Although his Yokai Drones have been nerfed quite a lot throughout the years, Echo remains as one of the most effective intel gatherers and crowd control operators around. His two Yokai drones can shoot sonic bursts that disorient enemies and can cancel what they’re doing like gadget deployment, and most importantly, defuser deployment.

His Yokai drones are also great for gathering intel when placed at an angle on the ceiling that can make them inconspicuous. What’s more is that Echo possesses a wide array of weapons and utilities that he can use to capitalize on the intel that he’s gathered by himself due to the offensive power that he can have from said weapons and utilities.

5. MP5SD with Magnified B and Vertical Grip + P229 with Muzzle Brake and Laser + Deployable Shield

Right off the bat, I can tell you that the MP5SD is an excellent MP5 variant because of its integrated suppressor. That means that shots from it won’t create a directional threat indicator and muzzle flash. Its gunshots will also be a lot more silent than normal gunshots from an MP5, and all of that can make it harder for enemies to immediately notice where Echo is shooting them from. Now while that will be much more effective at medium to long range, it can also be great for anchoring where you’ll mostly encounter enemies at close range.

That’s because when anchoring the objective spot, you’ll usually have a lot of hiding spots that will complement the stealth benefits from the integrated suppressor on the MP5SD. For its grip, Echo will have the vertical one which will greatly lower the weapon’s overall vertical recoil, allowing him to have a more stable shooting experience with the weapon. The magnified B scope on the other hand as the MP5SD’s sight will provide Echo with a 2.5x zoom which is great for accuracy since it’ll allow him to see his targets really well regardless of the range, and it has an arrow tip reticle which is great for pinpoint shooting.

Excels in:

• The MP5SD with its integrated suppressor will have a much more silent gunshots compared to other MP5SD variants without a suppressor and that’ll make it hard for enemies to pinpoint Echo’s location
• The vertical on Echo’s MP5SD submachine gun will greatly lower its overall vertical recoil which will result in a much more stable shooting experience for him, even when it comes to long sprays
• Echo will have a 2.5x zoom when aiming-down-sights on his MP5SD submachine gun due to the magnified B scope which also has an arrow tip reticle which is great for headshots due to the accuracy it brings
• The P229 handgun is a low recoil high firepower handgun and it will have an even lower recoil due to the muzzle brake attachment on its barrel. It’ll also have a laser which will provide a 10% aim-down-sight speed boost
• The deployable shield will provide Echo and other defenders another spot where they can duck for cover. It also has slits on its body that’ll allow them to see enemies on the other side while they’re crouching behind it

Build Details:

• Primary weapon - MP5SD with Magnified B and Vertical Grip
• Secondary weapon - P229 with Muzzle Brake and Laser
• Generic gadget - Deployable Shield

Recoil pattern test on the MP5SD in this setup with the author’s own recoil control applied:

4. MP5SD with Magnified A and Angled Grip + P229 with Muzzle Brake and Laser + Impact Grenade

The rework on the angled grip attachment is one of the biggest changes to the game that came with the Year 9 Season 1 update. Before, it used to provide an aim-down-sight speed boost, but now, what it provides is a whopping 20% reload speed boost instead. That’s actually a very underrated perk in Siege right now, because the faster you can reload your primary weapon, the faster you can get back into the fight, and that will drastically improve your chances of winning gunfights, especially when facing multiple enemies at the same time.

For its sights, the MP5SD in this loadout setup will have the Magnified A scope which will provide a 2.5x zoom level but has the frame and reticle of what was previously known as the 1.5x sight. So for players who have been playing Siege before Year 9, just think of it as the 1.5x sight before, but now has a 2.5x. What’s great about it is that its main frame doesn’t take up a lot of screen space, so it ensures that you’ll have a clear front view, and that lessens the chances of you not seeing your enemies.

Excels in:

• The angled grip on Echo’s MP5SD submachine gun will provide Echo with a 20% reload speed bonus which will be extremely helpful in winning gunfights, especially against multiple opponents
• The magnified A scope as Echo’s MP5SD’s sights will provide him a 2.5x zoom level which will allow him to see his targets clearly, and the great thing about it is that its main frame doesn’t block out a lot of screen space
• The integrated suppressor on Echo’s MP5SD will remove its shots’ directional threat indicator and muzzle flash, making it harder for enemies to visually determine where Echo is shooting from
• The P229 is one of the best handguns in Siege due to its high stopping power and low recoil which will be even weaker in this setup because it’ll have the muzzle brake which will lower its recoil by 50%
• The two impact grenades in Echo’s arsenal will allow him to quickly create rotation holes which will be very useful for responding to enemies on the other side of the bomb site or for escaping them

Build Details:

• Primary weapon - MP5SD with Magnified A and Angled Grip
• Secondary weapon - P229 with Muzzle Brake and Laser
• Generic gadget - Impact Grenade

Recoil pattern test on the MP5SD in this setup with the author’s own recoil control applied:

3. MP5SD with Magnified A and Vertical Grip + Bearing 9 with Red Dot A and Flash Hider + Impact Grenade

This is a well-balanced setup for Echo because for his MP5SD submachine gun, you’ll be prioritizing recoil control, while for his secondary weapon, you’ll be prioritizing offense. The vertical grip on the MP5SD submachine gun will greatly lower the weapon’s vertical recoil which will make it much easier to handle. This will ensure that Echo will have good accuracy, especially since for its sights, the MP5SD will have the magnified A scope which will provide him with a 2.5x zoom level as well as a main frame that doesn’t sacrifice a lot of screen space.

