Valorant Guns Tier List: All Weapons Ranked & Compared

Our valorant guns or weapons tier list ranks all the armaments in the game ranging from ARs, SMGs, shotguns to sidearms as well.

Valorant operates on an economy-round, objective-based, first-to-13 competitive format where players select a unique agent to play for the entirety of the match. Not only the agents but guns and the playstyle they offer are also vital elements in dominating fights. That is why my Valorant guns or weapons tier list ranks all of the armaments in the game for the players to get ahead of the curve.

Key Highlights
  • Valorant has many weapon choices to choose from, but as of now, it has a total of 18 different kinds of weapons to choose from.
  • Phantom, Vandal, The Classic, Sheriff, and Operator are the best weapons to pick out of all the other weapons due to their high DPS potential.
  • Other decent weapons that you can pick are Bulldog, Ghost, Marshal, Spectre, and Ares.
  • Shorty, Guardian, Judge, and Frenzy are good choices in eco rounds, but they are not recommended to be wielded in further stages of the match.
  • The most powerful weapon damage-wise is the operator, which is also the most expensive, coming at the price tag of 4700 creds.

Here is a summarized look at my Valorant Guns Tier List:

Valorant Guns Tier List Weapons Ranking Table 
Weapon Class S-Tier A-Tier B-Tier C-Tier
Rifle Phantom and Vandal Bulldog Guardian N/A
Sidearm The Classic and Sheriff GHOST Shorty N/A
Sniper Rifle Operator Marshal N/A N/A
SMG N/A Spectre N/A STINGER
Machine Gun N/A Ares N/A Odin
Shotgun N/A N/A Judge Bucky
Sidearm Pistol N/A N/A Frenzy N/A
Melee N/A N/A N/A Tactical Knife

Comparison of All Valorant Weapons

WEAPONTIERCOSTHead/BodyFIRE RATEMAGAZINERun Speed
VandalS2,900 Creds160/409.7525.05.4m/sec
PhantomS2,900 Creds156/3911.030.05.4m/sec
SheriffS800 Creds159/554.06.05.4m/sec
The ClassicSFree78/266.7512.05.73m/sec
OperatorS4700 Creds255/1500.65.05.13m/sec
SpectreA1,600 Creds78/2613.3330.05.74m/sec
MarshalA950 Creds202/1011.55.05.4m/sec
GhostA500 Creds105/306.7515.05.74m/sec
BulldogA2,050 Creds115/359.1424.05.4m/sec
AresA1600 Creds72/3010-1350.05.13m/sec
GuardianB2,250 Creds295/655.2512.05.4m/sec
FrenzyB450 Creds78/2610.013.05.73m/sec
JudgeB1850 Creds34/173.57.05.06m/sec
ShortyB150 Creds24/123.332.05.4m/sec
StingerC950 Creds67/2716.020.05.73m/sec
OdinC3200 Creds95/3812-15.6100.05.13m/sec
BuckyC850 Creds40/201.15.05.06m/sec
Tactical KnifeCFree150/75/50--6.5m/s

S-Tier

valorant guns tier list
S-Tier

My S-rank tier list for Valorant features the best guns for optimal performance in 1v1 encounters. These weapons, considered some of the most powerful and widely used in the game, can significantly impact outcomes. When playing with friends, creating teams with these weapon choices can dynamically influence the game instead of relying on a single weapon for the entire team.

Vandal

vandal rifle valorant
Vandal [Screenshot by eXputer]
Vandal is an expensive automatic rifle, one of VALORANT’s best weapons. This weapon is going to thrive on longer sidelines, and it’s going to be a better option at punishing other weapons like operators with a guaranteed kill with a headshot.

  • High Damage.
  • Damage is not dependent on range.
  • Kill per headshot.
  • Widely used.
  • Good for attacking.
  • Hard to control recoil.
  • Not for sprays.
  • Requires experience and good aim.

