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The best weapons in Death Stranding 2: On the Beach will vary depending on what kind of enemy you're facing, but you should take a range of specialized gear with you for the sake of dealing with whatever threat you come across. Weapons like the bola gun and basic assault rifle will be supplanted by superior models later on as you play through Death Stranding 2, resulting in a range of tactical equipment that'll match the deadlier threats ahead of you.
To help you know what to pack and deploy on each enemy type, I've gone out and found all the best weapons in Death Stranding 2 and have explained how you can get them yourself, so that you can defend yourself appropriately. Whether you need weapons for BTs, for human brigands and bandits, or for the encroaching mech threat, I've got the best options laid out below.
How to get all the best weapons in Death Stranding 2
All the best weapons in Death Stranding 2: On the Beach are laid out here, as well as what you need to do to obtain them.
- Bola Stun Gun: Reach 4 Stars with the Death Stranding 2 Inventor (Australia, on the Island North of West Fort Knot: F1)
- This upgraded Bola upgrades the standard model by making it knock out enemies no matter where you hit them. With no more headshots required, it effectively becomes the ultimate stealth tool for mid-to-close range.
- SL-LW Tranq Sniper Rifle: Reach 5 Stars with the Death Stranding 2 Lone Commander (Australia, up the hills and cliffs East of the Government's Base)
- For long-range stealth missions, this silenced sniper rifle is about as good as it gets. Headshots can put down foes instantly (assuming they're not wearing a helmet), and even if you miss, they're unlikely to work out where you're shooting from.
- LW Shotgun [MP] Lv2: Reach 4 Stars with the Musician (Australia, on the Mountains around the lake, East of West Fort Knot: F1)
- For pure firepower, this shotgun comes with an attached grenade launcher, and does huge damage even without it. No enemy can withstand a barrage of shots from this at close range – it's basically about as powerful as conventional firearms get.
- SL-LW Assault Rifle [MP] Lv2: Reach 4 Stars with the Data Scientist (Australia, encountered on the main story)
- This is a great all-rounder weapon for both stealth and open combat. A powerful silenced assault rifle with grenade launcher, it even comes with multiple fire modes, depending on the situation. You'll encounter this character as part of the main campaign, but you'll have to build up to 4 Stars on your own with side content.
- Blood Boomerang: Hook up the Northern Environmental Observatory (Australia, encountered on the main story)
- You can't avoid getting this weapon as you progress, and that's a good thing. This is a special melee weapon that's specifically designed for damaging BTs (though it works on humans too), as you can spend blood on it to increase the damage. It also unlocks a special stealth kill attack for BTs, wherein you can sneak up behind them and instantly defeat them. As long as you have the Blood Bags to replenish yourself, you can use this very effectively. You can also increase its power and stats generally by getting your reputation with the Aeronautical Engineer to two stars.
- Blood Grenade Lv2: Reach 3 Stars with the C1 South Distribution Centre (Mexico, encountered on the main story)
- Back in Mexico, this early location will give you an enhanced grenade if you can put in a little extra work. It's a more powerful version of the same grenade, and very few BTs will survive being hit by more than two of them - very useful to have for the first Death Stranding 2 BT boss fight.
It goes without saying that not all of these weapons share the same strengths – a Blood Grenade isn't going to hurt a normal human being or a mech, while tranquilizers aren't going to do much to ghosts. Let's look at particulars.
Best weapons for fighting BTs
If you're going up against Death Stranding 2 BTs, I recommend bringing (at the very least), the Blood Boomerang, the Blood Grenades, and the LW Shotgun [MP] Lv2. The first two weapons are ideal for fighting BTs from stealth, and the shotgun will absolutely devastate them if you get spotted. Frankly, there's no enemy it won't devastate.
Best weapons for fighting humans and bandits
When going up against human enemies – bandits and brigands – you'll want to bring the SL-LW Tranq Sniper Rifle, SL-LW Assault Rifle [MP] Lv2, LW Shotgun [MP] Lv2 and Bola Stun Gun. This is basically a set-up that will allow you to deal with all eventualities: use the sniper rifle to take out whatever foes you can from a distance, then go in stealthily and clear them out using the Bola. If things go bad, the assault rifle and shotgun will ensure you survive.
Best weapons for fighting mechs
Because mechanical foes are so dangerous, you'll need heavier firepower to handle them. Different mechs have different strengths, but ultimately you need to blend proper firepower with precision, either shooting the mech's weak spots or using explosives to break through their armor. The SL-LW Assault Rifle [MP] Lv2 and LW Shotgun [MP] Lv2 cover both of those elements, though you should work to bind foes with your strand from stealth where possible too. Keep in mind also that both weapons have grenade attachments for when things get really dangerous.
Guns needs to be fabricated with resources, so make sure you're doing some Death Stranding 2 material farming to get what you need. However, if fisticuffs are more your style, you can seek out a chef to learn Death Stranding 2 pizza karate.
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