There's a ton of different weapons to choose from when you hit the ground in Apex Legends. But in the heat of the moment, which gun should you grab? To answer that question, we've put together a complete tier ranking of all the weapons in Apex Legends Season 13.
In Apex Legends, the weapons you find will have a huge impact on your performance, especially in the early game.
Let's imagine you've just landed, you can hear at least two enemy teams close by, and you pop open a crate to see a bunch of different weapons. Which one should you pick up? What are the best guns in Apex Legends? Find out in our complete weapon tier list.
Note: We haven't included care package weapons like the G7 Scout, Kraber, Mastiff, or Volt SMG, because these aren't going to be available to you in every game, and they're pretty much all godlike by design. On our tier list, you will only find the "normal" ground loot Apex Legends weapons.
What Are The Best Guns In Apex Legends?
S-Tier Weapons In Apex Legends
These are the best weapons in Apex Legends, and in most cases, you should drop the weapon you're holding to pick up one of these instead.
R-301 Carbine
Let's deal with the obvious first, the R-301 is probably the best ground loot weapon in the game. It's now only craftable, but still easy to get every game. Hence, everyone from beginners to pros will try and pick one up as soon as they can. Long story short, this is the classic assault rifle that's perfect for mid-range combat. And unlike so many weapons in Apex, there's nothing weird going on, it works exactly how you expect it to. We love the R-301, you all love the R-301, let's move on to some more controversial weapons.
Peacekeeper
The Peacekeeper is maybe the single best option in Apex for close-range, and so especially for certain Legends, you should absolutely pick one of these up to keep in your back pocket. It works like a standard shotgun, except for the fact that you can create a tighter spread of pellets if you ADS for a few seconds. If you fire from the hip, though, you get a fairly wide spread of pellets. The only real "downside" to the Peacekeeper is that it can be inconsistent with damage, but for the vast majority of close-range shots it will hit like a truck.
R-99 SMG
Now, we did just mention how solid the Peacekeeper is in close-range, but if it has one rival in this department, then that's the R-99. The R-99 is the best SMG in the game, and while it can't pack devastating blows like the Peacekeeper, it's definitely going to be easier to use for most players. It also couples wonderfully with the R-99, which is why some players affectionately call the combination of these two weapons the R-400. When you pick up the R-99, our best tip is to look for an extended mag as fast possible, because this weapon has a high rate of fire and so it burns through ammo very quickly.
Spitfire
Now in ground-loot and no longer a care-package exclusive, the Spitfire is an outstanding LMG. The Spitfire is an easy weapon to use because it has low-recoil, large magazines, and decent range. Faster players might find it too slow for their personal preference, but there's no denying this is an S-Tier weapon if you have the patience to use an LMG.
Wingman
The S-Tier weapons we've mentioned so far are probably what most long-term Apex players could have predicted. But the Wingman might get us some hate in the comments. The problem is how difficult this weapon is to use. For pros, it's unquestionably S-Tier, and they're always going to pick it up. But because it's a low-mag, single-shot weapon, it's very unforgiving, and therefore, we can't recommend it for averagely skilled players. Long story short, you need to hit your shots with the Wingman, otherwise you may as well be using a P2020.
A-Tier Weapons In Apex Legends
These weapons are good enough for you to "main" or pick up in Arenas, but they're just not quite as strong as the S-Tier weapons.
Triple Take
The Triple Take is a fantastic range option that can put out some mighty damage, and what gives it bonus utility is that you can use it in close-quarters, almost like a shotgun. However, for accurate shots, you need to wait for the bullet spread to tighten, and you can't use sniper optics. So it can't be used very effectively for much longer than mid-range, but it's still a great secondary weapon alongside something like an R-301. Pro-tip, you can open up fights very effectively with a Triple Take headshot if the enemy hasn't seen you, then switch to a close-range weapon to finish the job.
VK-47 Flatline
The Flatline isn't in ground loot anymore, but it's always available to craft, and you can buy it in the Arenas like normal weapons. The VK-47 isn't the most accurate, and it doesn't have the highest DPS, but it's like the R-301 in the sense that it's easy to use and will feel very familiar to shooter fans because it's just a classic AR. So if you haven't found any good weapons, but you can see a crafting station nearby, just grab a VK-47, and you'll be able to outgun most other weapons at those typical mid-range distances.
C.A.R. SMG
The C.A.R. SMG feels like "we have the R-99 at home", and for that reason, a lot of people don't like it. But on paper, it's actually one of the strongest SMGs in the game, and we can't overstate how useful the C.A.R.'s ability to use both light and heavy ammo is. Apex Legends is more stingy with ammo than most other BRs and so being able to use two types in this weapon is a fantastic advantage. So don't sleep on the C.A.R. next time you see it; it can shred in close-quarters, and you'll always find ammo for it.
