STALKER 2 Veteran Weapon Tier List 2.0

[@IcedCoffeeGaming]

The Dnipro does have a suppressor but it is vendor only, I was unaware of it during the recording of this video and when I tested it. The suppressor doesn't change its damage though, so it won't 1 tap exos either way. Dnipro on base 762 ammo with the penetration blueprint mod, does 2 shot headshot, so going for 2 taps or full auto manual 2 bursts makes it at least mid A tier for efficiency. On AP rounds with the AP blueprint, it still does not 1 tap exos at full HP, so the AP rounds aren't worth it unless fighting mutants. I would run it unsuppressed with wear upgrade so you have a high durability close-med ranged AR. I showcase the Kharod attachments in an upcoming video as to why I think it lands in S vs Dnipro A. I did put it in high B/Low A in this tier list, but the suppressor and AP blueprint move it into A.

[@IcedCoffeeGaming]

Critical Breakpoints on Exo (tested just now during Dnipro/Kharod vids I am working on): Dni Pro 762 with Armor pen upgrade base ammo 2 tap headshots Dni Pro 762 with Armor Pen AP Ammo, 2 tap headshots exos, no point in running outside of mutants just use normal base 762x39 ammo. Kharod 556/545 (same damage/pen) with pen upgrade BASE AMMO: 3 tap headshots exos Kharod 556/545 Penetration Upgrade AP AMMO: 3 Tap Headshots Exos. Dni pro 2 Tap is a bit better if you fire in controlled bursts, Kharod fires faster over time so 3 round bursting is very similar. Weirdly both have the exact same breakpoints on AP and BASE ammo and both would be better off running base ammo as the AP ammo isn't pushing either into fewer shot breakpoints. The Kharod can 1 tap at point blank with the Holemaker, or 2 tap with it for 0 durability cost using cheap/abundant buckshot making it better long term. It also has a grenade launcher that is better than you think, I demo in upcoming video.

[@RavenBirbwen]

The Dnipro uses the same suppressor the AK74-S does, so you can find one earlg and just keep it until you get a Dnipro

[@pawe6473]

And the SVDU can mount PSOx4 scope...

[@Kozorator]

dnipro need hella ton fo expensive upradges and its accuracy will still be very bad. i dont like this weapon

[@ghosface353]

That is wrong. If I remember correctly you can find the suppressor on the way to Wild Island, before the Bloodsucker lair you have to cross to get to the Wild Island, after you meet Scar. It lays on the ground by a body with a lot of boars around it. The suppressor will also randomly appears in the store in Slag Heap and Quiets store. I usually get it early to use it with the scooped AKM-74S. A good early game combination.

[@EXISTENTRILLEST]

2:21 - skif's anti-tank guided makarov 3:49 - ptm 4:11 - udp 5:06 - apsb 7:04 - rhino 9:01 - mac10 10:45 - mp5 11:32 - vector 13:43 - buket s2 15:13 - zoo-bear 19 16:15 - poopstick 16:52 - toz 17:17 - m860 cracker 18:13 - spas 19:07 - saiga 21:16 - ram 25:15 - ak74u 25:21 - uncircumcised ak 26:12 - 416 27:00 - as val 28:37 - g36 31:23 - fora 32:26 - groza 32:50 - kharod 34:57 - dnipro 38:50 - svd 41:14 - vss vintorez 43:19 - m1 45:22 - m701 49:40 - svu 51:05 - dubstep launcher 54:42 - pkm 55:54 - rpg

[@DangrRooki]

you’re clutch thanks

[@solaireastora5394]

Cheers duck

[@khelgarironfist3301]

Poopstick ftw

[@Taoquinn]

the Dnipro 100% CAN absolutely be suppressed.

[@rastafella420]

I confirm

[@andrewgreen4044]

Make a tier list with all only unique weapons in game

[@volodymyrkleban1484]

Currently running with a Lynx and a Sledgehammer. I wake to know when and what to upgrade to

[@JandrikSchenk]

He did it, the son of a b did it !

[@flexdon5188]

It's all well and good knowing what guns are good, it's keeping them repaired which is the true battle

[@milosstojanovic4623]

trainer :D

[@sanguineaurora8765]

RPG should be: Fuck it I dont wanna deal with this chimera right now. Button. I have an idea about the rpg. Make it super powerful as it should be. And I mean, direct hit one shot Chimera or erase %90 of a pseudogiant levels of powerful. Maybe even go through the Burer's shield. So When you pull it out, it's business. BUT make it so that we are unable to put it in the bag. So you have to dedicate a primary weapon spot for it. So its a niche "fuck that encounter in particular" button. You can choose to carry it and sacrifice a weapon spot for a niche application. But in that particular application, it should be "end all."

[@1nfidelCastr0]

The clusterfuck with AP-rounds and drum mag is god tier. Can even put a grenade launcher on it. Love that thing with all my heart.

[@maikbaumann1250]

yes it is until you get a fullupgraded kharod with 4x and underbarrel. having a 2nd or a sidearm at the point ist just for fun because that beast can manage everything the zone throws at you. (ofc the clusterfuck can do that too, but it hasnt fullauto ,a meh hipfire and no "oh shit shotgun"-button)

[@1nfidelCastr0]

@maikbaumann1250 yeah the lack of a laser on the CF is kind of meh. But I basically only use semi auto anyways in any gun for ammo conservation and I have a fully upgraded Saiga because... well, Saiga 😂

[@TheBlinds100]

yea but its EXTERMELY EXPENSIVE . i actually just put it up because of how pricey repairs are

[@christerolausson2702]

You cannot change scope on it, right? Then it’s useless as AR. Only for sniping…

[@maikbaumann1250]

@@christerolausson2702 it has a good pen and extreme high dmg per bullet for an ar, so with a fast triggerfinger/drum mag you can hipfire with it and get decent results. as i said until you find the kharod it outclasses alot of other guns.

[@puddingsimon2626]

i got a gaus rifle befor prypiat by completeing the side quest with that one dude that was asking you for mutant collars.

[@JohnSmith-dq7sr]

I have been carrying them around for 3 days and wondered what they were for 😅

[@Rogue328]

That's really cool, I did that quest yesterday and the mfer gave me 14k coupons, maybe it was the choice I made for the quest ending

[@gringokillah9543]

@@Rogue328 yeah, if you wont destroy a jammer, dude will give you coupons and promise you more reward. And after 3-4 main quest missions he will ask you to visit bunker again, on finishing it, you will get Gaus Gun.

