If you’re trying to figure out which weapons are actually worth using in the WARDOGS playtest, there’s one thing worth knowing before looking at the S, A, B, and C tiers: the strongest gun isn’t automatically the best purchase.
WARDOGS has an economy built around your loadout. You start with $10,000, and the money you spend on weapons and equipment matters. A weapon that looks amazing on paper can become a questionable choice if a cheaper option gives you almost the same performance while leaving money for the rest of your kit.
For this tier list, the weapons are primarily ranked using the available damage, rate of fire, shots to kill, and modeled time-to-kill (TTK) data. The ranking is based on Alpha 1 data from August 7, 2026, so keep in mind that things like recoil, armor, attachments, penetration, and actual player performance aren’t fully represented yet.
WARDOGS Playtest Tier List – Best Weapons Ranked
Here’s the current breakdown:
S Tier – Best Raw TTK
These are the three weapons that come out on top in the current TTK model.
| Weapon | Price | Type | Damage | RPM | Shots |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FAL | $6,500 | Battle Rifle | 60 | 650 | 2 |
| SVD | $4,800 | DMR | 55 | 480 | 2 |
| BMR-308 | $6,000 | DMR | 60 | 450 | 2 |
FAL
The FAL currently sits at the top of the raw TTK ranking.
It hits for 60 damage and fires at 650 RPM, requiring only two shots against the hypothetical 100-health target used by the model.
That gives it an extremely fast modeled close-range TTK of 92 ms.
The downside is obvious: $6,500 is a serious chunk of your starting $10,000. So while the FAL is technically the fastest weapon on this list, buying it means giving up a lot of money that could otherwise go toward the rest of your loadout.
SVD
The SVD is particularly interesting because it sits at $4,800, considerably cheaper than the FAL while still taking only two shots in the model.
Its close-range TTK is 125 ms, with medium and long modeled values of 306 ms and 356 ms.
If you want something close to the top of the raw damage rankings without spending almost two-thirds of your starting cash, the SVD makes a strong argument for itself.
BMR-308
The BMR-308 rounds out S Tier.
It deals 60 damage at 450 RPM, requiring two shots and producing modeled TTK values of 133 ms close, 326 ms medium, and 380 ms long.
It’s slower than the FAL, but still extremely competitive. At $6,000, though, it faces the same economy problem as the FAL: you’re paying a lot for that performance.
A Tier – Strong and Competitive
A Tier contains weapons that remain very competitive but either lose some raw TTK performance or become more dependent on range and playstyle.
| Weapon | Price | Type | Damage | RPM | Shots |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SUPER-45 | — | SMG | 30 | 1200 | 4 |
| M4 | $2,800 | Assault Rifle | 28 | 800 | 4 |
| T-21 | $600 | Assault Rifle | 28 | 750 | 4 |
| A-91 | — | Assault Rifle | 28 | 700 | 4 |
| BUSHMASTER M17S | $0 | Assault Rifle | 28 | 700 | 4 |
| KH-2002 | — | Assault Rifle | 28 | 700 | 4 |
SUPER-45
The SUPER-45 is an interesting SMG thanks to its 1,200 RPM fire rate.
Its modeled close-range TTK is just 150 ms, making it one of the fastest close-range options despite requiring four shots.
Its performance drops considerably at longer ranges, though, which is exactly what you’d expect from an SMG.
M4
The M4 is one of the safer all-round choices.
With 28 damage, 800 RPM, and four shots to kill, it produces a modeled close-range TTK of 225 ms.
The biggest reason to consider it is that it doesn’t require the massive investment of the top S Tier rifles. At $2,800, you still have plenty of your starting budget available for the rest of your equipment.
T-21
The T-21 is arguably one of the most interesting weapons from a value perspective.
It costs only $600 while maintaining the same 28 damage and four-shot requirement as several more expensive assault rifles.
Its modeled TTK is 240 ms close, 347 ms medium, and 631 ms long.
For that price, it’s extremely difficult to complain.
A-91
The A-91 has the same basic damage and RPM figures as the BUSHMASTER M17S and KH-2002 in the current model.
Its 28 damage and 700 RPM combination results in a 257 ms close-range TTK.
The problem isn’t necessarily the weapon’s performance; it’s that other weapons can offer similar numbers for less.
BUSHMASTER M17S
The BUSHMASTER M17S deserves special attention because it costs $0.
Yes, completely free.
It has the same modeled 28 damage, 700 RPM, and four-shot requirement as the A-91 and KH-2002.
That makes it one of the most attractive weapons when you’re thinking about the actual WARDOGS economy rather than just raw stats.
There is one major caveat, though: the weapon currently can’t equip attachments. Since attachments aren’t included in the TTK model yet, that limitation could become much more important as the playtest develops.
KH-2002
The KH-2002 has the same current modeled combat numbers as the A-91 and BUSHMASTER M17S.
With 28 damage, 700 RPM, and four shots, it has a modeled close TTK of 257 ms.
It’s a perfectly viable assault rifle under the current data, although the missing price information makes it harder to judge its overall value.
B Tier – Usable, But More Demanding
B Tier weapons are still perfectly usable, but they’re either less forgiving, more specialized, or simply beaten by better options in the current model.
| Weapon | Price | Type | Damage | RPM | Shots |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AK74 | — | Assault Rifle | 26 | 650 | 4 |
| GALIL | $2,200 | Assault Rifle | 28 | 650 | 4 |
| M249 SAW | — | LMG | 28 | 850 | 4 |
| AMP-9 | $900 | SMG | 22 | 900 | 5 |
| MP5 | $1,500 | SMG | 22 | 800 | 5 |
| GGX 18 | — | Machine Pistol | 22 | 1200 | 5 |
AK74
The AK74 deals 26 damage at 650 RPM, requiring four shots under the model.
Its TTK comes out to 277 ms close, 400 ms medium, and 728 ms long.
It’s usable, but there are stronger assault rifle options available.
GALIL
The GALIL improves the damage to 28 while maintaining a 650 RPM fire rate.
It therefore shares the same modeled TTK values as the AK74 despite the difference in damage, because both require four shots under the current 100-health assumption.
At $2,200, it isn’t terrible, but the cheaper T-21 is a difficult comparison to ignore.
M249 SAW
The M249 SAW is the first LMG appearing in the ranked portion of the list.
It fires at 850 RPM with 28 damage, giving it a very respectable 212 ms close-range TTK.
The problem comes at longer ranges, where the model gives it a much worse 1,946 ms long-range TTK.
AMP-9
The AMP-9 is a $900 SMG with 22 damage and 900 RPM.
It needs five shots, producing a modeled close TTK of 267 ms.
It’s a reasonable budget SMG, although its longer-range performance drops heavily.
MP5
The MP5 costs $1,500 and shares the same 22 damage but drops to 800 RPM.
That pushes its close TTK to 300 ms.
It’s still usable, but the AMP-9 gives you a cheaper alternative with a faster firing rate.
GGX 18
The GGX 18 is a machine pistol firing at an impressive 1,200 RPM.
Its 22 damage requires five shots, giving it a modeled close TTK of only 200 ms.
The catch is that its performance falls sharply as range increases, particularly under the machine-pistol hit-rate assumptions.
C Tier – More Niche Choices
C Tier is where the current model starts heavily favoring specific use cases rather than general combat performance.
| Weapon | Price | Type | Damage | RPM | Shots |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| M1911 | $300 | Pistol | 30 | 430 | 4 |
| DEAGLE | $900 | Pistol | 49 | 267 | 3 |
| MOSIN NAGANT | $4,500 | Sniper Rifle | 55 | 46 | 2 |
| SV98 | $5,200 | Sniper Rifle | 55 | 46 | 2 |
| SCOUT RIFLE TD | $1,100 | Sniper Rifle | 28 | 46 | 4 |
M1911
The M1911 costs just $300, making it a cheap sidearm.
It deals 30 damage but has a relatively slow 430 RPM fire rate, producing a modeled close TTK of 419 ms.
It’s inexpensive, but it’s clearly not competing with the main assault rifles for overall performance.
DEAGLE
The DEAGLE hits considerably harder at 49 damage.
It requires three shots under the model, but its low 267 RPM rate of fire keeps the TTK relatively slow.
Its close-range modeled TTK is 449 ms.
MOSIN NAGANT
The MOSIN NAGANT is a sniper rifle with 55 damage and 46 RPM.
The current mathematical model doesn’t really do justice to what a sniper rifle is supposed to accomplish, because it doesn’t account for hit-location multipliers or the practical value of landing a powerful shot.
Its ranking should therefore be treated cautiously.
SV98
The SV98 has the same 55 damage and 46 RPM figures as the Mosin Nagant, producing identical modeled TTK values.
Again, that doesn’t necessarily mean the two weapons will feel identical in actual play.
SCOUT RIFLE TD
The SCOUT RIFLE TD deals only 28 damage at 46 RPM and requires four shots under the model.
That gives it extremely poor calculated TTK values.
However, sniper rifles are one of the clearest examples of why raw TTK shouldn’t be treated as the final answer.
Unranked Weapons
Several weapons currently don’t have enough information to receive a proper tier.
Rather than making up numbers, they remain Unranked until more data is available.
These include:
- GGX 17
- M500
- MP43
- PKM
- SKS
The missing information varies between weapons. Some don’t currently have confirmed damage or RPM figures, while others have only partial information.
