Apex Legends Season 12 Weapon Tier List

Apex Legends, Respawn's battle royale game boasts about two dozen deadly weapons for you to pick from, but which ones are really the best? Here's our Apex Legends Season 12 weapon tier list to help you figure out the best weapons in Apex Legends Season 12.

Apex Legends Season 12 Weapon Tier List

• S-Tier: Weapons you must pick up
• A-Tier: Top-level early, mid and late game
• B-Tier: Solid workhorses, swappable
• C-Tier: Situational picks, never your main weapon
• D-Tier: Just avoid these weapons

S Tier

Kraber .50 CAL

The Kraber is the undisputed king of the sniper category. This bolt-action sniper, capable of a one-shot headshot kill, deals absurd damage from almost any range, and even if you miss the head, you'll soften your opponents up nicely so a teammate can finish them off. Unfortunately, it's still only available in care packages, but if you're lucky enough to run into one, grab it. The Kraber is hands down the best weapon in Apex, and having someone on your squad running it gives you every kind of advantage.

M600 Spitfire

Another care package weapon, it shouldn't come as a surprise that the Spitfire lands second on our Apex weapon tier list. Where the Spitfire shines is its massive magazine, steady fire rate, controllable recoil and strong damage. So basically everything. The machine gun works well even for players who aren't necessarily the best shots: if you miss your target with your ADS shots, just pick up this LMG and start spraying for the win.

R-301 Carbine

The R-301 has been versatile ever since Apex Legends first launched in February 2019, though it briefly fell out of the meta in Season 2, and nothing has really changed since. The Carbine is great at range, solid up close, and simple to use. The Carbine has recently seen a rise in competitive play thanks to how solid it is in the early and mid-game.

Volt

This Season 6 light submachine gun stormed into the Apex Legends meta at a dizzying pace, and it isn't slowing down. This weapon has always been one of the best SMGs in Apex Legends, but its move into the care package in Season 12 has made it even more lethal. The Volt also picked up a bigger magazine size along with a significant damage increase in Season 12.

A Tier

VK-47 Flatline

The Flatline is one of the best Assault Rifles in Apex Legends in terms of raw damage output. One of the key areas where the Flatline shines is its unchanging nature. Its recoil is solid, its damage is mid-range but good, and it has plenty of range for an assault rifle. The one place the Flatline falls short is attachments: it can't take any barrel mod. Still, that doesn't stop it from shining as an all-star weapon.

Wingman

The Wingman has always been at the top of the Apex Legends meta, but getting the full value out of it can be tough; it's a heavy pistol that gives players pinpoint accuracy. If you can land your shots, we assume you've already picked up this hard-to-handle pistol — if not, maybe avoid it. Still, the Wingman's sheer power is undeniable. Nerfs to ammo count and the heavy mag attachment tried to bring it in line, but it's still a top pick. Land a headshot and you're dealing around 100 damage.

G7 Scout

The G7 Scout might be the most versatile weapon in Apex Legends. Its range is better than the R-301's, and if you can pull the trigger fast enough, its fire rate isn't as bad as you'd think for a single-fire rifle. After starting life as a sniper, the G7 became an assault rifle in Season 4. It was then moved back into the new "marksman rifle" category in Season 9. Now, it's locked to Care Package drops and, in a shocking third change, became a Heirloom weapon.

CAR SMG

Season 11's new weapon, the CAR SMG, is a fantastic all-star weapon. Designed to take either light or heavy ammo and attachments from both weapon lines, the CAR is a perfect secondary to keep in your pocket to avoid those frustrating moments when you're running low on ammo. Its versatility is its greatest strength, though its dynamic ammo type means it can never quite reach the same heights as close-range rivals like the R-99 or VK-47 Flatline.

Prowler Burst PDW

The Prowler is a deadly weapon that can shine in the early game, especially now that it's back to being a ground loot item — if you're lucky enough to find one. Where the Prowler is best is its damage and fire rate combined with wild but controllable recoil. If you can land a five-round burst on your enemy, you deal 75 damage — two bursts, and that's a knockdown.

Rampage

The newest Apex Legends LMG hits like a truck, but its slow fire rate is its one downside. The Rampage shines when you find a Thermite Grenade to activate its passive. Still, don't feel like you need the grenade to use it. The Rampage packs an average punch, dealing 24-42 damage per round.

Triple Take

Despite taking light damage nerfs in Season 12, the Triple Take remains one of the best snipers in the game. It's billed as a long-range weapon, and it has all the attachments to make it a lethal sniper rifle, but this once-energy rifle actually performs better in the early stages of the game. That's because of its three-pellet spread. If you can land all three of its 50-60 damage bolts, you'll essentially flatten enemies like another kind of shotgun.

R-99

After a short stint in care packages — a move Respawn admitted was meant to "stem the tide" of the R-99 — the Light SMG rightfully returned to where it belongs. A patch last November trimmed its damage slightly, from 12 to 11 per round, but the '99 still has some of the deadliest DPM in the game, and whenever you can run it, you should. Its ammo economy isn't bad either. The weapon holds a 20-round clip, which climbs to 27 with upgrades.

Peacekeeper

This popular Apex Legends shotgun was moved out of care packages in Season 9 and has been looting the ground ever since. Even better, it now comes with Precision Choke by default, plus the new "Kinetic Feeder" reload feature in Season 12.

