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Halo Infinite best guns: our top picks of all 22 weapons in Halo Infinite

Our recommendations for the best weapons in Halo Infinite multiplayer

What are the best guns in Halo Infinite? Halo Infinite multiplayer enjoyed a surprise early launch last week, bringing with it 22 different guns for you to experiment with as you get to grips with this latest iteration of the venerable sci-fi FPS series. Not all weaponry was created equal in the world of Halo, and if you're wondering which armaments you should be aiming to get your hands on, we've compiled a full list below, along with our recommendations for the best choices.


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Cover image for YouTube videoHalo Infinite - Multiplayer Season One Launch Trailer

Halo Infinite: list of all guns

Halo Infinite's choice of 22 guns can be broadly divided into six smaller categories (including one that's not technically made up of guns at all, but since we're firmly in sci-fi energy weapon territory I say we still count them). We'll go into more details on the best in each category later on, but first here's a simple list of every weapon you can wield in Halo Infinite.

Pistols

  • MK50 Sidekick (starting weapon)
  • Disruptor
  • Mangler
  • Needler
  • Plasma Pistol

Assault Rifles

  • MA40 Assault Rifle (starting weapon)
  • BR75 Battle Rifle
  • Pulse Carbine
  • Sentinel Beam
  • VK78 Commando

Shotguns

  • CQS48 Bulldog
  • Heatwave

Sniper Rifles

  • S7 Sniper Rifle
  • Shock Rifle
  • Stalker Rifle

Launchers

  • Cindershot (plasma grenade/homing missile launcher)
  • Hydra (homing missile launcher)
  • M41 SPNKR Rocket Launcher
  • Ravager (plasma grenade launcher)
  • Skewer (spike launcher)

Miscellaneous/Melee

  • Energy Sword
  • Gravity Hammer

Best Pistol in Halo Infinite

Classing this one as a pistol might be contentious, because over Halo's history the Needler has been variously grouped in with pistols, ARs, launchers, energy weapons, and probably several more I'm forgetting. But hey, that just means it's versatile, right? The Needler's identity crisis has often gone hand-in-hand with a very patchy performance record between iterations, but I'm pleased to say that the version found in Infinite does a fine job.

The Needler fires shards of purple crystal that lodge themselves in your enemy's hide before eventually exploding, allowing for a one-two punch of damage that most other weapons can't match, with no extra effort on your part. It's cruel and unusual but undeniably very cool to look at.

If you're looking for something a little more practical to alternate with the Needler, then my choice would be the Plasma Pistol, which features a charged setting that can instantly break an enemy's shield.

These are my personal favourites, but the pistols in Halo Infinite are a strong bunch, and each one has a unique trait that might make it worth your consideration depending on your playstyle. The Mangler has a blade attachment, for example, making it one of the few single weapons that allows you to switch between ranged and melee combat; so if you favour a mixed combat approach that ends with you delivering the killing blow at close-range, this one could be for you. The Disruptor, meanwhile, has an electric charge capable of disabling vehicles — though if this is your aim, I'd actually recommend just taking the Shock Rifle instead if you can (see Assault Rifles, below).

Even the base MK50 Sidekick pistol can be your friend in the field, as it's got a surprisingly good headshot rate, and in my opinion is the better of your two starting weapons. While you'll want to pick up better guns down the line, I'd recommend holding onto the MK50 for a while, and prioritising finding a better AR to replace the MA40 first and foremost.


Best Assault Rifle in Halo Infinite

I have to admit that I found Assault Rifles to be the least inspiring gun category in Halo Infinite. Every AR in this game does a decent job but many of them have major drawbacks as well, so choosing one can end up requiring you to perform a speedy cost-benefit equation.

That being said, the Sentinel Beam is a really impressive weapon; it's just hard to classify it as an AR in the same vein as the other four, which are more classics of the genre. But if you're willing to put your faith in my assertion that this laser gun is more like an Assault Rifle than it is anything else, then this is definitely the one. The Sentinel Beam does continuous, increasing damage the longer you keep it trained on a target, and can eventually burn through them and start damaging anyone foolish enough to stand behind them. It's grim, but undeniably entertaining.

There's not much to say about the MA40 other than the fact that it's your standard starting AR and it does the job. The VK78 Commando is great for long-range targeting, thanks to its precision and heavy damage, but its slow firing speed and heavy recoil mean you don't want to rely on it in close-quarters combat.

The Plasma Carbine and BR75 Battle Rifle both have excellent utilities, but feel like two halves of one great AR. The Plasma Carbine can knock down enemy shields in no time, but then struggles to deal the follow-up damage needed for the killing blow. The BR75, on the other hand, can one-shot an unprotected enemy with ease, but isn't as effective at taking those shields down in the first place.

Two Spartans in Halo Infinite face off across the lobby of a transport station. The one in the foreground wields the VK78 Assault Rifle.

Best Shotgun in Halo Infinite

At this point there are only two shotguns to choose from in Halo Infinite. It's a close call, but we're going with the Heatwave as the premiere choice — though it might not be quite so easy to get your hands on one. The Heatwave is an energy weapon capable of dealing massive damage with its scattershot projectiles, and its alternate firing modes allow you to switch between a horizontal and vertical firing line.

However, if you do end up with the Bulldog, don't feel like you got a raw deal. While it lacks the Heatwave's ability to overcome the traditional limitations of a shotgun at midrange, the Bulldog can be absolutely devastating up-close. If you're within melee range you can practically one-shot an enemy with it, and any follow-up attack will be enough to take them down.


Best Sniper Rifle in Halo Infinite

In case it hadn't already become apparent, I'm quite partial to picking up the most sci-fi weapon in every category. I mean, this is Halo, iconic sci-fi FPS, and there's an argument to be made that you're not really doing it right if you don't favour energy blasts over more traditional projectiles.

However, it is my duty as the writer of this guide to give you a balanced perspective, so I will make the case that the S7 Sniper Rifle is an excellent choice if you're a fan of, well, sniping. A single well-placed headshot from this gun can down an enemy Spartan, and you can't really argue with that.

But if you're looking for an interesting alternative, I'm personally partial to the Shock Rifle. An unholy cross between a sniper rifle and a railgun, the Shock Rifle still does its best damage from headshots but will be pretty painful wherever you hit your unfortunate target, thanks to the fact that its electrical burst spreads across the target's whole body after impact. Additionally, it's nifty for disabling enemy vehicles: a few blasts will scramble their inner workings.

Finally, the Stalker Rifle is pretty decent (I'd argue that, at this point, there are no actively bad guns in Halo Infinite), but overall it's like a weaker version of the S7, so you should always favour the latter given the opportunity.

A group of Spartans in battle wielding a variety of weapons, including (prominently) a laser beam.

Best Launcher in Halo Infinite

Launchers are a diverse category in Halo Infinite, and your choice will depend largely on what it is you want to shoot and what you want to shoot it at. Want to focus primarily on disabling vehicles, while ensuring that their passengers don't get off lightly either? Take the Skewer. Want a homing missile that can target both people and vehicles? The Hydra. A plasma pulse grenade that can kill a Spartan in two hits? The Ravager.

The winner of this category, however, has to be the M41 SPNKR Rocket Launcher, which is one of the most powerful guns in the game overall. It takes some practice to use it right: you run the risk of blowing yourself up when firing at close range, and its effectiveness over longer ranges is reduced, but once you learn how to judge that sweet spot, you'll be a force to be reckoned with wielding this thing.

The Cindershot is an interesting alternative, though, with two firing modes that essentially make it a cross between the Hydra and the Ravager. While it lacks the target locking capacities of the former, it deals similar damage to both, and gives you the option to switch up your choice of projectiles at a moment's notice.


Best Melee Weapon in Halo Infinite

How to choose between the Energy Sword and the Gravity Hammer in Halo Infinite? They're two of the staples of the franchise, both are undoubtedly extremely fun to play with, and both can perform one-hit kills. It's a tough choice alright.

But I'm going to say that the Energy Sword takes the cake this time, if only because its comparative range is much better. The Gravity Hammer can still be extremely deadly, but is only effective at very close range and is also quite slow to wield, meaning that your enemies have a bit too much time to scramble to safety for our liking. The Energy Sword, on the other hand, actually increases your lunging damage range when you wield it, meaning you can kill in a single slash even more effectively.


Those are our picks for the best weapons in Halo Infinite right now, but with so much more to come (remember that the full game isn't even out yet!), we're sure there's going to be plenty more to say in the future. Keep an eye on this page for up-to-date information on Halo Infinite's best guns as we have it, and in the meantime, check out our guides to mastering Halo Infinite's Battle Pass progression system and climbing the Ranked Arena tiers in Halo Infinite.

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Halo Infinite

Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PC

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About the Author
Rebecca Jones avatar

Rebecca Jones

Former Guides Writer

Rebecca is now geeking out about multi-platform games on VG247, but rumour has it that if you chant "Indiescovery podcast" three times in front of your PC monitor, she'll reappear in the RPS comments section.

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