If fans are having a hard time finding the best gun to use inValorant, this tier list can hopefully help make that decision a bit easier. While themeta constantly shifts, there’s generally always been a better choice depending on the scenario you find yourself in. There’s some nuance in spending those credits wisely, but ultimately the gun chosen to play with depends on players' personal preferences. That being said, there are certainly better guns to use depending on the scenario.
The weapons in this tier list will be placed according to their overall value, based on theirprice,utility, andeffectiveness. There’s a brief description of how each tier is categorized and how each weapon fits into its tier. Let’s start from the bottom of the barrel and work up to the best guns in Valorant. Be sure to check out the quick reference guide at the end of this article too.
D Tier - Poor
Starting off with the worst, these guns are at the very bottom in theD Tier, due to not having any distinct advantages over all the other guns. They are generally seen as a waste of credits.
TacticalKnife
The startingTactical Knifeisn’t a gun and technically shouldn’t be on this list, but since it can be used as a weapon, here’s where it would end up. Itdoesn’t impact base movement speedlike other weapons, so this makes traversing the map a bit quicker. It also has the potential to one-hit kill with the alternative fire mode from behind, but the likelihood of this happening is very low. It should be replaced as soon as possible.
TheShortyhas terrible range and onlytwo shellsbefore needing to reload, making it very difficult to use effectively. It is one of the worst buys in the game, even sporting the lowest price point of150 credits. TheClassic(which is free) would be a better choice.
C Tier - Mediocre
These guns are in theC Tierdue to not having any advantages over other weapons on the list. There may be some rare use case scenario where they’ll be decent, but players would generally be better served by any of the other guns in the higher tiers.
TheBulldogwill almost always lose to the other Assault Rifles, with itshigher recoil,smaller magazine size, andlower overall damage. At a lower cost of2,050 credits,though, it has the potential to beat other similarly priced guns in early rounds. Aiming down a long lane and waiting for the right moment can catch opponents off guard.
TheFrenzyis not a good gun to use in most cases, and will lose most one-on-one battles. The full-auto accuracy is difficult to control, and coupled with the small magazine size, it can be frustrating to use effectively. During pistol rounds, the more accurateGhost, which only costs 50 credits more (450vs500credits), would tend to be a much better pick.
TheAres,at1600 credits, is a cheaper alternative to theOdin,which costs3200 credits.They both have a higher-capacity magazine (50vs100, respectively). Due to its slower firing rate, however, it will often be beaten by the other higher-tiered assault rifles. Still, it’s an okay pick when low on credits or when trying to save those funds for later rounds.
TheGuardianis a fairly expensive choice (at2,250 credits)in comparison to the other guns. It is the onlysemi-automaticrifle, so fans may find it difficult to master this playstyle. It does provide a one-hit kill to the head at any range, making it useful at mid to long ranges.
B Tier - Good
B Tierweapons are generally a solid choice, and in some cases strong. However, they can be unfavorable when faced with higher-tier weapons. In comparison, there are only very specific situations where these guns can be useful for their cost.
TheStingeris the cheaper version of theSpectre(950vs1,600 credits). The high rate of fire works well for close quarters, but the heavy recoil makes staying on target more difficult at longer ranges.
TheBuckyis the cheaper version of theJudge(850vs1,850 credits). It has a slower firing rate, which means it only performs optimally while playing defensively by surprising enemies at very close-range. It’s a solid cheap pick for early rounds, or when looking to save for later rounds.
TheGhostis a decent pistol for early rounds. For500 credits, it isvery accurateand cankill an unarmored player with a headshot. It’s a great sidearm, but should usually be replaced by theSpectreorJudgeif possible (depending on the player’s preference for an SMG or Shotgun).
TheClassicranks highly due to it beingfree. It is a good choice tosave creditsfor later rounds, or to use when buyingarmororutility. It doesn’t have the best accuracy, but it does boast a decent time to kill with its alternate burst fire mode. It’s possible to prioritize other purchases while still wielding a capable weapon.
TheMarshallis a very cheap sniper to use early on, when you don’t have the credits for theOperator(950vs4,700 credits). It provides aone-shot kill to the head, but it misses out on the same one-hit kill to the body that the Operator can pull off. It has afaster rate of fire, though, and its lower magnification makes iteasy to control.
A Tier - Great
TheA Tierguns are strong but generally have a situational drawback. Some might perform better at offense or defense, but generally not both. They haveless than optimal cost versus effectiveness.
TheSheriffis the go-to gun for pistol rounds, as it provides aguaranteed kill with a headshot within 30m. Be wary, though: The slow rate of fire will lose to other close-range guns if fans don’t get that headshot off. Headshots past 30m won’t kill fully shielded players, whereas theMarshall, costing only150 creditsmore, would. The Sheriff pairs nicely with theOperatoras a close-range secondary weapon.
An expensive choice at3,200 credits. TheOdin, with its high-capacity magazine, is great forsuppressing enemies,multi-killsandwall penetration. The drawback of not having one-hit headshot kill potential is offset by the high rate of fire. There’s not much more to say other than this is the classic “spray-and-pray” gun.
TheJudgeis hands-down the best shotgun, even at the higher price of1,850 credits. It isfull-auto, and it excels at bothaggressive and defensive close-quarter plays. The obvious downside is that the damage falloff and bullet spread is not good for mid to long-range combat.
TheSpectreoffers great value for its cost (1,600 credits), making it a solid choice early on. It has avery high firing ratebut lower damage per bullet. The damage output is still high and it consistentlyperforms well in close-range combat.
S Tier - Best
The guns in theS Tierhave historically proven to be the best regardless of the situation. They excel in both offensive and defensive scenarios. They are also themost optimal choice for their relative costs.
TheOperatorprovides aone-shot kill to the head and body. The Operator is very effective at long-ranged combat and excels on maps with long lines of sight, such as Fracture, Icebox, and Breeze. While being quite expensive at4,700 credits, it’s well worth the investment. The one drawback it has is that the hip-fire accuracy is very bad; however, experienced Valorant players would typically swap to a secondary weapon in those instances.
TheVandalprovides aone-shot kill to the headat any distance, but it’s not quite as accurate as thePhantom. The recoil is pretty high, so users need to be taking shots inbursts of 3 to 5to maintain accuracy on the target. At2,900 credits, the Vandal is a solid choice at any stage of the game.
ThePhantomis at the top of the list due to its consistent ability to take down targets quickly. When compared to theVandal, which costs the same amount of credits (2,900), it has ahigher rate of fire,better recoil control, asilenced barrel, and alarger magazine. The only downside is its damage fall-off; after 15 meters it will no longer provide a one-shot kill to the head.
Best Guns In Valorant
Above is the complete list of all the guns and their corresponding tier in one quick reference image.
