Apex Legends weapons tier list: the best guns in Season 14

Trying to find the definitive Apex Legends weapons tier list? Apex Legends may host a smaller pool of players to the usual battle royale, with 60 players instead of 100, but you’ll still need a fine selection of modded guns to ensure that “you are the champion” screen rolls.

Breaking down the Apex Legends weapons tier list can be tricky due to the variety of attachments in the battle royale game. The attachments in Apex Legends can completely transform a weapon, taking a gun from the lowest tier right to the very top. We’ll highlight which weapons need attachments to ensure you get the most out of these guns. Our weapons tier list assumes each gun is fully kitted out with the best attachments.

Here’s the Apex Legends weapons tier list for Season 14:

S Tier

Kraber .50-cal

Ammo: Unique

The Kraber is undoubtedly the best weapon in Apex Legends. Body shots will take out even Legendary armour, and headshots will instantly knock an enemy. It’s powerful, but it is a legendary weapon only found in supply drops, which will be marked on the map by three blue rings that ripple like water. This also means you won’t be able to replenish its ammo – so you’ll be stuck with just the eight shots.

While you can’t upgrade it with mods either, that doesn’t come into play as the sniper is fairly perfect just out of the box. Its scope can cover both six-times to eight-times in terms of distance and – did we mention – it can output 125 damage to the body and 250 to the head. Even a fully-evolved red Evo-shield offers no protection against this devastating sniper. If you’re lucky enough to find one, keep an eye on that ammo.

Mastiff

Ammo: Shotgun Shells

The Mastiff was moved back into care packages after a short time in it remains dominant thanks to its huge damage output and easy-to-control recoil.

The shotgun holds six to the magazine and can dish out 104 damage to the body and a whopping 128 to the head should your entire spread land. This is a significant drop from when it was available in care packages (especially the headshot multiplier), but now it can be loaded with regular Shotgun Ammo, meaning you get more use out of it than before.

The ironsights are useful for predicting the horizontal spread of the shotgun pellets, but a Digital Threat is never a bad idea for tricky fights in smoke or Caustic gas.

Bocek Bow

Ammo: Arrows

Season 10’s Bocek Bow was extremely powerful at launch, prompting numerous calls from the player base to nerf this weapon. Shortly after its release, the Bocek Bow was toned down considerably and hasn’t managed to regain the same level of popularity since. That’s not to say this weapon isn’t a viable pick, but you’re going to need to practice using this bow to get the best out of it.

When equipped with the right attachments, you won’t find another sniper-like weapon with high accuracy and damage like the Bocek Bow. This weapon may not be as good as it once was, but it’s still a dangerous option in the right hands. Fortunately, the care package version of the Bocek is just as powerful as the weapon that debuted in Season 10.

Rampage

Ammo: Heavy Rounds

The Rampage LMG is a fantastic option for aggressive players who are looking to bring to fight to hunkered down opponents. You can power up the Rampage using Thermite grenades, placing the weapon in ‘Revved Up’ state which increases the fire rate by 30% and deals extra damage to doors. As a care package weapon, the Rampage has been buffed to deal 28 damage per shot instead of 26, and now it always comes stocked with a Thermite Grenade.

This weapon performs poorly at close range due to its slow start-up time, though this can be mitigated if you manage to rev it up beforehand. Introduced back in Season 8, this weapon’s strengths vary from player to player – if you keep an eye out for Thermite grenades to power up this gun, picking this weapon seems like a no-brainer for LMG fans.

A TIER

R-301 Carbine

Ammo: Light Rounds

While the Carbine may be the only assault rifle to use light rounds, it shares some commonalities with the Hemlock in holding a clip size of 18 rounds and with the Flatline in boasting the ability to fire in single or auto-fire.

Damage-wise, however, it falls slightly short and does around 14 to the body and 28 to the head. It does, however, fire the quickest to compensate. Much like the Hemlock, you can boost this gun’s performance with improved barrel, mag, optic, and stock options. The R-301 is a great shout at mid-range and can deal big damage at closer quarters while on full-auto.

Car SMG

Ammo: Heavy and Light Rounds

The CAR SMG is the first weapon in Apex Legends to utilise both heavy and light rounds, making it easy to keep this weapon stocked up with bullets throughout a match. Bear in mind, that you can only use one type of ammo per clip – you can’t mix and match ammo types. This weapon sticks out amongst the rest of the SMGs thanks to its high DPS stats to take down enemies in seconds.

Introduced back in Season 11, the CAR SMG has maintained its high ranking in the Apex Legends meta thanks to its versatility. If you can only pick one SMG on the battlefield, it should be the CAR. The SMG’s main weakness is its poor performance at medium to long range, but then again, it’s an SMG. You should swap to your primary assault rifle weapon when firing rounds from a distance.

VK-47 Flatline

Ammo: Heavy Rounds

The Flatline can do some solid base damage with around 19 to the body and 38 to the head, this gun is well equipped straight out of the box. However, we recommend grabbing some optics as soon as possible, due to the fact that the ironsights obscure much of your vision.

The VK-47 has very manageable recoil and is pretty accurate when hip firing. With the introduction of the Anvil Receiver, you can deal heavy amounts of damage when switching to the semi-auto firing mode.

Wingman

Ammo: Heavy Rounds

The Wingman received a huge balance update in Season 14, switching the pistol’s ammo type from Heavy. Rounds to Sniper Ammo. You also need to find sniper magazines to go alongside the Wingman. Though this may seem like a nerf at first, there’s plenty of sniper ammo in the current loot pool, and the vital Skullpiercer was buffed to deal an extra 35% headshot damage.

A true marksman’s treasure, the Wingman has proven a favourite among those who fancy themselves a good shot. It does boast the lowest clip size and fire rate of all the pistols with six per magazine but can deal damage of 45 to the body and 113 to the head. Crikey.

Head to the Firing Range to get your practice in, as the Wingman can even function well at mid-range with everyone’s favourite sight, the 2x Bruiser, attached.

Peacekeeper

Ammo: Unique

The Peacekeeper suffered heavily from being made into a legendary weapon and put into supply drops. The unique ammo gives it a short lifespan once you’ve picked it up, but if you make your shots count, it can still be used to devastating effect.

With a damage output of 110 to the body and 143 to the head, it’s a reliable two-tap to kill. However, high recoil and long reload times can be your downfall in close-range fights.

EVA-8 Auto

Ammo: Shotgun Shells

The EVA-8 is the fastest firing shotgun on offer in Apex Legends and is the only pure shotgun that comes in full-auto, which makes it the most forgiving if you don’t trust your aim. It has seen a rise in use thanks to the Double-Tap Trigger mod, which releases two shots every time you fire.

You’ll find eight shots in the EVA-8’s magazine and can expect it to do 63 damage to the body and 99 to the head – provided you can land every pellet. The shotgun’s performance can be enhanced with a Shotgun Bolt.

Spitfire

Ammo: Light Rounds

The Spitfire boasts very decent damage across the board with 18 to the body and 36 to the head. You also get 35 shots out of a magazine, which we recommend upgrading with an extended magazine as soon as possible. In the hands of Rampart, the Spitfire can reach a magazine capacity of 63, perfect for outshooting opponents and dealing that extra damage when they have to reload.

Barrel, stock, and optic mods will also improve your Spitfire work, but it still seems to be a case of quantity over quality.

G7 Scout

Ammo: Light Rounds

The G7 Scout was reallocated from being a sniper rifle to an assault rifle, which has aided its utility immensely. As a self-designated “scout rifle”, it works best at mid-ranges, where you can make the most of its rapid rate of fire and reasonably high damage.

A mag mod is essential, but a Double Tap Trigger can make every shot worth twice as much damage.

Volt SMG

Ammo: Energy Rounds

The Volt SMG is arguably the best SMG in the game despite going through a number of nerfs since its reveal back in Season 6. Unlike the other energy weapons, there is no start-up time when firing the Volt which makes it easy to fight off enemies without attachments. In addition to this, the recoil is very easy to manage and there is little to no bullet drop.

We love attaching the 2x Bruiser sights and an extended energy magazine to really shred through opponents even at mid-range. Energy ammo is admittedly at a premium, with players hoping to keep Volts, Havocs, and Devotions topped up at all times. However, with the crafting system in place, you can craft some more ammo in a pinch.

