You may be new to Valorant and you're wondering what is the best weapon in-game, or what to buy when you don't have much money. Every situation is different and deserves a different weapon.
Since all weapons are lethal, many factors can be taken into account to determine which weapon would be better than another. Price, damage and fire rate are the main criteria, but some situational weapons may be considered differently.
Tier List
Operator
Operator is Valorant's sniper. He one-shot in the vast majority of cases and playing lines with this beast will, if placed in the right hands, be devastating. Beware however of its high price of ¤4500 which makes it almost a team investment. Nevertheless, don't abuse it on a group scale (and especially on an elo-medium scale) by limiting the number of snipers you have, especially since you will ideally need to cover your Operator(s). Indeed, a single player, cunning and under pressure can very quickly deliver an Operator to the hands of your enemies.
Vandal
The Vandal is deadly and multi-talented. It's the safe choice if you want to be prepared to face any situation during your rounds. The first five or six bullets go off accurately. Moreover, the spray and recoil are fairly easy to handle.
Phantom
The Phantom costs as much as the Vandal. It takes the lead in medium and short range where its impressive rate of fire makes it a great weapon for sray and pray enthusiasts. It combines a high rate of fire, accuracy, light dispersion of bullets and moderate recoil.
Sheriff
A Sheriff's bullet in the head is enough to send an enemy back to heaven even with a shield and at any distance. Add to this very important damage a small recoil allowing the first 3 or 4 bullets to leave quickly and precisely and you get, in short, a pocket rifle for 800¤.
Spectrum
The Spectrum is the best of the two SMGs available in Valorant but also the most expensive. Despite its cost, its fire rate and its significant damage make it a good buy for close and mid-range combat, counter-economy, second round armed or force-buy.
Ghost
The Ghost is a level below the Sheriff since it doesn't headshot if the enemy has a shield and its bullets in the body are much less impacting. It does benefit from minimal recoil, and if enemies were to line up in your scope, a few precise headshots could quickly cut off a rush. Along with the Sheriff, it's the only secondary weapon that generally deserves some credit.
Guardian
The Guardian's shots are heavy, sonorous and powerful. This rifle inflicts serious damage and benefits from one of the weakest recoils in the game as well as a very good accuracy. Its only weakness is logically related to its fire rate. Panic at close range can quickly happen and may be your worst enemy with this weapon. The Guardian is very effective in holding positions.
Bulldog
The Bulldog has a fairly large recoil and high bullet spread. Its right click (1.25x zoom) on the other hand makes it possible to shoot three grouped bullets in semi-auto. This is THE strength of the Bulldog. For short and medium range confrontation, you may prefer a Spectre — which is cheaper but much less effective if you have to engage the fight from more than 20 or 30 metres away.
Marshall
The Marshall does 101 damage points in the body, and 202 in the head. It means that you can headshot but also one shot with a bullet in the body on an enemy without shield. Its very low price is a last argument allowing to place it so high in this Tier List.
Ares
The Ares is a situational weapon and more likely in attack. Its high fire rate and large magazine can allow you to simply crouch down, hold the click and sweep the battlefield from left to right through smoke-filled obstacles and enemies. The Ares is dedicated to firing through walls or cover fire. On lightly armed rounds or to deny access to a particular location, it can be very interesting strategically speaking.
Stinger
The Stinger is to be used in shooting quickly without aiming which will be perfect at short and medium range. For relatively few credits, it's a relatively viable option that can be useful in some cases.
Classic
The Classic is the secondary weapon with which you will play most of the time. It requires two bullets in the head to kill, regardless of whether your opponent has a shield or not. Its recoil is very correct and you can make a quick succession of accurate shots. It's a multi-purpose pistol that will perfectly perform as a secondary weapon.
Bucky
The Bucky is inexpensive and can be extremely lethal at close range with its left click. Beyond that, it loses almost all usefulness. It's very situational but really devastating coupled with a good close combat aim.
Odin
The Odin has good stats. It's its price and its rather anecdotal role that sends it so low on that Tier List. As for the Ares, in certain situations and by remembering its strengths and weaknesses, the weapon could be effective.
Frenzy
The Frenzy is a secondary weapon that is sorely lacking in precision. Its fire rate is certainly very impressive, but its small magazine and its too important recoil dn't make it very useful.
Shorty
The Shorty is very impressive in its ability not to be lethal more than a few poor meters away. Even if the weapon only costs ¤ 200, save those credits for something else.
Judge
The Judge is placed so low because of its damage, lower than the Bucky and its excessive price: ¤ 1500. Like all other weapons, you can kill with it, but you might as well buy a small shield and a Sheriff/Spectre.
Original content by Benoît "Tyler" Pinot.
Valorant is a competitive game and it's only natural to want to know the best characters available in-game. Discover the strengths and weaknesses of all Agents in our dedicated Tier List.
