Complete VALORANT Weapon Tier List

Here is the complete VALORANT Weapon Tier List to help you understand which weapons you should consider buying to have an edge over your opponents.

S Tier

Phantom

The Phantom is one of the most powerful and valuable rifles in VALORANT. It can fire 11 rounds per second, has a 30-round magazine, and a 2.5 second reload speed. The weapon costs 2,900 credits, which is the same price as the Vandal.

Players will usually use a Phantom or Vandal in every gun round unless they are using the Operator. The Phantom has a few benefits over the Vandal that makes it a better choice in some situations. The Phantom is a silenced weapon, which means it is slightly quieter, and bullets cannot be traced through smokes.

However, the Phantom does slightly less damage than the Vandal, especially at long distances. But the weapon is effective at all ranges and is one of the most consistent weapons in VALORANT. It is also considerably easier to control when compared to the Vanda.

Vandal

The Vandal is one of the deadliest guns in VALORANT but has a significant learning curve. The weapon costs 2,900 credits, has a fire rate of 9.75 rounds per second, and a 2.5 second reload speed. It also has a 25-round magazine, which is slightly lower than the Phantom.

The Vandal might have fewer bullets and not fire as fast as the Vandal, but it is still one of the best guns in VALORANT. The Vandal deals 160 damage to the head at all ranges, which means it is always a one-shot kill. It does 40 points of damage to the body and 34 to the legs at any distance. It also has medium bullet penetration like the Phantom and can damage enemies through some surfaces.

This means players do not have to worry about damage drop-off, but hitting shots with the Vandal is difficult. The Vandal has a significant amount of recoil that requires players to learn how to control it or fire in bursts. But once players learn how to use the Vandal effectively, they can easily pick off enemies.

Operator

The Operator is the most expensive gun in VALORANT and costs 5,000 credits. However, it can take out enemies with one bullet in the right hands.

The Operator has a five-round clip and a 0.6 fire rate, which means each shot needs to be precise. But hitting a well-placed shot is enough for most enemies. The Operator delivers 255 damage to the head and 150 damage to the body at any range. This is enough to kill an enemy with full armor and health. It also does 120 damage to the legs, which still leaves players low on health.

Players must learn how to use the Operator effectively if they want to justify the expensive price tag. Most players with Operators will sit deep in sites as they wait for enemies to push into their crosshairs. Others will peek into sites to try and secure an easy kill before their team enters.

An effective combo is using Jett and an Operator as she can quickly peek and retreat with her dash. If you encounter an Operator, make sure to use abilities to cover your entrance to avoid being an easy kill.

A Tier

Ghost

The Ghost is one of the most versatile sidearms in VALORANT. It costs 500 credits, comes with a silencer, and can’t be heard at distances over 40 meters. The Ghost does more damage than other sidearms at all ranges except for the Sheriff. But the Sheriff is a tricky weapon to master and punishes players for missing a shot.

Players can purchase a Ghost during pistol rounds for extra damage, but this does prevent them from buying armor. But if you can hit your shots, it is a worthy investment. The Ghost is also a useful sidearm in regular rounds, and players should consider upgrading from the Classic if possible.

Spectre

The Spectre is one of two SMGs available in VALORANT. It is an excellent choice during eco or force rounds and can quickly kill enemies with well-placed shots.

The Spectre costs 1,600 credits and comes with a silencer. It has a slightly lower rate of fire than the Stinger, but it also has a bigger magazine. It can deal 78 damage with a headshot within 20m, although this drops to 66 between 20 and 50m. But if players can get close to opponents, the Spectre can easily turn the tides of a gunfight.

B Tier

Sheriff

The Sheriff costs 800 credits and is the most expensive sidearm. But it also packs an incredible punch and instantly kills fully-armored enemies.

The Sheriff deals 159 headshot damage within 30m. This drops to 145 past 30-m, but that still only leaves players with five hp. The Sheriff also has a high penetration rate, which is more than all rifles.

However, the Sheriff has an incredible amount of recoil that is tough to master. Missing one shot requires players to reset their aim, which leaves little room for error. But if you are in a pinch and want to try your luck, the Sheriff might be the best call.

Stinger

The Stinger has the highest fire rate in VALORANT and is deadly in close-quarter fights. But it struggles at distances past 20m.

The Stinger only costs 1,000 credits and is an excellent choice when saving or forcing. It is not the best against rifles at long distances, but it can overwhelm players on sites. Players can also zoom in with the Stinger and use its burst-fire option, but this significantly lowers the fire rate.

Consider using the Stinger in early rounds, but upgrading when you can afford a rifle is your best bet.

Bucky

The Bucky is the cheapest shotgun in VALORANT and can dominate enemies at close ranges but struggles past 12m.

Players can purchase a Bucky for 900 credits, which is a relatively cheap investment. The Bucky fires a canister that contains 15 pellets. Each pellet delivers damage based on where it hits the enemy.

Within 8m, the Bucky can deliver massive damage if all pellets hit the head and a significant amount of damage if they hit the body. But outside of the 8m range, it becomes less effective and brutal to use.

