As more and more people jump on board and increase their skill level within the world of Apex Legends, it's becoming increasingly difficult to find an edge over your opponents. My initial results were relatively positive as I made my way across from Call of Duty. Years of first person shooters served me well against a large section of the Apex Legends player base who had perhaps become accustomed to playing Fortnite in 3rd person view.
Nevertheless, as the weeks have progressed, players are finding their groove and seem more able to handle themselves in a gunfight. That means I can no longer just rely on my ability to play a first person shooter and have to look a little closer at the weapons that I'm picking up off the ground. Unless you're an elite player, you can easily be mowed down by an average player with a top tier weapon if you're rocking a peashooter.
With that in mind, I've been doing some research into weapon statistics to see what guns should be the best to search for but have then spent time playing with them all to get a feel for whether or not the statistics tell the full story. So, here's a breakdown of the different weapon classes within Apex Legends and which specific guns I think are worth looting for to keep you one step ahead of your opponents.
Pistols
Best in Class - Wingman
It's hard to believe just how good this gun is. You'd think a pistol would be carried as a secondary weapon to be used only if your primary gun runs out of ammo. Not with the Wingman. This gun is a top tier choice for both early and late game and really packs a punch if you can find a Skullpiercer attachment for it to increase head shot damage.
The recent fire rate nerf has brought it down a little bit but it's still the most dominant weapon in the game and you should look to play aggressively early game if you can get your hands on one as your enemies are unlikely to be stocked up to take you on.
RE-45 Auto
This fully automatic pistol can be good if you've just landed and need something to take down people quickly as they're looting but should be swapped as soon as possible as it will struggle to be effective against anyone with a decent body armour equipped.
P2020
A lightweight pistol that should only be used if there is nothing else available. Even if you manage to find one upon landing, you'll struggle against even the worst players in the game if they've managed to find a weapon with decent fire rate.
Shotguns
Best in Class - EVA-8 Auto
Statistically, the EVA-8 Auto is weaker than both the Mastiff and the Peacekeeper but it is my preferred shotgun if I can find one. What it lacks in power, it makes up for in its ease of use. The higher fire rate of the gun makes things easier in close combat as you can afford to miss a shot or two without it meaning almost certain death as you try to find your target.
Mastiff
If you're a good shot then the Mastiff is probably going to be the best shotgun for you. With a high level of damage and a whopping 2X multiplier for head shots, you can down any opponent in one shot. The issue with the Mastiff for most players is that it only has a magazine size of 4 so if you're not accurate, you're going to be downed quickly by someone with an automatic weapon.
Peacekeeper
From what I have seen, the Peacekeeper is probably the most popular shotgun in Apex Legends. It packs a punch and has a mag size of 6. If you can land your shots, you'll be taking people out with ease. However, the rate of fire makes things difficult if your enemy is bouncing around and this is why I favour the EVA-8 Auto.
Mozambique
The Mozambique is such a terrible weapon that I genuinely prefer to melee people than pick one up. This isn't even worth looking for at the earliest stages of the game.
SMGs
Best in Class - R-99
Without a doubt, the R-99 is my favourite secondary weapon to carry. It's rapid fire rate and ease of use makes it a perfect weapon to switch to to finish opponents off. Its one downside is the fact that the standard magazine carries just 18 bullets so you'll want to find an extended magazine as soon as possible.
Prowler
The Prowler is a 5 round burst SMG that uses heavy ammo and does a lot more damage than all other weapons in this class. If you're able to land your shots you'll likely have a lot of success with this gun but it does suffer from a large amount of recoil and, being a burst fire gun, you can find yourself in trouble if you're playing against someone with good aim. This is a decent gun to find for early engagements but I'd be looking to ditch it quickly.
Alternator
The Alternator has its pros and cons. On the plus side, it's a common weapon to find when you first drop in and, as it's an automatic weapon, you can quickly take out under-looted opponents. Nevertheless, the Alternator simply can't hold its own later in the game and you should look to update it as soon as you can.
Assault Rifles
Best in Class - R-301
The R-301 is the only assault rifle to make use of light ammo and this makes it somewhat weaker per landed bullet. However, it takes its place as my best in class weapon due to it's low recoil and higher fire rate. This thing fires with laser accuracy with a decent barrel stabiliser on it and it great in both medium to longer range combat.
Hemlock
The Hemlock burst assault rifle uses heavy ammo and can quickly take opponents out if you can land your shots. It has a slow fire rate so is better suited to longer range engagements but can be a useful weapon if you are capable of keeping your cool with burst fire guns.
VK-47 Flatline
The VK-47 Flatline is another heavy ammo weapon and packs a larger punch than the R-301. This is certainly a viable weapon early and late game but it has a low fire rate which can feel somewhat frustrating at times if you're up against someone with an R-301 or R-99.
LMGs
Best in Class - M600 Spitfire
The M600 Spitfire is a top tier weapon in Apex Legends. If you can find a level 3 extended heavy magazine for it, the M600 Spitfire will provide you with 60 bullets between reloads. Its low level of recoil makes it a great weapon to use in medium to long engagements and it can even perform well up close. Its one downfall is that it has a relatively slow rate of fire so you need to be careful not to put yourself in a position where a higher firing weapon has an advantage over you.
Devotion
The Devotion uses energy ammo and this is perhaps one of its biggest downfalls because there simply isn't enough of it to be found around the map to be confident that you're not going to run out sooner or later. The other issue with the Devotion is that there is a delay upon pulling the trigger before bullets are released. This gives your opponents a huge advantage over you if they shoot first. Nevertheless, if you can find a Turbocharger attachment, you will no longer have this issue and this thing does some serious damage when it gets going.
Sniper Rifles
Best in Class - Kraber
If you can get your hands on the rare Kraber 50 cal. sniper rifle then it's well worth picking up. This monster does some serious damage and, if you're a good shot, you'll be taking out enemies at a distance with ease. It does come with a low amount of amount that cannot be replenished, however, so make sure you land those shots.
I haven't included any other sniper rifle here as I haven't bothered to play with them enough to form a fair opinion. If you're a good shot, though, you'll probably have a lot of success with all of them if you can keep your enemies at a distance. Just make sure you have a close range secondary to help you deal with opponents if they get too close.
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