Deathloop Guide – All Weapons, and How to Get the Best Guns

Unlike the Dishonored series, Arkane Studios’ Deathloop is fairly generous in its use of firearms. Enemies drop a good amount of ammo, vending machines regularly dispense the stuff and you’ll find a decent collection of guns to augment your Loop-crushing needs. Which are the best guns in the game though? Let’s take a look at all of the different types first along with their perks first.

First off, there are five rarities for weapons – Grey (Crude), Turquoise (Sleek), Purple (Exemplar) and Gold (Unique). Grey weapons have no perks and one Trinket slot but are very easily discovered. Turquoise weapons have two Trinket slots while Exemplar and Unique weapons have three, plus one perk built into the weapon. As the rarity increases, the tendency of guns to jam is reduced to nil. Unique weapons have distinct designs and certain perks that will only appear on that weapon – for example, the Coiled Snake perk (which increases damage the longer the trigger is held) can only roll on the Sepulchra Breteira. The Heritage and Stelak Verso are the only weapons that can roll with Dualist where inflicting damage in one mode will buff the other.

Weapons also have different ammo types – small caliber and large caliber. So if you’ve tried equipping multiple types of weapons and can’t figure out how you’re running out of ammo so quickly, check the different caliber ammo that they use. Also keep in mind that in order to dual-wield weapons, they need to be usable with one hand (which discounts all rifles and shotguns). The second gun, the one that will be wielded in the other hand, must also be equipped in a weapon slot. So if you’re thinking of running around with twin revolvers or SMGs, then they’ll each occupy a weapon slot.

Let’s take a look at all of the different weapons here.

• Machete – Colt’s standard melee weapon which he starts the game with.
• Fourpounder – The signature revolver which can be dual-wielded. Deals extensive damage with a decent magazine size though it doesn’t have the fastest fire rate. Recommended for its pure stopping power. Uses large-caliber rounds.
• Tribunal – A semi-automatic pistol that can be dual-wielded. Uses small-caliber rounds and has a good fire rate with strong accuracy. If you can find one that’s silenced, then it becomes an excellent tool for stealthily taking down enemies (especially when linking them together with Nexus).
• PT-6 Spiker – A unique weapon that uses nails instead of bullets. Can be dual-wielded with other one-handed weapons. Very useful for stealth since it makes no noise but it doesn’t pack nearly as much stopping power as other weapons, which can be problematic when you’re discovered. Even a silenced Tribunal is more effective when a few enemies show up but if pure stealth is your game, then the PT-6 Spiker is worth having as an option. Just make sure you’ve got some harder-hitting options as backup when things go south.
• LIMP-10 – The standard SMG which uses small-caliber ammo. Can be dual-wielded and is available from the very beginning of the game. Along with having a high fire rate, it also has an ample amount of recoil. Best used in mid-range combat though with the right trinkets, it can be effective at longer ranges.
• Vopat Trencher – A pump-action shotgun with decent range. Uses large-caliber bullets and has a decent rate of fire to go with its average reload speed. It can deal a good amount of damage but it’s recommended to use with the perk “Double Tap” which lets you fire two shots off before having to pump the gun.
• MG-1 Pepper Mill – The de facto machine gun/assault rifle, though it looks more like a light machine gun. Uses large caliber bullets and has good range while also being useful up close. Its only real drawbacks are the reload speed and recoil.
• Rapier – A single-shot rifle that uses large caliber bullets. Mid to long range combat is perhaps the best way to use it initially since it reloads fairly slowly. Equip it with Trinkets to bolster the reload speed.

Even with just a few hours played, it becomes very easy to acquire an arsenal of Exemplar weapons. From that point on, their signature perks become important, especially depending on your play-style. Suppressor, which is found on Pistols and SMGs, is best for stealth. Choke Point is great for shotguns since bullets have reduced spread, thus increasing their damage over longer ranges (you’ll also want a Vopat Trencher with the Double Tap perk, as noted above).

Streaker grants a staking damage buff when hitting consecutive foes and can be useful on just about any weapon with decent fire rate. One of the best perks, More Bang, causes bullets to explode on impact and is excellent on the Rapier. Open Wounds causes enemies to take damage over time when shot and is only found on the Pepper Mill – it’s good for the additional damage but not necessarily top-tier for the weapon compared to, say, Snare which slows them on hit.

Now let’s take a look at the standout Exemplar and Unique weapons that can be obtained and what makes them so enticing.

