Call of Duty Season 4 Reloaded: Best Vanguard Kar98k loadout following July 28 Update

The Call of Duty Season 4 Reloaded update was released on July 27, 2022, and it heavily affects the weapon meta. While the majority of the balancing brought by the update was centered around assault rifles such as the NZ-41, both shotguns and sniper classes also received their respective buffs.

While the update to the sniper rifles didn’t go live immediately with the Season 4 Reloaded update, Raven Software was quick to implement the changes to the Vanguard Kar98k with a new patch that was released on July 28. This patch increased the maximum damage range for this weapon by an impressive 50 percent.

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Best Call of Duty Vanguard Kar98k weapon loadout to destroy enemies

The Kar98k is now experiencing a massive increase to its maximum damage range, which has been extended from 48 meters to 72 meters. The preferred loadout for the Vanguard Kar98K in Call of Duty Warzone is as follows:

• Muzzle: Scout Silencer
• Barrel: VDD 660mm 05HE
• Optic: None
• Stock: Short Stock
• Underbarrel: SMLE Pistol Grip
• Magazine: 8mm Klauser 5 Round Fast Mags
• Ammunition: Lengthened
• Rear Grip: Taped Grip
• Perk 1: Quickscope
• Perk 2: Fully Loaded

The Stabistor and Dragonfly weapon blueprints for the Kar98k (Image via Activision)

The Scout Silencer muzzle is a go-to pick for most Vanguard sniper rifles, improving stealth by greatly suppressing shots. Also, no custom optic is selected for the Kar98k because of the built-in scope that is available with this weapon.

The VDD 660mm 05HE is one that players will be able to unlock pretty early, and it enhances the Kar98k in all aspects, from weapon sway to overall accuracy, recoil control, and increased bullet velocity.

The Short Stock attachment replaces the traditional longer weapon stock and increases the mobility of this weapon while reducing the ADS (aim down sight) accuracy as well as weapon sway and recoil control. To even things out, the SMLE Pistol Grip underbarrel attachment improves the on-hand experience by increasing overall weapon accuracy.

For the magazine attachment, the 8mm Klauser 5 Round Fast Mags is a good choice, providing a medium-sized magazine as well as a faster fire rate. The extended ammunition type works well in the new update, increasing bullet velocity by 30 percent. This would greatly complement the already buffed max damage range of 72 meters.

The Taped Grip rear grip attachment compensates for the Short Stock by boosting the aim stability, sprint-to-fire speed, overall movement speed, and weapon-swap quickness.

When it comes to perks, it usually comes down to the preference of the player, but the Quickscope perk helps with accuracy for a short duration after ADS-ing, and Fully Loaded makes sure the weapon is equipped with maximum ammo.

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Though sniper rifles are a very popular weapon class in Call of Duty and in Warzone that comes in handy on large maps, such as Verdansk and Caldera, it is still not a very competitively strong weapon category. It is currently being dominated by assault rifles such as the NZ-41 and SMGs such as the H4 Blixen and the Marco 5.

Raven Software, through the July 28 update, wanted to make the lighter, more competitive sniper rifles such as Vanguard's Kar98k viable options for smaller Call of Duty Warzone maps such as Fortune’s Keep and Rebirth Island.

Season 4 Reloaded is live in both Call of Duty Warzone and Vanguard. It is available on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.