The new MX Guardian shotgun in Call of Duty: Mobile Season 3 is quickly gaining a reputation as a close-range monster. This fully-automatic 12-gauge arrived with the Season 3 “Paranoia” update, and it’s already shaking up how players approach tight maps and close-quarter battles. In this guide, we’ll break down why the MX Guardian is meta this season and show you how to build the ultimate loadout for it. Whether you prefer to extend its reach or maximize mobility for aggressive pushes, we’ve got a gunsmith setup for you. We’ll also cover ideal secondary weapons, perks, and gameplay tips so you can dominate with the Guardian from Day 1.

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Why the MX Guardian? Put simply, it’s the first shotgun in CODM that lets you hold down the trigger and unleash a continuous barrage of shotgun shells. With a 15-round helical magazine and full-auto fire, the MX Guardian can wipe a hardpoint clean or clutch a 1v3 in Search & Destroy if used wisely. Its time-to-kill at point blank is essentially instantaneous (one pull of the trigger can delete an enemy), and even if it doesn’t one-shot, the follow-up shots come out faster than any other shotgun in the game. This makes the MX Guardian incredibly forgiving in frantic close encounters; miss a pellet or two? No problem, the next shell is already chambered. In modes like Hardpoint or Domination on small maps, a skilled Guardian user is a nightmare to deal with, as they can hold tight corners and trade out multiple enemies before needing to reload. Even in Battle Royale, finding an MX Guardian early means you’re set for close-quarter fights, especially in final circles or indoor areas. Of course, to truly unlock this shotgun’s potential, you need the right attachments to balance its drawbacks (recoil, range, and ADS time). Let’s dive into the best attachment combinations below.

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(Quick note: The MX Guardian is unlocked at Tier 21 of the Season 3 Battle Pass free path, so almost everyone will have access to it. If you’re short on COD Points to level up your pass, remember you can snag some quickly from the Carry1st Shop; it offers instant CODM top-ups in local African currencies with OPay, PalmPay, bank transfers, etc., plus a sweet 10% discount for regional players. Don’t miss out on unlocking this beast!)

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Recommended Build #1: “Mid-Range Controller” (Balanced ADS Build)

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This first loadout is aimed at maximizing the MX Guardian’s effective range and accuracy so you can secure 2-shot kills at mid-range and maintain control during full-auto fire. It focuses on an ADS playstyle – meaning you’ll aim down sights for a tighter pellet spread and better recoil management, rather than hip-firing wildly. With this setup, the MX Guardian can output consistent damage and even surprise enemies who think they’re safe a few extra meters out.

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• Muzzle: Marauder Suppressor – The Marauder Suppressor is a shotgun’s best friend. It provides +25% damage range and tighter pellet spread, essentially extending your one-shot kill distance and ensuring more pellets hit at range. The suppression is a bonus (stealth kills in close quarters), but the real benefit is making your Guardian reach out further. It does cost some ADS time, but we’ll offset that with other attachments. If you don’t have the Marauder, an Extended Choke or Duckbill Choke can also work to tighten the spread, but the Marauder’s range boost is unmatched.

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• Barrel: RTC Extended Light Barrel – This longer barrel increases your damage range and improves bullet spread (pellet spread) even more. Stacking this with the Marauder means the MX Guardian can secure two-shot kills out to an impressively longer distance than the base gun. Enemies will be shocked when your shotgun tags them from beyond typical shotgun range. The Extended Light Barrel will slow your movement and ADS a bit, but again, we’re prioritizing lethality and consistency at range for this build. Keep in mind: with this barrel + Marauder, you’ll want to pre-aim around corners because your ADS time will be higher.

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• Laser: OWC Laser – Tactical – An essential attachment to counter the ADS speed penalties from the muzzle and barrel. The OWC Tactical laser gives a hefty boost to ADS speed (minus 8%) and also tightens ADS bullet spread. That means when you aim, your pellet spread is even more condensed, upping your chances of a one-shot kill or tight grouping for a two-shot kill at mid distance. The laser’s only drawback is being visible to enemies, but if you’re pre-aiming angles, the trade-off is worth it. (If you absolutely hate the laser being seen, you could opt for a 5mW laser for hip-fire, but that goes against this build’s ADS focus.)

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• Underbarrel: Merc Foregrip – The Merc Foregrip is great for shotguns because it improves hip-fire accuracy and recoil steadiness. Even though we plan to ADS mostly, there will be times in point-blank panic where you must hip-fire. The Merc makes those hip-fire pellets cluster tighter, increasing your close-range damage consistency. It also helps control the vertical recoil during full-auto bursts, which can otherwise cause the Guardian’s muzzle to climb off target. The cost is a bit more ADS time and movement penalty, but we’ve already compensated with the laser. Your aim walking speed will be slower, but when holding tight angles or anchoring an objective, that’s a fair trade.

