Every weapon in Apex Legends explained — As published on Stryda
This article was published on Sep 16 2021 for a live service game, where some information and numbers are always subject to change.
Sometimes you just can’t punch your way out of a battle royale. In those times, weapons manufactured to be used on the same battlefield as Titans are your best option for survival.
Apex Legends is, timeline-wise, a continuation of the Titanfall Universe. It takes place several years after the Frontier War’s end. The leader of the mercenary group Apex Predators, Kuben Blisk, is organizing the Apex Games. So in Apex Legends, we see many weapons that are continuations of the ones from the Titanfall series. These weapons are usually manufactured as series, as reflected in their names.
Since weapons are the main way of dealing damage and critical for your survival-by-eliminating-everyone strategy, learning about them will help you reach victory on both Apex Legends and G-Loot ladders. So without further ado, let’s dive into the Weapons of Apex Legends.
Bangalore, an ex-IMC soldier, sporting an IMC signature G7 Scout. (Image: Respawn Entertainment)
Now, I won’t be making a “tier list” here, because every weapon in Apex Legends has its good and bad moments, just like every player. I believe finding which weapon suits your playstyle is more important than following a tier list. Also, please keep in mind that damage mitigation in Apex Legends is situational, so I’ll be putting the flat damage numbers in to give you an idea.
Okay, now diving into the weapons.
Assault Rifles
VK-47 Flatline
Sporting a bullpup design, VK-47 Flatline is the successor of the V-47 Flatline series seen in the Titanfall games. It uses heavy ammo and can be switched between two firing modes: semi-auto and full-auto. Flatline is a great option for mid-range combat and a good substitute for the R-301. Flatline has a slower fire rate than R-301, so while having a good 19 body and 33 headshot damage (both higher than R-301's), its DPS is lower than its substitute.
Getting used to Flatline’s recoil pattern can help you make quick work of your opponents, while in prolonged fights it might fall short due to relatively lower DPS.
R-301 Carbine
Ah, a Lastimosa Armory classic. 3rd generation, 1st segment. An upgrade to Titanfall’s R-101C and R-201 models, its design resembles the R-201 a lot. R-301 Carbine utilizes light ammo and has a very manageable recoil while having a very high fire rate, which creates a good DPS overall. These pros are balanced by its low damage per shot. It does 14 body damage and 28 headshot damage.
R-301 is a great mid-range assault rifle that’s also useful in close range because of its high DPS. Plus, if you manage to find a good scope, its ability to switch between full-auto and semi-auto can make the R-301 a long-range weapon. Albeit a less impactful one. R-301 is one of my personal favorites to use, so my advice on this one might be a little bit biased.
Hemlok Burst AR
The successor to Titanfall’s M1A3 Hemlok BF-R model, Hemlok Burst AR offers two firing modes, both effective in their own way. Hemlok is a mid-to-long-range assault rifle with a 3-round burst shot mode and a semi-automatic mode. While the burst fire is more effective in close to mid-range, the single-shot mode can be used as an emergency alternative for long-range weapons.
Hemlok uses heavy ammo and deals 20 body and 35 headshot damage, with a decent ammo capacity of up to 30 bullets. Since it’s an assault rifle that lacks a full-auto mode, Hemlok is usually not considered a beginner-friendly weapon. It’s not easy to consistently make it work, but when it does, it works wonders. You’ll need to increase your accuracy stats to be effective with Hemlok, so the Firing Range and G-Loot are your best friends if you need more practice.
HAVOC
Havoc used to be one of the meta-defining weapons. It has no Titanfall counterparts exactly, but it resembles a smaller PR-01 Plasma Railgun used by Northstar type Titans. Northstar, a community-favorite Titan, is making multiple appearances in Apex Legends, as we recently saw with Valkyrie. HAVOC, like the Plasma Railgun, needs to wind up before raining death in the form of energy ammo on the other Legends. It deals 18 body and 32 headshot damage, with a higher body DPS but lower headshot DPS than the R-301.
HAVOC used to have an alternate firing mode where, after the windup, it would fire a single big shot. Quite similar to, you guessed it, the Charge Rifle. The single-shot mode would make HAVOC a great long-range alternative, but it currently works best at mid-range. HAVOC’s recoil was deliberately made a bit erratic to balance its overwhelming stopping power at close to mid-range. Having a turbocharger is also key to make HAVOC work in close range, otherwise, the wind-up time usually ends up with you queuing in another match.
