Aliens Fireteam Elite weapons are pretty much the only thing standing between you and hordes of Xenomorphs, so it pays to make sure you have the right tools at your disposal if you want to survive through to the end of the campaign. Arming yourself appropriately will mean matching your choices to your preferred playstyle, which in turn should dictate which of the Aliens Fireteam Elite classes you select – an area that I've covered in a separate guide should you need further details on that. Depending on whether you take a spray and pray approach or prefer to get up close and personal in combat, there are different weapons available to suit each style if you know how to identify them.
Although there are more Aliens Fireteam Elite weapons to unlock through the campaign or purchase from the Armory in exchange for Requisition Credits, it'll be a while before you can access any significant improvements on the initial guns, so it's those that I'll focus on here. You should try to settle on your choice of armaments early and stick with them, as you'll earn XP and rank them up by using them during missions, which will then unlock perks such as increased stability, range, accuracy, and reduced reload times to improve them further. If you're wondering which Aliens Fireteam Elite weapons to pick first, here's what you need to know about them.
Best Aliens Fireteam Elite weapons
Aliens Fireteam Elite Rifle
The M41A2 Pulse Rifle is a standard all-rounder rifle with a low damage falloff, making it good for both long and short range combat, and the solid stability means decent accuracy is assured as long as you remember your training to fire in short, controlled bursts. With 60 rounds in the chamber and a maximum capacity of 540 you'll have plenty of ammo to keep blasting those xenos, and the 200% weak point damage multiplier makes headshots on your enemies especially deadly so take the time to aim for them.
Aliens Fireteam Elite Shotgun
The M37A3 Pump Shotgun is a CQW (close quarters weapon) that packs a serious punch to any nearby enemies, though with the damage falloff rapidly dropping to zero at around 75m you won't be taking out anything at range. The slow fire rate and 8 round capacity means you need to make each shot count, though you can interrupt the reload after each individual slug if you need to deal with an immediate threat. As you need to get up close and personal with a CQW to make it count, be prepared to move quickly to avoid any acid from downed foes, especially from creatures such as the Xenomorph Bursters.
Aliens Fireteam Elite Magnum
The Kramer .50 Magnum is dubbed a 'hand cannon' due to the high damage dealt with every bullet fired, and although this gives you great power over range it does come at a cost. With both a low fire rate and comparatively reduced stability due to the heavy kick it gives, you need to choose your shots carefully to get the most out of this pistol, though if you pick out some headshots then the 250% weak point damage multiplier can really make a difference.
Aliens Fireteam Elite Smartgun
The L56A3 Smartgun, as the name suggests, is a computer-aided self-aiming machine gun, which means you don't have to strive for personal accuracy as you can just aim in the general direction of enemies then let the tracking system do the work of hitting your targets. This is particularly helpful when dealing with large swarms of xenos, as you don't need to pick out individual enemies in the crowds and can keep spraying until they're dealt with. However, with a high fire rate and capacity for only 400 ammo it's likely you'll burn through your reserves pretty quickly, so be prepared to switch to your other weapon until you find the next resupply cache.
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