Apex Guns, Ranked: Apex Legends Weapon Tier List

Note: The four Supply Drop weapons (Prowler, Bocek, L-STAR, and Kraber) are excluded from this list as they would all be S-Tier.

Apex Legends Weapon Tier List for Season 18

S-Tier: R-301 // Flatline // Hemlock // 30-30 Repeater // C.A.R. SMG

A-Tier: G7 Scout // R-99 // Wingman // EVA-8 // Nemesis // Alternator

B-Tier: Peacekeeper // Mastiff // HAVOC // Sentinel // Rampage

C-Tier: Triple Take // Longbow // Spitfire // Volt // Charge Rifle // Devotion // RE-45

D-Tier: Mozambique // P2020

S-Tier

S-Tier weapons are all amazing to have in your arsenal. They are the best in their class and excel at multiple points in the game, placing them at the top of our Apex weapon tier list. There is never a downside to wielding one of these.

R-301

The R-301 is still in the top rank of our Apex weapons tier list in Season 18. Assault rifles are still the most versatile weapons in Apex Legends, and the R-301 is no exception. Boasting incredibly easy recoil control and prowess at all ranges, the R-301 is one of the best weapons in Apex to be holding. And with Light ammo and attachments being abundant on the ground and in Death Boxes, you’ll always have one kitted and ready to go.

Flatline

The Flatline has remained at the top of the Apex weapons pecking order for many seasons. The slower firing and higher base damage that it provides make it a very easy gun for anyone to use. Few weapons can take down enemies as well at range. Additionally, it has a base 20 bullet clip and amazing hipfire, making it extremely effective in close-range combat. The Flatline also requires only three attachments, so it’s easy to kit out. This combines to make the Flatline one of the most consistent Apex weapons.

Hemlock

The Hemlock’s return to ground loot in place of the Nemesis has made it the premier burst fire rifle in Apex Legends. It has insane one-shot potential on any enemy out of cover and is incredibly easy to wield with almost no recoil. The one weakness of the Hemlock has always been close range, but even then, it’s serviceable enough to come in the clutch while hip firing. The Hemlock is the perfect middle ground between Assault Rifles and Marksman weapons.

30-30 Repeater

The 30-30 Repeater has become popular as the premier Marksman weapon in Apex Legends. Even without a Skullpiercer, the 30-30 can demolish enemies unfortunate enough to be in your sightline. The single-shot action allows you to crouch, peek, and unload tons of damage while opponents can’t fight back. In this regard, the 30-30 is one of the most oppressive guns to play against in the game. Whether it’s KP or EVO farming, the 30-30 will do the job.

C.A.R. SMG

The C.A.R. is back on top of the SMG pecking order after the R-99 nerfs. The weapon is incredibly easy to kit out due to being able to use both Heavy and Light attachments/ammo. It has fast firing speed, the highest body DPS of SMGs, and one of the game’s shortest TTKs (time to kill). While the C.A.R. falls off at long range, its hip-fire is reliable, and the mid-range is decent, making the weapon one of the strongest secondary options, regardless of your primary.

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A-Tier

The A-Tier Apex guns are all great in their own way. They are either the best in their niche, have good versatility, or are just powerful alternatives to the S-Tiers.

G7 Scout

The G7-Scout falls just outside the S-Tier due to its status against the 30-30. It’s still an amazing weapon, to be sure, and if you’re more comfortable with it, it’s a perfectly fine Marksman weapon. It can farm kills and EVO just as well when you just stand in and shoot. However, long-range duels are dominated by the 30-30 due to its much higher single-shot damage. Additionally, keeping the Scout stocked up on bullets can be more difficult with two of the four ground SMGs (three if you count the C.A.R.) using Light ammo.

R-99

Despite the nerfs to the R-99, the fan-favorite SMG is still a force to be reckoned with in the right hands. Its DPS potential at close range is through the roof, allowing users to take down unsuspecting targets in record time. The main downsides of the gun are its low base clip size and high ammo consumption. However, with a magazine and plenty of Light ammo in tow, the R-99 is an amazing secondary weapon with one of the most fun gameplay loops in Apex Legends.