Bloodhound, Wraith, and Gibraltar using L-STAR, RE-45, and Peacekeeper, respectively. (Image: Respawn Entertainment)
Sub-machine guns
Alternator SMG
Nicknamed “the Hatchet” for its design, Alternator SMG is another weapon we are familiar with from Titanfall. Utilized by the mysterious Shinobi class Pilots, Alternator is a great move-while-shooting type of weapon. Its 16 body and 24 headshot damage and mid to low DPS make Alternator a good starting weapon until you find a better alternative or fitting upgrades. Its care package version, on the other hand, comes with all the upgrades built-in and turns Alternator into a great close-range shredder and a good mid-range bruiser.
Alternator SMG in Apex Legends, by its nature, is stronger than its Titanfall 2 counterpart and it uses light ammo, so it’s usually easier to utilize without too much investment.
R-99 SMG
R-99 is a great close-range shredder that utilizes light ammo and a very high fire rate, balanced by its low damage and relatively low DPS. An upgrade to Titanfall’s R-97 Compact Submachine gun, R-99 SMG offers very high damage in a short burst, having 27 bullets per magazine at maximum. It deals 11 body and 17 headshot damage, so use it wisely. R-99 can be very deadly in tight spaces, while it basically has little to no impact on mid to long-range. Especially in long-range, controlling the spread becomes a nightmare.
R99’s fire rate is even higher than Devotion, a weapon best known for firing at a high rate for extended periods. You can consider R-99 to be a mix between R-301 (light ammo, good accuracy) and Devotion (super-high fire rate, makes short work of enemies at close range).
Prowler Burst PDW
Prowler Burst Personal Defense Weapon brings a great close to mid-range DPS, in fact, the highest of all SMGs. But its burst-fire mechanic makes it harder to control and prevents you from raining constant fire on enemies. It uses heavy ammo and does 15 body and 23 headshot damage. Since it’s a burst-fire SMG, utilizing it at long range is usually very difficult due to the spread.
While Prowler doesn’t have a Titanfall counterpart, it very much resembles the real-life P90 rifle, which our CS:GO players are surely familiar with. Although it works differently now, Prowler used to have a Selectfire Receiver that turned it into full-auto.
Volt
A Titanfall fan-favorite, Volt arrived late in the Apex Legends but definitely made a great impression. Its built-in digital scope makes it a great starter weapon since it doesn’t require any scope attachments to make aiming easier. Volt uses energy ammo and deals 15 body damage with 23 headshot damage. Volt shoots concentrated energy bolts, which is why it was favored by Titanfall’s Stalkers and Spectres. But considering it ejects a regular magazine, it can be assumed it fires energy-powered bullets.
Apart from being a good starter weapon, Volt is good at mid-range and relatively harder to use at close range due to its small magazine size. Keep in mind that the energy bullets it fires leave a very visible trace, which will reveal your position to enemies.
Octane was trying to beat the record time at the Gauntlet in Titanfall 2. He used a grenade to propel himself. You know how it ended. (Image: Respawn Entertainment)
Light Machine Guns
Devotion LMG
Yes. Time to rev-up the old Devotion and rain super-fast, energy-charged death on the poor souls that were unlucky enough to be in your way. Devotion LMG, previously known as the X-55 Devotion, is one of the best close to mid-range obliterators you can find. Its fire rate, second only to R-99’s insane bullet storm, is very high and the weapon deals 16 body and 32 headshot damage. What makes Devotion unique is the way it slowly builds up towards a high fire rate. It starts very slow, but the more you keep the trigger pulled, the faster it gets. Adding the huge magazine to this equation makes Devotion a monster that works on energy ammo.
A single magazine can hold up to 48 bullets (55 if you’re playing Rampart!) with the extended magazine upgrade and you can basically drop all of it on a single target in a matter of seconds. Devotion’s an easy-to-learn, hard-to-master type of weapon but with its great ammo capacity and possible upgrades, it makes a great endgame weapon. If you manage to fully upgrade your Devotion before round 3, you’ll definitely be a scary target to engage. Plus, Devotion LMG can utilize the Turbocharger to rev up even faster to its maximum fire rate. Truly a nightmare to fight against.
