Overlooked Warzone 2 AR dominates with better TTK than ISO Hemlock

Connor Bennett
Red STB 556 rifle being held aloft in Warzone 2

The ISO Hemlock might be the most popular gun in Warzone 2, however, there are a few assault rifles that actually beat it when it comes to TTK – including one under-the-radar option.

Despite being hit with nerfs over the last few months, the ISO Hemlock has remained the go-to weapon in Warzone 2 for many players. It has sat comfortably at the top of the meta for the last few weeks, though, the Cronen Squall has started to make inroads to dethroning it. 

The Hemlock has been praised by many players for just being so simple to use in-game. It doesn’t have much, if any, recoil at all and it packs a punch in terms of TTK.

For all its popularity, though, the Hemlock isn’t actually the fastest-killing AR in Warzone 2. That distinction goes to other options, including one overlooked rifle that’s solid across all ranges. 

That assault rifle? Well, it’s the STB 556, which wasn’t touched in the last round of buffs and nerfs, and has just sat on the fringes of the meta for a while. 

It was highlighted by Warzone 2 guru WhosImmortal in his May 29 video, as he pointed out that it is one of the better ARs for TTK in the battle royale. “This thing is point and shoot, it is a laser beam,” he said, calling it the “easiest” non-Hemlock rifle to use. 

The YouTuber noted the STB has “the best” close-range TTK compared to some other alternatives, with a TTK around 593ms, but it doesn’t really drop off either. The only knock on it is it’s ammo capacity. 

Best STB 556 loadout in Warzone 2 to beat ISO Hemlock

  • Muzzle: Harbinger D20
  • Barrel: 508mm Rear Guard
  • Optic: Aim OP-V4
  • Ammunition: 5.56 High Velocity
  • Magazine: 42-round mag

As noted, the STB does get overlooked a fair bit considering its stats. WZRanked stats have it as the 18th most-used gun in the game as it clocks in with a 0.8% pick ratio. 

That makes it the 8th most-used assault rifle, even though it beats all of them for TTK. So, we’ll just have to wait and see if that ticks up eventually. It should.

About The Author

Based out of Liverpool, Connor is Dexerto's UK News Editor having joined the website in 2018 with a degree in International Journalism. You can find him covering everything from CoD, GTA, FIFA, Apex Legends, and influencer boxing. Need to get in touch? Email Connor at Connor.Bennett@Dexerto.com