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• Rear Grip: Stippled Grip Tape – This rear grip further boosts ADS speed and sprint-to-fire time. Stippled Grip is almost mandatory on slow-handling guns – it shaves off precious milliseconds when bringing the shotgun up to aim, and it lets you fire faster after sprinting (so you’re not caught sprinting, unable to shoot). With Stippled plus the OWC laser, we claw back a lot of the handling lost to muzzle, barrel, and foregrip. The result is a balanced feel: not as snappy as a lightweight SMG, but your Guardian will still aim relatively quickly, considering how much range we’ve added. The only con is slightly worse stability, but for a shotgun, that’s negligible.

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Overview: This “Mid-Range Controller” build turns the MX Guardian into a sort of semi-rifle shotgun hybrid. It can consistently two-shot enemies up to ~15-20 meters (and one-shot reliably in typical shotgun range) thanks to the doubled-up range attachments and tightened spread. You’ll want to ADS for most engagements to take advantage of that tighter pellet spread – one well-aimed shot to the upper torso can one-pump an enemy, and if not, a quick second shot will finish the job. Recoil is manageable with this setup: the first few shots barely kick, and while sustained full-auto will climb, you likely won’t need more than 3-4 shots to secure a kill. This makes the Guardian frighteningly effective even if the enemy isn’t right in your face – SMG users will curse you as you drop them from just outside their optimal range. Do note, however, that this build is heavier – you won’t be strafing or rushing as quickly. Play it like a breacher shotgun: move methodically through indoor areas, ADS around corners, and hold down lanes in objective modes. As long as you position smartly, you’ll rack up multi-kills with ease.

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(Curious about all the other changes in Season 3 Paranoia, beyond just the MX Guardian? Check out our Season 3 full review where we cover new modes, the Battle Pass, meta shifts, and more; it’s a perfect companion read to this loadout guide.)

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Recommended Build #2: “Aggressive Rush” (Hip-Fire Mobility Build)

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Maybe you’re the type of player who loves to sprint into the objective, slide behind the enemy team, and cause chaos up close. This second loadout is tailored for you. It sacrifices some range in exchange for maximum mobility, faster handling, and lethal hip-fire spreads. With the “Aggressive Rush” build, the MX Guardian becomes the ultimate point-blank shredder – ideal for maps like Shipment, Nuketown, or Hijacked where close combat is constant.

• Muzzle: MIP Extended Choke – For a rusher build, you might wonder, “Why use a choke muzzle at all?” The reason: even as a rusher, you need your pellets to land where you intend. The MIP Extended Choke slightly tightens the pellet spread and gives a small range boost without as heavy a ADS penalty as the Marauder. It ensures your hip-fired blasts still connect densely, which is crucial for scoring one-shot kills when you surprise someone. Alternatively, you could use the Flash Guard for a bit of muzzle flash concealment and slight spread improvement. But we like the Extended Choke here as a middle ground – you maintain one-shot potential and don’t give up too much handling.

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• Barrel: No Barrel Attachment – In this build, we skip a barrel attachment entirely to keep the weapon as light as possible. The default barrel offers the most mobility. There is a Short Barrel option available on the MX Guardian that boosts ADS and movement, but, interestingly, it often widens the pellet spread or significantly reduces range. Since we’re already focusing on very close range, the default configuration works fine. Not adding a barrel means we avoid any further ADS slowdowns, and we keep our sprint speed high.

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• Laser: MIP Laser 5mW – This is a must for hip-fire lovers. The 5mW laser provides a massive boost to hip-fire accuracy (tighter hip spread) and also speeds up sprint-to-fire by 15%. Essentially, it lets you fire sooner from a sprint and hit more pellets on target. With this laser, you can confidently hip-fire the MX Guardian while sliding or turning on an enemy, knowing that your spread is tight enough to secure the kill. The laser is visible when hip-firing, but at point-blank range, that hardly matters. By the time they see your beam, they’re already eating buckshot. This attachment defines the build’s philosophy: keep moving, keep shooting.