[@deus5185]

it is also dropped by casuals Monoliths at ''Cooling Towers'' after SIRCA. I got 4 gaus this way, (here u can farm yellow weapons to sell)

[@alanpereyra5503]

​@@gringokillah9543actually the other way around. You need to destroy the jammer for that to happen. If you use it to disable the signals, the quest ends right there and Dvupalov gives you some nice credits for your troubles.

[@333GHz]

The suppressor for the SVD and SVU is something that exists as a game object that you can spawn with a console command, but there is no way to legit find it in the game. Which is kinda weird, because in the OG games SVU was suppressed by default.

[@beefestrogen5276]

They also have the x8 PSO scope that won't fit on anything and was removed from traders. Looks like there was a bit of cut content sadly.

[@333GHz]

@beefestrogen5276 interesting, I think the description suggested it would be for the VSS. I didn't bother buying one, because VSS just doesn't have the range for an 8× scope to be useful.

[@jaredmatos9594]

Journalist stash from Pripyat has the Hunter sniper with a sniper suppressor. That same one comes with a 8x scope, I have both without cheats and confirmed it can be removed from the original weapon.

[@viniSATU]

You can find it in Prypiat...

[@АндрійМихайлов-х1й]

For some of the guns - your descriptions are absolutely precise. Great work!

[@Reliquary87]

The Cluster@#$! is the only AR15 style gun which should be pushed up to A or even low S tier, the pen and damage destroy the SOFMOD and Unknown Stalker variants. It's incredible. It really should of been discussed as an exception.

[@IcedCoffeeGaming]

I will do a special weapon tier list soon, it is way better than its base variant.

[@Managarm1999]

true the Cluster**** is still my main weapon in the open just because it has extreme good dmg for its ammo and if i need to kill heavy things i switch to the ,,Whip,, a SVU, the Kharod and in close quarter to ZUBR-19 and SAIGA

[@nathanspreitzer6738]

Can’t wait for a artifact tier list, weird water changed my life

[@jw4925]

37:59 the dnipro can be suppressed with the same suppressor as the ak74

[@Wolfnapoli]

The gass rilfe can be earned in a mid game side quest for doctor and save him he gives you a gass rilfe as reward and you can get a extended mag for it

[@andrewgreen4044]

Mid game😂😂 seriously? Near the end - I remember

[@platinumspotlight3338]

The final stage of that quest won't trigger until after Subtle Matter main mission, so you have to go through a lot of the story.

[@eldonhill4840]

@@platinumspotlight3338 either way you can get gauss rifles from monolith soldiers at the cooling towers anytime after SIRCAA

[@wangmingchu1379]

This looks like a much better version of your previous video! Also a few things to consider for these weapons- ADS speed, vertical and horizontal recoil, reload speed, and attachment availability. Dnipro (Vulcan) is the best assault rifle when fully modded, 7.62x39 rounds are easily found in late game stashes especially the AP ones. Regular 762x39 rounds can be easily found by PKM wielding enemies, unloading them usually yields a lot. I recommend the bundled mags instead of 45round mags. The standard Dnipro without 762 conversion is also crazy good with almost no recoil when modded

[@Z3rgatul]

Agree. I have thousands of 7.62x39 in my stash, both normal and AP. Running with the Dnipro all the time

[@capo_zj3912]

The Clusterf*ck is underrated bro. High pen, easy ammo to acquire by endgame. I 1-2 shot exos all the time n it’s a basic scoped & suppressed mid game rifle. I run it w ASPB & saiga

[@uzer_zero]

Works great everywhere, but ridiculously expensive to maintain using AP.

[@Z3rgatul]

52:30 You can get Gauss gun on Cooling Towers location, sometimes game spawns monolithians here with Gauss I don't know if it depends on your main quest progress, but I definitely got few guns before going to Pripyat I got my first gauss here with the quest when Dolg guys ask me to replace their sniper before monolith attack. One of attacking monolithians was wearing gauss

[@MrKelegorm]

37:40. Dnipro CAN be supressed. I use it that way.

[@puddingsimon2626]

PKM is crazy if fully upgraded. I use the glutton and have almost no recoil. idk when or if they ever fix the bug that traders dont sell the ammo so you gotta use a mod for now.

[@Disable-Gamer]

Pryait vendor sells ammo

[@barbecuetechtips6024]

​@@Disable-Gamer Vendor in prip doesn't sell the ammo. No vendor does atm.

[@_454_]

@@barbecuetechtips6024 it's honestly sad, this was the case in stalker COP. You couldn't get ammo for the PKM unless you get the "friend of duty achievement".

[@GLORPDORP]

Something I've noticed is that some suppressed weapons seems to be much more noticeable that other suppressed weapons. It seems to me like the UDP the Lavina and the Vintar are much quieter that the other suppressed weapons, which would matter a lot because as soon as you get detected everyone knows exactly where you are and will snipe you across the whole zone with buckshot. I haven't done anything concrete to test this though, it's just anecdotal experience.

[@SMGJohn]

Here is early Christmas gift for you IcedCoffeeGaming, I have added headshot values to Monolith Exoskeleton enemies, the toughest ones, just for you! (On the right side of the table) And yes I double checked the value, I ran the same value against a Bloodsucker and what you know, in your previous video you actually ran a shot test to the head and my values turned out exactly as how many shots it took in the video with the specific weapons you used.

[@IcedCoffeeGaming]

Thanks haha, you are the DATA GOAT of STALKER 2.

[@IcedCoffeeGaming]

I have been getting different results than some of the 1 shot AP round guns listed in the excel sheet, are we testing on the same types of enemies?

[@SMGJohn]

@@IcedCoffeeGaming Which weapons did you specifically test with? When I first added the data an hour ago I forgot that Google Spreadsheet does not roundup correctly, so I had to add a roundup function because otherwise, 1,1 would become 1 but with roundup it should now correctly be 2. Exoskeletons do not have separate helmet armour either, but there is a separate stat for "Super Soldiers" but they are listed as mutants. Now this confuses me because no one can seem to tell me, are the Monolith exo guys actually these Super Soldiers because they have 300HP of health instead of 100HP. Only way to physically test this is in game and I am not sure I have time for a few days, but 300HP would make most 1 AP headshots into 2 or more. I am not sure if thats something you can like check, if you check just a three or four weapons that are somewhat different from one another. On veteran difficulty the players weapon damage is decreased by 25% and enemy health is increased by 10% Also weapon degradation is increased by 25% on veteran difficulty....

