Which Weapon to Choose...
There's more to a weapon than just damage per second. You have to consider how each gun handles, its ammo capacity, and the status effects it inflicts. But most importantly, is it even fun to use? It can all be so overwhelming but have no fear, if you can't decide what weapon to use in Deep Rock Galactic, then we've got you covered. Here are the Top 10 most powerful weapons in Deep Rock.
10. LOK-1 Smart Rifle (Best for Firing Blindly)
(Video Credit: Syphon Gaming)
The whole concept of point, aim, and shoot feels so archaic. We've got more computing power in our pockets than NASA had to put a man on the moon. So why are we still using guns that operate the same way they did in the 1800s? The LOK-1 Smart Rifle is the solution to this problem, bringing sci-fi weaponry into the future. As the newest primary weapon of the Engineer, the LOK-1 uses futuristic smart targeting to lock onto multiple enemies at once. It takes care aiming for you, all you have to do is pull the trigger.
The LOK-1 makes the list of top 10 weapons for the simple fact that it is fun to use. It's so satisfying to hold down the trigger and let technology do the rest for you. It will even lock on to enemies that you can’t see. And with overclocks like “Neurolasso” to slow down your locked-on targets and “Explosive Chemical Rounds”, which cause enemies to explode, it's just plain fun to use.
How to get the LOK-1 Smart Rifle:
- Level up Engineer to rank 20
- Complete the “License Upgrade: LOK-1 Smart Rifle” assignment
- Purchase for 8200 Credits, 35 Jadiz, 65 Magnite,100 Umanite
LOK-1 Smart Rifle Base Stats:
- Damage: 21
- Max Ammo: 180
- Magazine Size: 36
- Rate of Fire: 6
- Reload Time: 3
- Acquire Lock-On Range: 25
- Acquire Lock-On Threshold: 10
- Lose Lock-On Threshold: 70
- Time to Acquire a Lock-On: 100%
- Max Number of Lock-Ons: 12
What the LOK-1 Smart Rifle excels in:
- Ease of use
- Fighting in the dark
- Novelty
9. Jury-Rigged Boomstick (Best for Quick Escapes)
(Video Credit: ReapeeRon)
The Evil Dead series is all the proof you need to know that nothing fights off hordes of enemies better than a Boomstick. Sure, it only holds two shots at a time, but that's one more than you need to obliterate a Glyphid Grunt. The Scout’s Jury-Rigged Boomstick is a classic sawed-off shotgun. Sure, nothing original but hey, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
The Jury-Rigged Boomstick reaches number 9 on our list not because it's perfect for one-shotting low-level enemies, (which it is) but for its ability to get you out of a tight spot. The tier 5 modification “Fear the Boomstick” causes enemies to flee after you fire, perfect for escaping when you’re surrounded. The Boomstick also has the single most fun overclock in the entire game. “Special Powder” gives you the ability to jump and use your shotgun to blast yourself through the air. You can use this blast jump ability as a double jump or to negate all fall damage by shooting the ground right before you land. Something the Scout desperately needs.
How to get the Jury-Rigged Boomstick:
- This is a default weapon for the Scout
Jury-Rigged Boomstick Base Stats:
- Damage: 12
- Max Ammo: 24
- Magazine Size: 2
- Rate of Fire: 1.5
- Reload Time: 2
- Pellets: 8
- Front AoE shock wave Damage: 20
- Stun Chance: 30%
- Stun Duration: 2.5
- Armor Breaking: 100%
- Base Spread: 100%
What the Jury-Rigged Boomstick excels in:
- Dealing high damage at close range
- Breaking enemy armor
- Saving your ass
8. Corrosive Sludge Pump (Best for Slowing Down Enemies)
(Video Credit: Richard Dangles)
It happens to everybody, one second you and your crew are easily fighting off a horde of bugs, and the next you're surrounded. The enemy just came on too quickly. If only you could surround yourself with fly traps, or better yet, sulfuric acid. Wait a minute, now we're just describing the Driller’s Corrosive Sludge Pump. Firing balls of goo that splash sludge everywhere, the Corrosive Sludge Pump makes quite a mess. Only this mess melts enemies into puddles of bug guts.
This weapon is incredibly helpful when playing Salvage Operation missions. When you have to defend your position, laying a trail of sludge around the perimeter can keep your enemy at bay. Even better, if the Driller makes a bunker by drilling underneath the black box and using a satchel charge to create a small room, the Sludge Pump can coat the entrance. This leaves only one way for the bugs to get in and it's covered in acidic boogers. EZ, g.g. bugs.
