The Finals is an absolute blast to play with friends, being a team-based first-person-shooter at heart, where players must compete in a variety of different modes for victory. The game is arcade-like, featuring fast-paced action, destructive environments, as well as a class system that dictates what weapons and equipment players can use. New weapons have also been introduced into the game with the debut of Season 3, offering plenty of options for players to choose from.
The Finals does a perfect job of offering players complete control over the customization of their classes. Though players can simply throw on whatever weapon they have earned throughout their playtime, the differences in each weapon's performance do shape the overall meta for the game quite a bit — making some particular weapon choices stand out from the rest.
The Finals: Which Character Class Should You Choose?
There are a total of three classes in The Finals, each with its own unique roster of weapons and Specializations. But which one should you choose?
Updated on June 19, 2024, by Nathan Round: Season 3 for The Finals has made its debut and includes three additional weapons at launch. With the latest season arrives a whole string of weapon balancing updates too, including buffs to the SH1900, a damage nerf to the CL-40, changes to the LH1, and recoil pattern adjustments to both the Lewis Gun and the M60. This article has been updated to reflect these changes, along with adjustments to some of the weapon rankings — with the S Tier rankings in particular proving rather surprising to some players.
The Finals Weapon Tier List
There are a total of 27 available weapons as of the release of The Finals Season 3, each of which offers its own unique benefits and drawbacks. While some weapons may find themselves in a stable position within the overall meta, weapon buffs and nerfs are bound to occur with each major update — often adjusting their ranking over time.
|
S-Tier |
XP-54, FCAR, LH1 |
|---|---|
|
A-Tier |
M11, AKM, M60, SH1900, SA1216 |
|
B-Tier |
Lewis Gun, SR-84, Model 1887, V95, 93R, FAMAS, Recurve Bow |
|
C-Tier |
R.357, CL-40, MGL32, Sword, KS-23 |
|
D-Tier |
Throwing Knives, Dual Blades, Dagger, Sledgehammer, Spear, Flamethrower, Riot Shield |
S-Tier Weapons In The Finals
S-Tier is home to the absolute best weapons for the Light and Medium classes in The Finals, serving as the most reliable options within the game. The weapons to make it into S-Tier are:
- XP-54 (Light Class) - The ideal choice for players looking to run-and-gun. While the M11 has a slightly better DPS on average, the XP-54 beats the M11 at medium range while still proving effective up close. The XP-54 also has less recoil and offers enhanced accuracy with its built-in scope.
- FCAR (Medium Class) - The perfect Assault Rifle to use for medium-range engagements. The damage of the FCAR is pretty high when compared to the other available full-auto Assault Rifle for the Medium Class, the AKM. The range potential is also much better than the AKM, especially with its built-in sight. Though the magazine capacity is relatively low when compared to other options, its fast reload speed of just 1.8 seconds more than makes up for this.
- LH1 (Light Class) - In a surprising turn of events, the LH1 has taken the Lewis Gun's spot for the third-best weapon to use in The Finals. This semi-automatic Rifle is tailored for mid-to-long-range engagements, but Season 3 has now made it much easier to use for all scenarios thanks to its updated firing animation. Though the semi-auto nature of this weapon may turn some players away, the LH1 possesses a high fire rate (280 RPM as of Season 3) and an exceptionally high DPS of 52 to the body (98 to the head). This grants it an exceptionally fast TTK but does require a keen level of accuracy to be effective.
A-Tier Weapons In The Finals
The A-Tier is home to weapons that, though not quite surpassing those found in S-Tier, are still some of the top weapons in the game. The A-Tier weapons for The Finals include:
- M11 (Light Class) - A deadly Machine Pistol that thrives in the close-range meta. While it does boast a higher damage output than the XP-54 thanks to its faster rate of fire, the M11 is rather restricted to just close-range engagements due to its damage fall-off range and higher level of recoil. Despite this flaw, however, it is still an exceptional run-and-gun weapon to add to your best Light builds.
- AKM (Medium Class) - A close second to the FCAR for the best weapon for the Medium Class. The damage difference between both options is relatively small, and the AKM retains the same fire rate as its competitor. The AKM also has a larger magazine size, making it ideal for less accurate players. However, in terms of raw damage potential, the AKM is still behind.
