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With much higher damage than their standard counterparts and powerful unique effects to boot, Mk6 Unique weapons are the very best weapons in Dune Awakening. After the introduction of Overland Testing Stations, the weapons in this Tier List can now be found at higher Grades (with increased damage) and fitted with Augments that improve their stats.
This tier list considers both PVE and PVP content and has been created to help you think about which Schematics are worth pushing for in the Overland Testing Stations, Deep Desert, or the Landsraad.
New Update: Update 1.4 has introduced five new melee weapons and five new ranged weapons, all of which have been added to the Weapon Tier List below. You can see how the rankings of other weapons have changed by looking out for ↑ and ↓ arrows. If you only want to see the new additions, check out our New Weapons & Armor in 1.4 Ranked article.
Note: This Tier List will be a living Tier List, updated as new Chapters of content are released and balance patches change the meta.
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Dune Awakening Best Weapons - Tier List
The following Tier List is focused solely on Mk6 Unique weapons, the highest tier, and most powerful weapons in the game. The power of these weapons can be seen at all Grades, however some require at least one Augment to truly reach their peak.
S-Tier Discussion
S-Tier weapons are the best weapons in the game. They either have the highest damage output or the best unique effect in their weapon group.
Perforator
Source, stats & crafting info available at our Perforator database page.
The Perforator is an incredibly powerful shotgun (scattergun) with massive burst damage and incredible sustained damage. It can stagger targets with every shot and apply Bleed, the strongest damage-over-time effect. At high grades it does great damage and PVP and remains a powerful force in PVE. The new Scattergun Rampage-Enhancement augment cements this weapon as the strongest in the game.
Regis Tripleshot Repeating Rifle
Source, stats & crafting info available at our Regis Tripleshot Repeating Rifle database page.
The Regis Tripleshot Repeating Rifle ironically performs best after expanding the Clip Size with Jabal Spitdart Expander, allowing you to fire up to 12 times before reloading. The damage output is amazing at mid-range, making it the perfect companion to take with a Perforator or Shellburster. Its shots apply poison, which doesn't scale as well as bleed, but can still be useful in PVP.
Blind Fury
Source, stats & crafting info available at our Blind Fury database page.
Scopeless Spitdart Rifle with single-shot poison darts. Firing one dart at a time makes it more accurate for headshot focused builds and the lack of a scope helps maintain situational awareness while moving. It's not only a headshot weapon though, when properly augmented it deals great body damage as well, and doesn't lean as heavily on Attractor Field when compared to other meta weapons.
Seethe
Source, stats & crafting info available at our Seethe database page.
↑ The nerf to Attractor Field in 1.3.2 has made room for headshot builds that were struggling to compete with the inflated damage numbers in Attractor Field builds.
Seethe is a three-round pistol capable of inflicting high headshot damage and gives other meta choices a run for their money. The base headshot multiplier of Seethe is 2x, whereas other weapons have a base headshot multiplier of 1.5x. Seethe doesn't rely on Attractor Field, staggering, or other gimmicks to deal damage. All the Seethe needs is a Rafiq Snubnose Heavy Kit Augment and it can put out some very respectable damage numbers. The Seethe requires consistent headshots for peak performance and can be more difficult to use than the shotgun or Tripleshot, but it offers a great change of pace.
Weapons that require headshots don't tend to fare as well in PVP and the Seethe is competing with a lot of high rate of fire, lower skill alternatives.
Prescient Edge
Source, stats & crafting info available at our Prescient Edge database page.
This rapier finally has a unique effect that adds value to the weapon, whereas the previous Shield Damage or Poison effects that previous rapiers had weren't helpful. Successful parries with this rapier apply bleed, which is one of the only helpful weapon DOT effects in high difficulty Testing Stations. A stamina effect would have been preferable, but bleed will still kill downed enemies, so for that reason the Prescient Edge is the new S-Tier rapier.
Replica Pulse-sword
Source, stats & crafting info available at our Replica Pulse-sword database page.
The Replica Pulse-sword is the equal highest damage melee weapon in the game and provides a small Stamina boost on its parry. Sword parries trigger an AoE stagger, making them the best choice for engaging two or more enemies at once. The Replica Pulse-sword is one of the most beginner friendly melee weapons and remains a strong choice in the hands of veteran players.
Swords in PVP struggle to match up against the current ranged meta and the Replica Pulse-sword is no exception. The unique effect of this sword provides the most value in PVE, where parries can be performed more frequently.
