AWM: Arctic Warfare Magnum
This is the most powerful weapon in the game it can only be obtained
via airdrops. A straight up headshot from the AWM will knock you out or
kill you if you're the last member of your squad. This is true even when you
are wearing a level 3 Spetsnaz helmet – the best you can get. However, the reload
time on the weapon is also the highest in this category. Bullets must also
be used judiciously as the gun uses .300 rounds, which can, again,
only be found in air drops.
In terms of
attachments, all Compensator, Silencer, Flash hider, extended mags attachments
present for DMRs and SRs will be mountable. Additionally, you can also attach a
cheek pad to reduce vertical recoil while shooting. Two body shots at most
should be enough to knock out a player who is wearing even a level three
armour, but it will depend on which body part you are hitting. What I've
noticed is that shots to the legs and hands deal less damage than those
on the torsos of enemies.
AWM is the only
gun that can kill an enemy with a single headshot at 500 meters,
so it is your best bet for long-range combat. There is next to no bullet
drop but damage drops significantly at 600 meters or so. Suffice it to say it
is advisable to let your target get within the weapon's lethal range before
taking a shot
M24
This is not as rare a gun as the AWM, but there are only a few M24s scattered around the map. In terms of raw damage, the M24 is only second to the AWM and can take out people at a range of 120 m in a single shot even if you are wearing a level 2 helmet. Body shots from the gun are not lethal, but you will lose most of your level 2 armour, and while a level one armour is completely obliterated. About two body shots should be effective for downing an enemy, but it still depends again on how far they are and how much armour they are wearing.
Like the AWM, the M24 packs its rounds in a magazine, which makes it faster to reload. The M24 uses 7.62 mm rounds which are abundantly available in the game. The M24 has good manoeuvrability and has generally less recoil than the AWM. Attachments compatible with the AWM are compatible with the M24. While the M24 will deal a lot of damage, it is only a viable option till about 120 meters, after which the lack of power will not deal enough damage to knock out the enemy player, unless they are wearing a heavily damaged helmet.
Kar98
The
most common bolt-action rifle you will receive in the game is the Karabiner 98
Kurz or Kar98 for short. Amongst the three bolt-actions in the game, Kar98 is
the most widely available gun on the map. The gun will deal its maximum damage
to players less than 100 meters away. You can knock out players having a level
2 helmet with headshots at this distance, but the damage will fizzle out beyond
the 100-meter range.
It will also
typically take a player about three body shots to knock someone out.
However, by the time you try those three shots, chances are that the enemy has
crawled back into safety and you have given away your position. The Kar98 is
also the lightest of the lot, so expect less vertical spread and more accuracy
till about 100 meters. Bullet drop is an issue beyond that range, so make sure
you're compensating for it.
In terms of
attachments, the Kar98 will let you equip a suppressor, all kinds of
scopes and a cheek pad. The Kar98 also uses the abundantly available 7.62 mm
rounds, but instead of a magazine, you manually reload each round. It's best to
keep its clip topped up at all times. Bullet loops can be attached to
the gun for faster reloads.
