Smoke is one of the original operators that came out when Siege was released years ago and until now remains to be one of the best operators to use in competitive matches. That is because his area denial special gadget is very effective, and what makes it unique is that it doesn’t damage Smoke. That means Smoke can activate his area denial device and go inside its effects in order to quickly take back control of that area that he just denied to the enemies. On top of that, Smoke has the weapons and utilities in his arsenal that truly makes him a defensive menace.

5. FMG-9 with Scope 1.5x and Extended Barrel + P226 Mk 25 with Suppressor + Deployable Shield

This loadout is for players who prefer a fully automatic weapon for their primary over a shotgun. Even though I maintain that the M590A1 shotgun is the best primary weapon for Smoke, hence its higher ranking in this list, it cannot be denied that the FMG-9 is also a very viable weapon for Smoke. It is also much easier to use than the M590A1 shotgun or the SMG-11 machine pistol especially for beginners, so I don’t think the FMG-9 should be written off as Smoke’s primary. 

With the extended barrel on the FMG-9, its damage potential would be greater because the extended barrel will greatly reduce its range damage drop-off. That means that the FMG-9 in this loadout will be dealing high damage to enemies regardless of distance. The suppressor on the P226 Mk 25 handgun would be for when Smoke has to shoot attacker drones or other gadgets while trying to not alert the enemies to his presence, and the deployable shield would provide more cover for Smoke and allow him to hold angles more effectively.

Excels in:

• Maximizing the damage output of the FMG-9 through the extended barrel
• A much easier to use loadout because the FMG-9 is fully automatic
• The scope 1.5x will provide good balance between the zoom level and peripheral view
• Being able to hold angles effectively because of the deployable shield
• The suppressed P226 Mk 25 handgun will allow the user to shoot attacker gadgets without alerting enemies

Build Details:

• Primary weapon - FMG-9 with Scope 1.5x and Extended Barrel
• Secondary weapon - P226 Mk 25 with Suppressor
• Generic gadget - Deployable Shield

Recoil pattern test on the FMG-9 in this setup with the author’s own recoil control applied:

4. FMG-9 with Scope 1.5x and Suppressor + P226 Mk 25 with Muzzle Brake and Laser + Deployable Shield

Since the stock recoil of the FMG-9 is very manageable even with the absence of recoil-benefit providing attachments, it is best to equip it with a suppressor. That’s because with a suppressor, you’ll be able to strafe at your enemies without a directional threat indicator telling them where your shots are coming from. Of course, it will also greatly reduce the gunshot sounds from the FMG-9 and remove its muzzle flash. That will really reduce the chances of your enemies returning fire at your direction immediately, because they wouldn’t know where your shots are coming from.

It can also be used well with Smoke’s special gadget because Smoke can enter the effects of his gas grenade, and from there he can shoot opponents while reducing the chances of them immediately seeing him. Not just because the suppressor will not provide them with a directional threat indicator, but also because of the reduced visibility from the gas grenade. And since your primary weapon in this loadout already has a suppressor, it would be great to focus on recoil benefits for your secondary, and that’s why the P226 Mk 25 handgun in this loadout has the muzzle brake.

Excels in:

• Shooting enemies with the FMG-9 without them immediately knowing where you’re shooting from because of the suppressor removing of the weapon’s directional threat indicator
• Great recoil control on the P226 Mk 25 due to the muzzle brake barrel attachment
• Tight hip fire with the P226 Mk 25 from the laser which will make it highly effective at close range even without the user going into aim-down-sight stance
• Ability to hold angles effectively and for long periods of time because of the deployable shield
• Scope 1.5x providing a good amount of zoom while not sacrificing a lot of peripheral view

Build Details:

• Primary weapon - FMG-9 with Scope 1.5x and Suppressor
• Secondary weapon - P226 Mk 25 with Muzzle Brake and Laser
• Generic gadget - Deployable Shield

Recoil pattern test on the FMG-9 in this setup with the author’s own recoil control applied:

3. M590A1 with Reflex B + SMG-11 with Red Dot A, Extended Barrel, and Vertical Grip + Barbed Wire

For the loadouts with the M590A1 shotgun as the primary weapon, we will be treating the SMG-11 more as the primary, and that’s why the recoil test below shows its recoil and not the M590A1 shotgun’s pellet spread. That’s because if you choose to run with the M590A1 shotgun as your primary, you will have the SMG-11 at the ready most of the time and only really be switching to the M590A1 shotgun when you’re expecting enemies at close range. That’s because with the SMG-11, you’ll be able to frag enemies at medium range and sometimes even at long-range.

