SG 552

"Oh, MAN! This is just like Counter-Strike!"

- Louis

"Rifle for me."

- Rochelle

The SG 552 is a Tier 2 weapon in Left 4 Dead 2. It is a fully automatic assault rifle, very similar in capability to the standard in-game M16 Assault Rifle; it has the same non-scope accuracy, damage per shot and reserve ammo, but slightly higher fire rate, giving it the fastest rate of fire of all primary weapons (excluding the Submachine Gun family). On account of it being a hybrid between an assault and a sniper rifle, the SG 552 has extremely tight crosshairs when fired from a standing-still posture. While it shares most of its stats with the M16 Assault rifle, its reload is one of the slowest of all assault rifles in the game, solidifying it and the Combat Rifle as the long-range marksman rifles due to their high vulnerability while reloading.

Unique for an assault rifle, the SG 552 has a 2x scope, which reduces its rate of fire but accentuates its long-range accuracy, much like a Hunting Rifle or a Sniper Rifle. Its magnification and scoped-in accuracy is weaker than the sniper rifles, and it lacks their one-shot kill abilities, though this allows it to pick off distant targets the most effectively out of all rifles.

Like all international Counter-Strike: Source weapons, the SG 552 was only available in the censored German version of the game prior to The Last Stand Community Update. As of said update, it is half as likely to replace any Tier 2 Assault Rifle variant spawned.

The SG 552 is used by Bill, Louis, Nick, and Rochelle (as well as Zoey in the Xbox 360 version of Left 4 Dead 2).

Tactics

 * This weapon is suitable for all ranges due to its scope and high rate of fire. When using the scope, the rate of fire decreases, allowing for accurate shots or deliberate ammo conservation.
 * The SG 552 can be compared to a high-accuracy counterpart of the M16 Assault Rifle with weaker defensive capability. Its high accuracy and scope makes it a deadly sniping weapon that can pick off foes regardless of distance, but its high fire rate, average damage and low reload speed can often force the user to endure a slow reload at the worst times (eg. surrounded by Infected).
 * It is best accompanied with a sidearm or a melee weapon to preserve ammo in indoor areas and when surrounded by Infected due to its slow reload.
 * To preserve ammo, shoot in short bursts, or use the scope to limit its rate of fire.
 * Instead of crouching for long ranges, take advantage of the scope, as the accuracy will be pretty high. However, the fire rate will be reduced.
 * When using an ammo upgrade, try your best to fire single shots and use the scope for medium range to prevent waste of precious ammunition.

Pros

 * Very versatile at all ranges owing to its scope, standing and crouching accuracy.
 * Highest rate of fire of almost all primary weapons, except submachine guns.
 * Very accurate while not moving.
 * Incredibly accurate when scoped in and firing few shots at a time, making it very effective for long-range sniping.
 * When equipped with laser sights, the accuracy is increased significantly. The scope has basically perfect aim.

Cons

 * Sacrifices effectiveness for versatility.
 * Unless the player finds laser sights, using the scope on both the Hunting Rifle and Sniper Rifle is slightly better as they are more accurate and deal more damage per second.
 * At mid to close range, the Assault Rifle reloads faster without sacrificing much overall damage output, and the AK-47 deals more damage per second.
 * Slowest reload out of all rifles.
 * High ammo consumption due to its very high fire rate when unscoped: if a careless player uses the weapon in full auto the whole time, the ammo reserves rapidly deplete.
 * Weaker scope compared to the sniper rifle family.
 * Poor defensive capability while surrounded due to it draining its magazine quickly and having the same damage/magazine capacity as the M16 Assault Rifle.
 * Not very accurate at medium range while unscoped and mobile.
 * Like the Assault Rifle, it struggles at higher difficulties due to it needing 3+ shots to kill a Common Infected, amplifying its existing ammo problems.

Gallery
SG 552 SG 552