Leave room in the budget for protection.

Assault level 14, $8,000 in the bank

Keep $2,000 in reserve and set a $3,500 kit limit. If you already purchased the AK74, Level 1 Armor, Level 1 Helmet and Compact T-2 unlocks, one example is an AK74, 90 extra 5.45 FMJ rounds, those protection items, the red dot, one bandage, an Emergency Resuscitator and a Scout Backpack.

That example costs $3,225, leaving $4,775. Without the red dot it costs $2,885. If you lower the kit limit to $3,000, the recommendation keeps the armor and helmet and leaves off the optic. This priority is our planning choice, not a game requirement.

The four listed unlock fees total $32,500 if unpaid. An $8,000 bank cannot buy them just because your level qualifies. With no paid unlocks, the budget option uses a free starter rifle and basic field gear; the catalog-based total is $685. These examples use catalog ten-round ammo purchase units, which still need confirmation at the vendor.

Attachments come after the essentials

The kit finder first considers affordable protection, then a compatible Compact T-2 Red Dot, then an AFG Angled Foregrip. The red dot costs $340 after a $5,000 Career level 4 unlock. The AFG costs $820 after a $10,000 Assault level 14 unlock. Neither is mandatory, and neither bypasses the weapon’s compatibility rules.

The red-dot record describes a close-range optic; the AFG record lists recoil and handling modifiers. We do not combine these into a tested recoil score or claim a time-to-kill improvement. Other attachments remain available in the custom builder.

The Bushmaster M17S description says it cannot equip attachments. Its generic attachment icons are not enough to override that restriction, so the builder keeps those combinations disabled.

Match ammunition and check protection separately

The AK74 uses 5.45x39mm; the M4 and Bushmaster M17S use 5.56x45mm. The builder filters ammo to the selected weapon and clears attachments when you switch primaries. Spare magazines do not replace your extra-ammo selection.

Armor and helmet are separate slots and purchases. Their catalog tier does not establish how many shots you can survive. The Assault panel shows missing protection as a planning note, without blocking a deliberately light kit.

The M4 is listed at Assault level 20 with a $100,000 unlock and $2,800 repeat purchase price. Budget $102,800 for the first bare weapon if that unlock is unpaid; ammo, protection and attachments come on top. Plan the M4 unlock ↗

Reviewed records

Prices and unlocks below were checked against the linked MetaForge community records. This is not an independent in-game test.

What still needs checking?

Vendor ammo quantities, included magazines, prerequisite unlock chains, inventory fit, combined attachment effects and armor performance. The recommendation uses catalog fit lists; it does not certify every combination in the live client.

Use the Assault XP and unlock table to plan your next level, the comparison tools for listed stats, and the data policy for known gaps.