Is the Paladin HB50 the most powerful sniper rifle in Black Ops 4?

As with every Call of Duty release, fans have argued about which of the game’s numerous sniper rifles is the one players should be wielding in Black Ops 4.

Throughout most of Black Ops 4 most sniping fans have debated whether players should be using the Koshka or the Paladin HB50, with the community split on which one is the superior weapon.

After breaking down the Koshka, Call of Duty expert and YouTuber Brad ‘Drift0r’ Overbey has taken an in-depth look at the Paladin HB50 in an attempt to figure out its strengths and weaknesses.

The Paladin is the heaviest sniper rifle, and while it’s 140 base damage rate is around the same as the other rifles in its class, what really sets the HB50 apart is its one shot kill areas, with the weapon landing one-shot kills to the head, neck and upper chest without any attachments.

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When High Calibre II is added to the Paladin, it offers one-shot kills to seven different areas, including the three possible with no attachments, along with the torso, groin, thighs and even the hands.

The weapon fires 44 rounds-per-minute, making it one of the slowest weapons in its class, but with the weapon being a bolt action rifle, this is hardly a surprise. The weapon also has the slowest aim-down-sights time in the class at 400 milliseconds.

The Paladin deals a lot of damage even without attachments.

The Paladin HB50 is built for power rather than mobility, and can even be used to take down enemy scorestreaks quickly if you have FMJ II attached.

While Drift0r prefers the Koshka as it’s increased mobility allows you to move around the map easier, the Paladin is extremely useful if you’re stationary and attempting to pick off opponents from long range.

You can watch Drift0r’s in-depth breakdown of the Paladin HB50 in his video below.