty.
- Permafrost: Get 2 kills without reloading 10 times.
In my opinion, the LW3AI Frostline is the best sniper rifle in Black Ops 6. The Frostline is the entry-level sniper rifle in in the game. Of the three, it’s a combination of both good speed/mobility and strong damage. It has better ADS speed and fire rate than the LR 7.62 and functions as more of a “closer range” sniper. If you’re interested in quick scoping or just running around and not holding long sightlines, this is your best bet.
The LW3AI is best on mid- to long-range maps since it blends quick styles while holding down mid-ranged sightlines. On a map like Scud or Vault you can make great use of the mid-ranged areas. And you can even get away with using it on the close-range maps as well since its mobility is strong. If that is your intention, I’d recommend grabbing some good attachments for fire rate, mobility, and ADS speed. There are plenty of options, so try out as many as possible before going into a new game.
All in all, the LW3AI is a great sniper rifle, but it still suffers in some places. All snipers in Black Ops 6 suffer from the overall shift towards up-close, fast-paced battles when compared to previous games. Being a sniper in Black Ops 6 is a challenge, but a rewarding one if you get good at it. They’re still usable, and in certain game modes and on certain maps (objective based modes on larger maps, particularly), you can carry a game with a good sniper. I’m expecting them to be quite good in ranked as well, assuming it prioritizes those kinds of game modes.
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