[@IcedCoffeeGaming]

I was testing Dnipro fully upgraded with caliber change/Penetration Mod/AP 762 rounds, it took 2 headshots. The base ammo also 2 tapped though. Similar with Kharod but 3 tapping. It 3 tap headshots with base 545 and 545 AP ammo. Vector does not 1 tap on headshot either, as far as I can tell it takes 2 bursts. If it is 2 bullet bursts then it can go full auto and players can manually 3 round burst. Going to do a vector test next, I finished Dnipro and Kharod vids with showing breakpoints as well. Didn't realize vet also decreased weapon damage as well as the weapon degradation increase.

[@SMGJohn]

@@IcedCoffeeGaming Yeah I have made a huge mistake, I had copied the 9x18 data which is 130% penetration and applied it to all weapons by mistake. Its now corrected to 50%, only 9x18 have 130% pen bonus and shotgun ammo have -28% damage modifier with slug but 50% pen bonus. The values align now with how you perceive it in game. Sorry about that, a big mistake but its now fixed. There seems to be VERY few weapons in the game that can do one headshot in veteran other than sniper rifles, shotguns point blank, rat killer and Rhino. APSB can also do one headshot, surprisingly but I remember you also hit a guy once in the head with it in your video about it, you fired one round and KIA him instantly.

[@aidenbyrd3254]

If the VS Vintar has a penetration upgrade (roughly +8% pen) and you use AP ammo, when plugged into the damage formula you get 34.3x1.5^-1.4. That gives you a damage output of 19.443…, and multiples by the headshot multiplayer of 6, which puts you over 100, so it should be able to one shot headshot exo’s under those conditions. Correct me if I’m wrong somewhere.

[@IcedCoffeeGaming]

Let me make sure I'm running the penetration upgrade, I will be doing a video on the weapon soon, that moves it up a lot if it can 1 tap exos because it has high durability per shot.

[@930Turbo]

​@@SMGJohn no lies detected lmao I'm like 60 hours in, I've only found about 100 rounds of AP 9x39.. and even less of 7.62x54 AP

[@SMGJohn]

Actually I am wrong, the VS Vintar needs 3 headshots to a Monolith exosuit, and 2 shots in normal diff. And thats with AP rounds, 9x39 AP is so hard to come by, VSS is not a weapon of choice, its good stats but held back a lot also its bullet drop is the worst in the game.

[@aidenbyrd3254]

@@SMGJohn That’s unfortunate. You’d think a weapon that has an uncommon ammo, and with the AP ammo being very uncommon, that it would perform better. I still quite like the Vintar and Lavina, but I do wish they’d pull their weight a little more in the late game. Original Vintar from SoC was much better. Maybe devs will rebalance later.

[@SMGJohn]

@@aidenbyrd3254 I doubt they will rebalance the VSS, 9x39 is in reality a subsonic bullet by design and its also a very big bullet, it does less damage than 5.45 just because 5.45 is higher velocity if anything they need to massively buff assault rifles by damage. Buff .45 and nerf some of the 9x18 guns.

[@colers2366]

I feel like the only real merit and purpose of the Viper 5 is economy. The viper 5 is comically cheap and even with a few upgrades costs almost nothing to maintain, so it makes for a very good early game economy weapon when coupons are still a pain to get

[@SleepyGameFacts]

Eyecup is the word you're looking for on the SVD/SVU scopes. Been enjoying all of your videos, keep up the good work

[@333GHz]

Dnipro can be suppressed using the same suppresor as the AK.

[@BestGuyYouKnow]

Bucket, my Beloved 😢

[@GooberGarcia]

you should do a tear list of the unique weapon variations i was surprised i didnt find it in your channel

[@DarkFire515]

The Ram-2 is a great shotgun... until you want to change ammo type. With the Saiga it's as simple & quick as changing magazines. With the Ram-2 the unload & load takes WAY too long to make it viable to do in a fight.

[@tomh2176]

I found the suppressor for Dnipro, it isn't vendor only like you write in one of your posts. IMO, if I could only have one gun, the WHIP sniper rifle would be it. With the extended 20 round mag, you can run it like an assault rifle when you're in a tough spot. I can one tap exo's with this from distance or in close I found that the saiga is invaluable in close, I also like Rhino, but I only use rhino against large armored mutants I think your rating or dislike of the dnipro is not founded. It is better than the kharod. My ultimate setup for veteran is saiga 12 with dual mags, Whip with extended mag, and Rhino. I also use dnipro most of time to clear trash. I will swap the dnipro with Whip depending on if I'm out in nature and I need more range, or I'll go back to dnipro if I'm in an urban area and need mid range. Saiga 12 for most in close encounters

[@somebodysomewhere8217]

Same buddy

[@geckos114]

I can't wait for all the Gun mods coming to stalker 2

[@NSixtyFour]

being able to cowboy fire the rhino would be dope. p-p-p-p-p-pow

[@slyllamademon2652]

The GP-37 has a 100 round stendo, option for pick rail, AR Suppressor, and can have the M203 GL and probably the hole puncher.

[@colonel__klink7548]

Note on bursts and headshots. I am not sure in 1.2 but in 1.1 enemies who survive a headshot have a reset timer where headshot damage is turned off. So your first round in a burst will hit their face, they'll stagger but you cannot no matter how good you are double tap and put them down full stop. So if your weapon can't one hit kill you have to shoot them once, hear the satisfying sound and duck behind cover again. I made the mistake of doing the Skif ending the first time with weapons that two hit kill exo suits and learned this the hard way. This time I'm going Rhino and SVD (Lynx.)

[@glennchan1825]

41:52 The funny thing is that they are, the VSS (Vintar) is just the AS VAL (AS Lavina) but with a wooden thumbhole stock. Edit: Also to add, I'm quite sure the vector (Integral-A) has a 2-round burst instead of 3, but correct me if I'm wrong.

[@IcedCoffeeGaming]

The thumbhole stock gives 15 more base damage jajajajaja

[@glennchan1825]

@@IcedCoffeeGaming Lol, IRL the Russians even classify the VSS as a "Sniper", and the AS Val as an "assault rifle/submachine gun".

