Outriders: What is the best weapon type to use?

In Outriders, there are seven different weapon types with most having some sort of variation. While all are viable in one way or the other, there are some types that should be prioritized over others. 

The weapon types in Outriders are, in no order, sniper rifle, assault rifle, submachine gun, light machine gun, double gun, shotgun and pistol. Of course, your inventory will be filled with more than just the base types. However, these seven are the standard weapon types that you can use in Outriders. 

The big question is, which types should you be excited to get out of a loot drop? 

Picking the best weapon type in Outriders

One of the seven weapon types in Outriders. (Picture: Square Enix)

Ultimately, the best weapon type is going to depend on your class. If you chose Technomancer, then a sniper or assault rifle is going to serve you and your skills the best. However, if you picked Trickster, then something like a shotgun is the best route to take. 

While this is usually the correct path to follow when picking a weapon type, there are some other factors that come into play. No matter the class you chose, some weapon types are simply better than others. 

For most situations, there are a few types that should be prioritized over others in your inventory. 

• Automatic shotgun
• Bolt action sniper rifle
• Assault rifle (tactical)
• Light machine gun 

The best early-game bolt action sniper in Outriders. (Picture: Square Enix)

Though something like a submachine gun is great if you loot a high-quality variant, the four types listed above have been found to be the most reliable. 

Starting off, the automatic shotgun is almost always better than using a pump shotgun. Pumps simply don’t deal enough consistent damage before having to reload and don’t feature the automatic shotgun’s range. Next, the bolt action sniper is leaps and bounds ahead of the automatic sniper rifle. 

For almost any class, having a bolt action sniper in one of your two weapon slots is going to be extremely beneficial. You can one-shot most enemies to the head, which allows you to push up and use your abilities to deal with smaller amounts of enemies. 

The assault rifle is a tried and true weapon in Outriders and almost any variant is going to serve you well. However, we found that the tactical variant, which is customized in the crafting menu, is better than the standard. The biggest reason is the three-round burst nature of the tactical variant, which allows you to deal more consistent damage to the head. 

• Read more: Outriders: Can you change Class after you’ve picked?

Finally, light machine guns are a great weapon type in Outriders in large part thanks to their huge magazine size. While the damage and accuracy isn’t great, pairing an LMG with a sniper in lieu of a shotgun is a terrific route to take. The LMG can deal huge damage and not run out of any bullets in a pinch.