On the other hand, the bearing 9 machine pistol as Echo’s secondary weapon will provide him with another fully automatic weapon that can dish out a lot of punishment when his MP5SD needs to be reloaded in the middle of combat. The bearing 9 machine pistol has high damage and a very fast rate of fire, so it’s a great weapon for finishing off enemies. It’s safe to think of it as a mini submachine gun. And as for the two impact grenades as Echo’s secondary gadget, they will allow him to create rotation holes which are very important for anchoring as they allow defenders to respond faster to threats from either side of the bomb site.

Excels in:

• The vertical grip on Echo’s MP5SD submachine gun will allow him to maintain great recoil control on the weapon because it specializes in lowering the overall vertical recoil of weapons
• The magnified A scope on Echo’s MP5SD will allow him to see his targets very well and that will up his accuracy by a lot because it will provide him with a 2.5x zoom level, and the scope’s frame doesn’t take up a lot of screen space
• The MP5SD with its integrated suppressor will make it harder for enemies to pinpoint Echo’s location due to it silencing the weapon’s gunshots, and removing its muzzle flash and directional threat indicator
• The bearing 9 machine pistol would be another fully automatic weapon in Echo’s arsenal that is basically a mini submachine gun, and one that has good firepower and very high rate of fire
• The two impact grenades as Echo’s secondary gadget will allow him to quickly rework the map to the defending team’s advantage. They can also be used to counter shield operators, especially Osa.

Build Details:

• Primary weapon - MP5SD with Magnified A and Vertical Grip
• Secondary weapon - Bearing 9 with Red Dot A and Flash Hider
• Generic gadget - Impact Grenade

Recoil pattern test on the MP5SD in this setup with the author’s own recoil control applied:

2. MP5SD with Magnified A and Horizontal Grip + Bearing 9 with Red Dot A and Flash Hider + Impact Grenade

For Echo players who prefer having a fully automatic weapon as their primary weapon, this loadout setup would be the best. That’s mainly because the horizontal grip on his MP5SD submachine gun will give him a 5% movement speed boost which will be very helpful to him when it comes to responding to enemies he’s detected and disoriented with his Yokai Drones. Of course, the added movement speed will also be a big plus for him when it comes to general movement, especially for avoiding enemy gunshots

Imagine you’re playing Echo and you’re controlling one of your Yokai drones. An enemy appears near your position and no teammates are around. You can hit that enemy with a sonic burst from the Yokai drone to disorient him, but of course, the challenge starts from getting out of the observation tool mode and running towards that disoriented enemy to frag him. A lot of times, by the moment Echo reaches his target, they’d have recovered a little bit already, but the movement speed bonus from the horizontal grip will increase Echo’s chances.

Excels in:

• The 5% movement speed boost from the horizontal grip on Echo’s MP5SD submachine gun will be of great help to him when it comes to responding to enemies he’s disorientated with his Yokai Drone
• The magnified A scope on Echo’s MP5SD will allow him to see his targets very clearly due to its decent reticle and frame that doesn’t obstruct the front view of the user by a lot, as well as its 2.5x level of zoom
• Shots from Echo’s MP5SD submachine gun will be more silent than normal and won’t have a directional threat indicator due to its integrated suppressor which will also remove the weapon’s muzzle flash
• The bearing 9 machine pistol is a great weapon for finishing off opponents when the MP5SD needs to be reloaded. That is due to its very fast rate of fire and decent firepower.
• The two impact grenades as Echo’s generic gadget will allow him to rework the map to the defending team’s advantage with rotation holes, and they can also be very effective in countering shield operators especially Osa

Build Details:

• Primary weapon - MP5SD with Magnified A and Horizontal Grip
• Secondary weapon - Bearing 9 with Red Dot A and Flash Hider
• Generic gadget - Impact Grenade

Recoil pattern test on the MP5SD in this setup with the author’s own recoil control applied:

1. Supernova with Reflex B and Suppressor + Bearing 9 with Red Dot A and Flash Hider + Deployable Shield

This is overall the best loadout setup for Echo, especially for the more experienced players. That’s because a lot of new players, understandably so, will be intimidated to use a shotgun as their primary weapon because of its limited range. However, in Echo’s case, he has access to the bearing 9 machine pistol and can equip it as his secondary weapon. That means that when it comes to dealing with opponents that are beyond the reach of the Supernova shotgun, the player can just easily switch to the bearing 9, which is essentially a mini submachine gun.

The only available barrel attachment to the Supernova shotgun is the suppressor, and now that it doesn’t decrease the damage of weapons anymore, there’s really no drawback to equipping it if it’s the only compatible barrel attachment to the weapon. It would only make sense to take advantage of its benefits, and for a shotgun like the Supernova, its much more silent shots will allow Echo to create rotation holes for flanking or escaping with much less chance of attracting the attention of enemies. It’ll confuse an enemy that’s been disorientated by a Yokai drone even more when Echo is peppering them with silent shots from the suppressed Supernova.

Excels in:

• Echo having the advantage over his opponents when it comes to close quarters combat due to the supernova shotgun as his primary weapon which packs a big punch per shot
• The suppressor on the supernova shotgun will allow Echo to shoot it much more silently than normal, therefore, attracting less attention from enemies, and it could be a big help when it comes to a more stealthy approach
• The reflex B sight on Echo’s supernova shotgun will provide him with a clear front view which will make it easier for him to see his targets and that’s due to the reflex B’s small frame
• The bearing 9 being an important part of this loadout setup because Echo will be needing it when it comes to dealing with opponents that are well beyond the range of the supernova shotgun
• The deployable shield will provide extra cover for Echo while he’s controlling his Yokai drones, and will give great opportunities to him for fragging enemies due to the slits on its body that Echo can use to see enemies on the other side

Build Details:

• Primary weapon - Supernova with Reflex B and Suppressor
• Secondary weapon - Bearing 9 with Red Dot A and Flash Hider
• Generic gadget - Deployable Shield

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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