Apex Legends weapon guide – anything and everything shotguns

The shotgun class of weapons are the kings of close range combat. Despite their low magazine size, the weapons pack quite the punch. The Apex Legends shotgun cleaves out massive chunks out of enemies in an instant. Each Shotgun is unique, with a completely different pellet spread and pellet count.

Requiring few attachments or none at all to perform well, Shotguns are a great tool at all stages of the game. So let's break down each Shotgun currently available in Season 18 of Apex Legends to prepare you for the Outlands.

Shotguns have the lowest attachment availabilities out of all the weapon classes in Apex Legends. For all the weapons of this class, there are two guaranteed attachment options: a shotgun bolt and sights. However, the Peacekeeper, Mozambique and Mastiff all have 'hop-up' options available in Season 18.

Shotgun bolts are somewhat unique. In that, they increase the fire rate of the shotguns and are the only attachment to do so. The max level reduces the fire rate by approximately 0.21 seconds, which can entirely change the tides of a skirmish. However, the Peacekeeper is a slightly different case, as shotgun bolts reduce the rechambering speed by 0.16 seconds at max level. Additionally, gold rarity shotgun bolts don't reload an entire magazine, rather, while sliding, they reload one shot at a time.

A relatively new addition to the available attachment options to shotguns, standard stocks became an option for shotguns in Season 16 of Apex Legends. standard stocks provide shorter times to reload speed and handling of weapons. The same is true for shotguns, although by a lesser extent than other weapon classes. It is also worth noting that the Mozambique does not have the attachment option for a standard stock.

Three out of the four shotguns in Apex Legends currently have Hop-Ups available to them. But, there was a time where even the Mastiff had a hop-up option. However, in Season 18 the Peacekeeper, EVA-8 and Mozambique are the only Shotguns with the option.

The Mozambique can be equipped with the all powerful Hammerpoint rounds, that deal extra damage to flesh. The Peacekeeper is on the opposite end with the Disruptor rounds hop up, which deals extra damage to shields. Last is the EVA-8, which can be equipped with the double tap trigger hop up which allows for a second shot to be fired instantly after the first.

The last attachment option is for Optics, or sights. Like sub nachine guns, the pool of available sights for this weapon class is somewhat limited. There are only five options for shotgun optics which include:

Although optics are not critical in the success of the performance of shotguns, they certainly help. Specifically the 1x Digital Threat Optic, which highlights enemies. So Bangalore smokes begone! As the optic lets you see right through the smoke.

You can check out how the shotguns compare to all the other weapons in Season 18 in our seasonal damage breakdown list.

The most iconic of the Apex shotguns is no doubt the Peacekeeper. The lever-action shotgun is the strongest but has the highest skill ceiling. Despite the relatively low pellet damage, the Peacekeeper pumps out the most damage if the full spread hits.

This is because the shotgun contains three more pellets than its competitors. Mixed in with Disruptor rounds and the Peacekeeper shreds through your enemies--but only if you hit decent spreads. If not, you'll be "hittin 9's", a phrase infamously known by the Apex community for only hitting one pellet with the Peacekeeper.

Another iconic shotgun in the Apex Legends arsenal, the Mastiff was once the most feared shotgun. In the first couple seasons, before the Seasonal Care Package rotation became a tradition, the Mastiff had a near permanent spot there. However, its since moved out of the Care Package to ground loot.

And even still, the Mastiff is arguably the most forgiving shotgun making it a great grab. With its horizontal spread, hitting targets is relatively easy. Just make sure they aren't tap strafing and wall bouncing all over you.

The EVA-8 is another solid shotgun in Apex Legends. The fast-firing shotgun has a great mix of damage and high pellet count. However, where the EVA-8 truly shines is its fire rate. The EVA-8 by far has the fastest fire rate out of any of the other shotguns. Coupled with a double tap trigger, and you'll be able to mow down enemies at close range instantly.

Last but certainly not least is the meme-tastic Mozambique. A staple of Apex Legends since the game's debut, the Mozambique has been a integral part of the Apex community. Although its pellet count is severely lacking compared to other Shotguns, the Mozambique counteractively has the highest damage per pellet. However, even with the full spread hitting, you'll only be doing 45 damage, compared to the 99 damage of the Peacekeeper's full spread.

At the end of the day, its all about prefrence rather than damage output. As although some weapons do more damage, you'll perform better with what you are more comfortable with. However, nothing is stopping you from trying to improve with these weapons, so have at it!

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