And speaking of long-range, this loadout setup for the SMG-11 is quite risky because instead of a recoil-providing barrel attachment, you’ll be running it with an extended barrel. Now, this will be highly effective as long as you shoot the SMG-11 in short bursts, preferably even with one taps. That’s because the extended barrel on it will greatly reduce its range damage drop-off, so your shots with it will really hurt even from long distance. The barbed wires would be great for slowing down enemies and countering flankers, but I only recommend it if the objective spot already provides enough cover.

Excels in:

• Close quarters combat superiority due to the M590A1 shotgun
• Maximizing the damage output of the SMG-11 through the extended barrel
• Short bursts firing with the SMG-11
• Slowing enemies down with the use of the barbed wires
• Preventing flankers from catching you unawares through the use of barbed wires

Build Details:

• Primary weapon - M590A1 with Reflex B
• Secondary weapon - SMG-11 with Red Dot A, Extended Barrel, and Vertical Grip
• Generic gadget - Barbed Wire

Recoil pattern test on the SMG-11 in this setup with the author’s own recoil control applied:

2. M590A1 with Reflex B + SMG-11 with Red Dot A, Suppressor, and Vertical Grip + Deployable Shield

Like the SMG-11 from the entry above, you would still have to fire in very short bursts or one tap with this one, because emptying a whole clip with it would not really be viable. That’s because without any barrel attachment that provides more recoil control, the SMG-11 will be almost uncontrollable if you fire it continuously. But with one tap or very short bursts, it’s viable, especially with the suppressor which will remove the weapon’s directional threat indicator. That means you can shoot at enemies without them immediately knowing where you’re shooting them from.

This loadout is great especially when you use it in conjunction with your gas grenade. From the cover of your gas grenade, you can strafe enemies and chances are, they’ll be wondering where they’re being shot from and you could finish them off before they retaliate. Of course, when the enemies start pushing again and you’re expecting close quarters combat, that’s when you switch to your M590A1 shotgun. This shotgun will be extremely deadly at close range, and you can use the cover from the deployable shield to surprise your enemies with it.

Excels in:

• Firing at your enemies with the SMG-11 without them getting a directional threat indicator of where your shots are coming from
• Enemies won’t be seeing a muzzle flash on your SMG-11, therefore reducing the chances of them seeing you through that particular visual cue.
• Disabling attacker utilities like drones or claymores without alerting them through the use of the suppressed SMG-11
• Close range superiority because of the M590A1 shotgun’s heavy damage per pellet
• Holding angles for a long time and effectively because the added cover from the deployable shield

Build Details:

• Primary weapon - M590A1 with Reflex B
• Secondary weapon - SMG-11 with Red Dot A, Suppressor, and Vertical Grip
• Generic gadget - Deployable Shield

Recoil pattern test on the SMG-11 in this setup with the author’s own recoil control applied:

1. M590A1 with Reflex B and Laser + SMG-11 with Red Dot A, Flash Hider, and Vertical Grip + Deployable Shield

The M590A1 shotgun is the best primary weapon for smoke, mainly because the SMG-11 machine pistol can be basically used as a primary weapon instead since it’s practically a submachine gun. And that means that the player can use it for fragging enemies at medium, and sometimes long-range, while he can just simply switch to the M590A1 shotgun when the enemies are closing in and a close quarters combat is expected. That is why for this loadout, we will primarily be focusing on reducing the recoil of the SMG-11 because its rough recoil really is its biggest drawback.

With the flash hider and vertical grip working hand in hand to reduce the very strong vertical recoil of the SMG-11, you can empty a clip with it and not really lose too much control. This is the best loadout setup for the SMG-11 because it will provide the user with the best stability and accuracy when using the SMG-11 which plays a huge part in Smoke’s gameplay. With this loadout setup, you’ll be able to take enemies down very quickly especially at close to medium range. That’s because of the M590A1’s close range superiority, and the SMG-11 being a headshot machine at medium range.

Excels in:

• Close range damage superiority from the M590A1 shotgun
• Ability to rework the map – create rotation holes and lines of sight through the use of the M590A1 shotgun
• The best recoil control one can have on the SMG-11 due to the flash hider and vertical grip working hand in hand to hold down its recoil
• Being able to hold angles for a long time and effectively which is very important for Smoke’s gameplay, through the use of the deployable shield.
• The SMG-11 is a headshot machine especially with the recoil control from both the flash hider and the vertical grip

Build Details:

• Primary weapon - M590A1 with Reflex B and Laser
• Secondary weapon - SMG-11 with Red Dot A, Flash Hider, and Vertical Grip
• Generic gadget - Deployable Shield

Recoil pattern test on the SMG-11 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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