There are only 12 customizable weapons in Metro Exodus. However, each weapon can be set up with hundreds of different attachment combinations and upgrades. This means that there are dozens of viable setups for each gun in-game. When attempting to rank the best weapons in the game, there are a few things to keep in mind.
Stealth plays a huge role in Exodus, as killing hostiles will often result in a moral penalty. Recoil, damage, range, and stability are other factors that impact the effectiveness of a gun. This list will take into account those factors and present the most impressive builds in Metro Exodus for the game's next-gen release.
10 Fully Auto Stallion
As a semi-automatic weapon, the Stallion is a middle-of-the-road weapon. It only deals 5 damage per bullet and has a base magazine of 7. However, with a fully auto Barrel, it becomes one of the better close-range weapons in the game. The small magazine can be an issue, but it is still a top build in Exodus. Players will want to equip the following attachments.
- Stock: Balanced Grip
- Barrel: Long Barrel With Full Auto
- Magazine: High Capacity Magazine
- Sight: Reflex Sight
- Gadget: Green Laser
9 Long Range Valve
The Valve is the only true sniper in the game. With a 6x scope, it is the most dominant ranged weapon available. For those that like to pick off enemies from miles away, this weapon will do the job.
- Stock: Heavy Stock
- Barrel: Heavy Barrel
- Magazine: Single Column Magazine
- Sight: Scope 6x
- Gadget: Infrared Laser
This build is exclusively for extended ranges. The Valve will not be effective inside of 20 meters because of how slow it will be considering the movement penalties and base fire rate.
8 The Mutant Killer Named Sammy
Sammy is one of the adaptations of the traditional Kalash, with the same damage profile, but less accuracy. Because of its attachments, the Sammy can be used in a variety of ways. One of which is a Mutant-focused incendiary weapon. The gun has a mechanism slot, which means it can be used to fire incendiary bullets full auto. Mutants will dread the setup listed below.
- Stock: Standard Stock And Grip
- Barrel: Standard Barrel And Compensator
- Magazine: 45-round Magazine
- Sight: Reflex Sight
- Gadget: Green Laser
7 Uboinik Shambler
The re-named shotgun is the best point plank weapon at players' disposal in Exodus. It inflicts a total of 13 damage per shot and has a decent fire rate. Gamers will want to equip the Duckbill Choke to disperse the pellet spread and cause as much damage as possible. Shamblers are the easiest weapons to use in the game because of how forgiving they are up close.
- Stock: Light Grip
- Barrel: Standard Barrel And Duckbill Choke
- Magazine: 10-round Magazine
- Sight: Closed Reflex Sight
- Gadget: Green Laser
6 The Tried And True Kalash
The fast-firing, modest damage assault rifle can be used in a variety of ways. Due to its fire rate and middle of the pack stability, it performs the best when used at medium ranges. As a hybrid between an assault rifle and SMG, the weapon's fire rate and consistency are solid.
- Stock: Standard Stock And Grip
- Barrel: Standard Barrel And Compensator
- Magazine: 45-round Magazine
- Sight: Reflex Sight
- Gadget: Green Laser
5 Kalash RPK
By equipping the 75 round drum on the Kalash, the weapon essentially mirrors the RPK. It has modest damage and recoil with a large ammo capacity. As a mid-game intermediate gun, the RPK is a solid option. It may not have the damage of the Bulldog, but 75 rounds is hard to beat.
- Stock: Heavy Stock And Grip
- Barrel: Long Barrel And Compensator
- Magazine: 75-round Magazine
- Sight: Scope 6x
- Gadget: Infrared Laser
4 Six Shooter Revolver
Base Revolvers in Exodus are good weapons but do not have the fire rate to handle multiple enemies later in the game. With the 6 or 8 shot Double Action Cylinder, the Revolver will fire considerably faster. The Double Action Cylinders remove the need to cock the gun before firing subsequent shots. Therefore, the Revolver can be fired almost as fast as a full auto, and it has enough damage to melt through any foe.
- Stock: Balanced Stock
- Mechanism: Automatic System
- Magazine: High Capacity Magazine
- Sight: Reflex Sight
- Gadget: Green Laser
3 Van Helsing
For stealth purposes, there is no better build in the game. The Helsing is silent on its own and can be modified to deal 10 damage with each bolt. It will one-shot lower-level mutants and human enemies. Players will want to focus on range and stability when building the class. Low magazine capacity and a slow reload make using the bow up close a liability.
- Stock: Heavy Stock
- Mechanism: Pneumatic Bow System
- Magazine: 6-bolt Magazine
- Sight: Scope 4x/NV Scope
- Gadget: Infrared Laser
2 Balanced Bulldog
The Bulldog is basically a modified version of the Kalash. It has a slower fire rate, but more damage than the original gun. In fact, the only advantages the Kalash has are a larger magazine and a slightly higher fire rate. From intermediate to long-range, the Bulldog is one of the best weapons to use in the game. The only issue with the gun is tracking down the rare modifications.
- Stock: Semi-grip
- Barrel: Long Barrel
- Magazine: 60 Round Magazine
- Sight: Reflex Sight/6x
- Gadget: Infrared Laser
1 Tikhar Railgun
Famous for being the only weapon to fire ball bearings, the Tikhar is a completely silent rifle that is extraordinarily accurate. It may not have very high damage, but it has barely any recoil and is completely silent. The ultimate Tikhar build is a Railgun conversion. It may only be available in the final mission, but it is the most powerful weapon in Exodus, dealing 20 damage per bullet. The Railgun only takes one shot to kill nearly every creature in the game.
- Stock: Heavy Stock
- Mechanism: Railgun
- Magazine: Helical Magazine
- Sight: Reflex Sight
- Gadget: Infrared Laser