Blackbeard is one of the oldest operators in Siege, and despite all the nerfs he’s had throughout the years, his popularity remained high. If anything, all those nerfs only made players more creative when it comes to choosing the best loadouts that will enhance their gameplay with him.
His special gadget, the TARS Mk 0-Transparent Rifle Shield, as its name implies, is a transparent shield that can be attached to his primary weapons. Even though it breaks after just a couple of shots, it protects him from being one shotted, and a lot of times, that gives him the upperhand in gunfights.
5. SR-25 with Scope 3.0x, Suppressor, and Vertical Grip + D-50 with Muzzle Brake and Laser + Claymore
This loadout setup is for players who want to provide long-range support for their teammates. In other words, sniping. This would allow players to excel in maps with a lot of long angles like Coastline or Villa where snipers thrive. As mentioned above, Blackbeard’s Rifle Shield usually protects him from being one shotted by freak headshots, and at long-range, that even has less tendency to happen. So with this setup, it’ll be very hard for enemies to take Blackbeard out from long distance.
But that’s not just because of his Rifle Shield. In fact, the main reason is the suppressor on the SR-25. With a suppressed SR-25, Blackbeard will be sniping enemies without a directional threat indicator and muzzle flash, so the enemies won’t have a visual cue of where his shots are coming from. Of course, the suppressor will also silence the SR-25's gunshots, and at long distances, it’ll be impossible for enemies to hear where Blackbeard’s shots are coming from.
Excels in:
- Inflicting high damage with the SR-25 marksman rifle without letting enemies know where Blackbeard’s shots are coming from due to the suppressor as its barrel attachment
- Maintaining a good amount of vertical recoil control on Blackbeard’s SR-25 marksman rifle due to the presence of the vertical grip attachment which greatly lowers the weapon’s vertical recoil
- Having the ability to see enemies really well, even at long range, due to the high zoom level from the scope 3.0x on Blackbeard’s SR-25, which is perfect for sniping.
- The D-50 handgun with a muzzle brake on its barrel will have really good recoil control so it’ll be a perfect alternative weapon for Blackbeard at close to medium range.
- The claymore will add another layer of protection for Blackbeard when he’s sniping from long-range, as it’s a great counter for run outs.
Build Details:
- Primary Weapon - SR-25 with Scope 3.0x, Suppressor, and Vertical Grip
- Secondary Weapon - D-50 with Muzzle Brake and Laser
- Generic Gadget - Claymore
4. SR-25 with Scope 3.0x, Muzzle Brake, and Vertical Grip + D-50 with Suppressor and Laser + Frag Grenade
While the suppressed SR-25 is great for sniping, and indeed, there are times when providing sniper support would benefit the attacking team a lot, most of the time, Blackbeard is more effective when he’s on the front line. Obviously, that’s because his Rifle Shield allows him to not die so easily. And when it comes to being on the front line, the SR-25 in this loadout setup would be great, even though it’s a marksman rifle and theoretically, it’s for long distance shooting.
The SR-25 in this loadout setup can also be used well in close to medium range because of the muzzle brake on its barrel. The muzzle brake and the vertical grip will work hand in hand to greatly lower the weapon’s recoil, so the SR-25 in this loadout setup will be really easy to control. As for the scope 3.0x, it will eat up a lot of peripheral view, but because of its thin frame and reticle design that doesn’t take up a lot of screen space, the user will have a clear front view which is really great for spotting enemies.
Excels in:
- Having a very strong recoil control on Blackbeard’s SR-25 marksman rifle due to the presence of both the muzzle brake and vertical grip attachments.
- Having a primary weapon that can be used well at any range and inflicts a massive amount of damage and destruction per shot. It can also be used to break unreinforced hatches.
- The scope 3.0x will provide Blackbeard with a great amount of zoom that’ll allow him to really see enemies well which is great for accuracy and perfect for a marksman rifle.
- The suppressor on Blackbeard’s D-50 will allow him to shoot enemy gadgets silently when he’s infiltrating the mission area, while the laser will greatly tighten its hip fire spread.
- The frag grenades on Blackbeard’s arsenal can be used to force defenders out of their hiding spots and into Blackbeard or the other attackers’ line of sight.
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 - Frag Grenade
3. MK17 CQB with Scope 2.0x, Compensator, and Angled Grip + D-50 with Suppressor and Laser + Claymore
The MK17 CQB, as its name implies, is great for close quarters combat. But don’t let its name fool you into thinking that it’s only great at close range, because it certainly excels at medium range as well. That’s because the weapon has a very low recoil, and because of that, the user can afford to equip it with an angled grip instead of the vertical variant. That very low recoil comes from its relatively low rate of fire which is a good balance since the weapon has good firepower, and like I said, a very controllable recoil.
To be more specific though, what’s really low is its vertical recoil. The weapon does have huge recoil diamonds which means that it’s prone to horizontal and random recoil from all directions. That’s why for this loadout setup, the angled grip will be partnered with a compensator which will greatly reduce the size of the weapon’s recoil diamonds. With the compensator on the MK17 CQB’s barrel, the user will have a smoother firing experience, even during long sprays.