• Strelak Verso – A burst-fire SMG that transforms into dual pistols, it’s equipped with Snare to slow enemies. To obtain it, go to the Complex at noon time. Locate a bunker underneath the Stabilizer Core to find a vault that’s been opened up by the Eternalists. Open the door with four batteries and the Verso is yours. This should open up as Arsenal Lead over time so keep your eyes open.
• Snare Strelak 50-50 – Obtained from killing Charlie in Updaam, it comes with the Snare perk. Throw on some added range and reload speed, then use it with Havoc to clear out foes easily.
• Vampire LIMP-10s – Obtained from killing Aleksis, who drops two of them. They come with the perk Vampire that will regenerate health upon damaging enemies. This makes them incredibly useful in a pinch and when combined with Havoc, you gain a strong means of damage resistance and survival.
• Heritage – Another transforming weapon, the Heritage is a shotgun that can be used as a slug rifle or a regular shotgun (with the perk Scattergun providing wider spread). It’s obtained from the Fathoms of Lament, which is essentially an obstacle course in Karl’s Bay. Upon entering, there will be a map with lights indicating the locations that must be traveled to (and which are randomized on each Loop). For more details, check out the video guide below courtesy of VG247.
• Echolocation PT-6 Spiker – Located in the Akkar Station in Karl’s Bay during the afternoon, which only opens up after you figure out how to power the different Horizon doors from the Power Station in The Complex (where the Loop Control Center is located). It will fire spikes that reveal and tag enemies on impact so you can kill someone with it and the surrounding foes will have their locations revealed.
• Sepulchra Breteira – Another top-tier weapon, this sniper rifle is obtained from Updaam during the noon. After a few hours of playtime, an Eternalist will announce that there’s a present in Dorsey’s Square and invites you to collect. Instead of instantly opening the present, go inside the bakery nearby (the windows should be open and it’s overlooking the square). Kill the enemies inside and you’ll receive the Sepulchra Breteira. This one has the Deep Lungs perk which stabilizes your aim for a longer period of time. For a version of the rifle with other perks, kill Julianna – she has a random chance of dropping it.
• Toxic Haze Fourpounder – This Fourpounder is equipped with the perk Toxic Haze which creates gas clouds upon impact. Along with causing damage foes near its area of impact, it’s also good for crowd-control. The gas can damage Colt as well but there is a Trinket that causes toxic gas to heal you so it could function as an impromptu healing source. Kill Harriet in the Hangar in Karl’s Bay during the morning to get it.
• Constancy Automatic – Obtained by killing Frank Spicer in Fristad Rock during the morning time. Infiltrating his club can be difficult since the Class Pass system disables your Slabs, including Reprise, meaning you’ve only got one life to pull it off (though you can remove it upon reaching his lounge). As for the Constancy Automatic, it comes with the Snare perk but its dual magazine system is more interesting. This allows for continuous firing even when reloading.
• More Bang Rapier – This isn’t a unique weapon per say but it consistently spawns with the selected perk. First, you need to go to Karl’s Bay in the morning. When exiting the tunnels, go left and then look for a building roof that has an auto turret on it. There will be an Eternalist present – kill them and they’ll drop a Rapier with the More Bang perk.
• Open Wounds Pepper Mill – This MG-1 Pepper Mill comes with Open Wounds, which causes enemies to take damage over time. It can be obtained by killing Fia in Fristad Rock at noon.
• Eagle Eye Rapier – Obtained by killing Egor in The Complex (he’s present there at multiple times, assuming you don’t disrupt his device for the final Loop). It comes with the Eagle Eye perk to increase the zoom level when aiming down sights. If you’re interested in using the Rapier as a more long-range weapon, then this is decent.
• Silver Bullet Rapier – Earned by completing The Moxie’s Challenge in Updaam during the afternoon. It’s composed of various obstacle courses over three floors, two on each. Completing a floor awards a Trinket and completing the entire challenge within the time limit rewards a Rapier with the Silver Bullet perk (which doesn’t consume ammo if the shot hits someone). The best way to complete these courses is to use Shift and Aether though if you’re short on time, visit the Moxie prior to the afternoon and you’ll find a door on the left. There’s an antenna that can be hacked which increases the timer in the challenge by one minute.

As for the “best” weapon in the game, it really does come down to your play-style. Personally, I prefer having either the Strelak 50-50 or an MG-1 Pepper Mill with reload speed, range and accuracy Trinkets; one of Aleksis’s LIMP-10s for the health recovery that Vampire provides; and either a silenced Tribunal for the occasional stealth or the Explosive Rapier for its range and sheer damage. The Heritage might also be a good choice here due to its transforming nature. For more details on Slabs and their upgrades along with some potentially good set-ups to use them in, head here.

Deathloop is currently available for PS5 and PC. Check out our review here for more details.