B tier

L-Star

Ammo: Energy Ammo

Since coming out of care packages and into the general loot pool, the L-Star has suffered a number of debuffs. However, the weapon can be useful in the right hands. There’s also no need to reload this weapon, though it can overheat.

It’s still a light machine gun, which means it fires quickly and rewards the player who can control its recoil. However, the popularity of the Volt and Devotion means that energy ammo is at a premium – and the L-Star can eat through it at an astonishing rate.

Prowler Burst PDW

Ammo: Heavy Rounds

The Prowler offers a five burst-fire option among the SMG family. It does 15 damage to the body and 23 damage to the head while holding 20 in the magazine.

True to form for the SMG family, it greatly benefits from a mag mod. One unique quirk it does have, however, is its ability to use the “Selectfire Receiver” mod, which allows it to fire in full auto. This was a necessity when using the Prowler for many seasons, but these days you’ll see the pros use it in burst fire mode for better hip fire.

R-99

Ammo: Light Ammo

Coming back from the supply drops is the R-99, the submachine gun that boasts incredible damage at close range. The R-99 has probably the swiftest fire rate in the game and can put out the damage of 12 to the body and 18 to the head.

This is the perfect weapon to pair alongside almost any gun in the game as it can dominate opponents at close range. If you run out of bullets with your assault rifle or shotgun, just switch to the R-99 to finish off your enemies.

Triple Take

Ammo: Sniper Ammo

The Triple Take has drastically improved in Season 6, thanks to the fact that it now has the Precision Choke attachment built-in. Thanks to a rapid rate of fire and three-bullet spread, the Triple Take has become the sniper rifle of choice for many players. It holds six in the mag and can deal 69 damage to the body (nice) and 138 to the head should you land all your shots. Press B to activate the choke and tighten up those shots if needs be.

Thanks to its spread of three bullets, the Triple Take can also put in work as a rudimentary shotgun if things get rough, too – no, seriously. Its versatility makes it an instant pick-up for us, make sure you grab a decent sight, extended magazine, and sniper stock to reduce that recoil.

Longbow DMR

Ammo: Sniper Ammo

A bit more sniper than the G7 but still more scout than the Triple Take and Kraber, the Longbow is a decent middle point between fire rate and damage. It holds six to the mag and deals 55 damage to the body and 110 damage to the head.

Unfortunately, even with the Skullpiercer attachment, this sniper rifle is simply not as good compared to the competition. You can upgrade the Longbow with a new barrel, magazine, optic, and stock mods, but that’s a lot of work for one weapon just to make it viable.

Alternator SMG

Ammo: Light Rounds

The Alternator is a real hard hitter and can deal damage of 15 to the body and 23 to the head. Its downfall, however, is a relatively low magazine size of 19.

A mag mod is a must here but barrel, optic, and stock mods are also handy for buffing this SMG up, making it perfect for short-ranged fights.

C TIER

Havoc

Ammo: Energy Ammo

The Havoc is an assault rifle with a spin-up time, forcing players to preemptively charge the rifle before fighting enemy squads. This weapon is capable of dealing high amounts of damage very quickly, and it’s even better when equipped with the Turbocharger attachment. If you attach a Turbocharger that wind-up time will be reduced, meaning you’ll get to that deadly rapid-fire laser beam of shots even sooner.

Unfortunately, the Havoc isn’t as effective from long range as the recoil pattern is difficult to control. This weapon requires a lot of upgrades before it can realise its true potential, but once it has been upgraded, it’s one of the best weapons in the game.

Charge Rifle

Ammo: Sniper Ammo

A menace when it was first introduced, these days the Charge Rifle is more manageable. It still works as a weaponised laser pointer, as the damage ramps up the more it charges. The Charge Rifle has found a new niche as the easiest way to charge up your evo-shield. Be careful, as shooting off a Charge Rifle beam is a dead giveaway of your position, and opponents may rush you during the painstakingly long reload times.

As the only hitscan sniper rifle in the game, the Charge Rifle has become extremely popular in competitive play as it offers something no other sniper rifle does. This weapon can deal high amounts of damage from great distances without needing to account for bullet drop or travel distance.

