Getting the best weapons in STALKER 2 Heart of Chornobyl should be a priority in the early game. With options ranging from automatic rifles to shotguns, each weapon has its own pros and cons. So, selecting the best one may depend on your playstyle and current mission, but there are definitely some guns you’ll want to pick up as soon as possible.
Also, it’s best to consider ammo rarity when selecting the best tool for the job. With bullets being a valuable commodity when you first start in the Zone, you’ll really want to save ammo for those tough encounters which may affect which weapons you take out with you. Nevertheless, here are the best weapons to get early in STALKER 2, their pros and cons, and where to find them.
The best weapons and guns in STALKER 2
The best STALKER 2 weapons to grab in the early game are, in our experience, the following:
- Best long range: AKM-74S
- Best medium range: Viper-5
- Best close range: TOZ-34
We considered raw firepower, situational adaptability and ammo rarity when making these choices. Depending on your needs, we’d recommend bringing along these weapons when exploring the Zone and completing missions.
It’s also worth noting you’ll need to do a bit of STALKER 2 gun repair if you're looting (usually damaged) weapons from enemies. While it'll take some upgrading to get the best out of them. By adding STALKER 2 weapon upgrades and improving them, you’ll find yourself frequently gaining more of an upper hand during combat. With that in mind though, these top weapon choices should still work great out of the box in STALKER 2.
Bear in mind that you will lose all your guns after finishing the STALKER 2 prologue. So, don’t stress too much about holding on to ammo until you reach the first real act of the game.
AKM-74S
Pros: High rate-of-fire, quick reload, plentiful ammo
Cons: Not as accurate un-upgraded as other rifles
Where to find: Enemy drops, found during The Lost Boys and/or Warlock’s Debtor side missions
There are a few automatic rifle choices you get during the early hours of STALKER 2, and we’ve found the most reliable option for long range to be the AKM-74S. With a decent rate-of-fire and fast reload time, this gun should make quick work of any enemies you encounter out in the Zone.
Keep in mind that the AR416 ultimately outclasses the AKM rifles in several ways, however if you upgrade the AKM-74S at a Tech it'll outpace the AR4 for a good while. It's also tricky to find lots of 416 ammo early on - in the first 10 hours we only came across around 15-20 bullets for the 416. Meanwhile, AKM ammo is quite plentiful, and you should be able to keep this weapon topped up with a bit of scavenging - remembering to unload enemy weapons when you loot bodies is one of our top STALKER 2 tips.
You can find the AKM-74S in several places. The Ninth carries one during the STALKER 2 The Lost Boys side mission. But if you do not want to kill him, you can grab a scoped AKM-74S at the top of the Water Tower during the Warlock’s Debtor side mission. The extra range this gives you makes an incredibly powerful option considering how early you can get it. There's also the STALKER 2 Drowned variant which you can pick up in Garbage, and it comes with an underbarrel grenade launcher!
Viper-5
Pros: Fast rate of fire, decent accuracy
Cons: High recoil
Where to find: Enemy drops, Zhorik’s Stash or available to buy from Hamster
Your best rifle for medium and short range in the early game is the Viper-5. This weapon has a high rate of fire and a large magazine, allowing you to clear buildings of enemies before they have a chance to fill you with bullet holes.
You’ll have to contend with the gun’s high recoil though, making it less effective outdoors at longer ranges. There are some upgrades to help with this, but we’d recommend only really using this at closer ranges and indoors.
The Viper-5 can be found pretty soon after clearing the prologue. Once you reach the Post Office and help defeat a bunch of raiders, you’ll be pointed in the right direction towards Zalissya. Just up the road from there is a downed helicopter marked as Zhorik’s Stash, which holds the Viper-5.
TOZ-34
Pros: High damage, excellent at close range
Cons: Only two shots, long reload time
Where to find: Buy from Hamster or found during The Lost Boys side mission, also less common enemy drop
The TOZ-34 is a double-barreled shotgun that deals high damage, perfect for any close encounters when exploring the many abandoned buildings, sewers and caves that populate the Zone. Its high damage is countered by its small magazine size and long reload time, so if you do get into a fight with a large group, make sure you have ample cover to breathe.
The TOZ-34 shares ammo with the Boomstick, but we’d recommend this due to the fact that it has slightly better range and accuracy, and the vertically-placed barrels makes the iron sights a little easier to place shots.
You can find the TOZ-34 not long after finishing the prologue. Hamster stocks it in the shop at Zalissya, and you can also find it on a dead stalker body in the sewer during the The Lost Boys side mission you can also get a AKM-74S.
It’s a decent alternative to the Viper-5 for fighting indoors, so we’d recommend having both of these weapons equipped when you enter a building.
Where to find STALKER 2 ammo
You can find STALKER 2 ammo all over the Exclusion Zone. The best way to find ammo is via stashes. As you talk to characters and advance main and side missions, stash locations will periodically open up which hold supplies like meds, food, and bullets.
Similarly, look out for dead bodies across the world too. They’ll typically carry a few bullets, and also may carry a weapon - be sure to unload the bullets from it and add them to your personal stock.
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