[Top 10] Apex Legends Best Arena Guns

Updated:

11 Dec 2023

[Top 10] Apex Legends Best Arena Guns

10. Alternator

This SMG has moved up and down the meta a few times over recent seasons. The Alternator combines the best of all aspects in the SMG class for a well balanced weapon that can work in nearly all situations .

Despite its advantages the Alternator will still easily be outclassed in both super close and long range fights, keep your opponents at a comfortable distance (mid-range) and use the low recoil to your advantage.

Pros:

Low recoil, easily controllable.
High damage for SMG class.
Cheap to purchase, upgradeable in round one.
Low level friendly.

Cons:

Low rate of fire.
Weak at close range.

9. Volt

Placed here due to its significant advantage over other SMG’s, the iron sights. Some of us struggle with iron sights and almost always equip an attachable sight when playing in Battle Royale, yet that can not be done in Arena without a purchase.

If you need a less obstructive sight but can’t afford it in round one you are immediately at a disadvantage. The Volt arguably has the best iron sights in the game, so make this your round one choice and swap it out later on.

Pros:

Clearest iron sights of any gun.
Recoil pattern is easy to control.
High rate of fire.
Cheap to purchase.

Cons:

Low damage.
Not a good late round pick.

8. Spitfire

Adjust your playstyle a little, try to hold your opponents at medium range and suppress them with this LMG’s solid rate of fire and high magazine capacity, the low recoil will let you grind away at an enemies resources from a safe distance.

Ifyou're confident in your aim, take it close range and play a support role to your teammates, you’ll definitely take damage in those 1v1’s but the magazine size will swing the fight in your favor. Either way, a full team running spitfires is a serious challenge for any opponent.

Pros:

Largest magazine size in game, even without extended mags.
Very low recoil.
Good mid game choice.
Affordable upgrades.

Cons:

Weak in close quarters.
Bad ironsights.
Low rate of fire.

7. G7 Scout

Despite the fast paced playstyle of Arena mode, playing it slow can actually yield good results. Most maps have a “high ground” which will give you a significant advantage. The best results will come if you use this in late rounds when you aren't restricted by economy.

Fully upgrade it for the 2 x 4 optic and harass the enemy non stop, pair it with a cheap SMG as a backup and you’re golden. Whilst it's not a safe pick for the first round of a game you can still make the purchase, it comes equipped with a 1x Hcog and can be used in semi-close quarters, similar to how you would play with the Wingman.

Pros:

High damage.
Low recoil.
High rate of fire.
Perfect for accurate players.

Cons:

Very expensive.
Bad first round purchase.
Weak in close quarters.

6. Flatline

An excellent first round pick. It’s hard hitting across all ranges, has a solid rate of fire,a large magazine size and the iron sights are excellent with a clear view. It’s expensive and you won’t have any cash left for heal items, so have a teammate play Lifeline if you really want to make up that deficit.

Whilst you can upgrade it further in the later rounds, the higher magnification on optics makes it near unusable at long range due to its recoil pattern, so your best choice is to remove them and play to its strengths.

Pros:

High damage.
Solid rate of fire.
High magazine capacity.
Good iron sights.

Cons:

Awkward recoil pattern, difficult to master.
Expensive to purchase.
Upgrades are expensive.

5. R301

Well balanced, capable across all ranges and devastating when paired with an anvil receiver. The best choice for versatile players who can do it all, it's also incredibly forgiving for new players too. The weapon is expensive to upgrade and is definitely better suited to later rounds. However, it has clear ironsights and manageable recoil even without attachments.

If you want to catch your enemies off guard, use the anvil receiver in close/medium range with the 2x optic, your accuracy will be deadly and the damage will be high. The panic will set in as not many players can counter effectively.

Pros:

Fast bullet travel speed, third highest in class.
One of the easiest weapons to control.
High accuracy and rate of fire.
Excellent performance at long and medium range.
Good performance at close range.
Great iron sights.

Cons:

Low damage.
Low base mag capacity
The vertical and horizontal recoil pattern is harder to control at long range without attachments.

4. Wingman

Another expensive purchase, yet this is absolutely worth it. However, if you cannot reliably hit shots with single fire weapons this is not a good choice for you. It's buyable in the first round, has high damage per shot and no movement penalty when aiming because it's a pistol.

Use this gun if you play aggressively and want to finish those rounds quickly. Pair it with the R99 and use the high damage/high fire rate combo in close range for maximum efficiency.

Pros:

Very high damage per shot.
The only pistol that doesn't lose headshot multiplier regardless of range.
No movement speed penalty when aiming down sights.
Good performance at all ranges (close/medium/long).
Can open doors by shooting the handle.
Provides a high reward for aiming skill.

Cons:

High recoil.
Slow firing rate.
Slow projectile speed.

3. Bocek Bow

Accurate players, listen up. This is where it's at, the most bang for your buck, the most rewarding and devastating weapon you can use if you want to play it safe. It's a late round pick, middle round if you've been collecting materials as you go, this is because it's expensive to fully upgrade (spoiler: it's worth it).

The Bow has no magazine and draws ammo from the inventory only, therefore you never need to stop shooting, the damage per shot (charged) is very high and it's also extremely accurate. Combine this with the 3x optic, some high ground and the deadeye hop-up, you’ll decimate opponents and grind away their heals.

Pros:

Very high accuracy.
Very high DPS with dead eye hop-up.
Has no magazine, therefore never requiring a reload and allowing consistent damage output.

Cons:

Poor close range performance.
Takes a while to fully draw back the bow for maximum damage without the hop-up.

2. Eva-8

It's cheap, it's powerful, it's fast. Lower cost means more money to spend on heal items in the early game, high damage means its best for in your face/rushing playstyles. The Eva also has excellent hip fire accuracy, combine that with the 0% damage drop off to legs and you've got a beast of aweapon.

Have your whole team purchase an Eva in the first round and play super aggressive, the first round sets the pace for the rest of the game and the Eva is the perfect weapon for it.

Pros:

Fast fire rate.
Strong hip fire performance.
Low movement penalty when aimed.
Has 0% leg damage reduction.

Cons:

Poor performance at range.
1× headshot multiplier at 38+ meters.

1. R99

It's been a favourite of pros and casualsalike since the game first released, the R99 has always sat comfortably at the top of the meta. It takes first place here due to Arena games usually playing out in close quarters, fast paced gunfights.

That's exactly where the R99 shines, everything about this gun is fast; reload times, fire rate, ADS speed, movement penalty. It's perfect for aggressive play. Combine it with the Eva-8, use the SMG to crack shields and the Eva to get the knockdown. The results will speak for themselves.

Pros: