Weapons (XCOM2)
Weapon Stats
Main Weapons
Rifles
Rifles are the standard issue weapons for Rookies, Specialists and Psi operatives. They are generalist weapons, not excelling in any particular situation. Clip size 4
| Weapon | Base Damage | Listed Crit Damage 1 | Actual Crit Damage 2 | Critical Chance | Range | Mod Slots | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assault Rifle | 3-5 | ? | 5-7 | 0% | Medium | 1 | ||
| Mag Rifle | 5-7 | ? | 8-10 | 0% | Medium+ | 2 | ||
| Plasma Rifle | 7-9 | ? | 11-13 | 0% | Medium++ | 2 | ||
| 1 Notes. | ||||||||
Shotguns
Shotguns can only be equipped by Rangers. They are high damage, short range weapons. They gain double aim bonus at close range relative to assault rifles, but suffer aim penalties at longer range. Clip size 4.
| Weapon | Base Damage | Listed Crit Damage 1 | Actual Crit Damage 2 | Critical Chance | Range | Mod Slots | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shotgun | 4-6 | ? | 7-9 | 10% | Short | 1 | ||
| Shard Gun | 6-8 | ? | 10-12 | 15% | Short+ | 2 | ||
| Storm Gun | 8-10 | ? | 13-15 | 20% | Short++ | 2 | ||
| 1 Notes. | ||||||||
Cannons
Cannons are the heavy weapons carried by Grenadiers. They do high damage but have smaller clips than assault rifles. Clip size 3.
| Weapon | Base Damage | Listed Crit Damage 1 | Actual Crit Damage 2 | Critical Chance | Range | Shreds3 | Mod Slots | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cannon | 4-6 | ? | 6-8 | 0% | Medium | 1 | 1 | |
| Mag Cannon | 6-8 | ? | 9-11 | 0% | Medium+ | 2 | 2 | |
| Beam Cannon | 8-10 | ? | 12-14 | 0% | Medium++ | 3 | 2 | |
| 3 Needs "Shredder" Ability | ||||||||
Sniper Rifles
Sniper rifles can only be used by Sharpshooters. They suffer penalties at short range. Although not unique to sniper rifles, firing sniper rifle beyond normal sight range with squad sight skill will be penalized base on distance. Sniper rifles require two actions to fire/overwatch. Clip size 3.
| Weapon | Base Damage | Listed Crit Damage 1 | Actual Crit Damage 2 | Critical Chance | Range | Mod Slots | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sniper Rifle | 4-6 | ? | 6-8 | 10% | unlimited | 1 | ||
| Gauss Rifle | 6-8 | ? | 9-11 | 10% | unlimited | 2 | ||
| Plasma Lance | 8-10 | ? | 12-14 | 10% | unlimited | 2 | ||
| Sniper rifles will be able to shoot as long as the enemy is in a teammate LOS, but with an aim and critical chance penalty | ||||||||
SPARK Weapons
SPARK Weapons can only be equipped by SPARK units, introduced in the Shen's Last Gift DLC. Similar to the Grenadier's Cannon, they pack a punch and are capable of naturally shredding armor without any upgrades; however, due to the SPARK's poor Aim skill, they quickly fall off at longer ranges. Clip size 3.
The War of the Chosen DLC gave them the ability to upgrade their weapons with add-ons, similar to the other playablable classes.
| Weapon | Base Damage | Listed Crit Damage 1 | Actual Crit Damage 2 | Critical Chance | Range | Shreds3 | Mod Slots | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heavy Autocannon | 4-6 | N/A | N/A | 0% | Medium | 1 | 1 | |
| Helix Rail-Cannon | 6-8 | N/A | N/A | 0% | Medium+ | 2 | 2 | |
| Elerium Phase-Cannon | 8-10 | N/A | N/A | 0% | Medium++ | 2 | 3 | |
| 3 Needs "Shredder" Ability | ||||||||
Vektor Rifles
Vektor Rifles are the exclusive main weapon for the Reapers. While they are less powerful than their Sniper Rifle cousins (due to balance reasons), they require only one action to fire and have no range penalties at all.
Bullpup Rifles
Bullpup Rifles are the exclusive main weapon for the Skirmishers. While its range is somewhat shorter than an Assault Rifle, the Skirmishers' ability to move and fire in any order allows them to excel in close combat.
Shard Gauntlets
Shard Gauntlets are the exclusive main weapon for the Templars. These special gauntlets focus psionic energy into solid blades, and grow stronger as the user gains Focus.
