Ranking the best weapons in Gears 5 can be tricky, as there as just so many of them! What’s more, with active reloads greatly affecting how weapons perform, it’s sometimes difficult to know which gun is best for each situation. If you’ve been playing Versus PvP, you may have noticed the different power weapon spawn points, as well as the ability to buy guns in Arcade Deathmatch. Unsure what the Gears 5 best weapons are and which pick-ups to prioritize? Then read on for our weapon tier list.
Best Gears 5 Weapons List
Gears 5 Best Weapons – Tier 1
- Gnasher Shotgun
- The ultimate Gears of War weapon returns for Gears 5 in fabulous fashion. Though it isn’t as overpowered as the days of the original game, where “host shotgun” was also a crucial factor in its dominance, the Gnasher shotgun can still one-shot enemies at close range, even while the user bounces around from wall to wall.
- Lancer Assault Rifle
- The perfect companion to the Gnasher shotgun, the Lancer assault rifle has a high reserve ammo count, is incredibly accurate across all ranges, and comes with a chainsaw attached. Its damage per shot might not be super impressive, but its strengths come together to make for a god-tier weapon.
- Longshot Sniper Rifle
- The Longshot sniper rifle can dominate across all ranges. Obviously its main function is for long-range sniping, where headshots are a dream, but it’s also great at no-scoped shots. A Longshot user can be a threat at all ranges, despite the weapon’s name.
- Salvo Rocket Launcher
- Yikes, I’m surprised to even see this featured in the Gears 5 Versus. The Salvo rocket launcher is a monster, capable of firing multiple high-damage rockets. It practically guarantees multiple kills with each use, so long as the user employs reasonable accuracy.
ALSO: Gears 5 Review | The maddest world yet
Gears 5 Best Weapons – Tier 2
- Boomshot Grenade Launcher
- Though its overall power seems to have been reduced since the days of the first Gears of War, the Boomshot still remains to be a fearsome weapon. The ability to accurately kill in one shot offers a huge advantage, especially in objective-based modes. Spot multiple enemies capturing a zone? Fire an active-reloaded Boomshot grenade at them for a tasty multi-kill!
- Mulcher
- The Mulcher is a great weapon for laying down suppressive fire. Its ability to fire high-damage rounds for an extended time makes it perfect for keeping enemies in place while the rest of the team flank around or push for an objective. The main downside of this weapon is that the user’s head is a clear target for snipers.
- Hammerburst
- While the Lancer still comes out on top with its accurate fire (and also the chainsaw!), the Hammerburst is also a formidable assault rifle that can quickly down enemies. Aim for the enemy’s head and this weapon will surprise you!
- Overkill Shotgun
- This weapon is just crazy! If you pick it up, you’re probably going to get a kill. Simply get within range of the enemy and spam the trigger. One of the more frustrating weapons to die from, the Overkill is a dirty joy to use. However, with its low ammo count, the fun quickly comes to an end.
- Talon Autopistol
- Useful in close-quarters engagements, the Talon autopistol is capable of downing enemies extremely quickly, despite its small size. Its rapid rate of fire grant it a quick time-to-kill, but also lead to this weapon having a significant recoil kick.
- Torque Bow
- Another classic weapon that veterans will likely love, but newcomers may struggle with. The Torque Bow requires thinking ahead, with a charge needed for the bolts to stick into enemies. The weapon also gives itself away with a charge sound and visually lighting up. It’s a tough one to master, but very effective when you take the time to learn.
- Frag Grenade
- The Gears 5 fragmentation grenade can be used in two different ways, with both methods being incredibly useful in the game’s PvP modes. The first, the normal toss, allows the user to throw a grenade towards a group of enemies, where its quick fuse timer results in a rapid explosion. The frag grenade’s second use is that it can be stuck to enemies or surfaces with the melee button. Enemies stuck with the grenade will explode after a couple of seconds, while surfaces stuck with it give the grenade a proximity effect, triggered by enemies who come too close.
