Players who love close-quarters combat might want to build the AA-12 shotgun in XDefiant. While many first-person shooter players tend to use long-ranged and mid-ranged weapons, some prefer popping bullets in front of one's face. Shotgun users are often seen as aggressive and love diving into combat despite the risks it entails.

In XDefiant, based on our experience, the AA-12 auto shotgun is arguably the strongest among other shotguns. Given its autofire feature, players no longer have to worry about triggering gunshots. They can simply hold the fire button and spam shots on opponents until they secure the kill. While many might see it as a newbie gun to use, no one can deny how efficient it is in securing kills.

Seeing how it's the least complex shotgun to use, it's likely that AA-12 users will significantly contribute to their team. However, considering that players could easily secure kills, Ubisoft reduced its base accuracy stats. But not to fret, the weapon attachments are there to save the day.

With that said, here's the best AA-12 build in XDefiant.

Best AA-12 Build in XDefiant

Non-auto or pump shotguns aren't exactly easy to use. It requires precision and timing to secure kills. Hence why we said earlier that the AA-12 is the easiest to use and best shotgun in XDefiant. However, players need to unlock this gun by getting 15 point-blank shotgun kills. It may seem like a daunting task at first, especially for players who are new to using shotguns in an FPS. But one thing is for sure, it'll all be worth it once they unlock the auto shotgun.

Once players unlock the AA-12, they will need to use it regularly to gain weapon XP. As they level up the gun, various attachments will become available, enhancing its base stats. The moment all attachments for the AA-12 are unlocked, players can experiment by mixing and matching them to find the combination that best suits their playstyle.

It's worth noting that the auto shotgun has low accuracy but deals a lot of damage. We suggest that players should focus on increasing this weapon's accuracy. Considering that it's also the perfect gun for spamming, the gun must have a big magazine size. In addition, it's likely that AA-12 users will be running around often to get near their opponents. Having high mobility is also preferable.

With all that said, here's the full list of the best weapon attachments for the AA-12:

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BarrelChoke+15.0 Short Range

+15.0% Medium Range

+5.0% Min Spread Accuracy

+5.0% Max Spread Accuracy

-15.0% Sprint-Shoot Time

Front RailPEQ-15+20.0% Min Spread Accuracy

+20.0% Max Spread Accuracy

OpticsHolo or Reflex+1 Sight Picture
MagazineFast Mag+40.0% Reload Speed

-10.0% ADS Speed

-10.0% ADS Flinch Control

Rear GripLeather-Wrapped Grip+10.0% ADS Walking Speed

-5.0% Sprint-Shoot Time

Why this is the Best AA-12 Build

This AA-12 build resolves the accuracy and ammo count issue. As mentioned earlier, while this auto shotgun is easier and stronger to use compared to the other shotguns, it lacks accuracy to balance things out. This build maxes out the ammo, significantly increases the accuracy, boosting mobility for players to run around more freely, and adds a bit of firepower to make it slightly more lethal.

Alternatives

In all honesty, the build we provided is the most we could squeeze out of the AA-12. The only other way to increase its stats is by replacing the optics with a Padded Stock. Doing so would max out the shotgun's accuracy and slightly increase mobility.

Optics aren't a necessity when it comes to shotguns. However, we can't discount the fact that some prefer having iron sights to help improve their aim. Nevertheless, if scopes are something a player feels like they don't need in a shotgun, they could replace the Holo or Reflex optics for the Padded Stock.

Check out our XDefiant guide on the best AK-47 build.