Best Assault Rifles in Call Of Duty Black Ops 6

What are the best Assault Rifles in Black Ops 6? Assault Rifles are the mainstays of Call of Duty and the tried and true way to rip apart opponents in multiplayer. Not sure which gun you want to start with? Searching for a weapon that's relatively easy to wrap your head around? Pick an AR. Black Ops 6 is no exception to this tradition, and there's a fine array of Assault Rifles available for you to experiment with as you get ready to engage in Cold War firefights.

In this guide, we've divided all Assault Rifles in the game into a tier list, based off of time playing the Black Ops 6 beta and full game. Read on for our complete rundown of the best Assault Rifles in Call Of Duty: Black Ops 6!

What is the best Assault Rifle in Black Ops 6?

It's a tricky call, but at the moment our favourite Assault Rifle is the XM4, though the AMES 85 comes very close and may end up claiming the top spot depending on how Black Ops 6's meta evolves. For now, the XM4 impresses by coming across as just a wee bit more consistent than the other ARs in Black Ops 6 - which are admittedly, quite strong - and that helps it claim top marks in our book.

Here is our tier list of Assault Rifles in Black Ops 6:

From best to worst, we've outlined the major details of each Assault Rifle below, with some more explanation about why we've ranked them as we have.

1. XM4

The XM4 is a handsome gun that rises above its peers thanks to big strength, minor recoil, and excellence at fulfilling the AR's role of serving up dependability that just works out of the box. This is just a very useful jack-of-all-trades weapon that both wide-eyed beginners and grizzled veterans can excel with, especially at close and medium ranges.

If you feel that placing the XM4 at number one is too conservative and are looking for a gun with some more oomph, try equipping it with the right accessories, like a solid Merlin Reflex optic and a Long Barrel to open up long range possibilities. Our XM4 loadout guide has additional information.

2. AMES 85

Depending on how Black Ops 6's multiplayer evolves over time, the AMES 85 may outclass the XM4 in future updates of this list. At the moment, some players prefer this as the number one AR, mostly because it excels with a top-tier fire rate and low recoil. The damage output is so-so and the AMES 85 does seem clumsy at close range in my eyes, but this might not matter to you when you're focused on firing a multitude of bullets over and over again. With the Overkill Wildcard Perk, you can also equip a primary gun as your secondary weapon, so if that's your thing, try pairing the AMES 85 with a quality SMG like the Jackal PDW for maximum efficiency and damage.

3. AS VAL

The AS VAL returns from 2019's Modern Warfare with the same rockin' fire rate. We're talking one of the most rapid-fire, explosive rates in the entire game, and the damage is also impressive. That said, the tradeoff is heavy vertical recoil and low ammunition. While you can make up for the ammo with the right attachments, you're still going to struggle mightily with the bounciness of this gun at longer distances. That said, the AS VAL's integral suppressor is darn handy, since it lets you fire without appearing on the mini-map. So if you're the stealthy type, the AS VAL is absolutely perfect.

4. AK-74

The AK-74 takes fourth spot for prioritising sheer strength at blowing the opposition to bits over other stats. More specifically, the slow fire rate is really what's holding this puppy back, and it does feel like your bullets are chugging when compared to the speedy clip of the XM4 and the AMES 85. Nevertheless, our AK-74 loadout guide goes a long way towards fixing up the firing and the speed, and it's hard to argue with this AR's stopping power when you need a single shot to kill an operator quickly in a tight corridor.

5. Model L

Featuring chugging time-to-kill stats, the Model L isn't going to win any awards for fast shooting, though it does offer low recoil and nice damage that will award pinpoint accuracy. The mobility is also very good, so for all the straight shooters and swift-moving gunners out there, the Model L is worth the trouble, and may very well rise in the ranks when we next update this list.

6. Goblin Mk2

The Goblin Mk2 is a semi-auto AR that works well at short to mid ranges thanks to good handling and mobility. The time-to-kill stats are fine, but the fire rate's slow and but the damage feels somewhat lacking compared to the other Assault Rifles on display, especially heavy hitters like the AMES 85. You can still outfit the Goblin Mk2 to be a dependable weapon, and if you enjoy scurrying around a map like this gun's namesake, give it a go.

7. GPR 91

The GPR 91 has butter smooth handling, and isn't a shabby option for highly mobile players. But its power suffers compared to every other ARs on this list, and the firing rate doesn't do much to impress either. For now, it's stuck in last place.

That finishes up our guide to the best Assault Rifles in Black Ops 6. If you'd rather deal with a Submachine Gun, perhaps you should take a peek at our best SMGs guide. We've also got guides to the best guns and the best loadouts, if you'd prefer a broad overview of everything Black Ops 6 has to offer. Good luck!