Operator Zero is one of the best intel gatherer operators on the attacking side. His special gadget, the Argus Launcher, can shoot his Argus Cameras that can borrow onto breakable surfaces, including reinforced ones. These Argus Cameras are able to provide the attacking team a wide view of an area and that’s not the only thing they can do.
Zero’s Argus Cameras are also great utility disablers because they can shoot an unlimited number of projectiles and their only limit is really a fifteen second cooldown. In this article, we’re going to tackle the loadout setups that will work best in conjunction to Zero’s role and special gadget as well as how the recent big changes to the game have affected the choices he has for his attachments and utilities.
5. MP7 with Magnified B scope, Extended Barrel, and Laser + 5.7 USG with Laser + Claymore
This loadout setup with the MP7 submachine gun as the primary weapon is at the last place in this list because it’s simply not the primary weapon of choice for most players when they’re playing Zero. That’s because the alternative, the SC3000K, has more firepower and customizability. That doesn’t mean, however, that the MP7 is not a viable weapon for him. With the right combination of attachments, one can transform the MP7 into an offensive menace in the hands of Zero.
For this loadout setup, the player will have the extended barrel on Zero’s MP7 which will increase its base damage as well as greatly reduce its range damage drop-off. That means the MP7 in this setup will be dealing high damage regardless of the range it’s being shot from. The MP7 also has better recoil and rate of fire than the SC3000K so players really shouldn’t sleep on this great submachine gun when they’re playing Zero. On top of all that, the MP7 also has a bigger magazine size than the SC3000K, although not by a lot.
Excels in:
- The extended barrel on Zero’s MP7 submachine gun will increase its base damage as well as lower its range damage drop-off, making sure that this weapon’s shots will hurt a lot regardless of the distance
- The laser on Zero’s MP7 submachine gun will give him a +10% aim-down-sight speed boost which be really helpful in sudden enemy encounters as well as a highly aggressive play
- The magnified B scope with its 2.5x zoom level will really help Zero have great accuracy when aiming-down-sight on his MP7 submachine gun as it’ll allow him to see his enemies very clearly
- The 5.7 USG handgun which has an integrated suppressor for Zero is a great utility for him when it comes to silently disabling enemy gadgets, and it’ll also be great for finishing off enemies due to its high damage and low recoil
- The two claymores in Zero’s arsenal will be great utilities for protecting him from run outs, roamers, and flankers while he’s on observation tool mode controlling his Argus Cameras
Build Details:
- Primary weapon - MP7 with Magnified B scope, Extended Barrel, and Laser
- Secondary weapon - 5.7 USG with Laser
- Generic gadget - Claymore
Recoil pattern test on the MP7 in this setup with the author’s own recoil control applied:
4. SC3000K with Magnified B scope, Flash Hider, and Angled Grip + 5.7 USG with Laser + Hard Breach Charge
As mentioned before, the SC3000K assault rifle is the more popular choice for Zero players when they’re choosing their primary weapon. That’s because the SC3000K has much higher damage than the MP7, and it’s more customizable since it can be equipped with grip attachments. Following the release of Operation Deadly Omen in Siege’s Year 9 Season 1, there has been big changes involving grip attachments, and it would be just a shame to not take advantage of that.
One of those big changes is the rework on the angled grip attachment. Before, it provided an aim-down-sight speed boost, but now, what it provides is a +20% reload speed boost. That’s a great perk for Zero to have on his SC3000K assault rifle because as touched on before, its magazine size is quite on the smaller side. The +20% reload speed boost from the angled grip will negate some of that drawback because even when Zero has to reload his SC3000K quite frequently due to its small magazine size, he can do so in no time.
Excels in:
- The flash hider helping Zero maintain good control on his SC3000K assault rifle because it specializes in lowering the overall vertical recoil of weapons as well as removing their muzzle flash
- The angled grip attachment on Zero’s SC3000K assault rifle will give him a +20% reload speed boost which in a lot of ways negates the weapon’s drawback of having a small magazine capacity
- The magnified B scope on Zero’s SC3000K will allow him to see his enemies very well when he’s aiming-down-sight on it because it’ll provide him with a 2.5x zoom level and an arrow tip reticle
- The 5.7 USG handgun with an integrated suppressor will be an excellent utility for Zero when it comes to a stealth approach to the mission building as he can use it for silently shooting enemy gadgets
- The two hard breach charges in Zero’s arsenal would be great for destroying two reinforced hatches as well as opening an entry point on a reinforced wall big enough for an operator to go through
Build Details:
- Primary weapon - SC3000K with Magnified B scope, Flash Hider, and Angled Grip
- Secondary weapon - 5.7 USG with Laser
- Generic gadget - Hard Breach Charge
Recoil pattern test on the SC3000K in this setup with the author’s own recoil control applied:
3. SC3000K with Magnified B scope, Flash Hider, and Horizontal Grip + 5.7 USG with Laser + Hard Breach Charge
The horizontal grip is the newest attachment in the game introduced in Year 9 Season 1. What it does is add +5% movement speed on the operator who’s holding the weapon that it’s attached to. Now a +5% movement speed may not sound like a lot, but certain operators like Zero, it is a huge boost. That’s because Zero’s gameplay involves him using his observation tool a lot in order to man his Argus Cameras for gathering intel or disabling enemy gadgets.
That creates the tendency of him being left behind by his teammates when it comes to pushing. The +5% movement speed boost from the horizontal grip will help him catch up to his teammates as well as respond faster to enemies he’s detected on his Argus Cameras. Another great thing about the horizontal grip is that the slight movement speed bonus will make it harder for enemies to hit him while he’s moving. On the other hand, since the horizontal grip doesn’t provide additional recoil control, it’s important to partner it up with a flash hider barrel attachment.
