Best M1916 Vanguard class loadout: Attachments, Perks, Proficiency, Setup

James Busby
M1916 Vanguard weapon preview

The best M1916 Vanguard loadout greatly enhances your kill potential, giving you a huge advantage on larger maps. Find out which attachments you should equip to make the strongest build.

Vanguard Season 3 is finally here, which means players can get their hands on a number of new weapons. One of them is the M1916 – a new semi-automatic Markman Rifle that plays similarly to the DMR-14

Whether it will end up dethroning any of the game’s best Snipers remains to be seen, but it can prove fairly lethal once you’ve gotten used to its playstyle. 

Not only does this weapon come packed with decent speed, but it can also dish out some great damage, provided you kit it out with the right attachments. If you’re looking for the best M1916 Vanguard loadout and want to maximize your kills, then this build will enable you to do just that. 


Contents


Best M1916 Vanguard loadout

M1916 weapon preview
The best M1916 loadout comes packed with great speed and mobility.

Attachments

  • Muzzle: G28 Compensator
  • Barrel: Wyvern 532mm Full-Auto
  • Optic: Slate Reflector 
  • Stock: ZP M502 Custom 
  • Underbarrel: M1941 Handstop 
  • Magazine: 8mm Klauser 40 Round
  • Ammo Type: Lengthened 
  • Rear Grip: Fabric Grip
  • Proficiency: Vital
  • Kit: Fully Loaded

The best M1916 Vanguard loadout is tailored around boosting the gun’s accuracy and ammo. First up on the list is the Wyvern 532mm Barrel. This attachment is the most important as it turns the M1916 into a full-auto rifle, drastically enhancing the gun’s fire rate, ADS speed, and recoil control. 

In order to keep the gun stable when fired, we’ve utilized the G28 Compensator, M1941 Hand Stop, ZP M502 Custom, and Fabric Grip. All four of these attachments greatly reduce the M1916’s recoil, which will help keep your shots accurate when fired full-auto. 

As Vanguard’s maps are much smaller and favor close to mid-range engagements, our loadout has ditched traditional Sniper Optics for the Slate Reflector. This Optic is perfect for speedy target acquisition and has enough zoom for landing headshots.

Next up you’ll want to equip Lengthened and the Vital Proficiency to increase the rifle’s bullet velocity and critical hit area. Pair this with the 8mm Klauser 40 Rounds and Fully Loaded to ensure you have plenty of ammunition. 

Best M1916 Vanguard class (Perks, Equipment & Field Upgrade)

Vanguard Operator using the M1916
The best Vanguard M1916 loadout utilizes a number of powerful Perks and Equipment.
  • Perk 1: Ghost
  • Perk 2: Radar
  • Perk 3: Double Time
  • Secondary: Machine Pistol
  • Lethal: MK2 Frag Grenade
  • Tactical: No 69 Stun Grenade
  • Field Upgrade: Dead Drop

The best M1916 Vanguard loadout utilizes the usual Perks you find in other loadouts. Ghost is essential to keep your movements hidden from enemy Spy Planes, while Radar enables you to see where enemies are firing from. 

Next up is Double Time, which is essential for running around the map faster. This will give you the added advantage of being able to constantly outmaneuver your foes – an area that is incredibly important on smaller maps.  

The Machine Pistol is also a great choice here as it can make short work of any player that tries to rush you down in close-quarters engagements. For the equipment, we’ve used the MK2 Frag Grenade and No 69 Stun Grenade.

Rounding things off is the Dead Drop Field Upgrade, which is particularly potent as it will save your Killstreak progress. 

How to unlock the M1916 in Vanguard

In order to unlock the M1916 in Vanguard, players will need to reach Tier 15 in the Battle Pass. Simply play matches in Season 3 to add the new Marksman Rifle to your collection. 

It’s also important to note that the M1916 can be unlocked for free. This means every player can gain access to this new weapon without spending any money on COD Points. If you wish to unlock it instantly, then you can always purchase a weapon blueprint or tier skips.

Alternative to M1916 Vanguard loadout

SVT-40 Vanguard weapon preview screen
The SVT-40 kills incredibly fast in Vanguard.

If you’re looking for another Marksman Rifle you can use in Vanguard, then the SVT-40 is a great choice. Just like the M1916, the SVT-40 has a fast rate of fire and can quickly pepper enemies with bullets. 

In fact, this reliable rifle can kill your enemies with just two bullets. This makes it extremely deadly when used by an eagle-eyed player. Be sure to check out our best SVT-40 Vanguard loadout to increase your kill count.


So, there you have it, the best M1916 Vanguard loadout that you can use in the Season 3 update. Looking for more of the best Vanguard loadouts and tips? Check out our list of guides below:

Best CoD Vanguard FOV settings | Best MP40 Vanguard loadout | Best M1928 Vanguard loadout | Best STG44 Vanguard loadout | Every CoD Vanguard perk | Best Vanguard controller settings | Unlock Atomic camo

About The Author

James is Dexerto's Associate Games Editor who joined the website in 2020. He graduated from university with a degree in Journalism, before spending four years freelancing for GamesRadar+, PCGamesN, RPS, LoL Esports, Red Bull Gaming, and many more. You can find him covering everything from CoD, Apex Legends, Genshin Impact, and Monster Hunter. Need to get in touch? Email James at james.busby@dexerto.com.