In The Division, we present the best weapons after Update 1.3 – sorted by weapon categories.
Update: After Update 1.4 you can find strong weapons for PvE here.
The YouTuber WOBO has made a name for himself in the Division community with his detailed weapon reviews. He employs the numbers, conducts in-depth analyses, and presents them in a clear manner. We have already showcased his results on the assault rifle analyses and the shotgun analyses in The Division.
Now he has taken a closer look at all weapon categories after Update 1.3. According to his numbers, there are currently some interesting and surprising weapons that stand out.
The best weapons after 1.3 in The Division
In the following video, WOBO presents his findings. He first discusses the best assault rifles, then LMGs, sniper rifles, shotguns, sidearms, and SMGs. In the end, he presents the overall result:
For each weapon category, he creates a graphical representation. On the y-axis, you can see the damage (in millions) that the weapon inflicts, and on the x-axis the time (in seconds). For the damage calculation, he used several fixed parameters, such as a firearm value of 3000, a critical hit chance of 20%, and even certain mods. You can view all the values he used in this public spreadsheet on the weapons in The Division.
To explain: The brightly highlighted line represents the weapon’s cycle: The rising line shows the time while the weapon is firing, the straight line indicates the reload time. These two phases repeat:
The best assault rifle
The assault rifles in The Division can be divided into seven types: ACRs, AKs, FALs, G36s, M4s, P416s, and SCAR-Ls. They perform as follows:
It is evident: The G36 assault rifles clearly outperform the others. This makes it easier for some agents to understand why the G36s have to be nerfed in the near future. Depending on how strong this nerf occurs, the SCAR-Ls are the best alternative.
The best light machine gun
The LMGs consist of the L86s, M249s, M60s, and RPKs. Here’s how they perform:
These lines run quite similarly, but WOBO considers the L86s to be the kings of light machine guns. While they often require reloading, they inflict good damage – they are the best LMGs in both PvE and PvP.
The best sniper rifle
Among the snipers, the distinctions are made between M1A, M44, SCAR-H, SRS, and SVD. Here the numbers vary widely:
The M1A sniper rifles continue to be the strongest snipers in the game. The fast-firing snipers have significant advantages. If you don’t currently have an M1A on hand and are wavering between SCAR-H and SVD, you should opt for the SVD in The Division. This one has the best precision among all sniper rifles, which makes the gunplay with them very pleasant.
The best shotgun
The shotguns consist of the AA-12 (The Showstopper), the double-barreled shotguns, M870s, SASG-12s, and Super 90s. They are distributed as follows in the graph:
This weapon class allows you several variations, depending on how you prefer to play with shotguns. However, if you choose the SASG-12s in The Division, you can’t go wrong.
The best sidearms
For sidearms, you have the choice between 586 Magnum’s, M1911s, M9 A1, PF45, P4x Sturm, and the First Wave X-45:
The First Wave X-45 plays in a league of its own here. It can even keep up with the SASG-12 shotguns. As a sidearm, WOBO considers it completely OP.
The best submachine gun
Among the submachine guns, there are the AUG, the fully automatic MP5, MP7, PP-19, T821, SMG-9, and the Vector:
As you can see, the Vector and the AUG have lost their dominant position. Both experienced a base damage reduction of 10% with the update 1.3. In PvE, the PP-19 is now recommended, while in PvP, the MP7s remain top tier.
Summary
With the weapon balance changes of Update 1.3, all weapon categories received (new) bonuses:
- Assault rifles: 17.5% – 24% damage against enemy armor.
- LMGs: 21.5% – 29% damage against enemies not in cover.
- Shotguns: 223% – 274% stagger.
- SMGs: 36% – 48% critical hit damage.
- Sniper rifles: The additional headshot damage remains unchanged.
When you factor in these bonuses and compare the best weapons, you come to the following result:
Overview of the best weapons by category – according to WOBO:
- Assault rifles: G36s (before nerf)
- LMGs: L86s
- Sniper rifle: M1As
- Sidearm: First Wave X-45
- Shotgun: In PvE – SASGs; in PvP – M870s, SASGs, Super 90s
- SMGs: In PvE: PP-19s; in PvP: MP7.
What weapons are you playing with?
In this article, you will find the best weapons before Update 1.3 in The Division.
