Best Weapon & Attachments Combos In Metro Exodus

Summary

• Customize weapons with attachments for dozens of viable setups in Metro Exodus.
• Consider factors like recoil, damage, range, and stability to rank the best weapons.
• Notable builds include the Fully Auto Stallion, Long Range Valve, and Mutant Killer Sammy.

There are only a handful of customizable weapons in Metro Exodus. However, each weapon can be set up with hundreds of different attachment combinations and upgrades. This means that there are dozens of viable setups for each gun in-game. When attempting to rank the best weapons in the game, there are a few things to keep in mind.

Stealth plays a huge role in Exodus, as killing hostiles will often result in a moral penalty. Recoil, damage, range, and stability are other factors that impact the effectiveness of a gun. This topic will take into account those factors and present the most impressive builds in Metro Exodus for the game’s next-gen release.

Updated January 9, 2025 by Andrew McLarney: Since its release, Metro Exodus has withstood the test of time as one of the best post-apocalyptic shooters around. In terms of atmosphere and narrative, very few games can compete with the Metro series. The addition of two DLC stories, Two Colonels and Sam’s Story, has also seen the introduction of several new weapons including Kleblikov’s Flamethrower and Sam’s personalized American machine gun.

15

Fully Auto Stallion

A Highly Modified and Versatile Sidearm

• Stock: Balanced Grip
• Barrel: Long Barrel With Full Auto
• Magazine: High Capacity Magazine
• Sight: Reflex Sight
• Gadget: Green Laser

As a semi-automatic weapon, the Stallion is a middle-of-the-road weapon. It only deals 5 damage per bullet and has a base magazine of 7. However, with a fully auto Barrel, it becomes one of the better close-range weapons in the game. The small magazine can be an issue, but it is still a top build in Exodus. Players will want to equip the following attachments.

14

Long Range Valve

A Sniper Rifle Tweaked For Maximum Power

• Stock: Heavy Stock
• Barrel: Heavy Barrel
• Magazine: Single Column Magazine
• Sight: Scope 6x
• Gadget: Infrared Laser

The Valve is the only true sniper in the game. With a 6x scope, it is the most dominant ranged weapon available. For those who like to pick off enemies from miles away, this weapon will do the job.

This build is exclusively for extended ranges. The Valve will not be effective inside 20 meters because of how slow it will be considering the movement penalties and base fire rate.

13

The Mutant Killer Named Sammy

A Personalized Assault Rifle In The Sam’s Story DLC

• Stock: Standard Stock And Grip
• Barrel: Standard Barrel And Compensator
• Magazine: 45-round Magazine
• Sight: Reflex Sight
• Gadget: Green Laser

Sammy is one of the adaptations of the traditional Kalash, with the same damage profile, but less accuracy. Because of its attachments, the Sammy can be used in a variety of ways. One of which is a Mutant-focused incendiary weapon. The gun has a mechanism slot, which means it can be used to fire incendiary bullets full auto. Mutants will dread the setup listed below.

12

Uboinik Shambler

A Shotgun Ideal For Taking Down Ferals

• Stock: Light Grip
• Barrel: Standard Barrel And Duckbill Choke
• Magazine: 10-round Magazine
• Sight: Closed Reflex Sight
• Gadget: Green Laser

The re-named shotgun is the best point plank weapon at players’ disposal in Exodus. It inflicts a total of 13 damage per shot and has a decent fire rate. Gamers will want to equip the Duckbill Choke to disperse the pellet spread and cause as much damage as possible. Shamblers are the easiest weapons to use in the game because of how forgiving they are up close.

11

The Tried And True Kalash

A Highly Upgraded Version Of The Basic Rifle

• Stock: Standard Stock And Grip
• Barrel: Standard Barrel And Compensator
• Magazine: 45-round Magazine
• Sight: Reflex Sight
• Gadget: Green Laser

The fast-firing, modest-damage assault rifle can be used in a variety of ways. Due to its fire rate and middle-of-the-pack stability, it performs best when used at medium ranges. As a hybrid between an assault rifle and an SMG, the weapon’s fire rate and consistency are solid.

10

Kalash RPK

A High Powered Kalash Variant

• Stock: Heavy Stock And Grip
• Barrel: Long Barrel And Compensator
• Magazine: 75-round Magazine
• Sight: Scope 6x
• Gadget: Infrared Laser

By equipping the 75-round drum on the Kalash, the weapon essentially mirrors the RPK. It has modest damage and recoil with a large ammo capacity. As a mid-game intermediate gun, the RPK is a solid option. It may not have the damage of the Bulldog, but 75 rounds is hard to beat.

9

Six Shooter Revolver

A Powerful Yet Stealthy Sidearm

• Stock: Balanced Stock
• Mechanism: Automatic System
• Magazine: High Capacity Magazine
• Sight: Reflex Sight
• Gadget: Green Laser

Base Revolvers in Exodus are good weapons but do not have the fire rate to handle multiple enemies later in the game. With the 6 or 8-shot Double Action Cylinder, the Revolver will fire considerably faster. The Double Action Cylinders remove the need to cock the gun before firing subsequent shots. Therefore, the Revolver can be fired almost as fast as a full auto, and it has enough damage to melt through any foe.

