STALKER 2: Best Weapons, Ranked

Key Takeaways

• AKM-74S is a reliable assault rifle with solid stats and high accuracy, ideal for mid-to-long range combat.
• RPM-74 is the only LMG in the game, perfect for laying down massive firepower against both human and supernatural enemies.
• Rhino revolver, Dnipro rifle, and Shah’s Mate SMG are powerful weapons with unique features and high versatility.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl is the latest entry in the popular S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series produced by Ukrainian studio GSC Games. Players must take to The Zone in search of alien anomalies, where they will also encounter a number of unpredictable threats. Based on the novel ‘Roadside Picnic’ by the legendary Strugatsky brothers, S.T.A.L.K.E.R will challenge players on multiple fronts, from surviving extreme conditions, to managing inventory items, to fighting against a range of hostile enemies.

Whether armed humans or mutated monsters, there’s plenty of stuff in The Zone that’s trying to kill players. Fortunately, there is also a massive arsenal of powerful weapons to choose from, along with unique variations and a range of upgradable customization options. While each player will have their own favorites depending on objective and playstyle, the following weapons hold up the best when all of their statistics and attributes are taken into account collectively.

10 AKM-74S

A Versatile Assault Rifle With Solid Stats Across The Board

Though relatively common throughout the game, the AKM-74S is one of the best guns in The Zone. Known for its reliability even in harsh conditions, the AKM-74S maintains solid performance when compared to most other assault rifles, and even excels in some areas.

One of its greatest assets is also high accuracy and good range, making it an ideal choice for mid-to-long range gunfights. Several unique variants of the rifle can be found throughout the game, including Valik Lummox’s scoped version.

9 RPM-74

The RPM-74 is, so far, the only LMG in the game. It can be used to lay down massive amounts of firepower, and is effective against both human and supernatural enemies. The weapon can be found in several locations throughout the game world, including The Lesser Zone, Cordon, Garbage, Rostok, and the Chemical Plant.

With a huge magazine capacity of 150 rounds, the RPM-74 is ideal for taking on larger groups of enemies and holding down defensible positions such as buildings or hilltops. They are also worth a substantial amount, fetching up to 43,038 coupons when sold.

8 Rhino

A Devastating High-Powered Revolver

Said to be an African buffalo hunting revolver initially, the Rhino is a supremely powerful hand cannon that almost equals some shotguns in terms of its damage output. This gun excels in its extraordinary accuracy, which far exceeds most other sidearms.

Ideal for taking on the Zone’s chimeras, the Rhino revolver has a reasonably fast rate of fire considering its power and penetration capabilities. Players who purchased the Ultimate Edition of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 will also have access to a unique variant of the Rhino called the ‘Model Competitor.’

7 Fora-221

The Fora-221 is an elite assault rifle usually found by looting tougher enemies such as Ward Soldiers near the Detention Center. This rifle can be used in both single and full auto, but it is the automatic setting where the the Fora-221 is most effective.

For mid-range encounters, the Fora-221 has very few rivals, and coupled with its high accuracy and penetration, it is ideal for these sorts of outdoor gun battles. A range of upgrades can also customize the Fora-221 to suit a range of different playstyles.

6 Dnipro

A Powerful & Versatile Rifle For Any Situation

This compact, lightweight assault rifle is worth looking out for and can be acquired from the fire whirl anomaly in the Cooling Towers region. Packing a solid punch with every round, the Dnipro is immediately noticeable as an above-average assault rifle.

With high penetration and accuracy, the Dnipro excels at long-range fire fights, but it can also be flipped into full-auto and handle close-quarters encounters with relative ease. This versatility, coupled with its solid base stats, make the Dnipro one of the best and most highly valued weapons in the game.

5 Shah’s Mate

Elite Tier SMG With A High Capacity Magazine

Shah’s Mate is a powerful variant of the Viper-5 and boasts the best stats of any SMG in the game. To find it, speak to the Docent in the No Honor Among Thieves side mission and then head to a small stash hidden in a dark tunnel to the Northwest of the Slag Heap.

The SMG has three firing modes, an upgraded 40-round magazine, improved damage and good accuracy. Due to its light weight, it makes for an ideal secondary weapon and will help when it comes to clearing buildings and close-quarters areas.

4 M701 Super

Immensely Powerful And Accurate Sniper Rifle

The M701 Super is arguably the best sniper rifle in the game, and if going shot-for-shot, it most certainly is. The drawback lies in its smaller ammo capacity with the standard magazine, but chances are that only one shot is going to be needed.

Though the weapon is loud, the range is long enough that it can still be hard for enemies to know where it is shooting from. A high penetration stat also ensures that many smaller items of cover will be little use up against the M701 Super. A unique variant of the rifle named Hunter can also be acquired as part of the Deluxe Edition of the game.

3 Ram-2

The Ultimate Room-Clearing Device

The Ram-2 is a supremely effective shotgun that players can purchase from Wreck at the Yaniv Station base. It can make for an ideal close-quarters weapon for clearing rooms, and also makes for the perfect secondary weapon for snipers.

With supremely high damage and penetration, along with an above-average range and rate of fire for a shotgun, there isn’t much to dislike about the Ram-2. When it comes to shotguns, and even other close-range weapons in general, not much is able to match the power and performance of this one.

2 Kharod

A Favored Weapon Among Veteran Stalkers

The Kharod is a highly valued and powerful assault rifle based on the Sig Sauer MPX. It can be purchased from the trader named Wreck at the Yaniv Station base, though keep in mind it will cost up to 27,597 coupons.

The rifle has powerful stats across the board, excelling in accuracy and possessing a very high rate of fire in full auto. Kharod also has extremely effective penetration, enabling it to shoot through cover and armored enemies.

1 Drowned

A Unique Modified Assault Rifle

The Drowned assault rifle is a unique modification of the AKM-74S model and can be found next a pool by the entrance to the Slag Heap. Though it will need some serious repair work done to make it fully functioning again, it is well worth undertaking this task.

Once fully restored, Drowned has the most powerful stats among any assault rifle in the game, in addition to having an under-barrel grenade launcher attached to it. For those who may prefer to play with different weapon types, the Drowned will sell for a whopping 28,660 coupons.