Best XDefiant MDR build and loadout

✓ At a glance

• MDR is a versatile short- to medium-range assault rifle with a very fast rate of fire.
• Our preferred loadout includes these attachments: Barrel Extender, Heavy Barrel, Vertical Grip, Reflex Sight, and Quick Draw Grip.
• If you haven’t unlocked the gun from Preseason Battle Pass, you have to complete its Major Challenge to unlock it.

The MDR had a rocky history in XDefiant. It was added as part of the Preseason Battle Pass, after which players had to do a Major Challenge to unlock the gun. It wasn’t helped by the fact that it was pretty lacklustre out of the gates. However, it received a few buffs that skyrocketed the versatile gun into being one of the best in the game. With that, let’s go over the best loadout to get the most out of the weapon.

Our best MDR build

The MDR is going to be our main weapon in this loadout, helped by our picks of attachments, a secondary weapon, device, and Faction choice. This loadout aims to lower the TTK needed to win firefights, and we’re leveraging the power of math to do it. Specifically, with this loadout, you need exactly one less bullet to get a kill your enemy. Here’s what we’re bringing:

• Faction: Any
• Muzzle: Barrel Extender
• Barrel: Heavy Barrel
• Front Rail: Vertical Grip
• Optics: Reflex Sight
• Rear Grip: Quick Draw Grip
• Secondary Weapon: D50
• Device: Sticky Grenade

This build revolves around the damage bonus from the Heavy Barrel, coupled with short and mid-range increases from the Barrel Extender on our muzzle. To help you with precision, we’ve opted for the Vertical Grip on the front rail, and boosted the speed with the Quick Draw Grip. In some sense, this will make the gun handle as a heavier SMG, more than as an AR. That is how you should think about employing it too, playing aggressively rather than hanging back to snipe from long range.

Attachment type	Chosen attachment	Effect	Weapon level to unlock
Muzzle	Barrel Extender	+10% Short Range +10% Medium Range -10% Recoil Recovery -10% Sprint-Shoot Time	Level 19
Barrel	Heavy Barrel	+5% Weapon Damage -10% Rate of Fire	Level 25
Front Rail	Vertical Grip	+10% Vertical Recoil Control -5% ADS Walking Speed -5% ADS Speed	Level 15
Optics	Reflex Sight	+1 Sight Picture	Level 2
Magazine	Default	/	Level 1
Rear Grip	Quick Draw Grip	+10% Sprint-Shoot Time +10% ADS Speed -15% ADS Stability	Level 34
Stock	Default	/	Level 1

Best secondary weapon

Since you want to play more up close with this MDR loadout, it’s a good idea to have a fallback option. That’s where D50 shines, providing you with a long-range solution until you can get within optimal range to bring out the primary weapon again.

Best device choice

The best grenade to bring, as usual, is the Sticky Grenade. It packs a mean punch and its short fuse works perfectly with the aggressive playstyle. Alternatively, you could bring an EMP Grenade to get around enemy devices while advancing on their position.

Best faction for MDR

The MDR functions well in the hands of all XDefiant Factions. It is not dependent on any faction’s abilities or passives, so you can pick any that you want or shore up any of your team’s weaknesses. Your choice won’t impact your gun’s effectiveness, which gives you a lot of freedom to flex to any role.

How to unlock MDR

The MDR was initially an unlockable part of the Preseason Battle Pass. Players who reached Tier 10 could get the gun for free. However, since then, the weapon was moved to the Major Challenges section. You have to activate the challenge from your profile, and then earn a total of 150,000 XP to unlock the gun. 

✓ Pro tip

Make sure to mark the challenge as “Active” to start earning experience for it. Otherwise, any XP you earn will go to waste.