Planetside 2 has tons of guns that will satisfy the tastes of the most demanding soldiers out there. But you must realize, that none of these guns will get you “EZ victory” if you’ll simply equip it. The guns presented in this list are merely a suggestion, each of them varies depending on the player’s demands and his playstyle.
Let’s start with separating three main factions within the game, as all of their faction weaponry (Unique ones, apart from NS weapons that are cross-faction) is special in their own way.
Terran Republic
Terran’s weaponry relies on high rates of fire and extended ammo capacity. Whether it’s a carbine, SMG, or an LMG, their weapons shoot their large magazines fast with low recoil, but at a cost of reduced overall damage, although DPS is compensated by the previously mentioned rate of fire. They shoot bullets, meaning their weapons got ballistics, and soldiers must acknowledge the distance.
New Conglomerate
NC can be compared to a giant’s club. It hits very hard but slow as hell. NC weapons have the highest recoil among all the factions within the game, and their rate of fire is slowest, but! All of these drawbacks are compensated by enormous damage their weaponry deals, which makes them best suited for Mid-Long range shooting, for a close-range - pick a shotgun (this advice works with all the factions, by the way). And, like with TR - bullet ballistics, they have it.
Vanu Sovereignty
Ever wanted to listen to sci-fi dubstep while shooting bright lasers out of your gun? Then VS is your choice! VS weapons are something in between NC and TR, their weapons have low recoil, their rate of fire is higher than NC’s but lower than TR’s, just as their damage, which is higher than TR’s, and lower than NC’s. Although they do have one drawback - most of their weapon damage degrades at long ranges, making them best suited for close to mid ranges. But there’s one thing you’ll love playing as VS sniper! VS doesn’t have bullet ballistics, so you can aim right at the center of your crosshair regardless of the range.
Now that we have reviewed the main differences between faction weapons - prepare your certs, we are digging into the tools of doom themselves!
*Note, this Top does not show which weapons are superior. Every single weapon shown in the list is good enough if used appropriately.
[Top 10]: NS-R3 Swarm (All factions)
There is a lot of speculation on which is better. “Swarm”, or “Annihilator”? There is no single, truthful answer, as both of them are fearsome, especially amongst the ESF (Empire-Specific Fighter) pilots! The Swarm, however, is better suited for dealing with nasty mosquitoes or reavers that are flying around like insects in a heaty desert.
Swarm provides you 3 fast-flying projectile shots upon the quickest lock on the target, making it hard if not impossible to evade at the very least one of them, which still will do a good portion of the damage.
With this piece of a rocket launcher, no pilot will bother you anymore. Its main drawbacks - cost at the start of the game, reduced damage per rocket, and the necessity to lock on targets, meaning you cannot fire it at will.
[Top 9]: NS-7 PDW (All factions)
Have you ever wanted to possess a gun that reloads animation that looks like a VHS cassette being inserted into a magazine before it starts shooting bullets? Then let me ask you: do you feel well lately? Anyway! If this by any chance was your dream, SMG NS-7 PDW is your choice.
It has a low rate of fire compared to other SMGs, but! Its main advantage is low recoil, accuracy, and of course, the lowest damage degrade over distance, which makes it an actual competitor to some carbines.
Thus being said, this SMG is best suitable for mid-range flights. It also has an Advanced Laser Sight attachment to it, giving it an extra hip-fire accuracy! It also can be used by any class except for MAX, making it a good choice for a more active infiltrator.
[Top 8]: Solstice VE3 (Vanu Sovereignty)
Despite the common belief about F2P games, Planetside 2 actually has some decent equipment from the very beginning, without any payment requirements to “better” someone.
And this beautiful VS carbine proves it.
It doesn’t have some extraordinary advantages, but at the same time, it lacks worth mentioning drawbacks as well, making it a perfect carbine to start with, and even continue playing pretty comfortably, since, despite its attachments being limited, it has a pretty decent rate of fire, lower than TR’s Trac-5, but higher than NC’s stock carbine.
Its main difference amidst other carbines: it’s the most precise one, especially when aiming and moving, and it has the lowest recoil out of all faction’s stock carbines. Beauty in simplicity and this so-called “mediocre” guy can actually impress!