How to get the Corrosive Sludge Pump:
- Level up Driller to rank 20
- Complete the “License Upgrade: Corrosive Sludge Pump” assignment
- Purchase for 8200 Credits, 50 Jadiz, 110 Magnite, 40 Enor Pearl
Corrosive Sludge Pump Base Stats:
- Damage: 25
- Magazine Size: 25
- Max Ammo: 100
- Rate of Fire: 2
- Reload Time: 3
- Charged Splash Damage: 50
- Charged Fragment Damage: 5
- Charged Fragment Count: 8
- Charge Time: 100%
- Charged Shot Cost: 5
- Projectile Velocity: 100%
- Corrosive DoT DPS: 20
- Corrosive DoT Duration: 4
- Sludge Puddle DPS: 16
- Sludge Puddle Duration: 12
What the Corrosive Sludge Pump excels in:
- Slowing enemies
- Damage over time
- Turning small passages into death traps
7. M1000 Classic (Best for Targeting Weak Spots)
(Video Credit: ReapeeRon)
The M1000 Classic is Deep Rock Galactic’s closest thing to a sniper rifle. Resembling the popular World War 2 weapon, the M1 Garand, it's no mystery how this semi-automatic rifle got its name. Sure, you can only fire one shot at a time, but by holding the trigger you can zoom in and take the perfect shot, hitting the weak points of your enemies to inflict maximum damage with minimal ammo.
It's hard not to feel like a badass picking off Glyphids one by one from 100 meters away. And with the “Hoverclock” overclock (a mouthful, we know) you can slow down time while focusing in midair. You'll feel like it's 2017 again and you’re playing Breath of the Wild for the first time. Except this time Link is a dwarf and you're in space… and there are guns… and alien bugs… Okay, maybe Deep Rock is nothing like Breath of the Wild, but there is some sort of mid-air slowdown in both games.
How to get the M1000 Classic:
- Level up Scout to rank 10
- Complete the “License Upgrade: M1000 Classic” assignment
- Purchase for 7600 Credits, 120 Jadiz, 80 Croppa
M1000 Classic Base Stats:
- Damage: 55
- Max Ammo: 96
- Clip Size: 8
- Rate of Fire: 4
- Reload Time: 2.5
- Focus Speed: 100%
- Focused Shot Damage Bonus: 100%
- Recoil: 100%
- Armor Breaking: 30%
- Focus Mode Movement Speed: 30%
What the M1000 Classic excels in:
- Accuracy
- One shotting
- Conserving ammo
6. "Bulldog" Heavy Revolver (Best Pistol)
(Video Credit: ReapeeRon)
If the M1000 is Deep Rock’s rocks sniper rifle, the "Bulldog" Heavy Revolver is the pocket version. Although it’s a secondary weapon, the “Bulldog” packs just as much punch as a primary. This small gun is great for taking down big enemies like Praetorians and Oppressors. The only downside is that the “Bulldog” just holds four bullets at a time.
Again, like with the M1000, hitting those weak spots is key. With that in mind, you can build the “Bulldog” to be an absolute powerhouse. In fact, with the right setup, the “Bulldog” can do upwards of 700 damage in a single shot. To put it bluntly, it’s a hand cannon. If that's not powerful enough for you, then I don't know what is.
How to get the "Bulldog" Heavy Revolver:
- This is a default weapon for the Gunner
"Bulldog" Heavy Revolver Base Stats:
- Damage: 60
- Max Ammo: 24
- Magazine Size: 4
- Rate of Fire: 2
- Reload Time: 2
- Base Spread: 100%
- Spread Per Shot: 100%
- Stun Chance: 50%
- Stun Duration: 1.5
- Weakpoint Damage Bonus: 25%
- Recoil: 100%
- Damage Vs Burning: 100%
What the "Bulldog" Heavy Revolver excels in:
- Straight damage
- The most powerful sidearm
- Taking out large enemies
5. Cryo Cannon (Best for Versatility)
(Video Credit: ReapeeRon)
The second driller primary to make it onto this list is the Cryo Cannon. This weapon is exactly what it sounds like. The Cryo Cannon blasts cold air, inflicting ice damage and freezing enemies solid. If 90’s Arnold Schwarzenegger played Deep Rock, this is what he would pick. When frozen, enemies take extra damage from regular weapons. Flying enemies, however, when they freeze, so do their wings. They fall to the ground and shatter, killing them instantly.
