Best SOA Subverter loadout, class build, and setup in MW3

The best SOA Subverter loadout in Modern Warfare 3 is going to be everywhere in the FPS game before too long. This battle rifle may quickly stole the crown as the best gun in the category; thanks to having the same damage as the BAS-B but with better range, accuracy, and recoil control, the slightly slower fire rate makes next to no difference at all.

Battle rifles are excellent if you want to retain some mobility while predominantly setting yourself up to fight from range, holding down angles as an anchor, and picking enemies off before they have a chance to react. When you improve the recoil tenfold like we have, alongside a range buff, it’s safe to say the SOA Subverter will be in our best guns in MW3 list soon.

Here is the best SOA Subverter loadout in MW3, the best class to use alongside it, and how to unlock the gun and get your hands on it.

How to unlock the SOA Subverter in MW3

To unlock the SOA Subverter, you must complete seven challenges from Week 5 in any of multiplayer, zombies, or battle royale. This is a change from most new weapons in Modern Warfare 3, as usually you must unlock them via the battle pass, but in this instance you need to complete the fairly simple, yet quite specific, challenges. These range from getting 20 double kills with the Holger 556 in multiplayer to placing in the top 10 five times in Warzone, so there are plenty of different ways to achieve it.

Best SOA Subverter loadout in MW3

Here is the best SOA Subverter loadout in Modern Warfare 3:

• Barrel: Dozer-90 Long Barrel
• Underbarrel: VX Pineapple
• Optic: KR Mortis Precision 2.5x
• Rear Grip: PCS-90 Assault Grip
• Stock: Motion-V2 Heavy Stock

As explained, we want to make this gun as reliable as possible by improving its already quite respectable recoil. The best attachment for that — along with buffing the range and bullet velocity — is the Dozer-90 Long Barrel. The trade-off is you’ll get slower sprint to fire and ADS speed, but ideally you’ll be aiming down the sights to cover long-range gunfights anyway.

The underbarrel attachment is a flexible spot as there are so many choices here, many of which do very similar things to one another, but we’ve found the most success with the VX Pineapple. It gives a small buff to gun kick and recoil control, with a little more to aim walking steadiness and hipfire spread. You sacrifice some movement and ADS speed here, but again, that works fine with this playstyle. The PCS-90 Assault Grip and Motion-V2 Heavy Stock also both buff the recoil and gun kick control to ensure you miss fewer shots.

Finally, we have the optic. The SOA Subverter doesn’t have the most friendly iron sights for long range, so this is completely your personal preference, but since you’ll be engaging in longer range gunfights, we’d suggest something with some significant magnification. 2.5x feels like the sweet spot, with the KR Mortis Precision 2.5x, but you could go for something a little more powerful, or dial it back to a simple holographic or red dot depending on the map you’re playing on.

Best SOA Subverter class in MW3

Image: Sledgehammer Games/Activision via Polygon

Here is the best class to use with the SOA Subverter in Modern Warfare 3:

• Vest: Assassin Vest
• Secondary: Renetti
• Tactical: Scatter Mine
• Lethal: Breacher Drone
• Gloves: Marksman Gloves
• Boots: Stalker Boots
• Gear: EOD Padding

Since you’ll be sitting back with the SOA Subverter, the Assassin Vest is actually very useful because it makes you completely immune to UAV and enemy radar effects while stationary. Play your cards right and you can potentially go undetected for quite a while. The Renetti should always be the go-to choice for your secondary, because it’s the best pistol in the game, while the Scatter Mine is a solid choice here for the tactical because you can protect your back with them. Meanwhile, the Breacher Drone is a great long-range grenade alternative if someone is behind cover, or you need to let it loose while you take cover to reload.

For your attire, go for the Marksman Gloves because they reduce your sway and flinch while ADS, which you’ll be doing a lot of. The Stalker Boots increase your strafing speed when you’re in a heated gunfight, and the EOD Padding will protect you from being grenaded out of your chosen spot. All in all, the SOA Subverter is an excellent long-range weapon, and one you can’t go too far wrong with.

For more Modern Warfare 3 guides, see how to switch to Tactical Stance, and check our guides on the best TAQ Evolvere loadout, best Striker loadout, best SVS 545 loadout, best XRK Stalker loadout, best MCW loadout, and best AMR9 loadout.

If you’re jumping into the campaign, find all of the items and weapons in “Precious Cargo” and “Reactor,” see how to earn the Back in the Field trophy and the A Shot Blocked achievement, or check out our walkthrough for “Deep Cover.”