Battle Rifles are a new category of weapon in MW2, and they're basically sat in the middle-ground between Marksman Rifles and ARs. Here are the best Battle Rifles in Modern Warfare 2.
Modern Warfare 2 has now been put before the players. Some love it, others hate it (here's our review of MW2). But knowing Call of Duty, it's going to be wildly popular no matter what the finished product looks like. So let's move on to the now more important question of what the best weapons in the game are.
We have a complete tier-ranking of every weapon here, but in this article we're going to focus on the Battle Rifles. This is a new category of weapon for Call of Duty, and you can basically think of them like bigger, heavier ARs, chambered in full rifle-caliber cartridges. And here's how we rate them.
The Best Battle Rifles In Modern Warfare 2
5. SO-14
At first glance, the stats don't look too bad, but the SO-14 is just sooo slow. It also has the worst recoil control of all battle rifles, so there's no way you can play it fully automatic. All in all, this makes the weapon a bit redundant, unfortunately: Damage is high, but not as high as DMRs, and recoil is so bad that you can't play it like an assault rifle, or even a heavy LMG. Fortunately, it is unlocked by leveling the EBR and does not need to be leveled for any other weapon.
4. TAQ-V
The TAQ-V is actually the SCAR-H and I wish it was better – I love the SCAR-H.... But unfortunately the recoil is just too bad to use it fully automatic and the damage is also a bit lower than the FTAC. Overall, the TAQ-V is not as bad as the S0-14, but unfortunately not a good combat rifle. It's better to use the assault rifle variant, TAQ-56, which is really nice.
3. Cronen Squall
The Cronen is more of a Warzone weapon, but it's still really pretty decent at multiplayer. Slower than ARs and SMGs, but still viable.
Here's a complete guide to the Cronen Squall.
2. FTAC Recon
The FTAC Recon is the Battle Rifle version of the M4 in MW2. In semi-automatic mode, it deals decent damage and can be controlled quite well, but if you switch to fully automatic mode, the FTAC is hardly playable. The recoil makes it almost impossible to control the weapon, and even with the largest magazine, you only get 15 rounds. Therefore, the FTAC Recon can only be used effectively in semi-automatic mode, and you might as well try the MK2 or another DMR that can kill with just one hit to the chest or higher.
You can find a complete loadout for the FTAC Recon here.
1. Lachmann-762
The Lachmann is significantly inferior to the FTAC Recon in semi-automatic mode, but it comes with a 20-round magazine and can even be equipped with a 50-round magazine. So unlike the FTAC, it can actually be played fully automatic like a heavy assault rifle. The recoil is still fierce, but nowhere near as much as the FTAC, and with a few attachments for recoil control, the Lachmann-762 gets really good. Be prepared for a slower play style, but the damage from this thing is fierce.
You can find a complete loadout for the Lachmann-762 here.
And that, ladies and gentlemen, was our complete ranking of all the Battle Rifles available in Modern Warfare 2. We hope you enjoy them, but if you're missing the versatility of the ARs then may we suggest the M4.
If you want to know what else you have to look forward to in MW2, check out this video