The latest of Call of Duty’s annual titles, Call of Duty: Vanguard was released earlier this month, and while it has struggled compared to previous entries, many players have been impressed. The return of a World War 2 setting has been a long time coming for classic Call of Duty fans, and Call of Duty: Vanguard has delivered. The game’s setting has earned it a positive reception from many Call of Duty fans, with the gameplay doing the rest of the heavy work.
Call of Duty: Vanguard’s classic maps and weapons, in particular, have proven to be exciting to fans. Given the World War 2 setting, Vanguard has been given the opportunity to explore fan-favorite guns from past games, like the M1 Garand or the STG44. Some of the game’s World War 2 era guns have been especially nostalgic, and none more so than the Kar98k.
Call of Duty: Vanguard’s Kar98k
In particular, the Kar98k was a popular option in Call of Duty: World at War’s multiplayer, and an early-round favorite in World at War zombies. Along with the Type 99 and the 3-Line Rifle, the Kar98k tops off Call of Duty: Vanguard’s returning sniper rifle options. Better known as the Arisaka and the Mosin-Nagant, these snipers have been well-received by fans of Vanguard, although the Kar98k is possibly the most popular at the moment. The Kar98k is the last sniper rifle to be unlocked, and as such, it comes with some useful attributes that set it apart from the competition.
Sniper rifles have been among some of the better weapons in Call of Duty: Vanguard since its release. Of all the bolt-action rifles in Vanguard, the Kar98k is a great choice. Being the last unlocked sniper rifle, it combines some of the better attributes of the weapons unlocked before it: The Kar98k is less lethal than the 3-Line Rifle when it comes to one-hit kills, but with much-improved speed, it's easier to reposition with. Compared to the Type 99, it has slightly less speed but much-improved firepower. The Kar98k is a great all-around sniper rifle, but players need to reach level 43 to unlock it.
Best Attachments for Vanguard’s Kar98k
The Kar98k is already a solid all-round sniper, but dipping into Call of Duty: Vanguard’s gunsmith can even further improve upon a great gun. As the Kar98k is already a great mixture of speed and firepower, the only way left to improve upon it is to make it a bit more discreet. Fortunately, there are many attachments that can help Call of Duty players to remain incognito as they take to Vanguard’s multiplayer. While some of these attachments may come with drawbacks in other areas, given the Kar98k’s already great attributes, this is unlikely to prove to be too much of a negative factor.
For starters, while some operators in Call of Duty: Vanguard offer weapon XP for specific “favorite weapons,” this isn’t the case for the Kar98k, so players will have to unlock attachments at regular speed.
Next up, the muzzle and barrel attachments will be key to this loadout, and the Scout Silencer and Krausnick Scout are both good options for this end of the gun. These will suppress the Kar98k, also improving recoil control and removing enemy skulls that are dropped upon death, with minor drawbacks to bullet velocity and range. To completely remove themselves from the minimap though, Kar98k users should select the Subsonic ammo, and if players are rolling with a scope, they should also equip the Shrouded proficiency to conceal its glint. All of this combined should make the Kar98k a great weapon for stealth and rushing playstyles.
Call of Duty: Vanguard is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.