10. Supernova
https://youtu.be/7oCChEiXenY?t=56
This unique shotgun for Echo, Amaru, and Hibana, as you can see from its damage, is one of the best shotguns in the game. It’s a compact pump action 12-gauge shotgun and its recoil is more manageable than most of your typical pump action shotguns, which makes its shots feel stable and accurate. Its biggest drawback is its slow rate of fire or pump action, but it makes up for it with its heavy damage per pellet. It also has a pretty long effective range because its range damage drop-off is quite low. And that effective range would even be longer with a laser when it comes to hip firing.
One of the best qualities of the Supernova is that it basically has an integrated suppressor. That’s because it is the only available barrel attachment to it, and now that it doesn't reduce the damage of weapons anymore, there’s essentially no drawbacks to equipping it when there are no other barrel attachments available. With the suppressor on the Supernova, the operators who have access to it will be pumping heavy but silent gunshots on enemies, and this will make it harder for enemies to determine where the user is shooting from.
What Makes the Supernova Great:
- It inflicts heavy damage per pellet and since it shoots multiple pellets per shot, it’s capable of downing an enemy regardless of armor rating with only one shot at its optimal range
- Its range damage drop off is pretty mild compared to other shotguns so its effective range is quite long especially when the user goes aim-down-sights with it
- It basically has an integrated suppressor since it’s the only available barrel attachment to it and with that, the user will be making silent heavy shots with this shotgun
- Its recoil is more manageable than most pump action shotguns in the game, and that would allow the user to align his subsequent shots easier
Weapon Stats:
- Damage - 55
- Mobility - 50
- Rate of Fire - 75 RPM
- Magazine Size - 7
9. M870
https://youtu.be/_zlKf9bzJbg?t=78
The M870, for many years now, has always been one of the most popular shotguns in the game, and as the video title above says, it seems like the devs even secretly buffed it. Its popularity in the Siege community stems from its heavy damage per pellet and the fact that it has a longer optimal range than most pump action shotguns in the game. That is because of its large barrel, so especially when the user goes into aim-down-sights stance with it before shooting, its effective range can surprise a lot of enemies, because it’s quite far.
If all of its pellets connect to the enemy’s body, it’s a guaranteed kill for the user at close range. That is why it’s best to equip this shotgun with a laser so that its hip fire spread will be much tighter. With a laser, even its hip fire spread will have a longer effective range. Like the Supernova above, the M870’s range damage drop off is quite low, so it’s really effective at downing enemies even when they’re further than close-range. It can also be fired while reloading, and that’s really handy when the user is dealing with multiple enemies coming at them at the same time.
What Makes the M870 Great:
- It packs a heavy punch per pellet so it’s capable of downing at enemy at close range when all of its pellets connect
- Its range damage drop off is lower than most pump action shotguns because of its large barrel, which means its effective range is quite far
- It can be fired while in the middle of being reloaded and that’s a great perk to have when the user is dealing with multiple enemies
- Its reload is very manageable so it will be easy for the user to align his next shots and it’s almost a guarantee that they won’t lose control of this weapon
Weapon Stats:
- Damage - 60
- Mobility - 50
- Rate of Fire - 100 RPM
- Magazine Size - 7
8. SG-CQB
https://youtu.be/Cxz88MC6VOU?t=87
The SG-CQB is available to a lot of operators, namely Grim, Rook, Doc, Lion, and Twitch. Like the two shotguns featured above, the SG-CQB is also a 12-gauge pump action shotgun, and excels at close range. While on paper, if one only looks at the numbers, they could think that the SG-CQB is weaker than the M870, and they might wonder why it’s higher in ranking. The reason is because the SG-CQB is compatible with the vertical grip. The vertical grip specializes in lowering the vertical recoil of weapons, and it’s always great when it’s available.
One might ask though if they even need the additional recoil control benefits from the vertical grip considering that the SG-CQB has a slow rate of fire. I would say yes, the vertical grip has a huge benefit to the SG-CQB user, and that’s because it can prevent the weapon from kicking too high when being shot. The lower the weapon kick is, the easier it is for the user to keep an eye on the enemy, and that’s always important in Siege. The SG-CQB is devastating at close range, but can still heavily damage enemies that are further than that due to its mild range damage drop-off.
