Fortnite Assault Rifle Guide
Fortnite offers a wide range of different types of Assault Rifles in the game, which is why it is important to fully understand the way that each one works, and which ones closer fit your play style. For example, the AK-47 remake in the game hits significantly harder than the FAMAS, or SCAR legendary counter-parts, but at the same time, it has significantly more kickback. And, with the implementation of bloom in the game, it makes that the AK-47 significantly harder to use properly.
The newly added Infantry Assault Rifle has been making waves within the Fortnite community, both positive, and negative. While some are complaining that the damage is too lackluster to actually make it a proper rifle, others are saying that you can shoot it so fast that it makes up for the lack of damage. I suppose both sides are right. There’s definitely going to be pros and cons to every gun that they add to the game, and that’s why there’s different guns. Each new gun isn’t supposed to be the “next best gun”. They are added to add variety to the game so that other players can play the way that they want to play. I guarantee you there are people out there that prefer the Infantry Rifle over even the Heavy Assault Rifle.
We strongly recommend you consider all of the variables when deciding which gun will help you make the most out of your Fortnite experience.
Fortnite Scar Assault Rifle
The Scar is Fortnite’s original Assault Rifle, and probably most people’s favorite simply because of the nostalgia it brings. It was there day one, and it’s going to be there on the last day (that’s a long time away). The scar is basically the enhanced version of the regular assault rifle (grey, green, blue). They aren’t overly good at one thing, but are basically the jack-of-all-trades assault rifle. As time has gone on, their value has naturally decreased as Epic has introduced more guns into the line-up, adding many different playstyles. I remember back in the day Epic changed the sound of the SCAR. It’s funny, because now today, no one probably knows that they actually changed the sound of the gun. It sounded like a laser beam almost. So many people were complaining about the new sound. It’s sort of sad, in it’s own way, because as time went on, you slowly forgot the crisp sound it used to provide. Anyway, onto more important things. If you’re going to be using the SCAR, there’s a few things you need to know.
For starters, the SCAR provides one of the faster fire rates in terms of assault rifles. This is incredibly useful for a few different reasons. The main one, is the ability to use the SCAR to destroy builds. Originally, Fortnite’s buildings were way more tanky, which in turn made the ability to shred through buildings significantly more important than it is now. However, if you’re more of an aggressive player, you can still use the SCAR in conjunction with the more modern SMGs that are build shredders. With the ability to spam build, and how decent everyone is on the game at this point, you’re going to need more than just the SMG. This is where the SCAR comes into play. After you’re done burning your SMG clip, you can switch to the SCAR to continue applying pressure. People tend to freak out a little bit when someone’s applying pressure, and don’t give them any time to breathe, or heal up. This is especially important when considering any damage that you’ve already applied to them. SMG -> Scar -> steal their build, and then edit shotty them. Other assault rifles, such as the Heavy Assault Rifle have such a slow fire rate that they struggle to consistently apply pressure through destroying builds.
Body DMG: 35
Head DMG: 70
Magazine: 30
Reload Time: 2.1s
Body DMG: 36
Head DMG: 72
Magazine: 30
Reload Time: 2.1s
At the end of the day, if you find a gold SCAR and have nothing else, you’re going to want to take it. It is still the bread and butter assault rifle in Fortnite, and as mentioned, is a jack-of-all-trades. If you find yourself enjoying the grey, green, and blue assault rifle, you’re going to enjoy using the SCAR. However, if you find that these guns aren’t for you, and want something that packs a little bit more of a punch, I think you’re going to fall in love with the Heavy Assault Rifle. I’m talking to all you aim botters out there!
Fortnite Heavy Assault Rifle
The Heavy Assault Rifle, as you’re going to quickly notice, is a remake of the infamous AK-47 that most every shooter game seems to feature. It is notorious for being a hard-hitting assault rifle, that is incredibly hard to control with the recoil. The same can be said, and be applied to Fortnite. While it packs a punch, the bloom on the weapon is pretty wild. This can be both amazing, and very demoralizing at the same time. Sometimes, you’re going to hit back-to-back headshots for 96 a pop (on a gold Heavy Assault Rifle), and you’re going to crap your pants. Three seconds later, you could hit one 96 headshot, and then miss the next 20 shots. While you may have missed all of your shots, i’m sure a lot of it could be contributed to the bloom.