Marshal

The Marshal is the often overlooked sniper rifle. It costs 1000 credits and delivers significant amounts of damage at all ranges.

Players can kill enemies with full health and armor in one shot with the Marshal at all ranges. It deals 202 headshot damage, 101 body damage, and 85 damage to the legs. Hitting a body shot does not guarantee a kill like the Operator, but it does drop enemies to half health.

The Marshal is an excellent choice in early rounds against enemies without armor. Players can easily hold a site with the Marshal as long as they hit their shots.

Guardian

The Guardian is a semi-automatic rifle that can kill enemies with a well-placed headshot. But it’s high recoil makes it a tricky weapon to master.

Players can purchase the Guardian for 2,400 credits. This is only 500 less than the Phantom or Vandal, but sometimes abilities are more important to buy than weapons. The Guardian delivers 195 headshot damage at any range. It also deals 65 damage to the body and 48 to the legs.

While the Guardian is a powerful weapon, it is also tough to use. Rapid firing the gun is almost impossible because of the significant recoil. However, well-placed shots can eliminate enemies with better rifles, and players should consider the Guardian when they cannot afford something better.

C Tier

Frenzy

The Frenzy is a powerful sidearm capable of quickly dealing damage at close ranges. But outside of 20m, it becomes less effective, and other sidearms are better choices.

The Frenzy costs 500 credits, which is the same cost as the Ghost. Duelists or aggressive players that can push into sites and get close to enemies can take advantage of the Frenzy’s damage output. But it also has high recoil that can be tough to control.

If your team can coordinate a fast push or surprise enemies at close ranges, the Frenzy is a viable choice. But at long ranges, you are better off using a Ghost.

Bulldog

The Bulldog is the cheapest rifle in VALORANT for a good reason. The weapon only costs 2,100 credits, but it is also the only rifle that cannot instantly kill a player with a headshot.

The Bulldog deals 115 headshot damage, 35 damage to the body, and 29 to the legs. This means players must hit multiple headshots to kill an enemy or several shots to other parts of the body.

Most players are better off spending an extra 300 for the Guardian or just buying a Spectre.

Odin

The Odin is the second-most expensive weapon in VALORANT and costs 3,200 credits. It can quickly deal massive amounts of damage but is also cumbersome and has intense recoil.

The Odin can fire 12 rounds per second and has a 100-round magazine. It does 95 headshot damage, 38 body damage, and 32 damage to the legs within 30m. It still does considerable damage between 30 and 50m but will require more hits for a kill.

Players can also shoot through most surfaces with the Odin, which is an excellent tool to have when encountering hidden enemies. However, the Odin’s accuracy balances out its effectiveness.

The Odin’s first shot is not always accurate, which means players cannot rely on it for one-tap kills. Players can control the Odin’s massive recoil to deal damage to a specific area, but it is by no means a precise weapon.

Classic

The Classic is the default weapon every player starts with. The gun is free, and players can purchase another Classic if needed during the buy period.

Players can dish out 78 headshot damage, 26 body damage, and 22 damage to the legs within 30m with the classic. This is a significant amount of damage during pistol rounds, especially against players without armor.

However, once players purchase rifles and armor in later rounds, the Classic becomes much less effective. It can still kill unsuspecting enemies but do not expect to go head-on with a Vandal and win.

The Classic also has a burst fire option, which shoots three shots at once. This is an excellent tool at close ranges, but it has a brief cooldown period that can be detrimental if you miss your shots.

D Tier

Judge

The Judge is a shotgun capable of shooting multiple rounds per second, although it still requires multiple hits to kill a player.

Each headshot with the Judge does 34 points of damage within 10m. This means players must hit at least four shots to kill a fully armored enemy, and the headshot damage decreases past 10m. The Judge does fire 12 pellets per shot, but it is tough to hit the head with all pellets.

Players should avoid the judge past early rounds when opponents start buying rifles and full armor. However, some Agents like Jett and Raze can get close to enemies quickly and punish them with the Judge. If you are not using these Agents, you’re better off with an SMG.

Shorty

The Shorty is a 200 credit shotgun that can obliterate enemies at close ranges. But it only has two shots before players need to reload and struggles at long ranges.

Each pellet does 24 headshot damage within 7m, and each shot shoots 15 pellets. The damage drastically drops off past 7m, and players should avoid firing past 15m as it does minor damage.

Ares

The Ares is the less powerful machine gun that can be good in early rounds but struggles against rifles.

The Ares does 72 headshot damage, 30 body damage, and 25 damage to the legs within 30m. It can fire ten rounds per second and has a 50-round magazine. While it is capable of delivering significant damage, it also falls short like the Odin with precision.

Players can lay down suppressing fire to stop advancing enemies, and hitting multiple shots can quickly kill players. But firing the weapon in burst or slowly is tough as the recoil resets when you stop shooting.

Consider using the Ares to hold an enemy team at bay in early rounds or when forcing. Do not expect it to dominate against rifles or even the Odin.