Apex Legends Weapon Tier List – Season 15
With another season of Apex Legends in full swing, newcomers have likely had adequate time to ease into their play style and legend preference. In typical Respawn fashion, weapons continue to be adjusted each season. Noobs and veterans alike have felt the effects of these recent changes Respawn has made to the weapons. With sleeper buffs and unnoticed nerfs, it may be difficult to determine what weapons fit into the current ranked split. Look no further, because we’ve taken the guesswork out of what weapons frag, and what weapons to avoid at all costs this season in our Apex Legends weapon tier list.
For our breakdown, all weapons in the care package will be ranked conventionally,
meaning they will not all automatically be S-Tier.
As is the case with our other tier lists, we update our lists based on the current ranked season. These recommendations carry over to pubs as well though. The weapons in each individual tier are in no specific order, unless otherwise specified.
If you haven’t already, be sure to check out our Apex Legends Tier List.
Rankings
Charge Rifle
Let’s get this out of the way first and start off with a hate it or love it weapon, depending if you are on the giving or receiving end. The Charge Rifle deserves its own category because it is the ONLY true hit scan weapon. While the damage numbers may be a little tricky to understand, all you need to know is that you can deal a total of 90 damage with a single shot.
Because of its unique characteristics I’ve decided to leave the Charge Rifle out of our Apex Legends weapon tier list, but if I had to rank it I would put this in the A-tier due to the high damage output and hitscan capabilities. The lack of utility for midrange fights and high ammo usage, along with an extended reload time are really what is holding it back from being an S-Tier weapon. Regardless of that, this is a great weapon in early-game for griefing other teams and farming Evo hield for your entire squad and can be quiet an annoyance.
S-Tier
These are the superior, meta, MUST pick weapons. If you see one, grab it! If you aren’t familiar with them, take some time to learn them in the firing range or pubs.
G7 Scout
On paper, this Marksman weapon is the best in its class, outperforming the second best by roughly 150% when it comes to DPS (Damage Per Second). Consider this a superior version of the 30-30 Repeater. The Double Tap Trigger hop-up has next to no recoil, but it is something that I turn off when I am dealing poke damage from afar. Of the Marksman class weapons, this one has the highest fire rate and feels the most consistent.
The G7 Scout is much easier to learn than other weapons of its class: you can easily pick this up and just harass other squads from afar or do poke damage from your power position before you run low on ammo and switch back to your close-range secondary. The G7 Scout is certainly a fun weapon to use and is deceptively devastating.
VK-47 Flatline
The Flatline truly is the best all-purpose weapon in the game, so it makes sense that it’s in the S tier of our Apex Legends weapon tier list. With the return of the Anvil Receiver, you can easily switch to semi-auto for greater precision in longer range engagements, since those can be a bit more difficult on full auto if the Flatline is your primary long-range weapon. Jitter aiming is crucial if this is your goal.
In mid to close range fights, the Flatline can rip a foe to shreds. In the midrange, the higher DPS really comes into play, while the insanely good hip fire characteristics makes this weapon fantastic in close-range.
While this Assault Rifle has a higher skill ceiling with its bullet drop and recoil pattern in full auto along with the requirement to lead enemies at greater distances, I consider this weapon to be my security blanket, and it can be used in all scenarios. The Flatline has great utility and can make for a very reliable primary and/or secondary in your loadout.
R-301 Carbine
For those who want a consistent and much more forgiving Assault Rifle, enter the R-301 Carbine. Any player, no matter their experience level, can easily pick this thing up and start beaming, as the handling on this Assault Rifle is superb.
With excellent accuracy, a high rate of fire, good performance during the mid to long-range engagements, and a decent hip fire spread, this gun is nasty. The Anvil Receiver is a great addition but it’s not as impactful as it is on the Flatline. The option is still there though, and it can help with ammo conservation if needed.
C.A.R. SMG
Those of you who started playing Apex when it first came out may scoff at the fact that I ranked the C.A.R. SMG higher than the R-99. Trust me, this was not easy for me, as I am a loyal R-99 fanboy. On paper though, the C.A.R. just outperforms the R-99 in the DPS category. In fact, it has the quickest TTK (Time To Kill) of all the weapons, and this can make the difference in a life-or-death situation, especially during early game. Finally, because the C.A.R. can operate with light or heavy ammo as well as either type of magazine, it gets the edge. Again, there is a higher skill ceiling here, as the recoil pattern requires a bit more practice to learn.
Wingman
Unsurprisingly, we have the iconic high-powered and hard-hitting revolver in the S tier of our Apex Legends weapon tier list. This pistol has one of the highest skill ceilings, and trying to master it can be frustrating and even titling at times. Conquering the fire rate timing, increased ADS movement speed, and high recoil may deter people from picking one up but if you put the reps in you shall reap the sweet and satisfying rewards, head click after head click.