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• Stock: No Stock – Removing the stock gives the MX Guardian a significant boost to mobility: faster ADS movement, faster sprint speed, and a big improvement to ADS time. Yes, it does hurt your recoil control and ADS accuracy a bit, but for a rush class, mobility is king. With No Stock, you can strafe faster in gunfights and reposition quickly after each kill. It pairs well with shotguns because you often need to duck in and out of cover rapidly. The hit to ADS bullet spread isn’t a huge concern since we won’t be ADSing much – and even if you do ADS occasionally, our choke and other choices somewhat offset the spread loss. Overall, No Stock makes the Guardian feel light and quick, perfect for aggressive play.

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• Underbarrel: Merc Foregrip – We’re including Merc Foregrip again here, because even for a hip-fire build, the Merc’s benefits are too good to pass up. It greatly tightens hip-fire spread and adds recoil control. When you’re rushing, you might be jump-shotting or drop-shotting around corners – the Merc foregrip helps ensure that those wild movements don’t throw off your shot pattern too much. It does slow your ADS a touch, but since this build isn’t about ADS, it’s not a big sacrifice. If you feel you absolutely need a bit more speed, you could swap this for the Laser sight or even Sleight of Hand perk, but then you’ll lose that hip-fire consistency. Given that we want one-shot kills in a chaotic close fight, we stick with Merc to maximize pellet hits.

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(Optional swap: If you find 15 rounds isn’t enough for your extended rampages, you can consider using the Slug Reload or Extended Mag if available but currently, the MX Guardian in CODM doesn’t have a slug ammo attachment like in Modern Warfare, and the default mag is quite large. So we opt for handling improvements over more ammo. 15 shells will usually take out 3-5 enemies if you’re accurate.)

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Overview: The “Aggressive Rush” setup turns the MX Guardian into a room-clearing bullet hose. You’ll be moving fast, almost SMG-like, and relying on hip-fire for most kills. The hip-fire spread with the 5mW laser + Merc Foregrip is tight enough that if you center your enemy on your screen, you can one-shot them within about 5 meters and two-shot them out to around 8-10 meters, which is typically the edge of “small map” gunfight distances. The lack of heavy-range attachments means you shouldn’t try to challenge anyone beyond that. If they’re farther, use movement to close the gap or disengage. This build absolutely excels in modes like Hardpoint, where you can crash into the hill, strafe around cover, and hip-fire down multiple opponents rapidly. The high capacity ensures you can take on groups: you have 15 chances to eliminate targets, which is forgiving if one or two shots only partially hit. Just be mindful of reloads; with no Sleight of Hand here, a full reload is slow. Try to reload cancel (reload a few shells when safe, then sprint-cancel if you need to shoot) to keep yourself topped up. When playing this build, think like a flanker: use routes to get behind the enemy, then surprise them with a slide + hip-fire storm. Few things in CODM are as satisfying as popping up behind three enemies and dropping all of them in a heartbeat with an automatic shotgun. This build makes you that nightmare player everyone complains about in chat!

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Recommended Secondary, Perks, and Equipment

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Running a shotgun (even a beastly one like the Guardian) means you should cover its few weaknesses with the rest of your loadout. Here are our recommendations for secondary weapons and perks to pair with the MX Guardian playstyle:

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• Secondary Weapon: Since the MX Guardian is unstoppable up close but has limited range, equip a pistol or launcher to handle other situations. A great choice is the .50 GS pistol (Desert Eagle) – it offers excellent damage at mid-range (2-3 shot kills) and can pick off enemies that your shotgun can’t reach. Essentially, if someone is just outside your effective range or trying to flee, swap to the .50 GS and finish the job. Another solid option is the Renetti with burst mod for a quick flurry of damage at range. If you’re more team-oriented or playing objective modes, consider the FHJ-18 launcher to shoot down UAVs and counter UAVs; this keeps you off enemy radar and covers one of shotgun users’ big vulnerabilities (being exposed to scorestreaks). In Battle Royale, you obviously can carry two primaries – in that case, pair the Guardian with a strong mid-long range gun (like an AR or sniper). Many BR veterans like using a sniper/shotgun combo – e.g., DL Q33 or Arctic .50 for long picks and the MX Guardian for clearing buildings and final circles.

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• Red Perk (Tier 1): We highly recommend Lightweight or Agile. Lightweight gives you +10% sprint speed, which is huge for closing distance (and a reduced fall damage which is nice for hopping down on foes). This suits the rush playstyle perfectly – you can slide faster and harder to evade enemy aim. Agile, on the other hand, is a secret sauce for shotgunners: it significantly speeds up aiming after sprinting (85% faster ADS after sprint) and that effectively eliminates the sprint-to-fire delay when you do choose to ADS. Agile also helps when climbing obstacles, useful for maps with lots of windows or ledges. If you’re primarily hip-firing, Lightweight might give more general benefit, but if you mix in ADS shots, Agile will ensure your gun is always ready. Choose based on your personal style – can’t go wrong with either.