There are so many ways to play the Cryo Cannon. First off, you can boost the freezing power and turn the entire battlefield into the courtyard of the ice witch from The Chronicles of Narnia. Or you can max/min the hell out of your build, cut your freezing power, and double your damage. Or maybe you're looking to do more AoE damage. The “Snowball” overclock lets you launch a huge snowball and freeze enemies instantly. Or maybe you're fighting Dreadnoughts and want to do as much single target damage as possible. The “Ice Spear” overclock fires a giant, you guessed it, ice spear, doing massive damage with one hit. Basically, the Cryo Cannon can do it all!
How to get the Cryo Cannon:
- Level up Driller to rank 10
- Complete the “License Upgrade: Cryo Cannon” assignment
- Purchase for 7600 Credits, 80 Enor Pearl, 120 Bismor
Cryo Cannon Base Stats:
- Damage: 6
- Tank Capacity: 500
- Charge up Time: 0.5
- Repressurization Delay: 1
- Cold Stream Reach: 10
- Freezing Power: 8
- Pressure Drop Rate: 100%
- Pressure Gain Rate: 100%
- Flow Rate: 100%
What the Cryo Cannon excels in:
- Freezing enemies
- Variety of play styles
- Instant kill for flying enemies
4. Deepcore 40mm PGL (Best for Crowd Control)
(Video Credit: ReapeeRon)
There's nothing quite like nailing that perfect “nothing but net” shot with a basketball. When you arc the ball just right. Well, what if that basketball was a grenade? Not just any grenade, but a miniature nuclear warhead. What if, instead of a swish, your shot made a mushroom cloud? If this sounds like your dream come true, the Deepcore 40mm PGL is the grenade launcher for you.
Now, the Deepcore 40mm PGL doesn't always have a nuke. That particular component can be attributed to the “Fat Boy” overclock. Other overclocks that shine with this weapon are the “RJ250 Compound” and “Hyper Propellant”. The “RJ250 Compound” acts similarly to the Boomstick’s “Special Powder”. The only difference is, that instead of just launching yourself through the air, you can also launch your teammates, whether they want you to or not. “Hyper propellant”, on the other hand, significantly decreases the explosivity of your grenades and in return, they deal massive direct damage, turning your grenade launcher into a sort of portable medieval cannon. The Deepcore is perfect for wiping large groups of enemies right off the face of Hoxxes.
How to get the Deepcore 40mm PGL:
- This is a default weapon for the Engineer
Deepcore 40mm PGL Base Stats:
- Area Damage: 110
- Max Ammo: 8
- Clip Size: 1
- Rate of Fire: 2
- Reload Time: 2
- Effect Radius: 3
- Armor Breaking: 100%
- Fear Factor: 100%
- Projectile Velocity: 100%
What the Deepcore 40mm PGL excels in:
- Crowd control
- AoE damage
- Explosions
3. "Lead Storm" Powered Minigun (Best Traditional Gun)
(Video Credit: ReapeeRon)
Cracking the top three, we have the Gunner’s first primary weapon, the "Lead Storm" Powered Minigun. The minigun is pretty much good at everything. It can cut through swarms like butter, drain Dreadnoughts of their health, hell, you can even mine Red Sugar with it! With its enormous amount of ammo and the fact that there is no reloading necessary, you’ll never be caught with your pants down, (figuratively, we don’t know what you do at home). All you have to do is manage the overheating mechanic, which is easily done by just taking a short moment to let it cool down between bursts of bloodshed.
The "Lead Storm" really does have it all. While most of the time it shines as a single target damage inflictor, it can also be built to deal with swarms using the “Bullet Hell” overclock, which causes a 75% chance bullets will ricochet off one enemy and into another. The "Lead Storm" Powered Minigun can also be built to inflict fire and heat damage What can we say, it’s a just really big gun. Isn’t that enough, sometimes?
