The debate surrounding the best guns in Apex Legends is one that will be waged for eternity. Our Apex Legends gun tier list below won't put that fight out to pasture, but it will give you a little guidance on which weapons are best over the course of Season 18.
The weapons system can be a bit daunting to figure out, especially following the most recent dose of weapon buffs and nerfs arriving as part of the latest seasonal update.
Once you're done with the Apex Legends gun tier list, we have to push you to read up on Ballistic and his game-changing abilities. And if you want to pair the best weapons with the best legends, our Apex Legends tier list has been updated to reflect the Season 18 meta.
Apex Legends gun tier list - Best weapons for Season 18 (March 2024)
Best Apex Legends Season 18 guns and weapons
S
A
B
C
D
Here is a summary of our Apex Legends gun tier list, quickly grading the best weapons in the game as of Season 18.
We provide more details and weapon stats in our comprehensive list below but note that the list above takes potential boosts, hop-ups, attachments, rarity, and a few other factors into play.
A top-tier weapon might not be the strongest in terms of raw damage per bullet, but more accessible, easier to handle, and more fluid in terms of useful situations.
S-Tier weapons and stats
Nemesis Burst AR
The latest arrival to the Apex Legends arsenal is the Nemesis Burst AR, and it's an excellent option for mid-range engagements. Armed with a four-round burst that keeps on firing when the trigger is held, the rifle also has an energy meter that fills up.
If you land your shots, 16.5% of charge is added to the meter resulting in an increase in fire rate. For mid-range and some long-distance scenarios, few guns come close to the Nemesis.
Mastiff
The Mastiff is a high-damage weapon that requires you to play aggressively. The weapon has had a turbulent history, with downsides of lacking refillable ammo and a sizeable reload animation that can obscure your vision.
Fortunately, the weapon does reload relatively fast, can is very much a capable gun within the right hands of a player who likes to push.
R-301 Carbine
A great all-rounder in Apex Legends (as it was in Titanfall), the R-301 is the best Apex Legends gun for mid-range entanglements.
Although it offers some of the best iron sights in the game, attachments really bring out the best in the R-301, particularly a mid-range scope and an extended magazine. It has very little recoil (and a predictable recoil pattern), making it perfect for beaming enemies before they even know you're there.
EVA-8 Shotgun
The EVA-8 was originally higher on this list but it was nerfed a few seasons ago. When you attach a bolt to it, the fire rate is reduced. The EVA is still fairly strong, just not as powerful as before. The benefit of the EVA-8 is that you don't need to aim down sights, its hip-fire spread is about the same as when you ADS, meaning your mobility won't be impaired.
G7 Scout
A single-shot weapon that’s surprisingly decent even at close range, the G7 is crying out for a scope to get the best out of it. The rate of fire is decent, but the only real limit is how fast your firing finger is! Great for poking around corners and getting incremental damage, the G7 is best in class for mid-range Marksman fights.
CAR SMG
The CAR was simply the best weapon in Titanfall 2 - and that's a game that includes a pistol with homing bullets.
This is true of Apex Legends too. When you first pick up this weapon, it can seem a little unruly. Once you add some basic attachments to it, it can carry you through to being the champion. The CAR can take light and heavy ammo, meaning you'll rarely be without the opportunity to reload.
Charge Rifle
The Charge Rifle fires a beam of energy at opponents before exploding into a high-damaging shot that can instantly destroy a shield. It can even destroy red shields. It can deal a lot of damage early on. This means it's perfect for getting enough damage in the early stages of a game to quickly level up your Evo Shield.
A-Tier Weapons & Stats
R-99
The R-99 is an amazing SMG at close range that deals 198 DPS. Grab an extended magazine and run headfirst into fights and you'll be odds-on to win.
The rate of fire is the R-99's best asset, so just make sure you hit as many of your shots as you can. Combine with an R-301 for some ranged support, or go balls to the wall and run it with an EVA-8 shotgun for the ultimate close-range carnage.
Wingman
One of the most powerful guns in Apex Legends in the right hands, especially with an extended mag, the Wingman is often sought after by players.
