Valorant weapon tier list (Apr. 2024): What are Valorant's best weapons?

With unique characters and abilities, Valorant stands out among other shooters. It's fair to say Riot Games' title has made itself a place after building its own identity in the shooter community.

While Valorant's in-game characters (also known as agents) play a big part in the game's reputation, the weapons used in the game are also extremely popular. But, what guns are the best ones in Valorant? We have built a tier list to answer this question!

S Tier

The best weapons in Valorant are the Vandal, the Phantom, and the Odin. We dare you to change our minds!

Vandal

The Vandal is the best weapon in Valorant. While its stats make it similar to the Phantom, the Vandal is the most complete option due to its ability to kill any enemy with one headshot.

With the Vandal, players will need three to five bullets to kill an opponent, depending on where the shots land (head, body, or legs), the distance between you and the opponent, and if the enemy uses any shield (light or heavy).

Damage delivered by the Vandal:

• From 0 to 50 meters: Head 160, Body 40, Legs 34

Phantom

As explained above, the Phantom is everyone's second option. However, it's still one of the two best weapons in Valorant.

The Phantom will only kill with a single headshot if the opponent is between zero and fifteen meters away from its user. While some exceptions may apply, all enemies with 150 HP who are at a distance above fifteen meters will survive the initial headshot. Therefore, while Valorant's Phantom is still a great pick, it's not as reliable as the Vandal.

Damage delivered by the Phantom:

• From 0 to 15 meters: Head 156, Body 39, Legs 33
• From 15 to 30 meters: Head 140, Body 35, Legs 29
• From 30 to 50 meters: Head 124, Body 31, Legs 26

Odin

Odin users may be the most annoying thing in Valorant. If your opponent knows how to use it, your chances of winning the gunfight may be close to zero.

While the Vandal and the Phantom are all about aiming, the Odin's magic relies on spraying at everything that moves. The 100 bullets in its magazine should be enough to kill anyone who stands in front of you.

Damage delivered by the Odin:

• From 0 to 30 meters: Head 95, Body 38, Legs 32
• From 30 to 50 meters: Head 77, Body 31, Legs 26

A Tier

Although these are great weapons, they aren't the best ones in Valorant. Here's more about the Spectre, the Operator, the Ares, and the Judge!

Spectre

Either you love it, or you hate it. There's no middle ground. However, for 1,600 Credits, the Spectre is one of the best options to use, especially in the early stages of a match.

When using the Spectre, players tend to engage in close gunfights due to the weapon's high fire rate. In such a situation, headshots aren't as important and the gun's fire rate can get you some crucial early kills.

Damage delivered by the Spectre:

• From 0 to 15 meters: Head 78, Body 26, Legs 22
• From 15 to 30 meters: Head 66, Body 22, Legs 18
• From 30 to 50 meters: Head 60, Body 20, Legs 17

Operator

The Operator is arguably the best sniper in the game. Compared to the Outlaw and the Marshal, the Operator has the highest penetration. Additionally, it can instantly kill fully shielded with one single shot — unless you hit the legs, which will require you two shots to get the kill.

Unfortunately for Operator mains, this gun is the most expensive weapon to acquire as you will need 4,700 Credits to purchase it.

Damage delivered by the Operator:

• From 30 to 50 meters: Head 255, Body 150, Legs 120

Ares

The Ares is the cheapest LMG in the game and at 1,600 Credits it's a great option if you prefer shooting over aiming. However, it's quite a downgrade compared to the Odin... so you may want to save money before purchasing it.

Damage delivered by the Ares:

• From 0 to 30 meters: Head 72, Body 30, Legs 25
• From 30 to 50 meters: Head 67, Body 28, Legs 23

Judge

The Judge is the best shotgun in Valorant. For only 1,800 Credits, players can have access to an excellent weapon in close-distance gunfights. If you plan to sit in a corner or hold a tight angle, the Judge may be your best option.

Damage delivered by the Judge:

• From 0 to 10 meters: Head 34, Body 17, Leg 14
• From 10 to 15 meters: Head 20, Body 10, Leg 8

B Tier

Bulldog

The Bulldog is the only rifle with a three-round burst. At 2,050 Credits, the Bulldog is the cheapest rifle in the game, behind the Guardian, the Phantom, and the Vandal.

Damage delivered by the Bulldog:

• From 0 to 50 meters: Head 115, Body 35, Legs 29

Outlaw

The Outlaw is the second-best sniper in Valorant as it stands between the Marshal and the Operator. Although it has two bullets in its magazine, the Outlaw can kill enemies who use a light shield.

Damage delivered by the Outlaw:

• From 0 to 50 meters: Head 238, Body 140, Leg 119

Sheriff

If you are a lover of one-taps and your aim is out of this world, the Sheriff may be your gun. At 800 Credits, the Sheriff is the most expensive handgun in the game.

Damage delivered by the Sheriff:

• From 0 to 30 meters: Head 159, Body 55, Legs 46
• From 30 to 50 meters: Head 145, Body 50, Legs 42

Ghost

The Ghost is arguably Valorant's second-most popular handgun. While the Sheriff may be the strongest of them all, the Ghost is a safe bet. It's a suppressed weapon that's not very difficult to control and delivers more damage than the Classic. Everyone loves the Ghost.

Damage delivered by the Ghost:

• From 0 to 30 meters: Head 105, Body 30, Legs 25
• From 30 to 50 meters: Head 87, Body 25, Leg 21

C Tier

Guardian

The Guardian is a great gun in the hands of a sniper lover who wants to go for a rifle. Compared to the Vandal or the Phantom, the Guardian has the highest damage of them all. However, due to the weapon being a semi-automatic gun, not many players stick with it.

Damage delivered by the Guardian:

• From 0 to 50 meters: Head 195, Body 65, Legs 49

Marshal

The Marshal is the worst sniper in Valorant. While it still guarantees an instant kill when getting a headshot, the Marshal is behind the Operator and the Outlaw due to its magazine size and its low penetration, which makes it difficult to kill shielded enemies.

Damage delivered by the Marshal:

• From 0 to 50 meters: Head 202, Body 101, Legs 85

D Tier

Stinger

The Stinger is Valorant's second-best SMG. Compared to the Spectre, the Stinger has many flaws that are difficult to oversee. First, its magazine size (20) is too low. Additionally, the Stinger's fire rate makes it too complicated to control in sustained gunfights.

Damage delivered by the Stinger:

• From 0 to 15 meters: Head 67, Body 27, Legs 22
• From 15 to 50 meters: Head 57, Body 23, Legs 19

Frenzy

The Frenzy is the only auto sidearm in Valorant. At 450 Credits, the Frenzy is a wildcard option when playing the initial round of any match. While the majority of players go for the Ghost, choosing the Frenzy can give you the upper hand in a close-distance gunfight.

Damage delivered by the Frenzy:

• From 0 to 20 meters: Head 78, Body 26, Legs 22
• From 20 to 50 meters: Head 63, Body 21, Legs 17

Bucky

The Bucky is Valorant's second-best shotgun. Due to its low fire rate, the Bucky can't be used against more than one enemy once. However, considering that it only costs 850 Credits, it's a good option if you want to look after your economy.

Damage delivered by the Bucky:

• From 0 to 8 meters: Head 40, Body 20, Legs 17
• From 8 to 12 meters: Head 26, Body 13, Legs 11
• From 12 to 50 meters: Head 18, Body 9, Legs 1

Classic

It's difficult to rate the Classic. While it's not the best handgun in the game, the Classic is... a classic choice. Players can aim with it and can also shoot three bullets at a time by pressing the right button of their mouse. If that wasn't enough, players have access to the Classic for free.

Additionally, VCT Team Capsules include weapon skins for the Classic. These bundles, themed by the best Valorant teams in the world, can only be represented by using this gun.

Damage delivered by the Classic:

• From 0 to 30 meters: Head 78, Body 26, Legs 22
• From 30 to 50 meters: Head 66, Body 22, Legs 18

E Tier

Shorty

The Bucky is the only shotgun sidearm in Valorant. It's the cheapest gun in the game at 300 Credits. Unfortunately, this gun doesn't fit the meta at all.

Damage delivered by the Shorty:

• From 0 to 7 meters: Head 22, Body 11, Legs 9
• From 7 to 15 meters: Head 12, Body 6, Legs 5
• From 15 to 50 meters: Head 6, Body 3, Legs 2

Melee

The Melee is Valorant's knife and, as it's a weapon, we have decided to include it on the list. However, it's difficult to use the Melee to kill someone and it's mostly used to interact with certain parts of the maps like Lotus' destructible wall.