Replica Pulse-knife
Source, stats & crafting info available at our Replica Pulse-knife database page.
The Replica Pulse-knife's unique effect grants a minor stamina boost on each successful hit, allowing attack spammers to mash away without quickly depleting their stamina bar. Knife heavy attacks have longer reach than swords, making the Replica Pulse-knife a nice compromise between the sword and rapier. In some PVE scenarios the Replica Pulse-sword's AoE parry will be better, but if you'd like a little more reach and rapiers aren't for you, then the Replica Pulse-knife is a solid choice.
Knives in PVP suffer the same weakness as other melee weapons in this meta and attacks hit a lot less reliably. If you were determined to use a knife in PVP, a Cauterizer with its burning effect would be a better choice.
Regis Disruptor Pistol
Source, stats & crafting info available at our Regis Disruptor Pistol database page.
Don't let this pistol's damage stat fool you, this gun is a shield breaker and is best used in PVP. The Regis Disruptor Pistol fires charged shots that have the potential to one-shot enemy shields, creating an opening for you to switch to a secondary weapon and finish them off. The Regis Disruptor Pistol functions well as a mid-range shield breaker, but for close range engagements there's Spitting Cobra.
Spitting Cobra
Source, stats & crafting info available at our Spitting Cobra database page.
This SMG fires darts that apply poison and deals high damage against both shielded and unshielded targets. It sits close to A Dart For Every Man for shield breaking power, but beats it for raw DPS. Out of the three SMGs available, it's looking like the Spitting Cobra will be the best choice for PVP. Its damage in PVE is still strong, although at short range there are better alternatives. Its poison effect won't be of much benefit in PVE, but in PVP damage over time effects still deal enough damage to be noticeable.
Black Market K-28 Lasgun
Source, stats & crafting info available at our Black Market K-28 Lasgun database page.
For its intended purpose, the Black Market K-28 Lasgun cannot be matched. The Lasgun is the best weapon in the game for dealing structural damage and is essential for raiding bases in PVP. It also has strong vehicle damage, which many players have capitalised on by "surfing" a friend's ornithoptor and Lasgunning carriers out of the sky.
In PVE, the Lasgun's damage against bosses is not very strong. However, it offers a unique playstyle and when compared to other heavy weapons, deals decent damage.
The Ancient Way
Source, stats & crafting info available at our The Ancient Way database page.
This missile launcher is an incredible weapon that fires rockets which can lock on, making it much easier to take down or seriously damage Ornithopters from the ground. High grade Ancient Ways can destroy Ornithopter components in a single rocket, elevating their threat from dangerous to deadly.
In PVE The Ancient Way's boss DPS isn't very impressive however its ability to deal with groups of enemies is unmatched. In Testing Station 89 (Radiation) it makes cleaning up boss adds a breeze and can even be used to take on the hordes in Testing Station 24 (Dark).
A-Tier Discussion
A-Tier weapons are strong, but are often outclassed by other options within the same weapon group.
Shellburster
Source, stats & crafting info available at our Shellburster database page.
↓ The Shellburster remains a strong pick, but the best shotgun augments are rare drops, which makes it hard to justify using the Shellburster over the Perforator, especially when the new Scattergun Rampage-Enhancement augment solves the Perforator's ammo problems.
The Shellburster is a shotgun (scattergun) that has comparable sustained DPS and stagger to the Perforator, but lacks the burst damage. It can fire six times before reloading, compared to the Perforator's four shots, but instead of bleed the Shellburster fires incendiary rounds which apply Fire Damage on hit. The burning effect applied by the Shellburster can go through shields, however the fire damage is most valued in Testing Station 195 (Poison), because it can be used to clear poison clouds.
Hell-Fury Pistol
Source, stats & crafting info available at our Hell-Fury Pistol database page.
Functions as a high-capacity alternative to Seethe, with similar sustained damage but weaker burst. Its shots apply burn on hit and like with most DOT effects, this extra damage is only relevant in PVP. Considering this weapons range it deals pretty good shield damage and with the PVP meta moving away from the Lightning Gun, this gun might pick up some of the slack. As a PVE weapon this gun works best in headshot builds, although the Seethe is probably still preferable for its burst damage.
Leech's Maw
Source, stats & crafting info available at our Leech's Maw database page.
Dual Blade with a power drain on hit effect that doesn’t really change how the weapon performs in a meaningful way. Dual Blade light attacks are great for DPS against bosses and groups of enemies, although in terms of single target DPS they still lose out to ranged weapons. Its slowblade attack is a little worse than other melee weapons, but as we see more Testing Stations become melee viable, the relative power of Dual Blade weapons will continue to increase.
