Throughout all the patches since launch, the majority of the weapons and abilities have been tweaked. Price changes, nerfs, and buffs to certain guns have changed the way players approach the pistol round. When discussing and interpreting the ideal pistol loadouts, it’s important to remember that the dynamic gameplay allows for agents to play differently depending on the situation, in which simple factors such as being on offense or defense and which area in the map you plan to play in can sway your decision on which weapon to use.

Limiting factors also apply that makes pistol rounds different from regular rounds where players are able to afford what they want, in which health is limited to 125 (unless Reyna heals) and the amount of ammo in your clip is smaller. First shot accuracy and movement strongly determines your ability to secure an elimination(s) with any weapon, especially when having to control semi-automatic weapons or spray patterns.

Every purchasable weapon on a pistol round will always have ideal agents and abilities that use each weapon to its full potential. In this article, we’ll analyze each buy to examine how flexible the weapon is and what it brings to the pistol round

Classic

The Classic is what you will want to stick with if you decide to invest your money on abilities and/or armor. By using the right-click feature, it allows you to burst three bullets that players often tend to do when in the air and/or at close quarters. It’s suggested to be cautious and aware of how much ammo is in the Classic when alternate firing, as it can easily run out of ammo, given it only has 12 bullets per clip.

While other choices may be dedicated to one particular range, the Classic allows for its primary and alternative firing methods to adapt to all ranges, making it stand out from other weapons in the pistol round. With a headshot damage of 78 within 30 meters, simply hitting two headshots—whether it be from the primary fire or the three pellets in the alternate fire— has the ability to take down an opponent even with full armor.

Though the Classic doesn’t necessarily have a dedicated playstyle, playing an agent that heavily relies on their utility on the first round would make using the Classic and light armor combination a viable strategy that supports the team.

Shorty

The shorty is the cheapest gun you can purchase, where its biggest advantage is in extremely close-range gunfights. Whether you fancy yourself sitting in a one-and-done corner, or making aggressive up close and personal plays, the Shorty is something you’d enjoy using. Given that it only has two shells in its magazine, it’s optimal to try and get at least one kill considering it would take a collateral to get more than one kill before reloading.

As the least expensive buyable weapon in the game, spending 150 credits allows for flexibility when choosing to buy light armor and/or abilities, just like the Classic. Considering the maximum damage output is within a small range of 0-7 meters, it would be best to play at a spot where you would want the enemies to approach at a close range, such as a close corner. Each of the 15 pellets deals 24 damage to the head, 12 damage to the body, and 10 to the legs. Let’s say for example you were to hit all 15 pellets to the head on an enemy, it would leave the enemy beyond guaranteed death regardless of full or half armor.

If you plan on holding a close angle like A-Short on Haven, using a Shorty is an ideal pick. Being able to sit in a close quarters spot with an entrance you feel you are able to secure a kill with using just two shots can be quite risky if there are multiple enemies. However, if you are playing an agent with mobility like Jett, Raze, or Reyna, you could play aggressive and easily dash, satchel, or vanish out of the crime scene after taking down the first enemy. With that being said, the Shorty is recommended when you are playing an agent with mobility.

Frenzy

The Frenzy is a fully automatic pistol that is best known as the ideal run-and-gun weapon when it comes to the pistol round. Because it has only 13 bullets in a magazine, it’s fairly easy to run out of ammo quickly. The majority of its effectiveness is at close range where you can let the bullets rip and spray the enemy down, but can also be used at longer ranges when tapping or burst firing.

Unlike the other weapon choices for pistol round, excluding the Shorty, the Frenzy is the only pistol that does its maximum damage output within 20 meters, rather than 30, in which it can be acknowledged that the Frenzy is more viable at closer ranges. As long as you are in a range within 20 meters, being able to hit just two shots to the head can take down an enemy with full armor, or a headshot followed by a body shot to take down an enemy with no armor. Though it’s mostly powerful in close range, being able to tap or burst fire with the Frenzy means it can also be a competitor to other pistols at longer ranges.

The Frenzy is the perfect sidearm to pair up with any semi-automatic weapon, like an Operator, which allows the fully automatic pistol to secure an elimination in close gunfights, so if you’re looking ahead to the first gun round, keep that in mind. The Frenzy strongly benefits all playstyles, preferably aggressive, on both offense and defense, in which factors such as the area, agent, and range may apply.

Ghost

The Ghost is a semi-automatic pistol with a silencer that is hands down the overall best weapon when it comes to using it in both pistol rounds and as a sidearm in general, no matter if you are using a sniper or a shotgun. The silencer on the Ghost not only suppresses its noise while being fired, but it also benefits it by increasing its overall accuracy.

At the cost of 500 credits, most agents are able to buy at least one extra ability outside of their signature ability that is already given at the start of the round, giving players the accommodation if they decide to use their utility. The damage output on the Ghost allows for a simple shot to the head to eliminate an enemy within 30 meters with no armor, and two shots to the head from any distance with full armor.

Sheriff

As the most expensive purchasable weapon on a pistol round, it’s a no-brainer that it will for sure have the highest damage output amongst all pistols. Spending all 800 provided credits, the Sheriff has a high damage output, which comes with high recoil, smaller ammunition, and a long pullout time. Given that the Sheriff is only provided with six bullets in its cylinder, you would have to be selective when shooting, as your ammo will run dry wasting bullets on a shot you’re not confident on.

With a high damage output from all ranges, hitting an opponent in the head from any distance will leave the opponent either dead or with extremely low health. Given that it is a semi-automatic pistol with a slow cooldown between shots, the high recoil on the pistol makes it kick your crosshair higher than usual, in which you would have to slightly adjust your mouse to adapt to its recoil.

Whether you choose to play aggressively or hold an angle, hitting those one-taps or simply securing the kill can be a game changer. On an eco or a force-buy round, as long as you are able to purchase it, the Sheriff would be a great weapon to use against enemies with rifles since you can possibly swipe their rifle as long as you can successfully take them down.

Conclusion

It can be agreed upon that your choice between the five unique sidearms in the pistol round are greatly determined by agent, map, and abilities, possibly even deciding whether or not you want light armor or not. The reason all choices are unique is due to the difference in damage output between all ranges, as well as being supplied with pellets, alternate fires, and different shooting patterns. No matter the weapon, it is recommended to be both wise and confident when using your limited ammunition.