Those who can aim well in Fortnite: Battle Royale (PC / Mac, PS4, Xbox One, Switch, iOS) and master the building mode in every situation have a frequent advantage. At least as important is the choice of the right weapon for each situation. We have all weapons with all stats – and present to you the best in Fortnite: Battle Royale!
The arsenal in Fortnite: Battle Royale is continuously expanded by Epic. Dozens of different firearms are already in the game. But which weapon is truly “good”? Which weapon should you always have in your inventory? Is there even “the one” best weapon? Let’s find out!
Note: As Epic occasionally makes changes to weapon balance and adds more equipment, the article will be continuously updated.
The Quality Rarity of Weapons in Fortnite: Battle Royale
Basically, in Fortnite, a weapon of higher quality is always better than the same weapon type of lower quality. Genre-typical, the equipment is divided into quality or rarity levels.
You can recognize this by the background color of the respective item:
- Gray – common
- Green – uncommon
- Blue – rare
- Purple – epic
- Orange – legendary
The higher the quality, the rarer you will find these. And there are plenty of find locations:
- Treasure chests
- Supply drops (guarantee a legendary item)
- On the ground in buildings or in the landscape
- From fallen enemies
Assault Rifles in Fortnite: Battle Royale
Assault rifles are part of the standard equipment in Fortnite: Battle Royale. If you find an assault rifle, you should definitely take it with you, because assault rifles are excellent weapons at medium distances.
Currently, there are several subcategories among assault rifles. In addition to standard assault rifles, there are the significantly rarer S.C.A.R. assault rifles and the burst rifles, which, as the name suggests, fire bursts of 3 bullets with each trigger pull.
Additionally, you can also find scoped assault rifles, which are theoretically suitable for long distances.
Let’s take a closer look at the values of the different weapons (The table can be scrolled horizontally and sorted as needed):
The standard assault rifles and S.C.A.R. representatives are at first glance the best weapons by far. Those who own a S.C.A.R. are well-equipped for the endgame. Critical headshots deal significant damage, even at relatively long range.
Burst rifles also deal massive damage on paper, but it is significantly harder to land critical hits with such a weapon (not least due to the Bloom mechanic).
If you’ve ever wondered why almost no one plays with the scoped assault rifles – the table should answer that question. The weapon class simply doesn’t deal enough damage, headshots are inconsistent. At long distances, you should opt for a S.C.A.R. or a sniper rifle.
Which assault rifle is the best? If you’ve found a S.C.A.R. – congratulations! You’re holding the best assault rifle in your hands. But even with a standard assault rifle, you can easily outperform the other representatives. The thermal assault rifle offers a cool gimmick, but cannot compete with a SCAR.
Sniper Rifles in Fortnite: Battle Royale
Sniper rifles are designed for pure long-range combat. With these, you can eliminate careless targets from a great distance. There are three representatives in the weapon category:
- The slowly firing bolt-action sniper rifles,
- The semi-automatic sniper rifles, and
- the hunting rifles
But which weapon is the best? Let’s take a look at the numbers:
A few weeks ago, the case would have been clear: Leave the semi-automatic sniper rifles alone. The damage has since been increased. When combined with the high rate of fire, the semi-automatic sniper rifle can be used much more effectively.
Bolt-action sniper still strong: The bolt-action sniper kills opponents without shields with a body shot. With a headshot, you can kill any opponent – and that always, regardless of their shield. These things are not possible with the semi-automatic snipers.
The hunting rifle does not have a zoom sight, so you do not need to aim significantly over the opponent’s head at greater distances.
Generally: Every sniper rifle has its pros and cons. Which one you ultimately choose depends on your personal preferences:
- Do you want to deal as much damage as possible with one shot and are a very good shooter? Go for the bolt-action sniper or hunting rifle.
- Are you an average shooter and prefer to expose the opponent to a hail of bullets? Grab the semi-automatic sniper.
Shotguns in Fortnite: Battle Royale
Shotguns are the weapons of choice when facing your opponent at close range. They inflict tremendous damage at very short distances. Shotguns are also divided into three categories:
- The fast-firing tactical shotguns,
- The slow-firing pump shotguns, and
- The rare heavy shotguns
Unlike in the other weapon classes, it is not possible to determine a “best” weapon among shotguns. However, let’s first take a look at the stats of the shotguns:
Tactical shotguns have a higher rate of fire than pump shotguns, and the magazine size is larger with eight shots. In contrast, pump shotguns deal more damage, and that’s not to be underestimated.
Anyone who combines a pump shotgun with an MP can inflict tremendous damage in a short time. In this way, careless enemies can be eliminated quickly.
There is no one best shotgun. Instead, the choice of weapon depends on the situation:
- Enemies who have not noticed you can be quickly eliminated with pump shotguns.
- If you find it harder to land critical hits with the pump shotgun, the tactical shotgun makes more sense due to its higher rate of fire.
- If you pick up the rare heavy shotgun, make sure to grab it. This combines the strengths of the other two representatives.
