Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 Weapons & Loadouts Guide

Weapon Categories

Fireteam Elite 2 features over 30 firearms across six categories. Each category excels at specific ranges and combat scenarios. Understanding when to switch weapons is as important as accurate shooting.

Assault Rifles

The most versatile category. Effective at medium range with manageable recoil. The go-to choice for most players and situations.

Weapon	Damage	Fire Rate	Mag	Best For
M41A Pulse Rifle	Medium	High	99	All-around, beginners
M4A3 Service Rifle	Medium-High	Medium	30	Precision medium-range
AK-47 Pattern	High	Medium	30	Hard-hitting, controlled bursts
F90 Tactical	Medium	Very High	40	Crowd clearing, horde mode

SMGs / PDWs

High fire rate, low per-shot damage. Best in close quarters and for clearing groups of weak enemies. Excellent sidearm alternative for classes using heavy primary weapons.

Weapon	Damage	Fire Rate	Mag	Best For
M3A1 Grease Gun	Low	Very High	30	Close quarters, backup
UMP-45	Medium	High	25	Balanced CQC
Vector .45	Low-Med	Extreme	30	Maximum DPS at point-blank

Shotguns

Devastating at close range, useless at distance. Essential for tight corridors, Horde Mode, and dealing with charging enemies. The Demolisher's best friend.

Weapon	Damage (Close)	Fire Rate	Mag	Best For
M870 Shotgun	Extreme	Low	6	Maximum close-range damage
AA-12 Auto Shotgun	High	High	20	Crowd clearing, horde mode
Double Barrel	Extreme	Very Low	2	One-shot kills, risk/reward

Heavy Weapons

LMGs, rocket launchers, and flamethrowers. High damage output but slow handling and long reloads. Demolisher proficiency bonus makes these truly shine.

Weapon	Damage	Fire Rate	Ammo	Best For
M56 Smart Gun	High	Very High	200	Sustained fire, horde mode
M240B LMG	High	High	100	Suppression, area control
RPG-7	Extreme (AoE)	Very Low	1	Elite enemies, clustered groups
Flamethrower	Medium (DoT)	Continuous	200	Area denial, crowd control

Precision Rifles

Semi-auto and bolt-action rifles for long-range engagements. High per-shot damage, excellent for weak point hits and elite enemies. Recon proficiency bonus.

Weapon	Damage	Fire Rate	Mag	Best For
M14 DMR	High	Medium	20	Versatile precision
Barrett .50 Cal	Extreme	Very Low	5	One-shot weak point kills
G36 Marksman	Medium-High	High	30	Rapid precision shots

Sidearms

Your backup when the primary runs dry. Fast to draw, infinite reserve ammo in most modes. Don't underestimate them — a well-timed sidearm shot can save your life.

Weapon	Damage	Fire Rate	Mag	Best For
M9 Pistol	Medium	Medium	15	Reliable backup
.44 Magnum	Very High	Low	6	Hard-hitting emergency weapon
SMG Sidearm	Low	Very High	20	Crowd clearing when primary is empty

Weapon Tier List

Based on overall effectiveness across all game modes and difficulty levels. S-Tier weapons are must-haves; A-Tier are excellent in most situations; B-Tier are viable but have limitations; C-Tier are niche or outclassed.

Tier	Weapons	Notes
S-Tier	M41A Pulse Rifle, M56 Smart Gun, AA-12 Auto Shotgun, M14 DMR	Best-in-class, effective in every scenario
A-Tier	M4A3 Service Rifle, F90 Tactical, M870 Shotgun, M240B LMG, Barrett .50 Cal, .44 Magnum	Excellent with specific use cases
B-Tier	AK-47 Pattern, UMP-45, Vector .45, Flamethrower, G36 Marksman, M9 Pistol	Viable but outclassed in most situations
C-Tier	M3A1 Grease Gun, Double Barrel, RPG-7, SMG Sidearm	Niche use only, high risk/low reward

Best Weapons by Class

Class	Primary	Secondary	Sidearm	Reasoning
Gunner	M41A Pulse Rifle	F90 Tactical	.44 Magnum	Steady damage, large mags, Overclock makes them shine
Demolisher	AA-12 Auto Shotgun	M56 Smart Gun	M9 Pistol	Area damage + crowd clearing, heavy weapon proficiency
Technician	M4A3 Service Rifle	M240B LMG	.44 Magnum	Reliable damage while managing sentries, LMG for holdouts
Recon	M14 DMR	Barrett .50 Cal	M9 Pistol	Precision damage, weak point bonus, long-range proficiency
Doc	M41A Pulse Rifle	UMP-45	.44 Magnum	Versatile primary, focus on healing rather than max damage
Expert (DPS)	M56 Smart Gun	AA-12 Auto Shotgun	.44 Magnum	Maximum damage output, no weapon restrictions
Expert (Support)	M41A Pulse Rifle	M240B LMG	M9 Pistol	Reliable coverage while using support abilities

Attachments Guide

Attachments modify weapon stats and can dramatically change how a firearm handles. Each weapon has 2-4 attachment slots. Choose based on your playstyle and the weapon's weaknesses.

