hero-image

Valorant weapon tier list: Best weapons for December 2024

Valorant weapon tier list is something many players search for. The game provides a wide variety of weapons for its players. With Valorant entering Episode 9, selecting the right type of weapon is crucial. These are divided into four types: Sidearm, SMG (Sub Machine Guns), Rifles, and Sniper Rifles. The armory also provides two more, which are the Armory and Abilities.

While Valorant's selection of weapons is quite similar to that of its competitors, the combination with the Agent's abilities makes them feel unique. Many of these weapons have seen a lot of changes since the game's release.

This article will rank all the current weapons in a detailed Valorant weapon tier list for December 2024.

Note: This list is subjective and solely reflects the writer's opinions


Valorant weapon tier list: All weapons ranked best to worst

Currently, there are 19 weapons for players to choose from in Valorant. These have been divided into five tiers in the Valorant weapon tier list.

  1. S-tier
  2. A-tier
  3. B-tier
  4. C-tier
  5. D-tier

S is the highest tier, and D is the lowest. Here is the tier list for Valorant weapons:

TierWeapon
SClassic, Vandal, Marshal
APhantom, Spectre, Ghost, Sheriff, Operator, Judge
BOdin, Stinger, Outlaw, Shorty, Guardian, Bulldog
CFrenzy, Ares, Bucky
DMelee

S tier

This tier contains the best weapons that feel easier to use for most situations in Valorant. This includes the following weapons:

Classic

Valorant Classic in-game look (Image via Riot Games)
Valorant Classic in-game look (Image via Riot Games)

Classic is the weapon every player is handed at the start of the round. With its 0 credits price, the weapon is handy for taking down enemies effectively at both close and long ranges. Its alternate fire mode is the most broken aspect as it acts like a shotgun and can sometimes take out enemies with a single burst of bullets. This makes Classic a worthy S-tier weapon in the Valorant weapon tier list.


Vandal

Valorant Vandal in-game look (Image via Riot Games)
Valorant Vandal in-game look (Image via Riot Games)

Vandal is the go-to weapon for most players in Valorant. Coming for 2900 credits, it is far superior to its counterpart, Phantom. This is due to its ability to instantly kill enemies with a headshot at any range. A bonus for Vandal is it has some of the best skin collections for players to choose from.


Marshal

Marshal is one of the three Sniper Rifles in the game and costs 950 credits. The gun does 101 damage to the body and instantly kills with a headshot. The movement speed is very fast while playing with this weapon, allowing players to peek quicker and retreat safely.

Marshal is a sniper weapon in Valorant (Image via Riot Games)
Marshal is a sniper weapon in Valorant (Image via Riot Games)

The Marshal is easily the best Sniper Rifle, as getting kills with it doesn't feel as difficult, and there's a lot of margin for error. Hence it is on the S-tier of the Valorant weapon tier list.

Also Read: Valorant Agent tier list


A tier

This tier contains the weapons that aren't the best but feel great to use and can be very impactful if used correctly.

The weapons in this tier are:

  • Phantom
  • Spectre
  • Ghost
  • Sheriff
  • Operator
  • Judge

Phantom, Spectre, and Ghost are the only three weapons in Valorant with a silencer that shoots non-traceable bullets. With these guns, players can easily spam bullets through the smoke without the fear of being killed. These weapons are also much more accurate than the rest during the "run and gun" moments.

While the Ghost and Spectre are great weapons for pistol rounds and the ones with half purchases, the Phantom can sometimes fail to fulfill its purpose for the important rounds. The worst aspect is how its damage reduces with an increase in range. This leads to many players ignoring it and choosing the Vandal instead.

The Sheriff is essentially a hand cannon that costs 800 credits. The weapon does 55 damage to the body and can instantly kill enemies with a headshot, depending on the range. While these things may all look good on paper, what drags the Sheriff down is its magazine capacity, as it only carries a total of six bullets in one chamber.

