These are the best weapons in The Division since the update 1.8. We present the best assault rifles, SMGs, LMGs, precision rifles, pistols, and shotguns.
At the beginning of December 2017, update 1.8 was released, which, in addition to a variety of new activities, also brought fresh weapons to the game and revised existing ones. Compared to The Division 1.7, some balancing changes have been made.
Therefore, the question arises: Which weapons are now top in PvE and PvP?
To answer this question, the Division expert MarcoStyle provides an impressive response. He has created visual graphs for each weapon category to identify the best guns. We will now present the best weapon from each category – if you only want to know the final results, you can jump straight to the end of the article.
The best assault rifles in 1.8
To clarify in advance: In the diagrams, MarcoStyle specifies the time and damage dealt by the respective weapons. The x-axis shows the time in seconds and the y-axis shows the damage in millions. This means that the rise of a line represents the damage a weapon inflicts within a certain period of time. The horizontal sections of the line represent the time the weapon is reloading.
The following graphs assume a firearm value of 6000 and an extended magazine with +120%. Otherwise, no buffs, talents, or mods are taken into account.
The results for the assault rifles:
The assault rifles are quite balanced in 1.8. All lines are close together. It is important to distinguish between two types of damage:
- Burst Damage: This is the damage the weapon inflicts per magazine. In the upper graph, the Fal has the best value here. Burst Damage is important in PvP because you want to defeat the enemy quickly without having to reload often.
- Sustain Damage: This is the damage you inflict over a longer period and multiple reload phases. This is important in PvE. In the graph, you can see that the Fal falls behind here. If the fight against a hefty PvE boss lasts longer, you would prefer to choose another weapon.
Based on Burst Damage and Sustain Damage, the following distinctions will be made as to which weapons are recommended in PvE and which in PvP.
Specifically for the assault rifles, it must be noted that the Fal is a semi-automatic weapon. This means that you will not achieve the theoretical Burst Damage in practice. Therefore, the second-best Burst weapon for PvP in the graph is recommended. And that is the M4.
Over time, the M4 is also top, even though the SCAR-L and the G36 are very close behind.
If you take a look at the exotic assault rifles, the Urban-MDR stands out in theory. However, since the weapon fires semi-automatically and has low accuracy, in practice, the M4 is the number one choice.
The best LMGs in 1.8
The results: In PvP, the MG5 is clearly recommended. It has the highest Burst Damage. However, the magazine size is quite small, and the reload time is quite long, which means it cannot keep up over time with other LMGs.
In PvE, the Mk249 is better.
Among the exotic LMGs, the Pakhan and Hungry Hog perform well in PvE. For PvP, the Big Alejandro has high Burst Damage.
The best SMGs in update 1.8
The results: For the SMGs, there is one answer to all problems: It is called The House. This is a new exotic from 1.8.
Both in PvE and PvP, The House surpasses all other representatives of the SMGs. Additionally, it has a strong damage talent that is not even taken into account here.
If you lack this exotic, in PvP, the MP7 and in PvE the PP-19 or SMG-9 are recommended. The remaining SMGs lag significantly behind (and are not shown in the upper graph).
The best shotguns in 1.8
The results: For shotguns, there is also a clear picture: Take the SASG-12 in PvE and in PvP.
The double-barrel shotgun has the highest Burst Damage, but you have to reload constantly – thus it is terrible in practice.
A strong exotic alternative is the Showstopper. It has similar Burst and Sustain Damage to the SASG-12. However, the exotic comes with a fixed talent that only increases accuracy. You can upgrade the SASG better.
The best precision rifles in 1.8
The results:
This graph has a peculiarity: It does not reflect reality at all. It shows how much damage the individual precision rifles deal at the highest possible rate of fire. However, every agent knows that you should not recklessly hammer the shot button with snipers, as the accuracy would be too low. Furthermore, headshot damage is not factored in here – and this is crucial for precision rifles.
Therefore, forget the upper graph and use these snipers:
- In PvE, you take the SVD as you have high accuracy and can quickly sink shots in the target
- In PvP, the M700 Carbon is recommended
As an exotic, you can take the Historian. Although it has quite low base stats, the special talent compensates for this if you have high firearm values.
The best pistols in 1.8
The results: Here, the 93-R stands out, but it is quite difficult to control this weapon in practice. The X-45, on the other hand, plays more easily and has solid stats as well.
If you are looking for the best weapons in PvE and PvP, you should not look at pistols.
The best weapons in PvP / for Burst Damage
In summary, the best weapons in PvP are:
- Assault Rifle: M4
- LMG: MG5
- Precision Rifle: M700
- Shotgun: SASG-12
- Submachine Gun: The House
The best weapons in PvE / for Sustain Damage
In summary, the best weapons in PvE are:
- Assault Rifle: M4
- LMG: Mk249
- Precision Rifle: SVD
- Shotgun: SASG-12
- Submachine Gun: The House
Final result:
- When comparing these best weapons with each other and factoring in the best possible weapon stats and headshot damage, the M4 and the Mk249 are the best weapons for PvE.
- In PvP, the above-listed weapons are quite balanced. The House and MG5 stand out a bit.
Good exotic alternatives that can keep up with the best weapons (besides The House): Urban MDR, Warlord, Caduceus, Bullfrog, Liberator, Pakhan, Hungry Hog, Big Alejandro, Showstopper, Historian.
Generally speaking: With precision rifles, you do not reach the damage output of the other weapons. However, you can shoot from a safe distance.
What weapons do you play with?
