Anthem Weapons Guide has been carefully crafted to help you, the Anthem player, learn how to use each type of weapon in the game. Additionally, we will also be discussing the unique traits of the Legendary Weapons and Masterworks Weapons that can be found in the game.
Anthem Weapons
There are a lot of weapons in Anthem and each of them is suited for a different playstyle and scenario. Some weapons are good for open-world combat, AoE attacks, and flanking while some of the weapons are designed for indoor fighting, sniping, and silently taking out your opponents.
Of course, there are some terrible weapons in the game, but on the other side of the table, there are some amazing weapons that you will just not want to change.
Each Anthem weapon may have a unique attribute/perk too, and we will discuss that in this Anthem Guide.
Types of Weapons
There are nine different types of weapons in the game, broken down by their common firing abilities or their unique mechanics. Here is a brief list of each category of each type of weapon:
Assault Rifles
Defender | Effective weapon at mid-range. This Assault Rifle is the absolute starter weapon. Has good rate of fire as well as high ammo capacity. |
Warden | 3-bullet burst-fire weapon that is good for long distance combat and can deal more damage if you have a good aim. Good amount of ammo as well. |
Hammerhead | Strongest Assault Rifle, but has relatively low fire rate and ammo capacity. Good for picking off single enemies from a distance. |
Marksman Rifles
Scout | Decent fire-rate and ammo capacity. Good for mid to long-range combat. |
Guardian | 3-bullet burst-fire scope weapon that can deal massive damage if used correctly. Really fun when learning to control its recoil. |
Anvil | High fire-rate and damage, but suffers from high recoil and low ammo capacity. |
Sniper Rifles
Deadeye | Feels like a bolt-action sniper rifle, Deadeye fires a single concise bullet that can one-hit most enemies if aimed properly. |
Whirlwind | High fire-rate and ammo capacity, but significantly low damage as compared to the other Sniper Rifles. |
Devastator | By far the most dangerous Sniper Rifle, Devastator’s bullets explode on contact, and must be used with care. Useful in long range. |
Heavy Pistol
Barrage | High fire-rate and damage, able to barrage bullets into your enemies. |
Resolution | Good fire-rate and damage, a very useful Heavy Pistol. |
Blastback | High damage output but suffers from high recoil; this weapon is good for short-range combat. |
Machine Pistols
Fulcrum | The most balanced pistol: Fulcrum is able to deal good amounts of damage and in small amount of time. This weapon is really great for beginners and experts alike. |
Hailstorm | Fastest pistol in the lands, Hailstorm can unload a crap-load of bullets in extremely small time period. Beware though, you can’t control its recoil very much. |
Trajector | Possibly the only accurate Machine Pistol, the Trajector is able to deal damage to long ranges, with significantly better accuracy than the other pistols. |
Light Machine Guns
Relentless | Deals good amount of damage, as well as has a good amount of bullets, it is a really great weapon for all situations. |
Havoc | The fastest LMG, but the weakest of ‘em all. Can be used to increase aggro so your team-mates can flank enemy forces. |
Sledgehammer | Possibly the heaviest LMG, Sledgehammer has low ammo capacity and fire rate, but a lot of stopping power. |
Shotguns
Scattershot | The most standard Shotgun, with average ammo capacity, damage and fire-rate. |
Vengeance | 2-bullet “burst” shotgun that shoots two bullets in one go. Good damage at close-quarters as well. |
Constrictor | The more you fire this Shotgun, the more constrict it gets. Basically, the more bullets you fire from this weapon at once, the more accurate each shot will get. It has a good fire-rate as well as ammo capacity, and is perfect for people with a jumping reaction. |
Autocannon
Cloudburst | Impressive fire rate and ammo capacity, Cloudburst unloads a lot of bullets in extremely low amounts of time. |
Mauler | Mauler is able to deal a lot of damage in one bullet. Though it has low fire-rate, the first bullet can be shot instantly, making it a good weapon for a west-inspired showdown. |
Torrent | Very similar to the Constrictor, the more the bullets you fire from the Torrent, the more accurate it gets. It is basically a mini machine-gun. |
Grenade Launcher
Aftershock | Shoots sticky grenades that explodes after a certain set of time. |
Bombardier | Shoots bouncy grenades that bounce before they explode. |
Lurker | Shoots remote-controlled grenades that can be detonated at any time. |
Masterwork & Legendary Weapons
The best weapons in the game are, without doubt, the weapons that are graded as either Masterwork or Legendary. Each of these weapons has a Unique Perk that will definitely help you decimate enemies with more ease than the other weapons.
