Blackbeard is known for experiencing a lot of nerfs throughout the years, and what’s crazy is, despite those nerfs that have been the subject of memes in the Siege community, he’s still a very frightening operator to go against. That’s because unless you get lucky and get a few shots in early, chances are, in a one-on-one fight between two similarly skilled players, Blackbeard would always win. 

That’s because his special gadget, the Rifle Shield, protects him from being taken down early through headshots. And through his arsenal of weapons and generic gadgets, he has the firepower to back up his defensive capabilities.

5. SR-25 with Scope 3.0x, Suppressor, and Vertical Grip + D-50 with Suppressor and Laser + Impact EMP Grenade

The SR-25 marksman rifle is an excellent partner to Blackbeard’s Rifle Shield because it can take out opponents with just a few shots due to its heavy damage regardless of range. And since the recent update that removed the damage reduction penalty from suppressors, this loadout setup will maintain the heavy damage of the SR-25 while Blackbeard gets to enjoy the stealth benefits that the suppressor brings. And because of those stealth benefits, this loadout setup will be the most advantageous for long-range shooting.

That’s because with the suppressor, shooting with the SR-25 won’t provide enemies with a directional threat indicator of where your shots are coming from. It also will hide the muzzle flash of the SR-25, so unless the enemies hear the sound of your gunshots which will also be greatly dampened by the suppressor, they wouldn’t immediately know where you are. This hinders them from being able to counter attack fast and effectively. As for the generic gadget, Blackbeard is one of the few attackers who have been blessed with an impact EMP grenade. Use this utility when Thatcher is banned in ranked and no one else has the capability to disable hard-breach preventing defender gadgets.

Excels in:

• Shooting opponents with the SR-25 marksman rifle without providing them a directional threat indicator
• Hiding the SR-25's muzzle flash making it harder for enemies to detect where you are with visual cues
• Dampening the SR-25's gunshot sounds, making it even harder for enemies to know where you are through that particular audio cue.
• Silent gunshots from the suppressed D-50 will allow Blackbeard to shoot defender gadgets with less risk of alerting them to his presence
• Disabling hard-breach preventing defender gadgets with ease through the use of the impact EMP grenades

Build Details:

• Primary weapon - SR-25 with Scope 3.0x, Suppressor, and Vertical Grip
• Secondary weapon - D-50 with Suppressor and Laser
• Generic gadget - Impact EMP Grenade

4. MK17 CQB with Scope 2.0x, Flash Hider, and Angled Grip + D-50 with Suppressor and Laser + Stun Grenade

This loadout setup is more for aggressive Blackbeard players who prefer taking advantage of his Rifle Shield and being on the frontlines. Because of the angled grip attachment on the MK17 CQB assault rifle, Blackbeard will be able to go into aim-down-sights stance faster. That will basically allow him to be able to aim at his enemies faster, as well as put his Rifle Shield in front of his head quicker. So with this loadout setup, not only will Blackbeard be able to take out enemies faster by being able to aim at them quicker, he will also be able to protect himself faster when engaging enemies.

The flash hider on the other hand will greatly lower the vertical recoil of the MK17 CQB, therefore, it balances out the lack of recoil benefits from the angled grip. It will also hide the assault rifle’s muzzle flash, making it harder for enemies to see exactly where you're shooting them from. The scope 2.0x is the best scope right now so when it’s available on weapons, I highly recommend you to use it. That’s because the scope 2.0x will provide an ample amount of zoom for the players to be able to see their enemies bigger while also not compromising so much on peripheral view.

Excels in:

• Being able to aim and shoot at enemies faster due to the aim-down-sights speed boost from the angled grip attachment
• Greatly lowering the vertical weapon kick of the MK17 CQB due to the vertical recoil control benefits from the flash hider
• Hiding the MK17 CQB’s muzzle flash, making it harder for enemies to see where exactly Blackbeard is shooting them from.
• Being able to shoot defender gadgets silently through the use of the suppressed D-50 handgun
• Robbing enemies of their sight and ability to hear audio cues with the use of the three stun grenades in Blackbeard’s arsenal

Build Details:

• Primary weapon - MK17 CQB with Scope 2.0x, Flash Hider, and Angled Grip
• Secondary weapon - D-50 with Suppressor and Laser
• Generic gadget - Stun Grenade

Recoil pattern test on the MK17 CQB in this setup with the author’s own recoil control applied:

3. MK17 CQB with Scope 2.0x, Suppressor, and Vertical Grip + D-50 with Muzzle Brake and Laser + Stun Grenade

This loadout setup is for Blackbeard players who prefer using the MK17 CQB over the SR-25 as their primary weapon and having the ability to shoot enemies without providing them a directional threat indicator of where the shots are coming from. As discussed in one of the entries above, that’s one of the stealth benefits from using a suppressor, alongside hiding the weapon’s muzzle flash and dampening of its gunshot sounds. This is great for penetrating the objective area because being able to surprise your enemies goes a long way to winning in Siege.