[@ashtengreen2727]

Something to add about the integral A/the vector. It has a 2 round burst, not a 3 rounds burst just like irl, with little to no recoil inbetween rounds as it fires so fast. Makes it much better for a quick headshot as 2 is always better than one

[@maettherewingertsahn8274]

Great video, been loving your stalker 2 content. 👍 But a few things I'd like to point out or mention, the APSB is actually quite easy to do single shots with on controller, even able to do 2 round bursts, the Integral-A and GP37 actually have a 2 round burst not a 3 round, as per their real life counterparts. Keep the great content coming! Edit: quick correction, having just tested to see if the GP37 and Intergral-A are faithful to their real counterparts, only the Integral-A has a 2 round burst, the GP37 has a 3 round, so not accurate to reality.

[@IcedCoffeeGaming]

Thanks m8, APS seems like a high skill floor weapon that once you master the 1-2-3 round burst pressures with proper shot placement and not spamming with it, is easily a sidegrade to the Rhino for close-med.

[@UniversalCypher]

So many players got on my case about the EMR when I told them it was in my loadout. The fact is, when its upgraded to reduce recoil, and you attach the suppressor, extended mag and the 8x scope the EMR tracks targets as well as the Kharod. I have tried every gun that competes with its use (which is ambushing) and no other gun is a good. I pair with a Saiga, and a UDP - which you have in a lower tier, but the UDP is an excellent side arm in this load out that helps me create distance and switch cover.

[@platinumspotlight3338]

Literally no reason to use a udp even over skifs pistol, let alone the rhino or apsb. Mk1 Emr is going to do comparatively pathetic damage against anything with armor due to its low penetration, not to mention how incredibly expensive it is to maintain in repair cost and ammo cost thanks to it using 308 at low damage and low pen.

[@frost8077]

M701 has been my love in this game, even if Skif takes too long to reload it. I'm personally fond of the G36 and I also find the GP37 underbarrel attachments to be good for conserving weight, so I've been using it as my main rifle, but it's been feeling a little underpowered later on in the game. I was about to try using the Kharod. Gordons are fun because you can equip them as a pistol, but I've been using Deadeye. I haven't used Rhinos much but I was thinking of running it lately. I never use half of the guns in this game, so I need to branch out some more.

[@nakkila33]

I really really really wanted to use the Vintar but the damage against exos felt just sad. Then i stumbled upon the M701 during the duga missions and I used that thing until the very end. It's so nice even on its own and the holemaker boosts it to another level.

[@perrytheplatypus207]

35:15 the upgrade moves it to a WORSE caliber, and doesnt buff it enough to make up for it. run base AP ammo, it 1 taps exos.

[@digitalgrandma6321]

He's talking about on the hardest difficulty but he's wrong about a few things anyway so take it with a grain of salt.

[@crabmansteve6844]

My load-out is Rhino for Exos, Saiga for mutants, Dnipro for everyone else. I did not know about the Holemaker though, so my AR choice may change.

[@thomaslanders2073]

You can get the Gauss gun by looting the Monoliths at the hospital in An Act of Mercy main mission which the Doctor sends you on. This requires you to fail the optional mission of not killing anyone but the loot you get makes up for this. 😊

[@333GHz]

You can get Gauss Gun as a side mission reward, which is available mid-game, after you clear Malachite.

[@SergeyPoliakov]

Gauss' gun is ultimate tier for endgame. Oneshot everything (especially exos) and you don't need to aim, just hit the dot and shoot. Everything else is waaaay harder to control

[@husleman]

AH yes, here's me, watching yet, another stalker 2 video, yet I dont even own the game.

[@mochamanii7401]

This is your sign homie

[@finegent96]

Do yourself a favor and ignore the online critics, most of them are overly negative. Play it for yourself & slow burn it, best experience I’ve had gaming in years. I’m 28

[@husleman]

oh you best believe I will be playing it in the future. Im going through my backlog right now and allowing the game to age like fine wine with patches continuing to improve the game. by the time I jup in, im hoping it will be polished to a shine.

[@taelee347]

Great analysis! I just beat the game but reloaded to a previous save to freeroam a bit. Didn't realize M701 or Rhino was such a good weapon, I was basically doing everything with Saiga and Kharod/Vector and it gets boring after a while.

[@colonel__klink7548]

RPM ammo can be purchased at Yaniv station.

[@chost-059]

the revolver is the best weapon for any situation, ammo efficient and works at any range

[@dustytibbins7064]

The Dnipro is actually better since the ammo availability is quite massive from beginning to end, it also has a 45 round magazine along with a double magazine. This means it has an overall higher damage output when it counts. Your criteria is also only against Exosuits, which is fine for the most part but it is a different case when very powerful Mutants come into the picture where every bit of DPS counts and you DON'T want to be very up close like with the Holemaker. So, when factoring in scenarios where DPS counts the Dnipro, Saiga DT-12, and ASPS are optimal choices. They're ALL better than the Rhino, especially when every single second counts against those super tough mutants. The Zubr-19 is also placed far too low as it is a true budget gun with extremely high penetration, very high clip size, and very high DPS for its very low cost. The ASPS also can reach a 30 round magazine along with extremely high penetration using the most basic pistol round. It's also significantly cheaper to repair when compared to Assault Rifles, so I think it is a significantly better weapon than the Rhino, especially when DPS and maintained DPS really counts. The guns I think scored far too high on this list are the RAM-2, Rhino (especially Rhino), and the Kharod (lower DPS than Dnipro, less ammo availability early game, significantly harder to reach larger magazine).