“COME ON BLOOM!” We’ve all said it, and we’ve all been there. I’ll be watching streams now, two years after the game has been out, and i’ll still hear people say it. If you HATE the bloom mechanic, we highly recommend staying away from the heavy assault rifle. It is only going to tilt you further. The Heavy Assault Rifle tends to be a bit more available than the other guns simply because it’s available in a few different rarities. Blue, Purple, and Gold (unlike the SCAR, that is only Purple, and Gold). Often times, you’re going to see professional players pick up a blue heavy assault rifle over a gold SCAR because if used correctly, it is actually more devastating. It benefits from first-shot-accuracy, so you’re going to want to use this to your advantage. With a headshot from a blue doing 92, you can be a little bit more patient with your shots because when actually hitting them, you’re going to be doing ridiculous damage. That said, if you’re looking for a gun that rewards highly accurate aim, the heavy assault rifle is going to be your best bet.
Body DMG: 44
Head DMG: 88
Magazine: 25
Reload Time: 2.8s
Body DMG: 46
Head DMG: 92
Magazine: 25
Reload Time: 2.7s
Body DMG: 48
Head DMG: 96
Magazine: 25
Reload Time: 2.5s
At the same time, as we mentioned, the bloom on this gun is atrocious. If you’re going to be using the heavy assault rifle, at any rarity, make sure you aren’t spamming it unless you’re standing literally on top of someone hip firing it. If you are spamming at 150 meters, you’re likely not going to hit any shot outside of the first one (because it has first-shot-accuracy). Slow your shots down a little bit, take your time, and if you feel like you have to line them up perfectly, go ahead and do it. It’s going to be hugely beneficial. Just make sure if you’re going to do that, you wait for FSA to actually reset so you’re 100% accurate.
Fortnite Scoped Assault Rifle
To be honest, I think a lot of people are still dumbfounded that the scoped assault rifle is still in the game. I agree with them to a certain extent, but at least it does now serve somewhat of a purpose. Originally, this gun did quite literally zero damage and had atrocious accuracy issues. They have since cleaned the gun up. However, it is still not a very good option and is generally only taken due to the lack of other guns. You’re not going to be running around on the battlefield yelling “WHERE IS MY SCOPED ASSAULT RIFLE?” But rather, “HOW DO I GET RID OF THIS PIECE OF CRAP GUN?”. Okay, maybe that’s slightly harsh, but I think you get the idea.
The biggest use of the scoped assault rifle is very likely going to come from brand new players, that are wanting to have 100% accuracy with their shots. Honestly, that may be why the gun is actually still in the game. The guns are extremely enticing to brand new players simply because they hit every shot you shoot, assuming you’re actually aimed at the opponent. It’d be incredibly infuriating if you start a new game and the game just isn’t allowing you to hit shots because of the bloom mechanic. While most players do in fact get over this, you have to be able to keep them roped in long enough through other means, and that is where the scoped assault rifle comes into play. Additionally, it is mediocre at super long range. You can most definitely do some damage to people but in Fortnite, you’re mostly looking for burst damage as opposed to whittling down your enemies. Who cares if you’re doing 25 dmg a pop if they’re still running around alive? To add to that, they can just stop peaking and then you’re left with a scoped assault rifle in your inventory with no ability to use it close range. If you’re going to wield one, we highly recommend pairing it with something that is a lot more versatile. Perhaps run it in place of your sniper rifle.
Body DMG: 23
Head DMG: 46
Magazine: 20
Reload Time: 2.3s
Body DMG: 24
Head DMG: 48
Magazine: 20
Reload Time: 2.2s
At the end of the day, unless you’re a newer player, you are likely not going to end up running the scoped assault rifle very much. If you’ve watched Tfue, though, you’ll notice that with disgustingly good aim, you can do a fair amount of damage. The issue, though, is that if you put any other gun in its place, it is going to be more effective no matter which way you look at it. The scoped assault rifle is no jack-of-all-trades, and doesn’t even do it’s own job well.
Fortnite Assault Rifle
Next to the Burst Assault Rifle, and the SCAR, this is the original true all-purpose rifle. It is the one that you’re going to see the most of given that it is available in grey, green, and blue rarities. There are actually people that swear by the blue assault rifle even over the SCAR, Heavy Assault Rifle, and the Silenced Assault Rifle. I’m not really sure if it is a placebo effect, or if there’s actually just something special about the blue assault rifle. Perhaps it is the sound? The point is, is that the gun works for people, and it works extremely well. It seems that the bloom on the gun is just super reliable.
