Highguard Weapon Tier List: Best Weapons at launch based on playtest data

If you’re hopping into Highguard at launch, knowing which weapons are worth your time can make all the difference.

During an invite-only media playtest on Jan. 21, esports.gg gained hands-on access to Wildlight Entertainment’s new extraction shooter ahead of release. With that time, we put together a Weapons Tier List to help players hit the ground running on day one.

All weapon stats in this article are based on esports.gg’s exclusive Highguard playtest.

Based on damage output, usability across game stages, mount combat effectiveness, and overall reliability, here’s how Highguard’s launch weapons stack up based on our own gameplay.

S-Tier Weapons are a cut above the rest and in Highguard two weapons meet that standard.

- Mid to Long Range
- Useful for all 3 stages of the game
- Easier to fire from mount than sniper

The Dynasty Assault Rifle stands on the shoulders of the Vanguard and Saber Rifle within the Assault Rifle class, earning its place as an S-Tier weapon. On top of an Ironsight the Dynasty comes with a 3X Scope great for mid to long range which is where the weapon shines.

While it does deal slightly less damage than the Sabre Rifle, it has a better rate of fire and it has a great balance of damage versus range.

The Dynasty Assault Rifle deals 14 for a body shot and 18 for a headshot. In addition the recoil is easier to fire from your mount and it's useful for all stages of the game. A very reliable and versatile weapon, this should be a staple of your arsenal in Highguard.

- Scales great with upgrades
- Massive damage output
- Excellent for Intercept stage

The Ranger Sniper Rifle is currently the only sniper weapon in Highguard and it packs a punch. A body shot deals 85 damage and you'll deliver an explosive 148 damage for a headshot. The Ranger scales incredibly well with upgrades, and excels in the Intercept Stage.

By default the Ranger has a 3X Scope but you have the option to switch to 6X at will. No other weapon has a range this large or deals this much damage per shot making it lethal if you have a decent sniper player in your trio.

The Ranger's only drawback is it is ineffective at dealing damage to walls, but you'll have a Raid Weapon for that specific problem, or a Corsair...

A-Tier weapons offer power with slight trade-offs, here's a breakdown of what those trade-offs are.

The Corsair SMG is a burst-fire weapon that unloads four volleys of six bullets before needing a reload. It takes just 1.6 seconds to empty an entire clip, and has the highest DPS of the two SMGs available at launch.

Its insane fire rate makes it not only exceptional at melting players but also incredibly effective at destroying the enemy base in Highguard, a key part of Raids in Highguard. Similar to the Prowler in Apex Legends, controller players are going to be all over the Corsair.

- Burst fire good for opening up on enemies
- 3X zoom gives better range than Viper
- High theoretical DPS

The Saber Rifle might not have the range of the Dynasty but its the highest damage dealer in the Assault Rifle weapon class. Landing a body shot with a Saber Rifle deals 18 damage, but the real killer is the 27 damage for a headshot. To balance the high kill potential, it has the slowest rate of fire of the three ARs and the smallest clip size (21).

The Saber Rifle is A-tier purely from the damage capabilities. The Saber Rifle, unlike the Dynasty and Vanguard in Highguard, fires a burst of 3 shots, similar to the burst-mode of the Bulldog in VALORANT.

In the hands of an aim god this Assault Rifle will destroy, but in the hands of a novice it will be an incredibly unforgiving weapon choice. If you have decent aim and aren't fussed about mount combat, consider the Saber Rifle over the Dynasty.

- Most well-balanced weapon
- Novice-friendly
- Large clip size

The Vanguard Assault Rifle's main selling point is its clip size of 36, which makes it a solid choice for casual players, similar to the R-301 in Apex Legends. The damage per shot is minimal, just 9 for a body shot and 14 for a headshot, but you've got a big margin for error if you miss a few shots.

The Vanguard also offers a bit more range than the Saber Rifle, and the large clip size helps to take down player mounts if you're not the best shot. An A-Tier pick for the average FPS player.

B-Tier Weapons are on the verge of being incredibly situational but worth experimenting with to keep gameplay fresh.

- Good all around damage for close range
- Poor in ranged fights in Intercept Stage
- Trouble dealing with Mounted Wardens

The Viper SMG is overshadowed by its brother the Corsair SMG in almost every department. However, similar to the Vanguard vs the Saber Rifle, the Viper SMG's recoil is far more manageable than the Corsair, making it a safe choice. The Viper also comes with a 2X Scope which the Corsair SMG does not, helping you to land those shots in close-quarters combat.

- Extremely high damage per shot
- Good at taking out mounts before opponents can react

Every FPS game needs a good Revolver, and Highguard has the Longhorn. The Longhorn has the second highest damage per shot behind the Ranger Sniper Rifle, 65 for a body shot and 97 for a headshot. It also comes with a 2X Scope in addition to the Ironsight.

The Longhorn is a high skill ceiling weapon in player vs player combat as it only has 5 bullets in a clip, long reload time and slow rate of fire. Due to this the Longhorn finds itself in B-Tier, but when it comes to killing Mounts its hands down S-Tier. Why does this matter? Because killing a Warden's Mount leaves them stunned for 2 seconds and almost certain to meet a swift demise.

- Ridiculous suppressing fire
- Huge magazine size
- Great at locking down positions or breaking through walls in a raid

The Big Rig is a Care Package Drop weapon only, so you won't always be able to get your hands on it. Yet, when it comes to providing covering fire, you'll overdeliver.

The downside is you have to give up an existing Combat Weapon slot for the Big Rig, and the beast of a weapon has limited ammo. From our hands-on playtest, we found you'll typically die before firing off all the Big Rig rounds, but at least you'll go out guns blazing.

The Paladin Shotgun finds itself in C-Tier despite hypothetically having the highest DPS of any weapon in the game at 318. The Paladin's shotgun spread is smaller than the Kraken Shotgun, reloads faster and fires quicker.

Unfortunately the damage per projectile of the Paladin is a measly 5 damage. As a result, unless you are shooting an enemy point blank the Paladin Shotgun is practically useless. This was very apparent during the esports.gg team's hands-on playtest, with the Shotguns rarely picked by any of the testers due to their very limited use case.

The Kraken Shotgun has two advantages but several flaws. On the positive side the Kraken reload animation can be interrupted to fire instantly, plus the Kraken's damage to walls is significant. However, it's wide bullet spread, small clip size and super slow fire rate make it a D-Tier weapon.

The bullet spread of the Kraken is 5 in a tight pack with 5 in a wide pack. Most shots made outside of point blank range will only hit the five inside projectiles, meaning actual damage is at best half of max damage.

Bruce Lee famously said "boards don't hit back", well for the Kraken the fact walls don't hit back is its only saving grace. That said, you can equip a Raid Weapon that does the exact same thing.

For a deeper breakdown of every weapon including exact damage values, DPS, fire rates, scope options, and full stat comparisons — check out our complete Highguard Weapons Guide.