Assault rifles and LMGs are essential weapons for dominating XDefiant. The assault rifle hits the center point between firepower, magazine size, and mobility, while LMGs sacrifice mobility for hefty magazines and respectable range.
The LMGs and assault rifles in XDefiant are unfortunately not created equal. You need to carefully consider which one you equip to avoid your opponent getting the upper hand on you purely because you chose the weaker gun. This list puts everything into perspective.
XDefiant light machine gun and assault rifle ranking
There are currently five assault rifles and only three LMGs in XDefiant. The two weapon categories are similar enough that it’s fair to rank them against each other, although the pros and cons of taking a heavier or lighter gun into battle are important to keep in mind.
S-Tier XDefiant LMGs and assault rifles
ACR 6.8
The ACR 6.8 is without a doubt the gun you see the most in XDefiant right now. The main advantage of this assault rifle is that there isn’t a range where the ACR isn’t deadly. Its long-range potential is beyond anything else on this list that isn’t an LMG, so you can expect to get hit with more than a few headshots from players who know how to use this gun. Invest some levels into the ACR and you can use it to charge a point or lay down suppressing fire from afar.
A-Tier XDefiant LMGs and assault rifles
AK-47
The AK-47 is comparable to the ACR. The main stat difference is that it sacrifices accuracy in favor of higher firepower. This unfortunately makes it less viable at longer ranges compared to the ACR, but at mid and short ranges, it’s one of the top guns in XDefiant.
M249
XDefiant‘s starter LMG finds the perfect balance between mobility (by LMG standards), firepower, and just enough bullets to never worry about reloading. As the most mobile LMG, this is the easiest one to justify taking into virtually any game mode. The M249 can take points in domination and rip through enemy shields guarding the package in Escort.
B-Tier XDefiant LMGs and assault rifles
LVOA-C
The LVOA-C plays similarly to the M4A1. Its stats are average, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It handles well with decent damage output, but it winds up feeling better than the M4A1 due to a higher rate of fire. Considering the lack of significant ADS recoil when using the LVOA-C, its rate of fire is a big selling point, even if it still gets outclassed by some of the legacy top-tier assault rifles.
M60
The M60 is the slowest-firing LMG of the three currently in XDefiant, but it can shoot longer than any other gun in the game without needing to reload. The purpose of this gun is to plant down somewhere and rain bullets on the enemy team. It’s powerful when you know how to position it, but it’s also situational. Generally, the more run-and-gun the game mode, the less you want to use the M60. In a mode like Escort, this LMG lays down the law.
C-Tier XDefiant LMGs and assault rifles
M16A4
In the right hand, the M16A4 is a troublesome foe. It just isn’t that malleable compared to its competition, though. It has the firepower and control through its three-round burst shooting style to pop enemies from mid-range with ease, but its low accuracy makes it a tedious long-range assault rifle and the three-round burst shooting makes it suboptimal up close. This is a gun if you know how to keep yourself at the ideal range from your targets, but is probably an easy skip if you don’t.
M4A1
XDefiant‘s starter assault rifle, the M4A1, is fine. It’s honestly hard to say anything more. It checks every box for an assault rifle well and doesn’t do anything to stand out. This gun hits for solid damage at just about any range and if you put in the time to level it up, you can keep using it with decent results even when other players move on to the AK-47 and the ACR.
D-Tier XDefiant LMGs and assault rifles
RPK
It feels like Ubisoft made a mistake with the RPK’s stats. This gun wants to be an LMG-assault rifle hybrid with simultaneously the smallest magazine size and most firepower of any gun in its category. Logically, that should also make this the most mobile of any LMG, but it isn’t.
The M249 is both more mobile and more accurate, which leaves the RPK in an awkward position. Sure, it hits the hardest, but the lack of accuracy negates that firepower, and its lower mobility and smaller magazine size only make it that much more redundant in the face of both its LMG competitors.
MDR
Similar to the RPK, the MDR feels like it wants to play two sides and comes out worse for wear as a result. The MDR is an assault rifle that wants to be an SMG, but its primary issue is that it just doesn’t have the firepower. SMGs trade range and magazine size to do high damage to opponents up close.
The MDR certainly can’t kill at any significant distance, but its weaker firepower means it isn’t the favorable choice for close quarters either. Even the M4A1 outclasses its firepower, much less any other worthwhile SMG. You’re better off using any other gun in either category.
