Best sniper support loadout in MW3 Warzone season one

The best sniper support loadout comes from a class you wouldn't expect.

A screenshot of a Call of Duty player inspecting a blue WSP-9 submachine gun in MW3.
Screenshot by Dot Esports

Sniper Rifles dominate MW3’s iteration of Warzone, but no loadout is complete without a trustworthy sidekick.

Raven Software made Urzikstan a sniping paradise by removing the explosive ammunition requirement that hindered the class in Warzone 2. For a sniper rifle to have one-shot kill potential in the previous battle royale, it had to have explosive ammunition equipped, which massively reduced bullet velocity.

As a result, snipers suffered from bullet drop-offs, making it hard to line up shots at longer ranges. However, the KATT-AMR can one-shot kill without the ammunition type, meaning players can pick off enemies easily from any range.

Because of the change, the KATT-AMR is considered one of the most powerful weapons in Warzone, and some pros already want it removed. But for now, at least, one-shot sniping is here to stay, so you need a complimentary secondary weapon.

Best sniper support loadout in Warzone

A screenshot of the WSP-9 submachine gun in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3.
A handy backup. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Surprisingly, the WSP-9 is the best sniper support weapon in Warzone season one. Typically it’s ARs that tend to stand out as viable sniper support options, but in this case, the SMG offers everything you want from a sidekick.

Thanks to stats provided by TrueGameData, we can see that the WSP-9 has fast time-to-kill speeds and little to no recoil. While firing at an enemy within 19 meters, the WSP-9 outclasses other sniper support options, such as the BAS-B and Striker with a 630-millisecond TTK speed.

Although the WSP-9 is slower than the Striker and BAS-B in some scenarios, the close-range dominance and ability to hang with weapons in longer-range engagements make it the best option in season one.

Best WSP-9 build in Warzone

  • Muzzle: Sonic Suppressor S
  • Barrel: WSP Reckless-90 Long Barrel
  • Optic: MK.3 Reflector
  • Underbarrel: DR-6 Handstop
  • Magazine: 50 Round Mag

Our loadout focuses on extending the SMG’s range as far out as possible to compensate for short and medium-range engagements in which you don’t want to use a Sniper Rifle. The Sonic Suppressor S is the best option for any loadout in Warzone, as the attachment increases range and bullet velocity and only slightly decreases accuracy.

Along the same line of thinking, the WSP Reckless-90 Long Barrel also increases range and bullet velocity at the cost of sprint-to-fire speed, but the SMG already has great mobility stats so it shouldn’t be too big of an issue. Next, we recommend using the DR-6 Handstop, as the underbarrel attachment offers multiple benefits, improving movement, ADS movement, ADS time, and weapon swap speeds.

Finally, because this loadout is meant to be used more as a hybrid AR than a close-range SMG, so the MK.3 Reflector makes it easier to line up shots at longer ranges, and the 50 Round Mag makes it possible to take on larger squads.

Best WSP-9 perks and equipment in Warzone

  • Perk Package
    • Perk One: Double Time
    • Perk Two: Sleight of Hand
    • Perk Three: Resupply
    • Perk Four: High Alert
  • Secondary weapon: KATT-AMR
  • Lethal: Frag Grenade
  • Tactical: Smoke Grenade

Our preferred Perk Package is set in stone at this point for the rest of season one. Double Time increases sprint duration and reduces its refresh rate. Next, Sleight of Hand improves reload times but works best on weapons with slow reload times by default.

Then, Resupply will be helpful, as the perk recharges Frag and Smoke Grenades every 50 seconds. This means you will always have a Frag at your disposal to finish a downed enemy or flush an enemy out from behind an object, and a smoke to safely rotate or flee a gunfight to reposition. Lastly, High Alert provides a warning when an enemy is looking in your direction, and the KATT-AMR is the only viable sniper rifle to use at the moment.

Author

Ryan Lemay
Ryan graduated from Ithaca College in 2021 with a sports media degree and a journalism minor. He gained experience as a writer with the Morning Times newspaper and then Dexerto as a games writer. He mainly writes about first-person shooters, including Call of Duty and Battlefield, but he is also a big FIFA fan. You can contact him at ryanlemay@dotesports.com.