Black Ops Cold War Weapon Detail: FARA 83

Reach Tier 15 in the Season Two Battle Pass to unlock the blazing fast FARA 83. Read on for an overview plus suggested loadouts for the new assault rifle.

Season Two has arrived and there’s a whole lot of new content to look forward to, not least of which is the powerful FARA 83 assault rifle. All Operators can earn the new weapon as part of the Season Two Battle Pass at Tier 15 for free.

Heading into the heart of Laos, Frank Woods and company will need all the firepower they can get, and the FARA 83 delivers. This full-auto assault rifle fires fast and hits hard. Here’s its in-game description:

“Full-auto assault rifle. High fire rate and muzzle velocity provides reliable stopping power from long range. Slightly heavier recoil with slower handling speeds.”

FARA 83 Overview

For those who can handle it, the FARA 83 is one heck of an assault rifle, pairing one of the fastest fire rates in its class with an impressive effective damage range. You’ll need to be quick and precise, however, always anticipating the next attack in order to balance its slower handling speeds.

Before adding in Gunsmith attachments, the FARA 83 offers a five-shot kill (or four headshots) within its effective range, matched only by the AK-47 in firepower. Its recoil is moderate, kicking up and to the right, with noticeable horizontal movement, making the Foregrip a strong early attachment choice.

It comes standard equipped with a 30-round magazine, but watch that trigger finger as it depletes quickly under the weapon’s fast fire rate. Expand your ammo capacity up to 40 or 50 rounds, or perfect your burst fire technique to conserve ammo and minimize the need to reload more than necessary in big fights.

However you outfit the FARA 83, know that you’ve got one beast of a weapon on hand. While it performs best at mid-range, Operators with steady hands can also use its extended damage range to hurt long-range targets. Due to its excellent range, the FARA 83 is a great choice in Combined Arms and 40-player matches. And while its slower handling speeds may cause issues in close-quarters fights, its rapid fire rate often gets the job done in a pinch. Controlling your fire and shooting in bursts will help control the recoil significantly.

Now let’s break down some FARA 83 loadout suggestions, whether you’re playing Multiplayer, Zombies, or Warzone™.

Blueprint Review and Loadout

Vulture Exo

Season Two brings its first Ultra-rarity Reactive Blueprint to the Battle Pass, and the FARA 83 is the perfect candidate. Available at Tier 95, the Vulture Exo evolves as you get kills, changing colors and pulsing with a thunderous energy as you tear up the enemy, alive or undead.

The Gunsmith configuration on the Vulture Exo is just plain nasty. The 19.5” Liberator Barrel improves the weapon’s already high muzzle velocity, with its penalty to aim walking speed negated and surpassed by the fast-handling KGB Skeletal Stock.

The Spetsnaz 50 Round Magazine paired with the high-precision Hawksmoor Optic and the recoil-stabilizing Foregrip offer a winning combination for suppressing enemies at mid-range and for plowing through zombies. In Warzone, its high-capacity, high-velocity configuration is perfect for chewing through armor plates.

Primary: Vulture Exo

Secondary: First Mate SMG Blueprint (Available at Tier 27 of the Season Two Battle Pass)

Perks: Forward Intel, Quartermaster, Spycraft

Equipment: Flashbang (Tactical), Frag (Lethal)

Wildcard: Law Breaker

This Multiplayer-focused loadout is all about suppressive fire, intel strength, and bombardment. When the Vulture Exo runs low, or when you move into close-range combat, the gorgeously gilded First Mate SMG offers the perfect secondary, its 40 Round Speed Mag in particular keeping you in the fight from skirmish to skirmish.

For Perks, we’ve gone with Forward Intel for a beefy mini-map that’s protected against Counter Spy Plane and Jammer interference via Spycraft, along with Quartermaster to encourage frequent use of your Flashbang and Frag. Enemies beware.

Zombies Loadout Suggestion

Elite Slayer

Primary: FARA 83

15.9” Cavalry Lancer, 40 Round Speed Mag, Tactical Stock, Flashguard 5.56, Mounted Flashlight

Field Upgrade: Frenzied Guard

Armored zombies on your trail? No problem. This loadout chews through those heavy hitters using the 15.9” Cavalry Lancer for increased armor damage and the 40 Round Speed Mag for a hefty ammo pool and quick reload speeds.

Equip the Tactical Stock to move faster while aiming, a great boon while backpedaling with your sights up. Finish it off by boosting your resource collection via the Flashguard 5.56 and Mounted Flashlight. If you’ve got the Assault Rifle Tier III Weapon Skill, add on your preferred Optic, Underbarrel, and Handle attachments and you’re ready to go.

