ISO Nightshade vs VEL 46 in MW4
Data updated · Latest official patch:
VEL 46 is ahead on 8 of the 12 key stats that both weapons report; ISO Nightshade is ahead on 2, and 2 stats are tied. VEL 46's biggest lead is magazine size (40 rounds against 30 rounds). ISO Nightshade's is sprint speed (6.33 m/s against 6.26 m/s). Fire rate and magazine size are Activision's numbers; the other key stats are community-reported by CODMunity, read November 4, 2026.
Open both in the compare toolBuild with ISO NightshadeBuild with VEL 46
Official numbers
| Stat | ISO Nightshade | VEL 46 |
|---|---|---|
| Fire rate | 923 RPM | 952 RPM Ahead |
| Magazine size | 30 rounds | 40 rounds Ahead |
| Reserve rounds | 90 rounds | 120 rounds Ahead |
| Total rounds | 120 rounds | 160 rounds Ahead |
| Unlock level | Player Level 4 | Player Level 5 |
| Weapon levels | 64 | 60 |
| Apex Attachment | ISO Trace | VEL 46 Snap |
| Apex blocks | Optic and Ammunition | Stock |
From Activision's launch weapon sheets. A damage table and time to kill are not published.
About ISO Nightshade and VEL 46
ISO Nightshade
Full-auto SMG with a fast rate of fire that balances controllability, mobility and close-range stopping power.
Apex Attachment, ISO Trace: RFID ammunition tags targets on impact and shows their movement and direction as a red dot on the optic display. It blocks optic and ammunition attachments.
VEL 46
SMG known for maneuverability and smooth, predictable recoil in fast-paced fights.
Apex Attachment, VEL 46 Snap: Tactical sling for very fast weapon transitions in exchange for stocks. Enables Quick Draw when used with Overkill. It blocks stock attachments.
Community-reported stats
Community-reportedBase values with nothing attached, read from CODMunity on November 4, 2026. Unverified.
Across the 31 rows with a direction, ISO Nightshade is ahead on 6 and VEL 46 on 16; 9 rows are tied and 0 rows are not compared because a weapon has no value.
- Official numbers: VEL 46 is ahead on magazine size (wide), reserve rounds (wide), total rounds (wide), and fire rate (narrow); ISO Nightshade leads no row of this group.
- Mobility: ISO Nightshade is ahead on tactical sprint speed (tiny), sprint speed (tiny), movement speed (tiny), and strafe speed (tiny), and VEL 46 is ahead on crouch movement speed (tiny), ADS movement speed (tiny), and firing movement speed (tiny).
- Handling: ISO Nightshade is ahead on drop speed (moderate), and VEL 46 is ahead on reload time (clear), raise speed (clear), ADS out speed (clear), and ADS speed (narrow). Level on sprint to fire speed.
- Recoil: ISO Nightshade is ahead on vertical gun kick (wide), and VEL 46 is ahead on horizontal gun kick (wide), horizontal recoil (moderate), and vertical recoil (narrow). Level on ADS idle sway and ADS gun bob.
- Range and bullets: VEL 46 is ahead on bullet penetration (wide) and bullet velocity (moderate); ISO Nightshade leads no row of this group. Level on damage range.
- Hip fire and flinch: no row has a leader. Level on hip idle sway, hip gun bob, hip turn sway, and flinch received.
- Fire rate and ammo: no row has a leader. Level on headshot multiplier.
Brackets give the size of the gap as a share of the larger value: tiny under 2%, narrow under 5%, moderate under 10%, clear under 20%, wide under 40%, very wide above.
The widest gaps across both tables are bullet penetration (VEL 46 13.0 in against 9.0 in), vertical gun kick (ISO Nightshade 36.5 against 52.2), and magazine size (VEL 46 40 rounds against 30 rounds).
CODMunity lists no stat change for the ISO Trace.
VEL 46 Snap, community-reported effects from CODMunity: Sprint to fire speed −51% (better), Horizontal gun kick +31% (worse), Vertical recoil +30% (worse), and Horizontal recoil +30% (worse).
Attachment effects reported for ISO Nightshade
The community-reported attachments for ISO Nightshade with the largest change to a key stat, according to CODMunity.
- 50 Round Drum Mag (magazine): Magazine size +67% (better).
- 40 Round Mag (magazine): Magazine size +33% (better).
- No Stock (stock): Vertical recoil +30% (worse).
- 212 LC40 Comp (muzzle): Horizontal recoil −25% (better).
Attachment effects reported for VEL 46
The community-reported attachments for VEL 46 with the largest change to a key stat, according to CODMunity.
- 60 Round Drum (magazine): Magazine size +50% (better).
- 30 Round Mag (magazine): Reload time −28% (better).
- VB-46 Series 11 (barrel): Damage range +28% (better).
- 212 LC40 Comp (muzzle): Horizontal recoil −25% (better).
| Stat | ISO Nightshade | VEL 46 |
|---|---|---|
| Mobility | ||
| Movement speed | 4.80 m/s Ahead | 4.77 m/s |
| ADS movement speed | 3.20 m/s | 3.22 m/s Ahead |
| Sprint speed | 6.33 m/s Ahead | 6.26 m/s |
| Tactical sprint speed | 7.43 m/s Ahead | 7.33 m/s |
| Crouch movement speed | 2.23 m/s | 2.25 m/s Ahead |
| Strafe speed | 3.67 m/s Ahead | 3.65 m/s |
| Firing movement speed | 4.26 m/s | 4.28 m/s Ahead |
| Handling | ||
| ADS speed | 240 ms | 230 ms Ahead |
| ADS out speed | 300 ms | 250 ms Ahead |
| Sprint to fire speed | 110 ms Tie | 110 ms Tie |
| Reload time | 3267 ms | 2633 ms Ahead |
| Raise speed | 967 ms | 800 ms Ahead |
| Drop speed | 500 ms Ahead | 550 ms |
| Recoil | ||
| Vertical recoil | 40.9 | 39.6 Ahead |
| Horizontal recoil | 13.3 | 12.5 Ahead |
| Vertical gun kick | 36.5 Ahead | 52.2 |
| Horizontal gun kick | 5.6 | 4.2 Ahead |
| ADS idle sway | 0.54° Tie | 0.54° Tie |
| ADS gun bob | 0.09° Tie | 0.09° Tie |
| Range and bullets | ||
| Bullet velocity | 530 m/s | 565 m/s Ahead |
| Damage range | 100% Tie | 100% Tie |
| Bullet penetration | 9.0 in | 13.0 in Ahead |
| Hip fire and flinch | ||
| Hip idle sway | 1.63° Tie | 1.63° Tie |
| Hip gun bob | 1.09° Tie | 1.09° Tie |
| Hip turn sway | 20.9° Tie | 20.9° Tie |
| Flinch received | 0.22x Tie | 0.22x Tie |
| Fire rate and ammo | ||
| Headshot multiplier | 1.30x Tie | 1.30x Tie |
"Ahead" marks the better value of a row; "not reported" means no value, not zero.
Pick rates and tiers
Community-reportedOther sites' own figures and opinions about ISO Nightshade and VEL 46, not Activision data.
| Figure | ISO Nightshade | VEL 46 |
|---|---|---|
| Multiplayer pick rate (CODMunity) | 6.2% | 7.4% |
| ggranked tier | Tier S, 761 ms time to kill | Tier S, 753 ms time to kill |
| DMZ Radar tier | Tier S | Tier B |
| Community builds listed | 2 Multiplayer and 1 DMZ | 4 Multiplayer and 2 DMZ |
Latest official changes
The newest patch notes that change ISO Nightshade or VEL 46, as listed on this site.
ISO Nightshade: First weapon tuning update, October 28, 2026
- Left Lower Arm Damage Multiplier changed from 0.95 to 1 (+5.3%).
- Left Upper Arm Damage Multiplier changed from 0.95 to 1 (+5.3%).
- Left Hand Damage Multiplier changed from 0.95 to 1 (+5.3%).
- Right Lower Arm Damage Multiplier changed from 0.95 to 1 (+5.3%).
- Right Upper Arm Damage Multiplier changed from 0.95 to 1 (+5.3%).
- Right Hand Damage Multiplier changed from 0.95 to 1 (+5.3%).
VEL 46: First weapon tuning update, October 28, 2026
- Left Lower Arm Damage Multiplier changed from 0.95 to 1 (+5.3%).
- Left Upper Arm Damage Multiplier changed from 0.95 to 1 (+5.3%).
- Left Hand Damage Multiplier changed from 0.95 to 1 (+5.3%).
- Right Lower Arm Damage Multiplier changed from 0.95 to 1 (+5.3%).
- Right Upper Arm Damage Multiplier changed from 0.95 to 1 (+5.3%).
- Right Hand Damage Multiplier changed from 0.95 to 1 (+5.3%).
Weapon pages, builds and tools
More SMGs comparisons
Other pair pages with ISO Nightshade
Other pair pages with VEL 46
Frequently asked questions
What do the Apex Attachments of ISO Nightshade and VEL 46 do?
ISO Trace (ISO Nightshade): RFID ammunition tags targets on impact and shows their movement and direction as a red dot on the optic display. It blocks optic and ammunition attachments. VEL 46 Snap (VEL 46): Tactical sling for very fast weapon transitions in exchange for stocks. Enables Quick Draw when used with Overkill. It blocks stock attachments.
Where is ISO Nightshade ahead of VEL 46, and where is VEL 46 ahead?
On CODMunity's base values (community-reported, read November 4, 2026): ISO Nightshade is ahead on vertical gun kick (wide), drop speed (moderate), tactical sprint speed (tiny), sprint speed (tiny), movement speed (tiny), and strafe speed (tiny). VEL 46 is ahead on bullet penetration (wide), magazine size (wide), reserve rounds (wide), total rounds (wide), horizontal gun kick (wide), reload time (clear), and 10 other rows.
How often are ISO Nightshade and VEL 46 picked, and what tiers do they have?
CODMunity's Multiplayer pick rate is 6.2% for ISO Nightshade and 7.4% for VEL 46, so VEL 46 is picked about 1.2 times as often. ggranked places both weapons in tier S. ggranked gives a time to kill of 761 ms for ISO Nightshade and 753 ms for VEL 46; that is the site's own calculation, not a published value. DMZ Radar places ISO Nightshade in tier S and VEL 46 in tier B. These are community figures, not Activision data: CODMunity and the tier lists, read November 4, 2026.