- M60 (Heavy Class) - A powerful LMG that proves remarkably effective for close-and-medium range engagements. The M60 has recently received a much-needed buff to its recoil for Season 3, which becomes relatively easier to control the longer the trigger is held down. This makes the M60 arguably the best gun to use for the Heavy Class, ranking it above the Lewis Gun. However, its damage has been nerfed slightly, preventing the M60 from ranking higher in the meta than it did last season.
- SH1900 (Light Class) - A standout close-range weapon for the Light Class. This Shotgun recently received a nerf to its fire rate but a much-needed buff to its damage per pellet for Season 3. Now, players can achieve a solid two-shot kill against both Medium and Heavy Classes, making it one of the best Shotguns available. Of course, players will need to be up close to make the most of this weapon's damage range.
- SA1216 (Heavy Class) - A fast-firing Shotgun with superb damage potential up close. With its decently large magazine size, and its fast fire rate, the SA1216 is much more forgiving in the sense that players do not need to be super accurate to use it. The only drawback this option has is the small downtime it has after firing 4 shots, making it a slight hindrance if you are unable to take down your opponent during a fight.
The Finals Season 2: 5v5 Power Shift Mode Guide
The 5v5 Power Shift mode in The Finals Season 2 is a distinctive take on the classic Payload formula, adding larger firefights to smaller areas.
B-Tier Weapons In The Finals
B-Tier is the ranking placed on weapons that are still pretty great to use but do not necessarily hold a candle to weapons within the above two tiers. The weapons to make it into B-Tier for The Finals are:
- Lewis Gun (Heavy Class) - While the Lewis Gun was once an S-Tier weapon, it has unfortunately lost its crown with Season 3 thanks to the drastic increase to its recoil along with its damage nerf. The weapon can still be a viable option when firing from the hip at close range, but in terms of overall versatility, players are better off running with the M60.
- SR-84 (Light Class) - Serving as the only available Sniper Rifle in the game, the SR-84 has pretty big shoes to fill. It has the best range out of all the weapons in the game, along with providing players with a consistent one-shot kill to Light and Medium Classes if you hit either in the head. The only thing holding this weapon back is that it is a rather niche weapon and can only really be used effectively on certain maps that provide great vantage points for sniping.
- Model 1887 (Medium Class) - A favorable Shotgun when it comes to The Finals. The Model 1887 is good, boasting 6 rounds that each allow players to pull off some serious damage potential. Though fairly strong, its tight pellet spread does force players to be rather accurate to use it effectively, granting it a higher skill gap than some other weapons in the game.
- V95 (Light Class) - A silenced, semi-auto Pistol boasting a fairly fast fire rate and sleight-of-hand reload speeds. Though a formidable weapon in the right hands, the V95 is much less forgiving up close, for accuracy and a fast trigger finger are required to outgun almost any other weapon in the game.
- 93R (Light Class) - A burst-fire Handgun with fast-reload speeds and superb hip-fire accuracy. The 93R has become more viable with the recent buff it received for its damage-per-shot, but it still does not quite hold its own against many of the fully-automatic weapons in the game.
- FAMAS (Medium Class) - The FAMAS is a standout Assault Rifle with its three-round-burst fire action. The FAMAS has excellent accuracy and is more tailored for medium-to-long-range engagements. Much like the 93R, the FAMAS also possesses decent hip-fire accuracy for close-range engagements. However, the damage output of the FAMAS leaves much to be desired, and although it recently received a damage buff with Season 3, this update does little to make the weapon a viable meta option.
- Recurve Bow (Light Class) - The latest addition to the Light Class' roster of weapons. The Recurve Bow is a solid option for dealing high damage across range, as the longer the bow is drawn, the more viable it becomes at a distance. However, when compared to long-range options like the SR-84, the Recurve Bow is fairly outclassed thanks to its lower projectile speed.