Static Needle
Source, stats & crafting info available at our Static Needle database page.
↓ Static Needle was only in S-Tier due to a lack of stronger alternatives and with the introduction of Prescient Edge there's now a rapier with a more useful effect.
Static Needle has a unique effect that drains an additional 25 Power (Shield) on hit. Melee weapons aren't very efficient for breaking shields, so this effect is essentially useless in endgame content. The reason Static Needle still gets placed in S-Tier is because rapiers are just that good. Rapier heavy attacks have the furthest reach out of all the melee weapons, allowing you to chain heavy attacks together and not miss. The rapier moveset has a higher skill floor than the other melee weapons, and the parry window takes some time to adjust to, but it is one of the most rewarding weapons to master.
In PVP melee weapons have fallen out of favour and the Static Needle's parry timing makes it very difficult to use.
Spike Hilt Sword
Source, stats & crafting info available at our Spike Hilt Sword database page.
Spike Hilt Sword parries apply bleed to the attacker, dealing substantial damage to players in PVP. This sword is still strong in PVE, but the bleed effect does not scale well and is not as useful as the Replica Pulse-sword's stamina recovery. It still has the same high damage and AoE parry that makes swords so strong, so it keeps a place in A-tier.
In PVP the bleed effect is substantial, but the sword faces the same problem as other melee weapons in a ranged heavy meta.
Cauterizer
Source, stats & crafting info available at our Cauterizer database page.
The Cauterizer shares the same stats as the Replica Pulse-knife, but with a different unique effect that applies fire damage on hit. It has all the advantages of other knives in its class, speed, decent reach, and single target parry.
As with poison, once applied, a Fire Damage DoT bypasses shields, which is most useful in PVP.
Dunewatcher
Source, stats & crafting info available at our Dunewatcher database page.
↑ As the PVP meta begins to settle, we're seeing more people use Dunewatchers augmented with JABAL Spitdart Toxicity Amplifier. With the nerf to Lightning Gun, DOTs that can be applied through shields will become even more valuable.
Dunewatcher is a scoped sniper rifle that fires high damage darts that apply poison on hit. The scope and high effective range still make the Dunewatcher a fun choice in PVE, but its damage doesn't compete with other close range weapons. In PVP this weapon is used for its DOT damage, and JABAL Spitdart Toxicity Amplifier enhances that effect.
Ambition
Source, stats & crafting info available at our Ambition database page.
↓ After several bug fixes the power of Ambition has dropped in PVP. It still has a use as one of the few ways you can deal damage to a shielded target, but its no longer as oppressive as it once was.
Ambition can fire drillshots at long range with high accuracy, allowing you to apply pressure wherever your opponent is. Slotting an Augment like Drillshot FK7 Sprayer turns this weapon into a relentless harasser, letting you wear down your opponent's stamina on the ground, or chip away at their health in the air.
The performance of drillshots like Ambition is disappointing in PVE, due to their low and unreliable damage. Ambition would be joining the other drillshots in C-Tier if not for its use case in PVP.
B-Tier Discussion
B-Tier weapons are situational. They usually require specific augments, fulfil a niche role, or have better alternatives.
The Angry Adder
Source, stats & crafting info available at our The Angry Adder database page.
A Karpov 38 Rifle that relies heavily on headshots due to its low body damage. It's moderately accurate when standing still, but if you fire it while strafing it becomes too inaccurate to headshot. As its name suggests, The Angry Adder's shots will poison the target, but this damage dealt by the poison is very low. On paper this weapon looks a lot stronger than it feels in Testing Stations.
Burning Blades
Source, stats & crafting info available at our Burning Blades database page.
Burning Blades might be one of the most fun melee weapons in the game, but their short reach and less reliable slowblade make them difficult to place above B-Tier. They can perform fast, sweeping attacks, allowing you to dive into enemies applying burn damage on hit with their unique effect. However, as with Halleck's Pick, the burning damage can work against you by canceling crowd control effects such as Compel.
For PVP the reach is a huge problem, especially in a meta that is already struggling to find a place for melee weapons. Against a competent opponent, you will feel this weapon's shortcomings a lot more noticeably.
Eel's Tooth
Source, stats & crafting info available at our Eel's Tooth database page.
