By Dave Aubrey
Apex Legends has 28 weapons available in the game spread across seven different categories, not counting April Fools weapon variants or weapons attached to Legend abilities. That is a mean number of guns to juggle, especially if you’re just now entering the game for the first time. So how do you know which is best to pick up and start shooting with?
Each weapon class has its own benefits and downsides, and we’ll be breaking each one of those down for you here. Use the information in these tier lists and you’ll know which Apex Legends weapon is best to use in any given situation, except being trapped in a bathroom.
Apex Legends Assault Rifle tier list
- R-301 Carbine
- Hemlok Burst AR
- VK-47 Flatline
- HAVOC Rifle
To start things off with a bit of contention, the HAVOC goes at the bottom of the Assault Rifle tier list. With a Turbocharger hop-up, it can be an excellent weapon, but that doesn’t come along commonly enough. The R-301 meanwhile has always been top-tier thanks to excellent stability, fire rate, and range. The Hemlok and Flatline take up the middle of the pack and can switch places depending on balance patches, but both are solid options for mid-range.
Apex Legends Light Machine Gun tier list
- M600 Spitfire
- Devotion LMG
- Rampage LMG
- L-STAR EMG
When the Spitfire is at its best, it is the best. A huge magazine allows you to rinse bullets seemingly endlessly and will terrify opponents, especially thanks to decent range and damage output. When up close though, the Devotion is the king, shredding through shields in seconds, even without a Turbocharger. At the back of the pack, both the Rampage LMG and L-STAR have their moments to shine, but the Rampage is best when paired with Thermite grenades, and the L-STAR is unwieldy even in good scenarios. While they can be used incredibly effectively, these guns can also have you cursing their name as you look at the death recap.
Apex Legends Marksman tier list
- Bocek Compound Bow
- G7 Scout
- Triple Take
- 30-30 Repeater
If you have good aim and the hop-ups you need, the Bocek Bow is the best, unquestionably. The damage output is fearsome, and a skilled sharpshooter can take down an entire team as they scramble for cover. The G7 Scout is similar but excels on being a support weapon, backing up your team as they push enemies. The 30-30 Repeater is a bit like that, too, but far more situational and has little to no use in close-range combat (unless you have the right hop-up), which puts it at the bottom of the list. The Triple Take isn’t the best weapon in the game by any means but has the versatility of being used up-close like a shotgun in a pinch.
Apex Legends Shotgun tier list
- Peacekeeper
- Mastiff Shotgun
- EVA-8 Auto
- Mozambique
The Peacekeeper has been infamous for the longest time and took a powerful position in Apex Legends‘ meta right at the beginning. It’s still fearsome in the right hands, even if the Mastiff is a powerful alternative. The EVA-8 is still excellent at very close range, while the Mozambique is a meme, but can still be used to take someone down early on in a game.
Apex Legends Sniper Rifle tier list
- Kraber .50-Cal Sniper
- Sentinel
- Charge Rifle
- Longbow DMR
For clarity, all of the Sniper Rifles in Apex Legends can be powerful in the right hands, but none of them stand up to the Kraber, the only sniper rifle in the game that can take down any enemy with a headshot, regardless of their armor. The Sentinel may need Shield Cells to charge up, but this relatively small cost leads to a huge damage buff on shields, making it an incredible support weapon. The Charge Rifle is a mixed bag though – it clearly telegraphs your position and the damage burst isn’t instant, but with zero bullet drop it’s also the most accurate weapon in the entire game, and can be a huge pain to deal with for enemy teams. The Longbow is placed in last position here, but like the other sniper rifles it can devastate enemy teams in the right hands – it just doesn’t do anything special, either.
Apex Legends Sub Machine Gun tier list
- C.A.R. SMG
- R-99 SMG
- Prowler Burst PDW
- Volt SMG
- Alternator SMG
This is a tough one to call. The C.A.R. SMG manages to sneak into the top spot thanks to being decently powerful with a fire rate that rivals the R-99, but also takes two types of ammo, making it an ideal weapon whether you’re looking to swap it out, or you’re just incredibly trigger happy and need to resupply often. The R-99 takes the second spot, it might be a bit unstable at range, but it shreds enemies that get hit with concentrated fire. The Prowler’s five-round burst is also fearsome up close, even if it’s a bit unstable. The final two SMGs are very stable to control however: the Volt is an excellent SMG that offers stable firepower and acceptable damage, while the Alternator feels like baby’s-first-SMG in comparison to the rest of the list. Not bad, just not impressive in any way.
Apex Legends Pistol tier list
- Wingman
- RE-45 Auto
- P2020
This is the easiest weapon class to dissect. The Wingman is the magnum of Apex Legends, dealing big damage with each shot, and a nice headshot bonus multiplier to boot. The RE-45 is an automatic pistol, and is advantageous early in games when players are still scrambling for weapons. The P2020 is at the bottom of the list – the other weapons just have more versatility – but can save your skin in a bad situation, if you’re talented enough.