You'll need plenty of practice to make sure you hit your shots even at long ranges, but the Wingman has a very high skill ceiling. The Boosted Loader hop-up allows for faster reloads. If reloaded at the correct time, like Deadeye's Tempo, you'll be granted more rounds in your mag.
Peacekeeper
The Peacekeeper is a powerful shotgun that simply looks cool.
The Precision Choke is now also built into the shotgun, meaning that you'll be able to charge up those shots right away for maximum damage.
Do this by aiming down the sights, which vastly reduces the shotgun's pellet spread and makes you more likely to hit massive damage. A surefire choice for Gibraltar mains everywhere, a good shotgun is vital to bubble fights, although some players prefer the EVA-8 at this stage.
Apex Legends Season 14 found the Peacekeeper available to snag as floor loot again, but in Season 18, it remains a popular choice when dropping into the action.
30/30 Repeater
The 30-30 is a Marksman Rifle that has never really lived up to its full potential. Yes, each bullet is loaded individually, which helps when you have a couple of extra shots. Yes, you get a 35% damage boost if you charge your shot by aiming down the sights. However, it's still just a bit underwhelming. Despite this, its popularity is on the rise in Season 18.
The G7 Scout's usefulness comes from its quick rate of fire, which you just can't replicate if you're charging your 30-30 shots. The Shatter Caps hop-up doesn't do a lot to improve the Repeater at close range, either. The 30-30 Repeater is a jack of all trades and master of none and ends outclassed by other weapons which excel in their respective niches.
Volt SMG
The Volt SMG was already a powerful weapon and a choice pick for many squads. On its return to ground loot, it's received a slight damage nerf from 17 to 15, meaning its close-quarters performance won't be as good as it was in previous seasons.
It can be a little hard to control, but once you've gotten the hang of the Volt SMG, you can tear your enemies apart. It runs on Energy Ammunition, and it has a decent re-load rate compared to other SMGs.
Prowler PDW
The Prowler became a ridiculously strong weapon once placed into Care Packages. Now back as ground loot, it's a favourite of some players.
We liked putting it on full-auto and spraying until the Champions screen appears, but after Season 9, the Prowler is burst-fire only. It's probably for the best, though, as it's still incredibly strong even in burst-only mode.
VK-47 Flatline
The much-loved VK-47 Flatline is now a Craftable Weapon at any Crafting Station. It will set you back 30 Crafting Metals, but you do get some ammo with it. Even though the fire rate of this weapon is still impressive, its damage stats have been slightly reduced. Instead of dealing 19 damage, it now deals 18 damage. This may seem like an insignificant reduction, but it becomes quite noticeable if it was your go-to weapon.
B Tier weapons and stats
These weapons have some versatility in certain situations but are worth swapping out if you see any of the better choices lying around.
Rampage LMG
Although some may not agree with this spot for the Rampage, we have had a bunch of fun with it since its release to the game.
It definitely packs a punch, but the slow fire rate allows for a weakness, making it not too overpowered. It has been slightly buffed this season; the damage stat has increased from 26 to 28.
Alternator
The Alternator is no longer a Care Package exclusive! You can now find this weapon on the ground. Even though it has had its damage stats reduced slightly, it can still be a powerful weapon with the correct attachments.
Hemlok
The Hemlok has always been a fairly decent gun, and when used by someone with quality aim, it can be a little overpowered. It's about to get a whole lot stronger as there's a new hop-up.
The boosted Loader is a new hop-up that can be attached to the Hemlok and Wingman. Offering faster reload speeds as well as extra rounds if reloaded at the right time (like Deadeye's Tempo).
Longbow DMR
The Longbow DMR has long been a consistent performer in the Apex games due to its fairly high fire rate and decent damage. You can now craft this weapon for 30 crafting metals at any crafting station across the map.
It may not be as powerful as a full-blooded sniper rifle. However, it is more forgiving. If you aim for the head and follow up with whatever you can hit, you can still inflict a substantial amount of damage on an enemy. We like to run it with a Prowler for that long-range/short-range combo.
