Weapons Guides

Diablo 3 Info (guide)

2012-05-19T12:03:00.002-07:00

Introduction

Diablo III, while featured completely in 3D with a 3D environment, will follow closely in Diablo II's track by using the classic isometric view, fast gameplay, and randomized content for high replayability. Some changes have been made in order to make the game more welcoming to new players, to ramp up the difficulty more smoothly, and to create a "deep and engaging" combat system. The Diablo III developers took inspiration from previous games in the series, as well as World of Warcraft, and other different games such as Zelda and God of War.
Remember that if you're a newcomer to Diablo, you can find more related articles in the Basics Category

Character Classes

Blizzard confirmed that the game would ship with five characters, then introduced them over the first three years of development. They are the Barbarian, Demon Hunter, Monk, Witch Doctor, and Wizard. All five classes will be playable in male or female versions. The gender difference is purely cosmetic; male and female characters have identical stats and abilities.
The classes are very distinct from one another in look and function. All items of armor have a different appearance on each class (there are even some inter-class gender differences, mainly in the chest armor for obvious reasons). The skills are even more different, with around 25 entirely unique active skills for each class. Many of the passive skills were shared between classes during development, but over time they all differentiated as well.
Though all five classes for Diablo III have been revealed, additional classes will be added in the expansions. See the Other classes article for Blizzard quotes on their additional character ideas.

Barbarian
		The Barbarian - The one returning class is still a mighty brawler, but he's gained countless new tricks, with only a few skills returning, and all of them modified in various ways. Barbarian Skills Barbarian passive skills Resource: - Fury
Demon Hunter
		The Demon Hunter - The game's ranged weapon specialist, Demon Hunters are fast-moving archers with devastating offensive capabilities and a wide variety of tactical traps and demonic gadgets. Demon Hunter Skills Demon Hunter passive skills Resource: - Hatred & Discipline
Monk
		The Monk - The follower of a thousand Gods, Monks from Ivgorod are holy warriors. Combining fast-hitting, melee-ranged martial arts with holy magics, auras, and defensive tactics. Monk Skills Monk passive skills Resource: Spirit
Witch Doctor
		The Witch Doctor - A mysterious class from the jungles of Teganze, the Witch Doctor wields a huge array of magical attacks, as well as the ability to mind control enemies and summon up pets to fight alongside him. Witch Doctor Skills Witch Doctor passive skills Resource: Mana
Wizard
		The Wizard - An evolutionary improvement from the Sorcerer and Sorceress seen in previous Diablo titles. Wizards boast an impressive array of offensive spells that are useful for every situation, as well as defensive spells and escape abilities that combine to create this murderous glass cannon. Wizard Skills Wizard passive skills Resource: Arcane Power

Skills

The skills and their presentation evolved greatly during the game's development, with the largest change coming late in the beta test, shortly before release. See the skill tree article for a full history. Characters can use up to six skills at once, and may cycle between them with only minimal cooldowns.
The biggest change from Diablo 2 comes from the runestone system, which enables every skill to be modified into five different forms, most of which are radically different in function from the base skill. This creates a vast number of possible builds, and with the easy respec system, players can try out all of the skills and rune effects, and switch between them as needed.
Each class has around 25 unique skills, which are unlocked at the rate of about one per level, from level 1 until level 30. Each skill has five rune effects which are unlocked every 5 or 6 levels, thus granting at least one and often three of four new abilities to try out every level up until the maximum level 60.
Passive skills are also unique to each class, and starting at level 10, they are unlocked one every few levels, all the way up to level 60. Characters can have up to 3 passive skills active, adding an additional passive skill slot at level 10, 20, and 30.

Skill Tree Respecs/Resets

In Diablo II prior to v1.13, a character was unable to change their skills and stats once they were allocated. If you made any mistake, the only solution was to reroll. This is changed in Diablo III, and characters can change around their skills as desired, with only minimal cooldowns to prevent this being done exploitatively.

Stats/Attributes

The biggest change to Diablo III attributes is their change to an automatically-allocated system. Players can not set their skill points, and instead gain 1 or 2 points in the four attributes with every level up. The Diablo III developers felt the stat allocation in Diablo II was a poor way to provide character customization since players either experimented and "ruined' their character with sub-optimal choices, or else followed a cookie cutter style of build. (This is less of a problem after v1.13 added stat and skill respecs to Diablo II.)
In the early days of Diablo III, an inventory-like game system called the Talisman was stocked with items called charms, which added large bonuses to stats, but that system was shelved during development. Another system to add specific attributes was the enchants provided by the Mystic, but that system and the Mystic were also removed during development. As a result, players can only modify their stats with equipment bonuses, including those from socketed gems.
The names and function of the stats changed several times during development as well. (See the attributes article for details.) Ironically, after experimentation with up to five attributes, including a system where each attribute granted more or less identical bonuses to each class, the developers returned to the classic four attributes of Strength, Vitality, Dexterity, and Intelligence. The bonuses provided by these four differ considerably from their Diablo II form.

Skill Runes

Hydra runestone effects.

Another system that underwent numerous changes during development; skill runes were items for most of Diablo III's development. These runes were small objects that were placed in skills, each of which had one socket. Once seated, the runestones changed the function of the skills, always improving them, in five different ways. Those runestones were called crimson, alabaster, indigo, golden, and obsidian.
Though the skill rune effects remained, the item-based runestone system was entirely removed during the beta, and replaced with a system where all of the rune effects are built into skills. They are thus part of the interface, and are "unlocked" one at a time, usually around 5-9 levels apart. Thus a base skill such as the Demon Hunter's Vault is unlocked at level 12, and the rune effects become available one at a time at levels 23, 31, 40, 48, and 53. (Figures subject to yet further change.)

Monsters

The Siegebreaker.

