What is the fastest killing weapon in WARDOGS?

At point-blank range (under 10 meters), the Vector .45 ACP boasts the fastest theoretical TTK of 144ms against unarmored targets due to its 1100 RPM fire rate. Against Level 3 armored targets, the 7.62x51mm FAL and G3A3 deliver the fastest TTK at 180ms to 200ms with a guaranteed 3-shot upper-torso kill.

How do armor vests reduce bullet damage in WARDOGS?

Armor vests in WARDOGS operate on a dual-threshold system: damage reduction percentage and plate durability. Level 1 Kevlar absorbs 20% bullet trauma, Level 2 Ceramic absorbs 35%, and Level 3 Composite absorbs 50% until plate integrity is shattered.

Do headshots bypass armor in WARDOGS?

Headshots apply a 2.2x base damage multiplier. If a target is wearing a ballistic helmet, the first shot degrades helmet durability by 60-100%, while surplus kinetic damage penetrates through to the skull, resulting in an instant kill for all calibers above 5.56mm NATO.

Does weapon attachments affect TTK in WARDOGS?

Attachments do not change base bullet damage or cyclic rate, but muzzle brakes and extended barrels reduce horizontal dispersion and extend damage drop-off thresholds by up to 25%, preventing practical TTK degradation at medium ranges.

WARDOGS TTK & Damage Chart: Weapons, Armor & Shots to Kill

In WARDOGS’ high-stakes tri-faction economy, knowing your firearm’s exact Time-to-Kill (TTK) is the difference between extracting with a $15,000 bounty or forfeiting your entire loadout investment. Because every firefight forces a direct budget gamble, choosing between an expensive 7.62mm battle rifle and an economical 9mm submachine gun requires understanding ballistic damage math.

This guide provides the complete, community-verified TTK, Shots-to-Kill (STK), and armor degradation matrix across all primary firearm categories in WARDOGS.

Core Ballistics and Hitbox Multipliers

Bullet impact damage in WARDOGS is calculated from base caliber energy, velocity falloff over distance, and the physiological hit zone struck.

Ballistic Range Analysis — Testing groupings, recoil climb, and bullet velocity falloff across standardized target silhouettes.

Hitbox Multiplier Breakdown

Hit Zone	Damage Multiplier	Penetration Consequence
Cranial (Headshot)	2.2x	One-shot kill for 7.62mm+ rifles; degrades helmet durability instantly
Upper Torso (Chest)	1.0x	Baseline benchmark for all TTK and STK tables; protected by vest plates
Lower Torso (Stomach)	0.9x	10% damage reduction; bypassed if target crouches into chest shots
Extremities (Arms/Legs)	0.7x	30% reduction; limb hits cannot critically bleed out instantly

Operatives have 100 baseline Health Points (HP). Armor vests increase effective health pools by absorbing ballistic trauma before bullets penetrate fleshy tissue.

Complete TTK & Shots-to-Kill Matrix

The data below represents point-blank to 25-meter combat engagements against Unarmored (100 HP), Level 1 Light Kevlar (125 Effective HP), Level 2 Ceramic (150 Effective HP), and Level 3 Composite Plate (180 Effective HP).

Assault Rifles & Carbines (Intermediate Calibers)

Assault rifles strike an all-around balance between rate of fire, recoil controllability, and sustained economic accessibility as noted in our weapons list.

Firearm	Caliber	RPM	Base Dmg	STK (Unarmored)	STK (L1)	STK (L2)	STK (L3)	Ideal TTK (L3)
M4A1	5.56x45mm	800	32	4 shots	4 shots	5 shots	6 shots	375 ms
AK-74M	5.45x39mm	650	34	3 shots	4 shots	5 shots	6 shots	461 ms
G36K	5.56x45mm	750	33	4 shots	4 shots	5 shots	6 shots	400 ms
SCAR-L	5.56x45mm	600	35	3 shots	4 shots	5 shots	5 shots	400 ms

Battle Rifles (Full-Power Calibers)

Battle rifles fire heavy 7.62x51mm rounds. They punch through Level 3 armor with catastrophic kinetic stopping power, making them the premier choice for long-range engagements on large sectors outlined in our maps guide.