Wingman

We’ve had plenty of time to get used to the sniper ammo and attachment Wingman now. The diagnosis is simple; it’s still the Wingman. Few guns in Apex can trade as quickly and efficiently as the high-damage revolver. The Wingman excels at mid-range but can still be wielded at close range as a makeshift shotgun. If you can hold the Sniper ammo and find a magazine, the Wingman is still a great option for anyone who can hit shots with it.

EVA-8

The EVA-8 is the most versatile shotgun option in Apex Legends. Its ground competition in the Mastiff and Peacekeeper has a potentially higher ceiling in two-pump scenarios. However, the EVA-8 can deal with much higher DPS if more than two shots need to be fired. Few weapons are as good at 1v3ing a team as the EVA-8. The weapon also has less fall-off than you would think, making it decent at cleaning up enemies from a short distance away. If you still feel like picking up a shotgun for your playstyle, the EVA-8 won’t disappoint.

Nemesis

The Nemesis has been moved to Crafter after seasons of terrorizing the player base. Make no mistake, the Nemesis is still incredibly powerful. It can burst down enemies before they know what hit them, allowing you to farm kills and damage while winning every trade. The downside is, of course, having to craft one. It’s time-consuming and, most of the time, more worth crafting Shields, Batteries, or attachments. Couple that with the scarcity of Energy ammo and attachments, and you get a weapon only holding A-Tier due to its raw power level.

Alternator

The Alternator barely sneaks into A-Tier due to one reason. Disruptor Rounds are back, and the Alternator is taking full advantage of them. The ability to shred shields quickly is very valuable in mid-range engagements. A few Alternator bullets will put your team firmly ahead in the damage trade, allowing for much easier fight wins. Granted, without the Disruptors, the Alternator is simply a worse option than the R-99. However, it’s definitely worth playing around if you find the attachment.

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B-Tier

B-Tier weapons can be strong in the right hands. However, they are all outclassed by other guns in their niche, and are often just less efficient. Still, they can be pretty fun to use.

Peacekeeper

Shotguns just aren’t in vogue right now in Apex Legends. The Peacekeeper still does what it advertises, providing the best close-range kill potential of almost any weapon in the game. However, circumstances where having one in your arsenal is optimal are few and far between. Most fights take place at mid to long-range, making the PK essentially a dead weapon slot. If anything, having one on drop for contests is much better than carrying one to the late game. That said, you can still pick one up if the goal is to get in close as much as possible with Legends like Octane or Wraith.

Mastiff

The same is true of the Mastiff. This shotgun has a similar niche as its brother, the Peacekeeper. The difference is that the PK excels on movement characters, while the Mastiff is better on bulky characters with ways to play jiggle peeks (such as Gibby with his Bubble or Newcastle with his Fortress). There’s no hard rule that you can’t interchange them, though. The feeling of two-pumping an overconfident opponent is one of the best in Apex, so wield that shotgun with pride, at least until you fight someone with a 30-30 and a C.A.R.

HAVOC

The HAVOC assault rifle is one of the most tragic weapons in Apex. In a vacuum, a fully kitted HAVOC can be one of the most terrifying weapons. Its high base damage, combined with the ramp-up of a Turbocharger, make it a force to be reckoned with. The reality is that nobody looks for Turbochargers or carries Energy ammo/attachments. The HAVOC fantasy is difficult to achieve and will often just leave you with a suboptimal AR option.

Sentinel

The Sentinel is the only long-range option that can compete with the 30-30 Repeater regarding single-shot damage. Once you charge this thing up with Shield Cells, it acts as a mini-Kraber, able to do immense damage to any enemy that overpeeks or is out in the open. Of course, the Sentinel has its weaknesses. Missing a shot on the Sentinel reduces your DPS to zero for much longer due to the bolt action. In comparison, a Longbow is much more forgiving.