[Top 7]: T9 Carv (Terran Republic)
Do you know the German MG-42? T9 Carv is the closest representation of it you’ll get in Planetside 2. It’s heavy to move with and takes an eternity to reload.
But! Once your magazine is in, it’s ready to shred every single enemy that was brave and foolish enough to get too close. It has an enormous rate of fire and a whole 100 rounds in a magazine.
Add up good accuracy and small recoil, and you’ll get the greatest weapon to farm kills when holding chokepoints until you’ll eventually run out of ammo.
[Top 6]: TX1 Repeater (Terran Republic)
Hands down - the absolute best of all easily accessible sidearms in the game (because it’s free). Many players, even experienced ones, often prefer keeping it, and no wonder!
Unlike the fancy Commissioner and Pilot sidearms, Repeater provides a great balance of good rate of fire, damage, and TTK (Time to kill) as a result.
Just for the sake of comparison, Pilot has 4 burst shots before running out of a mag, while Repeater provides the whole 7, but at a cost of reduced damage. When your rifle is out of ammo, and you are in a panic situation
- Repeater will always be a good choice for a “Plan B”
[Top 5] Parallax VX3 (Vanu Sovereignty)
Actually, there are whole 3 sniper rifles at this position, “RAMS .50” for TR and “EM4 Longshot” for NC got identical weapon stats, being analogs for each faction.
These bolt action sniper rifles are the best choice for long-distance sniping. Because they are simple, unlike faction’s special rifles like AF-8 Railjack for NC, which has a special trait, but also a severe drawback that scares off even experienced players to use this weapon.
Parallax VX3 and its analogs, on the other side - provide great sniping distance (trust me, you do not need more than 400 meters since you will rarely shoot from such distances if ever at all). And, within a whole 400 meters long, these sniper rifles can take down any class with one single headshot. And in case you miss the head, worries aside just hit another shot and the enemy will return at respawn point.
[Top 4]: GR-22 (New Conglomerate)
This little fella here can be named as “TR wannabe” because compared to all other NC’s assault rifles that usually hits hard - GR-22 prefers shooting with mosquito stings, but does it quicker than any other NC assault rifle!
But, it does sacrifice its accuracy, so it’s best suited for close to mid-range distances, as due to its excessive rate of fire it can kill off any class in close quarters.
If you love TR playstyle, but want to spread out liberty instead of order - GR-22 is your choice! Although be mindful, assault rifles can be wielded by Medic and Engineer classes only! Additionally, it’s cheap: 650 certs | 499 DC for weapon unlock.
[Top 3] AF-4 Cyclone (New Conglomerate)
Remember how I told you about NS-7 PDW having a small rate of fire? Well, there’s a fella even slower. Meet AF-4 Cyclone, one of the best SMGs out there. Why is it one of the best if its rate of fire is so small?
Why, because of its damage of course! The rate of fire may be slower, but this son of a gun will spit bullets that hit like Mike Tyson’s fists! Combined with the same accuracy as NS-7 PDW, it is an absolute winner for spec ops infiltrators that grew tired of camping.
[Top 2] LC2 Lynx (Terran Republic)
He shares the same problems and powers as Flash from DCU does. Women hate him for being “too fast”. But men - loves him for the very same reason. Ladies and gentlemen, I introduce you: the fastest shooting carbine in the entire game.
People love it because you will have a hard time finding a carbine that clears the rooms better than Lynx does. And yes, it does have Advanced Laser Sight attachment, so you won’t even need to aim down sights to crush the rebellion and spread order. It’s best suited for aggressive, mobility gameplay.
[Top 1] GD-7F (New Conglomerate)
The infantry decimator amongst the carbines. Unlike Lynx, some women might just love him. Why? Well, because not only he can compete with Lynx in fire rate, but he also hits much harder than his opponent!
His damage is comparable to other carbines, but it is a combination of that, slightly quicker reload, and outstanding fire rate for an NC weapon. And yes, you can put any Advanced Laser Sight attachment, which will make this weapon a worthy “wannabe TR” representative of NC, yet keeping NC’s charm in damage.
P.S.
This top is quite subjective. Although there were certain criteria used when evaluating weapon's effectiveness, such as how many classes can use this particular type of weapon, its TTK (Time to kill), and of course their stats. Of course, if you want a more specific top, you can check our Planetside 2 Best Sniper Rifles top, which we made specifically for infiltrators!
