The best AS VAL loadout in Black Ops 6 is the perfect choice for anyone who wants to lie low and stay off the radar. This is because it comes with an integrated suppressor, and while the gun has other trade-offs to account for this and keep it balanced, it basically means you have six attachments.

The AS VAL’s biggest drawback is its magazine size, because it only has 20 bullets before you need to reload. However, if you dedicate one attachment slot to improving that aspect, you can focus the rest of the build on managing the recoil and buffing the damage range, because this is a gun you want to play fairly slowly with, and will undoubtedly be in our best guns list before too long. It goes toe-to-toe with both the XM4 and AMES 85, two assault rifles near the top of the list right now.

Here’s the best AS VAL loadout in Black Ops 6, the best class to use alongside it, and how to unlock the gun.

How to unlock the AS VAL in Black Ops 6

To unlock the AS VAL in Black Ops 6, you must reach level 55. That’s right: The AS VAL is the very final gun you’ll unlock before reaching prestige in Black Ops 6, so you’ve got something of a grind in front of you if you’ve solely got your sights set on using it. Of course, if you do decide to prestige, you’ll lose access to the AS VAL because hitting that rank resets all of your unlocks. So to keep using it, be prepared to sit at level 55 for a while.

Best AS VAL loadout in Black Ops 6

Here is the best AS VAL loadout in Black Ops 6:

First and foremost, the AS VAL isn’t a gun you want to be running around and sliding all over the place with. It fires too slow for that sort of playstyle; instead, you’ll want to move tactically, pre-aiming round corners and using cover to your advantage. It’s a great gun for Search & Destroy for this reason, although it can still be used in respawn modes if needed.

The optical sight you choose is largely personal preference but we’ve found the Accu-Spot Ultra Holo to be the best, as it has more magnification than the red dot sights and you’ll be fighting mostly at mid-long range. Feel free to switch this out for something else, if you’d rather, however the rest of the attachments are more crucial.

All the barrel attachments here are suppressed thanks to the aforementioned in-built suppressor, and the Reinforced Barrel is by far the best choice as it buffs both the damage range and the bullet velocity. The latter isn’t as important in multiplayer as opposed to Warzone because the distances you’ll be fighting at aren’t long enough for it to make a big difference, but the bonus is still helpful. Then the Vertical Foregrip is a huge help for reducing the horizontal recoil, because while the AS VAL isn’t terrible for weapon control, it’s also not the best.

As mentioned, the AS VAL has an incredibly small magazine by default with only 20 bullets in, so we’d suggest equipping either the Extended Mag I or II. We’ve gone for the latter because the cons aren’t too severe if you’re playing slowly — debuffs to the reload, aim down sight, and sprint to fire speeds — but if you do find they hinder you too much, opt for the Extended Mag I. Finally, the Recoil Springs do what they say on the tin: buff the recoil control.

Best AS VAL class in Black Ops 6

Here is the best class to use with the AS VAL in Black Ops 6:

The Grekhova is the best choice for your sidearm because it’s fully automatic and can be reliably switched to whenever you need to deal with enemies up close, while the Knife is nearly always the best melee choice. Then go for the Flashbang, which is by far the strongest tactical grenade in the game right now thanks to how long the blinding effect lasts for. As for a lethal option, you can never go wrong with the ol’ reliable Frag Grenade.

In the Field Upgrade slot, opt for a Spring Mine. As you’re playing slowly, you can use this to protect a path behind you or on the flank, or you can just drop it where enemies will least expect it.( However, if you find yourself dying to grenades often, switch this out for a Trophy System.)

Go for the blue perks to enhance this stealth playstyle: Ghost protects you from enemy UAVs when moving, Tracker allows you to see enemy footprints and aiming at an enemy pings them automatically, while Cold-Blooded prevents you from being targeted by enemy scorestreaks. (This is more effective in respawn-based modes, though, so switch out for Vigilance if you’re playing Search & Destroy.) Even though it’s been nerfed slightly, the Recon specialty that briefly gives you x-ray vision is still very strong.

Finally, rounds out with the Perk Greed wildcard and the Tac Mask. Since you’re not running a Trophy System, however, this can be switched out for Flak Jacket if you’d prefer, or if you are running with a Trophy System, consider either Scavenger or Fast Hands in respawn modes.

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