Rampage

The Rampage is the best option among the LMG class. The ability to charge it up with a Thermite to unleash a burst of DPS gives it some insanely high kill pressure. Additionally, the utility of destroying doors is always nice to have. The Rampage can be difficult to use compared to ARs, but it’s still worth picking up if you want a Hemlock-like option. Most of the time, though, the Hemlock is just preferable.

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C-Tier

C-Tier Apex guns are all less than optimal to use. While they can get you through the early game drop, they should probably be replaced the second you find something better.

Triple Take

The Triple Take has gotten slightly better with some love given to it. However, it falls between the niche of a Marksman weapon and a Sniper Rifle. It can’t trade in mid-range like the 30-30 or G7 Scout and can’t farm at long-range like the Sentinel or Longbow. And since Energy ammo is rare, this thing is difficult to keep going with little to no reward.

Longbow

The long and short of the Longbow is that there’s no reason to run it over the 30-30. It has lower DPS by a lot, is harder to carry ammo and find attachments for, and isn’t unique in its ability to use a Skullpiercer. While it’s single headshot does deal 18 more damage, that’s not a big enough upside to justify running it. If you want long-range DPS, use a 30-30. If you want a single-shot burst, use the Sentinel.

Spitfire

The Spitfire suffers from being an LMG. It can’t keep up with the range and accuracy of Marksman weapons at long range, the DPS of Assault Rifles at mid-range, or the clipping power of SMG’s at close range. It exists purely to be a placeholder for the R-301 or G7 Scout. It’s not an overtly weak weapon per se, as it can still get the job done on drop. However, you never want to be taking fights against kitted players while holding this thing.

Volt

The Volt has firmly fallen from grace. The recoil and range nerf to SMGs have hit the Volt the hardest, as the SMG excelled in that area the most. Now, you’re left with a low firing speed and low DPS SMG that is extremely hard to use. Energy weapons are the weakest of the bunch right now in Apex, so even if you can run a Volt through the early game, chances are that you’ll have to switch out when you can’t find any ammo for it.

Charge Rifle

The old Charge Rifle is gone. In place of the hitscan beam is a fast-moving projectile. The Sniper Rifle still has the signature charge-up before it shoots, but that’s more of a negative now than before. The Charge Rifle is very finicky to use. It can still deal decent damage at range if you get used to it. However, it’s just not worth getting acquainted with at the moment. Rest in peace, hitscan Charge Rifle; you will not be missed.

Devotion

The Devotion, when fully kitted, is a lot of fun. You can use the 48-bullet magazine to rain down terror on whoever dares run in front of you. To get to that point however, you’ll need a Turbocharger, magazine, stock, stabilizer, optic, and loads of Energy ammo. And with the nerf to bullet damage when equipped with a Turbo, the Devotion just isn’t worth the trouble. The HAVOC is better in almost every way, so just grab one of those instead.

RE-45

The RE-45 is now the best user of the Hammerpoint attachment. That said, Hammerpoints have been nerfed to only 35 percent increased damage on unshielded targets. The question arises: is this upside worth sacrificing a full weapon slot? The answer is, most of the time, no. SMGs are generally more reliable, and the Disruptors are just a better attachment, making the Alternator more desirable as a sidearm.

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D-Tier

D-Tier weapons either require too many attachments or other factors to be useful, or are just straight up bad. Get rid of these for anything else.

Mozambique

Even with Hammerpoints available, being in the Crafter has killed the Mozambique. It’s simply not worth the trouble to craft one when the other shotgun options are usually better. The only thing of value lost here is the quintessential Apex Legends experience of finding three in a row on a drop.

P2020

The P2020 is by far the worst gun in Apex Legends. The one bright side is that it can equip Hammerpoints, making it usable if you really want to. Without them, however, the P2020 is as nearly useless as possible. If you HAVE to take one into battle, pray you can find something else ASAP.

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