Scavengers Weapon Tier List – Best Signature and Wildcard Weapons

Scavengers Weapon Tier List
Weapons are an important part of defining a character's playstyle, plugging weakness and improving their strengths. Here is a Scavengers Weapon Tier List. Image via Midwinter Entertainment.

Gaming Verdict is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more

Scavengers is a new PvEvP game, inspired suing survival mechanics to craft and better their characters. Furthermore, the actual game mode adapts typical Battle Royale mechanics to create a new spin on the genre. Players take control of one of seven Scavengers currently in the game, each with a different playstyle. Also, every Scavenger has their own signature weapon, influencing their playstyle. During each game, players can stumble upon weapon drops in the world or research to progress their account and add in Wildcard weapons players can craft during the game. With so many options, we’ll highlight the weapons in the game. But for those looking for the best Scavengers weapons, here is a Scavengers Weapon Tier List.

Tier List Methodology

Due to the different Weapon systems in the game, this Scavengers Weapon Tier List will not follow a similar style to our Class Tier List. The process of ranking the best scavengers weapons will break down through Class and then based on the Wildcard and world drop weapons. That way, we can rank the best weapons for each Scavenger in detail for those maining a Scav. On the flip side, the Wildcard weapons are much more adaptable to every build. Every Scav in the game can use any of these weapons, meaning we can rank them using a regular Tier List system.

In addition, each weapon will have a snippet or a paragraph explaining the reason for its ranking, helping to inform the decision, at least in theory. It is also worth noting there are different colors of Scavenger Weapons, based on the rarity of the weapon. We will have the terminology for each color at the bottom of the article.

 

Signature Rankings

We will discuss the strengths and weaknesses of each of the signature ranks. Each weapon will have an accompanying paragraph or snippet explaining the thought process of them in theory.

Please note that when we rank these weapons, there are a few conditions to take into account. The first is based on weapon rarity. You can only craft that a higher weapon rank if you have reached that level in a match. Greens unlock at level 2, Blues at level three, Purple at level 4, and Yellow at level 5. The Level 4 and 5 Signature weapons unlock much later in the game, as they require lots of XP and then lots of scrap to get to build them. As of the May 13 hotfix, acquiring scrap and saving it is not as bad, with the cost of crating on most levels down, along with more scrap dropping from PvP. Therefore, in some situations, the length of time and the need to acquire scrap can make some of the stronger weapons weaker based on the power spike timing and the risk-reward going into building them.

Wildcard Weapons and World Drops Ranking

S Tier: The guns which are the best to use or the most versatile, that cover the weaknesses of many Scavengers.

A Tier: Same as the S Tier, but slightly weaker.

B Tier: Fairly balanced weapons, typically they serve their purpose until you get rolling in the mid and late game.

C Tier: Below Average

D Tier: The worst of the worst on the Scavengers Weapon Tier List.

 

S+: Argonaut Splash.

S Tier: Argonaut, Chainshark, Predator, Warsong, Whisker.

A Tier: Boompipe, Crossbolt, Harvester, Quicksilver, Rattler, Renegade, Repeating Crossbolt, Void Barrel.

B Tier: Dreadmaul, EF1 Microburst, Junkshot, Opus, Ripsaw, Snowpiercer, Sweeper, Thornbow.

C Tier: Sidekick, Sluggun.

D Tier: Brainer.

 

S Tier Explanations

Scavengers Weapons Research TIer 3
Getting to T3 Research improves the game so much. Image via Midwinter.

 

The S Tier Weapons and above are the best weapons in the Scavengers Weapon Tier List. Ideally, these weapons accompany specific playstyles as the alternative weapon for certain scavengers. Some Scavs like Taric are very long-range focuses, so anything that gives them a mid or close range kick helps a lot etc. The same goes for Jae, who would like a medium to long-range weapon since his sig is a Halberd.

The S+ Argonaut Splash converts the Argonaut into a Drum magazine and a bipod. The effects are incredible as it increases weapon accuracy to near centre even through automatic fire. This fully supports the Drum Mag, granting 100 rounds. The weapon can pack series damage for medium and close-quarters fights, dealing 8 body damage and 11-13 to the head.

Its Blue version, the Argonaut is perfectly fine too, a Wildcard weapon with automatic fire. On the other hand, the Warsong is a burst-fire assault rifle, so you can grab either that suits your playstyle. Both of these weapons are Wildcard weapons that are research tasks after unlocking T3 Research.

For those looking for a Sniper and who don’t want Taric, the Epic Wildcard, Predator is a nice shout. Furthermore, if you want an AR with a scope, the random world drop,  The Whisker provides just that.

The only close-range weapon in this section is the Chainshark. The melee weapon is very fast and does some powerful light attack damage with a heavy attack equally as devastating. It is no Devastator or Maverick, but it is the best of the close-range weapons outside of those two. The reason why it beats the Boompipe is down to its spammable pressure, where the Boomstick only has two rounds per reload and a heavy spread.   

 

A Tier

The A Tier weapons are the weapons you’ll likely want to upgrade to from the floor during the early game. The A Tier is filled with a variety of Green and Blue weapons, all useful for different playstyles.

There are several close-quarter weapons to chose from in this bracket. One such example is the Boompipe. The boompipe is the only blue tier shotgun anyone can pick up and use. It has a powerful point-blank spread, dealing plenty of damage. However, the weakness is it has two rounds before needing to reload, and missing is a massive punishment. The other is the Harvester and Hackblade, which is a knife and axe, respectively. It is preferential if you come across both, but know there are upgrades to branch from Worldrops.

If you prefer more conventional warfare, the Quicksilver, Rattler, and the Renegade are the choices. The Quicksilver is a green level SMG, while the Renegade is a blue quality world drop SMG. The Rattler is a green level AR, with 15 rounds in a magazine. Each weapon has glaring weaknesses, but are viable for the early game PvE mechanics.

On a personal recommendation, the Crossbows, Crossbolt and its Repeater equivalent are great early game weapons. The crossbolt is a scoped weapon that fires arrows, making it a great tool for taking out early game camps and. The repeater is an upgraded version that fires faster, although, it is much rarer to come across.

The yellow named Voidbarrel is one of a kind. The gun is a semi-auto grenade launcher, which can do some incredible work in the right hands. However, it doesn’t necessarily fit a playstyle all too well, and it is incredibly rare. Give it a try, but don’t use it too close.

 

Everything else

The B Tier weapons are typically the ones you’ll take if it’s the first thing you come across. The weapons here, either green or white tier weapons, are okay for just looting as soon as you get in a server. However, these weapons often are fairly low compared to weapons above or don’t plug holes in the weaknesses of specific Scavengers.

The same goes for the C and D Tiers, except they are just that bad. The C TIer are the white graded pistols, that are okay to pick up from the get-go. You’ll normally replace these when a third weapon comes along, whether that’s crafting a signature at level 2 or picking up a  weapon in the above tiers. Finally, the Brainer is generally not worth it. It is a white grade melee weapon, meaning almost everything is more useful than it.

Lists and Ranking Signature Weapons for Every Scavenger

Here is a list of every Signature Weapon unlocked via the research tree for each Scavenger. Not having access to the tier of research needed to begin researching the weapon means you cannot see the item and what it does. Furthermore, we have attacked a rank to each weapon to break them down in the Scavengers Weapon Tier List.

 

Taric

Taric Explorer Scavengers Sniper Rifle
Taric is Scavenger’s Sniper themed Explorer. Image via Midwinter Entertainment.

 

  • Long Striker – Default T2 – A Bolt action Rifle exclusive to Taric.
  • Longstriker XTI – T3 Research – Longe Range Sniper with enhanced optics for even greater distance.

 

Longstriker Taskmaster – T5 Research.. A Sniper Rifle that fires two bolts of energy, which does more damage against player shields at the expense of armor damage. Rounds fired from this weapon also do not suffer from bullet drop. It also has an increased magazine size, better hipfire, and reduced recoil. The downside is it has a longer reload speed.

Considering how different these weapons are, it is more preferential. The best all-around is the T2 Longstriker. The reason why is because it offers the most balance. The enhanced scope extends Taric’s strengths of picking off at range and enhances his weaknesses more of it having a harder to aim deadzone. In contrast to the T5, it takes a long time to craft and delays his power spike for a huge trade-off. Also, it means you have to play more PvE to and take PvP fights tactically to get there earlier.

 

Valora

  • Devastator  – Default T2 – an exclusive pump-action Shotgun for Valora. 
  • Devastator EXT – T3 – Puts an extended magazine on the default Devastator.
  • Devastator Nemesis – T5. The Nemesis shotgun fires a slow-moving bolt of plasma that explodes upon impact. It can also cause a lingering cloud of plasma that causes damage over time through a proc chance.

 

The best Devastator is the T3. The T2 Suffers from limited ammo during a clutch fight, and the T3’s extended magazine solves that problem. Meanwhile, the T5 is a good version, but I once again suffers from the T5 grind. Furthermore, the weapon becomes a little awkward as it gains extended range, and can act as a sniper. However, it feels like it is not too worth it for the delayed power spike and attached gimmicks.

 

Halden

  • Strike Rifle – Default T2 – semi-auto AR exclusive to Halden.
  • Strike Rifle A-Spec – T3 – the Strike rifle becomes full auto with an extended magazine.
  • Strike Rifle Starblazer – T4 – Rounds deal explosive splash damage and shred armor faster. Moreso, the weapon is the only version of the Strike Rifle with a scope.

 

The best for Halden is the T3 A-Spec. The extended magazine and the full auto makes it the best AR outside of the rare Argonaut Splash. In addition, the weapon’s extended magazine is an amazing bonus to an already great weapon.

The next best is the T4, as its armor shredding, and explosive rounds make a great addition to its firepower. The added explosives rounds also make it a powerful late-game objective taker. Once again, its downside means waiting till level 4 to craft, so be careful with the delayed power spike.

 

Kali

Kali Explorer Scavengers Tier-List Concept Art
Kali is the bow and arrow specialist Explorer, equipped with stealth abilities. Image via Midwinter Entertainment.