B Tier

Alternator

The Alternator has always struggled to shine behind its bigger Light-class siblings, the R-99 and R-301, but there's a time and a place for a slower-firing SMG. In fact, the Alternator deals the same damage per round as the R-99. Heavy buffs also helped when the Alternator moved into care packages in Season 10. Thanks to its early-game strength, this weapon holds onto its spot in B-Tier.

L-Star

While its Light-class rival the R-99 has a better opening burst, the L-Star tears things apart once it gets going. That said, it's outclassed by the Volt SMG in most areas of the Energy category, which is why it needs to drop to C-Tier in Season 12. If you want to win fights, make sure you take the time to get used to the L-Star's spread pattern; it's tricky, so it's worth the effort to learn.

Eva-8 Auto

There was once a time when, if you landed a rare Double Tap hop-up on the Eva-8, there was no better close-range weapon in the game; it turned the shotgun into a merciless killing machine. This full-auto shotgun can feel frustratingly weak now, and there are plenty of situations early in the game where you'd be better served by a fast-firing RE-45 or Alternator. That said, the Eva-8 has become a particularly popular pick among top players in recent months. If you're more comfortable with hip-fire shots than recoil-heavy light rifles, definitely add the EVA-8 to your loadout early on until you find that Peacekeeper.

Devotion

The Devotion returned to the map after a stint as a care package drop, and the energy machine gun is better than ever. This energy LMG is arguably the deadliest weapon in Apex Legends if you can keep all cylinders firing. It deals a monstrous 255 damage per second, and its spin-up is fairly minimal. The Devo also clears out other S-Tier picks (care package drops included) simply by being available on the ground.

RE-45

Overall, the RE-45 suffers from the same problem as many weapons near the bottom of our list — there are just better options out there. The Alternator is a stronger Light-class pick in the early game, and every other Light-class option is better once you get into the mid-game. That said, the return of Hammerpoint rounds in Season 12 made this weapon noticeably better against unarmored enemies. It's fairly easy to control, and once you add a few attachments, you've got a great mid-game weapon.

Hemlok

Many players might overlook the Hemlok in favor of full-auto S-Tier cousins like the R-301 and Flatline, but don't sleep on it — given how much wide-open space there is on World's Edge, Olympus and Storm Point, the Hemlok can be lethal. This burst rifle has two modes, burst and single-fire. Both can be great: the long-range single-fire option helps you conserve ammo while poking your opponents, and the burst gives you the close-range firepower you need.

Longbow DMR

The Longbow is a solid pick from the B-Tier weapons. The Kraber and Sentinel are unquestionably superior snipers, yes, but the Longbow is still a useful receiver for eagle-eyed players. Even without a scope, its iron sights offer a clear view, and it deals 50 damage per shot, cutting an unarmored enemy in half.

C Tier

30-30 Repeater

Its range, damage and accuracy are top-notch, and when you're not face-to-face with an enemy, it's usually a great pick. If you can pair the Repeater with a shotgun or something small and a different ammo type like the R-99 or Volt SMG, you should have a complete loadout. This is where the 30-30 is truly a top-tier pick — it pairs well with plenty of other Apex Legends choices.

Bocek

We haven't seen a new Apex Legends weapon make a big splash right out of the gate since the dreaded Charge Rifle winter. The new bow dealt with a batch of nerfs in the first Season 9 update, but it still remained relatively strong. The Bocek deals big damage per arrow (which can later be collected). Also keep an eye out for the Shatter Caps and Deadeye's Tempo hop-ups.

Mastiff

This hitter's strength lies in its horizontal spread and lack of leg-shot damage drop-off. If you hit an opponent in the chest with the Mastiff, you can deal 104 damage. It can also add another 128 on top of that, scraping their heads with its spread. That said, this once-iconic shotgun has fallen off quite a bit over the last several seasons. It can work early, but if you want close-range power, go for an EVA-8 or Peacekeeper instead.

Havoc

The Havoc once shone brightly in the game's early seasons, but it took a hard fall by the end of Season 3. Unfortunately for the energy weapon, several nerfs and tweaks have kept its power sitting squarely in the middle of C-Tier ever since. It's still a strong pick in the right hands, but it's no longer the auto-win it was back in mid-2020. Right now, the Havoc's main problem is competing with the overpowered Volt, which eats up the same energy ammo.

Sentinel

With the Triple Take back in the loot pool, the Sentinel has somewhat lost its shine in Apex Legends and now falls to a C-Tier pick when it comes to long-range fights in Apex Legends. Outside of the Kraber, this heavy sniper rifle deals the biggest damage per round at range. Land two shots and an opponent should be down.

Charge Rifle

There was nothing better than the Charge Rifle when it dropped onto World's Edge in Season 3. Its long energy beams could split squads apart with ease, and if you couldn't find cover, you could get melted before you fired a single shot. It's best if you can find a long-range scope for it. Otherwise, most other snipers are better.

D Tier

Mozambique

The low-tier Mozambique is probably doomed to stay a poor pick forever, but Respawn confirmed they decided to keep a few "less good" weapons around for balance. That means we probably won't see a break for this six-shot shotgun going forward. Still, if you do need to run a 'bique, make sure you ADS and aim for the head. Land all six shots on an unarmored enemy and you should deal around 360 damage, which isn't too bad after eight seasons of genuine mediocrity.

P2020

The P2020 is a weak pistol that can be completely ineffective at any range, and it should really only be a last resort early in the game.