Best Battlefield 6 M4A1 loadout and build guide

The versatile M4A1 carbine is one of Battlefield 6’s best guns - here’s how to kit it out

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/EA

Want the best M4A1 loadout in Battlefield 6? The M4A1, unlocked at rank 2, is the first carbine you get, and it’s one of the best guns in the game. Its hipfire accuracy and rapid fire rate are made for close-quarters fights, but with the right attachments it becomes a versatile weapon that you can rely on in larger maps.

In this guide, we’ll explain two of our favourite M4A1 builds and loadouts in Battlefield 6 : one that leans into the gun’s strengths as a short-range powerhouse, another that transforms it into a well-rounded carbine for mid-range fights. We’ll go through the best attachments in every slot and explain what they do.

In this guide:

• Why use the M4A1 carbine in Battlefield 6?
• Best M4A1 loadout for short-range fights
• Best M4A1 loadout for mid-range fights
• Best M4A1 class and equipment in Battlefield 6

Remember that everyone is different, so if you want to tailor these loadouts to your own playstyle then click the loadout tab to customise your M4A1 build. Press Z while you’re there to spawn the firing range and test your tweaks.

Keep in mind that you’ll have to unlock most of these attachments by playing with the M4A1, which boosts your weapon mastery level. We’ll update this guide as we continue to unlock attachments.

Why use the M4A1 carbine in Battlefield 6?

The M4A1 is an excellent starter weapon in Battlefield 6. It fires faster than any other carbine and can compete with SMGs at close-range, while also giving you decent mid-range stopping power, especially if you kit it out correctly.

We can see it being extremely popular in every mode, but especially in Battlefield 6’s close-quarters battle map playlist, which is full of tight corridors, alleyways and capture points.

Best M4A1 loadout for short-range fights

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/EA

• Muzzle: Flash Hider
• Barrel: 11.5" Commando
• Underbarrel: Folding Stubby
• Magazine: 30rnd Fast Mag
• Ammo: Polymer Case
• Ergonomics: Improved Mag Catch
• Scope: Mini Flex 1.00x
• Top Accessory: 50 MW Green Laser

Our loadout plays to the rapid-fire M4A1’s strengths, with attachments that boost its hipfire accuracy, make it reload faster, and reduce the time for aiming down sights. But don’t worry, we haven’t gone all-out for hipfire – you’ll still need to fight at mid-range, after all. The result is an agile carbine that will mow down opponents in tight spaces, but can still spray foes at 20 metres when needed.

Muzzle: Flash Hider

You will, at times, want to flank with this M4A1 loadout. The flash hider helps: it fully hides in-world spotting by enemies and reduces the range that you appear on the minimap while firing. We considered the suppressor here for extra sneakiness, but it costs more points and we’d rather use those elsewhere.

Barrel: 11.5" Commando

This shorter 11.5" commando barrel boosts hipfire accuracy and lets you aim down sights faster. The cost is reduced muzzle velocity but since you’ll mainly be fighting close up, we’re okay with that.

Underbarrel: Folding Stubby

There are lots of options here, but the folding stubby suits this loadout best. It slightly reduces overall recoil, and lets you aim down sights quicker: perfect for an agile playstyle.

Magazine: 30rnd Fast Mag

We reckon 30 bullets is enough, especially with the improved reload speed of the 30rnd fast mag . If you want extra capacity, choose the more expensive 36-bullet magazine and sacrifice the improved mag catch (see below).

Ammo: Polymer Case

We like spending an extra 5 points on the polymer case ammo because it boosts your movement speed while aiming down sights. But you could go with the standard bullets if you want, and spend those points elsewhere.

Ergonomics: Improved Mag Catch

Combining the fast-reload magazine with the improved mag catch significantly cuts reload time, which is ideal for hectic, close-quarter fights.

Scope: Mini Flex 1.00x

Most sights cost the same, so this is personal preference. We like how clean the mini flex 1.00x looks.

Top Accessory: 50 MW Green Laser

This makes a massive difference to hipfire accuracy. Enemies can spot your green laser but we’re happy with the trade-off here: we’re not going for stealth, we’re going for power.

Best M4A1 loadout for mid-range fights

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/EA

• Muzzle: Double Port Break
• Barrel: 14.5" Carbine
• Underbarrel: Classic Vertical
• Magazine: 30rnd Fast Mag
• Ammo: FMJ (Standard)
• Ergonomics: Improved Mag Catch
• Scope: Baker 3.00x
• Top Accessory: 5 MW Green Laser

This loadout compensates for the M4A1’s weaknesses, reducing recoil and boosting reliability at medium ranges. You won’t be taking on snipers with this loadout, but you’ll be able to hold down angles on bigger maps and hassle enemies at longer ranges, with manageable recoil (pull down and slightly to the left).