Hemlok Burst AR

Ammo: Heavy Rounds

The Hemlok provides the burst-fire option of the auto-rifles but can also be fired in a single shot if you press B on PC. It also has a slightly smaller clip size than the flatline with 18 rounds per mag.

You can expect around 22 damage to the body and 44 to the head. Like the R-301, the Hemlok is great at mid-range, and you can kit it out with a barrel, mag, optic, or stock upgrades. The Hemlok received a nerf in Season 8, making it slightly less reliable when firing from the hip. With that in mind, it’s still a powerful assault rifle if you don’t mind burst fire weapons.

C TIER

Sentinel

Ammo: Sniper Ammo

The bolt-action rifle is fairly useful in mid to far ranges but really falls short of any other sniper rifle. If you want to use your precious shield cells to power it up, it can crack enemy shields in one hit, but the otherwise low damage output doesn’t make up for its sluggish rate of fire.

The Sentinel does penetrate through enemies, meaning you can score neat collateral hits, but you’re severely punished for missing shots – so make sure you’re on target!

30-30 Repeater

Ammo: Heavy Ammo

The lever action rifle introduced in Season 8 is listed as an assault rifle, but it behaves similarly to a sniper rifle. Aiming down the weapon’s sights for long enough will give the 30-30 Repeater damage boost up to 35%, giving players an incentive to take their time when lining up a shot.

This weapon is ineffective at close range due to the low rate of fire, and you can’t receive the damage bonus from aiming down the sights when fighting someone nearby. The 30-30 Repeater is a decent weapon, but it’s not worth carrying over some of the other assault rifles.

Devotion

Ammo: Energy Rounds

The Devotion may boast the higher ammo capacity of Apex Legend’s selection of Light Machine Guns with 36, but there is a slight trade-off as damage is 16 to the body and 32 to the head.

That said, the gun does boast a higher fire rate to compensate, although it’ll need some time to wind up to full speed. Lucky, if you come across a Turbocharger mod then that wind-up time will be notably reduced. Apart from that, you can also rely upon barrel, optic, or stock mods.

The Devotion will be the weapon of choice for Rampart as her Modded Loader passive ability will increase its magazine size even further. Again, make sure you’ve got a barrel mod too, to help with the massive recoil.

Mozambique Shotgun

Ammo: Shotgun Shells

Half pistol, half shotgun, and (almost) entirely useless, Mozambique is only handy early on. You can recognise it by its pistol appearance and because its spread is only made up of three bullets it’s surprisingly handy at a distance.

The Mozambique has been buffed to hold four slugs per round and will do 45 damage to the body and 69 (nice) to the head. A Shotgun Bolt will improve your rate of fire, but its biggest buff was gaining access to Hammerpoint Rounds, which have moved it from the bottom of our tier list. These greatly increase damage to unshielded enemies, perfect for grabbing some early kills.

Sadly, the Mozambique will always be a meme-tier weapon, but a couple of buffs have meant we’ve seen it creep into pro tournaments on occasion, too…

P2020

Ammo: Light Rounds

A fairly bog-standard pistol, the P2020 is fine in the earlier game where nothing else is available but definitely something you’d want to avoid being stuck with late on. The gun holds a magazine size of 10 rounds and does 15 damage to the body and 23 to the head.

The P2020 is surprisingly powerful when equipped with the deadly Hammerpoint Rounds attachment, this isn’t enough to prevent you from dropping the P2020 as soon as you find another weapon. Compared to the RE-45, the P2020 is the better pistol thanks to its incredible damage output once upgraded.

RE-45

Ammo: Light Rounds

This quirky pistol is the only of its kind to be fully automatic and as such feels like a proper sidearm. To make this kind of gun work it has the highest clip-size of the pistol family with 16, but the lowest body damage of 12 and lowest head damage of 18.

You’ll get through a magazine very quickly, so make sure you hit every shot if you want to give your opponent more than a scratch.

And there you have it, our Apex Legends weapons tier list detailed in full. Of course, personal preference will dictate what way you’ll sway toward, but this should give you something to think about. Don’t forget to check out our Apex Legends tier list to find out which Legends are dominating the meta right now.