Yet Another Zombie Survivors Weapon Tier List
Weapons ranked by how fast they clear the horde. Tank's heavy guns and Pyro's fire lead the meta - explosive and fire AoE outperform single-target kinetic in a bullet heaven game where thousands spawn at once.
S-Tier (Core)
Minigun (Tank)
Element: Huge sustained kinetic damage
Role: Heavy gunner
Tank's rank 2 unlock alongside the Rocket Launcher. Big gun, big damage - point it at the thickest part of the horde.
Rocket Launcher (Tank)
Element: AoE explosive damage for crowds
Role: AoE
Tank's rank 2 unlock. Explosive splash that deletes crowds and clears bosses when the target group is dense.
Flamethrower (Pyro)
Element: Fire AoE for crowds and elemental milestones
Role: Fire
Pyro's rank 2 unlock. The core fire weapon - Pyro is the only survivor who deals fire damage, so it drives the 1,000,000 fire damage achievements.
Infernax (Pyro)
Element: Heavy fire burst
Role: Fire
Pyro's rank 2 unlock. A heavier fire weapon for melting elites and feeding elemental damage goals.
A-Tier (Strong)
Assault Rifle (SWAT)
Element: Balanced kinetic damage for mid-game hordes
Role: All-rounder
Unlocks at SWAT rank 2. A proven, effective tool that keeps pace with the horde through the mid game.
Sniper Rifle (SWAT)
Element: Horde-piercing shots for key targets
Role: Precision
Unlocks at SWAT rank 2. Powerful, horde-piercing shots that eliminate key targets - elite and boss focused.
Blaster (Engineer)
Element: Electric single-target damage
Role: Shock
Engineer's rank 2 unlock. Electric weapon that chains the Engineer's identity - all of their gear deals electric damage.
Laser (Engineer)
Element: Sustained electric beam
Role: Beam
Engineer's rank 2 unlock. A precision electric weapon for melting tougher enemies.
Explosive Arrows (Huntress)
Element: Explosive ranged damage
Role: Archer
Huntress's rank 2 unlock. Arrows that explode on impact - strong against groups while keeping the archer range.
Freezing Arrows (Huntress)
Element: Ice crowd control
Role: Archer
Huntress's rank 2 unlock. Ice arrows that slow the horde - Huntress and Medic (rank 3) are the only ice damage dealers.
Kunai (Ghost)
Element: Rapid melee-range throwing
Role: Ninja
Ghost's core melee weapon. High attack speed suits the ninja-like close-range playstyle.
Antidote Flasks (Medic)
Element: Chemical support damage
Role: Support
Medic's rank 2 unlock. Chemical damage flasks - Medic is the only chemical damage dealer.
B-Tier (Situational)
Pistol (SWAT)
Element: Starter kinetic damage for the default leader
Role: Auto fire
SWAT's starting weapon. Reliable single-target kinetic damage that carries the first minutes before you buy or pick up something stronger.
SMG (SWAT)
Element: Spray-and-pray for early hordes
Role: Suppression
A faster firing option for thinning early crowds. Falls off against elites and bosses but great for wave cleanup.
Freezing Flasks (Medic)
Element: Ice support damage
Role: Support
Medic's rank 2 unlock. Thrown flasks that freeze or slow - one of only two ice damage sources in the game.
The Meta: Heavy Guns, Fire & AoE
Minigun, Rocket Launcher and Flamethrower lead because they clear crowds the game throws at you. Assault Rifle and Sniper are strong all-rounders. The starter Pistol and single-target kinetic fall off once the horde density spikes. Build your squad around one S-tier weapon and its synergy partner.