There are three operators in the game who have special gadgets dedicated to hard breaching, and some attackers have hard breach charges as one of their choices for their generic gadget.

However, only Thermite has the gadget that can make perfect hard breaches, and what I mean by that is that Thermite’s special gadget, the Exothermic Charge, opens up an entire wall so that attackers wouldn’t have to crouch or vault in order to get inside them.

That's important because many times, vaulting and crouching can make you vulnerable to defender fire. And Thermite has an arsenal of weapons that make him a powerful entry-fragger after he performs his role as hard breacher.

5. M1014 with Reflex B and Laser + M45 Meusoc with Muzzle Brake and Laser + Stun Grenade

Because of Thermite’s main role as a hard breacher, there’s a lot of chances that he would be engaging enemies at close range. That’s because after performing a hard breach, it's Thermite’s job to perform entry-fragging or room clearing. And for close-range engagements, shotguns have the superiority due to their pellet spread and heavy damage per pellet. Thermite’s M1014 shotgun can take out an enemy with just one shot at its optimal range and the laser attachment will help increase that range when it comes to firing from the hip.

That’s because the laser attachment specializes in reducing weapons’ hip fire spread, so with it, the M1014 will have a tight hip fire even without having to go into aim-down-sight stance. That will save Thermite time when engaging enemies, and when it comes to Siege, even one second matters a lot. Engaging enemies with hip fire will also allow Thermite to have a wider peripheral view, reducing the chances of him being caught off-guard on the sides. And when he needs to shoot enemies that are beyond the reach of the M1014 shotgun, he can use the the M45 Meusoc which deals heavy damage per shot and would have a really good recoil control and tight hip fire because of its muzzle brake and laser attachments.

Excels in:

• Close range superiority due to the M1014 shotgun's pellet spread and heavy damage per pellet
• Tight hip fire on the M1014 shotgun because of the laser attachment
• Having a clear and wide view when aiming-down-sights with the M1014 shotgun because of the Reflex B 1.0x sight
• Having a really good recoil control on the M45 Meusoc handgun because of the muzzle brake
• Having a tight hip fire for the M45 Meusoc because of the laser attachment which will make it great for close quarter combat
• Blinding and deafening enemies with the use of the three stun grenades in Thermite’s arsenal

Build Details:

• Primary weapon - M1014 with Reflex B and Laser
• Secondary weapon - M45 Meusoc with Muzzle Brake and Laser
• Generic gadget - Stun Grenade

Pellet spread test on the M1014 in this setup at 5m range:

Pellet spread test on the M1014 in this setup at 10m range:

4. 556XI with Scope 2.0x, Flash Hider, and Angled Grip + M45 Meusoc with Suppressor + Smoke Grenade

This loadout setup will provide a good balance between recoil control and speed on the 556XI. That’s because the flash hider as its barrel attachment will greatly lower the 556XI’s vertical recoil, and the angled grip, while adding no recoil control benefit, will allow the user to go into aim-down-sights stance faster than normal. That's really important for a hard breacher like Thermite, especially when he's performing the role of an entry-fragger after a hard breach. With the angled grip, he would be able to aim and react to enemies faster.

The scope 2.0x on the 556XI will provide Thermite with a really good amount of zoom level while also not compromising a lot on peripheral view, especially since its main frame doesn't take up a lot of screen space. So when aiming-down-sights with this loadout setup, the user will have a clear and wide view of the surroundings, despite the high level of zoom. The smoke grenade generic gadget will provide cover for Thermite and the whole attacking team after a hard breach is successful, and the smoke cover can really help them plant the defuser or advance inside the objective pot.

Excels in:

• Having a good amount of recoil control on the 556XI assault rifle due to the flash hider which will also hide its muzzle flash
• Being able to go into aim-down-sight stance faster than normal because of the angled grip attachment
• Having a high level of zoom through the scope 2.0x while also not compromising so much on peripheral view
• Being able to shoot defender cameras and other gadgets silently through the use of the suppressed M45 Meusoc handgun
• Providing cover for the attacking team’s push and defuser plant attempt with the use of the two smoke grenades in Thermite’s arsenal

Build Details:

• Primary weapon - 556XI with Scope 2.0x, Flash Hider, and Angled Grip
• Secondary weapon - M45 Meusoc with Suppressor
• Generic gadget - Smoke Grenade

Recoil pattern test on the 556XI in this setup with the author’s own recoil control applied:

3. 556XI with Scope 2.0x, Flash Hider, and Vertical Grip + M45 Meusoc with Suppressor + Smoke Grenade

This loadout setup will provide Thermite with the best vertical recoil on his 556XI assault rifle. That’s because the flash hider and the vertical grip both specialize in lowering the weapon’s vertical recoil. This is great for players who feel like reducing the vertical recoil on the 556XI assault rifle is the best way to have the best shooting experience with the weapon. Plus, the flash hider will hide the weapon’s muzzle flash, therefore, reducing the visual cues that enemies could react to when determining where Thermite is shooting them from, so this loadout setup doesn't just add recoil control benefits, it adds some stealth benefits as well.