[@IcedCoffeeGaming]

Dnipro on its base ammo has the same breakpoints as the Kharod. 545 vs 556 are similar weight/ammo cost, 545 more common early to middlegame, middle-endgame 556 similar droprate to 545. Both are everywhere and easy to get. Kharod can convert to 545 for 5k so this ammo argument doesn't really hold to scrutiny as it can switch to the ammo that is theoretically better. APSB is bad against mutants because it breaks fast. It has 210 bursts before 0 durability, but hitting 50% durability means your gun can jam, so you realistically have 100 good bursts before this happens. It depends on the mutant. The Rhino is a sniper rifle that has 450 shots before it breaks with 100 base damage and 1 taps the hardest enemies in the game at really far range with basic ammo. It doesn't need many if any upgrades and it has the best stats of the pistols in terms of how much it costs to run it, how consistent it is, and how effective it is. If you run AP rounds on the Rhino, you will notice it destroys mutants as well. You need to have high precision with the RAM/Rhino for them to be good. Kharod under barrel attachments are pretty insane when used correctly, the mini saiga attachment 3 tap headshots bloodsuckers or 4 tap bodyshots them, it also 1-2 tap headshots exos depending on range. Grenade launcher stuns/damages exos in group then 2nd shot can kill or switch to primary fire to mow down staggered groups. Holemaker is also 0 durability and uses buckshot, so even if your Kharod is at 2% durability you have an infinite durability mini saiga that can be used to fight most things in the game.

[@dustytibbins7064]

@@IcedCoffeeGaming The problem with the conversion argument is that you'll end up increasing the repair cost of the Kharod, especially early on when Coupons are more scarce. Also, because Dnipro has better damage, it also conserves more ammo in the long run for things that are outside of simply Exosuits since it can achieve those breakpoints much more easily. The point of the APSB isn't that it is exclusively used to handle large mutants, but it's also well adjusted to handle small targets as well, making it significantly more versatile than the Rhino which is only good against large targets. Especially in fights against rats, dogs, pseudo dogs, and simply the unknown, the APSB is simply a better choice to bring when you have no idea what you're up against. It's also cheaper to repair than using an Assault Rifle indoors as well as a significantly better ammo supply. The problem with the Hole Maker is that it NEEDS a full reload every single time you reload, which is very bad when compared to the Saiga which can do a fast reload when there's still a single shell in the gun as well as being able to rapidly fire more before a reload is needed. Yes, it's expensive, but you don't use Saiga for anything but the most emergency situations anyway. In terms of a budget build, the Zubr-19, SPSA-14, and APSB is the top contender for getting the most performance for the least amount of Coupons.

[@IcedCoffeeGaming]

Why use the APSB as a low level enemy killer when Skifs pistol, which fires the same ammo, is always in your inventory? If I am running a Rhino, I can use Skifs to kill weak enemies that I don't want to waste good ammo on, or just run an SMG/AR. 5K to switch to this ammo, the base value of a Dnipro is still higher than an upgraded Kharod and harder to get. I don't recommend using full auto weapons on mutants due to how much commitment you have to have in order to do this. If you are fighting a psuedogiant, chimera, burer, controller, etc you don't want to be visible or ADSing to track/put a ton of rounds on target, this makes you susceptible to their attacks. Burst damage allows you to peek angles for fractions of a second, get huge damage out, and return to safety in mutant fights, firefights, bossfights etc. Dnipro without blueprint found in pripyat for 762 conversion does not kill any meaningful humans better than the Kharod in early-middlegame. In Endgame, Kharod can 1 tap med-some high armor with AP rounds similar to the Dnipro, both need 2-3 headshots to kill Exos. Holemaker reload is pretty fast, reloads 4 relatively quickly not sure what the argument is here. Can reload 4+1. APSB does not fit into a budget build it is higher value than a Rhino, wants more upgrades, and burns out quickly. "Zubr-19, SPSA-14, and APSB " This build has no range. APS cannot reliably 1 tap at far ranges, ZUBR is an SMG that requires 3-4 headshots to kill exos on, SPSA has limited range. This build would be improved by changing the APS to a Rhino, the Rhino can have a scope and hit targets at close-far range with base ammo 1 tapping them, ZUBR used for junk enemies, SPSA for burst.

[@zlg96]

Fully agree​@@IcedCoffeeGaming

[@dustytibbins7064]

@@IcedCoffeeGaming The ASPB's strength is its versatility to deal with unknown situations as it's just about good for everything despite having low durability. You can handle anything from hounds until you need something like a Saiga. This is especially true in close quarters inside buildings where you might not know exactly what you're going to face around the corner. Skif's Pistol might be good for starter enemies, but if its a Poltergeist around the corner then the APSB can make quick work while still remaining budget friendly. The Dnipro is actually easier to get than the Kharod, though it is rather damaged. It's located at the cooling towers, which is that that far of a run from Slag Heap. Though, the Zubr-19 is recommended early on, even over the Kharod and Dnipro. Again, Kharod has a lower damage output with a harder to acquire ammo type, especially early on. Kharod also cannot get an extended magazine unless you go rather deep into the swamps while Dnipro can have it acquired in the Lesser Zone. So if you wanted power very early on, Dnipro serves that purpose very well while the Kharod will only become super accessible after a certain point where more enemies start to carry GP-37 and Kharods themselves. Accessibility is what makes Dnipro better than Kharod. The holemaker might have an average reload time, but it needs to reload significantly more while also being slower than the Saiga. Again, when seconds count, the Holemaker just doesn't cut it. This is especially true on how clunky it is to swap over from another weapon to ready the Holemaker. Again, when seconds count, Saiga is the absolute go-to. The ASPB is also a budget weapon, especially as an indoor assault rifle alternative. Especially with a 30 round magazine, you can easily speed clear areas with enemies like rats, zombies, psi dogs, and poltergeist. Also, Rhino is NOT a budget option when the APSB uses ammo found on the very common PTM found on most human enemies. It's basically free ammo vs ammo you need to buy.

[@sanguineaurora8765]

Mutant Threat ranking please. And make it comparative. (Chimera is easy super strong but very rare for example so a Bloodsucker can be more dangerous because you run into them all the time.) So not a list of biggest stats, but a list of how much trouble they are when you face them.

[@Bombatomica78]

I finished the game using the Whip, and honestly i think it's the best gun in the game. It oneshots exo easily and can be used like an assult rifle if you are in a pinch. Just perfectly balanced, can't find a weak spot. Sure the Super does more damage but it is too slow for my taste. Whip + Saiga - Rhino and you're set to destroy anything.

[@JXRED98]

i second this, the whip is by far the best sniper in the game IMO

[@bon3y4rd]

Thanks for the info. Very helpful.

[@YTIsRanByFeds]

The only way the RPG will take out a Psudogiant with 3-4 rockets is if you have mods installed. 5 to kill a chimera.

