Apex Legends Season 12 weapons tier list - Every gun ranked from best to worst

The debut of Season 12 is finally here in Apex Legends and it will be the first of the new year. Just the same as any other, Season 12 will provide a shakeup to the status of the weapons list which will take some getting used to.

Much of the focus has been shifted to the newest Legend to grace the title, with Mad Maggie joining the battle royale. But many competitive players simply want to know the best weapons to use giving themselves every chance at victory.

For those players looking to gain a competitive edge, we have you covered for the latest Apex update. Here is the Apex Legends Season 12 weapons tier list featuring every gun ranked from best to worst.

Apex Legends Season 12 weapons tier list

Season 12: Defiance of Apex Legends brings some shakeups to the weapons list with certain weapons getting buffed and altered. To highlight which weapons you should look to use in the early stages of the new season, we've outlined a complete Season 12 weapons tier list featuring all the guns in the title.

For our tier list, we have opted for a standard five-tier system, S to D.

• S-Tier: The absolute best of the best guns, regardless of attachments. If you see these, pick them up.
• A-Tier: With decent attachments, these guns can lead you to victory.
• B-Tier: These need some attachments to improve. Slower time-to-kill (TTK) can hurt you during fights.
• C-Tier: Requires the top attachments to be sufficient, if you can't get your hands on a better gun these will do a decent job.
• D-Tier: Unless you're totally desperate, leave it on the ground where you found it.

S-Tier

• R-301 Carbine - Assault rifle
• EVA-8 Auto Shotgun - Shotgun
• VK-47 Flatline - Assault rifle
• Volt SMG - Submachine gun
• Spitfire LMG - Light machinegun
• Kraber .50 CAL - Sniper rifle
• G7 Scout - Marksman rifle

One of the first noticeable tweaks with Season 12 sees the Volt replace the C.A.R as the top SMG in the title. The Kraber .50 CAL remains the top choice for Sniper Rifles and the R-301 is still amongst the best weapons of any class.

A-Tier

• Triple Take - Marksman rifle
• Alternator - Submachine gun
• L-Star EMG - Light machine gun
• R-99 Light SMG - Submachine gun
• Wingman - Pistol
• Mastiff Shotgun - Shotgun
• C.A.R. SMG - Submachine gun

The Triple Take is a Marksman rifle that uses Energy Ammo and can be charged to deal additional damage. For players with a higher skill level, it's certainly a top option for essentially all ranges. Season 12 sees the C.A.R. SMG drop down from the S-Tier, but it's still certainly a viable option for close-range combat.

B-Tier

• Sentinel - Sniper rifle
• Rampage LMG - Light machine gun
• Hemlock - Assault rifle
• Longbow DMR - Sniper Rifle
• Prowler Burst PDW - Submachine gun

While it doesn't do nearly the damage of the top-ranked Sniper Rifles, (140 headshot damage vs. 435 headshot damage) the Sentinel can be found on the ground in Apex Legends Season 12 and it's still somewhat decent. The Rampage remains a constant in the B-Tier, as its long-range ability is impressive due to limited recoil, but the slower fire-rate limits the effectiveness in closer ranges.

C-Tier

• RE-45 Auto - Pistol
• Devotion Energy LMG - Light machine gun
• Charge Rifle - Sniper rifle
• 30-30 Repeater - Marksman rifle
• Peacekeeper - Shotgun

Remember these are C-Tier weapons so they're really only one step up from desperation. The RE-45 Auto can be used in close ranges as it has a decent fire rate and damage specs, equip the Hammerpoint rounds for maximum effectiveness. The Peacekeeper remains one of the most unique weapons in the title as it's a close-range shotgun that can fire a more accurate projectile from medium distances when aimed down-sights.

D-Tier

• Bocek Compound Bow - Marksman weapon
• Mozambique - Shotgun
• Havoc - Assault rifle
• P20202 - Pistol

The Bocekc Compound Bow is a unique Marksman weapon that fires arrows rather than bullets. It can deal 105 damage per headshot which is decent for a last resort weapon. But remember, these weapons should only be used when you have no other options.

• Read more: Apex Legends Season 12 weapon balance changes

Go check out the rest of our dedicated Apex Legends page for all the latest content including Legends Tier Lists, weapons information, and much more.

Featured image courtesy of Respawn Entertainment and EA.