Fortnite Guns Tier List: Chapter 5 Season 1 Weapons Ranked Best to Worst

Fortnite's ever-evolving arsenal of weapons saw a major overhaul with Chapter 5 Season 1. With so many new tools of destruction to try out, it can be difficult to discern which guns are the best picks for your loadout. To help you decide, we've created a Fortnite guns tier list, Chapter 5 Season 1 all weapons ranked from the absolute best to the very worst.

Fortnite Chapter 5 Season 1 Weapons Tier List

Here is the tier list for the best weapons in Fortnite Chapter 5 Season 1:

S-Tier

When it comes to pure damage potential and versatility, three guns stand out above the rest this season. The Striker Assault Rifle, Reaper Sniper Rifle, and Ballistic Shield make up the elite S-tier in Fortnite's current meta.

Striker AR

The Striker AR stands out as arguably the best all-around weapon in Fortnite right now.

• Its fast fire rate and high DPS allow it to quickly laser enemies at any range except for long distances.
• The Striker shreds in close quarters like an SMG, but also excels at mid-range fights.
• Its only downsides are slow reload time and small magazine size without weapon mods.

Reaper Sniper Rifle

For long-distance engagements, the Reaper Sniper Rifle is unmatched.

• It packs huge damage, capable of one-shot eliminating foes with a precise headshot.
• The Reaper does have some recoil and bullet drop to account for, but practice mastering it and you'll dominate at range.

Ballistic Shield

Finally, the Ballistic Shield uniquely provides both offense and defense.

• Using the shield makes you impervious to frontal damage, while still letting you return pistol fire at enemies.
• It gives you a major edge in battles, especially in no-build modes.
• Just beware that its downtime after absorbing too much damage, leaving you vulnerable.

A-Tier

While not quite S-tier, several Chapter 5 Season 1 weapons still prove themselves as powerful picks. The Hammer Pump Shotgun, Nemesis Assault Rifle, Ranger Pistol, and Grapple Blade comprise the A-tier guns in our ranking.

Hammer Pump Shotgun

• The Hammer Pump Shotgun offers devastating close-range damage when you land your shot, especially deadly headshots.
• Be prepared for its slow pump firing though, leaving you vulnerable between shots.

Nemesis AR

• The Nemesis AR provides excellent injury from afar with its heavy rounds.
• But its slower fire rate makes it much less viable in close quarters compared to an SMG or shotgun.

Ranger Pistol

• Looking like an SMG, the speedy Ranger Pistol surprises with great DPS and mag size for a pistol.
• Unfortunately, its large recoil and bullet spread limit its range drastically.

Grapple Blade

• The Grapple Blade excels at providing awesome mobility for quickly traversing the map.
• Use it to gain positional advantages and flanking opportunities.
• But don't rely on its weak melee strikes to get kills.

B-Tier 

Rounding out our list, we have the B-tier weapons: the Frenzy Auto Shotgun and Hyper SMG. While not bad, these guns have their limitations.

C-Tier 

Lastly, we have the worst C-tier weapons:

Summary

Fortnite's best Chapter 5 Season 1 guns consist of the Striker AR, Reaper Sniper, and Ballistic Shield for their raw power. The Hammer Shotgun, Nemesis AR, Ranger Pistol, and Grapple Blade are also solid A-tier picks. Most other weapons work fine, but have limitations or don't excel in any one area. Avoid the unreliable Thunder Burst SMG if possible. Choose the right weapons for you using our tier ranking and victory royales await!