Starfield: Best Weapons Tier List

There are over 100 regular and unique weapons in Starfield, which can be either purchased from vendors, found inside crates, or unlocked as mission rewards. You can augment many weapons with mods, but unique variants have special perks that can make them very valuable. Our guide will provide you with a tier list of the best weapons in Starfield, including tips on how to get each of them.

Best Weapons Tier List in Starfield

Here’s a quick breakdown of our tier list of the best weapons in Starfield:

• S-Tier Weapons:
  • Shattered Shock
  • Poisonstorm
• A-Tier Weapons:
  • Hard Target
  • Reckless Bombardment
• B-Tier Weapons:
  • Ashta Tamer
  • Keelhauler
  • Despondent Assassin

S-Tier Weapons

Shattered Shock

This is a unique heavy weapon tops our Starfield best weapons tier list because it deals 127 physical damage and has one of the best weapon perks in the game: Shattering. This perk allows you to break even the strongest armor on any enemy, which basically means any armor whatsoever. This weapon also comes with the Long Barrel, Short Scope, and Tactical Stock mods, which increase your overall accuracy and stability.

• How to get Shattered Stock: You’ll be tasked with opening three containers to collect samples during the “Hostile Intelligence,” a United Colonies faction mission, at the Red Devils HQ. This weapon can be picked up from one of those crates.

Poisonstorm

Here’s another heavy weapon with massive damage output. Although each shot only deals 10 physical damage, I was particularly impressed with its lightning-fast fire rate, which is actually the highest in the game. On top of that, it has a unique Poison perk that deals random poison damage, slowing down enemies. It also comes already equipped with Depleted Uranium Rounds for piercing armor and a High-Velocity mod that increases your accuracy and range.

• How to get Poisonstorm:
  1. Travel to Volii Alpha in Volii System.
  2. Enter the Trade Tower in the Neon City.
  3. Take an elevator to the Kore Kinetics shop.
  4. Speak to Matias Durent vendor.
  5. Purchase Poisonstorm for 40,000 Credits.

Related: Best Weapons to Get Early in Starfield

A-Tier Weapons

Hard Target

Hard Target is the best regular sniper rifle in Starfield! It deals 158 physical damage at a range of 100 with 74.2% accuracy. This sniper rifle is so busted that it trumps some of the unique rifles, but you can only get it in the later stages of the game. As you know, some of the weapons appear only after you reach a certain character level, and Hard Target is definitely worth getting.

• How to get Hard Target: There are currently two confirmed vendors selling this weapon:
  • Centurion Arsenal merchant on New Atlantis, Jemison. (25,000 Credits).
  • Alundra Tahan merchant on The Key, Crimson Fleet Base. (28,000 Credits).

Reckless Bombardment

If you want to effectively deal with all sorts of alien monsters on various planets, such as Kreet Stalkers, as well as bosses, then this unique heavy weapon can seriously help you out. It may not be higher on our best weapons in Starfield tier list, but it has the Crippling perk, which grants a 30% damage bonus once you hit the target’s limbs. That’s on top of the base 120 physical damage and a Hornet Nest weapon mod that shoots explosive rounds, which break into smaller explosives, dealing further damage.

• How to get Reckless Bombardment: Purchase it from Lt. Azevedo for 70,000 Credits during the “Hostile Intelligence” mission at the Red Devils HQ.

B-Tier Weapons

Ashta Tamer

Some weapons in Starfield aren’t as universal but are still very good at what they’re designed to do best. The Ashta Tamer is a unique pump-action grenade launcher that deals 127 physical damage. Plus, it’s got the Incendiary perk, which deals random incendiary damage, which could be quite high depending on your level.

• How to get Ashta Tamer: You can find it for free at the smuggler’s cave during the “Empty Nest” mission on New Atlantis, Akila.

Keelhauler

Although pistols can’t compare to more advanced heavy weapons or sniper rifles, this legendary unique pistol has such a stock of stats and perks that I don’t think you’d want to miss it at all. Keelhauler deals 53 physical damage at 70% accuracy, and it has three unique perks, including Staggering, Frenzy, and Berserker. The first two apply stagger and frenzy status effects on enemies, and the last one increases your damage output to enemies the less armor they wear. Not bad for a lil’ space gun!

• How to get Keelhauler: This pistol comes as a reward for completing the “Echoes of the Past” faction mission for Crimson Fleet on Suvorov, Kryx.

Despondent Assassin

If you want even higher accuracy than Hard Target on your sniper rifle, then be sure to obtain the Despondent Assassin, although its damage isn’t as high at only 47 physical damage. But just like Keelhauler, it comes with three unique perks: Demoralizing, Hitman, and Anti-Personnel. The first one applies the demoralize status effect to the target, while the other two grant a small damage bonus when you aim it at humans.

• How to get Despondent Assassin:
  1. Travel to Akila City, Akila.
  2. Speak to two NPCs: Keoni and Davis Wilson.
  3. Complete the following three quests:
     • “Defensive Measures”
     • “False Positives”
     • “Leader of the Pack”
  4. Return to Keoni to receive this weapon as a reward.

That’s it for our tier list of the best weapons in Starfield, including tips on how to get them all. Stay tuned for more tips and tricks articles right here.