Enemies are particularly harder to hit when they have noticed you and are bouncing around like a kangaroo.
Tip: Always combine a pump shotgun with a fast-firing weapon such as a submachine gun. This way, you can deal great damage in a short amount of time.
Especially at the start of a match, you can gain a significant advantage over an opponent who is only carrying a shotgun.
Which shotgun is now the best? Use a pump shotgun in combination with a submachine gun when looting in houses at the start of a match. If you find a heavy shotgun, make sure to grab it! This combines the good fire rate of the shotgun with the damage of the pump shotgun.
Submachine Guns in Fortnite: Battle Royale
Submachine guns are among the top weapons in the game. Both the standard submachine gun and the drum gun are fantastic weapons that can dismantle any opponent in no time.
In fact, SMGs have broken the dominance of shotguns and are now considered the preferred choice for close combat.
But that’s not all. Submachine guns are also great for quickly tearing down enemy fortifications. SMGs fall into three categories:
- Standard submachine guns,
- the drum gun, and
- silenced submachine guns
The standard submachine gun includes the P90 submachine gun. A fantastic weapon that is only available in the epic and legendary rarities.
You can find the exact values of each weapon type in the following table:
The submachine guns are undoubtedly among the best weapons in the game, dealing tremendous damage in a short time. But even if you haven’t found any of the rare SMGs – the standard submachine gun is very good as well.
The silenced variants are also not to be underestimated, though they are not as devastating as the standard SMGs.
Pistols in Fortnite: Battle Royale
Pistols are among the most commonly found weapons in Fortnite: Battle Royale and can be found almost everywhere. The chance is high that your first weapon after landing is a pistol.
The following types of pistols can be found in Fortnite: Battle Royale:
- Revolvers
- Pistols
- Dual pistols
- Hand cannons
- Silenced pistols
Revolvers and the rarer hand cannons are among the slowly firing pistols, but they deal a considerable amount of damage. You can find the values of each pistol in the table below:
The new silenced pistols reveal themselves at first glance as the new stars among pistols. Revolvers and hand cannons fall far behind in damage per second, but deal critical massive damage. You’ll need to pull that off in the heat of battle, however.
Especially on consoles, pistols are not the best choice, but on PC you can quickly take down your opponents with them. Unfortunately, pistols face strong competition at their preferred range. Shotguns and submachine guns generally do the job more efficiently.
Right at the start of a round, however, a silenced pistol can still provide a significant advantage.
Rocket Launchers and Grenade Launchers in Fortnite: Battle Royale
With rocket and grenade launchers, the heavy artillery is rolled out. They are suitable for flushing out enemy fortifications and are especially useful in the endgame.
The values of the two weapon types are listed in the following table:
A blanket statement about whether rocket or grenade launchers are the better choice is not possible. Just like with shotguns, it heavily depends on the situation with which weapon you should play:
- With the rocket launcher, you can precisely target individual points (walls) or opponents. The further away you are from the opponent, the harder it becomes to hit, as the rockets travel relatively slowly – opponents can adjust accordingly.
- With the grenade launcher, you can effectively dismantle buildings and fortifications. Due to the bouncing of the projectiles, opponents have significantly more difficulty dodging them. However, the unpredictability created makes it harder to aim accurately.
If you want to create confusion in a large area, quickly fire a few grenades in the general direction and enjoy the explosions. Individual targets and opponents can be better dealt with from the right distance using the rocket launcher.
Submachine Guns in Fortnite: Battle Royale
Submachine guns are primarily intended to destroy enemy shelters to rubble and ashes. In fact, the minigun is unrivaled in this regard. The light machine gun can also be used against human targets. The following parameters apply to the two weapon classes:
If you need to take down enemy fortifications, you won’t find a better weapon in the game at the moment. Although the minigun needs to be charged first, it can then spit out bullets without interruption until the ammo runs out.
The minigun does not need to be reloaded and uses light ammunition. In the endgame, you should only use a minigun if you are playing in a team. That way, one player can handle the fortification while their teammates can storm in.
The LMG is in a difficult spot: The minigun is better for fortifications, while mobile targets are better handled with assault rifles or SMGs. Therefore, the light machine gun is not used as frequently.
What are the Best Weapons in Fortnite: Battle Royale?
You want to win games and survive as long as possible in each round, which is why we present you with a suitable loadout that can help you face the last phase of a match with the best weapons:
- An assault rifle is essential. Did you find a legendary S.C.A.R.? Then you are holding one of the best weapons in your hands.
- A shotgun and/or submachine gun is a must-have, a legendary P90 submachine gun will give you a significant advantage in the endgame.
- To remain competitive at long range, you should be equipped with a sniper rifle of your choice; rarity is of secondary importance here.
- In addition to an emergency supply of shields, mini-shields, or med-kits, you should also have a heavy weapon like a rocket or grenade launcher in the endgame – the higher the quality, the better! If you are playing in a team and want to demolish fortifications, make sure to take a minigun with you!
Which weapons do you prefer to play with? Share it with us in the comments!
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