C-Tier Weapons In The Finals
The weapons for C-Tier are some of the lesser viable options in the game. Though each weapon here can be a good choice for a particular niche of players, they do not quite compete against all the aforementioned weapons on this list. C-Tier is home to the following:
- R.357 (Medium Class) - Once regarded as one of the best Handguns in the game, the R.357 has been knocked down slightly thanks to the reduction of its effective damage range as of Season 2. This weapon does still have high-damage potential, especially when going for critical hits. However, with its emphasis on good accuracy, you're better off running some of the other weapons for your Medium build.
- CL-40 (Medium Class) - An exceptional choice for the end of Season 1 thanks to its innate ability to damage players through shields. However, with its ability to counter Dome Shields and Mesh Shields now removed, the CL-40 does not necessarily have a use. The splash damage to this Launcher is also quite poor, making it rather insufficient for crowd control. Though Season 3 has increased the fire rate, the damage has received a severe nerf, further cementing its low ranking.
- MGL32 (Heavy Class) - Much like the CL-40, the MGL32 has become rather redundant as it can no longer pierce through shields. This grenade launcher is also rather unreliable because its rounds tend to bounce off of surfaces, rather than exploding on impact.
- Sword (Light Class) - Melee weapons, in general, are a poor choice for The Finals. However, out of all those available, the Sword is arguably the best one. This is largely down to its balance between a fairly fast attack speed and middle-of-the-pack damage output. Pair this with the fact that you can use Evasive Dash to close the distance between opponents, and you have a better opportunity for gaining eliminations with this melee weapon over other options.
- KS-23 (Heavy Class) - Though the introduction of slug-rounds may intrigue some players, the KS-23 is not a good Shotgun by any means. This weapon is one of the few guns that requires you to lead your shots, as the travel time is rather slow. The KS-23 also lacks the pellet spread that is generally favored among other Shotguns, while also failing to deal meaningful damage to make up for that very tradeoff.
D-Tier Weapons In The Finals
Last but not least, there is D-Tier, which includes arguably the least viable weapons in The Finals. While some of the most skilled players will be able to dominate with the weapons within D-Tier, ultimately, they have fully lost their place within the meta. The D-Tier weapons of The Finals include:
- Throwing Knives (Light Class) - Just as expected, the use of Throwing Knives provides silent projectiles that can be fired in short bursts or as pairs. Though the projectile speed of the Throwing Knives' secondary attack was increased for Season 3, the projectile speed of the weapon's primary attack has been severely nerfed. The weapon also still fails to dish out damage faster than most other weapons in the game.
- Dual Blades (Medium Class) - Arriving with the Season 3 update, the Dual Blades serve as an additional melee weapon for the Medium Class. The attack speed is fairly high compared to other class options, and the weapon is a much-needed upgrade from the Riot Shield. The ability to deflect projectiles is also a neat feature and requires a keen level of skill to pull off. However, melee weapons in general do not perform well in the overall meta, and the Dual Blades are no exception.
- Dagger (Light Class) - A nifty bladed weapon for the Light Class. Though the Dagger does offer one of the fastest attack speeds out of all the available melee weapons in the game, its overall damage is pretty poor in comparison.
- Sledgehammer (Heavy Class) - Arguably one of the least viable weapons in The Finals because the Heavy Class is rather slow-moving, making it much harder to get up close and use a Melee weapon effectively.
- Spear (Heavy Class) - Arriving for the Heavy Class for Season 3, the Spear acts as a more forgiving melee weapon over the Sledgehammer when it comes to attack speed. However, though sporting much better range, the low damage potential of the Spear holds it back rather considerably and is rather outclassed by most other weapons in the game.
- Flamethrower (Heavy Class) - A rather niche weapon when it comes to the Heavy Class. Though the Flamethrower is great for consistently clearing up gas left by Gas Mines and Gas Grenades, its only other use is to pierce enemies standing close to each other — an attribute that is covered by most other Shotguns and Equipment.
- Riot Shield (Medium Class) - Though serving as the only available weapon capable of blocking incoming damage, running the Riot Shield for the Medium Class truly hurts your damage potential. Pair this with the availability of the Heavy Class's barricade and Dome Shield, and you'll find that the Riot Shield is made rather redundant.
The Finals
- Released
- December 8, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- Embark Studios
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Genre(s)
- FPS
