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The best weapons in Apex Legends Mobile

It may be the little brother to the console and PC versions, but Apex Legends Mobile is just as action packed and skill dependent as the best battle royale games out there. It retains all the core features that made the original so special in a genre that was getting flooded with copycats thanks to a smart blending of unique Legends, squad-focused matches, and the fast and fluid gameplay. While your chosen Legend is a key component to playing, the real battles almost always come down to who has the best gun and skill to use it.

Apex Legends Mobile doesn’t hold back in terms of the weapons it offers. All of them will be familiar to fans who have poured hours into the original Apex Legends, but since this isn’t just a straight up port of that game, not all guns will be as useful, or as bad, as they once were. Of course, balance changes will be a thing in Apex Legends Mobile, but for right now, these are the best weapons in the game you should seek out when looting.

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R-301 Carbine

A red R-301 Carbine rifle.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Expect to see this gun at the top of many people’s tier lists, and in the hands of plenty of enemies while playing Apex Legends Mobile. This assault rifle just checks all the boxes here, much like it does in Apex Legends on console and PC. It has somewhat lower damage than some other rifles, but if it didn’t, it would be absolutely over powered. It has a high rate of fire, great accuracy, and recoil you can reliably mitigate. Along with that lower damage potential, though, is a shallow clip, but thankfully you can slap on an extended mag to compensate for this. Shots to the head will deal 25, while body shots only 14, and limbs 12. This is just your all-around, reliable rifle that will serve you well at all skill levels.

VK-47 Flatline

A decorated VK-47 Flatline rifle.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Assault rifles just tend to be the most approachable, so our second pick is another one. The Flatline is more powerful than the R-301, but at the cost of a slower rate of fire. On the other hand, that slower rate of fire makes it easier to control and land shots with, making it a bit better for mid- to long-range firefights, especially when you put a scope on it. You can also switch it to a single fire mode to make it act more like a precision weapon if you prefer. A shot to the head will deal 32 damage, 16 on the body, and 14 on limbs.

R-99

Shooting an SMG at an enemy below.
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Now for something a bit more close quarters, our SMG of choice has to be the R-99. This beast will chew up any opponent that dares get too close to you in seconds. It can empty its somewhat small clip in no time, meaning an extended mag is well worth looking for. The recoil is a bit crazy on this one, pulling pretty hard side to side, but if you’re using it in close quarters like intended, that won’t matter too much. We couldn’t get exact numbers, but other sites state the R-99 hits 198 DPS, which we can certainly believe is at least close.

Peacekeeper

Aiming a shotgun at two enemies below.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

If you’d rather deal all your close-range damage in a single blast than a flurry, you’re in the market for a shotgun. In that case, there’s no better one to grab than the Peacekeeper. For a shotgun, this weapon is more accurate than you might think. It won’t hold up against a rifle in a medium-ranged fight, mind you, but is effective about as far out as a shotgun can be. The big drawback is that this baby takes a while to reload once you’ve emptied all your shells, and you have to account for the delay between blasts, too, so keep a close eye on your ammo count before jumping up close and personal with an enemy player.

Kraber .50-Cal

A crosshair lining up on a player.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Don’t worry sniper fans — we, and Apex Legends Mobile, didn’t forget about you. Capable of downing any Legend with a single shot to the head, this sniper rifle does exactly what a satisfying sniper rifle should. Body shots can still rip a shield clean off, letting you, or your team, follow up for the down. Just be warned that you only have a few shots by default before reloading. For as strong as this gun is — dealing 435 to the head, 145 to the body, and 116 to limbs — we do have to rank it lower for two main reasons. First is that it is a highly skill-dependent, and situational, gun. Second is that, at least so far, it isn’t a very common gun to find.

Wingman

Aiming down the sights of a pistol.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

What better name could this pistol have? If you don’t know what gun you should keep in your pocket to back you up, you can’t go wrong with a Wingman. In fact, it isn’t too bad as a primary in some situations. It only has an eight-round magazine, but it reloads on a dime and packs a good punch for what it is. It can hold its own in closer-ranged engagements, but requires a lot more aim and skill than, say, the Peacekeeper or R-99 because of having to land each individual shot. This gun also kicks pretty good, so adjusting your aim between shots is something you’ll need to get used to.

Prowler Burst PDW

One final SMG to round out the list is the Prowler. While at the bottom of our list, this is still a really good gun to snag if you spot it. It can almost be thought of more as a modified pistol since it fires burst rounds rather than being full auto like the R-99. With that comes the same pros and cons, though. It is a bit more versatile in range, but you will need to be able to aim and compensate more. This is another one we found best served as a secondary for specific situations, or when our primary ran out of ammo and we needed something on the fly.

Jesse Lennox
Jesse Lennox has been a writer at Digital Trends for over four years and has no plans of stopping. He covers all things…
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