Excels in:
- Blackbeard will have a more stable firing experience with the MK17 CQB because of the compensator on its barrel which will greatly lower its horizontal and random recoil from all directions
- Blackbeard will be able to go into aim-down-sights faster than normal because of the angled grip attachment and that means he can also put up his Rifle Shield in front of him faster
- The scope 2.0x on Blackbeard’s MK17 CQB will provide a really good amount of zoom without sacrificing a lot of peripheral view. It’s the most balanced scope in Siege.
- The suppressed D-50 handgun as Blackbeard’s secondary weapon will allow him to disable enemy gadgets with much less chance of alerting them to his presence
- The claymore as Blackbeard’s generic gadget will allow him to protect himself and his teammates from roamers, flankers, and enemies who will attempt run outs.
Build Details:
- Primary Weapon - MK17 CQB with Scope 2.0x, Compensator, and Angled Grip
- Secondary Weapon - D-50 with Suppressor and Laser
- Generic Gadget - Claymore
Recoil test on the MK17 CQB in this setup with the author’s own recoil control applied:
2. MK17 CQB with Scope 2.0x, Suppressor, and Angled Grip + D-50 with Muzzle Brake and Laser + Stun Grenade
Although the MK17 CQB is prone to horizontal and random recoil from all directions due to its huge recoil diamonds, it’s still generally easy to control its weapon kick due to its slow rate of fire. That’s why even without the presence of any attachments that add more recoil control, the weapon would remain very manageable. That’s why the suppressor is one of the best barrel attachments to use for the MK17 CQB. Because with the suppressor on its barrel, the enemies will be much slower to react to your shots.
That’s because the MK17 CQB will greatly silence the weapon’s gunshots, hide its muzzle flash, and most importantly, remove its directional threat indicator. With all those perks, the enemies could be slower to react to Blackbeard’s shots because they won’t immediately know where they’re coming from. The stealth benefits that the suppressor brings to the table will be great for a more methodical approach and will allow Blackbeard to excel more at medium range shooting.
Excels in:
- Making enemies slower to react to Blackbeard’s shots because the suppressor on the MK17 CQB will remove its muzzle flash and directional threat indicator as well as silence its gunshots
- The angled grip on Blackbeard’s MK17 CQB will allow him to go into aim-down-sights quicker than normal which is great for sudden enemy encounters at close range
- The scope 2.0x on Blackbeard’s MK17 CQB will provide a really good amount of zoom level that will allow him to see his enemies well, especially since its frame doesn’t take up a lot of screen space.
- Since Blackbeard will be able to shoot defender gadgets silently with the MK17 CQB in this setup, it’s better to equip his D-50 with a muzzle brake for a much better recoil.
- The stun grenades are great for pushing because they can blind enemies, and even if they avoid being blinded, there’s a high chance that they’ll experience tinnitus when one pops off near them
Build Details:
- Primary Weapon - MK17 CQB with Scope 2.0x, Suppressor, and Angled Grip
- Secondary Weapon - D-50 with Muzzle Brake and Laser
- Generic Gadget - Stun Grenade
Recoil test on the MK17 CQB in this setup with the author’s own recoil control applied:
1. MK17 CQB with Scope 2.0x, Extended Barrel, and Angled Grip + D-50 with Suppressor and Laser + Frag Grenade
Obviously, Blackbeard is famous for his Rifle Shield that can absorb a couple of shots before breaking. He has two Rifle Shields, so he can replace the first one when it breaks. It allows Blackbeard to avoid being one shotted most of the time, but the downside is that it slows his movement. So the best thing for Blackbeard to have is more damage, because the faster he can take an opponent out on a straight up gunfight after his Rifle Shield breaks, the higher his survival rate will be.
That increased damage will be provided by the extended barrel on his MK17 CQB which now adds 12% damage to weapons on top of its previous benefit of lowering their range damage drop-off. With this setup on Blackbeard’s MK17 CQB, there’s a higher chance for the user to take out their opponent after the Rifle Shield breaks or even before that. As for the frag grenade as Blackbeard’s generic gadget, it will be useful for him when it comes to forcing defenders out of their hiding spots.
Excels in:
- Inflicting heavier damage from Blackbeard’s MK17 CQB due to the extended barrel increasing its firepower and reducing its range damage drop-off
- Being able to go into aim-down-sights faster than normal on Blackbeard’s MK17 CQB because of the angled grip attachment which is great for sudden enemy encounters
- Having great accuracy on Blackbeard’s MK17 CQB because of the scope 2.0x which will provide a good amount of zoom level while also not putting the user into a disadvantage at close range
- The D-50 handgun having a tight hip fire spread due to the laser, and silent gunshots due to the suppressor which is great for not giving away your location when disabling enemy gadgets like CCTV cameras
- Having a utility that is great for forcing defenders out of their entrenched positions in the frag grenades as Blackbeard’s secondary gadget which is also great for disabling bulletproof enemy gadgets.
Build Details:
- Primary Weapon - MK17 CQB with Scope 2.0x, Extended Barrel, and Angled Grip
- Secondary Weapon - D-50 with Suppressor and Laser
- Generic Gadget - Frag Grenade
Recoil 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:
