Best Rival-9 build in MW3 beta: Attachments, loadout, and perks

The Rival-9 is a devastating SMG in MW3, boasting a decent rate of fire and serious stopping power. This gun does have a bit of kick, but it can be negated with the right attachments. It may be a struggle to use the Rival-9 on maps like Estate that have wide open spaces. On more claustrophobic maps like Rust and Favelas, the weapon is a force to be reckoned with. If you want to turn the dial up to 11 with this SMG, here’s the Best Rival-9 build in MW3 beta: Attachments, loadout, and perks.

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Best Rival-9 Attachments in MW3

• Muzzle: Monolithic Suppressor
• Underbarrel: Bruen Heavy Support Grip
• Rear Grip: Rival Vice Assault Grip
• Optic: Personal Preference
• Magazine: 50 Round Drum

The Monolithic Suppressor is a fantastic Muzzle Attachment. With this suppressor, we stay off the map and gain valuable Recoil Reduction. We lose some ADS speed, but the perks outweigh the cons.

Our Underbarrel choice gives us improved Horizontal Recoil and Gun Kick Control. The downside is we gain a small amount of Vertical Recoil, but it’s easily controllable and barely noticeable with the Monolithic Suppressor Muzzle.

The Rival Vice Assault Grip is insanely good as it improves Gun Kick Control, Firing Aim Stability, and Recoil Control. The Rival-9 gains a little Idle Sway with the Grip, but it will never be an issue unless you ADS for extended periods.

The Iron Sights are serviceable on the Rival-9, but tracking targets with an Optic is still easier. You can get away with hip-firing at point-blank range, but if your opponent runs for cover, you’ll be happy you have an optic.

Finally, the 50-Round Drum is the largest magazine available and lets us engage multiple opponents without getting stung by a reload. Our Reload speed is pretty slow with the Drum, but if all of your opponents are dead, it doesn’t matter!

Best secondary, tactical, lethal, and field equipment for the Rival-9 build

• Secondary: Renetti
• Tactical: Battle Rage
• Lethal: Frag Grenade
• Field Upgrade: Munitions Box

The Renetti packs a real punch and serves as a superb secondary weapon. If you can’t finish opponents off with your primary, you should be able to deal with a killing blow with the Renetti. 

Battle Rage feels completely broken right now and is arguably the strongest Tactical for any situation. Frag Grenades seem powerful in MW3 and are perfect for flushing players out of buildings. Finally, I’ve not experimented much with the other Field Upgrades, but you can’t go wrong with free bullets. 

Best gloves, boots, gear, and vests for the Rival-9 build

• Gloves: Quick-Grip Gloves
• Boots: Covert Sneakers
• Gear: Bone Conduction Headset
• Vest: Infantry Vest

Much like our Striker SMG build, we want perks that let us excel in close-range engagements. Quick-Grip Gloves are great as they give us faster Swap Speed. The Rival-9 chews through ammo, so this will come up more than you think. 

I love the Covert Sneakers/Bone Conduction Headset combo, as I can move almost silently around the map and hear opponents doing the same thing. There’s a case for using the Lightweight Boots for faster movement speed, but I think Covert Sneakers is the right call.

The Infantry Vest gives us increased Tac Sprint duration to make the most of our silent movement. If you play the spawns, you can get a lot of work done without your opponents even knowing you’re there.

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