Amassing more than 25 million players in its first week, Apex Legends is a real contender to Fortnite’s crown, but it is a very different type of battle royale. You’ll need to master movement, speed and constant teamwork in order to be successful, but knowledge of what weapons you have are your disposal is going to give you that extra leg up on the competition.
Of course, Apex Legends is a little different than the other battle royale games out there, so conventional wisdom as to what firearms yield the best results doesn’t really fit here. Sniper Rifles aren’t as deadly as they are in other titles due to the way health and recovery works here, while shotguns rip apart players at close range like in Gears of War.
There are modifications that add special perks to some guns that really take them to the next level and we’ve factored those into our decision making. So with that in mind, here’s our top ten weapons to use when you next drop in on Apex Legends (in no particular order).
Wingman
The early game favourite, the Wingman is essentially a classic six-shooter. This hand cannon fires heavy ammo, and therefore packs some considerable punch. It requires some practice as accuracy is key, but it is far and away the best pistol you can get your hands on and can lay waste to an opponent real quick.
If you’re lucky enough to stumble across a ‘Skullpiercer’ mod, then this is a sidearm worth keeping all the way to the very end of the game. The added headshot damage provided by this hop up attachment makes it a formidable weapon in any firefight.
VK-47 Flatline
The Flatline is the best of the Assault Rifles, fully automatic and with some pretty modest recoil. Get a stock on this thing and it’s a great go-to for almost any encounter. There’s no special mods available for it, but it’s good enough ‘out of the box,’ so to speak.
It’s probably the best all-rounder gun in the game, so if you’re not looking to specialise and have something available for most ranges, then a Flatline will see you right.
Kraber .50 Cal
If you’re lucky enough to find one of these, congratulations, you just won the sniper rifle lottery. This gun packs its own unique ammo so you’re not going to be able to get more once you’re out, but if you’re a crack shot, you won’t need any extra. The Kraber is one shot, one kill, and the only gun in Apex Legends to do so.
However, make sure you don’t miss. The Kraber is a bolt action rifle, so there’s a lot of time between shots where you’re extremely vulnerable. It also has a mandatory minimum 4x scope attached to it, which is obviously brilliant in the early stages but makes this weapon a bit of a liability in the final circles. So be careful and don’t be afraid to ditch it for something more appropriate to clinch a win.
Triple Take
The best of the non-rare Sniper Rifles, the Triple Take uses the relatively rare energy ammunition, does decent damage and is unique in that it fires three shots, horizontally, which can cause to go either side of the target, rather than between their eyes.
You can get a Precision Choke mod for it that reduces the spread of the shots, which negates this potential issue and fixes the only problem in an otherwise deadly ranged weapon.
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Mastiff
Much like the Kraber, this is a rare weapon that has its own unique ammunition, but my word this shotgun makes a mess of shields and health and can wipe a squad foolish enough to be hiding in a small room with ease.
It’s obviously a short-ranged weapon, so pair it with your chosen legend’s ability to really maximise the amount of kills you get from its limited use. Hunting an unsuspecting group down with Bloodhound or tracking disorientated players through Caustic’s gas are particularly good situations to bring out the Mastiff.
Peacekeeper
Shotguns are extremely effective at close range, like they should bel. The Eva 8 Auto is a rapid fire beast, but the Peacekeeper, with it’s brilliant Terminator 2 inspired reload animation, is a two shot wrecking machine.
The real secret to the Peacekeeper is the choke mod that you can find, which gives this powerful shotgun some remarkable range at the cost of spread, allowing it to dominate even in mid-range shootouts. This gun hits EXTREMELY hard, and is well worth pairing with an assault rifle for a balanced loadout.
Devotion
A lot of the community put the Devotion at the top of the pile as the best overall gun in Apex Legends right now, but we think there’s a few things that you need to know to get the best out of this LMG. Be warned, there’s a really long ‘spin-up’ time on this gun before it really starts singing.
However, there’s a special modification for this weapon that shortens the spin-up time considerably. If you can pair that with this firearm then in close to medium range encounters, you can rip through an entire squad with relative ease.
R-301 Carbine
Another great all-rounder, the R-301 is comparable to the Flatline but doesn’t output quite as much damage. It is a lot more accurate, however, so it definitely has a place in most Legends’ arsenal.
Much like the Flatline, its issues can be negated with attachments and, should you get lucky with a couple of purple drops to slap onto this assault rifle, you can turn it into something that you can use in almost every type of firefight.
G7 Scout
As mentioned before, sniper rifles aren’t as useful in Apex Legends right now, but the fire rate of the Scout can be used to pick away at an enemies armour/health before you or your teammates head in for the kill.
It’s also a brilliant clean-up tool, so if you’re keeping an eye on your team from a vantage point, a few rapid shots can finish what they started or drop a few downed players. It’s semi-automatic too, so if you’re struggling with some of the other sniper rifles the Scout is a much easier gun to use.
Prowler
An SMG that uses heavy ammo, the Prowler is a DPS-dealing death machine limited by the fact that it is, fresh off the ground, a burst fire gun. However, there’s a hopper mod that allows it to be used in Full Auto, and then all bets are off. In a short range battle, this tears through armour and health in no time at all.
It’s not great at range and an assault rifle wielding opponent will cause you some bother, so pair it with something that’ll give you a bit more coverage at distance and you’ll find the Prowler to be a great thing to bust out in a bind.
