Call of Duty: Black Ops 6has added its first full-auto shotgun to the sandbox with its Season 1: Reloaded update. Called the Maelstrom, this shotgun obliterates targets up close with a barrage of fast-firing buckshot. It’s not the hardest-hitting weapon in BO6, but it can pump out some impressive damage in Zombies.

If you’re looking for a solid workhorse weapon in Zombies or a fun Multiplayer option, the Maelstrom won’t let you down. Today, we’ll look at two powerful builds for this weapon, taking advantage of certain attachment and perk combinations to maximize its effectiveness in all game types.

Pros And Cons

There aren’t many attachments that greatly benefit the Maelstrom in multiplayer. AModified Chokeis a must totighten the gun’s pellet spreadwhile aiming. This stacks withTactical Laser’scanted ADS mode, giving this weapon a comfortable three-tap range of up to roughly eight meters. you’re able to extend these a little further with aLong Barrel.

For your final two attachments, we highly recommend you throw onRecoil Springsto greatly reduce the weapon’s recoil and aQuickdraw Gripto reduce the gun’s ADS speed, including your tac stance aim speed. Stay close to your enemies and don’t be afraid to hold down the trigger. Reload after each engagement, and you should perform well with this build.

Loadout Recommendations

Shotguns require you to fight up close, so you’ll want to use theEnforcer specialtyto trigger HP regeneration as soon as you get a kill. We trigger this set bonus withScavenger, Gun Ho, and Double Time.Scavenger is downright mandatory due to the Maelstrom’s low ammo reserves. Gun Ho removes movement penalties while reloading, and Double Time lets you tactical sprint for twice as long.

Since you don’t need eight attachments for this build, we suggest usingPerk Greedto give yourself two perks from the first column. This frees up your second column forFast Hands, allowing you to swap to your secondary immediately. Consider pairing this weapon with the Siris 9mm to cover close and medium distances.

Once again, we’ll be using theTactical Laseralongside theModified Choketo tighten our pellet spread. This should make getting headshots significantly easier.Recoil Springsshould also be used to keep the gun’s recoil in check.

You’ll also want aQuickdraw Gripto reduce the weapon’s ADS time, anInfiltrator Stockto increase your strafe speed while aiming, andExtended Mags IIfor a much larger magazine. For our final two attachments, we recommend aLong Barrelto extend your optimal damage range and aRanger Foregripfor additional sprint speed.