The iconic Kar98k is back inCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, returning as a powerful marksman rifle. This bolt-action rifle can down an opponent with a single well-placed shot. Paired with its great handling stats, the Kar98k is arguably one of MW3’s strongest marksman rifles that can double as a dedicated sniper rifle in Warzone.

Fortunately, making a strong build for the Kar98k is rather straightforward. Throw on your favorite optic, equip some ADS attachments, and you have the ultimate long-range weapon. This guide will cover two of our favorite builds for the Kar98k, one for Multiplayer and another for Warzone.

Multiplayer Kar98k Build

The Kar98k is the perfect weapon for quickscoping in regular Multiplayer, landing easy one-hit kills to the upper torso and above. We focus onADS speedon this build to make it as snappy as possible, although this comes at the cost of range and aiming stability. We first install a low-zoom optic for easy target acquisition. We recommend theCorio Eagleseye 2.5x, but feel free to use any optic.

For ADS speed, we runNo Stockalongside theDR-6 HandstopandBryson Carbine-S Barrel.This lowers the ADS times to just under 300ms. Throw on theSonic Suppressor Lto complete the build. This will somewhat make up for the range penalty on the Bryson barrel.

Loadout Recommendations

Since this weapon is suppressed, you can make great use of theAssassin Vest.This gives you permanent Ghost, even if you remain stationary. We then useCovert Sneakersto muffle our footstep audio,Assault Glovesto reduce midair accuracy deviation, andMag Holsterfor faster reloads. Feel free to replace Mag Holster with any Gear perk of your choosing. For equipment, anything works here. We suggestStimsandThrowing Knivesfor core Multiplayer.

Pros And Cons

SP-X 80 6.6x

The Kar98k is a powerful sniper rifle with the right build,perfect for Warzoneand Ground War. We recommend you runany long-range opticbefore installing any other attachments. We use the SP-X 80 6.6x since it has a clean reticle and zoom options. You’ll also want to useany suppressor.The ideal choice here is theSonic Suppressor L, as it increases the weapon’s range and bullet velocity without penalizing your ADS speed.

Since you’ll be fighting from a distance, range is going to be important. We recommend the7.92 High Grain Roundsto increase your effective range by 15%. They’re quite a bit better than Spire Point Rounds and don’t have any noticeable downsides. We then take theRecon Slingtocut our incoming flinch inhalf.That makes this weapon much easier to use in a gunfight than your average sniper.

We then finish the build by installing theDR-6 Handstop.This improves your mobility and handling at the cost of aim walking steadiness, something this build doesn’t need. It still has a respectable ADS speed of 390ms for quick sniping, and it retains full damage out to 61 meters with hitscan bullets. Few marksman rifles can say the same.

The Kar98k enables a rather aggressive playstyle for snipers, especially if your backup weapon is an SMG or assault rifle. We recommendSleight of Handin the first perk section to greatly reduce the Kar98’s reload speed. You might also want to useMountaineerif you frequently snipe from elevated positions, or you can runFocusfor more flinch mitigation.

We then useCold-Bloodedto prevent High Alert from triggering. Finally, you’re able to run eitherGhost or Birdseye.Both perks are quite powerful and suit different playstyles; it’s ultimately down to preference.