EA’s 2017 release of Star Wars: Battlefront II had a troubled history, but it’s a straightforward shooter that’s more about enjoying the immersive experience than anything else. With John Williams’ music, classic sound effects, and robust art design, it’s definitely worth a visit for Star Wars fans.
DICE has implemented a lot of balancing to the game's weapons and combat, which has made it vital to re-examine your tools of choice. To help, here is a list of the 15 best weapons, ranked from less to more effective.
Updated by Derek Draven, April 17, 2020: As mentioned in the updated introduction, DICE's changes and tweaks have drastically changed some of the game's weapons, making it necessary to update our list in order to reflect their rankings on this list. We have also included Hero and Villain weapons this time 'round, as they are integral for helping win a battle.
15 OFFICER: S-5
To be frank, the beloved Blurrg-1120 just doesn't feel the way it used to before it got nerfed. Although some players always prefer burst weapons, its range has become lesser, and after the damage reduction, you’re probably going to lose more often in close quarters combat.
With good aim, it’s actually fairly easy to shoot from the hip with the S-5 to rack up kills. But if you don’t feel like The Man With No Name these days, it also has undeniable range with its scope, too. Combined with the opportunity to farm Battle Points, boost health at will, and deploy the Blaster Turret, this is a better class than most would give credit for.
14 HEAVY: FWMB-10K
This may be a controversial choice, but this can be a particularly dangerous gun in the right hands, and, although most would prefer the TL-50, the opportunity to implement a Night Vision mod is more useful than it sounds. Even in the daylight, it can clarify your target.
Combined with the Dual Zoom mod and higher damage output than the TL-50, this is a gun that is basically reliable at all times. You don’t have to be John Wick to get a kill, and its rate of fire is similar to the other weapons in the class. The recoil isn’t so bad either, and that can really make all the difference.
13 ASSAULT: Vanguard
It's surprising how much damage this Ability Card weapon can actually muster, frequently able to drop even Wookies with a single shot. It's almost troublesome, how effective this weapon can be. It isn't so much a shootout as it doesn't actually rely on skill, per se. More so, it's like mastering a technique.
If you can learn to fire this thing accurately enough, and swiftly enough, you can easily flank and dominate with ease. As close-range weapons go, it’s definitely a cut above compared to something like the Assault’s CR-2. Sure, you can go all Scarface with that thing’s insane rate of fire, but—spoilers—it didn’t work out for him.
12 ASSAULT: A280
You’ll find that the gun which deals the most damage isn’t necessarily the best. Particularly if you’re working on your K/D ratio, utilize a weapon that’s suitable for basically any scenario. It’s safe to say that the Assault Class A280 is the most balanced firearm because the EL-16HFE doesn’t quite hold up in close quarters combat.
The only difference in mods, between the two weapons, is the EL-16’s reduced recoil. You don’t have an issue with recoil to begin with if you use the A280. The EL-16 simply has a weaker firing rate, and if you shoot like a Stormtrooper, you may want to select something that helps you kill in a panic.
11 OFFICER: Improved Blaster Turret
And you thought those talkative turrets in Portal were troublesome. This Ability Card weapon should definitely be included because it doesn’t even rely on your own abilities to be effective. With very few shots, it can make Bantha fodder out of anyone, even at a longer range.
It is also extremely useful when implemented to lock down any choke points during a battle, which is especially noticeable in Extraction and even Galactic Assault. It’s an instant friend, and if you combine it with even moderate skills, you can make a better pair than Ratchet & Clank.
10 AERIAL: Wrist Rocket
You can easily scoop up a kill with a single shot if you aim well. The ability to float around like Robotnik, carpet bombing the area every minute or so, is undeniably powerful. Particularly given the capacity to swoop in, attack, and retreat before anyone realizes that death came from above.
This is most noticeable in a mode like Capital Supremacy where everyone has had plenty of time to hoard their Battle Points and unleash onto unsuspecting players that are focused on spread-out command posts. It helps that the range of the Wrist Rocket is seemingly unstoppable, hitting targets across wide expanses with startling accuracy.
9 HEAVY: Sentry
Sure, it takes a while to actually lug this thing into position for a fight—but if you’re aware of your surroundings and manage to secure a positional advantage, this thing will lay waste to anything in sight. It’s the chain gun you’ve seen in the hands of every action hero, ever—Terminator 2, Predator, Rambo—you name it.