In my opinion, this is the only fun and unique thing about the Weapons in Anthem.
Weapon Name | Derived From | Unique Traits/Perks/Buffs/Effects |
Artinia’s Gambit | Relentless | Explodes in the area when reloading. |
Avenging Herald | Blastback | Damage increases by 200% when hovering. |
Glorious Results | Resolution | Weapon damage increases by 150% for 5 seconds if 2 enemy weak points are hit. |
Fist of Stral | Cloudburst | Hitting an enemy increases damage by 10% for 5 seconds. Stacks up to 10 times. |
Cycle of Pain | Sledgehammer | Hitting an enemy increases fire-rate by 10% for 10 seconds. Stacks up to 10 times. |
Ralner’s Blaze | Hammerhead | Hitting an enemy 5 times will ignite them. |
Vassa’s Surprise | Hailstorm | Recover 25% of magazine ammo when hitting with a melee weapon. |
Endless Siege | Torrent | Base magazine size and base damage is increased by 100%. |
Papa Pump | Scattershot | Reloading increase damage by 150% for 5 seconds. Stacks up to 2 times. |
Retaliation of Garretus | Trajector | When health is lost, weapon’s damage increases by 125% for 10 seconds. |
The Last Stand | Mauler | When health is lost, weapon’s damage increases by 125% for 10 seconds. |
Divine Vengeance | Warden | Hit three enemy weak points to trigger a large fire explosion. |
Thunderbolt of Yvenia | Scout | 33% chance to deal massive electric damage. |
Sentinel’s Vengeance | Aftershock | Deals acid AoE effect when you hit an enemy enough times. |
Insult and Injury | Bombardier | Eliminating an enemy will purge you of negative buffs and boosts buff resistance by 75% for 10 seconds. |
Pyrrhic Victory | Assault Rifle | Hitting an enemy 10 times, or eliminating them, will cause an air explosion. |
Truth of Tarsis | Devastator | Hitting enemy weak points while under a negative buff causes you to start a chain combo. |
Renewed Courage | Havoc | The last shot you shoot from the ammo clip will reduce weapon recoil by 50% for the next 20 seconds. Stacks up to 2 times. |
Elemental Rage | Defender | Hitting an Elite enemy will increase elemental damage by 5% for 10 seconds. Stacks up to 20 times. |
Gawin’s Vengeance | Grenade Launcher | Fires a pellet that will break up into 4 smaller pellets upon detonation. |
Close Encounter | Barrage | Dashing increases your weapon’s damage by 75% for 10 seconds. |
Siege Breaker | Whirlwind | Hit an enemy 3 or more times to freeze them. |
Rolling Carnage | Vengeance | Dashing increases your weapon’s damage by 50% for 20 seconds. Stacks up to 3 times. |
Radiant Fortress | Constrictor | Hitting 8 shots in a single burst fire recharges your shields by 35%. |
Light of The Legion | Marksman Rifle | Empty your magazine to recharge your shields. |
Unending Battle | Fulcrum | Hitting an Elite or higher enemy at close-quarter range will increase weapon and melee damage by 110% for 5 seconds. |
Wyvern Blitz | Deadeye | Hovering while firing bullets will increase the damage the weapon deals to the enemy weak points by 40%. |
Balm of Gavinicus | Lurker | Hitting 2 enemies will restore 25% armor. |
Death from Above | Guardian | While hovering, weapon will deal 65% more weak point damage. |
Soothing Touch | Anvil | Hits reduce recoil by 50% for 5 seconds. Stacks up to 3 times. |