You might also like: The best settings Apex Legends settings for competitive play.
L-STAR LMG
L-STAR EMG (Energy Machine Gun) is the successor to Titanfall’s L-STAR, short for La stimosa Armory Assault R ifle. It is a unique weapon among the Apex Legends catalog, since it doesn’t use a magazine and instead heats up as you keep shooting. When it reaches the maximum heat, instead of reloading, you need to let it cool down. You can fasten this procedure by hitting the reload button at any heat level.
L-STAR uses energy ammo and fires a series of red plasma orbs. It draws the ammo directly from your inventory since there’s no magazine. As long as you keep the heat down and have energy ammo in your inventory, you can keep firing L-STAR as much as you want.
L-STAR does 18 body and 32 headshot damage. It’s a great close to mid-range weapon because it offers some unique advantages in combat. One example of this is the big red plasma orbs it shoots. They take a lot of space and significantly block your opponents’ vision. Keep in mind that these orbs also block your vision if not utilized properly. Also, firing in small bursts will eliminate your chances of overheating L-STAR.
Rampage LMG
Hey, it’s Rampart’s second favorite gun! A weapon created by the crazy mechanic herself, Rampage boasts a solid 28 body and 42 headshot damage. Utilizing heavy ammo, Rampage’s relatively slow fire rate can be boosted to a higher rate with a Thermite Grenade. Just like boosting a Sentinel with a Shield Cell.
Rampage’s slow fire rate is balanced by its very high damage, high ammo capacity, and manageable recoil. This low recoil also makes it helpful at long range, especially if you’re out of options. Keep in mind that Rampage probably won’t be carrying its own weight against a proper sniper rifle.
The boosted mode of Rampage will also make your shots break the doors, so time your boost carefully to break through the opponents’ defenses.
Spitfire LMG
Ladies and gentlemen, I present you the M600 Spitfire: father of LMGs, destroyer of infantry, breaker of shields, (allegedly) protector of the newcomers, divider of the communities. The weapon that created the biggest chaos and the biggest debate among both Titanfall and Apex communities. Spitfire is the controversial end of the Spitfire-Kraber spectrum. And here’s why.
Spitfire is the suppressive fire weapon. It has everything. High damage, manageable recoil, high ammo capacity, good DPS. Respawn tried nerfing this bad boy many times but Spitfire always managed to stay afloat due to its, well, suppressive nature. A fairly nerfed Spitfire wouldn’t be Spitfire anymore, so they promoted (or relegated depending on your perspective) it to the Care Package. So let’s take a look at why Spitfire is so prominent.
Spitfire uses heavy ammo, has a magazine capacity of 55, doesn’t require any upgrades to be impactful, deals a great 19 body damage and 33 headshot damage. All while keeping a very decent rate of fire with a relatively high DPS. It’s one of the most effective weapons at both close and mid-range.
In its current state, the best place for Spitfire is definitely the Care Package. As you can guess, Spitfire had a similar impact on Titanfall which caused some part of the community to name it a “newbie weapon” because of its relative ease to use and strong impact even when you spray and pray.
The only thing better than winning is looking good while winning. (Image: Respawn Entertainment)
Marksman Weapons
G7 Scout
G7 Scout is your run-of-the-mill infantry weapon for IMC soldiers. It used to be a sniper rifle, so it’s still very effective at long range and uses light ammo. G7 boasts a powerful 34 body damage and 60 headshot damage while being somewhat difficult to utilize at close range. Make sure you have a good close-range weapon if you’re using G7 for mid to long range.
G7 in Apex Legends, unlike its predecessors G2A4 and G2A5 in the Titanfall series, includes a lower number of bullets per magazine at 10. But due to the on-the-go upgrade system the Apex Games introduces, it can be extended up to 20 per magazine.
30–30 Repeater
A relatively new addition to the Apex Legends armory, 30–30 Repeater has no Titanfall counterpart. It’s a hard-hitting single-shot repeater that uses heavy ammo. What makes 30–30 Repeater unique is that it steadily charges up when you aim down sights, increasing the damage of your next shot. While this takes away from its rate of fire, the damage easily makes up for it. 30–30 Repeater boasts a deadly 42 to 57 damage to the body and 74 to 100 damage to the head, higher values being the charged versions of their respective damage types. The charged damage values of the 30–30 Repeater even rivals some of the sniper rifles in the game.
Since it’s a single shot type of gun with a low fire rate, 30–30 Repeater will probably cause you problems at close range. This can be mended by the Shatter Caps upgrade. It kinda turns 30–30 into a shotgun, albeit a weak one. An emergency upgrade in most cases.
30–30 works best at mid to long range, especially if you’re in a position to charge up your shots. But it can’t equip sniper scopes, so at long range, it’s only a weak substitute to a sniper rifle.
Triple Take
The upgrade to Titanfall’s D-2 Double Take, The Triple Take increases your chances of hitting targets at the cost of damage and rate of fire. While the Double Take fires two shots at the same time, the Triple Take ups the ante by adding one more barrel and firing three shots each time you fire.
It uses energy ammo and deals 23 body and 46 headshot damage per projectile, which means if you can manage to hit more than one projectile at a target, the damage you deal will increase accordingly. The Triple Take comes with a switchable Choke upgrade, which chokes your projectiles together for a more compact shot than can hit a target multiple times. Choke upgrade only works when you aim down sights and takes some time to fully charge, so you have to give up your rate of fire to properly utilize the Choke.
Bangalore sporting the Triple Take. (Image: Respawn Entertainment)
Bocek Compound Bow
One of the newest additions to the Apex Games, Bocek uses its own unique ammo: Arrows. Like the L-STAR, Bocek draws ammo directly from your inventory and requires no reload. What makes Bocek unique (other than being a bow in a blood sport with Titan-killing weapons) is that as long as you don’t use the Shatter Caps upgrade, the arrows you launch can be retrieved. Missed your target? You can pick up your arrow back just by walking over it, or picking it with the interact button. You’ve hit your target and killed them? Your arrows will be in their deathbox.
You can draw your bow by holding the fire button. The damage will be according to the moment you release the shot. Bocek also deals more damage the longer you draw it. You can instantly fire and have a higher fire rate at the cost of damage, or you can fully draw every shot for impactful but slower damage. Using Deadeye’s Tempo upgrade helps a lot with the fire rate.
Bocek deals an impressive 25 to 60 body and 31 to 105 headshot damage, the higher values being shots from a fully drawn Bocek. It dramatically depends on Shatter Caps upgrade to be useful at close range and shines best at mid to long range. Especially because it’s a very silent weapon, causing your opponents to take much longer to figure out where you’re shooting from. This also usually causes panic at lower levels of play.
Valkyrie is about to introduce you to the Bocek (and probably will loot the arrows back from your Deathbox.) (Image: Respawn Entertainment)
Sniper Rifles
Charge Rifle
The Charge Rifle in Apex Legends is an overkill if I’ve ever seen one. This powerhouse is literally created to destroy Titans. In Titanfall, it’s in the Anti-Titan group of weapons, while in Apex Legends it’s categorized as a sniper rifle. It uses sniper ammo and a full magazine is capable of firing 4 shots, using 8 sniper ammo.
The Charge Rifle has no maximum range. It fires a long-range beam and will always fire an accurate shot after the build-up. To balance this, the build-up part of the firing process involves a strong recoil, and Charge Rifle’s damage is reduced beyond 150 meters. If you manage to hit both the build-up beam and the final beam, it deals a destructive 90 damage to the body and 116 damage to the head. Another upside of this weapon is that, unlike other weapons, there’s no damage penalty in leg shots. So fire away. But keep in mind that the huge beam and its roaring sound will immediately give up your position to other people. Can’t expect a Titan killing weapon to be subtle.
Longbow DMR
Longbow DMR, short for Designated Marksman Rifle, is ironically a sniper rifle in Apex Legends. It uses sniper ammo and most importantly it’s a semi-automatic rifle. Longbow can make back-to-back shots without even leaving the scope-sight, at the cost of damage.
A continuation of the D-101 Longbow from Titanfall, Longbow DMR does 60 body and 129 headshot damage. Paired with its relatively higher fire rate, Longbow can become very deadly if you position yourself well.
