Discover the best weapons tier list in STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl which will help you decide which weapons to use throughout the journey.
STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl offers numerousweaponsof various types that players will find as they explore the Zone and progress through the story. Every region within the Zone has a unique look and offers challenging encounters. To get past the challenges and dangerous mutants in your way, it is best that you equip your character with the best weapons. Moreover, theAttachmentsyou acquire during the journey can also help you enhance the weapons’ capabilities.
Every encounter in STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl can be handled differently depending on what kinds of weapons you have currently equipped. Having weapons with better penetration and accuracy will let you take out the threats easily, rather than wasting ammo using weapons with lower penetration and accuracy. In this guide, we will tell you the best base weapons tier list in STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl.
Weapons Overview in STALKER 2
Weapons in Stalker 2 Heart of Chornobyl are used to defend yourself against foes. Protect yourself from aggressive encounters by choosing the right Weapon. You can either find the Weapons through loot staches or on the dead body of any player. Enemies are scattered in the zone and you may get unexpected encounters. In order to adapt to the current gameplay situation, equip the attachments with your Weapons.
Attachments play a vital role in enhancing your weapons’ capabilities. You can find them throughout the Zone or buy them from Weapon merchants. Attach a scope on your Weapon to take out enemies from afar who are coming to your location. Selecting the type of attachment depends on you according to your playstyle or gameplay scenario. Use differentammo typesto counter different enemies. Some enemies may be wearing Armor and require a lot of damage to defeat, so using a certain ammo type is crucial here. Ensure which Guns the ammo fit before jumping into the battle as ammos are only compatible with certain Guns.
Best Weapons Tier List in STALKER 2 Heart of Chornobyl
Take a look at the base weapons tier list in STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl, which includes the best ones to the worst ones.
NOTE:The following weapon tier list is for the Base Weapons. It does not include the Unique Weapons as the purpose of this tier list is to ensure you which weapons to keep and which weapons to sell and throw away when you get a better base weapon.
S-Tier: Best Weapons
The S-Tier Weapons in STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl contains the highest damage with penetration and accuracy. Acquiring these weapons on your character will allow you to breeze through the enemies as you will do the best damage possible. Moreover, a well-placed shot on the head will let you mostly one-tap all enemies (humans) which is great for conserving ammunition. Additionally, the Mutants will also be easier to deal with high damage and better accuracy.
However, as most of these weapons do not have any attachments, it is best that you equip them with the best attachments for further enhancement. Below you’re able to read the properties of every S-Tier weapon in STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl along with the weapon’s usability.
Dnipro – Assault Rifle
Dnipro is an Assault Rifle with the 5.45×39 Caliber and uses both Regular and Armor-piercing rounds. It has the highest damage output among all other Assault Rifles in the game. Upon getting this weapon, it is best that you get its initial upgrades and get the Rail Module to equip any Optic Attachment. Holographic and Open Collimator Sights both work perfectly with this weapon, allowing you to take fights confidently at both close range and distance. Moreover, this weapon has a good Penetration Rating allowing you to deal potential damage to the armored enemies.
M701 Super – Sniper Rifle
M701 is the best Sniper Rifle weapon in the game with the maximum damage potential that can on-hit most of the enemies. Moreover, it has a decent Penetration Rating that can allow you to deal high damage against armored enemies. However, if you use the AP Ammo type with this weapon, you can one-shot armored enemies from a safe distance without getting detected.
Ram-2 – Shotgun
Ram-2 is the best Shotgun in STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl that allows you to deal maximum potential damage even from a safe distance. Moreover, with its capacity of holding 14 shots and high rate of fire lets you rapid-fire. This is one of the best weapons you can use against the Mutants in the game alongside the Rhino.
Buket S-2 – SMG
Buket S-2 is an SMG weapon with the highest damage among other SMGs, It has almost the perfect rate of fire and a decent Penetration Rating that lets you melt armored enemies at a decent range. You do not have to be too close to enemies while using this weapon to deal potential damage to them. However, we recommend using the Armor-piercing ammunition for this weapon to dominate during combat.
Rhino – Pistol
Rhino is probably the best Pistol in the game as it has the highest damage than any other pistol. Instead of using the normal pistol ammunition, it uses AR ammunition (9×39) and lets you deal high damage to enemies. Moreover, it has a good Penetration Rating that allows you to mostly two-hit armored enemies at a decent range.
A-Tier: Best Weapons
The A-Tier List of weapons includes some of the best weapons in the game that players gather throughout the journey. It can help you get past even the difficult encounters from the early game to the endgame. From Assault Rifle to Grenade Launcher and Machine Gun, having this firepower at your disposal can let you easily clear out an area filled with enemies. Here are all the usability and properties of weapons in the A-Tier List.
Saiga D-12 – Shotgun
Saiga D-12 is one of the best Shotguns in the game with maximum damage potential at a decent range. Unlike other early Shotguns in the game, you do not have to be next to the enemy to land an accurate shot. Moreover, it has a good Penetration that lets you deal high damage against armored enemies.
RPG-7U is a Launcher weapon in STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl that lets you use a special rocket ammo to blow up enemies. However, its damage is not that great but its penetration rating and range are great. You can mix it with another weapon like using the launcher first and then using an Assault Rifle or a Sniper Rifle from a distance to finish off the target.
RPM-74 – Machine Gun
RPM-74 is a machine gun that can hold 150 rounds of ammunition at a time. It is a great weapon to use against a high number of enemies as you do not have to worry about reloading. Its decent damage and penetration rating lets you eliminate the enemies quickly from a decent range.
AKM-74S – Assault Rifle
AKM-74S is probably the best type of AKM Assault Rifle in the game as it has the highest damage among all of them. Fortunately, you can find this weapon early in the game and we recommend upgrading this weapon at the Technician to enhance its capabilities. Moreover, equip the best attachments to it for further enhancement.
UDP Compact – Pistol
UDP Compact pistol is one of the best pistols in the game with decent damage and penetration rating. However, its range is not that great but if your aim is precise you can put it to great use. Moreover, you can find various attachments to increase ammo capacity and suppress it.
AS Lavina – Assault Rifle
AS Lavina is a great Assault Rifle that lets you deal decent damage with a good penetration rating. Moreover, if you use the Armor-piercing ammunition with it, you may melt enemies with its high rate of fire.
Zubr-19 – SMG
Zubr-19 is one of the best SMGs in the game with a good damage and penetration rating. Moreover, it has a great rate of fire that lets you melt armored enemies from a decent range. You do not have to be closer to enemies to deal potential damage. Applying the attachments to it can also increase its range which helps you take out enemies easily.
SVDM-2 – Sniper Rifle
SVDM-2 is one of the best Sniper Rifles in the game with a great damage potential. It has a decent penetration rating with a decent range that can help you take out enemies from a safe distance. Its range is not as high as the M701 Super but its rate of fire is high allowing you to do rapid-fire on enemies.
B-Tier: Best Weapons
The B-Tier List weapons are the ones that you will be using for the most hours in your gameplay. These include some of the early weapons in the game and some that you will find mid-game. It is best that you upgrade these weapons and put attachments on them for maximum advantage during fighting encounters. Here are all the usability and properties of weapons in the B-Tier List.
PTM (Skif’s Pistol)
PTM or Skif’s Pistol is one of the best pistols in the game that you have right from the beginning of the game. It has decent damage output with a decent penetration rating. However, its range is pretty low which puts you in a position to take close-range fights. One of the best things about this weapon is that its durability decreases considerably slower than other weapons. If you run out of bullets for other weapons, switch to Skif’s Pistol to clear out the rest of the threat.
GROM S-14 – Assault Rifle
Grom S-14 is a great Assault Rifle that comes with its own Grenade Launcher. It is both great at close and medium range allowing you to take fights confidently. Moreover, if you have grenade ammo, you can use the grenade launcher to blow up enemies. With its good penetration rating, using the armor-piercing ammunition will let you deal potential damage.
VS Vintar – Sniper Rifle
VS Vintar is a Sniper Rifle in STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl with a high rate of fire. It allows you to strike down your enemies quickly with its decent damage. Moreover, with the decent penetration rating, using an armor-piercing ammunition will let you melt enemies from a safe distance.
Gambit – Pistol
Gambit is one of the better pistols in the game with a decent damage and penetration rating. Headshots with this weapon can take out enemies without armor in one hit. However, its range is not that great which puts you in a difficult position of close-range combat.
Viper-5 – SMG
Viper-5 is one of the best SMGs in the game that can help you take out enemies quickly with its faster rate of fire. You get this weapon early in the game and if you upgrade this weapon at a technician, you can make it even better. Moreover, equip the modules on it like Rail and Laser to increase the accuracy and sway, and then equip an optic on it for more range.
AKM-74U – Assault Rifle
AKM-74U is another great Assault Rifle that players get early in the game. It does not have high damage like other Assault Rifles we discussed above but you can make the most out of it in the early hours of your gameplay. However, we recommend you not to invest a lot of money on it just put attachments on it to increase its capabilities to some extent.
SPSA-14 – Shotgun
SPSA-14 is a great Shotgun that can help you deal potential damage at a decent range. It has a good penetration rating and uses armor-piercing ammunition which can help you take out armored enemies easily. Moreover, with its high rate of fire, you can unleash slugs on enemies and even mutants to eliminate them quickly.
C-Tier: Best Weapons
The C-Tier List of weapons includes decent weapons that you will use in the early and mid-game. You can apply attachments to enhance their capabilities to some extent but we do not recommend spending any money for the upgrades. Because you can switch to better weapons and upgrade them for a higher chance of survival during combat. Here are all the usability and properties of C-Tier List weapons.
Kharod – Assault Rifle
Kharod is a decent Assault Rifle that you can choose easily over other Assault Rifles likeFora-221andAR416because it has more damage than them. Moreover, it has a good penetration rating of 3 that lets you take down armored enemies easily while using the armor-piercing ammunition. Its range is also good and you can put on a 4x Optic on it to further increase the range and take out enemies from a distance.
Toz-34 – Shotgun
Toz-34 is one of the earliest shotguns that you will come across in STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl. It is not the best Shotgun, but it is not the worst either. The overall damage of this shotgun is great but it does not have a high penetration. you’re able to use it against the common mutants to eliminate them quickly, but its magazine of 2 will most probably slow you down. It is best that you mix this weapon with another one. Use this shotgun first and instead of reloading the weapon, switch to an AR or SMG to finish off the target.
Integral-A – SMG
Integral-A is a great SMG weapon with a decent penetration rating but low base damage. However, its rate of fire is high and a decent range that can come in handy. Instead of using the regular ammunition, use the armor-piercing one while fighting against armored enemies. With a high rate of fire and decent penetration rating, you can melt the enemies.
M860 Cracker – Shotgun
M860 Cracker is one of the better shotguns that you get early in the game. You can easily replace the Toz-34 and Boomstick Shotguns with this one. It provides more penetration rating and range, allowing you to eliminate enemies easily. Moreover, it has a higher rate of fire and a bigger magazine that gives you more advantage in fighting against humans and mutants.
D-Tier: Best Weapons
The D-Tier List weapons include only 2 weapons that we think are not worth upgrading or keeping with yourself. However, the M10 Gordon is a decent SMG with a good Penetration Rating that can help you take down enemies quickly but only at close range. However, it is best that you switch to a better SMG weapon for more damage output. Here are all the usability and properties of D-Tier List weapons.
M10 Gordon – SMG
M10 Gordon has the least damage than all other SMGs in the game. However, it has a decent penetration rating with a high rate of fire that can help you fight against armored enemies. you may get this weapon early in the game but we do not recommend spending any money on it. You can sell this weapon as well for decent money. We suggest using the upgraded Viper-5 SMG instead of it for better range and damage.
Boomstick – Shotgun
Boomstick is the weakest shotgun than all of the others in STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl. It has the least range which makes it hard to use against the quick mutants. Moreover, its penetration rating is not that great, and a magazine of 2 bullets will always keep you busy reloading. We recommend selling this weapon if you come across any Boomstick with green or yellow durability to make some money.
What is the criteria and methodology used for Best Weapon Tier List in STALKER 2?
The tier list we have made above focuses on the Base Weapons in STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl. These are the weapons that you will find often during your encounters throughout the numerous regions within the Zone. You can find these weapons by looting the dead bodies and weapon stashes, and purchasing them from Weapon Merchants.
The main criteria used for making this Weapon Tier List is comparing the damage and overall stats of the weapons. Moreover, the Ammunition Economy of the weapons was also kept in focus. This means, how often you will get the ammunition for the weapons by defeating the bandits. You can use this Weapon Tier List for your weapon choice in the game to keep the good weapons with you and upgrade them, and throw or sell the low-tier weapons when you get the better ones.
FAQs about the best weapons in STALKER 2 Heart of Chornobyl
1. Question: What is the best overall weapon in STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl?
Answer: Rhino and Dnipro are two of the best overall weapons in the game. Despite Rhino being a Pistol, it deals the maximum damage with a good Penetration rating allowing you to take down both human and mutant enemies. Dnipro is the best Assault Rifle in the game with the best damage output among Assault Rifles. It has the same Penetration rating as Rhino but with a higher Rate of Fire.
2. Question: What is the best weapon for beginners?
Answer: AKM-74S is the best weapon that you can get early in the game. It is one of the best Assault Rifles in the game with the same damage as Dnipro but with a lower Penetration rating. However, you can enhance this weapon by getting its upgrades from the Technician.
3. Question: What is the best weapon against mutants?
Answer: Rhino is the best weapon against the Mutants due to its high damage and Penetration potential. Moreover, you can choose to use the Ram-2 Shotgun weapon for almost same damage potential, but only at a closer range.
4. Question: What is the best silenced weapon?
Answer: you’re able to make the Buket S-2 SMG the best-silenced weapon by putting on a Pistol Suppressor on it. As it is the best SMG in the game, making it a suppressed one will allow you to easily take out multiple enemies. The Pistol Suppressor is the earliest Attachment you can find for Skif’s Pistol. After getting the Buket S-2, swap the suppressor to Buket S-2 or purchase another Pistol Suppressor for the Buket S-2, if you want to keep the pistol suppressed too.
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