Phantom

phantom rifle valorant
Phantom [Screenshot by eXputer]
The Phantom, a top-tier and pricier rifle in Valorant, stands out as one of the best weapons. Its flexibility, larger magazine, and built-in silencer make it an excellent choice. The Phantom’s ease of control and consistent performance bring the concept of the ghost inspector full circle, offering reliability with slightly less power than the Vandal’s long-range one-taps.

  • Easy to control recoil.
  • Good for sprays.
  • Impressive damage.
  • Good for holding angles.
  • Good for defense.
  • Beginner friendly.
  • Damage is range-dependent.
  • Low wall bang damage.
  • Requires two headshots to kill.

Sheriff

sheriff sidearm valorant
Sheriff [Screenshot by eXputer]
The Sheriff is the most expensive sidearm weapon in the game; it is a semi-automatic revolver. It is at the top of the S-tier because it is one of the most reliable weapons in so many situations. Players buy this in the first pistol round because it provides one-shot capability in the head. It is a better weapon for a cheap price tag. With proper adjustment and mechanical skills, the Sheriff can annihilate an entire team of rifles.

  • High damage.
  • Really cheap.
  • Best gun for echo rounds.
  • Best Handgun.
  • Good for medium-range.
  • Damage is range-dependent.
  • Bad for close-range.
  • Requires good mechanical skills.

The Classic

the classic weapon valorant
Classic [Image Credit: eXputer]
The Classic is a pistol that all players are given during spawning. It is a semi-automatic sidearm, which fires 3 bullets simultaneously. It can be efficiently used in low HP targets and often if you know the enemy is low because you’ve been tracking them, the classic pistol can be a better pistol to have to finish them off while jumping and being mobile.

  • Free Handgun.
  • Good for close-range.
  • Two fire modes.
  • Players can exploit right-click.
  • Very low damage in long-range.
  • Damage is range-dependent.

Operator

operator sniper valorant
Operator [Image Credit: eXputer]
Operator is an expensive sniper rifle and the most expensive weapon in the game. It is an amazing weapon that can give you a ton of rounds especially when you are in lower ranks. Used efficiently during jiggle peeking, properly baiting out an off shot, or punishing the opera for missing the shot. Operator is a weapon to which you should put a little bit of time into using and perfecting and it is going to get you a lot of free wins regardless of how many people get tilted.

  • Highest damage in Valorant.
  • One shot kill.
  • Good for angle holding.
  • A perfect pick for the defense side.
  • Good for long-range.
  • Really expensive.
  • Low mag size.
  • Low mobility.
  • Slow reload.

A-Tier 

ranking all armaments
A-Tier

The Valorant guns that I have put in my A-ranking of the tier list are second to best and will still get the work done and not disappoint you. If you are looking for reliable guns in the Valorant weapon tier list, then you should not sleep on these guns in the game.

Spectre

spectre smg
Spectre [Screenshot by eXputer]
Spectre is a moderately priced SMG. It ranks at the top of the A-Tier because it’s incredibly consistent and incredibly powerful, having a decent high power level. The higher consistency rate outclasses weaker guns in s fight; the Spectre is going to win the matchup consistently because of the volume and reliability of bullets that you are spraying out.

  • Can abuse run n gun.
  • Impressive SMG for close-range.
  • Good for echo rounds.
  • High mobility.
  • Worst at long-range.
  • Cannot wall bang.
  • Low damage.
  • Too much bullet spread.

Marshal

marshal sniper valorant
Marshal [Image Credit: eXputer]
Marshal is a low-cost, very cheap sniper rifle. The only reason the Marshal is not included in S-Tier is that it is a pretty niche in its utilization. Nevertheless, it can be very strong on attack or defense. The Marshal’s reload time is short compared to its fire rate, which means that the player can reload a bullet effectively, especially in between shots, hence increasing the magazine’s capacity.