So there’s no reason to force them into C or D Tier just to fill out the list.
Why TTK Doesn’t Tell the Whole Story
The current tier list is based heavily on a mathematical model.
For a 100-health hypothetical target, the number of shots is calculated from:
100 ÷ damage, rounded up
TTK is then calculated using the number of shots and rate of fire.
For example, a weapon requiring two shots doesn’t need two complete firing intervals. The first shot happens immediately, meaning the second shot arrives after one firing interval.
That’s why the calculation uses:
(Shots to Kill − 1) × 60 ÷ RPM
The result is displayed in milliseconds.
But there’s an important catch: 100 health is only a hypothetical value. Actual player health information hasn’t been established in the available data, so these TTK values should be viewed as comparison ratios rather than guaranteed in-game stopwatch times.
Range Changes the Rankings
The table also models three different ranges:
- Close
- Medium
- Long
These aren’t currently fixed distances in meters.
Instead, they’re based on assumed hit rates for each weapon class.
| Weapon Type | Close | Medium | Long |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assault Rifle | 75% | 45% | 22% |
| Battle Rifle | 62% | 42% | 24% |
| SMG | 82% | 34% | 12% |
| LMG | 65% | 32% | 14% |
| DMR | 58% | 52% | 38% |
| Pistol | 72% | 28% | 10% |
| Machine Pistol | 62% | 18% | 5% |
| Sniper Rifle | 45% | 60% | 52% |
| Shotgun | 78% | 18% | 3% |
These hit rates are assumptions rather than measured player data, so they shouldn’t be treated as definitive.
The Best Cheap Weapons in WARDOGS
This is where the WARDOGS tier list gets more interesting.
A normal shooter tier list might simply tell you to use the FAL because it has the fastest TTK.
But WARDOGS gives you a limited economy.
You start with $10,000, and that money has to cover your equipment. Spending $6,500 on a FAL leaves only $3,500 for everything else.
Meanwhile, the BUSHMASTER M17S costs nothing while currently sitting at eighth place in the raw TTK ranking.
The T-21 costs only $600 and ranks sixth.
That’s why looking at the price alongside the tier ranking can completely change which weapons make sense.
BUSHMASTER M17S
The BUSHMASTER is arguably the most interesting budget option because its current price is $0.
On raw modeled performance, it isn’t remotely the strongest weapon in the game, but getting similar assault rifle performance without spending anything gives you far more freedom with the rest of your loadout.
The major downside is its lack of attachment support, which the current TTK model doesn’t account for.
T-21
At only $600, the T-21 is another extremely attractive budget weapon.
It ranks above several considerably more expensive guns while costing a fraction of their price.
If you’re trying to preserve cash for armor, equipment, vehicles, or other parts of your loadout, the T-21 is difficult to overlook.
M4
The M4 sits in a nice middle ground.
At $2,800, you’re paying more than you would for the T-21, but you’re still nowhere near the cost of the top-end FAL.
It’s a sensible choice for players who want a dependable assault rifle without burning most of their starting balance.
Weapons That Aren’t Good Value
The same logic also highlights some questionable purchases.
For example, the BMR-308 costs $6,000, while the SVD costs $4,800 and ranks higher in the current TTK model.
Likewise, the GALIL costs $2,200, while the free BUSHMASTER M17S has a higher current TTK ranking.
That doesn’t automatically make those weapons bad. The model doesn’t account for attachments, handling, recoil, or other gameplay factors that could change the result.
But based purely on the available numbers, you’re paying more without getting better modeled TTK performance.
What This Tier List Doesn’t Measure
There are several major factors that could change these rankings once more playtest data becomes available.
The current model doesn’t properly account for:
- Armor and helmets
- Hit-location multipliers
- Armor penetration
- Ammunition types
- Damage falloff
- Bullet travel
- Recoil
- Spread
- Weapon handling
- Attachments
- Magazine size
- Reload speed
- Aim-down-sight timing
- Burst behavior
- Actual player usage
This is especially important for weapons like snipers, where a simple shots-to-kill calculation doesn’t capture the actual reason you’d choose the weapon.
Final Verdict
For pure modeled TTK, the FAL currently takes the top spot, followed by the SVD and BMR-308.
But if you’re actually building a loadout in WARDOGS, I wouldn’t automatically spend your entire budget on the highest-ranked weapon.
The BUSHMASTER M17S and T-21 are particularly interesting because they offer strong modeled performance without demanding much of your starting $10,000.
That’s ultimately what makes WARDOGS different. The best weapon isn’t necessarily the one with the fastest TTK. It’s the weapon that gives you the performance you need without ruining the rest of your loadout budget.
And since this is still based on early Alpha 1 data, expect the rankings to move as proper playtesting fills in the missing pieces.