At a Glance
AUG A3-CQC is a base assault rifle with 50,000 base damage, 700 RPM, a 30-round magazine, a 2.0-second reload, and a 1.55x headshot multiplier. The CQC variant of the AUG family is built for closer engagements than the standard AUG A3 — slightly tighter recoil pattern, slightly shorter optimal range, same RPM and damage profile. With an open talent slot, AUG A3-CQC slots into any AR-flagged build that needs talent flexibility, and the close-quarters tuning makes it a natural pick for aggressive builds that flirt with SMG range.
- Who this is for. Players who want an AR with close-range tuning and full talent flexibility — Hunter's Fury, Strikers, Coyote's Mask aggression setups.
- Tempo. 700 RPM is the comfortable middle of the AR class — fast enough for close-range pressure, slow enough for medium-range control.
- Acquisition. World drop, very common. No farming required.
- Best fit: Any AR-flagged build, especially close-range setups (Hunter's Fury, Strikers, In Sync close-quarters).
Full Stats
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Base Damage | 50,000 |
| RPM | 700 |
| Magazine | 30 |
| Reload | 2.0s |
| Optimal Range | 30m |
| Headshot Multiplier | 1.55 |
Intrinsic Attributes (random roll)
AUG A3-CQC rolls weapon damage as primary and a secondary like critical hit damage, headshot damage, or close-range damage. The god-roll target depends on the talent — for a Boomerang build, prioritize CHC and CHD; for a Strained build, prioritize weapon damage and HSD. Close-range damage as secondary scales well with the gun's natural play pattern.
Open Talent Slot
Unlike named ARs, AUG A3-CQC has an open talent slot. Common picks:
- Boomerang. Critical hits return ammo to the magazine. Pairs with high-CHC builds.
- Strained. Weapon damage scales with critical hit damage. Pairs with stat-stick gloves and CHD-heavy rolls.
- Optimist. Damage scales with how full the magazine is. Pairs with mag-size rolls and frequent reloads.
- Vigilance. Bonus damage when shield/armor is full. Pairs with the Vigilance chest piece.
- Killer. Critical hits grant a stacking bonus on subsequent kills. Pairs with kill-frequent swarm-clear builds.
Built-in Mods
Standard AR mod slots — optic, magazine, underbarrel, muzzle. The natural fit is a 4x optic, an extended magazine, a CHD or weapon-damage muzzle, and an angled grip for horizontal recoil. The CQC tuning means the recoil pattern is tighter than the standard AUG, which makes vertical grips less necessary.
Weapon Talent: Open Slot
Because AUG A3-CQC has no locked talent, every loadout treats it differently. Five common builds and their roles:
Boomerang is the meta pick for high-CHC builds. At 60%+ CHC, Boomerang refills the magazine fast enough to extend mag duration past the named alternatives, and at high crit damage rolls the per-bullet output rivals named ARs.
Strained scales weapon damage with CHD at the cost of armor. Pairs with stat-stick gloves and zero-armor builds. Ceiling is high but survivability is low; reserved for Glass Cannon Heroic loadouts.
Optimist scales damage with magazine fullness — the fuller the mag, the higher the damage. Pairs with mag-size mods. Works on AUG A3-CQC because the close-range play pattern naturally has frequent reloads.
Vigilance provides a flat damage bonus while shield or armor is full. Pairs with the Vigilance chest piece for set-and-forget +25% damage. The most consistent "free damage" talent in the AR pool.
Killer grants a damage stack on critical kills. Pairs with kill-frequent swarm-clear builds. The 700 RPM at close range produces enough crits to maintain Killer stacks through any extended engagement.