As for the secondary weapon, the muzzle brake on Blackbeard’s D-50 handgun will greatly lower its recoil, making it much easier for you to hit your enemies with it when the MK17 CQB needs to reload in the middle of combat. And since your primary weapon in this loadout setup will already be using a suppressor and you can silently shoot defender gadgets with it, you’ll be free to enjoy the recoil control benefits of the muzzle brake on the D-50 handgun, as well as the laser which will greatly tighten its hip fire. That will allow you to hit opponents at close range without having to spend a second going into an aim-down-sights stance.

Excels in:

• Shooting enemies with the MK17 CQB assault rifle without providing them a directional threat indicator of where your shots are coming from
• Maintaining great recoil control on the MK17 CQB through the use of the vertical grip attachment
• Suppressing the gunshot sounds from the MK17 CQB will make it much harder for enemies to know where you’re shooting them from
• Having great recoil control on the D-50 handgun due to the muzzle brake barrel attachment
• Very tight hip fire on the D-50 handgun due to the laser attachment
• Blinding enemies and robbing them of their hearing through the use of the three stun grenades in Blackbeard’s arsenal

Build Details:

• Primary weapon - MK17 CQB with Scope 2.0x, Suppressor, and Vertical Grip
• Secondary weapon - D-50 with Muzzle Brake and Laser
• Generic gadget - Stun Grenade

Recoil pattern test on the MK17 CQB in this setup with the author’s own recoil control applied:

2. SR-25 with Scope 3.0x, Muzzle Brake, and Vertical Grip + D-50 with Suppressor and Laser + Claymore

Normally I use a suppressor on my marksman rifles, especially now that suppressors don’t reduce the weapon’s damage anymore. However, with Blackbeard, stealth isn’t really that useful because he can be seen so easily because of the big Rifle Shield in front of him. Also, because he has that Rifle Shield, it’s best for the attacking team for him to be in the front lines. That is why even though this loadout setup will make a lot of noise, it is the best one for Blackbeard players who prefer the SR-25 marksman rifle for their primary weapon.

That’s because with this loadout setup, they would have no problems whatsoever when it comes to controlling the recoil of the SR-25 because it will have both the muzzle brake and vertical grip attachments. The vertical grip greatly lowers the vertical recoil of weapons, and the muzzle brake specializes in lowering the recoil of single-shot weapons like the SR-25. The claymores in Blackbeard’s arsenal will be for countering run outs or flankers while he’s sniping enemies with the SR-25, and the suppressed D-50 handgun will provide a measure of stealth for Blackbeard when he needs to shoot defender gadgets like cameras silently.

Excels in:

• Having the best recoil control on the SR-25 marksman rifle due to the muzzle brake and vertical grip attachments
• Having a great zoom level with the scope 3.0x and with a very clear front view because its frame doesn’t eat up a lot of screen space
• Being able to shoot defender gadgets like cameras more silently through the use of the suppressed D-50 handgun
• Having a tight hip fire on the D-50 handgun due to the presence of the laser attachment
• Protecting yourself from run outs and roamers using the two claymores in Blackbeard’s arsenal

Build Details:

• Primary weapon - SR-25 with Scope 3.0x, Muzzle Brake, and Vertical Grip
• Secondary weapon - D-50 with Suppressor and Laser
• Generic gadget - Claymore

1. MK17 CQB with Scope 2.0x, Extended Barrel, and Vertical Grip + D-50 with Suppressor and Laser + Claymore

While Blackbeard’s Rifle Shield protects him from one tap shots most of the time, it’s no secret that it can break very fast in many circumstances. That is why being able to take out enemies before they take his Rifle Shield and him down should be Blackbeard’s main concern, and that’s exactly what this loadout setup will provide. Because of the recent update on the game that adds 15% damage benefit from attaching an extended barrel, it has greatly risen in popularity, and because of reasons stated above, this buff on the extended barrel will greatly benefit Blackbeard.

With the added damage from the extended barrel and the fully automatic MK17 CQB, this loadout setup provides the best chance for Blackbeard to take out his opponents before they take him down along with his Rifle Shield. And in case you’re worried that the MK17 CQB’s recoil will be hard to control since the extended barrel doesn’t add any recoil control benefits on weapons, relax, because as shown in the recoil test below, the vertical grip is enough to tame this weapon’s recoil. As for the weapon’s sight, the scope 2.0x will provide a high zoom level for Blackbeard while also not sacrificing a lot on peripheral view.

Excels in:

• Being able to take out enemies faster due to the added damage from attaching the extended barrel on the MK17 CQB
• Maximizing the damage potential and output of the MK17 CQB with the extended barrel greatly reducing its range damage drop-off
• Having a great amount of zoom through the scope 2.0x while also not sacrificing so much when it comes to peripheral view
• Being able to shoot defender cameras and other gadgets with less risk of alerting them through the use of the suppressed D-50 handgun
• Countering run outs, roamers, and flankers through the use of the two claymores in Blackbeard’s arsenal

Build Details:

• Primary weapon - MK17 CQB with Scope 2.0x, Extended Barrel, and Vertical Grip
• Secondary weapon - D-50 with Suppressor and Laser
• Generic gadget - Claymore

Recoil pattern test on the MK17 CQB in this setup with the author’s own recoil control applied:

Attention operator, please be advised. There is a new directive from Six. Read up on these related articles, and prepare for deployment:

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