Hot dropping in Apex Legends results in players squabbling for the first sight of a weapon or others taking their chances with punches. With so many ground weapon options, finding a weapon that performs exceedingly well in the early stage of the game is vital. Players in the early game will mostly be limited to white or blue shields and will lack high-tier attachments to their weapons.
Strong weapons such as the R-301 require attachments such as an extended mag to shine, but finding one fresh off drop in Apex Legends is rare. Some weapons suit the early stage as they perform well at downing enemies with low-tier shields.
7 P2020
Underestimating the P2020 is a rookie mistake. While it is nowhere near the fast TTK weapons in the game, it is a great tool for the early game. The P2020 fires fast, uses little ammo, and is better than punching an opponent. Having a gun that conserves ammo is vital in the early game as running out of it during a fight will result in death.
The P2020 is accurate but requires confidence. The ADS movement speed of the P2020 is fast as it is a pistol and will make it harder for opponents to keep up. The hip-fire is also good and can be used when sliding with good accuracy.
6 Havoc
Out of all assault rifles in Apex Legends, the Havoc is the best right off the drop. It has the highest base bullet count and has high damage. The Flatline and Nemesis have 20 bullets and the R-301 has 18 bullets. The extra four bullets will help players guarantee a knock on an opponent with white or blue shields. The gun has manageable recoil and great hip-fire accuracy for a rifle.
The Havoc only has one significant drawback, which is its initial windup. Players can circumvent this downside by firing earlier than they usually would. Using hip-fire while moving is a lethal combo in the early game and will tear through enemies.
5 Longbow
Finding a sniper off-drop may not be a bad thing. Sometimes our teammates will be fighting an enemy and will require support. The Longbow is the best sniper in Apex Legends off-drop. It deals high damage and fires faster than the sentinel. A headshot to white shields will deal a whopping 106 damage, and a follow-up body shot will down a white shield player.
It takes three body shots with the Longbow to down a white shield player, making the sniper devastating in the early game. The gun's magazine houses six bullets and has room for missing half the bullets and still securing a down.
4 Alternator
The Alternator may not be the best SMG in Apex Legends, but it excels in the early game. It has a simple recoil pattern and can be used at medium ranges. The main focus of the Alternator is its hip-fire accuracy. The Alternator has extremely accurate hip fire and should only be used from the hip during close-quarter fights.
The movement speed of legends when hip-firing is fast and hard to track for enemies. Players should incorporate sliding with their hip-fire to make it even harder for enemies to track them. Sadly, the Alternator struggles to down enemies past purple shields as it has a low DPS. It performs exceedingly well for white shield opponents and is a stellar early-game weapon.
3 Wingman
The Wingman is a powerful weapon in the right hands. The weapon can down red armor enemies with body shots without needing an extended magazine. The Wingman has been nerfed as it now requires sniper ammo, but it is still a devastating weapon off-drop. The weapon can down white and blue armored players in 4 body shots.
Whether players need a weapon for close-quarters or long-ranged battles, the Wingman covers a large span of ranges. The weapon functions in a wide variety of scenarios and is an excellent weapon to have in the early game.
2 Mastiff
Shotguns are lethal in the early game, especially in indoor combat. Finding a Mastiff after landing is a massive advantage and will give players an advantage when pushing enemies in close-quarter combat. Two well-placed shots will down white and blue shield enemies and leave players with three bullets in the weapon.
The Mastiff is the second-best shotgun in Apex Legends and is the favorite of many players. Players using the Mastiff should remember to keep the weapon fully reloaded whenever possible, as it takes a while to reload from zero bullets.
1 Peacekeeper
After the buff to shotguns in season 16, the Peacekeeper is easier to use and is more consistent and deadlier than ever. A well-placed body shot will deal 99 damage to enemies, and attacks can be charged to increase range. Finding a Peacekeeper in the early game is the best incentive to push enemies scrambling for loot and weapons.
The Peacekeeper does not require any attachments to be devastating, but they do help. Players may cling to the Peacekeeper past the early game as it fits in many great weapon combinations.
Apex Legends is available to play on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch.