When someone thinks about SMGs, they tend to think about a blizzard of bullets. In this sense, Outriders does justice by the SMG, giving them a ludicrously high rate of fire and combining that with lower accuracy to force players to get in close or else fire wildly and hope for the best (which is still rather effective with the right gun in hand).

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And just like the randomness of the bullets, the effectiveness of the guns has also been all over the map. The community of experts has widely considered both the worst and the best legendary guns currently in the game to both be SMGs. With this kind of variety, it's good to study up on whether the SMG is perfect for a given build or whether it's time to keep farming for another superior weapon.

Fatal Symbiont

Outriders Fatal Symbiont In Game Picture
  • During combat, this weapon drains up to 50% of maximum health in exchange for a 75% weapon damage bonus.
  • Shots inflict Bleed (8-second cooldown).

It's no secret that every class build is not created equal. Some have abilities that naturally work perfectly at high World Tiers while others have to work very hard to get there. One thing is for certain, though; anybody that wants to sabotage their build should start with the Fatal Symbiont. They say that every rose has its thorn, but this is all thorns and no rose.

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The Bleed status effect is nice, but the cooldown is so long that players can go through two clips before the Bleeding Bullets are ready to fire again. The armor-piercing is actually on the high-end, making it a candidate for winning boss fights. But the drawback from the Dark Sacrifice makes using the gun regularly in combat downright prohibitive.

The gun will drain up to 50% of the player's maximum life, meaning that players under 50% health will easily kill themselves. This health is not refundable unless using another special ability that grants Leech. The 75% damage increase is outrageously high, but the price to pay is, quite literally, suicidal in all but the most particular builds and team compositions.

The Daimyo

Outriders The Daimyo In Game Picture
  • Shots deal extra lighting damage.
  • Shots inflict Slow (4-second cooldown).

With the one awful SMG out of the way, the rest of these SMGs are totally solid options. The Daiymo already surpasses its predecessor in armor-piercing, which was already one of the only reasons to use the Fatal Symbiont. Then the Daimyo makes a name for itself by behaving completely differently from any other SMG in the game.

This gun's accuracy is actually closer to a rifle, shattering the SMG tradition of being inaccurate. It's also been granted a few extra bullets in the clip for a more steady stream of bullets. The firing rate has been decreased slightly to keep the gun from being overpowered, but with so many of the extra bullets landing, damage per second will still increase for most classes.

Furthermore, shots that land do additional lightning damage, which is very helpful for builds that don't focus on physical damage. As if to emphasize that this gun is intended to be a medium-range weapon when compared to the rest of the class, it also slows enemies that it hits, keeping them at bay for longer periods of time so the player can refresh their cooldowns safely before going in for another attack.

The Migraine

Outriders The Migraine In Game Picture
  • Shots inflict Bleed.
  • Killing shots make enemies explode with Anomaly Damage (3-second cooldown).

The Migraine is the most iconic of all the SMGs, having been featured prominently in trailers and introduction videos. Of course, those who have the knowledge about the higher World Tiers will say that looks don't matter. That's perfectly fine because the damage numbers are as raw as the bones in this gun's vertebrae.

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Bullets from this gun inflict Bleed without any cooldown, so that's a bunch of extra damage right off of the bat. The Bomb's Ahead mod turns enemies into walking explosions after firing a killing shot. These explosions are multiplicative, meaning enemies standing together will explode and the damage quantities will accumulate.

Aside from being great at clearing out mobs, the critical damage boost makes this a straightforward and deadly SMG to have in the arsenal. It has no gimmicks or frills that demand players use it in a strange way and that's exactly why fans love it; it's an SMG for the SMG lover.

The Wicker

Outriders The Wicker In Game Picture
  • Shots inflict Ash.
  • Shots ricochet to enemies within a 5-meter radius.

The Wicker competes for the best gun in the game based on the Leech attribute alone. So long as the wielder is firing and hitting, mass quantities of life will funnel back to the shooter. This means that even Tricksters can become tanks so long as they've got enough ammunition to keep their finger on the trigger.

What makes it the best SMG (and likely best gun) in the entire game is the simple and innocent-looking Ultimate Ashen Bullets mod. This is the only gun that can apply the Ash status effect, which stuns enemies, and it does so with no cooldown whatsoever. This stunlock expands from a single target to an entire group thanks to the Ricochet mod.

Keeping enemies locked down is huge and allows players to maximize Anomaly Power without having to throw in utility moves that provide brief stuns and interrupts. This will be all the interrupting that even the toughest bosses can handle.

NEXT: Outsiders Complete Guide - Builds, Tips, Tricks, And Help