Mastiff Shotgun
Shotguns have a more important role to play in Apex Legends than a lot of other shooters because the higher TTK allows combatants to get closer to one another before one of them drops. And if you can't find a Peacekeeper, take a Mastiff. It's a great, high-power shotgun, that's just slightly worse than the Peacekeeper thanks to it's annoying pellet spread pattern.
Just getting into Apex? Looking for tips? Then you might also be interested in these articles:
- Apex Legends: The 5 Best Legends For Beginners
- Apex Legends: Bloodhound Guide | Abilities, Composition, Counters & More
B-Tier Weapons In Apex Legends
The following weapons all have their uses, and aren't necessarily bad to find in the early game. But you should consider swapping them for stronger weapons, unless you've already found some great attachments.
Rampage LMG
I did want to put the Rampage higher on this list. I promise you, my fellow noobs. But the Rampage is ever so slightly too poor in the stats department to justify a position in the A-Tier, despite being the single easiest weapon in the game to use. The Rampage is an LMG that works how you would expect it to, although you can charge it up with Thermite grenades to do extra damage for a short period of time. And what makes it so nice, besides the large magazines, is how stable and controllable it is. But as we said, the sluggishness of this weapon, and the fairly unimpressive DPS, force us to place it at the top of B-Tier.
Hemlok Burst AR
A lot of players just don't like burst-fire weapons. Not just in Apex, but shooters more generally, it just feels unnatural to a lot of people. However, we would be mighty unfair if we didn't give the Hemlok a place in B-Tier. It has a great balance of stats for the mid-range, there are loads of good attachments you can use in combination with the Hemlok, and the single-fire selector switch allows you to push it out to even more impressive ranges. So why only B? Because you really will suffer if someone pushes up too close to you while using the Hemlok, and there are quite a few others weapons that can do what this one can, only slightly better.
Charge Rifle
This next one will certainly be divisive. PC players love the Charge Rifle, console players hate it. So we tried to be as diplomatic as possible and put in the B-Tier. The Charge Rifle takes quite a long time to fire, and then it's even slower to put out follow-up shots, but it does deal sustained damage, and it has excellent bullet velocity. So if you can hit very precise shots at long-range, which is easier with a mouse, then you should consider the Charge Rifle for your secondary slot if you want to do a little sniping.
Devotion LMG
The Devotion has a very odd firing mechanism, basically the rate of fire is very slow when you begin firing, but if you continue to hold the trigger, then its rate of fire increases until it's firing at an incredibly impressive rate. But who wants to start slow? The first few shots are always going to be the most crucial. And this weird firing characterisitic of the Devotion is enough to turn most people off. But we have to put it in B-Tier because firstly, it's stats (even when firing slowly) are impressive, and secondly, you can find a Legendary hop-up attachment that completely negates the weird firing mechanism. Our advice is basically to ignore the Devotion, but actively try and find one if you see this hop-up.
HAVOC Rifle
Much like the Devotion, the HAVOC has a wierd firing mechanism that turns most people off (hence, energy weapons are so unpopular). There's a delay between pulling the trigger and firing on a HAVOC, as the cylindrical magazine needs to begin spinning, like a minigun. But like the Devotion, the weird delay mechanics of the HAVOC can be negated if you find the right hop up, but even without it, the delay isn't as crippling as it first sounds. And the stats are strong for close-range combat. Not Peacekeeper / R-99 strong, but good enough to outgun most other weapons if you're fighting inside.
Alternator SMG
The Alternator might seem too high up in our ranking but it's a fantastic weapon for close-quarters. Also, it can carry attachments for an R-301 that you might find later in the game, and being a bit of a spray-and-pray weapon, it's especially effective if you pick it up after a hot landing. We will say another positive thing about the Alternator, It has some of the best iron sights in the game, so if you can't find a good optic you can make do.
Prowler Burst PDW
The Prowler is probably the closest of these weapons to the C-Tier, but it's ever so slightly good enough to qualify for the B-tier. It's a short-range burst weapon, and that's stupid in itself because faster fire-rates are always going to be preferrably in close-range. But if you can keep landing your bursts, most people might be surprised by just how quickly the Prowler can shred in close-range. It falls off worse than most weapons at distance though, and has a very poor headshot multiplier.
C-Tier Weapons In Apex Legends
Even if you have the best attachments in the game on these weapons, they aren't going to compete with weapons higher on the list, and you should replace them. However, they aren't quite in the bottom tier because they can still make kills in the immediate moments after hitting the ground.