Optics

Red Dot Sight: Faster ADS speed, slight accuracy bonus. Best for close-medium range.
Holographic Sight: Better target acquisition, moderate zoom. All-around choice.
ACOG (4x): Longer range, slower ADS. Best for precision rifles and DMRs.
Variable Zoom: Toggle between 1x and 4x. Versatile but heavier.

Barrel Attachments

Suppressor: Reduces noise (doesn't alert distant enemies), slight damage penalty. Useful for stealth sections.
Compensator: Reduces vertical recoil significantly. Best for full-auto weapons.
Muzzle Brake: Reduces horizontal recoil. Best for weapons with wide spread.
Extended Barrel: Increases damage and range, reduces handling. Best for precision rifles.

Underbarrel

Foregrip: Reduces recoil and improves accuracy when firing from hip. All-around beneficial.
Grenade Launcher: Adds an underbarrel grenade (1 per reload). Excellent for crowd control.
Bipod: Massive accuracy bonus when deployed (prone or on cover). Best for LMGs and DMRs.
Laser Sight: Improves hip-fire accuracy and target tracking. Best for close-quarters weapons.

Magazine & Internal

Extended Mag: Increases magazine size by 50%. Essential for LMGs and high-fire-rate weapons.
Fast Mag: Faster reload speed, same capacity. Best for weapons with long reloads.
Match Grade Barrel: Significant accuracy and damage bonus, expensive. Best for precision builds.
Lightweight Frame: Faster handling and ADS, slight durability loss. Best for aggressive playstyles.

RECOMMENDED ATTACHMENT SETUP

For most players on the M41A Pulse Rifle: Holographic Sight + Compensator + Foregrip + Extended Mag. This setup maximizes controllability and uptime, which are more valuable than raw damage for most encounters.

Recommended Loadouts

All-Rounder Loadout (Beginners)

Primary: M41A Pulse Rifle (Holo + Compensator + Foregrip + Extended Mag)
Secondary: M4A3 Service Rifle (ACOG + Muzzle Brake + Bipod)
Sidearm: .44 Magnum
Class: Gunner
Best For: Campaign, general use, learning the game

Horde Mode Loadout

Primary: AA-12 Auto Shotgun (Laser Sight + Extended Mag + Lightweight Frame)
Secondary: M56 Smart Gun (Compensator + Foregrip + Extended Mag)
Sidearm: SMG Sidearm
Class: Demolisher or Expert (Horde Master)
Best For: Horde Mode, close-quarters maps, crowd control

High Difficulty Loadout (Insane/Nightmare)

Primary: M14 DMR (Variable Zoom + Match Grade Barrel + Bipod + Fast Mag)
Secondary: M41A Pulse Rifle (Holo + Compensator + Foregrip)
Sidearm: .44 Magnum
Class: Recon or Doc
Best For: Precision weak point damage, eliminating elites, staying alive

Solo Play Loadout

Primary: M41A Pulse Rifle (Holo + Compensator + Grenade Launcher + Extended Mag)
Secondary: M240B LMG (ACOG + Compensator + Bipod + Extended Mag)
Sidearm: .44 Magnum
Class: Technician (sentry turrets = extra firepower)
Best For: Solo campaign, handling multiple enemy types alone

How to Unlock Weapons

Weapons are unlocked through several methods in Fireteam Elite 2:

Account Level: Most base weapons unlock at specific account levels (5, 10, 15, 20, 25)
Class Level: Some weapons are unlocked by leveling specific classes to Level 5 and Level 10
Campaign Progress: Certain weapons unlock after completing specific missions
Challenge Cards: Completing challenge card objectives can unlock weapon variants and skins
Horde Mode: Reaching wave milestones (10, 25, 50) unlocks exclusive weapon attachments and cosmetics
Pre-order / Edition Bonuses: Premium and 40th Anniversary editions include exclusive weapon skins and early unlocks

NOTE

Weapon skins and cosmetics are separate from weapon unlocks. You can use any skin on a weapon you have unlocked, but pre-order skins do not unlock the weapon itself.

FAQ

What is the best weapon in Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2? +

The M41A Pulse Rifle is the best all-around weapon, with high fire rate, large magazine, and manageable recoil. For specific scenarios: the M56 Smart Gun is best for sustained damage, the AA-12 for close quarters, and the M14 DMR for precision. The "best" weapon depends on your class and playstyle.

Can I use any weapon on any class? +

Base classes have weapon proficiency bonuses that make certain weapon types more effective, but you can equip any weapon on any class. The Expert Class has no weapon restrictions and can use any weapon type at full effectiveness. We recommend using weapons that match your class proficiency for maximum damage.

How do I get the underbarrel grenade launcher attachment? +

The underbarrel grenade launcher is unlocked by reaching Account Level 20 or by completing the campaign on Hardened difficulty. It can be equipped on most assault rifles and some precision rifles. It fires a single grenade per reload cycle and is excellent for crowd control and elite enemy damage.

Are there DLC weapons in Fireteam Elite 2? +

At launch, all weapons are included in the base game. The Pathogen expansion from the first game is not directly ported, but some weapon designs inspired by Pathogen enemies appear as cosmetic skins. Future DLC may add new weapon types — check the Release & Editions page for updates.

Aliens: Fireteam Elite 2 — Weapons & Loadouts Guide