With the launch of Season 4 Reloaded in Call of Duty: Warzone, players now have access to the Vargo-S assault rifle, which can be unlocked by earning 15 close-range eliminations. This weapon doesn’t seem overpowered and will likely not fall into the meta, but it functions admirably as sniper support. Of course, knowing how to build any Vanguard weapon can be overwhelming since Warzone features 10 attachment slots and dozens of options across them all.

In this guide, we’ll offer a breakdown of how to use the new Vargo-S, along with a recommended build to help you come out on top.

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The new Vargo-S assault rifle is described as excelling “in medium and long-range engagements.” While it certainly is viable at long range, you’ll likely find it difficult to use in these situations due to its low bullet velocity. Its competitive time to kill (TTK) does make up for its shortcomings, however, so your mileage may vary. When compared to other top-tier assault rifles with less recoil and more ease of use, you’ll likely perform better with the Vargo-S during medium-range engagements on smaller maps like Rebirth Island and Fortune’s Keep.

With that in mind, we advise running this as a sniper support weapon, as it holds its own up-close and works best between 20 and 40 meters or so. Though, feel free to experiment with different options based on your playstyle, as always.

Recommended loadout:

With this build, we like to prioritize movement speed and aim down sights (ADS) speed while preserving its bullet velocity and recoil control.

Start with the Mercury Silencer Muzzle for sound suppression and improved horizontal recoil control and bullet velocity, with no downsides. If you opt for the MX Silencer, you’ll gain more long-range benefits, but at the expense of ADS speed, so we recommend skipping that particular Muzzle. After that, we advise using the Mirzoyan 414mm Custom Barrel, giving you improved sprint-to-fire speed, better recoil control, ADS speed, and more stability.

With this build, you’ll want to stick with a simpler Optic such as the Slate Reflector. Having something with lower zoom is best so as to not penalize your ADS speeds. After that, we recommend going with the Mirzoyan Custom SK2 Stock, which boosts your recoil control, making up for some of the other attachments’ downsides.

Follow that up with the M1941 Hand Stop Underbarrel, giving you even more recoil control and making those mid-range encounters go more smoothly. Next, equip the 7.62x54mmR 60 Round Drums Magazine type for maximum ammo, increased headshot damage, and better vertical recoil control — at the expense of bullet velocity and range. You can use the Sakura 45 Round Drum, which does improve your ADS speeds, but you might find yourself running out of ammo often, especially in larger team modes.

Even with a build that doesn’t excel at long-range, we still advise using the Lengthened Ammunition type, giving you better bullet velocity since you’ll still reap the benefits at mid-range. Then, the Hatched Grip Rear Grip is a great option, as it gives you improved recoil control and better flinch resistance with no downsides.

When it comes to the first Perk, we suggest Hardscope, which also gives you better recoil control with no penalties. Finish off the build with On-Hand for Perk 2, giving you faster ADS speed and equipment dexterity. Fully Loaded also works, but it won’t necessarily improve your performance on the battlefield.

With the nerf of Serpentine Perk, it’s not as viable as before, so instead, we recommend going back to Quick Fix. Sure, it’s a bit more situational, but having immediate health regeneration when applying an armor plate is never a bad thing. When combined with Tempered, you’ll be back up to full health in no time since this Perk lets you reach max armor with only two plates. Finally, go with Amped for Perk slot 3, which boosts your weapon swap speed. This will come in handy when running with the Vargo-S alongside a sniper.

You can’t go wrong with many of the Lethal Equipment options, but we’ve been loving Thermites lately. These deal splash damage and work exceptionally well when thrown into a building before rushing in. Wrap up the build with Stims, offering immediate health regeneration and a temporary speed boost, which can be used even when inside the gas.