With the assault rifle, the scar, and the silenced assault rifle, you’re going to get the same sort of bloom kickback. It’s actually less with the silenced, and the scar simply because they are purple and legendary. However, given that they are of higher rarity, they are not nearly as common as the blue rifle which is why so many people have fallen in love with it (they just have their hands on it more than the others). This assault rifle is going to provide the same sort of feeling to it, with just slightly less damage. The idea is to typically pick these bad boys up and use them to be more aggressive. With the assault rifle, you generally will just spam left click as fast as you can and rely on “good bloom”. You aren’t really going to be using FSA outside of the, hey, first shot, or at a longer range. Additionally, you can use the faster fire-rate on the gun to break down people’s builds and apply more pressure to them. This is extremely beneficial if you’ve already laid down a good chunk of damage down on the player and they’re trying to get a few heals off. In Fortnite especially, it takes awhile to heal so if an assault rifle can lower the time that an enemy player has to feel safe, then it is doing it’s job in our book.
Body DMG: 30
Head DMG: 60
Magazine: 30
Reload Time: 2.3s
Body DMG: 31
Head DMG: 62
Magazine: 30
Reload Time: 2.2s
Body DMG: 33
Head DMG: 66
Magazine: 30
Reload Time: 2.2s
We’re hoping that we never seen the original assault rifle get vaulted, and it honestly shows any signs of getting vaulted. It is quite possibly the most well-balanced gun in the game, and has a place in every Fortnite player’s heart. Unlike that pesky burst assault rifle that has since been removed, you’re going to shred people with this gun, and you’re going to enjoy it.
Fortnite FAMAS Assault Rifle
The FAMAS Assault Rifle is pretty hit or miss with most people. It typically serves one purpose, and that purpose is to slay. That said, the reason most people don’t like like the gun is because it is indeed a burst rifle. Bursts in this sort of game, with bloom, it just doesn’t really feel natural. I think that is why they removed the grey/green/blue burst assault rifle. At this point, they’re likely just clinging onto the burst portion of it because there are many people, such as myself, that like the idea of it even if it’s less than ideal.
The pro to the FAMAS is that you’re capable of one-shotting most players on the battlefield if you hit all headshots. This bad boy pops for 66 dmg a headshot, and you get three shots. Quick math, that’s 198 dmg, 2 off a max health/shield player. That said, though, those don’t occur very often when adding in bloom factor, building factor, your own shot accuracy, and their movement. The potential is there. One of the core issues with rifle, is the lack in ability to actually destroy builds. With one burst shot every few seconds, it’s pretty hard to time when an opponent’s build is going to go down without doing the math in your head previously. If you can’t time when the build is going to go down, you can’t steal the build. When you can’t steal the build, you don’t have easy access to shoot the opposing player. It’s sort of a snowball effect. It’s automatic assault rifle counter-parts are significantly better in this aspect. If you’re going to be using the gun, we recommend that you use it strictly for shooting players. As soon as they start building, you’re going to want to switch to another gun, and that is sort of why we’re left with the gun being sub-par. The largest advantage to the gun doesn’t occur often enough to make this gun truly viable. Perhaps if they ever limit the amount of building materials, the FAMAS assault rifle will break into the scene.
Body DMG: 32
Head DMG: 64
Magazine: 30
Reload Time: 2.5s
Body DMG: 33
Head DMG: 66
Magazine: 30
Reload Time: 2.3s
Long story short, if you’re a lover of burst assault rifles, you’re going to be upset with the FAMAS. The automatic guns are simply better, and I don’t see that changing so long as building is in the game; the game is called Fortnite after all, so i don’t see that happening anytime soon.
Fortnite Infantry Rifle
The infantry rifle is one of the most intriguing rifles that Fortnite has introduced to date. It is available in both green, and blue rarities giving it the option of being more common. At first glance, you’d think it is a sniper rifle. I mean come on, it does look like a sniper rifle; but, no, it is most definitely an assault rifle. One that you’re going to truly enjoy after giving it a little bit of playtime. Just give it a chance…
The infantry rifle hits like a truck. It’s actually the second-hardest hitting assault rifle behind the heavy. That should say a lot, because the scar hits pretty nicely for how quickly it shoots. The biggest pro to this gun, and the reason some may consider it more of a sniper rifle, is the fact that it has no zero drop-off damage. This is HUGE for applying pressure at range. Hit a few shots, jump pad in, and start pressure with your SMG and shotgun. The implementation of this gun hurts the Scoped Assault Rifle more than anything because they basically serve the same role, except this gun does it significantly better. To add to that, there’s an extraordinary lack of bloom as well as a super fast return to FSA. A huge caveat to the infantry rifle, though, is that it has a magazine size of only 8. This is going to basically nullify any build destruction, unless you’re a fan of running SMGs. It may have a place, though, in a build that consists of a SCAR as well. Use the infantry rifle for longer-range engagements, and the SCAR for pushing down builds.
