Grau 5.56 Nerf: Is The Grau Still Good In Warzone?

The GRAU 5.56 was nerfed in mid-2020 and despite this change, many weren't convinced it actually did something.

The latest meta choices would suggest it was hit severely, but that's more down to the fact that the game has progressed since then and there are many other strong weapons.

Players are always falling back to this weapon due to its easy handling, consistent damage and excellent range (as well as most players probably having all the attachments unlocked.

So is the Grau 5.56 still good in Warzone?

Is The Grau 5.56 Still Good In Warzone?

TheXclusiveAce does a great job explaining the nerf that came to the GRAU 5.56 and MP5; these two guns have received nerfs in some areas and in some cases have actually been buffed.

That's why these two weapons are still popular, but they have had some balancing changes since.

This gun is still very good in Warzone, it's particularly fantastic at longer ranges due to its clean ironsights, strong damage and easy handling.

While there are better options overall, this is hardly so far from the meta that it isn't worth using.

Grau Nerf

TheXclusiveAce has outlined the changes to the Grau 5.56, confirming that the gun's damage range was subject to big changes.

Infinity Ward succeeded in this department as the damage range has been reduced by a few metres.

The base Grau 5.56 has had its standard 4 shot kill range reduced (from 34 to 30 metres) and its 5 shot kill range reduced (from 61 to 58 metres).

They've also nerfed the effectiveness of the Grau with the Nexus (40% to 33% boost) and Archangel barrels (45% to 40%).

The medium damage range (standard 5 shot kill) has been reduced from 23 to 22. This has absolutely no effect in core multiplayer, but in Warzone it will require you to expel an extra shot on those wearing 2-3 armor plates.

As well as the damage range, the recoil was targeted on the Grau 5.56. Overall, it's hard to distinguish a big difference, the recoil patterns appear to bob from side to side more than before. Some may even say it is an improvement, where it's lost it's tighter spread it appears to land more consistently in certain phases; you could argue it is an improvement.

So what does all of this mean to your gameplay? The difference will be noticeable on a case by case basis, but it's still the best gun in the game. While the nerfs will have effects on the weapon, the gun was so far ahead of anything else that it would take a seriously strong nerf to knock it off of its perch.

Warzone is about damage and accuracy - two things this weapon excels in, meaning people will still continue to use it until other weapons are buffed or this gets hit again.

These nerfs may make some other weapons more attractive, such as the M4A1, M13 and Kilo 141, all of which fair better at close to medium range, but it's still the top dog for now. 

MP5 Nerf

TheXclusiveAce has done a deep dive into how the MP5 has been effected with the new patch. Most notably, the 10mm rounds were targeted.

Both the 9mm and 10mm rounds have reduced the damage at closer to medium range, but it has actually seen a buff at a distance (instead of reducing).

The 10mm rounds now deal 22 damage to the torso and 19 at range (21 to the torso and 18 to the limbs).

These numbers, on their own, aren't particularly impressive, but in practice can make a big difference in gunfights. While it will not reduce the number of shots to kill overall, it will make the number of shots to kill more consistent.

This increase in its consistency is down to the increase in limb damage, requiring you to be less accurate and still come away with a kill.

As well as the damage, recoil was a bit talking point for the MP5; which supposedly got nerfed. This is simply not the case, the spray pattern has noticeably gotten tighter and more consistent.

It's worth mentioning that the "pre-patch" recoil pattern is from game launch and if the recoil did get nerfed in this patch, it means that the recoil pattern would have had to have been buffed at some point during the year.

He also notes that the gun didn't receive an official recoil buff at any stage, so it would have to have been a stealth change; so, in that instance, the gun's recoil was nerfed.

Many players have commented on the fact that they haven't noticed much of a nerf to recoil since the 1.23 patch.