A knife with a small Power restoration effect on hit. The recovery is too low to make any meaningful impact on Power recovery, but it's still better than nothing, which is what you get from Feyd’s Drinker. There are stronger melee options in higher tiers with effects you can actually notice in combat, so while this gimmick is fun, it is not something you can rely on.
Branding Blade
Source, stats & crafting info available at our Branding Blade database page.
A sword that applies burn on hit. Outside of PVP, the burn damage is too minor to have any real impact on fights. Spike-hilt Sword has a stronger DOT effect, and Replica Pulse-sword has a more useful unique effect. The fire effect looks good, but it does not really add much in practice and can sometimes be a hindrance, since DOT effects can interrupt CC abilities.
Serpent's Fang
Source, stats & crafting info available at our Serpent's Fang database page.
A knife that applies poison on hit. While it technically adds damage, the effect is too small to compete with knives that offer stronger utility effects, such as stamina recovery. Weapons need to do more than add a damage over time effect to be worth picking up.
Halleck's Pick
Source, stats & crafting info available at our Halleck's Pick database page.
↓With the introduction of Prescient Edge, Static Needle and Halleck's Pick have both dropped in the rankings to make room.
Rapiers deal less damage than swords, but they make up for it other ways, providing substantial reach, speed, and a moveset that is rewarding to master. Halleck's Pick unique effect applies poison on hit however the poison damage doesn't scale very well into endgame content. The shield breaking effect of the Static Needle may be useless, but Halleck's Pick poison effect is sometimes seen as a negative because damage-over-time effects will interrupt crowd control skills like Compel.
The poison effect is nice to have in PVP, but the difficulty of parrying and overall poor state of melee in PVP right now makes this weapon not ideal.
Plasma Cannon
Source, stats & crafting info available at our Plasma Cannon database page.
Plasma Cannon is an energy heavy weapon that flies under the radar for a lot of players, and with the nerf to energy weapons against bosses the Plasma Cannon has almost been left out of the conversation entirely. Plasma Cannon makes it into B-Tier, primarily for its use in PVP, where it finds a niche in group fights for situations where you can take advantage of its high rate of fire and damage. If you can reduce a Plasma Cannon's power usage to 17 with Augments, you can fire it indefinitely without running out of energy. It can also be fun to use in PVE, but its boss damage is fairly disappointing.
Sardaukar Intimidator
Source, stats & crafting info available at our Sardaukar Intimidator database page.
The Sardaukar Intimidator is an SMG similar to A Dart For Every Man, with the main difference being its effective clip size. The Sardaukar Intimidator consumes two darts per shot, effectively halving its Clip Size, so you'll be spending more time reloading. SMGs are mostly used for PVP and for that purpose Spitting Cobra is the preferred choice.
A Dart For Every Man
Source, stats & crafting info available at our A Dart For Every Man database page.
↓ This gun still deals good burst Shield Damage, but the Spitting Cobra is looking like the weapon of choice for PVP.
The Dart For Every Man SMG deals high shield damage per shot and is one of the best shield breakers in close quarters.
In PVE A Dart For Every Man requires you to be uncomfortably close to your enemy and its damage output and shield breaking capabilities don't make up for that added danger.
Experimental Lightning Gun
Source, stats & crafting info available at our Experimental Lightning Gun database page.
↓ The nerf to the Experimental Lightning Gun in 1.4 reduced its health and shield damage by more than 40%. This change is expected to significantly reduce its viability in PVE and remove it as the dominant weapon in PVP.
The Lightning Gun is an energy weapon that drains your power to shoot, firing in bursts and cracking enemy shields at mid-range. Its health damage is underwhelming and people typically pair it with a higher damage weapon to finish enemies off after breaking their shields.
When used in PVP the Experimental Lightning Gun deals decent damage to shields, however it costs Power to fire, so when trading blows you may be better off with an alternative shield breaker.
Way of the Misr
Source, stats & crafting info available at our Way of the Misr database page.
↑ The new augment Maula Pistol Antipersonnel Rounds introduced in 1.4 should be enough to turn this mediocre into a decent weapon.
Way of the Misr is an automatic Maula Pistol with okay damage that does not really excel at anything. It is quite close range and has a bit too much bullet spread to feel good to use, but with the right augments you can make it into something worth using.
C-Tier Discussion
C-Tier weapons have very low damage or flaws that make them unusable.
The Hateful Barker
Source, stats & crafting info available at our The Hateful Barker database page.