Body DMG: 43
Head DMG: 86
Magazine: 8
Reload Time: 2.4s
Body DMG: 45
Head DMG: 90
Magazine: 8
Reload Time: 2.3s
Initially, the take on the infantry rifle was that it was hot garbage. After the pros, and streamers have given the gun more of a chance, they’re starting to flip the switch. They’re quickly realizing how mobile and nimble this thing allows you to be all while packing a huge punch. If you have spectacular aim, and good mobility, you’re going to truly love the infantry rifle.
Fortnite Thermal Scoped Assault Rifle
The Thermal Scoped Assault Rifle is a gun that more fun than anything. It’s a better version of the scoped, but it still doesn’t really fit in a game such as Fortnite where movement is king. As you’d expect, the thermal portion of the rifle is through the scope. It will light up your targets as heat signatures, making it easier to see, thus making it easier to shoot them. As mentioned, it’s more fun than anything, and as you quickly progress through your Fortnite career, I would be surprised if you continue using it. You’re going to notice, quickly, that the other guns are just simply better.
While it may not be the best assault rifle in the game, it serves a purpose more so than the scoped assault rifle. With the addition of the thermal scope, it significantly reduces the strain on your eyes. In addition, you can most definitely spot players more easily. Too often, you’ll lose people in the thick of the woods, or the terrain. The scope on the assault rifle will allow you to keep pressure on them. It is recommended that this gun be used in conjunction with the other assault rifles, and not on it’s own. If you were to get pushed by someone with let’s say a SCAR, or a Heavy Assault Rifle, you’re never going to be able to duel them with this. This is for strictly poking, and prodding the beast. If you have great aim, you’re going to be able to take advantage of any gun, but more so the scoped assault rifle given that it has 100% accuracy assuming you’re actually on the target when you “pull the trigger”. Use this to your advantage, but as mentioned, make sure you’re pairing this with a load out that can compliment it’s weaknesses (close range).
Body DMG: 36
Head DMG: 72
Magazine: 15
Reload Time: 2.2s
Body DMG: 37
Head DMG: 74
Magazine: 15
Reload Time: 2.1s
Fortnite Suppressed Assault Rifle
The Suppressed Assault Rifle is my personal favorite. I’ll take it over a gold SCAR, or gold Heavy Assault Rifle any day of the week. I think it mostly has to do with the sound of the actual gun itself. It is just so crisp with the shots. I’ve always like the sound of suppressed guns in any games, even if they reduce the the velocity and distance of the gun. Doesn’t matter! Sign me up.
In Fortnite, the suppressed assault rifle has decreased damage with the addition of the silencer. The silencer works magnificently, though. Outside of the silencer, and the reduced damage, the rifle provides the same feel as a SCAR or traditional assault rifle. It shoots very quickly, and has a clip of 30 bullets. As mentioned, it is silenced. A player must be within 45 meters of you to hear the shots from it. That is a fairly large distance in Fortnite, and offers quite a few advantages in itself. On top of that, it’s incredibly annoying being shot over and over while not having any idea of where it is coming from. It’s going to allow you to pop someone a few times, hide behind cover, and they’re never going to know where the shots are coming from. The SCAR has lower overall bloom, but the first few initial shots from the suppressed rifle are actually lower. This means a few different things. You’re easily able to land the first 4-5 shots on an enemy, and from there reset into the initial bloom. This is going to keep you mobile while fighting your opponents which is exactly what you want out of a gun in Fortnite. Any time you can pair stealth, speed, and damage into a gun, you know it is a winner.
Body DMG: 32
Head DMG: 64
Magazine: 30
Reload Time: 2.2s
Body DMG: 33
Head DMG: 66
Magazine: 30
Reload Time: 2.1s
Overall, the suppressed assault rifle is an absolutely phenomenal gun. Make sure you’re taking advantage of all of it’s perks, because if you’re not, you may as well be using a regular assault rifle. The suppression of the gun very likely goes unnoticed until you’re up against it being pelted by lead. You’re going to quickly become frustrated, and wonder where the bullets are coming from. As soon as you find them, you will push tilted out of your mind, and will end up missing all of your shots. The suppression AR strikes again, and you are the victim! Don’t be the victim, be the punisher!