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• Green Perk (Tier 2): Quick Fix is almost mandatory for shotgun users. With Quick Fix, every time you get a kill or capture an objective, your health starts regenerating immediately. This means when you rush into a group and drop one enemy, you instantly begin healing, so you’re healthier to take on the next. It creates a chain-healing effect that lets you multi-kill more safely. Since shotgunners are often in the thick of enemy teams, Quick Fix is invaluable for survivability. The moment you get that first kill, don’t shy away – trust that Quick Fix has you covered to push for the double or triple kill. Other viable green perks could be Ghost (to stay off UAV radar) if you flank a lot, but frankly, with Carry1st’s discount on CP, you’ll likely have some UAVs of your own to counter that. So stick with Quick Fix to be an unstoppable force in close quarters.

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• Blue Perk (Tier 3): Dead Silence is a top pick here. It silences your footsteps, which allows you to sneak up on enemies much more easily. When you’re wielding a one-shot kill machine, the last thing you want is enemies hearing you coming. Dead Silence lets you close distance undetected, making your MX Guardian ambushes deadly effective. An alternative is Hardline if you’re chasing scorestreaks – the faster you earn that UAV or Stealth Chopper, the more you can snowball map control. But in most cases, stealth = survival, so Dead Silence gets the nod for letting you play the role of silent eliminator. 

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(Side note: If you play a lot of Search & Destroy with the Guardian, consider Alert (High Alert) as a blue perk – it flashes your screen when enemies outside your view are aiming at you. That can sometimes save you from getting picked off by a camper while you move. However, in respawn modes, Dead Silence typically provides more consistent benefit.)

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• Equipment: As a shotgunner, carrying a concussion or flashbang grenade can help you breach tricky spots. Stunning enemies around a corner before you rush in can guarantee they won’t fight back effectively. A trophy system is also helpful on objectives to clear enemy explosives while you hold tight with your shotgun. For lethal, a thermite or molotov can zone out areas – flush enemies into indoor spots where you excel. Or just stick with a classic grenade or C4 to soften up clusters of enemies (the Guardian can then mop up the survivors).

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Best Maps & Modes for the MX Guardian

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The MX Guardian performs well in various scenarios, but it truly shines on certain maps and in game modes. To maximize your success, take note of these ideal use-cases:

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• Small Multiplayer Maps: Tight, close-quarters maps are the Guardian’s playground. Shipment 1944 is an obvious one – its tiny layout means you’re always in one-shot range. An MX Guardian on Shipment can easily drop 30-40 kills in respawn modes by continually weaving through the containers. Nuketown (and Nuketown Russia) are also great: patrol the houses and the middle bus area where cover is abundant, and lines of sight are short. Hijacked (the yacht) works wonderfully if you stick to the lower decks and engine room, forcing enemies into face-to-face encounters. Rust can be hit or miss; the ground level and tunnels are good for shotguns, but watch out for enemies head-glitching high ground; use Rust’s cover to move low. Killhouse and Cage are two other smaller maps where the Guardian dominates due to the limited long sightlines. Essentially, any map where you can navigate through buildings, crates, or tight alleyways will let the MX Guardian excel.

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• Hardpoint & Domination: Objective modes like Hardpoint and Domination are perfect for shotgun usage because they funnel enemies into specific areas. For Hardpoint, you know exactly where opponents will come – use that to set up nasty surprises. Lock down the hardpoint room with your Guardian; if multiple enemies push in, you have the firepower to take them all out quickly. When rotating to the next hill, try to arrive early and wait around a corner with ADS (for Build #1) or lie prone behind cover with your hip-fire ready (Build #2). In Domination, shotguns are excellent for defending flags. Think of maps like Standoff; you can sit in Granny’s house near B flag and obliterate enemies that try to contest B. Or in Firing Range, use the Guardian to control the wood house or tunnels around B. The serious damage output ensures anyone trying to secure the objective has a very bad day. Close-range clutch potential is why many competitive players keep a shotgun class handy specifically for Hardpoint hill breaks or Domination overtime plays.

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• Search & Destroy: In S&D, the MX Guardian can be a wildcard. It’s obviously not suited for long standoffs, but on defense rounds in a small map, a Guardian user can hard hold a bomb site. For example, on Raid S&D, an MX Guardian can lock down the Laundry room at the B site; any intruder gets instant punishment. Just be mindful of playing smarter, since you only have one life. Stick to tight indoor positions, soundwhore with Dead Silence, and let enemies come to you. If the enemy team is running lots of snipers, you can become the anti-sniper by flanking through buildings and forcing close fights. On maps like Crash or Tunisia (more open), shotguns are tougher to use in S&D; you might swap to a rifle there. But in maps like Summit, Takeoff, or Hackney Yard, a well-played Guardian can single-handedly secure rounds by surprising the enemy team with aggressive pushes or holds.