When the fighting gets chaotic — like during the new Outbreak challenges — pop Frenzied Guard to taunt enemies off your teammates. Only your armor will take damage, and after investing some Aetherium Crystals, the skill becomes downright explosive.

Two Multiplayer Loadout Suggestions

Rash Commando

Primary: FARA 83

GRU 5mW Laser Sight, Foregrip, GRU Mag Clamp, Serpent Wrap, No Stock

Secondary: Machete (See our Machete unlock challenge tips here)

Perks: Flak Jacket & Tactical Mask, Tracker & Gearhead, Gung-Ho & Ghost

Equipment: Stimshot (Tactical), C4 (Lethal)

Wildcard: Greed Perk

This loadout is for the run-and-gunners who fire from the hip as much as down sights, knowing you’ve still got the means to battle at mid-range when you need to.

Take the GRU 5mW Laser Sight for a massive boost to hip-fire accuracy along with the GRU Mag Clamp for rapid reloads and a large pool of starting ammo. Add No Stock to speed up your sprint to fire time so you don’t get caught off guard in your mad rush to the objective. And when you need to fire down range, Serpent Wrap keeps your aim snappy with the Foregrip stabilizing horizontal recoil.

Swap to the Machete when you come up on enemies unaware or throw out your C4 and go loud. With Perk Greed, your abilities are unmatched: shrug off enemy attacks with Flak Jacket and Tactical Mask; hunt them down with Tracker and use your favorite Field Upgrade more often via Gearhead; and finally, improve your handling speeds via Gung-Ho and stay off the radar until you’re ready to shoot using Ghost.

Tactical Blaster

Primary: FARA 83

Kobra Red Dot, Flashguard 5.56, 18.1” Takedown, Steady Aim Laser, Spetznaz Grip, Taped Mags, Field Tape, Tactical Stock

Secondary: Midnight (Available at Tier 42 of the Season Two Battle Pass)

Perks: Paranoia, Scavenger, Ninja

Equipment: Smoke Grenade (Tactical), Tomahawk (Lethal)

Wildcard: Gunfighter

Once you start reaching the FARA 83’s upper weapon levels, the Gunfighter Wildcard really comes into its own. For this loadout, we’re focused on precise mid-range targeting with an extended damage range, CQB-capabilities, and resistance under fire.

Pair the Kobra Red Dot and Flashguard 5.56 to preserve vision through fire along with the 18.1” Takedown for an extended damage range in those long sightline battles. Stay on target via the recoil stabilizing Spetsnaz Grip with flinch resistance when under fire from the Field Tape. Complete the configuration with the Steady Aim Laser to remain competitive in tight spots, Tactical Stock for a faster aim walking speed, and last but not least Taped Mags for fast reloads.

Need a diversion? Toss your Smoke Grenade and head straight in. Switch to the silenced Midnight pistol Blueprint. With Ninja equipped, enemies won’t see or hear you coming, and Paranoia will help direct you toward them in the smoke. Keep stocked with Scavenger and silence targets fast with the Tomahawk.

Warzone Loadout Suggestion

The Finisher

Primary: FARA 83

Sillix Holoscout, 12.5” Cavalry Lancer, SOF Target Designator, 45 Round Speed Mag, Speed Tape

Secondary: RPG-7

Perks: E.O.D., High Alert, Amped

Equipment: Gas Grenade (Tactical), Thermite (Lethal)

For Warzone, we’re focused on precision, range, and magazine capacity, all useful traits whether you’re parachuting into Verdansk or Rebirth Island.

Start with the 1.75x magnification Sillix Holoscout, helping you to extend your targeting powers at range without being left completely vulnerable when fighting up close. Extend your damage range with both the 12.5” Cavalry Lancer and the SOF Target Designator, and improve your handling speeds and magazine capacity via Speed Tape and the 45 Round Speed Mag.

Add the RPG-7 and Thermite to your Loadout Drop for vital anti-vehicle tools, plus High Alert to warn you of enemies out of sight, and Amped for faster weapon swaps and launcher reloads. When you’re up against a tightly clustered squad, toss your Gas Grenade and attack while they’re disabled.

This is just a taste of what you can do with the FARA 83 in Gunsmith. At just Tier 15 in the Season Two Battle Pass — and free for everyone — it won’t take long to unlock and level up this great new addition to your arsenal.