Advanced Warfare - Best Class Setup and Gun

Advanced Warfare is proving to be a step in the right direction for COD fans. The new Exo abilities combined with vertical maps and futuristic weaponry certainly make this Call of Duty much faster and more intense than previous renditions. But as with all COD games, the tipping point lies in class setup and gun choice if you want to dominate online matches.

To help you get going, I've detailed what I believe to be the best class setup and the best weapons in the game. These are of course my opinions and you take what you will from this advice. I should also warn you that these suggestions came from my first day playing Advanced Warfare (Day Zero) and things may change as patches are released.

Before I pick out the best weapon its worth mentioning that unlike other COD games, the SMG class is nowhere near as effective as it's been in the past. Instead, you want to focus on the Assault Rifles which (so far before patches) appear to be far superior in Advanced Warfare.

Best Starting Weapon - AK12

The AK12 is the best starting Assault Rifle in my opinion. It's got a great fire rate with little if any recoil. If you combine this weapon with a simple Red Dot sight and Silencer then you've got a well-balanced weapon; perfect for medium range firefights and fast paced hip-fire moments.

For those of you complaining about Silencers being overpowered, just stick on the microphone attachment and enemies will appear on radar even if they're using a silencer. Silencers are not as overpowered as they used to be in previous COD games.

With one of the highest damage ratings in its class the AK12 outshines the IMR (burst rifle) and MK14 (semi-auto) which come a close second and third. However, they can't match the AK12's fully automatic payload which provides more opportunities in close quarter situations when you just need to spray and pray.

Best Overall Weapon - HBRa3

The HBRa3 is one of the high level weapons in Advanced Warfare and it needs unlocking before you can use it. Therefore you'll want to run through the early levels with the AK12 and then switch to this weapon when it becomes available.

Combine the HBRa3 with any sight but certainly go for a grip and you've got a very powerful but surprisingly stable long range Assault Rifle. The in game description shows that the weapon fires its first 3 shots very quickly but the weapon becomes more stable the longer you use it.

It's so OP is ridiculous. I found that I could waste opponents from medium to long range with little or no competition. You may want to consider Lightweight with this weapon but at the cost of using two Tier 1 perks and keeping Low Profile as well.

Not surprisingly, I've already seen many pro players using the HBRa3 and I bet it won't be long before Sledgehammer nail that sucker down with a nerf or two. So make use of it now!

Weapons Summary

AK12 - your best starting weapon
MK14 - possible alternative starting weapon if you're good with semi's
HBRa3 - hands down the best weapon in the game, unlocked at later levels

Perks

Now onto the recommended perks. As in any modern Call of Duty game, you're number one aim from the perks system is to stay off the radar. This is even more important early in the game when new players, who are unfamiliar with the maps, will use the radar as a search and destroy system. If you're off radar then you avoid being systematically targeted.

So first and foremost you want to select Low Profile to get you off the radar completely. No Exo pings and no markers.

Secondly, back up Low Profile with the Blind Eye perk to stay off the targeting system from Scorestreaks. The last thing you want is someone else's Scorestreak killing you off in the middle of your own Scorestreak run. Although the Scorestreaks seem weaker in AW they're still something you want to avoid.

The 3rd perk slot is open for debate. Toughness is a good choice if you constantly find yourself in a one on one firefight against an opponent but I prefer to go with Scavenger because that primary weapon needs feeding if you want to get to the really high Scorestreaks. There's nothing worse than being on a great run only to have to switch to your secondary weapon.

Perks Summary

Low Profile - invisible to UAV (radar)
Blind Eye - remain invisible to Scorestreaks and drones
Scavenger - spawn with extra magazines and you can resupply from dead enemies

Exo Abilities

New to Advanced Warfare, Exo Abilities are bonus abilities which grant you time limited enhancements such as shields, extra health etc.. Your Exo battery has a limited life so you can only use these a certain number of times per spawn.

Although Exo Abilities sound like fun, they're not really that effective. Unless you really want to use one I'd suggest dropping it in favour of another Perk slot or Scorestreak. Remember you've got 13 items to choose for your loadout so if you don't need them, don't waste them.

If you do want to go with an Exo ability then in my opinion, the Exo Stim and Exo Cloak are the best abilities to choose. Stim will provide you with extra health which is so important it's all too obvious. Whilst Cloak will grant you invisibility (well almost) for a short duration. Players can still see your outline but it's harder to pick you out amongst other textures.

Of those two, Stim is the one to choose because extra health is too good to turn down. The other abilities will not improve your game.

Exo Abilities Summary

Don't use Exo Abilities unless you really want to try them. The best two are: