Underrated Vanguard AR dominates mid-range fights in Warzone

Connor Bennett
NZ-41 in Warzone over Caldera map with Warzone Pacific logo

Call of Duty: Warzone players have been showing a bit of love to CoD: Vanguard’s NZ-41 assault rifle, and while it doesn’t laser foes at long range, it is a beast in mid to short-range fights. 

The integration between Call of Duty: Vanguard and Warzone is a few months old at this point, and has given way to a pretty stable meta.

Out of the current top ten most popular weapons, Vanguard’s MP-40, Bren, and Cooper Carbine all lead the way, with the ever-popular Swiss K31 and Kar98 still getting some shine after all this time.

While the meta might be set, there are plenty of Warzone fans who want something different and like to go off script, experimenting with different weapons. As a result, some have found a Vanguard rifle that is a bit of a beast at close-range fights.

call of duty warzone pacific caldera
Caldera brought much new content to Warzone, including weapons and a new Gulag.

The rifle in question is the NZ-41 which, as it stands, currently sits as the 42nd most-popular weapon in the battle royale, as per stats from WZRanked.

However, as YouTuber Metaphor shows, while it may lack the long-range capabilities of the Bren or C58, it does “thrive” in those close to mid-range where you’d usually find something like the Grau or AS Val doing damage.

In terms of how you’re best setting it up, the YouTuber doesn’t have a particularly funky build – it’s what you’d expect really, with the likes of the Mercury Silencer, Carver Foregrip, G16 optic, and Lengthened ammunition.

Best NZ-41 Warzone loadout

  • Muzzle: Mercury Silencer
  • Barrel: Orbweaver 360mm BC
  • Underbarrel: Carver Foregrip
  • Optic: G16 2.5x
  • Magazine: 8mm Klauser 40 round
  • Ammunition: Lengthened
  • Stock: Orbweaver E Pack
  • Rear Grip: Polymer Grip
  • Perk 1: Acrobatic
  • Perk 2: Fully Loaded

As the YouTuber notes, the bullet velocity of the NZ-41 does let it down at long-range, so it might better off as a sniper support option rather than an all-around killer.

Time will tell as to whether or not other players pick it up and show the AR some love.