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• Battle Royale (Isolated/Blackout): In BR, the MX Guardian is a top-tier close-quarters weapon, rivaling even the Echo and BY15 shotguns. If you find one in a crate or ground loot, definitely pick it up for your close-range slot. It’s especially useful in areas like the Dormitory or Nuketown (BR map), where building-to-building fighting happens. In Alcatraz (if that map is available this season), the Guardian is monstrous – Alcatraz is basically all close quarters, so you can clear whole squads with it. Just remember in BR, you’ll want to pair it with a long-range gun. A common combo is MX Guardian + AK117 or M4, so you’re covered in all fights. One big advantage in BR: the MX Guardian’s full-auto nature means it’s more forgiving if you miss a shot in those hectic final circles – whereas someone with a pump shotgun has to rechamber, you’re already firing the next shell. Use that to pressure enemies constantly. Also, consider equipping mods like Extended Mod for more ammo or Long Range Mod to tighten spread for BR. With the right mods and level 3 vest, you become an incredibly durable close-combat juggernaut. Just be cautious of open fields – if you have to cross one, smoke it out or avoid it entirely.

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In summary, play to the MX Guardian’s strengths. Urban settings, interior objectives, and clustered maps are where you’ll feel nearly unstoppable. On the flip side, be cautious on big maps like Crossfire or Icebreaker in modes like TDM – you might struggle unless you stick to one building. If you do end up in an open map, try to force close engagements by flanking or camping tight corners. The good news is Season 3’s new content (like Hydro Splash mode or the shortened DMZ map) offers plenty of scenarios to wield the Guardian effectively.

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Final Tips: Become a Guardian of the Objective

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To wrap up, here are a few extra pro tips for mastering the MX Guardian:

• Learn the One-Shot Range: Spend time in training or pubs to figure out at what distance the Guardian stops one-shotting. Roughly, with a tight ADS build, you might one-shot up to ~8 meters; with a hip-fire build, closer to ~5 meters. Knowing this helps you decide when to close distance or when to fire additional shots. If an enemy is just at the edge of range, don’t hesitate to hold the trigger for a quick second shot – it could be the difference between a kill or getting beamed while you assumed they were dead.

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• Use Cover Between Bursts: While the MX Guardian can spray, smart players will duck between shots. Peek out, fire a burst, then immediately crouch or slide to reload a shell or two (or let the auto-reload kick in for a moment). This makes you a harder target. You don’t want to be caught standing in the open mag-dumping 15 shells when you could pop in and out.

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• Keep Moving in Close Quarters: Mobility is life for shotgun users. Strafing or jiggle peeking throws off enemy aim – a Guardian user strafe-peeking a doorway can often dodge bullets while their pellets still connect. Also, jump or drop-shot unpredictably when entering a room of enemies; it can help you evade retaliatory fire long enough to down them all.

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• Mind Your Ammo: The Guardian’s Achilles’ heel is reload time. It reloads shell by shell. If you’ve emptied 10+ shells, find a safe moment to top off. You don’t want to win a 1v2 and then be helpless with 1 shell loaded when a third enemy appears. With time, you’ll learn to count your shots and reload cancel effectively (you can interrupt the reload animation partway by sprinting when you’ve loaded enough shells to fight).

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• Carry the Battle Pass if Needed: Since the MX Guardian is a Battle Pass weapon (Tier 21 free), if you’re reading this and haven’t unlocked it yet; consider the value it brings. It’s a meta-defining gun for close range, and likely won’t be easily accessible again for a while. If you’re low on CP to reach that tier, the Carry1st Shop is a quick solution, especially for African players looking for a discounted, easy payment option. (For example, you can pay via MTN, Airtel, credit card, etc., in your local currency and avoid the usual mobile store markup.) Unlocking this shotgun could elevate your gameplay this season, so it’s a worthy investment.

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With the right loadout and strategy, the MX Guardian can make you the unstoppable force of Season 3. We’ve given you two top-tier builds: one for extending its power and one for unleashing pure aggression. Tailor them to your liking and practice a bit, and soon you’ll be leading the scoreboard, drowning out the lobby with the sound of your shotgun’s fury. Just be prepared for some salty chat from players who weren’t ready for the Guardian’s wrath!