8

Van Helsing

A High-Powered Silenced Crossbow

• Stock: Heavy Stock
• Mechanism: Pneumatic Bow System
• Magazine: 6-bolt Magazine
• Sight: Scope 4x/NV Scope
• Gadget: Infrared Laser

For stealth purposes, there is no better build in the game. The Helsing is silent on its own and can be modified to deal 10 damage with each bolt. It will one-shot lower-level mutants and human enemies. Players will want to focus on range and stability when building the class. Low magazine capacity and a slow reload make using the bow up close a liability.

7

Balanced Bulldog

A Well-Rounded General Assault Rifle

• Stock: Semi-grip
• Barrel: Long Barrel
• Magazine: 60 Round Magazine
• Sight: Reflex Sight/6x
• Gadget: Infrared Laser

The Bulldog is basically a modified version of the Kalash. It has a slower fire rate, but more damage than the original gun. In fact, the only advantages the Kalash has are a larger magazine and a slightly higher fire rate. From intermediate to long-range, the Bulldog is one of the best weapons to use in the game. The only issue with the gun is tracking down the rare modifications.

6

Tikhar Railgun

A Solid Rifle With Abundant Ammunition

• Stock: Heavy Stock
• Mechanism: Railgun
• Magazine: Helical Magazine
• Sight: Reflex Sight
• Gadget: Infrared Laser

Famous for being the only weapon to fire ball bearings, the Tikhar is an extraordinarily accurate and completely silent rifle. The ultimate Tikhar build is a Railgun conversion. It may only be available in the final mission, but it is the most powerful weapon in Exodus, dealing 20 damage per bullet. The Railgun only takes one shot to kill nearly every creature in the game.

5

Miller’s Dead City Hellbreath

A Fine Gift From The Veteran Ranger

• Mechanism: Heavy Duty Capacitor
• Sight: IR Sight
• Gadget: Green Laser

The Dead City Hellbreath, also known as the Volt Driver, is Miller’s personal weapon and a highly modified version of the Tikhar. During the final Chapter of the game, Miller will leave the gun to Artyom while sheltering near the workbench in Kirill’s bunker.

Unlike the standard Tikhar, this particular weapon has been highly modified with power at the forefront of its capabilities. It is ideal for facing off against the mutants of Dead City while remaining stealthy, though unfortunately, it is only available for this final mission.

4

Five-Barrel Gatling Gun

A Devastating LMG Capable Of Sustained Firepower

• Barrel: Five-Barrel Assembly
• Base: Gatling Engine
• Misc: Gatling Support

The Gatling gun is the heaviest machine gun in the game and, as a result, one of the most powerful. While not as accurate as some of the standard assault rifles, the Gatling gun is ideal for pinning down enemies and taking on large groups such as on the oil rig in Chapter 2.

When fully upgraded with a five-barrel assembly, gatling engine and gatling support, the weapon will have reduced recoil and overheating tendencies while retaining its power and high output. Though it can be slow to reload, it is extremely effective against both humans and mutants alike.

3

Tactical Bulldog

The Most Advanced Bulldog Variant

• Stock: Heavy Stock
• Magazine: High Capacity
• Sight: NV Scope
• Gadget: Green Laser

The Bulldog assault rifle has many different options, but for the most effective tactical approach, it is best to focus on damage and stability. The addition of a Night Vision scope will also be extremely helpful for the majority of the game since this is when greater threats tend to appear.

Though no silencer is available for the Bulldog, the combination of laser and scope should ensure that it is still very effective in the dark. A high-capacity magazine also ensures that a high output can be delivered when enemies do eventually discover you.

2

Night Vision Sniper

An Effective Stealth Tool For Many Areas

• Barrel: Flash Suppressor
• Magazine: Extended Magazine
• Sight: IR Sight
• Misc: Laser Sight

When it comes to stealth, few weapons are quite as effective as the sniper rifle. Based on the Valve model, customization centered around stealth can greatly benefit players by ensuring that enemies can be attacked without any idea where the bullets are coming from.

The Flash Suppressor will ensure that enemies will struggle to find the player even when they’re shooting at night, and an extended magazine ensures the fire can be sustained. The IR sight will enable players to see enemies more clearly in the dark, while the laser sight will help generally with target acquisition.

1

Max Capacity Flamethrower

A Highly Effective Mutant Fumigator

• Stock: N/A
• Mechanism: High Capacity Pneumatic System
• Magazine: Extended Tank
• Sight: N/A
• Gadget: N/A

Though only available in the Two Colonel’s DLC, Klebnikov’s personal flamethrower is arguably the best weapon in the game. Ideal for clearing out tunnels and areas infested with mutants, it won’t take long for the flamethrower to cook just about everything that crosses its path.

Throughout the DLC, players will be able to steadily upgrade the flamethrower with a more powerful system and tank capacity. Just remember to keep the pressure gauge fully pumped to ensure that it delivers maximum damage.