Since the integration of Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War into Warzone, there has been a learning curve for those trying to build the ideal loadout. A number of the Cold War guns entered Call of Duty: Warzone with attachments that did not actually do what they claimed to do. Barrels with descriptions indicating an increase to bullet velocity instead causing a decrease, or claims of recoil reduction instead causing more bounce in the weapon were common. One thing was certain though, and that was the power of the MAC-10 SMG.
The MAC-10 is based on the real world gun of the same name, which was designed in the 1960s and has seen use by armed forces across the globe. The gun became famous when it was coupled with a revolutionary sound suppressor and was marketed to the US Military as the "Whispering Death" for use in the Vietnam War. The MAC-10 is an open bolt design, meaning there is some delay between the trigger being pulled and the first bullet firing. This is accurately reflected in Call of Duty, unlike some of the history revisionism found in Black Ops Cold War which left some historians puzzled.
RELATED: Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War: How To Unlock the MAC-10 SMG
What makes the MAC-10 unquestionably part of the meta is that the base gun shreds opponents, plain and simple, but what makes it interesting is that the attachments are varied enough to make the MAC-10 work in a range of different scenarios. Content creators have put up a number of builds for the gun, with a fair amount of variability between them, depending on what the creator wants to use the gun for. This is a change of pace from the previous SMG king, the Modern Warfare MP5, where the only real divergence between builds was whether to use the gun for hipfire or not. Even then, the change was generally only one attachment being swapped out for another.
When Season 1 of Black Ops Cold War started, folks that unlocked the MAC-10 Gallantry blueprint as part of the Battle Pass noticed the gun felt like it packed even more of a punch. It turns out the gun did, with the blueprint specifically hitting for more damage, even after the MAC-10 was nerfed. After a bit of understandable outrage from the player base, the blueprint was adjusted to match the base gun's stats. Despite the controversy, and a nerf, the MAC-10 is still a hit with top level players in Warzone.
If players are looking to extend the range of the MAC-10, the two essential attachments are the Agency Suppressor and the Task Force Barrel. The Agency extends the range by about 10%, while the Task Force makes the biggest impact, pushing the range of the gun out by 50%. These two attachments will push the effective range of the gun to about 40m or so. Popular streamer NICKMERCS built his latest MAC-10 loadout using these attachments, and doing so gives players the option to run with a Kar98 or another snappy sniper for any engagements past 50m.
When rushing buildings and for other close-quarters engagements, a solid hipfire build MAC-10 will save players from the added time penalty of aiming down sight. The key component to any good Cold War hipfire build is the GRU 5mw laser. It reduces hipfire spread by 65% meaning bullets fired when not aiming down sight will cluster together much closer instead of spraying wildly. From there, staying away from attachments that slow the player down, or increase hipfire spread, would be the next priority.
For example, the Wire Stock gives players a bonus to sprint-to-fire time with no sacrifice to hipfire spread. With a lot of close-quarters builds of the MAC-10, players will also opt for the 6.1 Reinforced Heavy Barrel for the 133% increase to bullet velocity. Bullets need to hit their target as quickly as possible to down opponents, and the 6.1 Reinforced does that better than the rest.
Thsoe who are unsure about whether to go all in on range or hipfire can split the difference with a build that tries to cover all Warzone situations. Starting with the Task Force Barrel to increase range and bullet velocity, this will allow players to take on enemies at range without shots losing their punch before reaching their target. Next, throwing on the GRU 5mw laser will give players the flexibility to hipfire if caught in a tight situation unable to aim down sight.
The Field Agent grip is consistently used to reduce recoil, and allows players to hit from range a bit better. Notably, COD streamer Ayden removed the Field Agent grip from his MAC-10 loadout, opting for the No Stock instead, but for regular or casual players, that reduction in recoil is going to make a difference. The 53 round drum magazine is the best ammo option, despite there being fast mags available to players. The 53 round Salvo fast mag comes with a greater aim down sight penalty for a very small reduction in reload time. Lastly, a stock option is a bit of player preference, but the Wire Stock and the Raider Stock both offer good reduction in sprint-to-fire time and movement speed while aiming.
RELATED: Call of Duty: Warzone's Best Guns in the Current Meta
With the weapon being so versatile, it can be paired with almost any other weapon in the game and fit right in. The close-quarters build works better with an assault rifle, as the AR can take the mid-range and long-range fights, while the MAC-10 can be used just for the close encounters. Any of the competitive ARs will do, but the current meta is favoring the CR-56 AMAX, so pairing it with the MAC-10 makes for a fearsome loadout.
If players choose to take the ranged MAC-10 into Verdansk, that build pairs better with a marksman rifle or sniper secondary. The ranged MAC-10 can be used for close to medium-range engagements, leaving the rifle or sniper to take care of the long shots. Carrying the MAC-10 with the sniper is also a good bet as the weapon has fast movement speed, something a rifle or sniper definitely lacks. Right now, the Black Ops Cold War sniper that many content creators and pros are using is the LW3 Tundra. This sniper plus a MAC-10 kitted out for range will be a formidable option.
The MAC-10 remains a top tier SMG, competing against the best Modern Warfare SMGs as well as the upstarts from Black Ops Cold War. It drops opponents quickly, has manageable recoil, and has clean iron sights, living up to the name bestowed on the real life version of the gun, "Whispering Death," the MAC-10 is efficient and deadly.
Call of Duty: Warzone is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.