Semi-automatic marksman rifles are known for their balanced fire rate and high damage. The AEK-973 is a bit different as it is like an assault rifle that can be used in burst fire mode in Black Ops 6.
Thus, we have created the best AEK-973 loadout to make the rifle the most powerful in Black Ops 6.
Best AEK-973 loadout in Black Ops 6 guide
On its own, the AEK-973 is effective in medium to short-range combat, with some damage drop-off if the range increases. Like all weapons in BO6, they can be modified to the player’s liking with some attachments.
With dozens of attachments to choose from, it gets overwhelming to try all of them to find out which would be the best through trial and error.
The best AEK-973 Black Ops 6 loadout
The AEK-973 is a burst-fire rifle that can three bullets at a rapid rate in Black Ops 6. It can also be switched into single-fire mode for placing more accurate shots after pulling the trigger each time.
While following this loadout guide, make sure to equip the Gunfighter Wildcard as it will grant three extra slots for your primary weapon. With that out of the way, let’s look at what we need to build this loadout.
| SLOT | ATTACHMENT |
| Optic | Kepler Microflex |
| Muzzle | Suppressor |
| Barrel | Long Barrel |
| Underbarrel | Vertical Foregrip |
| Magazine | Extended Mag 1 |
| Rear Grip | Quickdraw Grip |
| Stock | Balanced Stock |
| Fire Mods | Rapid Fire |
Good optics are important for a gun, as it is supposed to help with aiming instead of just looking good. We’ve chosen the Kepler Microflex, this sight is clean and doesn’t take up much space while aiming down sight.
To conceal your presence on the minimap, we’ve chosen a Suppressor. This would make you hard to find while keeping the damage output the same.
As mentioned before, the AEK-973 is a bit underwhelming in long-range combat. The Long Barrel fixes that issue by increasing the damage range.
With great powers comes great recoil, to compensate for it we’ve chosen the Vertical Foregrip to reduce horizontal recoil. This would help the weapon to be more accurate and in turn, increase its effectiveness.
We’ve also added Extended Mag 1 to increase the ammo capacity. Having a higher ammo count in a magazine would remove the need for reloading often. Thus, allowing you to take fights longer with taking a break.
For aiming assistance, a Quickdraw Grip would be beneficial as it reduces ADS speed. Alongside this, we added a Balanced Stock, which improves aiming while moving.
Best perks for AEK-973 loadout in Black Ops 6
Perks are the most important part of this AEK-973 loadout as it dictate playstyle in Black Ops 6. Since we’ve focused on stealth with this build, there are the optimal perk combos:
- Perk 1 – Ninja: Conceals your footstep by making your movement sound quieter.
- Perk 2 – Tracker: You’ll be able to see enemy footsteps while auto-pinging opponents while ADSing. However, the cooldown is long after auto-pinging an enemy.
- Perk 3 – Cold-Blooded: Enemy AI gadgets, targeting systems, and thermal optics won’t be able to see you. Additionally, you’re immune to opponent scorestreaks as well.
- Specialty – Recon: This specialty allows you to see enemies through for a short during after respawning. You’ll also get alerted by a HUD edge indicator if you’re not looking at them. You will also not leave any tracks on the opponent minimap after eliminating an enemy.
- Wildcard – Gunsmith: This add-on gives you three extra weapon mod slots, and lets you modify primary weapons further.
Field Upgrades and sidearms to pick with AEK-973
To add the finishing touches to this loadout, we’ve put together a set of secondary weapons, throwables, and gadgets to use with AEK-973. You can interchange these to your liking, so let’s look at what is optimal:
- Pistol – Grekhova: Full auto pistol that functions like an SMG and shreds anyone in front of it.
- Melee – Knife: Sharp weapon that lets you one-shot kill enemies during extreme close combat situations.
- Tactical – Flashbang: Temporary blinds players who end up in its area of effectiveness.
- Lethal – Combat Axe: Throwable melee weapon that can ricochet and kill opponent instantly on landing.
- Field Upgrade – Sleeper Agent: This lets you disguise yourself as an enemy soldier and tap into their communication. With the suppressor equipped, you’ll also not get revealed to the enemy.
The AEK-973 in Black Ops 6 makes for a great stealth build which allows takedown opponents without alerting anyone. Additionally, this loadout will enable you to track and kill opponents with swiftness.
