Nailing down the best long gun in Remnant 2 is a difficult process. Every weapon is viable with the right setup and playstyle. Even the starter scrap weapons can become god-killers in the right hands. Even so, there will be some weapons that will be looked up by a good number of players for a variety of reasons. And that’s what we’re going to try and do in this article.
In this list, we’ll rank all the best long guns we’ve found in Remnant 2 with the bottom being the gun we believe is a must-have for any Traveler. The fun factor is what we’ll focus on, with its ease of use and versatility close behind.
Starkiller and Saviour won’t be part of the list. The reason is that the vast majority of players won’t ever see these weapons and we have yet to test them out ourselves.
Best Long Gun in Remnant 2 Ranked
Twisted Arbalest
The Twisted Arbalest is not the most hard-hitting weapon on the list, nor is it the most dependable. It can sometimes fail you, in fact. But its fun factor is undeniable.
The weapon shoots disks that redirect themselves to the closest enemy within its attack cone after it bounces off a surface or an enemy. It does ok amounts of single-hit damage but it won’t stop a blade that’s intent on going straight into your chest. It’s in the built-in mod that you’ll hope to do the most work. Seeing the blades descend on your enemies is always a nice sight to behold. And probably the only thing that’ll stop them dead in their tracks.
Aphelion
The Aphelion has a look that’s straight out of a horror space flick. If the hundred hands don’t sell the look then it’s the moving eyes that will certainly unsettle you. Fortunately for us, it is a very good crowd-control weapon with a wide-slicing shot that hits multiple enemies.
The Aphelion truly shines when the player detonates the compressed supernova with a primary shot. There’s nothing like burning damage on a galactic scale.
Chicago Typewriter
The old Tommy Gun makes a glorious return to Remnant 2 alongside a brand new set of Leto’s Armor. The high ammo capacity and rate of fire make up for the slightly long reload time. But if you know which rings to equip, that issue quickly resolves itself. And let’s not forget the myriad of mods to choose from to fit your unique playstyle.
Crossbow
Don’t underestimate this weapon just cause it doesn’t have any fancy attacks. Sometimes, versatility is a better choice over Exotic tricks. The crossbow packs quite a punch for a mobile platform. If you like one-shotting mobs in complete stealth and/or like rolling around after each shot, this is the weapon for you.
Pulse Rifle
The Pulse Rifle is the closest thing to an actual battle rifle on N’Erud. No funky science experiments or messing with the natural order of things. The Pulse Rifle shoots 3 closely grouped shots in rapid succession. The reason it is on this list is because it is highly accurate and you can add your personal touch to the platform with a mod and mutator. Some players are just fine with a burst rifle and they ought to know that one can be found in Remnant 2.
If only the doors keeping it secure didn’t require a hefty amount of RNG.
Plasma Cutter
In Remnant: From the Ashes, this gun would have been comparable to the Beam Rifle in many ways. High DPS and radiation damage are what set that monster of a gun apart from any other in the first game. The Plasma Cutter can still do that but you’ll need to build into it to get the most out of the weapon. Also, it gets a leg up due to it being easier to obtain compared to the Pulse Rifle.
XMG57 Bonesaw
The Bonesaw is an other-worldly version of the M60 machine gun. It is a reliable weapon used for both suppression and sustained damage on a boss. We love this gun so much that we used it for the majority of our explorations throughout the realms on Survivor difficulty. It only ever starts falling off once you hit the hardest of content that requires you to be truly specialized. If you’re looking for a companion to hunt down all the scattered jewelry in the game, there are few more satisfying to use than the Bonesaw.
Ford’s Scattergun
The base version of Ford’s Scattergun does exactly what it does in its description – a powerful shotgun with a wide spread. That should be a detriment for anyone wanting to fight beyond 5 meters. But that is not the case. With the right set of support items, you can narrow the spread to a point where you have yourself a long-range shotgun that can deal with distant targets. Guess all that concentrated firepower isn’t just for show.
Sporebloom
Single-shot shotguns usually aren’t that great in Remnant 2 on account of them occasionally failing to secure a kill. Sporebloom is the exception to that. It has such a strong stagger effect that even if you miss your shot, the follow-up shot almost always lands the killing blow.
Alpha/Omega
Alpha/Omega is an interesting gun, it’s not so powerful that it can overtake the meta picks in Remnant 2. But it’s far too interesting to be called a gimmick gun. This weapon shoots 5-round bursts that shoot more quickly as you land more shots. Think of it as Remnant’s equivalent to Apex’s Nemesis rifle. If you’re serious about using this gun, you should get really good with its built-in mod.
Deceit
Deceit, as the name suggests, does not paint the full picture of its combat potential. While it is tempting to run this weapon with a melee build, Deceit is best used in a tactical way wherein you throw knives at a distance to turn the weapon into a weakspot machine. It’s not clearly stated but if you launch a charged melee attack, the knives will hit enemies behind it until all knives are spent. It’s also worth noting that the weapon hits really hard when it is fully upgraded, even without the weakspot debuff.
Crescent Moon
Bows are an acquired taste in Remnant 2. They somehow don’t fit the run-and-gun style the games are known for and yet there is a bow so good that it defies conventional standards, and it’s called the Crescent Moon. Obtained after transforming the material found in Retreat’s Horizon, the Crescent Moon bow does a good amount of damage and its built-in mod allows you to heal and retrieve ammo at the same time. You’ll just have to get used to the timing of the shots. But if you do, it is a powerful asset that can see you through most content.
Nightfall
Hands down the most useful weapon in all of Remnant 2, Nightfall has garnered a reputation for getting Travelers out of very sticky situations. When its mod is activated, Nightfall turns into a fully automatic rifle that heals the user after every bullet hit. You can pretty much tank the majority of attacks that don’t one-shot your character. Also, while the mod is active, enemies have a harder time tracking your movements, causing them to miss more often.
This little number has seen us through much of the game’s campaign on Nightmare difficulty. And with the right setup, it can even be used in Apocalypse. Provided you don’t get too greedy and believe you can tank anything the game throws at you.
Those are 13 of the best long guns in Remnant 2. This is by no means a hard-ranking list. Guns will rise and fall depending on your Traveler’s supporting equipment. It is still a good guide to help you narrow your search for a favorite gun in the game.
For more Remnant 2 guides, check out our list of articles on the game.