The weapon, Operator (Image via Riot Games)
The weapon, Operator (Image via Riot Games)

Operator is a Sniper Rifle that is the most expensive weapon in the game, with a price tag of 4700 credits. It is the only weapon in the game that can kill enemies with a single body shot despite having heavy shields. It can turn matches around but is held back due to how slow it makes the player's movement. For this reason alone it is placed in the A-tier of the Valorant weapon tier list.

The Judge is one of the most controversial shotguns in the game. This gun has seen many significant changes but remains a difficult one to deal with. Players can destroy enemies with it due to its fast fire rate and ridiculous damage. It is a deadly weapon to go against in close-ranged maps like Split or Bind and can truly turn things around for your team in a match.


B tier

This tier contains the weapons that are difficult to use and find value with.

The weapons in this tier are:

  • Odin
  • Stinger
  • Outlaw
  • Shorty
  • Guardian
  • Bulldog

Odin and Stinger are two weapons with some of the fastest fire rates in the game, landing them in the B-tier of the Valorant weapon tier list. The former is great at spamming through walls, while the latter is very effective in close range during rounds with low purchases. However, both suffer majorly due to their low damage rates and the inability to kill enemies quickly with a headshot.

The weapon, Outlaw (Image via Riot Games)
The weapon, Outlaw (Image via Riot Games)

The Shorty and Outlaw are the only two weapons with two bullets in one magazine. The latter can shred enemies with its 140 damage to the body, while the former can lead to instant kills at close range.

However, their magazine size is what holds them back from being stronger, as after missing the two bullets, the player is vulnerable and can be overwhelmed very easily. The Outlaw also suffers due to its price of 2400 credits, as purchasing it can heavily affect the economy if the player cannot find value in it.

Guardian and Bulldogs are two Rifles that are heavily overlooked by many. The Guardian is best for people with incredible accuracy, whereas the Bulldog is a great substitute for a Vandal or Bulldog. Unfortunately, both weapons have comparatively slow fire rates that make them more difficult to use and, overall, less impactful. Due to this, they are suitable for the B-tier in the Valorant weapon tier list.

Also Read: Valorant active map pool


C tier

This tier includes weapons that aren't great for usage and extremely difficult to find value with.

The weapons in this tier are:

  • Frenzy
  • Ares
  • Bucky

Frenzy is the only automatic Sidearm in Valorant. The weapon looks very overpowered for pistol rounds on paper, but that isn't the case. The Frenzy runs out of bullets very quickly, making it much less effective than most Sidearms of Valorant. However, it offers the players a little bit of "run and gun" accuracy advantage.

The weapon, Frenzy (Image via Riot Games)
The weapon, Frenzy (Image via Riot Games)

Ares is a machine gun similar to Odin that is best when used to spam bullets through walls due to its high penetration factor. However, in the same fashion, it is also very ineffective while taking duels head-on. It is comparatively more difficult to control and puts players in vulnerable situations.

Bucky was once the go-to shotgun for many players in Valorant. The weapon that was once able to deal an enormous amount of damage at any range is now only effective in close-range battles. Its slow fire rate and a very tricky secondary fire make it very difficult to get value most of the time. Hence it is ranked in the C-tier of the Valorant weapon tier list.


D tier

This tier contains weapons that are very situational and should rarely be used. This includes:

  • Melee
The weapon, Melee (Image via Riot Games)
The weapon, Melee (Image via Riot Games)

Melee is certainly the worst weapon in the Valorant weapon tier list. However, this is a very deliberate choice. The Melee can deal 50 or 75 damage depending on the firing type and is an instant kill if used to stab enemies in the back. As the Melee felt a bit clunky to use, especially on the front side, the developers made some changes that made it slightly better.


For more lists and guides relating to the game like the Valorant weapon tier list, check out Sportskeeda's Valorant page.

Check out other Valorant tier lists like the Valorant weapon tier list from Sportskeeda:

Valorant Abyss Agent tier list
Valorant Bind Agent tier list
Valorant Ascent Agent tier list
Valorant Icebox Agent tier list
Valorant Breeze Agent tier list
Valorant Lotus Agent tier list
Valorant Sunset Agent tier list

You may also like