Diablo III has a great array of monsters, which can employ more intelligent behaviour to force players to use strategy during combat. In addition to the random boss encounters the series has made great use of, Diablo III adds numerous "mini-boss" encounters that make for more epic gameplay; an example is the scripted appearance of the Thousand Pounder as seen in the WWI 2008 gameplay movie.
The scale of monsters is greatly increased in Diablo III; demons like the Siegebreaker are not uncommon, and appear in sizes unimagined in previous games in the series.

The Monsters Article has much more information on the dozens of known monsters.
Monster bosses are much improved and varied in Diablo III.
- Boss modifiers are new and improved as well, and there are many new and dangerous properties.

Death

Death is less of an obstacle to success in Diablo III than in previous games in the series. Dead players in Diablo III do not lose equipment or gold. They must wait a mere few seconds before waiting to be resurrected by another player in their party or restarting at the last checkpoint (not waypoint) they passed over. In addition, a player will lose a set percentage of their durability upon death (currently 10%) which will need to be repaired either at the Blacksmith or an appropriate vendor.
Hardcore mode is an option in the game, and as in Diablo II, dead HC characters stay dead forever. This will not be the case in the Arena, where Hardcore players will be able to duel as much as they like, without having to create softcore characters just to enjoy the arena fully.
One planned feature that didn't make it into the game were specially gruesome player fatalities, which some bosses were to have the ability to inflict when they killed players.

Difficulty Levels

There are four difficulty levels in Diablo III, Normal, Nightmare, Hell, and Inferno. Each difficulty level repeats the same game content, but with monsters, items, and everything else increased in level to keep scaling up the challenge. Normal is designed to be fairly easy, especially early on, to usher new players into the game and teach them the ropes without too much challenge. Difficulty starts to increase in Nightmare and Hell, and characters should max out at level 60 around the end of Hell. This controversial design choice removes the grinding to max level play system seen in Diablo and Diablo II.
Inferno is where the developers are planning to make things really interesting, with the entire difficulty level vastly harder than Hell, and all balanced to a largely "flat" curve. This should allow players to find challenging and rewarding end game content anywhere in the game, rather than forcing players to run the same few end bosses over and over again, as was the case in Diablo II.

End Game

Diablo III was designed with the end game in mind. The entire Inferno difficulty level is meant as one big PvE end game, with a flat difficulty curve opening up the entire game to high level play. The developers have also considered various systems to reward players for playing normal areas, rather than simply "running" the same few bosses over and over again.
While Inferno is meant to be quite challenging, and best played in co-op parties, nothing in Diablo III is being designed to require parties, such as the raid content seen in WoW. Other end game goodies include special Achievements, crafting recipes and items found only in Inferno, and the possible addition of additional high-end content via patches.
As Diablo III will *not* launch with any form of PvP, the long-anticipated Arena will not serve as an end game activity.

Items

Barbarian swinging two magical axes.

Armor and weapons function much as they did in previous games in the series. Players find low level gear early on, and one of the major goals/enjoyments of playing is to find better quality gear and thus improve your character's performance. One big change to the appearance of armor is the elimination of exception and elite versions of gear. Unlike in Diablo II, Diablo III characters will not find the exact same looking armor repeated on each difficulty level. Instead there are 18 "tiers" of armor, organized into something the developers call gear sets.
Each gear set has a distinctive, organized look, and thus a character wearing all (or most) of say, gear set 14, would have a cohesive, coherent appearance as the items would match each other. The developers have released numerous screenshots of the classes in complete gear sets, and they are stylish indeed. It's less clear, in advance of playing the higher levels, just how often (if ever) a character will have most or all of the same gear set on, or if characters will always be clad in a mixture of different level equipment.
Item quality is similar to that of Diablo II, with item scarcity progressing normal > magical > rare > set > legendary (the new name for unique items). There should be more mixing and matching at the highest levels, with rare, set, and legendary items of approximately-equivalent quality, depending on the random mods they spawn with.
As there are no runes to socket into equipment, there are no runeword items, at least in D3v.

Item Crafting

Crafting returns in Diablo III, in a major game system that combines elements of the item crafting and item gambling systems from Diablo II. Players use the Blacksmith NPC Artisan to create semi-random weapons and armor, including (eventually) set items and legendary items. Each crafted item requires gold and materials, and crafted items all have some pre-set and some random mods, making the item creation a gamble that player may wish to repeat many times, in hopes of spawning an item with better modifiers.
The Blacksmith must first know the recipe to create the item, and these are taught to the Artisans by training them to higher levels, as well as by finding crafting plans, including rare ones, as drops from monsters and chests.

Armor and Weapon Types

Armor: helms, shields, chest armor, gloves, boots, rings, amulets, and belts return. Belts are now just another piece of armor; they do not have any special potion-holding function.
- New armor types: Shoulders, bracers, and pants.
- New class-specific armor types: Mighty Belts for the Barbarian; Cloaks for the Demon Hunter; Spirit Stones (helms) for the Monk; Voodoo Masks for the Witch Doctor, and Wizard Hats for the Wizard.

Weapons: Axes, Spears, Polearms, Swords, Maces, Bows, Crossbows, Wands, Shields. (There are no throwing weapons in D3v, and many of these weapon types have class limitations -- Monks can not use bows/xbows, only Wizards and Witch Doctors can use wands, etc. See the individual items pages for full details.)
- New types of weapons: Fists, Daggers (no longer a type of sword).
- New class-specific weapons: Mighty Weapons for Barbarians; Hand Crossbows for the Demon Hunter, Daibos and Fists for the Monk, and Ceremonial Knives for the Witch Doctor.
  - Class specific weapons, off-hand only: Mojos for the Witch Doctor, Orbs for the Wizard, Quivers for the Demon Hunter.