Secondary Weapons
Pistols
Pistols are secondary weapons carried by Sharpshooters, mainly as backup weapons when the Sharpshooter needs to move, but with Gunslinger perks they can become quite potent in their own right. They cannot receive weapons modification but will shoot specialized ammo if you equip them. They have no clip size and can be fired infinite times without reload.
| Weapon | Base Damage | Listed Crit Damage 1 | Actual Crit Damage 2 | Critical Chance | Range | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pistol | 2-3 | ? | ? | 0% | Short | |||
| Mag Pistol | 3-4 | ? | ? | ? | Short+ | |||
| Beam Pistol | 3-6 | ? | ? | 0% | Short++ | |||
| 1 Notes. | ||||||||
Gremlin
Gremlins are carried by Specialists, these little robots can perform remote hacking and healing and can deal damage with the right perks, especially against mechanical enemies.
| Weapon | Effect | Organic enemy damage | Mechanical enemy damage | Healing | Aid Protocol | Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gremlin | - | 2 | 3-4 | 0 | +20 defense | - |
| Gremlin Mk II | +20 Hack | 4 | 7-8 | +1 | +30 defense | ADVENT Mech Autopsy |
| Gremlin Mk III | +40 Hack | 6 | 10-11 | +2 | +40 defense | Sectopod Autopsy |
Swords
Swords are the secondary weapons carried by Rangers, which enable them to use melee attacks. The closely related Hunter's Axe, introduced in the Alien Hunters DLC, behaves similarly but has increased base damage and can be thrown once per battle as a free action; notably, doing so does not trigger Ruler Reactions from Alien Rulers.
| Weapon | Base Damage | Listed Crit Damage 1 | Actual Crit Damage 2 | Critical Chance | Range | Effect | Requirements | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Machete | 3-5 | ? | ? | 10% | Melee | none | - | |
| Arc Blade | 4-6 | ? | ? | 15% | Melee | 25% chance to stun | ADVENT Stun Lancer Autopsy | |
| Fusion Blade | 5-7 | ? | ? | 20% | Melee | chance to burn | Archon Autopsy | |
| Hunter's Axe | 4-6 | ? | ? | 10% | Melee | chance to burn | Alien Hunters DLC | |
| Ionic Axe | 5-7 | ? | ? | 15% | Melee | 25% stun chance | ADVENT Stun Lancer Autopsy and the Hunter's Axe | |
| Fusion Axe | ? | ? | ? | ? | Melee | ? | Archon Autopsy and the Hunter's Axe | |
| Blademaster adds +2 damage and +10 melee aim | ||||||||
Psi Amp
Psi Amps are the secondary weapons carried by Psi Operatives. They are used for all psionic attacks.
| Weapon | Effect | Soul Fire | Void Rift | Null Lance | Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Psi Amp | - | 4-6 | ? | ? | - |
| Advanced Psi Amp | +20 Psi | 5-7 | 4-5 | 7-12 | Sectoid Autopsy |
| Alien Psi Amp | +40 Psi | 6-8 | 3-6 | 9-14 | Gatekeeper Autopsy |
Grenade Launchers
These can only be equipped by Grenadiers. They give bonus damage, range and blast radius on top of that normally given by the launched grenade.
| Weapon | Bonus Damage | Bonus Range | Bonus Radius | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grenade Launcher | 0 | +4 | +1 | |||||
| Advanced Grenade Launcher | ? | +5 | +2 | |||||
| 1 Volatile mix adds +2 damage and +1 radius. There is no tier 3 Grenade Launcher | ||||||||
Grenades
Grenades can be carried by any class, but Grenadiers particularly excel with them, because they can launch them with extended range with their Grenade Launchers. Grenadiers also have an extra equipment slot that can only be used for a grenade.
| Weapon | Damage | Range | Critical Chance2 | Terrain Damage | Blast Radius | Shreds | Destroys cover | Effects | Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frag Grenade | 3-4 | 10 | 0 | 3-4 | 3 | 1 | yes | - | none |
| Plasma Grenade1 | 5-6 | 10 | 0 | 5-6 | 3 | 2 | yes | - | Advanced Explosives (PG) |
| Flashbang Grenade | 0 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | no | Disorients Organic enemies; reduces Aim and Mobility, and disables some abilities | none |
| Gas Grenade | 3-4 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | no | Poisons Organic enemies (reduces mobility, does damage over time), creates Poison Gas cloud | Experimental Grenade (PG) |
| Gas Bomb1 | 6-7 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2 | no | Poisons Organic enemies (reduces mobility, does damage over time), creates Poison Gas cloud | Advanced Explosives (PG) Experimental Grenade (PG) |
| Incendiary Grenade | 4-5 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | over time | Sets terrain & Organic enemies on fire (damage over time, disables some abilities) | Experimental Grenade (PG) |
| Incendiary Bomb1 | 6-7 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | over time | Sets terrain & Organic enemies on fire (damage over time, disables some abilities) | Advanced Explosives (PG) Experimental Grenade (PG) |
| Acid Grenade | 3-4 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | no | Creates acid pools, damaging enemies, destroying terrain, and doing damage over time | Experimental Grenade (PG) |
| Acid Bomb1 | 5-6 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | no | Creates acid pools, damaging enemies, destroying terrain, and doing damage over time | Advanced Explosives (PG) Experimental Grenade (PG) |
| EMP Grenade | 6 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | no | Only damages mechanical enemies and shields, disorients or incapacitates mechanical enemies | Bluescreen Protocol (PG) |
| EMP Bomb1 | 10 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | no | Only damages mechanical enemies and shields, disorients or incapacitates mechanical enemies | Advanced Explosives (PG) Bluescreen Protocol (PG) |
| Smoke Grenade | 0 | ? | 0 | 0 | ? | 0 | no | Grants Defense to units in cloud | none |
| Smoke Bomb1 | 0 | ? | 0 | 0 | ? | 0 | no | Grants Defense to units in cloud | Advanced Explosives (PG) |
| Proximity Mine | 8 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 | yes | Explodes when an enemy is within the blast radius | Andromedon autopsy |
| Frost Bomb | 0 | ? | 0 | 0 | ? | 0 | no | Freezes enemies solid for a turn, preventing them from taking any form of action, even reactive abilities and Ruler Reactions | Alien Hunters DLC; either Experimental Warfare (Research, only with War of the Chosen's "Integrated DLC" option active) or completing the Alien Nest Investigation mission |
| 1 Upgraded from previous version with Advanced Explosives Proving Ground project.
