Fortnite best weapons tier list for Chapter 5 Season 1

The best weapons for your loadout.

Image credit: Epic Games

Guide by Jessica Orr Senior Guides Writer

Additional contributions by Jake Green

Updated on 4 Dec 2023

The best weapons in Fortnite can help you get to the final Storm Circle and secure that sweet Victory Royale if you play your cards just right.

As there's so many weapons and items constantly being added, vaulted, and unvaulted in Fortnite, we've made a tier list of the best weapons in the current Chapter 5 Season 1 update to help you secure eliminations, or avoid being downed yourself.

This is a guide for the Battle Royale mode of Fortnite, so the reasoning and stats for each weapon listed won't apply if you're playing on Save The World.

On this page:

Best weapons in Fortnite explained
Best weapons in Fortnite tier list for Chapter 5 Season 1
List of vaulted weapons from Chapter 4 OG

Best weapons in Fortnite explained

Our tier list of the best weapons in Fortnite will primarily focus on the offensive stats and capabilities of the various weapons found on the Battle Royale island.

Please keep in mind that just because we've listed a weapon higher than another, it doesn't mean you should only use those. Some of the best loot is hard to find, and how much you like using a weapon, or how good you are with one, should also factor in to what loadout you choose to go with.

We also won't move a weapon up in our tier list if a sudden exploit becomes available, as these weapons are usually vaulted by Epic as soon as it is aware of the bug, then brought back when the item is balanced properly.

Inventory space is limited - so choose wisely when coming across the best weapons in Fortnite!

fortnite underground lavish lair epic games screenshot — Image credit: Epic Games.

Best weapons in Fortnite tier list for Chapter 5 Season 1

We know of 16 weapons in the current Chapter 5 Season 1 version of Fortnite.

Chapter 5 Season 1 added a lot of new weapons, and this time you can mod them at Weapon Mod Benches, so keep in mind that the weapons we rank highly below might depend on getting specific mods for them. Don't worry, if this is the case, we'll mention it, so make sure to read the reasoning for each weapon below to see what we think of it!

Keep in mind that when you find a weapon as loot, it probably already has a mod attached to it. If it's of Uncommon rarity, it'll already have one mod. If it's of Rare rarity, it'll have two mods. Epic rarity, three mods. And Legendary, four.

Lastly, you can remove mods at Weapon Mod stations, and remember that not every mod works with every weapon.

With all that in mind, here's our Fortnite best weapons tier list for Chapter 5 Season 1:

Weapon	Tier	Rarities	Reasoning
Valeria's Hyper SMG	SS-tier	Mythic	The Vertical Foregrip mod on Valeria's Hyper SMG, along with its increased damage, makes it our pick for the best weapon in Chapter 5 Season 1 right now - at least, when fighting at close-range. The Hyper SMG is a very quick weapon already, but it suffers from annoying vertical recoil. So Valeria's mods are very handy, changing it to having practically no recoil at all. The suppressor, scope, and increased magazine capacity are also huge improvements.
Nisha's Striker AR	SS-tier	Mythic	If you like the power and fire rate of Valeria's Hyper SMG, but need more range, then Nisha's Striker AR is an excellent alternative pick, as it performs more like a slightly slower SMG than an assault rifle. It's a fantastic pick for general use across the map, and is very easy to use.
Hyper SMG	S-tier	Mythic	The Hyper SMG has a very speedy rate of fire, but suffers from annoying vertical recoil. Adding just one mod to reduce this recoil fixes the only real problem with the Hyper SMG. Adding even more mods makes the Hyper SMG the best short-range weapon in the current season that can also hold its own at medium range. Valeria's Hyper SMG is the Mythic version and we highly recommend using it instead if you come across it.
Diamond Heart's Enforcer AR	S-tier	Mythic	Diamond Heart's version of the Enforcer AR has a huge 25 round capacity and a steady single-shot 3.95 rate of fire. It might be a little slow for some, but its damage makes up for this if you're consistently landing shots.
Montague's Enforcer AR	S-tier	Mythic	Montague's Enforcer AR is very similar to Diamond Heart's Enforcer AR, with 28 magazine size, and a 5 rate of fire. There's very little difference between the two, so if you're not a fan of the slow rate of fire, then you might want to go for a different AR. If you can consistently land shots, however, then Montague's Enforcer AR is great for medium to long-range encounters.
Oscar's Frenzy Auto Shotgun	A-tier	Mythic	This Mythic version of the Frenzy Auto Shotgun has an eight shell capacity, and a speedy 2.5 firing rate - quick for a shotgun! It's a very forgiving weapon because of this, so along with its damage, Oscar's Frenzy Auto Shotgun is currently one of the best short-range weapons to use in Fortnite right now if you don't want to use an SMG.
Ranger Pistol	A-tier	Common Uncommon Rare Epic Legendary	It may be classified as a pistol, but the Ranger Pistol is more like an SMG due to its speedy rate of fire. It really shines when you add the full set of mods to it, however, as the Legendary version of the Ranger Pistol can eliminate enemies at incredible speeds, even if they have full health and shields.
Striker AR	A-tier	Common Uncommon Rare Epic Legendary	If you could guarantee getting one with a scope mod, the Striker AR would be even higher on our list. That said, it's still a fantastic general use assault rifle, especially at medium range, with a high rate of fire. It can also hold its own at long-range, especially if you have a scope.
Thunder Burst SMG	A-tier	Common Uncommon Rare Epic Legendary	Another brilliant SMG, the Thunder Burst can even help out in medium-range combat scenarios if it has a scope mod. You just have to take account of the vertical recoil if you don't have a pre-modded version if you want to get the most out of this powerful burst SMG.
Reaper Sniper Rifle	A-tier	Common Uncommon Rare Epic Legendary	As it's the only sniper rifle in Fortnite right now, the Reaper Sniper Rifle is a must for those who like picking their targets off from a distance. As it's the only one available, it's a good thing that the Reaper Sniper Rifle is also a fantastic one-shot killing machine for those with a steady aim! If you're not confident in taking headshots or recovering after a missed shot, then you might want to switch to an assault rifle instead.
Peter's Griffin's Hammer Pump Shotgun	B-tier	Mythic	This unique shotgun adds a scope, which changes the view to first-person when you aim down the sights. It's a bit clucky to control if you're not used to the kickback in first-person, but it's very handy for medium-range encounters that you can't handle with an assault rifle. There are better short-range and medium-range weapons, but the power of this shotgun means it can work if you don't have better guns.
Nemesis AR	B-tier	Common Uncommon Rare Epic Legendary	The Nemesis AR is your standard jack-of-all-trades assault rifle with a moderate rate of fire. It won't be the best weapon to use, but it is one of the easiest, so it's a great gun to pick if you don't want to worry about landing headshots or switching between weapons. The Nemesis AR can almost do it all, it just can't do it the best.
Frenzy Auto Shotgun	B-tier	Common Uncommon Rare Epic Legendary	Although it's not the most powerful weapon, the Frenzy Auto Shotgun is very beginner friendly, as it holds a lot of shells and has a quick rate of fire for a shotgun. This makes it forgiving if you miss a shot or two. We don't recommend using the Frenzy Auto Shotgun after you get used to combat, however, as it won't be much help against weapons with a greater rate of fire at close-range.
Ballistic Shield	B-tier	Epic	It's a bit of a gimmick weapon, but the Ballistic Shield actually comes with a pistol as well, and the shield can't be destroyed. This means it's great for laying down cover fire as you make your way across a dangerous area, especially if you're trying to lure an enemy while playing in a team. The shield can get knocked back, however, so keep this in mind while planning the length of your route. For general combat, the Ballistic Shield and its pistol is best suited for beginners.
Hammer Pump Shotgun	C-tier	Common Uncommon Rare Epic Legendary	It's best to go for a Hammer Pump Shotgun with no scope if you really want to get the most out of it. The Hammer Pump Shotgun isn't bad, but an SMG is far better at short and medium-range.
Cluster Clinger	C-tier	Uncommon	Cluster Clingers are a fun explosive that stick to any surface you throw them to, then eject tiny explosives around that area. While the damage of these explosions is decent, Cluster Clingers are best used for destroying enemy structures or buildings, so you can lure an opponent out and finish them off.

List of vaulted weapons from Chapter 4 OG

With a new Fortnite season comes a shakeup in the loot pool - for better and for worse. Some of your favourite weapons might no longer be playable on the current version of the ever-changing island, so we've compiled all the weapons below that got vaulted at the start of Chapter 5 Season 1.