As far as realistic first-person shooters go, Isonzo is among the most pragmatic. Compared to other WW1 shooters like Battlefield 1, Isonzo is a lot less forgiving. A single bullet from a non-handgun weapon is usually enough to kill. Still, that doesn't mean that just any weapon will do in Isonzo.
Some deal higher damage and don't rely too much on the player's headshots, while others reload or unload their bullets faster. If players want a better fighting chance while killing their enemies to the tune of Pavarotti's vocals, then the best weapons in Isonzo will increase the chances of their characters living long enough to see the next World War.
9 Villar Perosa
- Damage: 93
- Fire Rate: 800
- Magazine: 25
- Reload Speed: 5.1
The Vatterli Vitali's damage might be comparable to handgun or pistol damage but the targets usually won't get a chance to notice that since they'll be hit too fast to react, and movement is sluggish in Isonzo. That means weapons with high fire rates are quite favorable here.
It doesn't matter if players miss a lot of their shots with this LMG since the fire rate is so forgiving that they can easily correct their bad aim. Players will need to be aware of the relatively low magazine count, however, as well as the weapon's below-average reload speed.
8 Infantrie M88-90
- Damage: 187
- Fire Rate: 46
- Magazine: 5
- Reload Speed: 4.4
As far as balanced stats go, the Infantrie M88-90 from the Austro-Hungarian Empire looks the most promising. This bolt-action rifle holds five rounds like most others in its category. The fire rate is decent enough and is actually above average compared to other rifles.
The damage is nothing to write home about but it's higher than the Carabiner and is quite close to the Mannlicher. The big difference is that the Infantrie M88-90 has a slightly faster fire rate and so feels more fluid to shoot when compared to the two other popular rifles.
7 Rast & Gasser
- Damage: 106
- Fire Rate: 47
- Magazine: 8
- Reload Speed: 7.6
The Rast & Gasser Revolver from the Austro-Hungarian Empire is quite a handful since it's one of the most powerful pistols in Isonzo. The per-bullet damage is staggeringly high compared to other handguns, though, to balance this out, it's cursed with a long reload speed.
However, players don't really reload too often in Isonzo — usually only when the clip or chambers are empty. Besides, it holds eight rounds, giving players plenty of room for mistakes and thus a little extra confidence during close-quarters encounters.
6 Madsen
- Damage: 121
- Fire Rate: 451
- Magazine: 30
- Reload Speed: 4
The fire rate somewhat pales in comparison to the German and Italian LMGs due to the lower fire rate, but the Madsen has always been one of the most popular options even in older WWI games like Verdun and Tannenberg. It has a good hip-fire mode as well, which is why a lot of players prefer this LMG.
Really though, when compared to the German Empire's LMG, it's not at much of an advantage. At the very least, the Madsen has a good reload speed, and it's even a full second faster compared to the Italian Empire's LMG. This makes it a great defensive weapon, especially while in an elevated position.
5 Vetterli Vitali
- Damage: 208
- Fire Rate: 43
- Magazine: 6
- Reload Speed: 6.5
The Italian Empire's Villar Perosa might be a bit hard to use due to the position of the sights. Thankfully, however, players have good alternatives in the form of Italian rifles. The Vetterli Vitali is one of the best among these weapons.
It has a whoppingly high per-bullet damage which is incredibly important considering it only holds six rounds per clip and has a long reload time. Every other rifle on the Italian Empire's roster simply underperforms in damage compared to this one. Players just need to make sure to be cautious with their bullets since the slow reload speed can easily lead to death.
4 Reichsrevolver
- Damage: 149
- Fire Rate: 67
- Magazine: 7
- Reload Speed: 4.9
The German Empire tends to have the best weapons in the WWI trilogy, and Isonzo is no exception. The Reichsrevolver is their certified hand cannon and might even give the fabled C96 a run for its money. Put simply, the Reichsrevolver's damage is just too high for other pistols to compete.
It also has the best fire rate among all German Empire pistols. The only weakness is the poor reload speed but compared to something like the Rast & Gasser, it's still a lot faster. So, for those looking to jump into the fray and just shoot everyone at near point-blank range, the Reichsrevolver is likely the most practical tool.
3 Gewehr 98
- Damage: 192
- Fire Rate: 40
- Magazine: 5
- Reload Speed: 5.4
The Gewehr 98 and its extended magazine variant are also great options for players who prefer their rifles to be more comfortable to use. It has high damage and comes with a decent fire rate as far as bolt-action rifles go.
As a result, players can't really go wrong with this rifle. Granted, there are rifles that deal higher damage, but having more ammunition with the extended ammo version offers much higher survivability, which should help players to win more shootouts.
2 Kar98 AZ
- Damage: 175
- Fire Rate: 37
- Magazine: 5
- Reload Speed: 5.2
Some weapons in Isonzo and other WWI games have higher damage and better overall stats, but the Kar98 AZ offers good practicality with its design. It has one of the most accommodating and user-friendly iron sights in the game.
That means it's a better weapon for sniping targets, which is almost a mandatory method of killing in some mountain missions and maps. There's also a substantial difference in the aim-down speed where the Kar98 AZ lets players perform that faster. Like most Kar rifles in gaming, this one is made for sniping.
1 Werndl
- Damage: 219
- Fire Rate: 16
- Magazine: 1
- Reload Speed: 3.5
Being able to kill just about any target at any range in just one shot makes the Werndl a persistent fan favorite, even in Isonzo's predecessors, Verdun and Tannenberg. It has the highest damage out of all the rifles in the game, but it's a single-shot loader, and the reload speed isn't exactly fast.
Hence, this gun has a high skill ceiling, but players will definitely find themselves improving their aim as they get used to the Werndl. Soon enough, they'll be one-shotting just about any enemy regardless of distance, though it's preferable to shoot from afar due to the magazine count.
Isonzo is available on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Linux, Microsoft Windows, Xbox Series X and Series S, and macOS.