Warzone expert claims underused Vanguard AR is “overpowered” after buffs

Not yet settled on a new go-to assault rifle in Warzone following all the recent buffs and nerfs? Well, you might want to give Vanguard’s NZ-41 a chance as it is apparently a little “overpowered” right now. 

Following on from the massive weapon changes dished out in the Season 3 update, Raven Software once again shook things up in Warzone with the Season 3 Reloaded patch on May 25.

The mid-season update brought in plenty of weapon tweaks, as well as changes to the battle royale’s Time-To-Kill (TTK), making the meta shift yet again.

Like the original Season 3 patch, the Season 3 Reloaded update has helped make a handful of Vanguard weapons incredibly more viable versus their Modern Warfare and Black Ops Cold War counterparts. That includes the NZ-41, which could become part of the meta before long.

Warzone guru Metaphor highlighted the assault rifle in his May 25 video, claiming that the recent changes have made the NZ-41 a tad “overpowered,” especially as it was buffed itself and the weapon’s recoil made a little more forgiving.

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The YouTuber’s build for the NZ-41 does move away from some of the previously more popular attachments with the likes of the Carver Foregrip, G16 2.5x optic, and Mercury Silencer missing out.

It does, though, keep the popular Orbweaver combo of the 360mm BC barrel and E Pack stock, as well as the dominant 8mm Klauser 40 Round Magazines to really fry through enemies.

Best NZ-41 loadout in Warzone Season 3

• Muzzle: MX Silencer
• Barrel: Orbweaver 360mm BC
• Underbarrel: M1930 Strife Angled
• Stock: Orbweaver E Pack
• Rear Grip: Polymer Grip
• Optic: SVT-40 PU Scop 3-6x
• Magazine: 8mm Klauser 40 Round Mags
• Ammuntion: Lengthened
• Perk: Brace
• Perk 2: Fully Loaded

The Vanguard assault rifle has been a part of the meta previously, mainly when Caldera first launched, but it has slipped away in recent months to the point where it has a 0.52 pick rate on WZRanked.

With the devs giving it some shine in the update, that number will likely rise before long, but it remains to be seen if the NZ-41 will be able to displace the likes of the STG.