How to get the "Lead Storm" Powered Minigun:
- This is a default weapon for the Gunner
"Lead Storm" Powered Minigun Base Stats:
- Damage: 10
- Max Ammo: 2400
- Rate of Fire: 30
- Cooling Rate: 1.5
- Spinup Time: 0.7
- Spindown Time: 2
- Base Spread: 100%
- Armor Breaking: 100%
- Stun Chance: 20%
- Stun Duration: 1
- Movement Speed While Using: 50%
- Heat Generation: 100%
What the "Lead Storm" Powered Minigun excels in:
- Damage per second
- Swarm busting
- A little bit of everything
2. CRSPR Flamethrower (Best Elemental Weapon)
(Video Credit: ReapeeRon)
Think back to 2008, when you were playing Call of Duty World at War and you got your hands on that M2 for the first time. It's a magical and sometimes horrifying experience to wield a flamethrower. The range, the power, the fire! Not to mention the feeling of winning the proverbial lottery in Nazi Zombies when you got the flamethrower from the mystery box. That feeling can be felt again in Deep Rock Galactic with the Driller’s third and final primary weapon, the CRSPR Flamethrower.
The CRSPR covers a lot of the same ground that other items on this list cover, but the flamethrower has them all in one package. With “Sticky Flames”, you can cover the ground the same way you would with Sludge Pump, but this time with fire! With the “High-Pressure Ejector” and the “Fuel Stream Diffuser” overclock, your flames can stretch as far as 20 meters, giving you plenty of reach to take down flying enemies, like with the Cryo Cannon, and large groups of bugs, like with the Deepcore. The CRSPR also deals both flame and heat damage to light your target ablaze and cause long-lasting damage over time. Come on, you know there's nothing quite like a videogame flamethrower.
How to get the CRSPR Flamethrower:
- This is a default weapon for the Driller
CRSPR Flamethrower Base Stats:
- Damage: 11
- Heat: 10
- Max Fuel: 300
- Tank Size: 50
- Fuel Flow Rate: 100%
- Reload Time: 3
- Sticky Flame Duration: 2
- Flame Reach: 10
What the CRSPR Flamethrower excels in:
- Long-lasting damage over time
- High range for a non-kinetic weapon
- Damaging multiple enemies at once
1. Breach Cutter (Best Weapon)
(Video Credit: ReapeeRon)
The number one, most powerful weapon in Deep Rock Galactic has got to be the Engineer's second secondary, the Breach Cutter. This massive piece of equipment fires energy beams in a straight line, ignoring any and all obstacles in its way. That's right, you can fire the Breach Cutter through rocks, through Molly, through supply pods, through anything. The beam will travel in a straight line and cause damage as it passes through enemies. So the larger the bug, the more damage it will cause.
In terms of overclocks, there are no bad options. You can boost direct damage, ammo capacity, fire damage, or electrical damage. These are all solid choices, but the fun really starts when you change how your beam travels. “Return to Sender” calls your plasma beam straight back to you, hitting enemies a second time. “Roll Control” causes the beam to roll at 300 degrees per second, increasing its hit radius. Finally, “Spinning Death” will lock your beam in place as it spins 2 times per second, causing extra damage to anyone stuck in its whirlwind. These on top of the “Explosive Goodbye” modification, which makes your plasma beam explode at the end of its life, turn the breach cutter into the ultimate instrument of death in Deep Rock Galactic.
How to get the Breach Cutter:
- Level up Engineer to rank 15
- Complete the “License Upgrade: Breach Cutter” assignment
- Purchase for 8200 Credits, 65 Jadiz, 30 Magnite,100 Umanite
Breach Cutter Base Stats:
- Beam DPS: 575
- Max Ammo: 12
- Magazine Size: 3
- Rate of Fire: 1.5
- Reload Time: 3.4
- Projectile Lifetime: 1.5
- Plasma Beam Width: 1.5
- Plasma Expansion Delay: 0.2
- Armor Breaking: 100%
What the Breach Cutter excels in:
- Damage per second
- Variety of playstyle
- Crowd control
- Single target damage
- Elemental damage
Deep Rock is an Incredibly Balanced Game
There you have it, the top 10 most powerful weapons in Deep Rock Galactic. In putting this list together, it was very difficult to boil down which were the 10 best weapons. It’s a testament to the game developers that every single weapon in this game has its own unique strengths. And with season 2 of the Deep Rock battle pass coming in late April, and along with it four new secondary weapons, this list is sure to change. But that's what makes Deep Rock Galactic such a fantastic game, it's constantly changing, improving, and evolving without losing any of its signature charm. Deep Rock players are sure to have many more powerful weapons coming their way for years to come. Until then, this list will serve you well. Rock and Stone!
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