Gears 5 Best Weapons – Tier 3
- Breaker Mace
- The Breaker Mace is an absolutely brutal melee weapon. It’s capable of wiping out multiple enemies in one swing, making it the king of close-quarters! However, it’s obviously useless at any other ranges, and so you should only pick this weapon for engagements in tight hallways and smaller rooms.
- Boltok Pistol
- The Boltok pistol can be a tremendously powerful weapon. However, the user must aim for the enemy’s head, as shots to the body seem much less effective. Combining the high headshot damage with the increased accuracy granted by the active reload makes for a hell of a good time. Miss a few shots, however, and your day can quickly be ruined.
- Claw
- The Swarm’s Claw weapon is interesting in the way that it becomes more accurate the longer you shoot it. Its damage output is reasonable, too. However, that initial period of inaccuracy can be extremely costly in Versus. This is a weapon that you’ll need to limit to closer ranges, as attempting to hit enemies over longer distances will waste ammo and likely result in the user’s head getting blown off.
- Dropshot
- The Dropshot is one of those weapons that require a lot of time to really master. Its main advantage is being able to bypass enemy cover. Spot someone hiding that you wouldn’t normally be able to hit? Fire off a Dropshot round and bring it up next to their face. Again, that method is tough to master, so ease-of-use lowers this weapon down a tier.
- EMBAR Railgun
- The EMBAR Railgun is mighty in that it can penetrate enemies to allow for multiple kills. However, its lack of a zoom scope, as well as the requirement to charge up each shot, make it difficult to use in many situations.
- Enforcer SMG
- Despite its size, the Enforcer SMG is a surprisingly powerful weapon, and one that new players will quickly warm to. Its prowess in close-quarters combat, especially when combined with an active reload, make it a great alternative for those who haven’t yet mastered the Gnasher shotgun.
- Markza Marksman Rifle
- This Markza marksman rifle is extremely powerful in the hands of someone who can make every shot count. Rapidly firing accurate shots can lead to extremely quick kills. However, any missed shots dramatically decrease your chance of downing the enemy before they take cover. This weapon requires careful thought.
Gears 5 Best Weapons – Tier 4
- Buzzkill
- Capable of firing massive sawblades across the map, which then ricochet all over the place, the Buzzkill sounds like it would be a fantastic weapon for multiplayer. Unfortunately, its one-hit-kill abilities are let down by its inaccuracy and the travel time of the sawblades themselves. It’s difficult to be on-target with this weapon, with players often choosing to instead rapidly spam the fire button and hope for a cheeky kill or two.
- Flashbang Grenade
- If you’ve played literally any other shooter, you might be expecting the Flashbang grenade to stun your enemy for multiple seconds. However, its blinding effect is actually pretty weak, with the main advantage being the way it causes the enemy to flinch. You’ll need to be really on target with this one, however.
- Snub Pistol
- Perhaps surprisingly, the Snub pistol packs a decent amount of power for its size. Got a rapid trigger finger? Then this pistol is worth trying. It’s especially effective when used to follow up powerful blasts from the Longshot or EMBAR, or when combined with a melee attack.
Gears 5 Best Weapons – Tier 5
- Cryo Cannon
- In the right hands against the right enemies, the Cryo Cannon is capable of wiping out entire groups. However, most players will realize a Cryo Cannon user is coming towards them and quickly dodge out of the way. In an ideal situation, the Cryo Cannon can be used from behind to freeze unsuspecting foes. Otherwise, it’s not that great.
- Incendiary Grenade
- Demanding extreme accuracy to be effective, the Incendiary grenade is mostly used to stall the enemy from getting to objectives. A OHK hit is possible for those with a fantastic (or lucky) aim.
- Smoke Grenade
- You can swap the standard Flash Grenade for the Smoke Grenade. However, I wouldn’t recommend that change, as the smoke that this grenade releases is incredibly lackluster. At the time of writing, the smoke grenade is not good at all.