[@Z3rgatul]

38:28 you can change scope on SVU-MK S-3, just noticed it today and was very surprised

[@ghosface353]

The way I see the tier is that: S - Guns that are good at endgame, pretty much exosuit killers. A - Are guns that have good enough penetration to deal with Monoliths in the second half of the game. But perhaps need Armor piercing ammo of exosuits, and because of that might be more expensive to run in the end game. B - Guns that are good up to SIRCAA, when having 2 penetration is good enough. I for example think the regular Spas 12 is B+, but the Sledgehammer is A, because of it's 3 penetration. C - Lesser zone guns, that can be used with armor piercing run in the first half of the game, but struggles against enemies with gas mask. D - Unnecessary guns that are outclassed right away, or there are hard to ever justify using it (hello RPG, why would I ever use you in my loadout,)

[@SpikeVike27]

I used RPG to basically skip boss battle with Faust. Freaking worth it, carrying 10kg of dead weight (RPG + 2 rockets), seeing how people struggled with Faust

[@JXRED98]

@@SpikeVike27 Same, i lugged an RPG and about 7 or 8 rockets to the mission with Dark, where you need to fight the pseudogiant. Definitely worth it if you know youre getting into something beforehand, but not something youd casually carry around

[@SpikeVike27]

@JXRED98 fair, RPG is something for following playtroughs with mate knowledge. I just heard a lot of shitting on Faust boss and tought "hell why not". I wish i took it to Cordon, but hell, i did not expected pseudogiant on Cordon of all places (okay, UNDER Cordon)

[@M2SLAM_I_Am]

The APSB is easy to 1 tap on Xbox if your controller has trigger stops. Not as easy with the triggers stops disengaged or with a regular controller

[@ZeePanzer]

judging by how easy it is to grab one rhino, one kharod, and enter prypiat as soon as you leave the lesser zone, it is indeed great to have some perspective into what weapons are good, i grabbed a Gauss and tested its damage on a human, it didnt one tap it with a headshot, then i realized it was an NPC from a outpost that has insanely higher health than any other NPC (the same health as that single monolithian sniper that shoot at you as soon as you make the train cart jump in the way to prypiat. and yes i have sold the gauss gun

[@IcedCoffeeGaming]

Yeah those outpost guards have weird health/armor values and can tank more than enemies haha. This threw me way off when I was testing the Mark 1 headshot breakpoints on exosuits

[@bryant992]

Great video! Just would like to note that the svu s-3 does take the PSO 4X scope. It helps for sure.

[@Spectre72631]

would be cool to see a unique/variant weapon tierlist, nice vid tho

[@nattyboro]

Imo the pp19 bizon stands above all as it's ammo is a fraction of the price of the Carmel, it's repairs are cheaper, you get it's suppressor for free at start of the game (Carmel suppressor is 10k) and it has a superior mag size. Combine this with the fact that 9x19 AP is one of the most bountiful advanced ammo types in the game and it's a no brainer.

[@IcedCoffeeGaming]

It isn't the best vs mutants/mini boss type enemies, and it can't kill at range very well.

[@10810gabriel]

The bucket s-2 is absolutely in the A tier! Numbers aren't everything, combining repair costs with ammo costs and that insane penetration to range capabilities make this gun the most efficient automatic silenced weapon in the game. This SMG easily 2 taps exos and one. And since the ammo is so cheap and the weapon is so light, just take a shit load of ammo and an extra bucket and you're golden! Give it a go in game, and you won't be disappointed.

[@IcedCoffeeGaming]

Maybe, if it has worse breakpoints than the Integral and Zubr, it is hard to justify placing it higher.

[@JumboCod91]

PK ranking seems off to me. Have you actually played with it? Because I took it with me during a difficult mission, and it was the most disappointing piece of scrap. I was so disgusted that I dropped it to make space in my inventory. The Dnipro on the other hand, once upgraded to fire the otherwise useless PK ammo, is actually an incredible gun. Probably the best close to mid range weapon to deal with large groups of enemies. It got me through the monolith apartment building base, twice, and still had durability left.

[@IcedCoffeeGaming]

Have you used the Kharod with the grenade launcher? Instant group deletion on low-med armor, heavy-exo get stunned/heavy damage you can mow them down/crowd control them or reload and followup to AOE the group.

[@SpikeVike27]

​@@IcedCoffeeGamingid argue that Dnipro is A and not S because lacking UBGL, but nowhere a B.

[@SpikeVike27]

I spent a fortune in upgrading PKM into lowest recoil and it's still was atrocious. Mediocre damage, heavy and expensive ammo, long ass eqip time - is this all for a big magazine and average DPS? I couldn't mke a case for it other than extreme close quarters with mutants or enemies in corridors, but then - Saiga exists. Or any other automatic weapon with a high capacity mag

[@IcedCoffeeGaming]

I was thinking Dnipro is more low/mid A so I am fine with it being in A. I don't get the hype around it mostly because it doesn't have meaningful breakpoints or excel in areas other weapons don't overshadow it.

[@JumboCod91]

@@IcedCoffeeGaming I personally place the weapons that rely on UBGL very low, simply because I hate playing around the terrible keybinds. In previous stalker games you had just one button press to switch to under barrel, but in Stalker 2 for some reason you need to open the "quick" wheel and then press a button... it's ridiculous and I refuse to interact with it. Maybe once a custom keyboard configuration patch comes out...

[@real-kidnomor]

VS VINTAR should be A tier considering it has an extremely high rate of fire, two-taps exos, and is silenced.

[@cupotkaable]

I think stats are distance dependant. The graph of penetration/damage is not flat over distance. So there are better guns for short / med / long range.

[@M2SLAM_I_Am]

You can put the PSO 4x on the SVU!!! How have you not seen that after two full playthroughs?!

[@tonybellezza4243]

I'd like to see one of these with the unique varient weapons. I'm just curious as to if there are differences and how drastic they either are or aren't...

[@thebestian]

I hope this list expires with an update to weapon ballistics. I had a paragraph written but I think most of us already know there's tons of problems. They really need in-game stats of guns to actually reflect what the guns do, instead of forcing redditors to datamine their game for actual information. I understand having a little mystery to it but there's *too* much mystery. Still an amazing game of course. I have 94 hours in just one one playthrough on stalker difficulty exploring as much as I could. 750 loaves of bread in my storage, could be more.

[@IcedCoffeeGaming]

Good amount of bread, but is that fresh bread? Or Bread Armor?

