Starfield Weapons Tier List – Best Weapons Ranked!

Are you looking for a Starfield weapons tier list? Well, you’ve come to the right place. In this guide, I’m going to rank all of the weapons from S tier to C tier, to help you determine which to use, and which to skip. I’ll also detail why we picked the weapons we did, and update this guide whenever Bethesda introduces new weapons, or balance changes put a spanner in the works. So, I recommend bookmarking this page and checking back often.

Starfield should need no introduction. It’s the latest open world RPG by the master of the genre, Bethesda. You may know it best as the maker of The Elder Scrolls and Fallout (from 3 onwards). Starfield trades fantasy and post-apocalyptic worlds for a sci-fi setting, as you traverse a series of worlds onboard your very own space ship. You will battle enemies, loot exciting new gear, and participate in a main story that spans a whole universe.

You can grab Starfield on Steam.

Starfield Weapons Tier List

Now, let’s take a look at the best weapons in our Starfield weapons tier list.

S Tier

The absolute best weapons in the game. Hunt these down as soon as you can!

• Fragmentation Grenade – Ballistic Explosive
• Fragmentation Mine – Ballistic Explosive
• Magsniper – Ballistic Rifle
• Magstorm – Ballistic Heavy Weapon
• Microgun – Ballistic Heavy Weapon
• Magshear – Ballistic Rifle
• Shotty – Shotgun
• Va’Ruun Inflictor – Particle Beam Rifle
• Va-Ruun Painblade – Melee

A Tier

Solid alternatives that won’t let you down. Great during the middle-phases of the game.

• Coachman – Shotgun
• Hard Target – Ballistic Rifle
• Kodama – Ballistic Rifle
• Novablast Disruptor
• Old Earth Assault Rifle – Ballistic Rifle
• Shrapnel Grenade
• Tanto – Melee
• Wakizashi – Melee

B Tier

Great early game options that also have niche uses during the middle and late game.

• AA-99 – Ballistic Rifle
• Advanced Regulator – Pistol
• Arc Welder – Energy Heavy Weapon
• Auto-Rivet – Ballistic Heavy Weapon
• Barrow Knife – Melee
• Beowulf – Ballistic Rifle
• Calibrated Eon – Pistol
• Cryo Mine – Energy Explosive
• Drum Beat – Ballistic Rifle
• Inferno Mine – Energy Explosive
• Magshot – Pistol
• Old Earth Hunting Rifle – Ballistic Rifle
• Osmium Dagger – Melee
• Pacifier – Shotgun
• Shrapnel Grenade – Ballistic Explosive
• Tombstone – Ballistic Rifle
• UC Naval Cutlass – Melee

C Tier

The current worst weapons in the game. Use them during the early phases, if you need to, but skip them later on.

• Breach – Shotgun
• Bridger – Ballistic Heavy Weapon
• Calibrated Grendel – Ballistic Rifle
• Calibrated Kraken – Pistol
• Calibrated Rattler – Pistol
• Calibrated Solstice – Laser Pistol
• Combat Axe – Melee
• Cutter – Energy Heavy Weapon
• Ecliptic Pistol – Pistol
• Eon – Pistol
• Equinox – Laser Rifle
• Grendel – Ballistic Rifle
• Lawgiver – Ballistic Rifle
• Maelstrom – Ballistic Rifle
• Novalight – Particle Beam Pistol
• Old Earth Shotgun – Shotgun
• Orion – Laser Rifle
• Rattler – Pistol
• Razorback – Pistol
• Regulator – Pistol
• Rescue Knife – Melee
• Ripshank
• Sidestar – Pistol
• Solstice – Laser Pistol
• Tanto – Melee
• Tesla Pylon
• Urban Eagle – Pistol
• Wakizashi – Melee

What Are the Starfield Best Weapons?

Starfield has a handful of best weapons that we recommend that you use. Here’s a breakdown of why we picked each of the weapons in the S tier category.

Magsniper

• Damage: 223 (Physical)
• Ammo: 6.5MM
• Magazine Size: 12
• Fire Rate: 17
• Range: 100
• Accuracy: 86.1%
• Mass: 9.55
• Slots: 6
• Value: 27,790

I consider this to be the best weapon currently available in Starfield. It’s got the highest single shot damage of any single weapon, and is capable of killing most targets in a single shot. It does require a lot of mastery though, as the fire rate is one of the lowest in the game. If you’re a crackshot, this weapon will prove better than any other.

Va’Ruun Inflictor

This is the second best weapon currently available in Starfield. It’s single shot damage is second only to the Magsniper, but it has a faster fire rate so is more forgiving. If you occasionally miss your shots, and want a weapon that will pack a serious punch but allow you to quickly shoot again if you miss, go with the Va’Ruun Inflictor.

Magstorm

If you like faster firing weapons, there is none better than the Magstorm. Against an enemy with a huge health bar, this will absolutely eat away at it. It has one of the lowest single shot damage ratings in the game, but it more than makes up for it with its firing rate. It’s currently, by quite a wide margin, the fastest rate in the entire game.

One thing to note though: it’s a heavy weapon, so you won’t have much mobility when using it.

Magshear

If you like a weapon that fires quickly, but want more mobility than the Magstorm affords, the Magshear is the choice for you. It’s the best of the ballistic rifles in the game, and has terrific fire rate and damage. You will have to reload more often than with the Heavy Weapons, but the increased mobility will more than make up for it.

Shotty

Like shotguns? There are none better than the Shotty in Starfield. This packs a mean punch with solid single shot damage, but also has decent fire rate for a shotgun. If you’re facing a bunch of enemies up close and personal, whip this out to end the fight nearly before it begins.

Va’Ruun Painblade

I’m not a huge fan of melee weapons in this game, as they just can’t compete with the best guns for damage. However, if you do insist on using a melee weapon, the Va’Ruun Painblade is the one to go for. It deals terrific damage with each hit, and has a decent swing speed. If you’re up close and personal, this will end a fight very quickly.

Glen Fox

Head of Editorial

Glen has over a decade's worth of experience in gaming journalism, writing for Pocket Gamer, Pocket Tactics, Nintendo Life, and Gfinity. When he's not badgering everyone about the dangers of passive text, you can probably find him playing Wild Rift.