Halo Infinite Weapon Tier List December 2021
By Max Mallow
Halo Infinite weapon tier list for December 2021 covers the best weapons in the game and which players should take notice of when coming across them on a map.
Halo is a unique series compared to most shooters on the market like Call of Duty and Battlefield. In the others where you can choose your specific loadouts, Halo games have set spawn weapons that players start with. Those weapons change depending on what playlist you jump into. For example, the standard quick play mode has players starting with an Assault Rifle and Sidekick pistol. In Ranked, players start with the Battle Rifle and that alone.
Other weapons are placed on the map for players to pick up and use during games. Some weapons have unique spawn timers and sit in contested positions, others spawn in certain areas consistently. Our tier list will focus specifically on ranked play.
Here's how the early meta is breaking down in Halo Infinite competitive play.
Halo Infinite Weapon Tier List December 2021
S Tier
- M41 SPNKR
- S7 Sniper
- Heatwave
This list speaks for itself when it comes to power weapons. Most expect the rocket launcher and sniper rifles to be at the top of lists considering how strong they are. The only downside to the rocket launcher in this Halo iteration is the time it takes to ready the weapon on pickup and that it comes with just two rockets. For the sniper, the handling is a bit low and there's some bloom when firing it. Still, hitting an enemy in the head will kill instantly and a body shot removes shields right away.
The Heatwave is a new power weapon in Halo Infinite and it's an energy shotgun. The weapon has an alt-fire that changes the orientation of the crosshairs from horizontal to vertical. The weapon rounds also ricochet off walls making them a nuisance in close quarters.
A Tier
- Mangler
- Stalker Rifle
- Shock Rifle
- BR75 Battle Rifle
- CQS48 Bulldog
- Energy Sword
The Mangler, Stalker Rifle, Shock Rifle and Bulldog are all new weapons in Halo Infinite. The Mangler is one of the best weapons in the game overall. As a Banished weapon, it has increased melee damage. So, hitting a body shot and a melee attack will kill an enemy swiftly. The Stalker Rifle does strong damage and is a force when team shooting.
The Shock Rifle is essentially a sniper rifle that will one-shot enemies hit in the head. Additionally, as a energy weapon, has the potential to chain like the Disruptor and Dynamo Grenades.
The BR is the BR. The pride of classic competitive Halo play. It does what it does well and will be your trusty tool throughout games.
The Bulldog is the new shotgun, and while it does do strong damage. It can be unreliable at times. Players are almost better off using the Mangler as a shotgun, but the Bulldog is still a menace.
Finally, the Energy Sword still remains the most lethal weapon at close range. The handling on it will sometimes cost players when trying to hot-swap to it in close range fights. It's best used when sneaking up on enemies, especially with Active Camo equipped.
B Tier
- Plasma Pistol
- Sentinel Beam
- MA40 Assault Rifle
The B Tier weapons are strong in certain scenarios. The noob combo is one of the most popular moves in all of Halo with the Plasma Pistol. Charging it up and hitting an enemy will remove their shields making them vulnerable to a headshot from the BR. The Sentinel Beam which spawns on Streets can be extremely strong melting enemy shields. The Assault Rifle as well is arguably the best it's ever been in a Halo title. It can be inconsistent on enemies with no shields, but it's best to use it up close with a combined melee attack.
C Tier
- VK78 Commando
- MK50 Sidekick
- Disruptor
The Commando is an interesting addition to Infinite. It does decent damage, but requires players to hit their shots consistently. It's not as good close range as the AR, and it does have noticeable bloom at range. The pistol as well received an overhaul compared to Halo 5: Guardians' iteration. It's okay, but not anything spectacular compared to the others on the list.
D Tier
- Needler
- Pulse Carbine
- Ravager
The worst of the worst. The Needler is an iconic Halo weapon, but not worth using unless in extremely niche situations in Ranked play. The Pulse Carbine is interesting as a new Covenant weapon, but still doesn't pack the same punch as previous weapons mentioned. The Ravager only spawns on Behemoth on the outskirts of the map and isn't picked up frequently. It has an alt-fire when charging it up, but still it lacks the punch of other power weapons.