Ground Branch loadout guide: the loadout system, armor plates vs soft armor, encumbrance and weight, plus the best loadouts for every mission type in V1.0.
GROUND BRANCH Loadout Guide — Best Loadouts, Gear & Weight Management
GROUND BRANCH gives you every weapon and every piece of gear from the start — there are no unlocks, no levels, no credits. The only thing that separates a good operator from a dead one is how you kit up in the Ready Room. This loadout guide covers how the system works, how armor and weight actually behave after the V1.0 overhaul, and the loadouts that hold up in practice.
Here's what you'll learn:
- How the loadout system works (lockers, kits, pouches — and why there are no unlocks)
- How weight and encumbrance really work, with the numbers
- V1.0 armor explained: hard plates vs soft armor, and what actually stops a bullet
- Primary/sidearm/ammo decisions that fit each mission type
- Recommended loadouts for CQB, outdoor, night and PvP play
Official resources: Steam store page · Official FAQ · V1.0 release notes · IGN game page
How the Loadout System Works
Loadouts are built at a locker in the Ready Room (tap F to equip, hold F to re-equip after burning ammo at the range), or from the Customize Operator menu on the main screen. The customization menu is split into three kits:
- Weapons Kit — Primary, Secondary, and a Special Purpose slot (breaching shotguns are planned there per the official FAQ).
- Gear Kit — Headgear, Platform (vest/carrier), Belt, and Holster. The pouches you place on the vest and belt determine what you actually carry into the mission — extra mags, grenades, breaching charges, sidearm mags, nothing is free.
- Outfit — Eyewear, mask, top, pants, gloves and footwear. Purely cosmetic, but chest rigs and vests are gear, not cosmetics.
Click the gear icon on any item to open its attachment view; the triangle in the corner switches camo and solid-color skins. Nothing is locked behind progression — the developer's stated design is that the only progression is your own skill. Your loadouts, outfits and weapon attachment profiles are synced through Steam Cloud (confirmed in the PCGamingWiki database).
Hold F at your locker to re-equip your saved loadout with fresh ammo. After a few rounds at the firing range you'll be running light without realizing it — the re-equip is your free ammo refill.
Weight & Encumbrance: The Numbers
The customization menu shows an Encumbrance bar, and it is not flavor text. Two separate systems punish heavy kits:
Encumbrance (stamina): heavier total carried weight drains stamina faster when running, sprinting and jumping. Jumping costs 20% of max stamina, multiplied by a weight factor. Magazines count toward weight whether full or empty, and shotgun shells are weighed individually (subtracted as you load them).
Arm strength (weapon sway): the weight of your currently held weapon determines how long you can keep it up. Drain times at base weight, per the community's tested "Mechanics of Arm Strength" breakdown (Steam guide):
| Action | Drain time (unmodified) | Weight factor |
|---|---|---|
| Ready / walk | ~3 min | Pistol 1.0–1.1 |
| Aiming down sights | ~2 min | SMG 1.2–1.4 |
| Running upright | ~40 s | Assault rifle 1.4–1.6 |
| Sprinting | ~30 s | Battle/sniper rifle 1.5–1.75 |
| Regain (standing still) | ~30 s | LMG 2.1–2.3 |
So an LMG at base weight gives you less than half of a pistol's ADS time. Low Ready and High Ready always regen arm strength, and standing still restores it fastest — which is exactly why experienced squads drop to low ready between rooms. The full stamina and arm-strength interaction is covered in our realism mechanics guide.
Sprinting drains both stamina and arm strength rapidly. If you expect contact, move at a walk with your weapon at ready — you'll arrive able to hold your aim.
Armor in V1.0: Plates vs Soft Armor
V1.0 introduced a real armor system (detailed in the official release notes). There are two layers:
- Hard armor (plates): ballistic ceramic plates carried in Plate Carrier (JPC) — 2 plates (front/back) — or Plate Carrier (MPC) — 4 plates (front/back/left/right). Each front or back plate adds 2.85 kg, each side plate adds 1 kg. Plates stop a few full-power rifle rounds (7.62 NATO class) before depleting, and protection is only where the plate sits — the rest of your torso is vulnerable. Old loadouts saved before V1.0 will not have plates fitted; open the gear menu and check the Armor Inserts section.
- Soft armor: helmets and the Body Armor platform (formerly "Bulletproof Vest") stop pistol-caliber rounds across their full coverage area. Helmet protection scales with shell coverage — a full MICH protects more than a high-cut. Hotfix 2 (see the patch notes) made soft armor penetrable by rifle rounds on first strike, so don't treat a Kevlar vest as rifle protection.
The Armor HUD (bottom-right, next to the stance indicator) shows plate status: white intact, yellow damaged, red depleted, with F/B/L/R letters for plates. You can hide it in Settings › HUD › Character Status.
Practical rule: wear soft armor + helmet for PvE Terrorist Hunt (AI mostly shoots center-mass with intermediate calibers); run a JPC with front+back plates for PvP, where 7.62 battle rifles and DMRs show up; only take the full MPC if your role is slow and deliberate — the 7.7 kg of plates plus gear will wreck your stamina.
Primary, Sidearm & Ammo Choices
There are over 30 primaries (see our weapons guide for the full list). The class logic:
- Carbines (M4A1 SOPMOD, MK18, HK416D, AKS-74U): the loadout default. Light weight factors (1.4–1.6), effective to 300 m, ideal for CQB and co-op.