Think of the Wingman as a Flatline that you can put in your pocket. It performs extremely well even at longer ranges, helps with ammo conservation, and can even open doors with well-placed shots. Its ability to be devastating in close quarters combat scenarios is slept on by a lot of people. Given the fact that it has no movement penalty whilst ADS, it really allows you to outmaneuver your enemies in close quarter situations. This is absolutely a high skill weapon, but once you become proficient with it you’ll be a force to be reckoned with.
RE-45 Auto
Arguably the best weapon in the current Supply Drop, the RE-45 is a must grab weapon this season. Equipped with Disruptor Rounds, this full auto pistol has a high fire rate, some of the most manageable recoil, and performs great in hip fire situations. In its current Supply Drop form, this full auto pistol is capable of one clipping an enemy with a red Evo Shield and has DPS values that contend with the R-99 SMG. To top it off, you receive a slight movement buff, as pistols have minimal ADS penalties.
Peacekeeper
I have a love-hate relationship with the Peacekeeper. When it hits, it hits. But you are often going to encounter that 8-damage hit indicator right before your screen goes grey. The PK received a slight buff recently, increasing limb damage from 0.8 to 1.0, and while the change seems negligible, the effect is noticeable.
Regardless of the buff, the PK would still end up in the top tier of our Apex Legends weapon tier list, and here’s why. The Peacekeeper has such a high burst damage potential that any purple Evo Shield enemy can be finished in two pumps so long as they have been dealt any previous damage whatsoever. The extra inventory space you gain with only needing one stack of ammo for this weapon can allow for extra lethals or heals for your team. This is a must grab considering the high burst damage potential.
A-Tier
Any of these weapons are incredible and highly recommended due to their massive squad crippling potential. They’re just missing that little bit of extra that makes them extraordinary and would put them in the S tier of our Apex Legends weapon tier list.
Sentinel
This bolt-action Sniper Rifle starts off our list. On paper, this sniper can definitely do some damage, inflicting 70 damage per body shot and touting 140 damage per headshot. With recent changes that lower the shield cell requirement for charge up and the now built-in Deadeye’s Tempo, the Sentinel can quickly achieve higher damage than the aforementioned baseline. While the stats look discouraging on paper, it is another high damage burst weapon, and it makes for a great weapon to assist your team in creating an opening in a team fight.
Bocek Compound Bow
This is the newest addition to the Marksman class. The precision compound bow can offer a very rewarding experience similar to the Charge Rifle, but it does require a great deal more skill. When fully kitted, this thing is great at all ranges, aiding in close quarters combat utilizing the Shatter Caps as well as providing extreme accuracy and high DPS from afar. Added benefits come in the form of a less audible firing sound, the ability to recycle shot arrows, and an ADS speed similar to that of an SMG.
HAVOC Rifle
The initial recoil of this Assault Rifle has been minimized, allowing for it to become quite manageable. This buff makes it more capable at the midrange, which increases some of the utility. It has a very high DPS output thanks to the high damage per round, and it also has the highest capacity magazine in its class.
This can serve as a superb secondary and really shines in close to midrange scenarios. Energy ammo is a bit more plentiful this season, but if you’re unlucky and don’t find enough you could run out after one fight and essentially be running around with a paperweight so keep that in mind.
Note that there is a brief spin-up time before being able to fire the weapon. This issue can be mitigated with good timing, but in the heat of battle that delay could change a clutch play to a choke. The addition of the Turbocharger hop-up will cut down on the initial delay when firing, so make sure to keep your eyes peeled if you end up rocking one of these.
Volt SMG
This SMG energy weapon is widely used by lower ranked players, and for good reason. It can rival the R-301 at long to medium range, and for the SMG class it has the lowest projectile drop, has the fastest reload time, and the fastest projectile speed. Again, no-brainer. The recoil pattern is also quite forgiving, which makes it an obvious choice for lower ranks or the casual community. Additionally, if you are searching for a turbo charger to upgrade to a HAVOC, this is a great transition weapon.
R-99 SMG
The OG SMG of the Apex games, and personal favorite of mine. While it didn’t secure a place in the S-Tier it is absolutely A+/S- material. We already discussed why the R-99 was beaen by the C.A.R. but we didn’t cover why the R-99 is still a great weapon. With a rate of fire sitting at 1080 RPM, it is the fastest firing gun in the entire game. The recoil pattern is also a bit easier to learn and correct than the C.A.R. and there is nothing more satisfying than full-clipping a knock in battle. Be careful though: if you don’t hit your shots, you will burn through ammo extremely quickly, making this gun a high-risk, high-reward type of weapon.