2Biggest Booms adds +20% critical chance and +2 critical damage, but only for Grenadiers. | |||||||||
Flashbangs are particularly useful against special enemies such as psionics. The disorientation effect prevents the use of most special abilities, including psionics, and will cut short any ongoing psionic effect such as Reanimate or Mind Control. Avatars and the Warlock are immune to Flashbangs, but can still be frozen.
Claymores
Claymores are grenade-like weapons exclusive to the Reapers. When used, the Reaper places a bomb on the battlefield that acts like an environmental explosive. As a Reaper can shoot the Claymore to detonate it without the risk of breaking Shadow (and enemies cannot see the Claymore), this allows them to contribute to ambushes without sacrificing their stealth to do so.
Claymores cannot be upgraded conventionally, but many of the Reapers' available skills can enhance them.
Ripjacks
The Ripjack is the unique secondary weapon of the Skirmishers, essentially a bladed gauntlet with a built-in grappling hook. This weapon is used for several of their abilities, such as Wrath and Justice; however, a Skirmisher needs to have the right upgrade before it can be used for a Slash attack. Ripjacks have lower maximum damage than Swords, but are more consistent in the amount of damage they deal.
Autopistols
Autopistols are used by the Templars as secondary weapons. For all intents and purposes, they behave identically to Pistols.
Heavy Weapons
In order to use a heavy weapon a soldier must be equipped with an EXO, a WAR Suit, or a SPARK BIT.
| Weapon | Base Damage | Range | Shreds | Radius | Area type | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rocket Launcher | 4-7 | 27 | 2 | 4 | circle | |||
| Flamethrower | 4-7 | 25 | 0 | 7 | 60 degree cone | |||
| Shredder Gun | 6-9 | 25 | 2 | 12 | cone | |||
| Blaster Launcher1 | 7-10 | 45 | 3 | 6 | circle | |||
| Hellfire Projector1 | 6-9 | 25 | 0 | 7 | 60 degree cone | |||
| Shredstorm Cannon1 | 8-11 | 25 | 4 | 12 | cone | |||
| Plasma Blaster12 | 7-10 | 25 | 0 | 1 | Straight line (goes through walls) | |||
| 1Requires Experimental Powered Weapon and WAR Suit.
2Plasma blaster ignores armor | ||||||||
Weapon Parts
Weapon mods come in three qualities: Basic, Advanced, and Superior, each offering better results over the previous one.
Weapon mods can be replaced, but cannot be reused, and thus consideration should be taken before immediately modding up a weapon. The continental bonus "Lock and Load" allows you to reuse mods.
Weapon mods remain on the soldiers weapon as you move up in the tech tree, ensuring that mods are not "wasted" as you progress in the game.
Each weapon can field only a limited number of mods; the continent bonus "Armed to the Teeth" gives you one extra mod slot on all weapons.
| Mod | Effect | Basic | Advanced | Superior |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scope | Adds aim bonus | +5% | +10% | +15% |
| Laser Sight | Adds critical chance bonus | +5% | +10% | +15% |
| Repeater | Adds a small chance to instakill | +5% | +10% | +15% |
| Hair Trigger | Adds a chance of free shot | +5% | +10% | +15% |
| Auto-Loader | Free reload | +1 | +2 | +3 |
| Expanded Magazine | Adds ammo capacity | +1 | +2 | +3 |
| Stock | Guaranteed damage on missed shots | +1 | +2 | +3 |
Weapon part use
Autoloaders are probably best equipped on Sharpshooters. While they normally cannot reload and then fire their sniper rifle, the free reloads bypass this limitation. For a Kill Zone Sharpshooter, use an Expanded Magazine combined with a Repeater.
Expanded Magazine likely should go to Grenadiers, especially if you plan to go for the higher tier abilities which use 3 ammo at a time. Larger magazines make it more likely you'll have the ammo for these abilities, and its use is constant (unlike the limited-use Auto-Loaders.) Run & Gun/Rapid Fire Rangers also benefit a lot from Expanded Magazines.
As a rule of thumb, Auto-Loaders are superior to Expanded Magazines in regular missions as you will probably run out of aliens to kill before running out of free reloads. However, for the last mission, featuring well over 30 enemies, Expanded Magazines are a more effective choice.