As the first marksman rifle you unlock, you’ll need to use the MK 20 SSR before you can unlock later options like the SVD. This is where the best XDefiant MK 20 loadout comes in, as this weapon isn’t the easiest to get to grips with at first. But don’t worry, once you’ve got the best MK 20 build in XDefiant and you’re playing to the weapon’s strengths, it’s a surprisingly strong pick.
Although the XDefiant MK 20 build will likely be one of the first weapons you use, especially if you want to unlock the SVD, one of the best XDefiant guns, it’s nothing to be scoffed at. Straddling the gap between assault rifles and sniper rifles, the MK 20 SSR is great for locking down longer lanes in the array of XDefiant maps. With the utility afforded to class setups by the variety of XDefiant classes and abilities, there’s a lot of fun to be had with this starting weapon.
XDefiant MK 20 loadout
The best XDefiant MK 20 loadout is:
- Barrel – Rapid Fire
- Front Rail – Tactical
- Optic – Reflex
- Magazine – Fast Mag
- Rear Grip – Grip Tape
Since this weapon strikes the perfect balance between an assault rifle and a sniper, this MK 20 build will further hone in on its lethality with increases to DPS and accuracy. In the current XDefiant meta, it should be no surprise that the semi-automatic cousin of the ACR is also a potent firearm rewarding precision. We’ve also got a guide to the best XDefiant ACR loadout, so you can have both at the ready.
With such high damage per shot, the main drawback is the slow fire rate, this is where the Rapid Fire barrel comes in, perhaps the most important attachment to this MK 20 loadout. While this does come with a heavy hit to both horizontal and vertical recoil, which can hurt our ability to land shots, the increased rate of fire will boost the already high time-to-kill of this weapon. However, if you’re finding it unwieldy, the Muzzle Booster muzzle attachment provides the same effect, albeit reduced effect.
Our next recommendation is the Tactical Grip front rail, which is a superb stat for precision, semi-automatic weapons like the MK 20 SSR thanks to its massive +35% bump to recoil recovery. It also comes with a small but welcome enhancement to ADS time, great for close-range skirmishes. Do note though, it will reduce aim walking speed slightly. Another alternative is the Vertical Grip, which will improve vertical recoil at the cost of ADS time and aim walking speed. This can be particularly useful if you’re using the Rapid Fire barrel but finding the negative effect on vertical recoil to be too strong. Otherwise, the Tactical Grip will be your best choice, letting you quickly get back on target after shooting.
Given the best MK 20 build takes advantage of its mid-range potential, an optic is a good choice. Our favorite is the Reflex Sight as it provides a clear optic which doesn’t hurt target acquisition in close-range either. With that said, if you’d like a more long-range option, edging the weapon closer to a sniper like the XDefiant TAC 50 loadout, then the MK 20 SSR can also use a 3x Scope, ACOG Scope (4x), and even a Sniper Scope (12x). As such, there’s a lot of room to tailor the weapon to your playstyle, though the Reflex Sight fits best with a mid-range build without hindering close-range effectiveness. You could even forgo an optic entirely, with the Padded Stock being a great attachment for improving stability that wouldn’t otherwise make the cut.
Up next, we recommend using the Fast Mag magazine attachment. There’s lots of great options, including Extended Mag and Lightweight Mag, but Fast Mag has it all. Given the MK 20 has a small default magazine size of only 10, it’s a wise idea to bump this up or increase reload speed so we’re not caught off guard without the ability to return fire. Well, Fast Mag achieves both, offering +5 ammo capacity and a staggering +50% reload speed. Unfortunately, it does come at the cost of ADS time and ADS hit flinch. If these downsides are too significant for you, then the Extended Mag is a great alternative, providing a massive increase to ammo capacity but reducing reloading speed and movement speed.
Lastly, we’ll be using the Grip Tape rear grip to counteract the downsides of many of the previous attachments. This provides improved vertical recoil and further enhances recoil recovery to help us land shots more consistently. However, it will reduce ADS time, so don’t expect agility on par with an XDefiant MP7 loadout.
Content creator ‘Xed’ uses a similar MK 20 loadout in the video below if you want to see how it performs:
With the best MK 20 build at the ready, the last thing you need is a strong class setup to back it up. Similar to the XDefiant M249 loadout, you’ll be well-equipped to hold down long sight-lines or push and defend objectives in the many XDefiant game modes once you’ve got the hang of it.
XDefiant MK 20 class setup
In terms of a great MK 20 class setup in XDefiant, you can’t go wrong with the D50 sidearm and a Frag Grenade to hold down zones, lanes, and even push surprisingly aggressively.
The MK 20 is a surprisingly versatile weapon with the build above, able to stay competitive at nearly all ranges if you have the aim to back it up thanks to its high damage per shot. However, it’s a good idea to have a similarly versatile secondary weapon. That’s why we recommend the D50, better known as the Desert Eagle. This sidearm certainly packs a punch, whether you’re in the enemy’s face or not, and it only gets better with the right attachments. From our experience, the Barrel Extender, Reflex Sight, Quick Mag, and Quick Draw are the best attachments for the D50, improving its range and how quickly it can be drawn.
The Frag Grenade is a perfect complimentary equipment to use as it can easily clear out zones and force enemies out of cover. With that said, there’s no wrong choice in terms of equipment for this MK 20 SSR loadout. A Flashbang and EMP Grenade can both be great for either defending or attacking an objective, meanwhile the Proximity Mine can cover your back if you’re holding an angle.
That’s everything you need to know to make the best XDefiant MK 20 loadout and build. Though it can be surprisingly tricky to use despite it being a starting weapon, its damage certainly puts it close to the best weapons in the meta. Nevertheless, pick one of the XDefiant classes and test it out in the competitive arenas of one of the best FPS games right now.