Verified numbers vary by talent; example with Strikers + Boomerang at 60% CHC:
- Body shot, no crit: ~70,000 per bullet
- Body crit: ~210,000 per bullet
- Headshot crit: ~410,000 per bullet
- Sustained DPS across mag cycles: ~2.7M
Top Builds
Hunter's Fury + Boomerang
Hunter's Fury 4-piece + Coyote's Mask + Memento backpack. AUG A3-CQC with Boomerang. CHC and CHD on every roll. The build leans into Hunter's Fury's proximity damage and reload buff, paired with Boomerang's mag refill on crit. Strong on close-range Heroic missions where the AR is in CQC range for most of the engagement.
Strikers + Killer
Strikers Battlegear 4-piece + Coyote's Mask + Vigilance chest with Vigilance talent. AUG A3-CQC with Killer. CHC and CHD maxed. The build builds Strikers stacks on red bars, crits trigger Killer kills, and the compound damage chain ramps through the engagement.
Vigilance Chest + Vigilance Talent
Vigilance chest piece + Memento backpack + Coyote's Mask + Striker gloves. AUG A3-CQC with Vigilance talent. The simplest "good damage all the time" setup for close-range AR play.
PvE vs PvP
In PvE, AUG A3-CQC is the AR pick when the build wants close-range AR play with full talent flexibility. Hunter's Fury, In Sync, and Strikers all benefit from the AUG's tighter recoil at sub-25m engagement. The 30m optimal range is shorter than most ARs, but for builds that commit to close-range, that is a feature not a flaw — it means the gun is tuned for exactly where the build wants to fight.
In PvP, AUG A3-CQC is solid for close-range objectives. The 700 RPM is on the slow side compared to Wolverine, but the tighter recoil at close range gives it an edge in aim discipline. With Boomerang and a high-CHC roll it can extend mag duration in PvP fights, which is a small edge in long firefights.
Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Open talent slot — full flexibility for any build identity
- World drop, no farming required
- Tighter recoil pattern at close range than standard AUG variants
- 2.0-second reload, fast for the damage tier
- Strong synergy with Boomerang, Strained, Killer, Vigilance, and Optimist
Cons:
- 30m optimal range is shorter than most ARs (35m+ standard)
- 1.55x HS multiplier is middle of the pack
- Talent must be rolled, requires duplicate farming for god-roll
- 700 RPM is slower than Wolverine for raw sustained DPS
- No "named" identity — performance depends entirely on talent and intrinsic rolls
FAQ
Should I use AUG A3-CQC or AUG A3 standard? The CQC variant has tighter close-range recoil and shorter optimal range. The standard AUG A3 has longer optimal and slightly looser recoil. For close-range builds (sub-25m), AUG A3-CQC. For medium-range (25-40m), standard AUG A3.
What is the best talent for AUG A3-CQC? Boomerang for high-CHC builds, Killer for kill-frequent swarm clear, Vigilance for set-and-forget, Strained for stat-stick burst. Pick based on gear set and play style.
What optic should I run? Red-dot or 4x for close-range engagements. The 30m optimal does not reward high-magnification optics.
Is AUG A3-CQC worth using over Custom P416? Both are world-drop ARs with open talent slots. Custom P416 has slightly longer optimal range (35m); AUG A3-CQC has tighter close-range recoil. For Hunter's Fury and close-range setups, AUG A3-CQC. For generalist medium-range, Custom P416. Most agents keep both rolled with different talents.
Has the AUG family been changed in TU22.1? No direct changes. The Striker rework and Hunter's Fury reload buff indirectly buff all ARs, and Boomerang's interaction with Striker stacks is unchanged.
Closing
AUG A3-CQC is the close-range AR for talent-flexible builds. 700 RPM, 50,000 base damage, a 2.0-second reload, and tighter recoil at sub-25m range give it the handling profile that aggressive builds want. Slot Boomerang for high-CHC sustain, Killer for kill-frequent swarms, Vigilance for set-and-forget bonus damage — the gun adapts to the build. Less long-range than Custom P416, less concentrated than a named drop, but for close-range AR play with full talent flexibility, AUG A3-CQC is the platform.
Last reviewed: 2026-04-25 · TU22.1 · Verified vs in-game