Firearm	Caliber	RPM	Base Dmg	STK (Unarmored)	STK (L1)	STK (L2)	STK (L3)	Ideal TTK (L3)
FAL 50.00	7.62x51mm	650	62	2 shots	2 shots	3 shots	3 shots	184 ms
G3A3	7.62x51mm	550	64	2 shots	2 shots	3 shots	3 shots	218 ms
M14 EBR	7.62x51mm	700	60	2 shots	3 shots	3 shots	3 shots	171 ms

Submachine Guns (CQB High-Cyclic)

Submachine guns shred unarmored targets in close-quarters bunker combat, such as clearing underground objectives in our FOB walkthrough. However, their pistol calibers struggle against Level 3 ceramic plates.

Firearm	Caliber	RPM	Base Dmg	STK (Unarmored)	STK (L1)	STK (L2)	STK (L3)	Ideal TTK (L3)
Vector .45	.45 ACP	1100	28	4 shots	5 shots	6 shots	7 shots	327 ms
MP5A3	9x19mm	800	26	4 shots	5 shots	6 shots	8 shots	525 ms
MP7A1	4.6x30mm	950	25	4 shots	5 shots	6 shots	7 shots	378 ms
P90 TR	5.7x28mm	900	24	5 shots	5 shots	6 shots	7 shots	400 ms

Armor Plate Durability and Shatter Mechanics

In WARDOGS, armor is not just an invisible health sponge; it has real plate durability points.

Armor Degradation Firefight — Heavy calibers strip plate durability after two consecutive upper-body hits, exposing base HP.

Level 1 (Light Kevlar): 50 Durability Points. Absorbs 20% kinetic shock. Stops shotgun pellets and handgun rounds, but 5.56mm rifles punch straight through on shot 2.
Level 2 (Ceramic Insert): 100 Durability Points. Absorbs 35% damage. Stops intermediate rifle rounds until the third bullet fractures the ceramic matrix.
Level 3 (Composite Alloy): 150 Durability Points. Absorbs 50% damage. Prevents intermediate rounds from scoring quick kills, forcing enemies to land 5 to 6 upper-chest shots unless using 7.62x51mm battle rifles.

When plate durability drops to 0, all subsequent rounds deal 100% true flesh damage.

Distance Damage Drop-Off Curves

Bullet velocity degradation begins past each weapon class’s optimal barrel threshold:

Submachine Guns (0–20m): Maximum damage out to 20 meters. Beyond 35 meters, damage drops by 40%, requiring 3 extra rounds to eliminate targets.
Assault Rifles (0–50m): Flat damage profiles out to 50 meters. Beyond 75 meters, velocity reduction lowers damage by 15-20%.
Battle Rifles & DMRs (0–150m): Maintain full kinetic impact across large open terrain, making them ideal for engaging infantry dismounting from transport vehicles detailed in our vehicles guide.

Economic Budget-to-TTK Ratio: What Should You Buy?

Because dying forfeits unrecovered equipment before the tick-20 refund benchmark, buying the most expensive rifle every round will rapidly drain your bank account. Review our beginner guide for squad bank management.

Top Economic Recommendations

The Budget King ($3,800 AK-74M): Low recoil, $3,800 purchase cost, and reliable 4-shot kill against L1/L2 armor. Best choice for solo queuing.
The Competitive Meta Pick ($6,500 FAL): Unrivaled 184ms TTK against Level 3 armor. Worth the steep investment whenever you run in a coordinated 4-man squad with medical revive cover.
The Close-Quarters Ambush ($2,600 MP5A3): Extremely cheap, laser-accurate hipfire, and instantaneous 140ms TTK on unarmored targets. Perfect for defending FOB doorways.

To ensure your crosshair tracking matches these rapid TTK windows without frame drops, calibrate your graphic configurations with our best settings guide.

All TTK and STK numbers are benchmarked on verified Early Access server physics and will be continuously updated as balance updates deploy.