EVA-8
This automatic shotgun fires nine pellets in the shape of the number 8. Clearly, having an automatic shotgun in any Battle Royale or First Person Shooter could be game breaking, and it’s clear that Respawn is overly cautious about buffing this weapon. With the recent changes to the EVA-8, Respawn has done a tremendous job making this shotgun a viable weapon this season. This shotgun is more forgiving than the Peacekeeper and Mastiff, and when fully kitted, the damage output can drastically increase. And then I’m not even mentioning the fact that the Double Tap Trigger addition can destroy a whole squad in one magazine.
B-Tier
These are middle-of-the-pack weapons. They’re not terrible, but not great either. I like to think of them as gateway guns, potentially servings as a placeholder until you can transfer all of your collected attachments to the true weapon of your desire.
Kraber .50-Cal Sniper
Ah, the infamous Kraber… But wait, it’s not S-Tier?! Yup, that’s right, it has been demoted this season. With the updated weapon balances, the Kraber has lost its one-shit kill potential. The headshot multiplier has been reduced from 3.0x to 2.0x, with body shots dropping by 5 to a total of 140 per hit. Because of how late you can find one during a match, most enemies have Purple or Red Evo Shields by the time you get your hands on a Kraber, leaving foes with almost full white health. In essence, one body shot basically reduces an enemy’s ability to fully heal by ~50%. Looking at it from another perspective, this means you can now only one-shot a player if they have a grey, Level 1 helmet.
All of the changes severely lower the value of this weapon. Don’t get me wrong: hearing the crack of the Kraber will still make an opponent think twice about having a long-range jiggle peek match with you, but the reduction of that one-shot potential completely removes that full send opening you once had with this weapon.
Triple Take
The once overpowered marksman has, like many energy weapons as of late, become a floor trophy. However, some sleeper buffs to this marksman rifle may have gone unnoticed. An increased fire rate and reduction in choke charge time has made the TT a viable contender. The three-pellet spread can actually provide a bit of a handicap to those less experienced with snipers and marksman rifles. Before the TT was nerfed into the ground, it doubled as a formidable close-quarters weapon, as the pellet spread whilst hip firing acted similar to a shotgun, but today the TT is less valuable in close quarters, landing it in the B tier of our Apex Legends weapon tier list.
M600 Spitfire
Light Machine Guns received some nerfs this season, and the Spitfire was no exception: from removing the Barrel Stabilizer attachment to reductions in damage per bullet, the headshot multiplier, magazine size, and headshot qualifier distance. There’s also been an increase in the hip fire spread as well as the draw, holster, raise, and lower times, so you can definitely feel the impact of the nerfs.
For quite some time, the Spitfire was really the only viable Light Machine Gun option, and it was once the perfect in-between of the Rampage and the Flatline. The slow rate of fire and substantial hip fire radius just overshadows any real pros that this weapon offers. You could definitely find worse weapons off the drop, but the M600 Spitfire should be swapped out with the R-301 Carbine or G7 Scout for a light ammo weapon effective at mid to long range whenever you get a chance.
L-STAR EMG
The once laughable projectile firing energy Light Machine Gun is surprisingly decent at the moment. Season 13 implemented nerfs to all LMGs, and the L-STAR received a reduction in the headshot multiplier, and an increase in the overheating cooldown time by 1.1 seconds. Increasing the cooldown period is counter-intuitive for a weapon that promotes the ability to never reload. The muzzle flash and fired projectiles easily clutter the screen making it difficult for you and the opponent you’re shooting at to see anything. Spray and pray. The silver lining is that its handling times have slightly improved, so it feels a bit less clunky for those hot drop heroes.
Rampage LMG
Another surprising entry here is the Rampage LMG. I don’t know if it would stay in this tier if it were not a current Supply Drop weapon, but for now it stays. Not much has actually changed with this LMG,
however Respawn has made some tweaks to the Revved Up mechanic. Upon drop, the Rampage is already Revved Up, which is huge in case you need to immediately grab this and contest the Supply Drop.
My favorite change about this weapon is that the Revved Up decay has been removed if you are not actively firing the weapon. This allows you to save it for specific situations, especially if you are low on Thermite Grenades. Unfortunately, to unlock the full potential of the Rampage, it requires you to have access to Thermites. Playing as a Fuse or Loba increases the sustained effectiveness of this LMG Supply Drop weapon.
Alternator SMG
The Alternator as floor loot is a bit lackluster, boasting a slow rate of fire and one of the lowest DPS values in the SMG class. However, because of the slower fire rate, this SMG can double as a bit more of a short-range Assault Rifle. The recoil pattern is quite comfortable to manage, and the hip fire spread is rather tight. Because of the low DPS, this is a middle of the pack light ammo weapon that is best utilized as a proxy until you find yourself a R-99 or C.A.R.
Mastiff Shotgun
It seems that when weapons return to floor loot after they’ve spent some time being Supply Drop weapons, they are nerfed significantly. Such is the case with the Mastiff Shotgun. While the magazine size has increased by one extra shell, damage per pellet has been reduced, blast pattern width has been increased, and the growth of projectiles was lowered. It is definitely not a shotgun I salivate over finding anymore, and I do believe this aligns with Respawn’s goal of moving away from a shotgun secondary meta.
C-Tier
These weapons should really be avoided, but they can have clutch potential in rare scenarios. It is also important to note that these weapons require much more skill in order to unleash their full value.
Longbow DMR
The most underwhelming Sniper Rifle in all of Apex right now. This weapon has a lower fire rate and DPS than my least favorite Marksman Rifle, (see below). There is no reason the worst Sniper Rifle should
be outperformed by the worst Marksman Rifle, period.
While the Longbow DMR isn’t the hardest hitting Sniper rifle in the game, it is the most forgiving, and still a worthy pickup for those looking to dip their toes into long-range pokes. If you are new to sniping in Apex, I suggest you start with the Longbow.
30-30 Repeater
Moving on to the worst Marksman Rifle currently in Apex, the 30-30 Repeater. The bullet drop and fire rate alone make this atrocious at longer ranges. In order to unlock the 30-30’s full potential, you need to
allow it to charge up in between shots. ADS is the only way to charge up shots on the rifle and doing so significantly reduces the already lackadaisical fire rate, which really mitigates the effectiveness of the increase in damage. The single bullet reload mechanic equates to about 3 rounds per second, and the Dual Shell hop-up has been removed from the loot pool completely this season. The one upside is that the majority of attachments for this weapon can transfer to a better performing Marksman or Sniper Rifle.
Hemlok Burst AR
You shouldn’t be shocked to see this burst weapon here. The Hemlock is the burst variant of the Assault Rifle class. There is some potential here but like with the Prowler, you will be punished if you miss your shots. The Hemlok shines in long-range engagements in single-fire mode, but with the addition of the Anvil Receiver that’s now available for the Flatline there isn’t really a point in grabbing a Hemlock over a Flatline. There’s also the fact that the base magazine capacity is small, and the iron sights crowd the screen. Unlike the Flatline, the burst AR also requires a barrel stabilizer to reach its max potential. For early to mid-game, it can be a solid performer, but if given the choice over other heavy weapons, I would choose a Flatline every day of the week.
Prowler Burst PDW
Continuing the theme of underachieving burst weapons, we close out the SMG category with the Prowler Burst PDW. Quite a few people argue that the Prowler “shreds” with an Epic or Legendary heavy magazine but if you were to land one full burst (5 rounds) for all body shots that’s 70HP, meaning for an enemy with Level 1 white armor you would need to land two full bursts and they would still have 10HP left. That’s not shredding in my book.
In comparison to the Alternator, the Prowler has a slightly higher rate of fire, but still has lower DPS values. The reason they call this a roller weapon is because of the fact that the combination of a lower fire rate and the aim assist on roller creates a weapon that “shreds”.
Mozambique Shotgun
The meme shotgun pistol has clawed its way to C-Tier, and I would even say that this could be borderline B/C tier worthy. The Mozambique now provides a much more consistent damage output, firing only three pellets for a base of 15 damage each. Less pellets mean less chance of missing full damage shot opportunities. While this pistol is far from OP, the consistency is what is key here. You know what you’re getting and can expect those results 9/10 times. To add, this has a decent amount of range and can still hit full shots at mid-range. If you are feeling naked without your Peacekeeper, this could suffice temporarily.
D-Tier
Lastly, we have the bottom of the barrel weapons. The ‘something is better than nothing’ and ‘I need a weapon’ class. These are the weapons that you only pick up because you need to beat your enemies to the punch off drop and dump any kind of ammo into anything that moves. Swap these out as soon as you can.
Devotion LMG
Another severely nerfed energy weapon is the Devotion. Before we even discuss the nerfs it’s important to know that, compared to its AR counterpart the Havoc, it already did less DPS, with a lower base fire rate and damage per bullet. The recoil is the worst in its class, and the ramp up firing time is much more noticeable compared to the Havoc. Now with the new season nerfs, damage per bullet was reduced, the headshot multiplier was reduced, and handling and reload times have been increased. Nuff said.
P2020
Would you rather have a semi-automatic pistol or a fully automatic one? Given the choice, the RE-45 looks much more appealing. If there was an option to throw this gun to inflict damage when I ran out of ammo, I would absolutely do this. Often.
Conclusion: Apex Legends Weapon Tier List
Apex Legends is a game that’s constantly being kept fresh by balance patches, and while that leads to an interesting game that never feels stale, it can get confusing if you’ve been out of it for a while. This Apex Legends weapon tier list is a great resource for people to gain some knowledge and help them decide whether or not to pick up a certain weapon when ingame. Thanks for reading!
