Best Black Ops 6 AEK-973 Gear and Class Construction

What is the best Black Ops 6 AEK-973 gear? There are few things more satisfying in Call of Duty than dispatching an enemy with a single burst, and the AEK-973 is the best in the game at this, at least out to 40 yards with this loadout.

This powerful marksman rifle is also surprisingly stable out of the box, making it a dream to build in Black Ops 6. It should come as no surprise that the AEK-973 is on our list of the best BO6 gear, and with our tried and tested build, you’ll be tearing up lobbies in the FPS game – more on that below.

How to unlock the AEK-973 in Black Ops 6

To unlock the AEK-973 in Black Ops 6, you must reach player level 34. As a Black Ops 6 Prestige unlock, the AEK-973 is a good candidate for one of your permanent unlocks. However, we recommend that you prioritize using the limited unlocks of end-Prestige weapons so that you can maximize your time with them.

Best Black Ops 6 AEK-973 Gear

• Optics: Volzhsky reflex
• Muzzle: Suppressor
• Walk: Long barrel
• Underrun: Vertical handle
• Magazine: Extended Mag I
• Back handle: Quickdraw handle
• Stock: Balanced stock
• Fire mods: Rapid fire

While you can use any standard sight for this AEK-973 gear, such as the Kepler Microflex, we’re big fans of the Volzhsky reflex and its large round optics. As for the muzzle, we tested everything but didn’t notice a big difference in performance. As such, the Suppressor gets our vote because it keeps you nice and safe on the mini-map, provided killstreaks are not active.

If we go down the weapon, we have chosen the Long barrel – a must-have for most weapons thanks to the large increase in effective damage range. On the bottom of the AEK-973 we have the Vertical handle for horizontal kickback control, the Extended Mag I to ensure you can defeat multiple enemies with one clip, and the Quickdraw handle to boost your ADS speed.

At the butt of the gun we went with the Balanced stock because of the extra mobility boost it provides. If you find yourself missing shots due to bullet recoil, the Combat Stock will quickly solve the problem. Finally, adjust the Rapid fire mod to increase gun burst speed.

Best Black Ops 6 AEK-973 class build

• Secondary weapon: CIGMA 2B
• Battle: Knife
• Tactical: Encourage shot
• Deadly: Semtex
• Field upgrade: Acoustic amplifier
• Advantage 1: Gung-ho
• Advantage 2: Murderer
• Benefit 3: Double time
• Specialty: Enforcer
• Wild card: Gunfighter

Since you are using all eight available attachments, the Gunfighter Wildcard is required for this build. While you can choose any weapon you want, you can marry the AEK-973 while destroying the killstreak CIGMA 2B is a logical choice if you’re using a suppressed weapon – no UAV, no problem.

Since you’re going to aim for long streaks, the Encourage shot ensures that you stay informed about your health and at the same time provides an extra boost to mobility. The Lethal slot is largely down to personal preference, but the Semtex is our choice. Before the Field Upgrade we had a lot of fun with the Acoustic amplifieras the amplified footprints give us a better understanding of where our targets lurk.

As for the benefit, we went for the red trinity of Gung-ho, MurdererAnd Double Time to gain access to Enforcer. If you crash out on a particular day, consider taking Bankroll instead of Double Time so you reach your streak break points faster.

Best Black Ops 6 AEK-973 Alternatives

The best Black Ops 6 AEK-973 alternative is the AS Val. Although the Swat 5.56 is also a burst-based marksman rifle, we feel that it is not worth using in its current state. So if you want to dish out the damage and get quick kills, the best Black Ops 6 AS Val gear will serve you well.

And that’s the best Black Ops 6 AEK-973 gear and class lineup. Now that you’re equipped with the best accessories the gun has to offer, head over to the Black Ops 6 maps and show them how it’s done. Our gear makes it easy to tear through opponents, so read our Black Ops 6 camos guide to find out how to unlock awesome skins.