 

  • Heartseeker – T2 – Long-range bow exclusive to Kali.
  • Heartseeker Cerberus – T3 – Fires three arrows instead of one. It becomes more accurate the longer the draw on the bow.
  • Heartseeker Shockwave – T4 – has lower projectile velocity, accompanied by sicky arrows that explode. However, the weapon has a longer draw time and reload speed.

 

The best for Kali is either the T2 or T4. The T2 is a nice performing bow that requires some skill to use. On the other hand, the T4 makes it easier to use but delays her power spike. Luckily, Kali’s active ability means she can get away with using weaker weapons for longer as it provides a more safe playstyle, dropping aggro or dodging enemy players with invisibility. 

The T3 is not a bad weapon, although its strengths are outclassed by Valora’s shotgun and Cruz’s SMG. It typically requires getting three headshots to be better than those two at close range. Overall, it is very skill dependent with not much trade-off.

 

Jae

  • Maverick -T2 – Exclusive Halbred for Jae.
  • Maverick Thunderblade – T4 – adds chain lightning proc when two or more enemies are close by.

 

Honestly, the T2 is generally better here. The T4 issue is once again a delayed power spike, with chain lightning proc that is great against groups. However, all of a PvP fight getting close enough for a Jae to get use out of chain lighting is rare. Jae needs to hope he doesn’t get cryod while charging at those ideal situations, or he relies on three enemies pushing him in a tight blob. Furthermore, by the time Jae gets the T4, the clumped up PvE mobs are already over with. Better sticking with T2 really. For those looking for a good example of Jae’s T4 in action, follow this link to Reddit.

 

Letty

Letty B Tier Scavengers Tier List
Letty is an interesting Explorer, with the huge team synergy builds for her Signature weapon. Image via Midwinter Entertainment.

 

  • Rosie -T2 – Magnum pistol exclusive to Letty.
  • Rosie Packrat – T3 – Armour-piercing rounds turn armor on enemies into scrap.
  • Rosie Sledgehammer – T4 – Increases the damage per rounds and adds an explosive effect to them. However, it has a smaller magazine size and slower projectile speed.
  • Rosie Guardian – T5. The gun fires energy bolts that do bonus damage against energy shields, but weaker against armor. Furthermore, the gun has a proc chance that begins to regen nearby allied shields.

 

Rosie has the most interesting depth to the different Tiers of her Signature. The best here is the T5 Guardians because getting shields to regen earlier is a great feature for the late game fights and chaos. Even with the playstyle needed to grab that gun, chances are Letty gets to that point, the team playstyle will easily reap the rewards of the gun’s perk.

The next best is the T3 Rosie Packrat. This is because the T3 is quite easy to get a hold of. Furthermore, the weapon turns armor into scrap, which helps the teammates who want a T4 or T5 weapon access it quicker. Arguably, this is one of the best Signature weapons for team synergy on this Scavengers Weapon Tier List. It is certainly worth taking this into account for a variety of early and late-game focused playstyles.

After that, the T2 and T4 are on the same level of strength. The T2 is the middle ground of the T4, with less damage but better ammo. On the other hand, the T4 loses ammo in favour of explosive rounds. If you need the extra mag space, go T2. Meanwhile, if you know you can land your headshots, go T4.

 

Cruz

  • Cazador – T2 – SMG exlcusive to Cruz.
  • Cazador 812 GTR – T3 – adds extended magazine and a higher rate of fire.
  • Cazador Cheetah – T4 – adds a burst fire mode instead of a full auto mode.
  • Cazador Shiver – T5 – Hitting enemies applies a freezing effect, slowing down their movement speed.

 

The best Cazador here is the Shiver. Adding a slowing effect is great for the PvP end game scenarios that the perk is all about. By the time you get the T5, it is definitely worth the wait. Furthermore, Cruz doesn’t necessarily need his SMG that early anyway as his fast pace playstyle can use melee, SMG or shotty drops from the world; even ARs are fine. This is one of the only exceptions in the Scavengers Weapon Tier List when it comes to T5 Signature weapons.

The next best is the T3. The increased fire and extended magazine rate makes it arguably the best for the early and mid-game and is still very good in the late game. 

Following on, the T2 is the next best as it gives a glimpse of the weapon, and you’ll know you’ll like the character at that point. Finally, the T4 is the worst because adding burst fire to an SMG is rather pointless.

Weapon Grades Explained

White: Trash weapon to craft in signature and world picks more often than not. 

Green: Uncommon items that you can often see dropped in the game, especially at data sites. These become craftable at level 2 when in-game.

Blue: Rare quality items that are fairly rare to get a hold of. Often similar calibre to the Signature weapons in terms of strength. Players need to be level three before you can craft them.

Purple: Epic tier items that are very strong or fairly rare world drops. Purple quality Wildcard or signature weapons become craftable at level 4.

Yellow:  Legendary weapons are extremely rare drops in the world or are craftable via the research for certain Scavengers. Players need to be level 5, and they typically require 900 scrap to build.