What are the best Space Marine 2 weapons? As you’d expect from genetically modified supersoldiers waging war against a ceaseless hivemind, Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2 is home to a wide variety of firepower. From heavy assault rifles too large for a standard human all the way to superheated shotguns, slaying Tyranids has never been so brutal – or satisfying.
Although Warhammer 40: Space Marine 2 has a large arsenal of weapons that’ll complement the best Space Marine 2 classes and their builds, you won’t have the full selection available right away. You will unlock more as you progress through the Space Marine 2 missions as part of the campaign, and the separate PvP and co-op game modes both feature six unique classes that restrict what weapons you can use.
All Space Marine 2 weapons
The full list of Space Marine 2 weapons is:
- Auto Bolt Rifle
- Bolt Rifle
- Heavy Bolt Rifle
- Stalker Bolt Rifle
- Bolt Carbine
- Instigator Bolt Carbine
- Occulus Bolt Carbine
- Bolt Sniper Rifle
- Las Fusil
- Plasma Incinerator
- Heavy Plasma Incinerator
- Melta Rifle
- Multi-Melta
- Heavy Bolter
- Bolt Pistol
- Heavy Bolt Pistol
- Plasma Pistol
- Neo-Volkite Pistol (Season 2)
- Chain Sword
- Thunder Hammer
- Power Fist
- Combat Knife
- Power Sword
During the campaign, you will be able to pick one primary weapon, one secondary, and one melee weapon, with the opportunity to carry an additional heavy weapon with limited ammo on occasion.
In Operations and Eternal War, the slots you have available depend on the class you’re playing. For example, the Assault and Bulwark can’t carry primary weapons, while the Heavy doesn’t have access to melee weapons. This gives each one a distinct identity and role that you’ll need to get the hang of to survive the harder difficulties.
In Operations, weapons can also be upgraded in several ways. Firstly, there are different rarities and variations, which alter the weapon’s stats in various ways to better suit your playstyle. Then, each weapon also has a skill tree which lets you upgrade specific stats to your liking. The good news is that these upgrades are unlocked for any class that has access to that specific weapon once you’ve purchased them.
Best Space Marine 2 weapons
Choosing the right weapon for the job largely depends on the mode you’re playing in. For example, during the campaign, you’ll often be switching out your weapons for each encounter. On the other hand, the PvP and Operations co-op modes give you a limited selection for each class, making it more about creating the perfect build for you and your class. With that said, there are a few standout options.
The best Space Marine 2 weapons are:
Heavy Bolt Rifle
The Heavy Bolt Rifle is a great balance between damage and ammo supply, making it a reliable weapon in the campaign and Operations modes where limited supplies will often be your downfall.
Likewise, it packs more of a punch than the standard Bolt Rifles, so it’s great for burst damage in PvP, which is the name of the game when fighting other players.
Bolt Carbine
The Bolt Carbine is a strong close-range contender for wiping out hordes and other players in PvP. Though it lacks the range and accuracy of the other rifles, it makes up for it with a fast rate of fire.
Heavy Bolter
Not only is the Heavy Bolter the most badass weapon in Space Marine 2, it’s also one of the best. In the campaign, you can pick them up occasionally to help thin out a horde. Meanwhile, it’s only available to the Heavy class in Operations and Eternal War modes.
Paired with the Heavy’s bubble shield to protect from frontal damage and innate max armor class, the Heavy Bolter is a menace in PvP and will quickly burn through even the most tanky enemies.
Las Fusil
On the other end of the scale is the Las Fusil, which comes with very limited ammo but packs an incredible punch. Thanks to upgrades to both the weapon and the Sniper class in Operations, you can even increase both the ammo count and the damage to incredible levels.
Bolt Pistol
While most shooters treat sidearms like an afterthought, your secondary weapon is crucial in Space Marine 2 and you’ll often be falling back on it during the campaign and Operations when you run low on ammo. Because of this, the Plasma Pistol is hard to recommend, packing an incredible punch but very limited ammo. Instead, the Bolt Pistol is much more dependable.
Heavy Bolt Pistol
As the name suggests, the Heavy Bolt Pistol is a more lethal version of the standard sidearm but with less ammo and generally worse handling. If you’ve got a primary with more ammo, perhaps go with the Heavy, though if you’re strapped on supplies, the standard Bolt Pistol is more forgiving.
In Eternal War PvP, the Heavy variant is generally the way to go thanks to the increased damage.
Chain Sword
Melee is incredibly important in Space Marine 2. Hordes will inevitably surround you – whether you’ve got ammo left or not – and executions are key to your survivability. Though none of the melee weapons are bad, with each having a unique role, some are certainly more useful than others.
When you start out, the Chain Sword will generally be your best choice, having greater cleaving potential than the Combat Knife though dealing less damage in return. However, the Combat Knife makes for a great PvP choice due to its improved duelling potential.
Power Sword
The Power Sword can swap between two modes, one for cleaving hordes and the other for taking out isolated targets. Due to this, it’s generally better suited to PvE as PvP is all about single-target burst damage.
Thunder Hammer
The Thunder Hammer dishes out incredible AoE damage when charged, making it perfect for stopping hordes in their tracks. Like the Power Sword, however, it’s best to use this in PvE, favoring the Combat Knife or Chain Sword for PvP.
Now you know all the Space Marine 2 weapons, put them to good use against the enemies of the Emperor in the multiplayer game. It’s also worth bookmarking this guide, as the Space Marine 2 roadmap is adding more weapons, missions, and more in the future. Be sure to catch up with our friends at Wargamer, who have excellent information on Space Marine 2 enemies, too.