If you don’t quite have the battle points for a better class, it’s a fantastic deterrent against enemy Heroes, whom you can nearly kill altogether with a full “mag”, if you will. In concentrated choke points, you can swiftly stack up kills at a phase transition. You can also take out any Wookie or Death Trooper with ease. It’s just a beast.
8 SPECIALIST: NT-242 Sniper
This is one time the damage output is definitely worth the horrendous cooling time and recoil. It’s simply another weapon that can give you a kill with one hit if you have very good aim. Now, the IQA-11 does take longer to overheat—but the problem is, that rifle requires two shots to sink the kill. A headshot won’t even do it.
Even if you’ve been trained in Sniper Elite, you’ll just know better—go for the NT-242. But if you need to fire multiple shots at a target, they’re going to notice pretty quickly that lasers are whooshing by their head. So, make sure to get your hands on that Dual Zoom mod.
7 HEAVY: TL-50 Heavy Repeater
This weapon is a preferred favorite of the Heavy class. In its default state, it's a less powerful version of Iden Versio's customized TL-50, but unlock the Improved Cooling and Reduced Spread add-ons, and it becomes an instrument of destruction against your foes.
Although the TL-50 isn't as effective at longer ranges, a little bit of practice can easily overcome this problem and keep enemies at bay, or whittle them down before they get a chance to move in. Up close, it's another matter entirely. The TL-50 will make mincemeat out of most foes if you can hold your target.
6 HERO: Princess Leia's Defender Pistol
Princess Leia is no slouch when it comes to dishing out damage. She might be small, but her Defender Pistol more than makes up for her lack of physical strength. This semi-auto weapon can squeeze off a ton of rounds before it overheats, allowing Leia to retain superiority in a firefight, even against multiple foes.
If that weren't enough, her homing shot is capable of antagonizing distanced foes, including starfighters! While Leia might be most recognized as a supporting character during a pitched battle, her Defender Pistol allows her to go solo (no pun intended) and wreak havoc on the enemy!
5 VILLAIN: Captain Phasma's SONN BLAS F-11D
This little instrument of terror is a well-favored weapon in Captain Phasma's bag of tricks. It's a rapid fire repeater that can mow down foes with uncharacteristic accuracy, but it's secondary night vision scope is where the damage truly intensifies.
This makes Phasma a force to be reckoned with from up close, or afar. Skilled players can utilize the F-11D's generously slow heat buildup to string together a chain of kills, or take up a sniping position and land head shots from a safe distance.
4 INFILTRATOR: Arc Trooper Dual Pistols
Ok, so the only thing missing from this class is a flock of doves accompanying you everywhere because you’re perpetually the hero of every John Woo movie ever. Sure, it takes quite an adjustment to practice shooting from the hip, but any amount of time practicing with Heroes that wield guns should have you prepared by this point.
The ferocious Dual Pistols can definitely frighten or kill any hero, with skill—especially combined with the sudden use of a well-timed Shock Trap. Given that you can scan the area, you will be allowed to plan a course of brutal blitz assaults.
3 ENFORCER + HERO: Wookiee Bowcaster
“I like this thing.” Whose word do you really need, when Han Solo himself loves a weapon? The bowcaster isn’t only beneficial because of the fuzzball wielding it, although all of that extra health you can pack in as a Wookiee definitely helps. Its ability to focus in onto a single target, in order to concentrate damage, will almost promise you a quick kill without much effort.
Spread shot has been changed to a narrowed, focused triangular shot in order to balance out the game and make both Enforcer and Chewbacca less tank-ish on the battlefield. This will require some significant changes in approach if you're used to playing these characters.
2 VILLAIN: Bossk's Micro Grenades
When Bossk initiates his Predator Instincts, he inserts micro-grenades into his blaster that can make lawn mulch out of entire groups of enemies. His heat vision makes identifying targets much easier, adding to the carnage.
When used with the Unrelenting Predator star card, Bossk can maintain the slaughter for prolonged periods, making his micro grenades one of the deadliest splash damage weapons in the game.
1 ARMOR: AT-ST Walker
It wouldn't be right to omit the AT-ST Walker from this list. This vehicle is a bipedal weapon built to dish out death and destruction on a massive scale. Skilled players know how to utilize the AT-ST for hit and run attacks, while deploying its arsenal of destructive grenades and anti-vehicle missiles across the battlefront.
The only weaknesses of the AT-ST are its rear armor plating, and the fact that it's such a huge target. Still, eagle-eyed players can rack up notorious kill counts if they refrain from charging straight into the fray, and instead use the AT-ST as an outskirts artillery weapon.