Due to its semi-auto nature, Longbow has the biggest magazine capacity of all sniper rifles. This is of course balanced by its strong recoil and poor hip-fire accuracy. Longbow’s bullets also travel relatively slower and are more prone to gravity. It’s a great mid-game weapon, working best at mid-long to long-range. Its low DPS and bad hip accuracy make it difficult to utilize at the endgame where you won’t be able to just position yourself at a wide viewpoint.
Sentinel ESR
This bolt-action monster is a shield eater, literally. Sentinel Electromagnetic Sniper Rifle uses sniper ammo and has a low fire rate due to being bolt-action. But easily makes up for it with its high damage and the ability to be super-charged. Like other sniper rifles, it works best at mid-long to long-range.
By feeding 2 shield cells into this monster, you can amp it up to deal more damage. Sentinel normally deals 70 body and 140 headshot damage and when amped, it deals 88 body and 176 headshot damage. The biggest downside of Sentinel is its low fire rate, which can be remedied with the Deadeye’s Tempo upgrade, assuming you can time your shots accordingly.
In my experience, Sentinel can also be a good close-range weapon if it’s your starter. Sentinel’s ADS is relatively easier to use when you don’t have a scope and can at least dish out a solid 70 damage before you switch to your emergency close range alternative (probably your fists) at that moment.
Kraber .50-Cal Sniper
And here we are on the other end of the Spitfire-Kraber spectrum. Kraber is the ultimate sniper rifle. Due to its incredibly strong nature, Kraber is always a care package weapon, meaning you won’t ever find it as a ground loot. It comes with 12 shots, each dealing 145 body and an annihilating 435 headshot damage. When shooting at a Fortified target (Caustic, Gibraltar) that wears a tier 3 or 4 helmet, a Kraber headshot can down them even if they have a full red shield (225 HP) because Kraber’s headshot damage can only be mitigated down to 247.
The reason Kraber is on the other end of the Spitfire-Kraber Spectrum is that Kraber is a bolt-action sniper rifle with a very slow rate of fire, while each shot has the highest damage per single shot in the game. A well-placed Kraber shot can instantly down an enemy, so against Spitfire’s spray-and-pray fashion, Kraber is the one-shot one-kill weapon of the Titanfall Universe. In Titanfall, getting good at using Kraber can make you a dominating force on the battlefield since you can always use it with no restrictions. Due to Apex Legends’ Battle Royale nature, Kraber is a rare weapon that needs to be utilized well.
Kraber comes with a 4–10x Digital Threat Scope, but forces you to zoom out after every shot. As a balance precaution, it has the slowest rate of fire in the game and every animation takes very long, just to prevent you from murdering entire teams in a matter of seconds. Like other sniper rifles, it can pierce through enemies to create collateral damage. In Kraber’s case, you can even down more than one enemy with a well-placed single bullet.
Care Packages can be your savior or your demise. Everyone knows where they are and there’s always someone watching. (Image: Respawn Entertainment)
Shotguns
EVA-8 Auto
EVA-8, short for Extra-Vehicular Activity Automatic Shotgun, brings a high rate of fire supported with decent damage. It uses shotgun ammo and shoots 9 pellets per shot, each dealing 7 to the body and 11 to the head. It also doesn’t suffer damage penalty on leg shots, which increases its DPS.
EVA-8 Auto is a great close-range stopper that uses a magazine instead of loading each shell separately. This saves you the time of chambering each shot, resulting in a series of single 9-pellet shots in a quick fashion. EVA-8 really shines in confined places and offers a quick, high DPS solution to your survival problem. It also has decent hipshot performance, considering aiming down sights doesn’t tighten the pellets together.
Mastiff Shotgun
A successor to Titanfall’s M1901 Mastiff Combat Shotgun, Mastiff offers a horizontal pellet spread instead of a squared one. So aiming towards the target’s chest area results in most pellets hitting the target. Aiming down sights also tightens the pellets together for more accuracy.
Mastiff uses shotgun ammo and deals 11x8 body and 14x8 headshot damage with no penalty to leg shots. Of course, finding an enemy with a head big enough to receive all 8 of your horizontal pellets is no easy task. Mastiff makes up for this by letting you load each shot separately, enabling you to reload between shots without emptying your entire magazine.