RE-45
The RE-45 has shot up to the highest tier as players look for a powerful weapon to use in those competitive close-range engagements.
That being said, it has become a useful weapon to use in Arenas. It costs very little crafting metals but deals quite a lot of damage, which makes it the perfect weapon to pick in the first round of an Arena match.
Sentinel
One of the weapons added as part of Season 4, the Sentinel rewards skilled players handsomely. Its bolt-loaded mechanism means you’ll need to line up your shots, but it could be an alternative if you can’t find yourself the Longbow. Manage the immense recoil, and you could be rewarded.
Triple Take
Ever since its introduction, the Triple Take has flipped between being a great or mediocre weapon. Fortunately, it seems that it has clawed its way back to the top in Season 18. This is mainly thanks to a brand new hop-up attachment for it called the Kinetic Feeder.
The hop-up speeds up the choke time for this weapon, and, excitingly, it automatically re-loads it. This means that you won't have to worry about remembering to re-load it when you're getting low on shots. Automatic re-loads will stop you from breaking your focus in a fight to reload.
Even though its damage has been reduced from 23 to 21 per bullet, the Triple Take itself can still do a lot of damage at its base level. If you're prone to using Marksman Rifles in a fight, the Triple Take is still an excellent choice.
C Tier weapons and stats
Havoc
The Havoc Rifle is still a beast of a gun, but it does have a few issues. It has a firing rate so high it can shred shields in an instant, but multiple increases to the horizontal recoil have taken their toll. To put it simply, it can be extremely difficult to control without adding blue or purple-tier attachments to it.
It’s an assault rifle that packs an accurate punch, although the charge time can be an irritant. If you can manage the recoil, this has the potential to be a serious threat. Grab a Turbocharger, however, and you'll shred your enemies.
Devotion
The Devotion has the fastest fire rate in the game - and seriously, it beams when it gets up to full speed. However, it really needs a Turbocharger to reach its full potential. The Devotion also eats ammunition. With a gold magazine equipped, however, it can take down opponents in the blink of an eye.
M600 Spitfire
The Spitfire was previously considered broken anyway but its performance may take a hit. The Spitfire has switched to light ammo and magazines in Season 18. We've seen players wipe whole squads with one magazine from a Spitfire.
The rate of fire is pretty slow, and it takes a long time to reload (when you have to), but when opponents have to reload their weapons, and you don't - it's hard to lose. No doubt we'll see plenty of players begging Respawn to remove the Spitty from Care Packages. If you want to be really spicy, play as Rampart for an even bigger magazine on this brutal LMG.
Z Tier weapons and stats
L-Star
The L-Star is the weapon to pick if you love embracing chaos. It's got a wild recoil pattern, and its red glare of energy rounds take up your whole screen, making it nigh impossible to aim, although, in close quarters, it can be ridiculously powerful. It's a whole lot stronger now. Players are able to use barrel stabilizers and extended energy mags, the mags will increase the amount of time until the L-Star will overheat.
P2020
The most vanilla of pistols, the P2020 just isn’t that exciting. A buff to its damage in Season 6 didn't help it at all. If you are desperate for a weapon and there is nothing else around, then it's alright to pick it up. However, don't expect it to keep you alive for very long.
Mozambique
A weapon that’s become a meme now, Mozambique is a shotgun that doesn’t spread enough and a pistol that isn’t accurate enough.
The Mozambique can now compete against other shotguns in the arsenal, bearing similarities to the Wingman. In close-quarters engagements, it's more reliable than the Wingman, but its lack of range does hold it back.
That's all there is to our Apex Legends gun tier list. As much as the new season has changed things up, certain weapons are just better than others, and it's no disrespect to the P2020 to say it is exponentially worse than a Kraber - it's just the cold, hard, truth.
If you want to improve some other areas of your game, check out our guide on how to get faster loading times. We also have a guide that walks you through how to get crafting metals. So, what are you waiting for? Grab a gun and become the Apex Champion!
Originally written by Ben Sledge and maintained by Marie Pritchard and Kelsey Raynor. Updated to reflect Season 18 by Jon Nicholson.