Mozambique Shotgun
Ah, the old classic. This is a weapon that probably sees more action than any other simply based on how many of these damn things you'll find around the map. And fun fact, it's full auto (although you're far more effective making single-shots with it). But why is it in C? Because it's close-range only, doesn't have particularly impressive damage, and there's only 6 rounds in the magazine. It escapes D-Tier because, as a pocket shotgun, it has great utility in being a cheap secondary to finish people off, and for eco rounds in the Arenas (this weapon is free to craft in the Arenas).
RE-45 Auto
The RE-45 can hold attachments for you until you find the R-301. Okay, that's a bit harsh, it does have other purposes, but not many. This is a low power pistol, but if you've just landed in and there's a frantic fight between multiple teams, the full-auto nature of the RE-45 will make it more effective than the weapons in D-Tier. After that initial fight though, you really shouldn't be using it for much besides holding attachments.
L-Star EMG
The L-Star draws ammo directy from the inventory when firing, so you never need to reload, although the weapon does overheat if you're firing in full-auto. You therefor never really feel the advantage of "infinite magazine", and it's basically just reloading with extra steps. That said, this isn't a useless weapon, and it can hold up against average SMGs in close-range. But it can't do much else, so it's hard to justify placing it any higher.
EVA-8 Auto
This could have been a fantastically broken weapon, it's a full-auto shotgun for goddness sake. However, the full-auto function is so slow that the EVA-8 feels only as fast as a single-shot weapon being fired by someone with a decent trigger finger. And the damage and range is very poor compared to other shotguns. It narrowly escapes the very worst tier of weapons because in extremely close-range combat, it's useful. Don't panic, just hold down the trigger.
F-Tier Weapons In Apex Legends
These are the worst weapons in Apex Legends, and you should look to loot and replace these weapons before challenging anything, even if you've just started the match. And, of course, they should never be crafted in the Arenas, even if they're cheap.
30-30 Repeater
The 30-30 is the poor man's Wingman. You need to hit your shots to make it effective, but hitting your shots is even tougher than the Wingman thanks to terrible bullet velocity. The 30-30 also does noticably less damage with headshots, so even if you're a high-skill user, and you can hit those shots, there's really no point taking a 30-30 over a Wingman. To anyone of average skill or worse, you will simply be more effective with anything higher (and even some things lower) on this list.
Bocek Compound Bow
You all knew the Bocek was going way down in the bottom didn't you? Do we even need to explain this one? It's a bow in a gunfight. It's not very good. The "fire rate" is pitiful compared to other weapons, you need to charge up each shot to do a meaningful amount of damage, and there's going to be very little ammo for this thing out in the wild. Honestly, just never use the Bocek unless you're flexing on a team you've been world-starring in the Arenas.
P2020
If you've played any shooter ever, then you're familiar with the P2020. It's the bog-standard pistol. There's nothing special about it, and there isn't supposed to be. With a good trigger finger, you'll beat people in close-range if they're using one of the other F-tier weapons, or if they're unnarmed, but otherwise you'll get outgunned. Honestly, just take a look at it, it screams level-1 mediocre pistol.
Sentinel
The Sentinel's placement on this list can be explained simply. It deals too little for how much of a tradeoff you need to make in terms of mobility, ammo capacity, and rate of fire. It has all the worst parts of a sniper but none of the damage-dealing good parts. So unless an enemy is standing still and let's you get shot after shot on them, you're never going to do more than annoy enemies in the distance. And if you pull for it in close-range, even someone with the above P2020 will outgun you.
Longbow DMR
Much like the Flatline, the Longbow DMR can now only be crafted and is not available in ground loot. And since that change came into effect how often have you seen someone craft one? Never, that's how many times. Like the Sentinel, it just doesn't offer enough in terms of damage to ever justify taking it when you could have a more well-rounded weapon instead. And let's not get started on how bad the bullet drop off is at long distances. At least the Sentinel will annoy people at range, the Longbow won't even hit them.
What Is The Best Gun In Apex In 2022?
The R-301 is the best weapon in Apex Legends (if you exclude care package weapons), because it has the best balance of damage and controllability for the kind of ranges a majority of Apex gunfights occur at. It doesn't actually have the highest DPS in the game, though, that would be the Devotion technically.
What Is The Hardest Gun To Handle In Apex Legends?
The hardest weapon to use in Apex Legends is the Wingman because it's a single shot weapon with small magazines and powerful recoil. It's a fantastic weapon, and there's a reason so many pros use it, but you absolutely need to hit your shots to make it effective. You might as well be using a P2020 if you aren't very accurate, honestly.
And that, ladies and gentlemen, brings us to the end of our complete tier ranking of all the weapons in Apex Legends. We hope you found it useful, and if not, at least entertaining (although we've no doubt angered some Charge Rifle fans). Plus, now that you know what the best weapons are, you'll know what to spend your precious Apex coins on!