Peacekeeper
Peacekeeper is an energy shotgun that uses shotgun ammo and deals a massive 9x11 body and 11x11 headshot damage. This ironically named lever-action monster can pack a very strong punch at close range. Its relatively low fire rate balances the damage output, but Peacekeeper still makes a great finisher against a target you’ve already damaged a bit.
Peacekeeper comes with a built-in Choke upgrade, enabling you to pull the pellets even further together for maximum accuracy. It also has a decent hip fire performance, making it a good emergency weapon. Peacekeeper doesn’t have a Titanfall counterpart. It’s probably a weapon native to the Outlands where the Apex Games take place.
MOZAMBIQUE HERE
I mean, Mozambique Shotgun. Everyone’s favorite weapon to signal to their teammates. One of my personal favorite weapon designs in the Titanfall Universe, Mozambique is a decent enough sidearm that shoots 3 pellets per shot in a triangular shape. This shape, along with the weapon’s name, is a reference to the real-life shooting practice called the Mozambique Drill, consisting of 2 shots to the chest and 1 to the head.
Mozambique uses shotgun ammo and deals 15x3 body and 22.5x3 headshot damage. This low damage per shot and relatively low DPS has made Mozambique into a meme among the Apex Legends community to the point of Respawn themselves acknowledging its meme status. Despite this, Mozambique makes a good starter weapon with its high fire rate and by being a very common weapon. It’s also free in the arena and makes a great emergency alternative.
Mozambique is considered mandatory for Lifeline mains to signal when they see one.
Learn more about the Mozambique in the most hated weapons in video game history.
I mean, punching CAN solve your problems, but weapons are a good alternative. (Image: Respawn Entertainment)
Pistols
P2020
Hammond P2020, a continuation of the P2011 and P2016 series, makes a comeback in the Apex Games. A reliable sidearm, P2020 uses light ammo and has a good hip fire performance with a decent damage at 18 to body and 27 to head. It has low recoil, it’s free in the arena, and reloads fast.
All of these are balanced with the pistol being semi-auto, requiring you to perform very fast clicking while keeping your aim steady. To be honest, in close combat situations, your fists make a good alternative to P2020, but that’s just my opinion.
RE-45 Auto
After proving its capability in the Frontier War, the RE-45 Auto pistol makes a return in the Apex Games. It uses light ammo and does 12 body and 18 headshot damage.
RE-45, being an auto pistol, has a high rate of fire, a great hip fire performance, and very manageable recoil, balanced by its low damage and DPS. Due to low DPS, it falls off towards the late game but makes a great starter weapon since it’s very easy to utilize.
Wingman
After B3 Wingman and the legendary B3 Wingman Elite, the Wingman pistol makes a return in the Apex Games to decimate everyone in all ranges. Widely considered a “pro weapon” due to its high damage-low fire rate nature, the Wingman uses heavy ammo to rain death on targets.
Being a high-tech revolver, the Wingman deals 45 body and a staggering 97 headshot damage. Wingman’s high damage has been a debate among the community, causing Respawn to fine-tune its damage several times, hence the 97 damage. Wingman is relatively hard to learn and even harder to master, but the results are absolutely worth your rigorous training.
Conclusion
“Good job, friend. You know everything about the weapons in Apex Legends now. Fun!” (Image: Respawn Entertainment)
And here we are, at the end of this article. It was a long ride, but we made it. Apex Legends is a game that constantly evolves and gets balance patches. So sticking to a certain weapon usually ends up with frustration. Learning what weapon works in which scenario can be the deciding variable between life and death (Caustic mains represent!). But more importantly, figuring out which weapons fit your play style takes the highest priority. Maybe you’ll be the next Mozambique master, tricking everyone into dropping their guards because you have the “inferior” weapon.
Remember, a free victory is tasteless, while a victory you worked towards is literally glorious. Instead of imitating other people, finding what works best for you is the best way to improve your game. You can always take the challenge on the G-Loot ladders to improve your game and earn rewards while getting better. There’s always room to grow and there’s always someone to compete against!
See you on the hunting grounds, Legends.
Originally published at https://stryda.gg.