Again, this is a balanced loadout, and we haven’t gone all-in on range to sacrifice what makes the M4A1 great: we’ve even kept a little green laser to help your hipfire.

Muzzle: Double Port Break

Enemies can spot you on the map with the double port break but the reduced recoil is worth the trade-off, especially given how chaotic the minimaps become in the larger maps. There are muzzles that dampen recoil even more, but we’d rather keep the extra points to spend on other parts of the weapon.

Barrel: 14.5" Carbine

The 14.5" Carbine barrel boosts your muzzle velocity so your bullets meet their target faster. It makes the M4A1 feel so much better at range.

Underbarrel: Classic Vertical

The big recoil killer: the classic vertical grip makes the M4A1 significantly easier to handle at medium ranges. You’ll still need to compensate but it’s much easier with this attachment.

Magazine: 30rnd Fast Mag

Five extra points for a faster reload is worth it. Again, the 36-bullet magazine, which costs five more, is a solid pick if you find the points elsewhere.

Ammo: FMJ

The standard FMJ ammo is all you need. The hollow-point ammo, with added headshot multiplier, is tempting but it costs a full 15 points more.

Ergonomics: Improved Mag Catch

You’ll be glad you shaved tenths of a second off your reload time when you’re holding an angle against waves and waves of attackers.

Scope: Baker 3.00x

We really like the extra zoom of the Baker 3.00x to improve long-range accuracy without obstructing your view of the battlefield, but it’ll be too much zoom for some people: pick a 2.00x or 1.50x scope if you prefer.

Top Accessory: 5 MW Green Laser

When you need to hipfire, this laser – less expensive than the bigger 50 mw green laser – boosts your accuracy. We don’t mind that enemies can spot us because we’ll generally use this loadout on bigger maps where there’s plenty of visual distractions.

Best M4A1 class and equipment in Battlefield 6

Battlefield 6’s flexible loadout system means you can use the M4A1 with any class. None of the classes specialise in carbines, so you don’t get any bonuses for favouring one class over the other.

We would, however, advise against using the M4A1 on the Recon class. Traditionally a sniper class, you can play it as a sneaky frontline saboteur but you’re probably going to want a more agile SMG for that. And besides, being able to auto-spot enemies is such an important perk that we prefer getting as much elevation, and long sight lines, as possible with Recon, which the M4A1 doesn’t suit.

Equipment that pairs well with the M4A1 includes any that can set up unusual angles: the Engineer’s sledgehammer and the Assault’s assault ladder come to mind. The Support’s smoke grenade also works because you can cut off the longest sight lines, allowing you to concentrate on short and mid-range fights.

For more on Battlefield 6, read our guide on how to unlock every weapon in Battlefield 6 , as well as our loadout guides for the starting M433 assault rifle and the SGX SMG .

Battlefield 6

PS5 , Xbox Series X/S , PC

Rock Paper Shotgun is better when you sign in

Sign in and join us on our journey to discover strange and compelling PC games.

All 75 Arc Raiders Blueprints and where to get them

These areas have the highest chance of giving you Blueprints

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Looking for more Arc Raiders Blueprints? It’s a special day when you find a Blueprint, as they’re among the most valuable items in Arc Raiders. If you find a Blueprint that you haven’t already found, then you must make sure you hold onto it at all costs, because Blueprints are the key to one of the most important and powerful systems of meta-progression in the game.

This guide aims to be the very best guide on Blueprints you can find, starting with a primer on what exactly they are and how they work in Arc Raiders, before delving into exactly where to get Blueprints and the very best farming spots for you to take in your search.

We’ll also go over how to get Blueprints from other unlikely activities, such as destroying Surveyors and completing specific quests. And you’ll also find the full list of all 75 Blueprints in Arc Raiders on this page (including the newest Blueprints added with the Cold Snap update , such as the Deadline Blueprint and Firework Box Blueprint), giving you all the information you need to expand your own crafting repertoire.

In this guide:

• What are Blueprints in Arc Raiders?
• Full Blueprint list: All crafting recipes
• Where to find Blueprints in Arc Raiders Blueprints obtained from quests Blueprints obtained from Trials Best Blueprint farming locations

What are Blueprints in Arc Raiders?

