The best CARV 2 Warzone loadouts - a burst rifle that works up close

Warzone CARV 2 loadouts
(Image credit: Activision)

The best CARV Warzone loadouts while make you into a burst-fire bandit in Call of Duty Warzone. The CARV-2 tactical rifle is an odd weapon, but it's powerful and well worth getting to grips with. Its high fire rate and accuracy make it into a real point-and-drop weapon, drilling out bursts of ammunition that can down foes rapidly and effectively in a crisis.

There are some things worth mentioning - namely, that individual shots don't deal as much damage as other tactical rifles in Call of Duty Warzone. It's sacrificing punch for accuracy and fire rate, though this needn't be an issue with the right attachments and strategy. That's where we come in - we'll show you how to build the best CARV 2 Warzone loadout below, and how you can best put this rectangular weapon to work.

Warzone best CARV 2 loadout: Close to mid-range

Warzone CARV 2 loadouts

(Image credit: Activision)
  • Muzzle: Silencer
  • Barrel: 20.8” Strike Team
  • Optic: Sillix Holoscout
  • Ammunition: 45 Rnd Drum
  • Rear Grip: Serpent Wrap

Since the CARV 2 Warzone tactical rifle is actually useful up close thanks to its high rate of fire, let’s take a look at a build that compliments this play style. Start off with the regular Silencer Muzzle to keep from appearing on your enemy’s radar when firing. This also doesn’t penalize your movement speed and ADS speeds as much as the Agency Silencer does - only the standard Suppressor won’t work as well at range. This is fine since you aren’t using this build at long range.

Next up, go with the 20.8” Strike Team Barrel to improve your fire rate, which is highly useful up close. The attachment description says it increases bullet velocity, but it does not - again, that’s okay with this build, but it’s worth being aware of.

Follow that up with a lower zoom optic. We like the Sillix Holoscout, but any of them are good, as long as they give less than 2x magnification. You can also just go with the iron sights to save an attachment slot.

After that, we advise going with the 45 Rnd Drum Ammunition to help you secure multiple eliminations before needing to reload. In Warzone, it’s hard to get away with anything less than 40 rounds unless you’re playing Solos. Finally, we recommend the Serpent Wrap Rear Grip for a boost to ADS speeds. This will come in handy when using the weapon up close and at mid-range.

It’s important to note that this build isn’t meant to be used exactly like an SMG, but rather a closer-range assault rifle. Any engagements between 12 and 30 meters will be easy to overcome with this build, but for point blank situations, you’ll still want a shotgun or SMG.

Warzone best CARV 2 loadout: Long-range

Warzone CARV 2 loadouts

(Image credit: Activision)
  • Muzzle: Agency Silencer
  • Barrel: 22.3” Cavalry Lancer
  • Optic: Axial Arms 3x
  • Underbarrel: Field Agent Foregrip
  • Ammunition: 45 Rnd Drum

If you plan on using the Warzone CARV 2 at longer ranges, you’ll want to utilize this build. First up, we recommend the Agency Silencer Muzzle, for increased vertical recoil control, bullet velocity, damage range, and to remain hidden from your enemy’s minimap when firing. This will, of course, slow you down, but at long range, that’s okay.

For the next attachment, you’ll definitely want to ignore the in-game descriptions. We recommend using the 22.3” Cavalry Lancer Barrel for increased bullet velocity. The description says it improves vehicle damage, but this is incorrect, so keep that in mind.

Then, go with the Axial Arms 3x Optic, which is standard for a long range burst rifle like this. It’ll give you sufficient optical zoom for those long range battles. After that, switch over to the Field Agent Foregrip Underbarrel for improved vertical and horizontal recoil control. You’ll need this when sticking to your target at range.

Finally, keep the 45 Rnd Drum for the reasons listed above. In this case, you can get away with using the STANAG 54 Rnd Drum which will help you secure long range eliminations, but it will penalize your ADS speeds, so it’s a trade off.

Ultimately, this weapon isn’t as great at longer distances as the M16 or any sniper is since its recoil is so high. With that in mind, we highly suggest taking your time with your shots. If you spam the trigger as fast as you can, the weapon will continue to fire upwards. So instead, fire a burst, wait for the weapon to re-center, and then fire the next burst. This will help you stay on your target from afar.

Warzone best CARV 2 loadout: All-around

Warzone CARV 2 loadouts

(Image credit: Activision)
  • Muzzle: Agency Silencer
  • Barrel: 20.8” Strike Team
  • Optic: Visiontech 2x
  • Underbarrel: Field Agent Foregrip
  • Ammunition: 45 Rnd Drum

Lastly, let’s cover a build that falls somewhere in between. This all-rounder CARV 2 Warzone tactical rifle loadout is great for many situations and is sort of a hybrid of the previous builds we’ve covered. Again, start with the Agency Silencer for the reasons listed above. Then, we recommend going with the 20.8” Strike Team for a boost to your fire rate. This will help you secure those mid-range eliminations quickly

After that, go with the Visiontech 2x Optic, so you can clearly see your targets with enough magnification. If this is too much, you can swap over to an Optic with less zoom. After that, we advise sticking with the Field Agent Foregrip, for improved recoil control. And finally, the 45 Rnd Drum is essential with this weapon, as it gives you enough ammo, while preserving mobility and ADS speeds.

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Joseph Yaden

Joseph loves Nintendo and horror games. With the Nintendo Switch, he's ready to get spooky anytime, anywhere. He specializes in covering Call of Duty: Warzone and action RPGs like Dark Souls, so you can bet he's looking forward to Elden Ring, the brainchild of George RR Martin and Hidetaka Miyazaki. You can find Joseph's work at GamesRadar, Digital Trends, Inverse, and PLAY Magazine. When he's not writing about video games he can usually be found petting his cats and listening to some Progressive Metal. He thinks Meshuggah is tight.