10 guns to avoid using in Modern Warfare & Warzone

Not every gun is competitively viable in Modern Warfare’s multiplayer and Warzone modes, so make sure you bypass these 10 weapons when chasing those kills. 

Just like every Call of Duty title, there are a number of weapons that stand out for their high damage, impeccable accuracy, ease of use, and general versatility. Certain guns can even prove so strong that they have to be nerfed multiple times before they are deemed acceptable. 

While guns like the Grau, M4A1, and MP5 have dominated Modern Warfare’s meta since launch, there are a number of weapons that have barely seen the light of day. In order to save your K/DA and increase that all-important Warzone win rate, we’ve covered 10 of the worst guns that you should avoid. 

1. Striker 45

The Striker 45 is trying so hard to be an assault rifle, but this little SMG just isn’t up to the challenge. Judging from the gunsmith bar charts, you’d assume the Striker 45 outclasses its peers in both the damage and range department. However, this chart is very deceptive. 

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Not only does this SMG have horrendous recoil, it also spews out bullets in every direction, making it extremely difficult to land any lethal hits at range. Modern Warfare’s quick time to kill also doesn’t seem to apply to the Striker 45 as this thing doesn’t seem to be loaded with any bullets. Expect to chew through multiple rounds and lose many gunfights whenever you have this SMG equipped. 

2. Dragunov

Coming from Russia with love, the Dragunov has remained a decent entry point for those learning the ropes of the sniper. The semi-automatic nature of this sniper rifle makes landing follow-up shots easy, allowing for a more forgiving playstyle when compared to the bolt-action playstyle of the HDR and AX-50. 

Having the ability to land multiple shots might seem like a decent idea at first, but if you’re running around with a sniper, you might as well pick something that can actually kill in one hit. After all, there’s nothing worse than landing well-timed body shots and only getting hitmakers. The Dragunov currently has the lowest damage profile out of all snipers in the game, so it’s best to simply avoid this sniper rifle at all costs.  

3. FAL

This semi-automatic assault rifle may deliver decent damage and accuracy, but the FAL is let down by its fire rate. While those with a decent trigger finger can certainly unleash a hail of bullets, it loses in the majority of matchups against its fully automatic cousins. Unless you have an incredible aim and rarely miss a shot, then dealing with multiple targets can also prove rather difficult. 

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This problem becomes even more apparent when you need to shred through armored squads in Warzone. This hybrid between marksman and sniper may seem like a decent idea, but we don’t really see a situation where you’d use this over any of the top three assault rifles or one-hit snipers.  As a result, the FAL fails to get our attention in Modern Warfare.

4. VLK Rogue

Shotguns have always been a point of contention in the CoD community. They’re either incredibly powerful and capable of killing an enemy with a single shot or just laughably bad. Unfortunately, the VLK Rogue falls into the latter category. This pint-sized shotgun may give you a lot of mobility, but it doesn’t make up for its low range. 

The VLK Rogue requires you to land multiple follow up shots if you’re out of its target effective 2-meter range, so it’s only useful in very intimate engagement ranges. Despite having attachments that help bolster its range and damage, it’s best to simply avoid this gun and opt for something that is more reliable. 

5. Oden

Modern Warfare and Warzone fans have often criticized this assault rifle’s disappointing playstyle, especially since it has so much potential to be good. While this beefy assault rifle may be capable of dishing out some truly dizzying damage numbers, its slow rate of fire and unwieldy recoil leave a lot to be desired. Pulling down on the trigger will send the Oden directly into the heavens above, forcing you to constantly drag down on your mouse/analog stick if you wish to remain accurate. 

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This becomes particularly troublesome when you combine it with the Oden’s slow fire rate, especially when you need to land shots in intense long-range engagements. With assault rifles like the Grau, M4A1, and CR-56 AMAX delivering good damage and reliability, there’s just no place for the Oden in the current meta. 

6. MG34

Running around with salvaged WWII weapons might look and sound cool in principle, but bringing them into modern-day firefights doesn’t always guarantee success. While this iconic German LMG packs a golf ball-sized punch, it’s lackluster mobility and aggressive recoil can quickly leave you in the dirt. 

If that wasn’t bad enough, the MG34 comes with a massive 8-second reload animation, so you can kiss any future killstreaks goodbye if you get caught. Modern Warfare’s attachments can help to slightly alleviate this gun’s past troubles, but they never manage to truly brush the dust off this 84-year old LMG – after all, some things are best left in the past. 

7. Crossbow

Attaching sticky explosive bolts to enemies in Warzone’s pre-game lobby may be fun, but the laughter quickly grinds to a halt when you get stuck with this weapon in the early rounds. This archaic weapon really is the definition of a one-hit-wonder as if you miss your shot, you’ll invariably be sent kicking and screaming to the gladiatorial fights of the Gulag. In some ways, it’s better that it ends this way as at least you’ll be saved from watching the frustratingly slow reload animation. To make matters worse, the projectile nature of this weapon makes distance shooting extremely difficult.  

8. MK2 Carbine

Being able to down a target with one well-placed round to head or chest is massive, particularly if you have the eagle eye aim to support such a playstyle. However, Modern Warfare’s standard multiplayer maps usually funnel players into close-quarters engagements, leaving the MK2 Carbine in a rather niche state. 

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Holding chokepoints and areas with high enemy traffic can reward you with a few kills, but we’ve found it’s almost always best to run an AR or SMG when gunning for those high kill counts. Additionally, killing armored units in Warzone can be an absolute nightmare thanks to the MK2 Carbine’s lever-action rounds. Having to reload partway through breaking an enemy’s armor is as rage-inducing as it sounds. 

9. Holger-26

Another LMG enters our list of guns to avoid and this time it’s the Holger-26 that’s on the firing line. The Holger isn’t the worst gun in the game by any means, but it’s not exactly great either. Like most LMGs in Modern Warfare, the Holger-26 is extremely bulky and it’s this weight that drastically lowers your mobility. Of course, this wouldn’t be such a big issue if there was enough damage to compensate for this shortcoming. Infinity Ward famously tried to buff the Holger’s base stats in their massive balance patch, but it still has yet to give this LMG a fighting chance. For now, though, the Holger remains an incredibly unpopular pick.

10. X16

Infinity Ward wouldn’t have us drop into each game of Warzone with this pitiful pistol if they thought that is was good. Of course, we’ve all had games where the X16 has snagged us an early-game kill or gotten us out of a gritty Gulag match, but that still doesn’t make up for this gun’s low damage profile. If you’re going to run around with a sidearm in Modern Warfare’s multiplayer or Warzone modes, you may as well take a sidearm that has a little more lethality.