  • Cheapest sniper.
  • One-headshot kill.
  • Good pick for echo rounds.
  • Good at long-range.
  • Good mobility.
  • Low damage for a sniper.
  • Requires two body shots to kill.
  • Requires precise aim to headshot.
  • Bad for close-range.

Ghost

ghost sidearm valorant
Ghost [Image Credit: eXputer]
Ghost is a  moderately priced semi-automatic sidearm weapon. It is a weapon that is commonly bought in the first round, and the reason it is stuck in  A-Tier is that it is not really bought outside of the first round. It is a powerful weapon, though you can outpace everyone using the Ghost.

  • Most used in pistol rounds.
  • Good damage for a handgun.
  • Spamable.
  • Cheap.
  • Not used other than pistol rounds.
  • Requires precise control to land headshots.
  • Low body shot damage.

Bulldog

bulldog rifle valorant
Bulldog [Image Credit: eXputer]
Bulldog is a moderately priced rifle, kind of close to Guardian, but the versatility of this weapon shines through when its lower recovery time improves its burst fire efficiency. It kills incredibly quickly with proper shot grouping; also, the fact that it scales a lot better than some of the cheaper options means that it’s really worthy of an increased price tag.

  • Has burst fire mode.
  • Good replacement for the Vandal.
  • Beast with the ADS.
  • Rarely used.
  • Hard to control spray.
  • ADS requires precise aim.

Ares

ares machine gun valorant
Ares [Image Credit: eXputer]
Ares is a moderately priced machine gun, having a high penetration rate and magazine capacity. It has the capability of being an amazing eco-choice weapon, capable of fighting weapons underneath it in price tag very easily and having a huge ammo capacity in general; this gun really shines through.

  • Good for wall bangs.
  • Large mag size.
  • Good fire-rate.
  • Good pick for the Ascent map.
  • Rarely used.
  • Low damage.
  • High bullet spread.

B- Tier 

valorant guns tier list
B-Tier

B-Tier Valorant weapons or guns tier list includes powerful armaments that can be utilized throughout the course of a game, being incredibly consistent, but some of them have a slightly nicher scenario than A-Tier. Another flaw of weapons included in B-Tier is that there’s no guarantee of value depending on the situation and skill set required. 

Guardian

guardian rifle valorant
Guardian [Image Credit: eXputer]
At the top of the B-Tier is Guardian, which is a moderately priced and semi-automatic rifle. Guardian is phenomenal in areas where you could be most effective if you are peeking from a long angle, then the guardian thrives. With the addition of maps like a breeze, the Guardian thrives; it is God-tier. It gives you one-shot capability and better first-shot accuracy.

  • One-headshot kill.
  • Very High damage.
  • Good for echo rounds.
  • Cheap.
  • No auto mode.
  • Hard to spam.
  • Requires accurate and precise aiming.
  • Requires good mechanical skills.

Frenzy

frenzy sidearm valorant
Frenzy [Image Credit: eXputer]
Frenzy is a cheap automatic pistol that has a high rate of fire, indicating that it runs out quickly. And unless controlled very well, it isn’t that great at multiple combats. Frenzy can prove to be the highest potential impact weapon that too at a low price but in certain conditions.

  • Only auto pistol.
  • Good at close-range.
  • Rarely used.
  • Hard to control recoil.
  • Low damage.

Judge

judge shotgun valorant
Judge [Image Credit: eXputer]
The judge is an affordable, moderately-priced automatic shotgun. It is efficient when used in short-range with multiple enemies. Judge isn’t that great, and I’ve included it in B-Tier because it has low magazine capacity and it has a low damage ratio.

  • Beast in close-range.
  • Impressive damage.
  • Good for close corner holding.
  • Requires good positioning.
  • Requires good utility placement.
  • Requires map awareness.

Shorty

shorty sidearm valorant
Shorty [Screenshot by eXputer]
The Shorty is the cheapest buyable weapon in the game. For a sidearm, it is equivalent to a shotgun, being most effective at short range. Shorty is an amazing weapon that heavily punishes enemies, especially when you are on defense and the enemies don’t properly clear you; here you can use a shorty to kill. The reason Shorty is included in B-Tier is that whenever you end up in a retake situation, it is severely lacking.

  • Really cheap.
  • High damage at close-range.
  • Use at medium and long-range.
  • Rarely used.
  • Only used by specific agents.

C-Tier 

valorant guns tier list
C-Tier

The weapons included in this tier below perform closely to the B-tier ones. However, they have more than merely one flaw that weighs them down. Still, they can perform exceptionally well in some situations.

Stinger

stinger smg
Stinger [Screenshot by eXputer]
Stinger is a low-budget SMG that is a primary weapon in the Valorant. Being an SMG, it is highly efficient when used in short-range during the move. The reason it is included in C-tier is that you’re still paying a pretty hefty price tag for what you’re getting when there are other options that are even cheaper and have potential value.

  • High mobility.
  • Good fire rate.
  • ADS burst mode.
  • Hard to control recoil.
  • High bullet spread.
  • Small magazine.

Odin

odin lmg valorant
Odin [Image Credit: eXputer]
Odin is a costly machine gun in my Valorant weapon tier list, most efficiently used as a defensive machine gun or in order to get wallbang kills due to Odin having high penetration. Odin does provide substantial damage and high rates of fire, but these attributes come at a very high cost since Odin is the second most expensive weapon in the game.

  • High fire-rate.
  • Best weapon for wall bangs.
  • A good pick for maps with a lot of wall bangs.
  • Very large mag size.
  • Low mobility.
  • Spray control requires ADS.
  • Map dependent.
  • Expensive.

Bucky

bucky shotgun valorant
Bucky [Image Credit: eXputer]
Bucky is a low-priced shotgun, and it is the cheapest weapon in the game. The reason it is included in C-tier is that it is effectively used for short-range, and futile for long ranges. Also, it can’t be used for multiple combats at once.

  • High damage at close-range.
  • Two fire modes.
  • Cheap.
  • Requires experience to use.
  • Rarely used.
  • Very slow fire-rate.

Tactical Knife

valorant melee weapon
Tactical knife [Screenshot by eXputer]
The knife is a melee weapon in the Valorant. It is the sole weapon in Valorant that can’t be dropped. It is considered to be unreliable, and it is never something you can utilize in combat. Also, it doesn’t give you any extra benefits like extra money or alt points.

  • Very high mobility.
  • Knife kills disrespect enemy players.
  • Players switch to knives for quick rotations.
  • Very limited range.
  • Hard to get knife kills.

Valorant Weapons Tier List Criteria

My tier list is curated after clocking in so many hours in the game, trying and testing every single weapon. I also researched the web and took into consideration what most players have been using the most in Valorant. That said, my tier list ranking reflects my experience in the game and a little bit of common players’ preferences as well.

Why Trust Us

We at eXputer have been curating tier lists ranging from first-person shooters to brawlers and mobile games. Our tier lists have helped so many players in the past, and their valuable feedback has helped us keep going and make more tier lists that may help new and returning players to their favorite games. That is why the ranking we devise in our tier lists is good enough for the readers to get a head start in the game.

That is pretty much everything you need to know about the Valorant gun or weapon tier list. Did you find this list helpful? Let me know more of your thoughts in the comments section below.

While you are at it, do not forget to have a look at our Valorant Review by Moiz Banoori.

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Daniyal is a Guides Writer and Editor at eXputer with over one year of experience in content writing. He's had a passion for tech and gaming for more than 15 years. Ever since his first console, the PS2, he's constantly branching off to different genres, and his go-to at the moment is the Souls experience pioneered by FromSoftware, which is evident by his 1,500+ hours of game time on Elden Ring. You can learn some more about Daniyal's gaming journey on his Steam & Xbox profiles.

Experience: 1+ Years || Mainly Covers Guides || Education: Bachelors in Computer Sciences.

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