Excels in:
- Maintaining a good amount of recoil control on Zero’s SC3000K assault rifle with the presence of the flash hider attachment on its barrel which specializes in lowering the overall vertical recoil of weapons
- Providing Zero with a +5% movement speed bonus when he’s holding his SC3000K which will allow him to catch up with his teammates faster after using his observation tool for controlling his Argus Cameras
- Zero being able to see his targets very well due to the magnified B scope that’ll provide him with a 2.5x zoom level and an arrow tip reticle which is great for pinpoint shooting as it doesn’t obstruct the view of the target that much
- The integrated suppressor on the 5.7 USG handgun will be really useful for Zero when it comes to disabling enemy gadgets with much less chance of giving away his current position to the enemies
- The two hard breach charges in Zero’s arsenal would be great for creating an entry point on reinforced wall or for destroying two reinforced hatches which is great for a vertical play
Build Details:
- Primary weapon - SC3000K with Magnified B scope, Flash Hider, and Horizontal Grip
- Secondary weapon - 5.7 USG with Laser
- Generic gadget - Hard Breach Charge
Recoil pattern test on the SC3000K in this setup with the author’s own recoil control applied:
2. SC3000K with Magnified B scope, Extended Barrel, and Vertical Grip + 5.7 USG with Laser + Claymore
As mentioned before, Zero’s gameplay involves him going through the observation tool a lot in order to control his Argus Cameras, be it for gathering intel on enemies or for disabling their gadgets. That means that when Zero detects an enemy that he’ll be able to frag on one of his Argus Cameras, he’ll usually only have a small window of opportunity to do that. The extended barrel on his SC3000K assault rifle will make it so that hits that he’ll inflict to the enemy during that small window of opportunity even if he doesn’t take him out, will count for a lot.
That’s because the extended barrel will increase the base damage of the SC3000K as well as greatly lower its range damage drop-off. From 45, the SC3000K will have 50 damage per shot with the extended barrel, and while that may not sound like a lot at first glance, it is actually huge when you factor in the fact that the SC3000K is a fully automatic weapon and will be making multiple hits on an enemy’s body. So this loadout setup is for Zero players who are looking to maximize the damage that they can do with his SC3000K assault rifle.
Excels in:
- The extended barrel on Zero’s SC3000K assault rifle will increase its base damage from 45 to 50, and that’s a lot considering that the SC3000K is fully automatic and has a pretty fast rate of fire
- Zero’s SC3000K being equipped with an extended barrel will also means that its range damage drop-off will be lowered, that means that it’ll be inflicting high damage regardless of the distance
- The vertical grip on Zero’s SC3000K will help Zero maintain a good amount of recoil control on the weapon which is important since the extended barrel doesn’t add more recoil control on the weapon
- The 5.7 USG handgun with its integrated suppressor will be a great secondary weapon for Zero for finishing off his opponents when his SC3000K has to be reloaded in the middle of combat
- The two claymores in Zero’s arsenal will be almost essential for him since they can protect him from run outs and roamers while he’s using his observation tool to control his Argus Cameras
Build Details:
- Primary weapon - SC3000K with Magnified B scope, Extended Barrel, and Vertical Grip
- Secondary weapon - 5.7 USG with Laser
- Generic gadget - Claymore
Recoil pattern test on the SC3000K in this setup with the author’s own recoil control applied:
1. SC3000K with Magnified B scope, Suppressor, and Vertical Grip + 5.7 USG with Laser + Claymore
This is the best loadout setup for Zero because it goes so well with his role and gameplay. Zero’s main roles are intel gathering and enemy gadget disabling. Because of his Argus Cameras, Zero has a high chance of knowing where enemies are, and when they’re behind an unreinforced wall, using the intel he’s gathered from his Argus Cameras, he can wall bang them with good accuracy. Wall banging with a suppressed weapon often means that the enemies on the receiving end won’t have an idea where the shots are coming from.
That’s because the suppressor will remove the SC3000K’s directional threat indicator as well as greatly silence its gunshots. With that, it’ll be very hard for enemies to perform an effective counter fire, and all they’ll be able to do is find cover. But even that can be hard for them to do since they’ll have no idea where the shots are coming from, and that’ll also make it so that they won’t be able to properly defend themselves. The suppressor silencing the SC3000K’s gunshots will also allow Zero to hear incoming enemies’ sound cues even when he’s firing his SC3000K.
Excels in:
- The suppressor on Zero’s SC3000K will allow him to shoot enemies without providing them with a directional threat indicator or even a muzzle flash that would have told them where the shots are coming from
- The suppressor on Zero’s SC3000K will also greatly muffle the weapon’s gunshot sounds which will make it even harder for enemies to know where Zero is shooting from through the game’s audio
- The vertical grip on Zero’s SC3000K will help him maintain a good amount of recoil control on the weapon since it specializes in lowering the overall vertical recoil of weapons
- The 5.7 USG with its integrated suppressor will be a great weapon to switch to when the SC3000K is reloading since it has good firepower and excellent recoil control. It’ll also have a laser which adds a 10% ADS speed
- The two claymores in Zero’s arsenal will be great utilities for protecting him from run outs and other enemies that’ll try to frag him while he’s using his Argus Cameras for gathering intel or disabling enemy gadgets
Build Details:
- Primary weapon - SC3000K with Magnified B scope, Suppressor, and Vertical Grip
- Secondary weapon - 5.7 USG with Laser
- Generic gadget - Claymore
Recoil pattern test on the SC3000K 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:
