Weapons and kit Assault Rifle vs SMG vs LMG in WARDOGS: Which to Use

Assault rifles, SMGs and LMGs cover most infantry fights in WARDOGS, and each one suits a different job. This guide covers what separates them, when to take each, and the mistakes that cost newer players the most.

Weapon names, prices, weights and unlocks below come from the in-game shop. Treat the exact unlock levels as Season 1 figures, because Season 2 is due to shuffle some of them (see the last section).

The short version

On the XP column, your role is set by what you use during a life: assault rifles feed Assault, SMGs and medical tools feed Medic, and LMGs, shotguns, launchers and build tools feed Support. Your weapon choice decides which track you level, so pick with that in mind.

Assault rifles: the safe default

An assault rifle is the best place to start learning the game. It snaps to a target faster than an LMG position and reaches farther than an SMG. That makes it good for the mid-range lanes into a control zone: compound edges, ridgelines and streets.

Most of the range needs no unlock. The Bushmaster M17S is free but cannot take attachments. The T-21 ($600) and AK74 ($1,600) are sensible first buys. The M4 needs Assault Lvl 20 and the FAL needs Assault Lvl 35.

Why it works: you can fight at several ranges without swapping weapons, and an optic is cheap. The Compact T-2 Red Dot costs $340, and Wardog role Level 4 unlocks it for 5,000.

Common mistakes:

• Buying the FAL early. It costs $6,500 and weighs 4.25 kg, so one death hurts.
• Using a high-magnification optic on a rifle you mostly fight with in streets and buildings.
• Sprinting across open ground to "get closer". A rifle does not make that safe.

SMGs: light, quick and tied to the Medic role

SMGs are the lightest primaries in the game. The AMP-9 weighs 1.4 kg and costs $900 with no unlock. The MP5 needs Medic Lvl 15 and the Super-45 needs Medic Lvl 35. The PP-19 Vityaz needs a $25,000 unlock.

Use an SMG for building interiors, compound fights and anywhere you need to get to a downed teammate quickly. It pairs naturally with the Defibrillator ($1,600, 2.6 kg) or the Medical Bag (Medic Lvl 24). Weight is the main reason to choose it. If you carry revive gear and heals, a 1.4 kg weapon leaves you far more spare capacity than a 7.5 kg one.

One third-party test found every 5.56x45mm rifle hit for 30.82 to the chest with FMJ, and every 9mm SMG for 25.43. That was measured before Season 2, so expect it to move. It does show why SMGs lose long fights: you hit softer and handle fewer ranges.

Common mistakes:

• Taking an SMG into long, open approaches where a rifle outranges you.
• Playing it as a pure slayer and forgetting that your kit exists to keep people alive.
• Ignoring ammunition cost. The shop lists 9x19mm at $10 against $15 for 5.56x45mm, so SMGs are the cheaper habit.

LMGs: slow to set up, strong once planted

The M249 SAW (Support Lvl 15, $3,200) and PKM (Support Lvl 30, $4,500) both weigh 7.5 kg. They are positional weapons. Use an LMG to control a lane from cover, punish repeated peeks and protect revives. The M249 takes STANAG, 100-round and 200-round magazines, while the PKM uses a 100-round box.

The PKM fires 7.62x54mm, which the shop lists at $30 against $15 for the M249's 5.56x45mm. Bipods are worth having: the M249 Bipod is $1,050 (Support Lvl 18) and the PKM Bipod is $1,350 (Support Lvl 33).

A big magazine is not permission to stand in the open and hold the trigger. Pick a position with cover and a clear approach, and let teammates move while you keep heads down.

Common mistakes:

• Running an LMG as a rifle. It is heavy and not built for constant repositioning.
• Setting up where nobody is going to cross.
• Forgetting that Support XP also rewards builds, repairs and launchers, so you can level without only chasing kills.

Which one should you take?

• Learning the maps and the shooting: assault rifle.
• Squadding with a medic-style playstyle, or fighting in buildings: SMG.
• Defending a hill, a bridge or a street with friends nearby: LMG.
• Not sure: start with a rifle and move to a specialist weapon once you know what your team is missing.

Squad nights are a good time to try this. A mix of one rifle, one SMG medic and one LMG covering a lane works well, and it teaches the roles faster than playing alone. You can test combinations in the loadout builder, and the new player guide covers your first sessions.

What Season 2 changes

Season 2 is due on 15 October 2026 as Update 0.2. At the time of writing, BULKHEAD's own preview says only that weapon damage, recoil and suppression are being adjusted to establish clearer roles for different weapon classes. The figures below come from press coverage of the patch notes, so check them against the official notes once live.

• Heavier calibres lose damage. .308 Winchester falls 25%, 7.62x54mmR 20%, 7.62x39mm 19% and .50 caliber 16%. That mostly hits assault rifles, DMRs and LMGs, including the FAL, BMR and PKM. Expect the FAL and PKM to feel weaker than before.
• Body damage becomes more consistent for assault rifles and LMGs.
• Suppression is reworked. Nearby gunfire suppresses harder, with standardised curves per weapon class, less screen shake and rate of fire factored in. That should help LMGs doing their main job. Heavy helmets cut suppression by 30% and Super Heavy helmets by 60%.
• The MP5 gets new recoil behaviour, according to coverage of the patch notes. The new PP-19 Bizon becomes the default Medic weapon and the MP5 moves to an earlier unlock level.
• Each class gets a new gun: the TCX-SPR assault rifle, PP-19 Bizon SMG, M14 DMR and Evo-3 Ultra LMG. Final stats were not public when I checked, so there is no reliable meta yet.

Because of all that, treat any old "best loadout" list as out of date. Our Season 2 guide covers the wider changes, and it is worth testing your rifle, SMG and LMG again on the first day before spending Cash on a new build.