- Battle rifles (FAL, MK14 EBR, G3A3) and DMRs (M110, M24): heavier, one-shot potential, but arm strength drains fast and follow-up shots are slow. Bring these only if your squad role is the marksman.
- SMGs (MP5A5, MP7A1, MPX SBR): cheapest arm-strength cost outside pistols, great in tight maps, poor past ~100 m.
- Shotguns (M1014, M500 Tactical): devastating inside 15 m — the M67 frag grenade's instant-kill radius is 5 m (official notes), and shotguns beat that range bracket.
Sidearms are for when the primary runs dry mid-clear. Any reliable pistol works; the new MK3 is a .22 LR integrally-suppressed pistol — the quietest weapon in the game, ideal for sentry work in co-op (release notes).
Ammo pouches: match the pouch count to the fight. Two spare primary mags is the minimum for co-op; PvP rounds rarely need more than one spare. Mags weigh the same empty or full, so leaving spares behind genuinely lightens you.
There is no ammo counter on the HUD — you count shots. One mag is ~30 rounds; a two-minute firefight can empty it. If your pouches are full of gear but empty of magazines, you will reload into an empty pouch and die standing there.
Recommended Loadouts by Mission Type
CQB / urban (Small Town, Hospital, Border, City): MK18 or HK416D CQB with a red dot (Aimpoint T2 or EOTech EXPS3), suppressor, PEQ-15 laser, no magnifier; M1014 as alternate; JPC with front+back plates; two primary mags + one sidearm mag. Full build details live in our weapon customization guide.
Outdoor / long range (Power Station, Airbase, Tanker): M4A1 SOPMOD or MK14 EBR with an LPVO (Razor HD 1-6x or Vudu 1-6x), bipod/grip, front+back plates, three mags; long-range zero discipline matters more than gear here.
Night ops: every helmet takes NVG — press N to flip them down. Use the PEQ-15 IR laser for aiming (infrared is only visible through NODs) and a red dot or holographic sight, which keep a usable reticle through night vision. Magnified optics need the AN/PVS-22 UNS mounted in front of the scope to work under NVG. Add a flashlight to the side rail for the moments you want to blind instead.
PvP (Team Elimination, Hostage Rescue): speed wins rounds. Go light: JPC + two plates, one spare mag, MP5A5 or short carbine. Arm strength near full wins the first ADS duel, and round times are short enough that stamina barely matters — the multiplayer guide covers the mode metas in detail.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best loadout in Ground Branch? For most players: MK18 or M4A1 SOPMOD with red dot + suppressor + PEQ-15, JPC with front/back plates, two spare primary mags, and a standard pistol. Swap to an LPVO + marksman rifle for outdoor maps and go lighter for PvP.
Does armor matter in Ground Branch? Yes, but it's not invincibility. Hard plates stop several rifle rounds only on the plated area; soft armor stops pistol calibers only. Armor adds real weight — plates are 2.85 kg each — which costs stamina and arm strength.
How does weight and encumbrance work? Total carried weight drains stamina faster; the weight of the weapon in your hands drains arm strength, which controls weapon sway. Heavier weapons drain faster — an LMG gets under half the ADS time of a pistol. Regain by holding low/high ready or standing still.
What should I bring for night missions? NVG on your helmet, a PEQ-15 IR laser, a red-dot or holo sight (they stay usable under NODs), and optionally the AN/PVS-22 UNS if you want magnification.
How do pouches work? Pouches placed on your vest and belt determine what you carry: extra magazines, grenades, breaching charges, sidearm mags. No pouches, no ammo — there is no hidden inventory.
Related Guides
- Ground Branch Weapon Customization — Attachments & Optics Guide
- Ground Branch Weapons Guide — Every Weapon Class, Ranked
- Ground Branch Realism Mechanics — No Minimap, Ballistics & Arm Strength
- Ground Branch Tactics Guide — Squad Movement & Positioning
- Ground Branch Multiplayer — Co-op, PvP & How Many Players
- Ground Branch Beginners Guide — How to Play & First Hour
Last updated: August 14, 2026.
More GROUND BRANCH Guides
Ground Branch missions and modes: the Operations campaign Prologue, PvE quick missions, PvP modes, training areas, every map, and server mission setup.
Ground Branch has official mod support: Steam Workshop, the UE4 Mod Kit SDK, and hundreds of mods — weapons, missions, game modes. Install steps + top mods.
Ground Branch multiplayer guide: co-op and PvP modes, 16-player servers, the Ready Room, VOIP, server browser, hosting and dedicated servers with ports.
How GROUND BRANCH multiplayer works: 16-player servers, 8-player co-op, server browser (no matchmaking), joining friends, ping, and crossplay.
Ground Branch realism mechanics: no minimap, no HUD ammo, muzzle-origin ballistics, zeroing, limb damage, first aid, weapon positions and arm strength.
Ground Branch release date: V1.0 launched July 16, 2026 after 8 years of Early Access. Full EA timeline, platforms, price, and the 2026–2027 update roadmap.
Honest GROUND BRANCH review after V1.0: all-time Steam rating Very Positive (~84%), recent reviews Mostly Negative. Pros, cons, price, verdict.
GROUND BRANCH squad tactics for co-op and PvP: fireteam roles, movement formations, sectors of fire (AOR), comms discipline and contact drills that win rounds.