Other Items Information

Runes are no longer found in Diablo III. They were never item socketables, but were socketed into skills, until a major system overhaul in early 2012.
The inventory is much larger than it was in Diablo II, and after numerous permutations, it's settled on a large grid with all items either 1x1 or 1x2 in size.
The stash in town is large (though it shrunk from 5 to 3 pages during beta testing), and is shared between all characters on the same account. (But not HC and normal characters.)
All gold and item drops from monsters, chests, quests, etc, are specific to your character. You only see items you can pick up, and do not see items for other characters, nor do they see yours.
- Items dropped by a character are seen by all.
Trading is supported, both between characters and in a much larger way through the Battle.net Auction House, which has two version, the gold and the real money version.
Potions are much less common than in previous Diablo games. There are no mana or rejuvenation potions, just health, and they come with a long cooldown between uses. Potions are intended for emergency use only, and players must learn to survive with life leech, hit point regeneration from equipment, and by using the health globes that monsters drop. Successful players must be a bit more cautious than they were in previous games of the series.

NPCs

Cain

As in previous games in the series, NPCs will feature importantly in Diablo III. Much of the game story will be given by the NPCs, and they will be more interactive, while their speeches will be shorter, more to the point, and can be listened to while playing; you are no longer forced to "stay awhile" to "listen."
Followers: Diablo III's answer to mercenaries from D2, the followers will have their own skillset and inventory that the player can customize.
Artisans: Are special NPCs who craft items and provide other essential services, as well as much dialogue and information about the game world and quests. They are the Blacksmith and Jeweler, after the Mystic was removed during beta testing.

Locations

Sanctuary world map, with locations noted.

The world map of Sanctuary was actually released with the second Diablo game's manual, but a new and improved map has been made by Blizzard, outlining the continents and the major settlements. Many of these locations will be visited in Diablo III, including Tristram. Areas close by that were never visited in the previous games will also have a chance, like the Leoric Highlands and Westmarch, and it's known that much of Act Three takes place in the Barbarian Lands around the Arreat Crater. The scorching deserts of the Aranoch will be revisited by the player when they have the opportunity to visit one of the largest capital cities in Sanctuary: Caldeum. The player will also explore the depths of the Archives of Zoltun Kulle, ex-horadric mage.
We have been shown detailed pictures of Skovos (the land of the Amazons), as well as Caldeum and Tristram. Skovos is confirmed to be excluded from the game, but the level of detail they are putting into the universe suggests either a big expansion pack, MMOs, or a film. Ureh is another area that has been shown off by the development team (and was showcased in the original cinematic trailer) which will not be in the release version of Diablo III.
Outdoor areas will be less randomized than dungeons, and the terrain will for the most part be static. Instead, a lot of random scripted events will take place, and some will even be really advanced. They can vary from an escort quest, to a moldy tome, or a big, bad boss monster. You will also find interactive environments with dangerous traps, obstacles, and destructible elements. There will be "numerous" outdoor locations. These portions of the map that are randomised are called events, and can even happen within randomised dungeons.

Dungeons

The land is filled with dungeons, as in Diablo II. Dungeons vary widely in size and design, and are promised to offer better randomization and variety than they did in Diablo II. Perhaps more critically, the development team has also stated that there will be many more varieties of dungeons than what was seen in Diablo II.

Diablo 3 Weapons Guide

2012-05-19T12:01:00.002-07:00

Stats

Hovering over a weapon shows its stats compared to what you currently have equipped.

The weapon hover-over now includes more precise damage and attack rate values, and currently displays the following stats for any given weapon:

Weapon Name
Weapon Icon
Weapon Type
Damage Per Second
Attacks Per Second, or APS
Damage [low-high]
(List of properties)
Sell Value

Damage Per Second Display

Weapons in Diablo III show their min-max damage, as well as a DPS (Damage Per Second) display. This figure is just the weapon damage / attack rate; it doesn't actually factor in your character's stats or other equipment damage bonuses, or attack rate increases, etc. You need to equip the item and look at the Character window for that.
Diablo III will not include a DPS display on the screen or the character window, that calculates a running, up to the second, damage output. Bashiok confirmed this in a forum post in August, 2010, when replying to a question about DPS displays in WoW. [1]

There are no DPS charts in World of Warcraft.
People have though created add-ons which attempt to compare the DPS of each player, as well as healing output, absorption, etc. These aren’t included in the game, nor are they supported. Personally I think they can be useful to a point, but are abused by people who don’t know how to use and read them properly, and are too commonly relied on as a means to judge the performance of others.
In any case, Diablo III doesn’t provide customizable UI through add-ons, and we have no intent to provide DPS charts.

Weapon Types

The following weapon types have been confirmed as returning in Diablo III. These weapons were seen in gameplay movies, during play demos at Blizzcon, or were mentioned by Blizzard employees. [2]

Axes -- One-handed and two-handed versions.
Bows -- Not seen since the 2008 WWI gameplay movie.
Ceremonial Knives --
Crossbows -- Used by the fifth class, the Demon Hunter
Daggers -- A wand-like mage weapon, distinct from swords in Diablo 3.
Daibos --
Fist Weapons -- Fist weapons are used by Monks for hand-to-hand combat, and can be dual-wielded. They are similar to the Assassin claws from Diablo 2.

Barbarians with various weapons.

Hand Crossbows --
Maces -- One-handed and larger two-handed types are available.
Mighty Weapons -- Weapon of massive size and unexpected balance, only usable by the Barbarian.
Orbs -- A Wizard-only item that's held in the off-hand. Not used for blocking; just bonus properties.
Polearms -- Large two-handed weapons. Barbarian only?
Shields -- Probably not a weapon in Diablo 3, since no character attacks are known to use them.
Staves -- Short staves are like larger wands, and can be held one-handed by spell-casters. Longer staves are Monk weapons.
Spears -- Barbarians only?
Swords -- One-handed and two-handed have been seen. Some classes can not use 2H swords.
Throwing Weapons -- Not yet confirmed. Possibly they will return in an expansion?
Wands -- Wizards and Witch Doctors only.

Class-Specific Weapons

Diablo III has some class-specific weapons (fists and orbs at least), and many other weapons are class-restricted; usable by some classes, but not by others. Most light, Caster Weapons can not be used by the combat classes, and many of the heavier combat weapons can not be used by the mage classes.
See the Class-Specific Weapons page for full details and explanations from the developers.

