The key to doing well in Call of Duty: Warzone is versatility. Any match will test the skills of any squad in a wide variety of scenarios, from long-range skirmishes to close quarters shootouts. That makes it essential to have not only good teammates, but a good loadout with reliable weapons. Getting lucky and finding good weapons through loot drops is one part of the equation, but the importance of loadout drops makes it vital to have a good setup prepared for when enough money has been collected to drop one in.
When creating a custom loadout for Call of Duty: Warzone, it is almost impossible to go wrong with a trusty standby: the M4A1. There are a lot of ins and outs to every weapon, but the M4A1 remains one of the most popular guns in Warzone for a reason. It is dependable, consistent, and deeply customizable. The M4A1 is a jack of all trades weapon, with respectable range, good handling, consistent controllability, and top-tier damage. It can be a bit bland sometimes because of it is good all around, but never exceptional. Ultimately though, it is still the most reliable choice for veterans and newbies alike.
Even though Season 3 has significantly increased the price of loadout drops, they are still extremely significant to late-game play in Warzone. Since day one, the M4A1 was one of the very best weapons in Modern Warfare, and its legacy is maintained in Warzone as well. However, because of the ranges at which combat takes place in Warzone, the necessary attachments to create an optimal M4A1 are very different than in Modern Warfare.
The Best M4A1 Attachments for Warzone
First and foremost, the biggest difference between gunfights in Modern Warfare and Warzone is the addition of body armor to the equation. The M4A1 may not be the best gun in Warzone for getting through body armor, but it has plenty of other characteristics that make it an optimal choice. In order to power through body armor and quickly engage multiple enemy squad members at once, an extended magazine is a must have. A 50-round magazine is optimal because it doesn't slow down handling very much, but provides plenty of firepower. Some players with a bit less accurate shooting may prefer a 60-round mag even with its additional movement penalties.
It is possible to alter the M4A1 into totally different weapons with other ammo types, but in Warzone it's best to focus on the core utility of the gun. That said, a good suppressor goes a long way in Warzone, since keeping the squad's position hidden offers a huge advantage. The Monolithic suppressor is the best one in the game, hands down. It provides extra range on top of its sound suppression, which is ideal.
Extra range is very important. On top of a Monolothic suppressor, a Corvus Custom Marksman barrel gives extended range and better recoil control without as harsh drawbacks as the M16 grenadier barrel. The addition of a heavier barrel, a suppressor, and bigger mags will make the M4A1 much too slow, however. It is important to add at least one attachment to keep handling speedy, like a Tac Laser, Stippled Grip Tape, or a lighter stock. On small maps, handling attachments are key, but in Warzone balanced handling is good enough.
Attachments that reduce range should be avoided at all costs, but other than that players should choose attachments based on whether they prioritize extra range, better controllability, or faster ADS times. Optics are usually up to preference, but the option to zoom to some degree can be very helpful in a variety of scenarios, especially when not playing with a full squad necessitates more versatility.
A good, balanced Warzone build taking full advantage of the M4A1 would look something like this: 50-round extended magazine, Monolithic suppressor, Corvus Custom Marksman barrel, flip optic, and FORGE TAC CQS stock or stippled grip tape to improve handling. For those who have good eyes or play on big screens, doing away with the optic can free up another customization slot. With a well-balanced Warzone squad, a solid M4A1 build can be the workhorse that carries the team to victory.
M4A1 Characteristics and Alternatives
The M4A1 is easily one of the very best weapons in Modern Warfare and Warzone, but it is not the best in every area. As mentioned above, there are several guns with better DPS, handling, or range, but it is still very difficult to outclass the M4A1. One of the main reasons for that is its recoil. Even with a very high fire rate, recoil is very manageable. That is mostly because the recoil has very predictable movement, even if it is stronger than some other weapons. There is little to no randomness in the M4A1's firing behavior.
Contrary to popular belief, damage isn't everything, and the M4A1 illustrates that beautifully. The AK-47 does more damage per shot and has higher DPS, but falls behind the M4A1 in popularity. It is equally customizable and has huge potential, but can't keep up because its recoil is too random to keep landing shots on targets at long range. Likewise, the RAM-7 is superior to the M4A1 in many ways, but with slightly shorter range and a less predictable recoil pattern, it remains less popular.
The best alternative to the M4A1 is likely the M13. The M13 does far more headshot damage and longer range, rewarding skilled players with more nuanced shooting characteristics and higher overall potential. However, the M4A1 requires far less control and will continue to perform even in the hands of low- to mid-skilled players. The AK-47 is another great option, but it too requires heavy modification and a bit more skill to do its work most effectively. This is not to say that those who use the M4A1 lack skill. It just means that the gun requires less skill to reach its maximum potential, which is a bit of an advantage in competitive play. Even skilled players can be caught off guard, and in those times reliability is preferable to ideal potential damage output.
Call of Duty: Warzone is available on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
