Hello, this is XboxAhoy and this is the seventeenth episode of my Black Ops 2 Weapon Guide.
This time, we're covering the SWAT-556.
The SWAT is the first burst-fire weapon you'll unlock, at level 10, and Black Ops 2 marks
the weapon's first appearance in the Call of Duty series.
The SIG SG 556, as it is known in real life, is a weapon of Swiss origin that was first
produced in 1986 and introduced into service in 1990.
It is the US-made version of the SG 551, and in real life is a semi-automatic weapon intended
for the civilian market.
The parent design is technically chambered for the Swiss 5.6mm GP 90 round, although
this specification is fully interchangeable with the far more common NATO 5.56mm cartridge.
The SWAT name used in-game refers to 'Special Weapons and Tactics' police units, a potential
role for this weapon: the change likely made to avert potential licensing or legal issue.
In-game, damage per shot is moderate, but very consistent out to a long range.
You'll usually need 3 body shots to kill, although this drops to 4 shots at an extreme
distance.
The SWAT also has a higher-than usual headshot multiplier, which means that you can kill
with a single burst at any range - although it is rather unlikely to score three headshots
in a single burst.
Equipping the select fire attachment will reduce your ranged damage considerably: you'll
generally need 4 shots to kill instead of just 3.
Post-patch, the weapon now has LMG-grade penetration, technically higher than the other assault
rifles - but in practical terms, performance through walls is similar to its peers.
Rate of fire is high within the burst - at the equivalent of 940 rounds per minute, a
well-placed sequence of shots will quickly down a target.
There is a mandatory delay between your bursts, however - and so your overall maximum rate
of fire will be around 500 rounds per minute instead.
Select fire will make your weapon fully-automatic, and as such will let you fire at the full
940 rounds per minute, the same as the Type 25.
When employed as a burst weapon, recoil is very low - with your sights settling during
the delay.
Even within the 3 shot burst, kick is relatively mild: it's not uncommon to hit a mid-range
target with all three bullets fired, if your aim is true.
Automatic fire via select fire will prove to be less accurate - continuous shooting
will lead your aim vertically upwards, making burst fire a better option for longer distances.
Aim time is standard for the assault rifle class, at 250 milliseconds - as is your movement
speed, at 95 percent of the maximum base speed.
Magazine capacity is again standard for the SWAT's class, with thirty rounds between reloads.
Extended clip will give you 39 rounds instead of the more usual 40, for a supply more easily
divisible by the 3-round-burst.
Reload times are quite bearable, on the more rapid end of assault rifle reloads at 2.09
seconds.
Given the restrained consumption of a burst fire weapon, such reloads seldom prove inconvenient.
Our build with the SWAT-556 is a long-range class designed to attain the highest scorestreaks:
keeping your enemy at an arm's reach is an essential part of using the SWAT effectively.
Up close, you'll struggle to reliably strike your opponent 3 times with a single burst
- so it's best to tone down your aggression with this weapon.
Our attachment choice is of an optical ilk: the SWAT is a weapon that demands precision,
so an investment in your means of targeting will pay dividends.
The ACOG scope is a surprisingly effective long range choice, ideal for a marksman build:
it will grant you a higher-than-usual level of zoom while aiming, allowing you to place
your bursts more accurately.
Unlike previous games, where the ACOG would both slow your aim and increase recoil, the
ACOG Sight in Black Ops 2 will only improve your weapons performance: aim time remains
the same, and you'll even benefit from a reduction in recoil, albeit a very slight one.
Lower recoil will enhance the consistency of your fire, and boost your chances of a
single burst kill: given the delay between bursts, even a minor reduction in spread can
make a major difference overall.
If you'd rather take a mid-range optical option, the EOTech sight is a worthy alternative.
It still has a magnification advantage over the assault rifle's innate zoom, and reduces
recoil very slightly - but the wider field of view will prove more usable on smaller
maps, or while defending shorter sightlines.
Our perk selection is geared towards attaining the higher scorestreaks: such sprees are more
likely when using a long-range weapon in its intended role, as you retain much greater
control over potential engagements.
First up, Perk 1 greed will afford us two choices from the first tier, for two-pronged
assistance in earning your scorestreaks.
When it comes to attaining the higher streaks, the help Hardline grants will prove useful,
boosting your score accrual by 20 percent.
When part of your strategy revolves around scorestreaks, Hardline is a very valuable
addition to your loadout - and a long-range weapon like the SWAT can be an able tool for
attaining streaks when employed in a careful manner.
Our second tier one choice is Flak Jacket, which can also help to attain the higher streaks,
albeit via a different means.
Protection from explosives will help you to avoid deaths via grenades, launchers and some
scorestreaks - and the removal of such deaths will, on average, enhance your ability to
secure the longest streaks.
Next up, we'll be taking two perks from the second tier as well as the first, courtesy
of the Perk 2 Greed wildcard.
Toughness is our first choice, and is a very useful option when your weapon demands a high
degree of accuracy.
Taking incoming fire mid-burst can spoil your aim, so the reduction in flinch toughness
grants can often make the difference in securing a critical one-burst kill.
Second up, Scavenger will help ensure that you won't run out of primary ammunition on
a longer streak - and will also keep your lethal option resupplied, an important part
of our defensive strategy.
Similarly important is a good close-range secondary: the B23R fills this role nicely,
with a thematically-matched burst fire - but any of the pistol options would work here.
Equip it while on the move, and switch to it to repel close-range attackers - your secondary
should fill the gap left by the SWAT's poor close-quarter performance.
Finally, a claymore in your lethal slot will help watch your back whilst you occupy a firing
position - and even if it doesn't score a free kill, the claymore's destruction serves
as a good warning of intruders.
Paired with Scavenger, you can resupply your defences - and so it's entirely possible to
have up to two entrances covered, decreasing the odds that someone will be able to sneak
up behind you and snuff your streak.
That's our build - a dedicated long-range role that puts the impressive reach of the
SWAT-556 to task.
Such marksman roles call for a more cautious style of play - holding a good position is
key, as moving with the SWAT will put you at a severe risk of being outclassed at a
close range.
Holding a position doesn't necessarily mean staying in one place for an entire match,
of course - while it's important to steer clear of the fray, changing your firing location
as opportunity permits can be a devastating tactic to contain an unwary enemy.
Controlling the longer sightlines will mean those with SMGs or Shotguns will suffer at
your weapon's impressive reach - and your claymores and secondary will help fend off
their rage-fuelled reprisal.
The SWAT-556 is an excellent weapon within its mid-to-long range niche, and rewards players
able to force engagements at this range with the potential for high scorestreaks.
With excellent range and relatively low recoil, the SWAT retains good burst lethality out
to quite some distance, and even in cases where the first burst fails to kill - the
second is equally accurate and quick to follow.
Unfortunately, the burst fire and consistent ranged damage won't serve you well in close
quarter gunfights - the SWAT's performance at such ranges is severely lacking.
The weapon's demand for accurate burst placement means lucky hipfire or your secondary is all
you can rely on: going toe-to-toe with the SWAT will almost always leave you at a disadvantage.
Still, if you position yourself well and prepare your defences, you can round out these flaws
and dominate from afar.
Keep your distance, and patiently bait a trap - lure your enemies into your sights, wait
for the perfect moment to strike...
...and SWAT your opponents like flies.
Thanks for watching, this has been XboxAhoy.
Join me next week, when I'll be covering the LSAT.
Until then, farewell.