Dual Wielding

Dual wielding returns in Diablo III, in limited fashion.
The Barbarian is able to dual-wield virtually every one-handed weapon he can equip. (Though there are a lot of one-handed weapons he can't use; such as wands and short staves that the spell-casters use.) The Barbarian can not, however, dual wield two-handed swords, or use them with a shield as well, in Diablo III.

Barbarians dual wielding.

The Monk can also dual wield, but only with his class-specific fist weapons. It was initially said that he would have He will supposedly have a few skills that can only be used while wielding fist weapons.
The Wizard and Witch Doctor can not dual wield weapons, though the Wizard at least has the option of wielding a weapon in one hand and an orb (rather than a shield) in the other. Orbs offer offensive bonuses, almost like a second wand or other caster weapon, rather than the defensive bonuses or blocking that a shield provides.
The Demon Hunter can not dual wield melee weapons, but she can dual wield her class-restricted pistol crossbows. All other bows and crossbows are two-handed.

Dual Wielding Skills and Traits

There are no known skills that can only be used while dual wielding.
There is a trait, Frenzied Attacks that both the Barbarian and the Monk can enable. It provides them with (slightly different) critical hit bonuses while dual wielding.

Blizzard on Dual Wielding

Bashiok spoke about the theory behind dual-wielding, vs. using a sword/shield or a two-handed weapon, in early September, 2010. [3]

The general philosophy and intent for the differences between the three main melee types is to make them all viable, but with obvious trade offs. For dual-wield versus two-hander, it’s currently balanced so that it’s essentially an aesthetic choice. If you think it looks cool to run around with a big two-hander, do it, if you get two awesome one-handers, then use those. Obviously that comes down to tuning affixes and such as it’s one item versus two, but that’s the intent and how it is balanced and works in the game right now. Compared to using a shield it should be viable either way, but you’re obviously gaining some survivability with a shield. The drop in damage output should be accurately offset with a better chance to live, ability to take some greater risks, etc.

Durability

Durability is a feature of items in Diablo III, though it was not in the game during much of the development cycle. Eventually the D3 Team decided that repair costs were too useful a gold sink to leave out of the game entirely. Nothing is yet known about repair costs or how frequently they will be required.

Binding Weapons

The issue of weapons that "bind" or stick to a given character, is a contentious one. No items in Diablo II were BoE (Bind on Equip), BoP (Bind on Pickup), or BoA (Bind on Account). There are plans for items in Diablo III to be Bind on Equip (either to a character or to an account), since this has the effect of removing those items from the economy. Once a player equips such an item, it can be removed from that character and sold or salvaged, but it can not be given or traded to another character.
Jay Wilson spoke about the current binding weapon plans as of August 2009. [4]

Jay Wilson: We have no “Soulbound” or bind-on-pickup, except for quest items. We do have bind-on-equip for the highest end items in the game. We targeted, roughly, any item above level 85. These we will do as bind-on-equip. The reason for this is that we want people to be able to trade them, but we also want to remove the high-end items from the economy. One of the greatest ways that you can do that is with bind-on-equip.

What we don’t want is to have a situation where you find something on the ground like, “Oh, man. This would be a perfect weapon for my Monk. Oh, but I just picked it up and now it’s on the wrong character.” We don’t want that at all. Most of our focus on Diablo is as a trading game. So, if you take trading out of the item space, you ruin the core of the game. Finding a really great item that is not for you is still a great event because it means you have a bartering tool to get the item that you do want. We definitely want to make sure that that still exists.

Weapon Visualization

Red glowing axes.

The Diablo III artists are endeavoring to make the items look as consistent as possible between their appearance on the ground, in the inventory, and when equipped on the character. Not all effects can come through; flaming weapons don't show their flames in the inventory, but when equipped in the game they should glow, burn, shimmer with ice, crawl with bugs, and other appropriate visual effects.
It's not yet known what all the visual effects signify; some are fairly obvious, with the color-coded damage types, but players will need more experience to recognize the type of damage or enchantment an item packs purely by its in-game visual appearance.
Weapons get their color and style from their design and enchantment, not from dyes, which can only be applied to armor.

Weapons Look Like Weapons

The appearance of armor in Diablo III varies by the character wearing it; the same chest piece will look very different depending on which class equips it. This is not the case with armor though, as @Diablo stressed in November 2010.[5]

Armor is going to be custom-designed to suit the visual style of character wearing it. Is this going to be the case for weapons too? --Equestrionaire

No, weapons are set no matter who’s holding them. --Diablo

Weapons Guide (Ghost Recon: Future Soldier)

2012-05-19T11:59:00.003-07:00

Submachine Guns

Brügger & Thomet MP9

The B&T MP9 appears as "MP9" in the game.

B&T MP9 - 9x19mm

CZ SCORPION EVO 3 A1

The CZ SCORPION EVO 3 A1 appears as "Skorpion" in the game. Used by Team Bodark.

CZ SCORPION EVO 3 A1 - 9x19mm

Weapon selection view.

FN P90 TR

The FN P90 TR is one of the Ghosts' submachine guns. Appears simply as "P90".

FN P90 TR - 5.7x28mm

Weapon selection view.

Heckler & Koch MP7A1

The H&K MP7A1 is used by a Ghost Operative codenamed "30K". It can also be seen in the E3 2011 trailer on the back of a Ghost sniper.

Heckler & Koch MP7A1 - 4.7x30mm

30K with his MP7A1.

The MP7A1 during weapon selection. The folding foregrip was replaced with a rail system, as in Warface.

Izhmash PP-19 Bizon-2

The 9x18mm Izhmash PP-19 Bizon-2 appears with a side-folding stock. The gun is fitted with back-up iron sights by default, even though the iron sights are also present unaltered. Referred to as "PP19".

PP-19 Bizon-2 with side-folding stock in folded position - 9x18mm Makarov

Weapon selection view.

PP-2000

The PP-2000 is used by Team Bodark in the MP part of the game.

KBP Instrument Design Bureau PP-2000 - 9x19mm

Weapon selection view.

QCQ-05

The QCQ-05 appears as "Type05" in the game.

QCQ-05 - 5.8x21mm

TDI Vector

The TDI Vector submachine gun is one of the usable submachine guns in the game. It is seen used by Ghosts, most notably 30K, in various screenshots and gameplay videos.

TDI Vector - .45 ACP

Weapon selection view.

30K (background, left) holds a Vector.

Suppressed TDI Vector on the player's character's back as seen in a CO-OP gameplay video.

Assault Rifles and Battle Rifles

5,56A-91

The 5,56A-91 appears as "A-91" in the game. This designation is incorrect, as it refers to the 7.62x39mm version.

5,56A-91 - 5.56x45mm NATO

Weapon Selection view. Note the 5.56x45mm magazine.

AK-47

AK-47s were used by Russian Ultranationalists in the trailer.

Type III AK-47 - 7.62x39mm

A soldier holds the AK-47 in the very first live-action trailer.

AK-200

The AK-200 (prototype version of the AK-12 rifle) appears as "AK-200" in the game, fitted with a Tapco folding stock. It is depicted with the newly designed 60 round magazine, however the model simply uses a 30 round Tapco magazine which has been bulged out to resemble the profile of the 60 round magazine.

AK-200 - 7.62x39mm (Photoshopped image of an AK-103)

Weapon Selection view of the AK-200 fitted with a Tapco folding stock.

The Ghost operative aims his AK-200 fitted with a Kobra RDS and magnifier. Note "60" on the HUD.

The same AK-200 from a different angle showing the X26 Taser attachment. The X26 was later replaced with the X3 Taser.

AKM

The AKM is one of the two pre-order bonus weapons (other being the Mk 14 Mod 0 EBR). It is incorrectly listed as the "AK47". It features a RIS handguard, short barrel, folding sights, custom flash hider, and side-folding stock (fixed also available).

AKM - 7.62x39mm

AKMSU

A guard is seen with an AKMSU in the Nigeria mission walkthrough. Mistakenly called "AKS-74U" in the game. Remains to be seen what caliber it uses despite the model having the 7.62mm magazine.

AKMSU with RIS handguard- 7.62x39mm

Weapon selection view.

A Ghost surprises a guard from behind.

AN-94 "Abakan"

The AN-94 can be seen in the E3 2010 gameplay demo. It is used by Russian Ultranationalists. In MP, it is used by Team Bodark.

Izhmash AN-94 - 5.45x39mm

Weapon Selection view of the AN-94 fitted with Kobra red dot sight and unknown magnifier. Also note the under-barrel rail system.

CZ 805 BREN

CZ 805 BREN A1 - 5.56x45mm NATO

DS Arms SA58 OSW

The DS Arms SA58 OSW is seen in the Guerilla Mode trailer. In MP, it is used by Team Bodark.

DS Arms SA58 OSW - 7.62x51mm NATO

Weapon selection view.

Enfield L22A1

The Enfield L22A1 can be seen during weapon selection. It is mislabelled as the "L22A2", possibly in reference to the fact that it is an improved version of the weapon featuring a MIL-STD-1913 sight rail, slightly lengthened barrel and handguard, and a Noveske style flash hider.

L22A1 - 5.56x45mm

Weapon Selection view.

FN F2000 Tactical

The FN F2000 Tactical is known as "F2000" in the game.

FN F2000 Tactical - 5.56x45mm NATO

FN SCAR-H

The FN SCAR-H features a sliding stock and is classified as a "PDR" in the game.

FN SCAR-H - 7.62x51mm NATO

Heckler & Koch HK417

The H&K HK417 appears as "417" in the game. It is one of the assault rifles used by the Ghosts in multiplayer.

Heckler & Koch HK417 - 7.62x51mm NATO

Weapon Selection view.

Exposed view showing the customizable parts of the rifle.

IWI Tavor TAR-21

The TAR-21 is one of the Ghosts' assault rifles in MP. Just like the L22A1 and M1014, it features a full-length rail on top. This version of the TAR-21 was recently introduced by IWI.

IWI Tavor TAR-21 with flat top - 5.56x45mm NATO

Weapon Selection view.

Magpul PDR-C

The Magpul PDR-C is one of the usable assault rifles in MP. Classified as a "Personal Defense Rifle" - what PDR actually stands for in the gun's name.

Magpul PDR-C - 5.56x45mm NATO

Weapon Selection view.

Mk 14 Mod 0 Enhanced Battle Rifle

The Mk 14 Mod 0 EBR is one of the two pre-order bonus weapons for the PS3 and X360 platforms.

Mk 14 Mod 0 EBR - 7.62x51mm NATO

"OCP-11"

Unidentified PDW used by Team Bodark.

Patriot Ordnance PDW

Called the "Goblin" ingame, the Patriot Ordnance PDW appears under the "PDR" class for the Ghosts.

Patriot Ordnance PDW - 5.56x45mm NATO

Weapon Selection view. Save the Aimpoint Micro T1 and side rail covers, note the exacting likeness of the ingame render to its real-world inspiration.

Remington ACR

The Remington ACR can be seen in the E3 2011 presentation. It is also used by Kozak during the Africa mission.

Remington ACR-E with 10.5" barrel, tan finish, Magpul PMag - 5.56x45mm NATO

Remington ACR with tan finish, 5-sided handguard, Magpul AFG (Angled Fore Grip), LAM, custom flash hider, folding stock and taped magazines.

ACR exposed showing the insane customization options available such as stock, magazine, barrel, gas system, side rails, top rails, trigger group and many more. Note ACOG/RMR sight.

Weapon Selection view.

The player's character tests the ACR in the "firing range".

Kozak holds his ACR.

SR-3M Vikhr

The SR-3M Vikhr appears as "SR-3M" and is classified as a "Personal Defense Rifle".

SR-3M Vikhr - 9x39mm

Weapon Selection view.

Sniper Rifles

Knight's Armament Company Revolver Rifle

The KAC Revolver Rifle is known as "SRR" in the game, and features a suppressor by default.

Knight's Armament Company Revolver Rifle - .30 Caliber

Weapon Selection view.

Knight's Armament Company XM110 SASS

The XM110 appears in the game as the "M110". This variant is distinguishable from the officially adopted M110 by the lack of a length-adjustable buttstock, a feature added during the rifle's transition from XM110 to M110.

M110 SASS with Harris bipod, Leupold Mark 4 scope, and tan paint scheme - 7.62x51mm NATO. The XM110 lacked the length-adjustable buttstock.

Weapon Selection view.

A Ghost holds the XM110.

KSVK 12.7

The KSVK 12.7 heavy sniper rifle is used by Team Bodark in MP.

Degtyarev KSVK 12.7 - 12.7x108mm

Weapon Selection view.

Mosin Nagant M91/30

The Mosin Nagant M91/30 appears as "MN91/30".

Mosin Nagant M91/30 - 7.62x54mm R

PSL-54C

The PSL-54C's model features a RIS handguard, longer barrel with flash hider, different front sight, and the default stock is similar to the folding stock of the SVDS. (Fixed stock found on the newer SVD rifles is also selectable.) Strangely, the magazine lacks the "X" shaped stamping.

PSL-54C - 7.62x54mm R

Weapon selection view.

Remington M40A5

The M40A5 is another usable weapon in the game.

M40A5 - 7.62x51mm NATO

Remington MSR

The Remington MSR (Modular Sniper Rifle) can be seen for a few seconds during weapon selection. One of the Ghost Operatives can be seen using it in the latest trailer.

Remington MSR with Leupold Mark 4 scope and AAC Titan suppressor - .338 Lapua Magnum

Remington MSR with 20" barrel and olive finish during weapon selection.

A Remington MSR on the player's character's back.

VSS Vintorez

The VSS Vintorez appears as "VSS" in the game.

VSS Vintorez with PSO-1 scope - 9x39mm

Weapon Selection view. Note the AS Val buttstock. Also note 10-round capacity despite being modeled with the SR-3's 20-rounder.

Shotguns

Benelli M4 Super 90

The Benelli M4 Super 90 appears as "M1014" in the game.

Benelli M4 Super 90 - 12 Gauge

Weapon selection view.

Benelli M4 Super 90 (Weapon Attachment)

Fictional, shortened version of the Benelli M4 Super 90 can be mounted on the assault rifles as an under-barrel attachment.

Benelli M4 Super 90 - 12 Gauge

Underbarrel shotgun attachment during weapon selection.

Izhmash Saiga-12K

The Saiga-12K is another usable shotgun of Team Bodark. Capable of fully-automatic fire.

Saiga-12K - 12 Gauge

Weapon Selection view.

"M12"

The Ghosts' "M12" fully-automatic shotgun appears to be based on the Jackhammer, noted by its distinguishing pistol grip and trigger guard. The gun is modified with a railed top and handguard, simplified muzzle break, and redesigned butt-stock. Feeds from 8-round box magazines, to balance it out with Team Bodark's Saiga-12K.

Pancor Jackhammer - 12 Gauge

Weapon Selection view.

Mossberg 590A1

The Mossberg 590A1 with top-folding wire stock and heat-shield can be seen during weapon selection.

Mossberg 590A1 with M4-style stock - 12 Gauge

Weapon selection view.

MTs255 Tactical

The MTs255 Tactical appears as "MTs-255" in the game.

MTs255 Tactical - 12 Gauge

Weapon Selection view.

RMB-93

The RMB-93 is another usable shotgun.

RMB-93 - 12 Gauge

Weapon Selection view.

Machine Guns

FN MK 48 Mod 0

An FN MK 48 Mod 0 as a usable weapon can be seen in the multiplayer trailer. As in every GR game, it is fitted with the stock of an M249 Paratrooper.

FN MK 48 Mod 0 - 7.62x51mm NATO

Weapon Selection view of an MK 48 Mod 0 fitted with Magpul AFG, long barrel, Holographic sigh + magnifier, and incendiary ammo pack.

A Ghost fires his MK 48 Mod 0 machine gun.

LSAT Light Machine Gun

The developmental LSAT (Lightweight Small Arms Technologies) Light Machine Gun is usable by the Ghosts in the MP.

AAI Corporation LSAT Light Machine Gun with bipod and front and rear sights removed - 5.56x45mm Caseless

Weapon Selection view.

MK 43 Mod 0

The Mk 43 Mod 0 machine gun can be unlocked through uPlay. Referred to simply as "M60" ingame.

MK 43 Mod 0 - 7.62x51mm NATO

Weapon Selection view.

Norinco QBB-95

The Norinco QBB-95 is one of Team Bodark's machine guns. Known as "Type 95".

QBB-95 - 5.8x42mm

Weapon selection view.

Knight's Armament Company LMG

The KAC LMG appears in the game as the "Stoner 96". It is one of the Ghosts' machine guns.

Knight's Armament Company LMG - 5.56x45mm NATO

Weapon Selection view.

PKP Pecheneg

The PKP Pecheneg appears as "PKP" and is one of the Team Bodark's machine guns.

PKP Pecheneg - 7.62x54mm R

Weapon Selection view.

RPK

The RPK is unlockable through uPlay.

RPK - 7.62x39mm

Weapon Selection view.

STK Ultimax 100 Mk 5

The ST Kinetics Ultimax 100 Mk 5 appears as "Ultimax Mk.5" and is one of the Team Bodark's machine guns.

Ultimax 100 Mk5 Squad Automatic Weapon - 5.56x45mm

Weapon Selection view.

Launchers

Brügger & Thomet GL-06

The Brügger & Thomet GL-06 appears as "Gl06" and can fire smoke, EMP, and frag grenades.

B&T GL-06 - 40x46mm

Weapon selection view.

CZ 805 G1

The CZ 805 G1 is the under-barrel launcher used by Bodark in the MP.

CZ 805 G1 Stand-Alone - 40x46mm

Weapon selection view.

FN 40GL

The FN 40GL (Mk 13) appears as "Mk40GL" and can fire smoke, EMP, and frag grenades. It is a secondary weapon, used by the Scout class. Also available as an under-barrel attachment for assault rifles.

FN MK 13 (EGLM) in Standalone configuration - 40x46mm

Weapon selection view.

40GL under-barrel attachment

Emplaced Weapons

M134 Minigun

The M134 Minigun can be seen as an emplaced weapon and also mounted on Ghost Drones.

M134 - 7.62x51mm

Mounted Minigun used by an Ultranationalist soldier.

An M134 mounted on a Drone. Note the Ghost holding the MR-B Assault Rifle.

Grenades and Deployables

AN/M14 Incendiary Grenade

The AN/M14 incendiary grenade appears as "Incendiary".

AN/M14 incendiary grenade

Weapon selection view.

Flashbang

Flashbang grenade of unknown make.

Weapon selection view.

M18 Smoke Grenade

The M18 smoke grenade appears as "Smoke".

M18 smoke grenade

Weapon selection view.

M18A1 Claymore

The M18A1 Claymore is unlockable for the Scout class.

M18A1 Claymore anti-personnel mine

Weapon selection view.

M67 Hand Grenade

The M67 hand grenade appears as "Frag".

M67 High-Explosive Fragmentation hand grenade

Weapon selection view.

Taser Shockwave

The Shockwave is a less-lethal perimeter defense system by Taser International. Following the video game tradition, it is triggered by enemy movement - the real Shockwave is remotely operated.

Weapon selection view.

Other Weapons

This section lists the guns seen in the first live-action trailer.

Barrett M107

Fired by a Ghost Recon operative codenamed Pepper to kill Ivan Illitch Kerenski in the trailer. It might be some futuristic version of the Barrett M107 because the magazine looks too small.

Barrett M107 - .50 BMG

Pepper with the Barrett.

Pepper prepares to fire the M107.

Close-up of the trigger.

View through the hi-tech scope of the M107.

Heckler & Koch MP5A2

The operatives at the Russian Special Forces headquarters have MP5A2s.

Heckler & Koch MP5A4 - 9x19mm

Mossberg 500 Cruiser

A Mossberg 500 Cruiser can be seen holstered on the back of a Ghost Recon Operative codenamed Kozak in the first live-action trailer.

Mossberg 500 Cruiser - 12 Gauge

Weapons Guide Pistols (Ghost Recon: Future Soldier)

2012-05-19T11:49:00.002-07:00

Handguns

Chiappa Rhino 60DSChiappa Rhino 60DS appears as the "Wild Boar" in the game.

Chiappa Rhino 60DS - .357 Magnum

FN FNP-45 Tactical

The FN FNP-45 Tactical appears as "45T" in the game. It is one of the sidearms of the Ghost Team in MP.

FNP-45 Tactical with Trijicon RMR red dot sight - .45 ACP

Weapon selection view.

FN Five-seveN

The FN Five-seveN is known as "5.7 USG" in the game and features a compensator. Is portrayed with a 30-round magazine, but holds only 18 bullets, probably to balance it out with the GSh-18. Can be fitted with a red dot sight, incendiary ammo, laser, but no suppressor.

Five-seveN FDE - 5.7x28mm

GSh-18

The GSh-18 is one of the Team Bodark's handguns. Upgrades include a red dot sight, suppressor, incendiary ammo, and laser sight.

GSh-18 - 9x19mm

Weapon selection view.

TDI Kard

The TDI Kard is the full-auto handgun of the Ghost Team in MP.

TDI Kard - .45 ACP

Weapon selection view.

MP-412 REX

The MP-412 REX is one of the Bodark team's handguns.

MP-412 REX - .357 Magnum

OTs-33 Pernach

The OTs-33 Pernach is known as "OTS-33" in the game.

OTs-33 Pernach - 9x18mm

Weapon selection view.

Taurus Judge

The Taurus Judge is known as "Defender" in the game.

Taurus Judge - .45LC

X26 Taser

The X26 Taser appears as an under-barrel attachment for assault rifles (but not for the so called "Personal Defense Rifles"). Both Ghosts and Bodark are using this attachment.

An X26 Tazer with safety cap on.

Weapon selection view.

X3 Taser

An X3 Taser can be seen being used during a MP match. Appears as a secondary weapon. Referred to as "Stun Gun".

X3 Taser

X3 Taser during equipment selection.

Weapons Guide (black Ops 2)

2012-05-19T11:40:00.001-07:00

LMGs / Light-Machine Guns

Type 67: We're getting a lot of Type's and Model's, aren't we? Maybe it's because Treyarch intend on providing us with a larger selection of weapons in Black Ops 2. Anyway, the Type 67 is a general all-purpose machine gun that was designed in 1959 in the People's Republic of China. This is known for it's slow reloading process.
Enfield L7: The Enfield L7 GPMG is another general purpose light machine gun. This gun was developed in Britain, and was built with the Belgian FN MAG in mind.
M240: A 7.62 mm machine gun that was designed in the USA and Belgium. This has been used by the United States Armed Forces since the 1980s. It is currently still in service.
AS70: The Beretta AS70/90 is an Italian Light Machine Gun. It uses a gas-operated, rotating-bolt system.

Pistols / Handguns

M973: This is a semi-automatic pistol that originates from Brazil. It is based on the American Colt M1911A1 pistol. Used by Brazilian army and special forced.
Steyr GB: The Steyr GB is another semi-automatic pistol that will apparently be in Black Ops 2. Designed in Austria in 1968. Used in Lebanon and Pakistan.
Skorpian: This is a strange one because the Skorpian is actually an SMG, not a handgun. Maybe Treyarch will be using some sort of variant?
MEU: The MEU(SOC) pistol was designed in the US in 1986. It is used by the United States Marine Corps. It is a semi-automatic.
Python: You probably remember this from the previous Black Ops game. This is a .357 Magnum caliber revolver that was developed by Colt's Manufacturing Company between 1955 and 1996.

Weapons Guide (Black Ops 2)

2012-05-17T16:35:00.001-07:00

Shotguns

Model 590: This is also referred to as the Mossberg! It is a variant of the Mossberg 500, which was developed in the United States back in 1961. Currently used in Brazil and the USA.
Model 1300: This shotgun was developed by a company called Winchester Guns.
Model 1100: The Remington Model 1100 is a gas-operated semi-automatic shotgun that originates from the United States. This is particularly popular among sportsmen.
Spas-12: The Spas-12 has been present in COD games since MW2. In Black Ops, it was particularly useful with the silencer. This is a combat shotgun and it was developed in Italy.
CAWS: The HK CAWS is a German select-fire personal shotgun. Development on it began in the early 1980s.
Stakeout: The Stakeout will be returning in Black Ops 2. This was a pump-action shotgun. It is a shorter version of the Ithaca 37, which originates from America.
Saiga-12: This is another combat shotgun. It is a 12-gauge that was made in Russia in the 1990s. It actually looks similar to the AK47 because it is based on Kalashnikov design.
Striker: This will be the first time the Striker has appeared in a Black Ops game. Made by Armsel in South Africa, this is a 12-gauge that usually appears as a semi-automatic shotgun in Call of Duty games.
Featherlight: Also known as the Ithaca Model 37. Originates from the USA. It's a pump-action.

Sniper Rifles

PSG-1: Produced by Heckler & Koch in Germany, the PSG-1 is a semi-automatic sniper rifle that also appeared in the previous Black Ops game.
PSL: This was made in Romania. It follows the same design as the Kalashnikov family. This is based on the RPK Light Machine gun.
SVD: Also known as the SVD Dragunov. Looks like this will be returning for Black Ops 2. Made in the Soviet Union, it's a semi-automatic. To be honest, it's usually crap and nobody ever uses it!
Model 700: This is a bolt action sniper rifle that was developed by the firearms company Remington (USA). Production of the Model 700 began in 1962. It is still used in combat today.
M76: Last gun in this section: The Zastava M76 is another semi-automatic sniper rifle. This might be disappointing for a few people, as most COD players tend to like bolt-actions a bit more. This was developed in Yugoslavia in 1976.

Weapons Guide (Black Ops 2)

2012-05-17T14:44:00.001-07:00

SMGs / Submachine Guns

MP5SD: This is a variant of the MP5 SMG, which has featured in MW3, Black Ops and COD 4. Developed by Heckler and Koch in 1966. Currently used in hundreds of different countries (too long to list).
PA3(DM): This is an Argentine SMG. It's also called the FMK-3. It was produced in other to replace the ageing PAM 1 submachine gun.
SW M76: Also known as the Smith & Wesson M76. Developed by Smith & Wesson, this was produced between 1967 to 1974. This is a clone of the Carl Gustav M/45, which is a 9mm Swedish SMG.
Type 65: This is a Chinese-developed weapon that fires 1300 rounds per minute. It has a magazine capacity of 30 rounds. This is no longer in service and according to several sources, it was hard to fire.
UZI: Well, the UZI is back for Black Ops 2. This has been a popular SMG in many of the previous Call of Duty games.
Mini-UZI: Slightly different. Basically, it's a smaller version of the regular UZI (duh). These submachine guns were developed in Israel and are extremely popular around the world.
AKS-74U: Looks familiar, doesn't it? The AKS-74U is a variant of the AK-47. Although it's an Assault Rifle in real life, Call of Duty games tend to place the 74U into the SMG category, much to the annoyance of gun buffs. This is a shortened carbine version.
Mac 10: The Mac 10 featured in the previous Black Ops, so it wouldn't be a surprise to see it returning. This is described as an American-made machine pistol that was developed in 1970 and produced until 1975.
MPL: The MPL was also featured in the original Black Ops. It was a strange-looking gun with an extremely high rate of fire.
Ares FMG: Heh! This weapon was first introduced in MW3. Labeled as overpowered, this folding machine pistol created havoc when equipped with the akimbo attachment. This was developed in America. This gun can be folded.

Weapons Guide Assault Rifle (Black Ops 2)

2012-05-17T14:42:00.000-07:00

Assault Rifles:

AK-47: The inclusion of the AK47 shouldn't come as a surprise, considering it has been included in every single COD game since Call of Duty 4. This is a gas-operated Assault Rifle that was developed in the USSR / Russia.
Ruger Mini-14: This is a lightweight semi-automatic carbine. It'll fire much like the FAL or the MK14. The Mini-14 was developed by the American firearms company Sturm.
T65 Assault Rifle: Developed by the armed forces in Taiwan, the T65 is used in a number of countries, including Libya and China.
Valmet M76: This is a gas-operated assault rifle of Finnish origins (Finland). Development of the Valmet M76 began in 1976. This is basically a modified version of the AK-47 (and it looks pretty similar).
M70: The Zastava M70 was developed in Yugoslavia in the 1970s. This is a selective-fire rifle. Currently used in a number of countries, including Iraq and Afghanistan.
R1 Rifle: This is similar to the FN Fal, which was a semi-automatic gun in MW2.
Commando: It looks as if the Commando will be returning in Black Ops 2. This is also referred to as the CAR-15. This was a pretty good weapon in the previous Black Ops. Good fire rate, manageable recoil. Obviously, Treyarch could have tweaked it.
AR-18: The Armalite AR-18 is a gas-operated selective fire assault rifle. Developed in the USA in 1963, this weapon has a number of different variants.
Valmet M60: The M60 was developed in Finland. This is also based on the AK47.
AK-63: This is a Hungarian service weapon that was developed in 1977. It is currently used in a number of countries, including Iran and Iraq. This has a heat shield and a vertical forward grip under the barrel.
AMD 65: This is another Hungarian assault rifle. AMD stands for Automatic Modified Landing Assault [weapon]. This was in service between 1967 and 2006.