Blueprints in Arc Raiders are special items which, if you manage to extract with them, you can expend to permanently unlock a new crafting recipe in your Workshop. If you manage to extract from a raid with an Anvil Blueprint, for example, you can unlock the ability to craft your very own Anvil Pistol, as many times as you like (as long as you have the crafting materials).

To use a Blueprint, simply open your Inventory while in the lobby, then right-click on the Blueprint and click “Learn And Consume” . This will permanently unlock the recipe for that item in your Workshop. As of the Stella Montis update, there are allegedly 75 different Blueprints to unlock - although only 68 are confirmed to be in the game so far. You can see all the Blueprints you’ve found and unlocked by going to the Workshop menu, and hitting “R” to bring up the Blueprint screen.

It’s possible to find duplicates of past Blueprints you’ve already unlocked. If you find these, then you can either sell them, or - if you like to play with friends - you can take it into a match and gift it to your friend so they can unlock that recipe for themselves. Another option is to keep hold of them until the time comes to donate them to the Expedition.

Full Blueprint list: All crafting recipes

Below is the full list of all the Blueprints that are currently available to find in Arc Raiders, and the crafting recipe required for each item:

Note: The missing Blueprints in this list likely have not actually been added to the game at the time of writing, because none of the playerbase has managed to find any of them. As they are added to the game, I will update this page with the most relevant information so you know exactly how to get all 75 Arc Raiders Blueprints.

Where to find Blueprints in Arc Raiders

Below is a list of all containers, modifiers, and events which maximise your chances of finding Blueprints:

• Certain quests reward you with specific Blueprints .
• Completing Trials has a high chance of offering Blueprints as rewards.
• Surveyors have a decent chance of dropping Blueprints on death.
• High loot value areas tend to have a greater chance of spawning Blueprints.
• Night Raids and Storms may increase rare Blueprint spawn chances in containers.
• Containers with higher numbers of items may have a higher tendency to spawn Blueprints. As a result, Blue Gate (which has many “large” containers containing multiple items) may give you a higher chance of spawning Blueprints.
• Raider containers (Raider Caches, Weapon Boxes, Medical Bags, Grenade Tubes) have increased Blueprint drop rates. As a result, the Uncovered Caches event gives you a high chance of finding Blueprints.
• Security Lockers have a higher than average chance of containing Blueprints.
• Certain Blueprints only seem to spawn under specific circumstances: Tempest Blueprint only spawns during Night Raid events. Vulcano Blueprint only spawns during Hidden Bunker events. Jupiter and Equaliser Blueprints only spawn during Harvester events.

Raider Caches, Weapon Boxes, and other raider-oriented container types have a good chance of offering Blueprints. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Blueprints have a very low chance of spawning in any container in Arc Raiders, around 1-2% on average. However, there is a higher chance of finding Blueprints in particular container types. Specifically, you can find more Blueprints in Raider containers and security lockers.

Beyond this, if you’re looking for Blueprints you should focus on regions of the map which are marked as having particularly high-value loot. Areas such as the Control Tower in Dam Battlegrounds, the Arrival and Departure Buildings in Spaceport, and Pilgrim’s Peak in Blue Gate all have a better-than-average chance of spawning Blueprints somewhere amongst all their containers. Night Raids and Electromagnetic Storm events also increase the drop chances of certain Blueprints .

In addition to these containers, you can often loot Blueprints from destroyed Surveyors - the largest of the rolling ball ARC. Surveyors are more commonly found on the later maps - Spaceport and Blue Gate - and if one spawns in your match, you’ll likely see it by the blue laser beam that it casts into the sky while “surveying”.

Surveyors are quite well-armoured and will very speedily run away from you once it notices you, but if you can take one down then make sure you loot all its parts for a chance of obtaining certain unusual Blueprints.

Blueprints obtained from quests

One way in which you can get Blueprints is by completing certain quests for the vendors in Speranza. Some quests will reward you with a specific item Blueprint upon completion, so as long as you work through all the quests in Arc Raiders, you are guaranteed those Blueprints.

Here is the full list of all Blueprints you can get from quest rewards:

• Trigger Nade Blueprint: Rewarded after completing “Sparks Fly”.
• Lure Grenade Blueprint: Rewarded after completing “Greasing Her Palms”.
• Burletta Blueprint: Rewarded after completing “Industrial Espionage”.
• Hullcracker Blueprint (and Launcher Ammo Blueprint): Rewarded after completing “The Major’s Footlocker”.