A heavy “LMG” that trades accuracy for increased damage. Its spread becomes extreme after only a short burst, making it difficult to stay on target unless you are very close. It suffers from the usual heavy weapon issues, from the wind-up before firing to the movement slowdown while using it. In theory it should deliver competitive damage, but in practice the poor accuracy and clunky handling make it a disappointment.
Feyd's Drinker
Source, stats & crafting info available at our Feyd's Drinker database page.
↓ There's so many short blade weapons to choose from now that Feyd's Drinker falls even further down the ranks.
Feyd's Drinker is identical in stats to the Replica Pulse-knife, but worse since the unique effect is of no real value. Feyd's Drinker automatically harvests blood when you hit enemies, which can be stored in a blood bag. If you can afford to craft this weapon, you've probably surpassed the need for blood extraction and are relying on Windtraps or Deathstills for your water needs. Ignoring the effect, this weapon still functions well as a knife and has the same advantages of that weapon class. It has a nice attack speed, decent reach, and a strong single target parry.
Penetrator
Source, stats & crafting info available at our Penetrator database page.
A high grade drillshot like the Penetrator can be useful for killing enemies in Hagga Basin to collect corpses for Death Stills. You can use it to quickly kill low level enemies by firing shield penetrating darts and applying bleed to finish them off after they go down. Unfortunately the Penetrator just doesn't cut it in higher level content, its low and sometimes inconsistent damage makes it a poor choice compared to other options.
Plastanium Pyrocket
Source, stats & crafting info available at our Plastanium Pyrocket database page.
The Plastanium Pyrocket lobs explosive balls that damage enemies in a small area and set them on fire. In theory this is great, but the area effect isn't big enough to use it effectively against groups and the damage isn't high enough to use it against single targets. The Pyrocket is competing with the high damage, larger area of effect Ancient Way and does not compare well to it at all.
Shishakli's Bite
Source, stats & crafting info available at our Shishakli's Bite database page.
Shishakli's Bite is a Maula Pistol that fires in two-shot bursts but has poor ammo efficiency, consuming four darts for every burst. This gun's low damage, poor ammo economy, and awkward burst firing mechanism make it a poor choice whatever you're doing.
Regis Burst Drillshot
Source, stats & crafting info available at our Regis Burst Drillshot database page.
The Regis Burst Drillshot looks great at first glance — a Drillshot that fires a double burrow-dart shot. However, in reality it isn't actually all that impressive. The time it takes to charge is significant and your shield goes down from the moment you start charging. This makes you extremely vulnerable in both PVE and PVP scenarios.
When compared to its peers, like the Penetrator, which doesn't require charging, has higher damage per shot, and also applies a bleed effect, it fails to live up to it in almost every way.
Salusan Vengeance
Source, stats & crafting info available at our Salusan Vengeance database page.
The rifle Salusan Vengeance’s increased clip size is offset by its consumption of three darts per shot and the description’s reference to “explosive darts” sounds cool but the tiny AOE seems to end up damaging you with splash more than it ends up helping. The Salusan Vengeance performs rather poorly in combat and puts out disappointing damage numbers.
Indara's Lullaby
Source, stats & crafting info available at our Indara's Lullaby database page.
Indara's Lullaby has a triple-shot burst fire effect, with the final shot in the burst dealing extra damage. The DPS of this gun is poor and its unique effect doesn't provide a substantial boost in damage.
Bashar's Command
Source, stats & crafting info available at our Bashar's Command database page.
Light Machine Guns are generally much weaker than other weapon types in Dune Awakening. They are slow & cumbersome, take a long time to reload, struggle to deal with shields well, and leave you vulnerable to melee opponents. Bashar's Command does nothing to remedy these issues and as such, is relegated to the bottom of the Tier List.
Vaporizer
Source, stats & crafting info available at our Vaporizer database page.
Given how powerful fire damage can feel when used against you and how annoying those heavy flame-thrower wielding enemies are, you might think that a Vaporizer would be a great choice.
Unfortunately, flamethrowers suffer from the same issues as other heavy weapons, which makes them mostly unusable in endgame content. The Vaporizer's lack of mobility, range, and damage gives it a long list of downsides, with no upside other than how fun it is to shoot.
Glasser
Source, stats & crafting info available at our Glasser database page.
Another disappointing flamethrower that struggles to find any viable use case. Slowly moving around, dealing very little damage is not a strong lure for the prospective pyromaniac. Glasser makes its way to the very bottom of the Tier List because it has even less range than the Vaporizer.
Flamethrowers are some of the worst weapons in the game and are beaten out by almost all alternatives.
