COD Vanguard shotgun tier list - Every shotgun ranked from best to worst

Call of Duty: Vanguard has officially launched and has attracted a large body of players eager to experience the immersive new features in the game. These features include brand-new maps, destruction mechanics and weather effects, perks, weapons, game modes and more.

For many Call of Duty fans, all of this content pales compared to the weapons they will use to shred their enemies to pieces. That's why we take on the task of providing our readers with COD Vanguard weapon tier lists, ranking weapons of each class based on each weapon's stats and performance in the meta.

So without further ado, here is our list of the best shotguns at the launch of COD Vanguard, ranked from best to worst.

COD Vanguard shotgun tier list

Shotguns are all about getting up close and personal with your enemies, knocking them down with a few shots. These guns are barreled and discharge numerous small pellet-like shots, which deal incredible damage in close-quarters combat.

Description of the tiers

• S-Tier: Shotguns in this tier are the best of the best. Even with mediocre attachments, these shotguns are better than half of the others in this category, combined!
• A-Tier: With the right attachments, these shotguns can still blow your opponents away in COD Vanguard.
• B-Tier: Shotguns in the B-tier could be helpful when paired with the perfect but may have several flaws, making them difficult to use.
• C-Tier: These shotguns are not worth using but could be viable for their look, sound or feel, or under unique circumstances.
• D-Tier: Avoid shotguns in this tier at all costs.

Shotgun tier list

There are only four shotguns to choose from in COD Vanguard. So, if you are eager to blast your enemies into smithereens up close and personal, then you'll have to choose wisely. While we endeavour to always keep our tier lists as accurate as possible, keep in mind that these tier lists aren't an exact science.

The developers Treyarch and Sledgehammer Games are expected to release new weapons and nerf or buff certain weapons in the future. When this occurs, we will update this list. Below, all four shotguns in COD Vanguard are ranked from best to worst.

S-Tier

• Gracey Shotgun

The Gracey Shotgun is a semi-automatic shotgun with the fastest fire rate in its class, which allows you to blast your enemies back to the trenches faster than any other shotgun on this list. While the gun's relatively short range holds it back, it boasts serious damage capable of killing enemies in just a single shot. Unfortunately, the Gracey Shotgun also has a relatively small magazine, but you can resolve this with the right loadout.

A-Tier

• Double Barrel

You can't go wrong with the Double Barrel Shotgun, and we'd love to put it in our S-tier list as well. The Double Barrel can also deliver one-shot kills in close-quarters engagements but is useless at longer-ranged combat. You can unlock this gun once you have reached Level 49.

B-Tier

• Combat Shotgun

The Combat Shotgun is a viable weapon but lacks the same one-shot damage potential of the Gracey or Double Barrel shotguns. Instead, it's typically able to eliminate enemies after two shots, even when shooting the head. On the other hand, this gun can be effective in the mid-range and is menacing in smaller maps. You can unlock the Combat Shotgun at Level 14.

C-Tier

• Revolving Shotgun

The Einhorn Revolving is available at launch and requires two shots to kill enemies at close range. As a default weapon, it's not fantastic but isn't entirely useless. The Einhorn Revolving Shotgun has slower reload times than the other weapons on this list but may be improved with the right loadout. Once you're ranked high enough, you may be better off using any other shotgun on this list.

D-Tier

• None

Since COD Vanguard only recently launched, we feel like giving all ranked weapons on this list a fighting chance. Therefore, we have not demoted any of the shotguns to the "trash tier" yet -- also, there aren't enough shotguns released yet to populate the list to completion.

So there you have it, our complete tier list for all shotguns at the start of COD Vanguard. Do you disagree with our list? We don't care. To be even more disappointed, check out our other tier lists in our dedicated section.

• Read more: Best weapons in Vanguard beta: The strongest and most broken guns.

For more Call of Duty content, be sure to visit our dedicated section filled to the brim with gun guides, news, leaks and much more.

Featured image courtesy of Activision.

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