Battle Rifles in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II are in a weird spot. On the one hand, they’re great for taking out enemies at a medium range, but they lose to SMGs and Assault Rifles at short range and are completely outclassed by Marksman and Sniper Rifles at anything approaching long range. The FTAC Recon is one of the first BRs you’ll unlock and one of the weaker options. You can find success with the right attachments and playstyle adjustments, but know that running and gunning won’t usually be the best choice.

Best FTAC Recon attachments

Our FTAC Recon attachment recommendations are designed to maximize its killing ability while aimed. Firing this weapon from the hip is less than ideal in the best scenarios, and you’ll lose to almost anything else nine out of ten times. We also want to make the weapon lethal at the possible ranges and lower the recoil to make it as easy to control as possible. Be aware that these attachments will make your ADS time laughably slow, so you’ll need to take care not to rush into engagements blindly.

  • Barrel: Bull Rider 16.5″. The bread and butter of the setup, we get recoil control, bullet velocity, damage range, and a bit of hip fire accuracy. While we pay in movement, ADS speed, and hip fire control, we’re not aiming for constant movement here.Optic: Either the DF105 Reflex Sight or the Hybrid Firepoint. In 6v6, most engagements will be at close ranges, and the FTAC Recon can function at medium range with a simple red dot. The Hybrid gives you extra magnification and the ability to swap to a standard sight.Rear Grip: Sakin ZX Grip. We’re using this attachment to offset the Ravage-8’s recoil reduction.Stock: Ravage-8. We lose a little recoil control but gain back some ADS speed with this attachment, and we’ll make up the recoil loss elsewhere.Underbarrel: FTAC Ripper 56. Here we gain both recoil stabilization and idle sway control, with some hip fire accuracy as a bonus. The walking speed reduction is negligible, and we already know our ADS speed is in the trash.

Best FTAC Recon class loadout

While Overkill isn’t strictly necessary to make the FTAC Recon usable, having a close-range option to alleviate its weaknesses is nice.

  • Secondary: The SMG or Shotgun of your choice.Tactical grenade: Either Flash grenades or Shock Sticks. Both give you the ability to either clear rooms or open up more distant foes for an easy kill.Lethal equipment: Claymore or Drill Charge, allowing you to watch your back or remove a particularly annoying camper from behind a wall.Perk Package: Overkill, Bomb Squad, Hardline or Cold-Blooded, Quick-Fix or Ghost. Depending on how you want to play, the stealth perks can be a stronger choice, so try out each combination for what works best for you.Field Upgrade: DDOS or Munitions Crate. You’ll need a way to resupply without access to Scavenger, and the Munitions Crate does just that. DDOS is excellent for checking rooms or earning score.