Vanguard Weapon Setup Guides - The Auto-Loading Shotgun

Call of Duty: Vanguard is out, and with it comes a plethora of shotguns. How is the Auto-Loading Shotgun? Terrible, but slightly better with this setup...

Auto Loading Shotgun
This is a terrible weapon - almost comically bad. | © Activision Blizzard

Call of Duty: Vanguard launches with a ton of classic WWII guns, but for every gun, we have an astonishing amount of attachments to choose from, and we can use ten at once. So, where do you even begin? What attachments do you need? Don't worry, we'll give you all the answers in our Vanguard weapon setup guides. And today: the Auto-Loading Shotgun.

This is a truly terrible weapon. Even for a shotgun in CoD, it's atrocious. The fundamental problem is that the damage is simply too low. You can never get a one-shot kill, not even at point-blank range. And that lack of oomph and power makes the weapon useless. You'll normally need three hits on target to kill at least. If that wasn't bad enough, the auto-loading shotgun has really strong felt-recoil, so follow-up shots are needlessly difficult. Honestly, we don't really know what they were trying to achieve with this - but if you like a challenge, and you want to see what you can do with this thing, we have the gun's optimal loadout for you to try out.

Check out our tier ranking of every weapon in Vanguard for an idea of how well the weapon places. It's nowhere near the top.

The Auto-Loading Shotgun Attachment Setup

  • Muzzle: M97 Full Choke
  • Barrel: Chariot 33" Sport
  • Optic: Slate Reflector
  • Stock: CGC H4
  • Underbarrel: M1941 Handstop
  • Magazine: 12 Gauge 10 Round Drums
  • Ammo Type: Buck and Slug
  • Rear Grip: Fabric Grip
  • Proficiency: Frenzy
  • Kit: Fully Loaded

The Equipment & Perks On An Auto-Loading Shotgun Loadout

From what we've played so far, the meta loadout will look something like this:

  • Secondary Weapon: DP27
  • Lethal: Thermite
  • Tactical: Stuns
  • Perk 1: Fortified
  • Perk 2: Tracker
  • Perk 3: Overkill
  • Field Upgrade: Armor Plates

The above will almost certainly be the multiplayer meta for an Auto-Loading Shotgun loadout unless they make serious balance changes. The Armor Plates in particular are in need of a nerf, but whether one comes... we'll have to wait and see.

Jon Ramuz

Jon has a BA and an MA in English Literature, and as Content Lead for EarlyGame has written over 1,500 articles. He focuses on shooters, but also writes about entertainment and gaming in general....