What Makes the SG-CQB Great:
- Its heavy damage per pellet makes it a devastating weapon at close range, and when all of its pellets hit the opponent’s body, it’s a guaranteed kill for the user
- It’s compatible to the vertical grip attachment which will greatly lower its weapon kick, allowing the user to keep a stable eye-level after shooting
- It has a mild range damage drop-off so its optimal range is longer than many pump action shotguns, especially when the user is aiming-down-sights with it
- As most shotguns are, the SG-CQB's destruction rate per shot is very high, so it can also be used as a utility for reworking the map to the user’s advantage
Weapon Stats:
- Damage - 53
- Mobility - 50
- Rate of Fire - 85 RPM
- Magazine Size - 7
7. SPAS-15
https://youtu.be/3cJIJJOEEz4?t=12
The SPAS-15 shotgun, available to Caveira and Thunderbird, is one of the best shotguns when it comes to destruction. It can create a rotation hole with just one or two shots, so it’s a great utility for reworking the map to your team’s advantage. For Caveira, the SPAS-15 really enhances her roaming capabilities because with it, she can quickly create a rotation hole for flanking enemies or for escaping them. She can also destroy an unreinforced hatch with it with just one shot, and that’s a great perk to have for roaming because when you’re roaming, it’s always important to outmaneuver your enemies.
As for Thunderbird, she can freely equip this shotgun instead of the Spear .308 because even with a shotgun as her primary, she won’t lose out much when it comes to medium to long-range firing. That’s because the bearing-9 machine pistol is available to her, and she can use that for fragging enemies beyond the reach of the SPAS-15. And for close range engagements, this shotgun is a menace, because it deals heavy damage per pellet, and its rate of fire is quite high, so the user can keep peppering enemies with heavy shots in quick succession.
What Makes the SPAS-15 Great:
- Its destruction rate per shot is very high so it’s capable of creating a rotation hole with just one or two shots, making it a great utility for reworking the map
- It’s a great primary weapon for Caveira because it will allow her to flank and escape enemies easily, and she can also use it to destroy unreinforced hatches to quickly go down a level
- It packs a heavy punch per pellet and its rate of fire is faster than most shotguns, so it can really make short work of enemies at close range
- Due to its detachable magazine, its reload time is much faster than your typical shotgun in the game, and that’s great especially for dealing with multiple enemies
Weapon Stats:
- Damage - 30
- Mobility - 50
- Rate of Fire - 290 RPM
- Magazine Size - 6
6. SIX12 SD
https://youtu.be/1uNVYtE7EIE?t=15
The SIX12 SD variant, not to be confused with the one without “SD”, is one of the best shotguns in the game. That’s because despite its small magazine size, it deals heavy damage per shot and can really shred a lot of health points from an enemy with just one shot, especially at close range. Its rate of fire is also pretty fast, so the user can fire it in quick succession, and as long as most of its pellets hit the enemy’s body, the SIX12 SD can really make short work of them. This powerful shotgun is available to Nokk and Lesion, and it works well for their roles.
That’s because the SIX12 SD shotgun has an integrated suppressor, so for Nokk especially, it works perfectly in conjunction with her role as a stealthy attacker. Shots from the SIX12 SD are very silent, so it doesn’t draw a lot of attention from the enemies. That’s why when the user frags an enemy with it, unless the enemies are in an organized team and are quick with their call outs, it could take some time for them to determine where the user is. The SIX12 SD also has a detachable magazine so its reload time is quicker than most shotguns.
What Makes the SIX12 SD Great:
- It has an integrated suppressor which makes its shots extremely silent, and that’s really useful for surprising enemies and making it harder for them to know where you are
- It has a pretty fast rate of fire and its recoil is quite low, so the user can fire it in quick succession without losing much control
- The SIX12 SD’s reload time is quite short due to its detachable magazine, and short reload time is always great to have especially when dealing with more than one enemy
- Its destruction rate per shot is high, and due to its integrated suppressor, the user can create rotation holes silently and that’s great for surprising enemies
Weapon Stats:
- Damage - 35
- Mobility - 50
- Rate of Fire - 200 RPM
- Magazine Size - 6
5. BOSG.12.2
https://youtu.be/xyAiF7wdaKo?t=29
It’s kind of hard to rank the BOSG.12.2 because it’s quite a strange gun, albeit a very powerful one. It used to be just a meme gun for the Siege community, but in the hands of an experienced player, it can turn into a real menace. The BOSG.12.2 is unique to Dokkaebi and Vigil, and fires a single-slug per shot, making it capable of dealing a great amount of damage to enemies even at long-range. Since it’s modeled after hunting shotguns, it resembles a sniper rifle more than the usual shotguns that are available in the game.
Its damage is second only to Kali’s CSRX 300, making it the second most damaging weapon in the game. At long range, it can down an opponent with 1-health rating with just a single shot. The drawback from using this weapon is that it can only fire two shots consecutively before having to be reloaded. But those two shots can be fired in rapid succession, and with the vertical grip, the user can hold down its weapon kick quite well and it won’t kick too high after one shot. That will allow the user to align his next shot well and hit the enemy again with good accuracy.
What Makes the BOSG.12.2 Great:
- It inflicts a very high damage per shot and at its optimal range, it can down an opponent with just one shot regardless of their health rating
- Its two shots before reloading can be fired in rapid succession, and with good recoil control and aim, those two shots are usually enough to score a kill
- The scopes 1.5x, 2.0x, and 2.5x are available to it, and those scopes will allow the user to target their enemies with great accuracy
- It’s compatible to the vertical grip and that helps a lot in holding down its vertical recoil, allowing the user to align his next shot well if the first one doesn’t kill the enemy
Weapon Stats:
- Damage - 125
- Mobility - 50
- Rate of Fire - 500 RPM
- Magazine Size - 2
4. TCSG12
https://youtu.be/cvXTkTYL5D8?t=34
Like the BOSG.12.2 above, the TCSG12 is another single-slug firing shotgun and is therefore capable of hitting targets at long range. Its range damage drop off is pretty steep, so it’s not as effective at long-range as designated marksman rifles, but it’s the closest thing that defenders have to a sniper rifle. The TCSG12 is available to Goyo and Kaid, and it works well with their role as anchors. The TCSG12 packs a heavy punch per shot, and not just in terms of damage to enemies, but when it comes to its destruction rate as well.
Because each shot from the TCSG12 is highly destructive and can destroy wooden beams, it can also be used to rework the map to the defending team’s advantage. It can be fired rather quickly, although it has a pretty strong weapon kick, so users are advised to pace their shots well. The availability of the vertical grip helps a lot in holding down its weapon kick, however, more adventurous players can opt for an angled grip instead. The TCSG12’s only available barrel attachment is the suppressor, so like some shotguns featured in this list, it basically has an integrated suppressor because there’s no penalty to equipping it.
What Makes the TCSG12 Great:
- It inflicts a heavy punch per shot which makes it excellent for fragging enemies but also for reworking the map as well
- It’s compatible to the vertical grip which will allow the user to hold down its weapon kick well but players can also opt for the angled grip if they prefer its aim-down-sights speed boost
- It basically has an integrated suppressor because it’s the only compatible barrel attachment to it and there’s no more drawback to equipping it so users might as well attach it to their TCSG12
- It has a high destruction rate per shot and it can destroy wooden beams, making it capable of creating rotation holes and destroying unreinforced hatches
Weapon Stats:
- Damage - 63
- Mobility - 50
- Rate of Fire - 450 RPM
- Magazine Size - 10
3. SASG-12
https://youtu.be/SDuVEg6GjCQ?t=11
The SASG-12 is easily one of the best non-single slug firing shotguns in this list because it has all the qualities that a player would want for their shotgun. The SASG-12 inflicts a massive damage per pellet, and as mentioned before, it fires multiple ones, so when most or all of its pellets connect to the enemy’s body, it’s a guaranteed kill for the user. Unlike most shotguns, the SASG-12 can be fired in quick succession. Adding that to its high damage per pellet, this weapon is really devastating, especially at close range where it excels.
On top of those qualities, the SASG-12 can also be reloaded quickly due to its detachable magazine, and that would keep the user from being at a disadvantage when engaging multiple enemies at the same time. The SASG-12's only option for its barrel attachment is the suppressor, so like some of the shotguns listed above, it kind of has its own integrated suppressor because it only makes sense for the user to just attach it to the weapon. That’s because the suppressor doesn’t have a damage penalty anymore, and with it, the user will make it harder for the enemies to find them.
What Makes the SASG-12 Great:
- The SASG-12 inflicts a massive amount of damage per pellet, making it capable of downing an enemy at its optimal range with just one or two shots
- It can be equipped with a vertical grip which will greatly weaken its weapon kick, allowing the user to align his next shots well and hit opponents with deadly accuracy
- It kind of has an integrated suppressor which is great for surprising enemies and making it harder for the remaining ones to find you
- Unlike most shotguns in the game, the SASG-12 can be reloaded quickly due to its detachable magazine, and that’s pretty handy especially when dealing with multiple enemies
Weapon Stats:
- Damage - 50
- Mobility - 50
- Rate of Fire - 330 RPM
- Magazine Size - 10
2. FO-12
https://youtu.be/gNtjAUe9UVU?t=68
The best non-single slug firing shotgun rank goes to Ela’s FO-12. Just by looking at the numbers, one might think that the SASG-12 is a better shotgun and deserves a higher rank than the FO-12, but the latter has a faster rate of fire and a higher destruction rate per shot. So even with just one well-placed shot, the FO-12 can create a rotation hole or break an unreinforced wall. Another reason why the FO-12 is such a powerful shotgun is because of its compatibility to a wide variety of attachments which is rare when it comes to shotguns.
For its barrel, the FO-12 can be equipped with either an extended barrel or a suppressor; and for its grip, it can be equipped with either a vertical grip or an angled grip. So the FO-12 can really be customized according to the advantages that the player wants to have. Personally, I like attaching the suppressor and the vertical grip whenever I use this shotgun. That’s because the suppressor will greatly silence the FO-12's gunshots, allowing the user to create rotation holes more silently than normal. As for the vertical grip, it’s a great attachment for holding down the FO-12's weapon kick.
What Makes the FO-12 Great:
- It has a very high destruction rate per shot, so even just one shot from it is enough to make a rotation hole or destroy an unreinforced hatch
- Its rate of fire is very decent for a shotgun so the user can fire it in quick succession. This makes Ela a devastating defender at close range
- It also has a detachable magazine so despite it firing multiple pellets per shot, it's one of the shotguns in the game that can be reloaded quickly
- It’s compatible to a wide variety of attachments which is rare for a shotgun, and that allows the user to customize it according to the advantages that they want to have
Weapon Stats:
- Damage - 25
- Mobility - 50
- Rate of Fire - 400 RPM
- Magazine Size - 10
1. ACS12
https://youtu.be/7K4uj8rrmaU?t=35
The ACS12, available to Maestro, Azami, and Alibi, is the best shotgun in this list, and is easily one of the best weapons in the game overall. It’s a single-slug firing shotgun that is fully automatic. Its only drawback is that compared to the other fully automatic weapons in the game, its rate of fire is quite slow. However, it more than makes up for that drawback with its heavy damage per shot, very low recoil, high magazine capacity, and compatibility to scopes that provide high levels of zoom. On top of its qualities that make it great for killing, its high destruction rate per shot also makes it a great utility for reworking the map.
But wait, there’s more. Due to its detachable magazine, it’s one of the shotguns that can be reloaded quickly. So when facing multiple enemies at the same time, the user won’t be at a heavy disadvantage. Speaking of reloading, its chances of needing to be reloaded in the middle of a gunfight is quite low because for a shotgun, its magazine capacity is quite huge. This weapon really feels more like a fully automatic rifle than a shotgun. And since its recoil is very low, players are advised to completely ignore the vertical grip for this gun and run with the angled grip instead.
What Makes the ACS12 Great:
- It has heavy stopping power per shot and its shots has heavy destruction rate, making it a great utility for creating rotation holes or lines of sight
- Even for a single-slug firing shotgun, the magazine capacity of the ACS12 is quite huge, so with this gun, it could really feel like you’re using a fully automatic rifle
- Its stock recoil is very low so the user can freely opt for the angled grip instead of the vertical grip and benefit from its added aim-down-sight speed
- It’s compatible to scopes that provide high levels of zoom like the scope 1.5x and 2.0x, and that will allow its user to target their enemies with great accuracy
Weapon Stats:
- Damage - 69
- Mobility - 50
- Rate of Fire - 300 RPM
- Magazine Size - 30
Attention operator, please be advised. There is a new directive from Six. Read up on these related articles, and prepare for deployment:
