Apex Legends: Assault Rifles Ranked Worst to Best

Image: Respawn Entertainment

Human Made

My name is Gibson Vasela. I am a freelance writer who has been playing video games for almost 20 years now. I play all kinds of games, but I especially love immersive sims and RPGs.

Reviewed by Benjamin Barr

Apex Legends prides itself on having a huge variety of weapons for all types of playstyles. Even if you prefer to run with a high-damage shotgun or a long-range sniper rifle, you can’t deny the versatility and effectiveness of a good old-fashioned assault rifle.

But with four different options to choose from, which is the best assault rifle in Apex Legends? What are their pros and cons? Do any of them have good legendary skins? In this guide, we’ll rank every assault rifle in Apex Legends from worst to best to help you decide which AR is best for you.

We hope you’re ready to dive into this article for Apex Legends: Every Assault Rifle Ranked!

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Every AR in Apex Legends, Ranked

Below, all four ARs in Apex Legends are ranked from worst to best.

4/4

HAVOC Rifle

The HAVOC rifle is an energy-based assault rifle added all the way back in February 2019. It’s the only weapon added to the game that didn’t ship with a brand new season. Personally, I have a very love-hate relationship with this weapon. Allow me to explain why….

What makes this assault rifle good? The HAVOC comes with very high damage for each shot (18 per hit to the chest). Additionally, it features a good fire rate, giving it great DPS. As an energy weapon, it sports very little projectile drop, making it easier to line up your shots from a distance.

Does it have any weaknesses? Despite its strong DPS, the HAVOC keeps itself in check by the slow charge-up time it takes to fire after you press and hold the trigger. The delay is not very long, but it can be deadly if you are caught off guard by another squad, meaning this weapon should only be used if you know you can get the drop on the enemy. The turbocharger hop-up fixes this problem, but it is very hard to find in battle royale.

Which legendary skin is best? The HAVOC rifle was the first weapon in Apex Legends to get its reactive skin all the way back in Season 1, which is (in my opinion) the best skin for this gun. However, this skin is no longer available to those who didn’t complete the battle pass.

Luckily there is another best skin: “Sonic Empire.” This gives the gun a brown and silver color palette. Combined with its artisan finish, once you unlock it, you won’t feel so bad about missing out on the reactive skin.

3/4

Hemlok Burst AR

Next up on our list for every assault rifle ranked in Apex Legends, we have the Hemlok Burst AR. The Hemlock shipped with the game back in Season 0. Despite this, it’s never received that much love and attention from players compared to other ARs. Why is this? Is it not a good weapon?

What makes this assault rifle good? This AR boasts great range and accuracy at medium and long distances, making it an excellent choice for players who like to peek and shoot from behind cover. It has good damage per hit as well, and its DPS is solid as long as you can land most of your shots. Thanks to a recent buff in Season 11, the Hemlok now features even better hip-fire accuracy than before.

Does it have any weaknesses? Unlike other ARs, the Hemlok is not fully automatic, and can only fire in three-round bursts or a single shot. While this is not inherently a bad thing, it can be disadvantageous in close quarters and when facing an opponent with a full-auto weapon. For this reason, many players do not pick up the Hemlok and would prefer to head into a firefight with an automatic firearm instead.

Which legendary skin is best? “The Glorious One” seems to be a very popular skin for this weapon. I also personally recommend the craftable legendary skin, “Fluid Mechanics.” This one gives it a rugged industrial feel, while still keeping it classy with gold highlights.

2/4

VK-47 Flatline

Ahh, the Flatline. My go-to assault rifle for playing arenas. This next-generation version of the V-47 Flatline from Titanfall 2 packs just as much punch as its predecessor. The Flatline launched with the game back in 2019 and remains a fan-favorite AR to this very day. But just why is this gun so popular?

What makes this assault rifle good? Like many heavy-ammo-using weapons, the Flatline features a high damage rate per shot. Being full-auto, it dominates any fight with its excellent DPS. Its range is ideal for medium-length firefights. Additionally, it has great hip-fire accuracy, allowing it to shred enemy legends when they get a little too close for comfort.

Does it have any weaknesses? Despite having good range, the Flatline has a rougher recoil compared to other assault rifles in Apex Legends. This makes it very hard to use its full-auto at longer ranges, forcing you to switch to its semi-automatic firing mode (which is much less effective).

Which legendary skin is best? There is no doubt about it: Season 4’s “Heat Sink” reactive skin is the best for the Flatline. Unfortunately, unless you are willing to spend big money on a previously owned account, there is no chance you’ll be able to get this skin now.

A good alternative (which you can get now for 1200 crafting materials) would be “The Spine Chiller” legendary skin. This coats the gun in a moody shade of black and gives it a Grim Reaper decal on the back. A very fitting skin for a deadly weapon called the Flatline.

1/4

R-301 Carbine

And now, the best assault rifle in Apex Legends…the R-301 Carbine! Not to be confused with the R-201 Assault Rifle from Titanfall 2. This versatile, light-ammo AR has been in the game since day one, and it is the go-to firearm for many players. Once you take a look at its pros and cons, it won’t be hard to see why.

What makes this assault rifle good? This is the most accurate and easy-to-control assault rifle in the game, allowing it to excel at practically every range. It has almost no recoil, and the little kickback that is there is easy to learn and control. The R-301 has an excellent rate of fire, allowing you to beam enemies with ease.

Does it have any weaknesses? Despite its excellent stats in other categories, the R-301 suffers from low damage for each hit. This makes it less effective when aiming at moving targets (as you are less likely to land your shots) where you won’t do as much damage. This carbine also has a noticeably smaller magazine than other guns in the game, meaning it is not very useful without an extended mag.

Which legendary skin is best? “The Last Spartan” is not only the best legendary skin for the R-301 but one of the best legendary skins in the game. It sports a gold and gray color scheme (which looks a lot better than you would think), with a blue bandage on the back to give it some pop. To finish it off, there is a chrome chain wrapped around the weapon, giving it a flashy finish.

Join the High Ground

All Agents in Apex Legends Lined Up — *Image: Respawn Entertainment via HGG*

A big thank you to everyone at the Apex Legends Wiki for providing the stats for each weapon.

We hope you enjoyed this list for every assault rifle ranked in Apex Legends! What did you think of our best AR in Apex Legend picks? Feel free to comment down below and subscribe to our newsletter! We offer regular content on all the latest and greatest games, including Apex Legends.

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Apex Legends: Assault Rifles Ranked Worst to Best