[@aninterloper6695]

The SVD and SVU can actually have the scopes switched out to the (better imo) 2x PTU scope.

[@wallman117]

God that usp 45 needs a buff, should be a flat and significant upgrade over skiffs pistol

[@IcedCoffeeGaming]

Agreed

[@Doom_Guy__]

You can put a grenade launcher on the GP37.

[@perrytheplatypus207]

35:15 it 1 taps with the base 5.45 AP ammo, no need for the upgrade (i think the penetration upgrade harms it, because i was 1 tapping fausts exoskeleton boys like crazy last day)

[@IcedCoffeeGaming]

I will need to test that, if that is true, it makes it low S tier.

[@perrytheplatypus207]

@IcedCoffeeGaming not a lot of youtubers I know have a customer support fast response, 👍 Also I might feel a bit guilty that the Faust's men were actually wearing mono suits, so I'll double check

[@perrytheplatypus207]

@@IcedCoffeeGaming just double checked, the clones were in fact, not in exoskeletons, I may have shit the bed here. There may still be a slight chance it 1 taps, but probably not

[@brothazoot]

Very well thought out tier list backed by the maths. Perhaps the Dnipro is S tier for me because it's a Ukrainian designed weapon system. I'm glad that you saw the comments about Dnipro pronunciation. Awesome work. 👍

[@antoniusarelius4330]

As far as I know not a single merchant that sales the 7x39 ammo. Unless it has changed with the recent updates.

[@zbailey636]

the SVU you can put the 4x pso on, and comes with the 8x.

[@borishunko6936]

I think the assault riffle class or SMG class is not as good in Stalker 2 as in previous parts. It's a situational weapons (just in case). In most cases, sniper rifle (M701S, Gauss, M1 EMR or SVU) + shotgun (Saiga or RAM2) is used for 99% of all game situations

[@mikeb5063]

I have been running the Buket alot and i think it works good as a CQB weapon, its cheap to fire and fix, low recoil so you can sweep it at head height against a crowd of mid tier enemys and chop down quite a few of them, close range room to room fighting it does ok against exos as you can dump 10 rounds into the head with ease

[@TrippzUK]

There is a suppressor for the SVDM and SVU, running it on the Lynx currently.

[@aidenbyrd3254]

@@TrippzUK where’d you find the suppressor? I heard it could only be spawned in via console commands, no?

[@TrippzUK]

@aidenbyrd3254 it is supposed to be at the Yaniv trader but after reading into it, seems it's bugged like the 7.62x39mm ammo which is also supposed to be purchasable there. I run a mod that adds attachments to stashes so the author must have added it back in that way. My bad in that case.

[@eggs4u]

* cries in Trophy and Glutton *

[@przemeklewandowski7476]

Dnipro being b-tier... Are we talking about the same game?

[@Taoquinn]

I mean, it can't be turned into a shotgun, so it's obviously bad! (sarcasm to the max) Now why you would want to make a rifle a shotgun, rather than using an actual shotgun is I dunno, but hey,... (again, his considerations for each gun are arbitrary, and change gun to gun making the entire process pointless.)

[@IcedCoffeeGaming]

I mean high B/low A. It doesn't really do anything other guns don't do better. Saiga/Ram greatly outperform it at close-semi-mid range and can 1 tap with base ammo, Dnipro with a ton of upgrades and 2 blueprints cannot even 1 tap an exo at point blank with AP rounds. If it could do this minimum low S tier. Vs mutants, burst is king, DPS can still kill but bloodsuckers don't wait for you to unload 20 rounds into them, you have small time windows to kill/hit most targets in the game.

[@IcedCoffeeGaming]

Having a shotgun/grenade launcher on your gun gives you more options in combat. Holemaker can 1 tap exos at point blank and 2 tap them at semi-mid range, can 3 tap headshot bloodsuckers instantly, or 4 tap bodyshot them as fast as you can fire. The holemaker does not use weapon durability, so having a mini-saiga mounted to your gun gives you a ton of flexibility and is the only way of having an infinite durability weapon in a game where weapons break. It also lets you use 2 weapon types in a single weapon which is very efficient. Of the Dnipro and Kharod, the Kharod can point blank 1 tap headshot with holemaker using BUCKSHOT with no upgrades on the Kharod. Fully upgraded Dnipro does not 1 tap Exos even with AP rounds.

[@orion1204]

B doesnt mean bad lol

[@DB-47]

Quite nice list, thanks for sharing it and v2 now more reflects even my experience with all those guns. Sadly almost all 9x39 guns are garbage compared to previous trilogy, where 9x39 mm guns were late game ammo shredders. My late game setup as soon as I got exosceleton was: 1. M701 Sniper - Cavalier version. While it is barely usable for its intended long range purpose as sniper rifle, it is actually beast in mid range. It can one headshot kill almost all human oponents and as it can use underbarrel shotgun it is good emergency tool when you get attacked by mutants and you have not prepared in secondary slot shotgun. In Pripyat free roaming I was able to one headshot kill any oponent here and as most encounters in STALKER 2 are below 50m this basically was my replacement for missing Mosin Nagant or Kar98k. The only downside is you usually end up constantly buying .308 ammo from vendors, even in late game I barely managed to harvest enough ammo from foes with M14 rifles to stop buying extra rounds. Also 12 rounds from it will kill Chimera so if you have good cover or enough time to dodge its attacks, this will pacify Chimera faster than shotgun :) 2. SPAS-14 - Sledgehammer version. Compared to common SPAS it is stronger, which offsets its tube magazine and makes it more ammo saving. At very close CQB below 5m it can one shot kill Pripyat Monolithians elites with ease. Must have for mutants wipe outs. Some might prefer Saiga or RAM shotgun here 3. Vintar rifle - Veteran version, I replaced Dnipro by this gun in late game. It is stronger than standard AS VAL and it shares ammo pool with Rhino revolver. 4. Rhino revolver, basically it works as good as Cavalier rifle but it is better choice than Cavalier at very close ranges + it has better fire rate, reload time and 9x39 ammo is later quite common and you rarely end up buying it to cover your consumption of it.

[@vlanis6837]

like 👍 any plans for having a tear list for armors?

[@ShadowsSmog98]

When you hold your breath with guns with scopes it’s seem to do 1 shot kill with some I have experienced this with the akm 74s with the 4x compared to normal it takes 3 rounds I thought it’s something worth bringing up to you. Thanks for the video but I haven’t tested with exos but you’ll see what I mean if you have time to test it on many different enemies in the game

[@koyooko5160]

Rhino lives up to its name cause that thing hits as hard as one, carried me for 60% of my first run when i got it

[@IcedCoffeeGaming]

I view it as a handheld M701 haha, insane weapon

[@JF-vz1ju]

I haven't switched to another pistol ever since I first got the Rhino. It's easily the best pistol and better than most primaries lol.

[@shanemcdowell3628]

GP37 gets the M203, its pretty alright. The stock optic is also pretty good. I'd still leave it in A though. RPM74 also gets an extended nutsack attachment.

[@dracomeetsvirgo4851]

My man. You're gonna need to understand that we are not glued to our screens for a freaking hour for a tier list. So if you say something like "this has better penetration than this" I have no idea what you're talking about cause I'm mowing the lawn or doing the dishes or something. Then I look at the screen and it's just a wall of pictures so I have no way to catch up without rewinding the whole section. You're putting in work but we need landmarks and audio cues to be able to swim through the tsunami of information

[@xheiii]

There is a unique variant of the PTM, I believe its called Monolith. Its one of those deluxe/ultimate edition weapons that you get from journalist stashes.

[@DaniArnez]

All monolith weapons are just skins, no unique mods

[@xheiii]

@@DaniArnez Ah I see, I definitely agree that the UDP should have at least more penetration or damage. Hopefully a mod fixes that in the future.

[@pawe6473]

The only Unique PTM is Labirynth VI and it belongs do Doctor (no spoiling)

[@pawe6473]

​@@DaniArnezyeah, only unique is Labirynth VI, but its end of the game.

[@xheiii]

@@pawe6473 thanks for not spoiling it, I'm still on the ex monolith island(forgot the name).

[@kembawxlker]

bro prepared an excel for the game. respect😮

[@IcedCoffeeGaming]

I didn't make the spreadsheet haha, it was on reddit

[@Old_Grandfather_]

APSB (with full auto fire mod) + Saiga D12 + Riman. Thats all weapon you need.

[@codypeoples613]

5:11 apsb is quite easy to single fire on xbox ngl. Just gotta go soft when you pull the right trigger. And even then you dont fully pull it. I find it easier to use then a mouse for bumping shots as i call it

[@ghosface353]

I think B-tier is probably right for the VS Vintar. It's a really good gun, and a gun I suggest using after Garbage when you discover that the Valik Lummox's AKM-74S is not one tapping enemies wearing gas mask, and you still haven't gotten an ACOG yet, and still somewhat away from the Kharod. It's a decent gun for varieties sake and up to the midpoint. Because you can use it as a sniper, it doesn't eat up that much ammo, and you aren't going to use the AP rounds on the Rhino, so why not use it on the Vintar instead?

[@JXRED98]

as much as i keep trying out different weapons, i keep going back to the kharod in 5.45 w/ the underbarrel m26 shotgun and clusterfuck, or kharod+saiga, especially with the better ballistics mod installed.

[@bluffenjoyer]

The only time I found the RPG useful is in the Faust boss fight. I believe on the 2nd phase if you hit him directly on it ends the fight with one rocket.

[@IcedCoffeeGaming]

I think after the changes they made to it, so it has longer cooldown/fewer clones, you pop 5-10 clones and kill the dog, feels more balanced/reasonable. If you catch it early you can 1 tap it in the head with a lot of power weapons

[@zlivasprava]

U can get Gauss early if u finish mutant collars quest

[@TheKupko]

I just upgraded Dnipro, wanted a change and because I also heard it can one tap exos. At least I have almost 2000 armor piercing bullets for it (dunno how, I'm loot goblin I loot stashes, but also those LMGs will drop 40+ ammo if you unload them).

[@PigPissBeUponThem]

Bro the AI are literally laser beams at range it’s like it’s such a drain in armor when they’re just shooting 10 round bursts at render distance and hit every shot while running.,.

[@NSixtyFour]

definitely not the bots with the cracker, cracking you with buckshot at >100m(while strafing) and at 29% durability. i mean its been like that since soc, but man at least dont have them spawn when im in open areas with no cover in sight >:(

[@janovmi2]

G36 > Kharod The main differences are the magazines; both the quick-double and the drum are superior to Kharod and make it way more versatile in big fights that are now happening with the re-introduction of Alife. Furthermore, the range stat is more important (than pen) since with Alife, you will be forced to snipe more often with many more human non-exo enemy groups. Also, G36 is way easier and cheaper to repair and upgrade. Regarding Kharod's better pen, since G36 is the same caliber but has a way longer barrel, after some balancing (or after we get a caliber-based stat rebalance mod), it will outperform Kharod in anything but RoF.

[@IcedCoffeeGaming]

I am thinking G36 could be great depending on its 3 round burst breakpoints/shot spread at range, outside of that I wouldn't use either for range. I carry a Rhino or M701 for that.

[@SergeyPoliakov]

That AR416 sniper rifle that we get in Zaton is amazing. 55 really stable and great shots.... Used a lot. But scope is too far. I think it's x6, which is a little too far for that game I think. But this Plevalka is amazing

[@Z3rgatul]

52:00 Chimera is 5 shots for Gauss, same as with pseudogiant

[@IcedCoffeeGaming]

Pretty insane, thanks for letting me know :)

[@clancyjiang1991]

"Slavic scopes", chocked on my gin tonic

[@volrath77]

It should be noted that the damage values for grenade launchers are misleading in the sense that the actual damage value is not of the weapons used per se but the grenades they fire. Both VOG-25 and HEDP explosion have the same damage vs NPC which is 300 but the RPG7 explosion damage vs NPC is 1400. Literally the highest damage value of all weapons in the game. Personally they're more valuable as AOE weapons to injure or kill multiple clustered enemies within the impulse radius. A pity there is no ShAK-12 so I modded the entry for the Grom (Groza OTs-14) for personal use only. Bumped its damage quite a bit so I can imagine running around the Zone with a battle rifle firing 12.7x55mm rounds.

[@IcedCoffeeGaming]

If the RPG was fixed then it is good if that is true. Before patches it did almost no damage

[@ReliefOfRevenge]

I was using as lavina all the time because its lighter than other weapons. And even tho 9x39 is heavier I can still carry more loot