Alas, that’s only 4 Blueprints out of a total of 75 to unlock, so for the vast majority you will need to find them yourself during a raid. If you’re intent on farming Blueprints, then it’s best to equip yourself with cheap gear in case you lose it, but don’t use a free loadout because then you won’t get a safe pocket to stash any new Blueprint you find. No pain in Arc Raiders is sharper than failing to extract with a new Blueprint you’ve been after for a dozen hours already.

One of the best ways to get Blueprints is by hitting three stars on all five Trials every week. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Blueprints obtained from Trials

One of the very best ways to get Blueprints is as rewards for completing Trials in Arc Raiders. Trials are unlocked from Level 15 onwards, and allow you to earn rewards by focusing on certain tasks over the course of several raids. For example, one Trial might task you with dealing damage to Hornets, while another might challenge you to loot Supply Drops.

Trials refresh on a weekly basis, with a new week bringing five new Trials. Each Trial can offer up to three rewards after passing certain score milestones, and it’s possible to receive very high level loot from these reward crates - including Blueprints. So if you want to unlock as many Blueprints as possible, you should make a point of completing as many Trials as possible each week.

Best Blueprint farming locations

The very best way to get Blueprints is to frequent specific areas of the maps which combine high-tier loot pools with the right types of containers to search. Here are my recommendations for where to find Blueprints on every map, so you can always keep the search going for new crafting recipes to unlock.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Dam Battlegrounds

The best places to farm Blueprints on Dam Battlegrounds are the Control Tower, Power Generation Complex, Ruby Residence, and Pale Apartments . The first two regions, despite only being marked on the map as mid-tier loot, contain a phenomenal number of containers to loot. The Control Tower can also contain a couple of high-tier Security Lockers - though of course, you’ll need to have unlocked the Security Breach skill at the end of the Survival tree.

There’s also a lot of reporting amongst the playerbase that the Residential areas in the top-left of the map - Pale Apartments and Ruby Residence - give you a comparatively strong chance of finding Blueprints. Considering their size, there’s a high density of containers to loot in both locations, and they also have the benefit of being fairly out of the way. So you’re more likely to have all the containers to yourself.

Buried City

The best Blueprint farming locations on Buried City are the Santa Maria Houses, Grandioso Apartments, Town Hall, and the various buildings of the New District . Grandioso Apartments has a lower number of containers than the rest, but a high chance of spawning weapon cases - which have good Blueprint drop rates. The others are high-tier loot areas, with plenty of lootable containers - including Security Lockers.

Spaceport

The best places to find Blueprints on Spaceport are the Arrival and Departure Buildings, as well as Control Tower A6 and the Launch Towers . All these areas are labelled as high-value loot regions, and many of them are also very handily connected to one another by the Spaceport wall, which you can use to quickly run from one area to the next. At the tops of most of these buildings you’ll find at least one Security Locker, so this is an excellent farming route for players looking to find Blueprints.

The downside to looting Blueprints on Spaceport is that all these areas are hotly contested, particularly in Duos and Squads. You’ll need to be very focused and fast in order to complete the full farming route.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Blue Gate

Blue Gate tends to have a good chance of dropping Blueprints, potentially because it generally has a high number of containers which can hold lots of items; so there’s a higher chance of a Blueprint spawning in each container. In my experience, the best Blueprint farming spots on Blue Gate are Pilgrim’s Peak, Raider’s Refuge, the Ancient Fort, and the Underground Complex beneath the Warehouse .

All of these areas contain a wealth of containers to loot. Raider’s Refuge has less to loot, but the majority of the containers in and around the Refuge are raider containers, which have a high chance of containing Blueprints - particularly during major events.

Stella Montis

On the whole, Stella Montis seems to have a very low drop rate for Blueprints (though a high chance of dropping other high-tier loot). If you do want to try farming Blueprints on this map, the best places to find Blueprints in Stella Montis are Medical Research, Assembly Workshop, and the Business Center . These areas have the highest density of containers to loot on the map.

In addition to this, the Western Tunnel has a few different Security Lockers to loot, so while there’s very little to loot elsewhere in this area of the map, it’s worth hitting those Security Lockers if you spawn there at the start of a match.

That wraps up this primer on how to get all the Blueprints in Arc Raiders as quickly as possible. With the Expedition system constantly resetting a large number of players’ Blueprints, it’s more important than ever to have the most up-to-date information on where to find all these Blueprints.

While you’re here, be sure to check out our Arc Raiders best guns tier list , as well as our primers on the best skills to unlock and all the different Field Depot locations on every map.

ARC Raiders

PS5 , Xbox Series X/S , PC

Rock Paper Shotgun is better when you sign in

Sign in and join us on our journey to discover strange and compelling PC games.