And since the gunshots from the 556XI will be loud in this loadout setup, it would be great for the user to have a suppressed M45 Meusoc handgun. That way, when he needs to shoot defender cameras or other gadgets while trying to avoid alerting defenders to his presence, he can use it instead of the 556XI. The great thing is, the M45 Meusoc handgun has a very manageable recoil even without a barrel attachment that adds recoil benefits, so even with a suppressor, Thermite would also be able to use it for fragging enemies because its gunshots will be quite stable, especially when the user knows how to pace his shots well.

Excels in:

• Having the best vertical recoil control on the 556XI because of the presence of both the vertical grip and the flash hider attachments
• Having a high level of zoom with the scope 2.0x while maintaining a wide and clear peripheral view
• Being able to to shoot defender gadgets especially cameras without giving away your location through the use of the suppressed M45 Meusoc handgun
• Providing a good amount of cover for the attacking team’s push and defuser plant attempts through the two smoke grenades in Thermite’s arsenal
• Finishing enemies off with the M45 Meusoc handgun when the 556XI primary weapon needs to reload in the middle of a gun fight

Build Details:

• Primary weapon - 556XI with Scope 2.0x, Flash Hider, and Vertical Grip
• Secondary weapon - M45 Meusoc with Suppressor
• Generic gadget - Smoke Grenade

Recoil pattern test on the 556XI in this setup with the author’s own recoil control applied:

2. 556XI with Scope 2.0x, Compensator, and Vertical Grip + M45 Meusoc with Suppressor + Smoke Grenade

While the previous entry will provide the best vertical recoil possible on the 556XI, this loadout setup is higher on the list because it will provide the best overall recoil on the weapon. That’s because the 556XI’s recoil tends to go horizontally, so reducing its chances of horizontal recoil and random recoil from all directions will provide Thermite with a more stable shooting experience. The compensator will do that by reducing the weapon’s recoil diamond size, and that's why for the 556XI, it’s the better barrel attachment than the flash hider.

So with this loadout setup, what’s going to hold the 556XI’s vertical recoil is the vertical grip, and what's going to reduce its horizontal recoil is the compensator. That’s a really good balance to have for this excellent weapon. The scope 2.0x is the best scope for the 556XI because it provides a high level of zoom, but not so much that it sacrifices a lot of peripheral view.  Another great thing about it is that its frame doesn't take up a lot of screen space except for the gear-like thing on its upper left side. So the user will be provided with a good clear view when he's aiming-down-sights with the 556XI.

Excels in:

• Providing the best overall recoil for the 556XI with the compensator reducing its horizontal recoil and random recoil from all directions
• Maintaining a good amount of vertical recoil control on the 556XI assault rifle through the vertical grip attachment
• Having a high level of zoom through the scope 2.0x without being at a disadvantage at close range
• Being able to shoot defender gadgets like CCTV cameras with much less risk of alerting enemies to your presence
• Providing cover for the attacking team’s push and defuser plant attempts through the use of the two smoke grenades in Thermite’s arsenal

Build Details:

• Primary weapon - 556XI with Scope 2.0x, Compensator, and Vertical Grip
• Secondary weapon - M45 Meusoc with Suppressor
• Generic gadget - Smoke Grenade

Recoil pattern test on the 556XI in this setup with the author’s own recoil control applied:

1. 556XI with Scope 2.0x, Suppressor, and Vertical Grip + M45 Meusoc with Muzzle Brake and Laser + Smoke Grenade

We’ve talked a lot about managing the recoil of the 556XI assault rifle in the previous entries, but its overall recoil is actually not that hard to manage especially if you pace your shots well and the vertical grip attachment is present. That’s why the suppressor is the best barrel attachment for it, because the user will still manage the weapon’s recoil well even though the suppressor won’t add any recoil control benefits. In exchange, the suppressor will provide Thermite with great stealth benefits that are ultimately better than the recoil control benefits that the other barrel attachments bring.

That’s because with the suppressor, Thermite will be able to shoot enemies without providing them a directional threat indicator of where his shots are coming from. The suppressor will also hide the 556XI’s muzzle flash and greatly dampen its gunshot sound. All of these perks will make it harder for enemies to effectively return fire, thus increasing Thermite’s survival rate. And since the devs have recently removed the damage reduction penalty from using a suppressor, there isn't really any drawback to using it anymore aside from it not providing additional recoil control benefits, which, as I mentioned, isn’t that dire of a need for the 556XI assault rifle.

Excels in:

• Shooting enemies with the 556XI assault rifle without them receiving a directional threat indicator of where the shots are coming from
• Reducing the visual cues that enemies could react to when pinpointing Thermite’s location by hiding the 556XI’s muzzle flash
• Making it harder for enemies to pinpoint Thermite’s location through his gunshot sound by silencing the 556XI through the use of the suppressor
• Having great recoil control on the M45 Meusoc handgun due to the muzzle brake barrel attachment
• Having a tight hip fire on the M45 Meusoc handgun because of the laser attachment
• Providing a good amount of cover for the whole attacking team with the use of the smoke grenade

Build Details:

• Primary weapon - 556XI with Scope 2.0x, Suppressor, and Vertical Grip
• Secondary weapon - M45 Meusoc with Muzzle Brake and Laser
• Generic gadget - Smoke Grenade

Recoil pattern test on the 556XI 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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