One of the most important items for completing S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobylis a weapon. In the Exclusion Zone, the issue of survival is acute and therefore Skif will have to defend himself from aggressive enemies one way or another. In order to adapt to each situation, the game features various types of weapons. However, you will also have to monitor the durability of the equipment you use and service it in time.
In our guide, we will tell you how to choose the best weapon, as well as how to repair and improve it.
The best weapon in Stalker 2
STALKER 2 features several different types of firearms, each with its own purpose in combat. Having a gun with the best characteristics can turn the tide of any, even the most hopeless situation.
Pistols
Skif's Pistol
Skif's Pistol is a basic PTM reward provided to the player at the very beginning of the game. This gun is capable of inflicting good damage, while having a fairly high accuracy rate.
The incomparable advantage of the Skif pistol is its durability. The durability of this weapon decreases more slowly than other pistols. At the same time, before installing any modifications and improvements, repairing this pistol will cost absolutely free.
The Skif pistol automatically appears in the inventory as you progress through the very first mission There and Back Again.
APSB
One of the best options for short-barreled weapons will also be the APSB. This gun is initially equipped with a silencer and has a good penetration indicator. The APSB magazine capacity is larger than that of any other pistol, which is an undoubted plus.
How to get the silent pistol APSB, as well as upgrade it, you can find out from our separate guide.
Rhino
The Rhino revolver has quite high characteristicscompared to other pistols in the game. This gun also has a fairly high damage and good penetration ability. Instead of regular pistol cartridges, Rhino uses 9Ă—39 ammunition, which helps inflict impressive damage on enemies.
You can get Rhino in the regionYantar, next to the locationCrack. Go to the southern end of the pit and go down on its right side, as shown in the screenshots. On the rock you will find the body of a stalker from which you can take this gun.
Submachine gunsÂ
Integral-aÂ
This elite weapon has the highest rate of fire and penetrationof all the submachine guns available in the Zone. But, at the same time, also the lowest damage scale. Despite this, using armor-piercing rounds, you can maximize the effectiveness of the Integral against heavily armored enemies.
In addition to purchasing from various merchants, you can also get a free gun from the cache at the Cement Plant.
Get to the location Transshipment Node,from its western side and crawl through the hole in the wall. There, on a rusty barrel, along with some ammo, you'll find a free copy.
Bouquet S-2
The S-2 Bouquet has the highest damage rates
compared to other representatives of submachine guns. Also, thanks to a good penetration ability, coupled with increased accuracy, the Bouquet is able to quickly hit enemies, even from a medium distance.
You can buy this pistol from merchants, and also get it randomly from the corpses of Varta soldiers.
A free copy can also be found in one of the safes in the dump southwest of Concrete Forest, in the Cement Plant region.
 To open the desired safe, grab the key from one of the hiding places in the same location.
Zubr-19
The Zubr-19 is rightfully one of the best basic submachine guns. This gun is distinguished by the highest accuracy and efficiency of the options described above. The Zubr-19 is capable of inflicting damage almost equal to full-fledged assault rifles and is perfect for clearing out enclosed spaces.
You can find a free Zubr-19 in the Chemical Plant location, having made your way to the password-protected entrance to Varta's arsenal.
How to get into the chemical plant building, find the right door and enter the correct password, you will learn from our separate guide.
Shotguns
Saiga D-12
Two huge advantages of this shotgun are its high rate of fire and excellent penetration. The Saiga can become your ideal weapon to deal with powerfully equipped opponents. With all its advantages, the Saiga can provide the player with strong recoil, which, fortunately, can be minimized through upgrades and modifications.
How to find the Saiga D-12 shotgun, all the drawings and modifications, you can find out from this guide.
M860 crackerÂ
The M860 cracker pump-action shotgun is perfect for combat on close range. Powerful pellet spread, high penetration makes this weapon one of the best shotgun options. An additional advantage of the M860 is its lightness (3.2 kg before installing upgrades), which is no less important criterion in the Zone.
You can buy the basic version from the merchant in Terrikon.
You will be lucky enough to find a free version of the shotgun in the stash during the quest “Answers are expensive”. Nestor's backpack with the M860 will be on top of a crane in the Slagheap location, Dump region.
RAM-2
The RAM-2 is also one of the best shotgun options, thanks to its well-balanced characteristics. It features a unique trigger mechanism and two barrels, allowing the Skiff to fire two shots at once. With its lethal force, the RAM-2 can take down even a bloodsucker in no time. With this gun in hand, you can dominate even the toughest battle.
The easiest way to get this shotgun is to buy it from a merchant at the base in Yanov.
You can find a free copy of the RAM-2 along with the Rhino revolver, from the stalker's body in the Crack with poisonous gas. How to get there – see above.
Assault rifles
Dnipro
The Dnipro has the highest damage compared to other assault rifles and is considered one of the best. High penetration and accuracy indicators of this gun will allow you to easily deal with both mutants and armored soldiers.
We told you how to find Dnipro and get all the blueprints for improvement, as well as unique modifications, in a separate article.
Kharod
Kharod has excellent speed and rangeshooting, as well as a pretty good degree of penetration. In the future, with the help of installing improved optics, you will be able to hit enemies from a much greater distance.
In a separate guide, we talked about all the possible ways to get Kharod and upgrade it.
SOFMOD
This rifle will be an excellent choice for any player, as it comes with additional modifications. Despite the low damage indicators, SOFMOD can boast of its goodrate of fire and accuracy.
This assault rifle can be effectively used in both close and long-range combat. However, keep in mind that SOFMOD will not inflict colossal damage to armored enemies.
You can pick up the SOFMOD assault rifle in Zaton. Go to the location Service Stationin the west of the region. Go into the red brick building marked in the screenshot below and pick up the rifle lying on the wooden boxes.
Sniper rifles
Gauss gun
The Gauss gun is considered the unofficial leader among sniper rifles, thanks to its high damage rate and almost complete lack of recoil. This powerful energy weapon is also one of the most expensive. For selling one such copy, you can get up to 120,000 coupons.
Also, due to its initial power, the ability to improve it for technicians will be absent. However, in the open world you can still find an extended magazine for the Gauss gun.
How to get this rifle, as well as the only existing modification to it, you can find out from our other guide.
SVU-MK S3
This semi-automatic sniper rifle is famous for its rate of fire and accuracy, brought almost to the maximum. Using armor-piercing rounds, even at a long distance you will be able to penetrate any exoskeleton of your enemy.
How to get one of the most powerful rifles – SVU-MK S3, as well as improve it, we told in a separate article.
M701 Super
M701 Super has a high level of damage, capable of putting down an enemy with one shot. The only downside of this rifle is extremely loud, but this problem can be easily solved by installing a silencer.
You can buy the M701 Super from a merchant in Yanov.
Later in the game, you will get a chance to find a free variant of the M701 Super in the Pripyat region. Get to the Polesie Hotel and climb onto its roof. There, on the table, you will find this sniper rifle.
How to repair weapons in Stalker 2
Finding and getting the best weapons is not everything that will help you survive in the Zone. Try to regularly monitor durabilityof your equipment. The lower its durability, the more likely it is that the weapon will let you down at the most important moment. You can always see the durabilityunder the characteristics of the weapon you have chosen.
To repair a broken gun, you need to find a technician and have enough coupons. The cost of repairing a weapon will vary depending on how much its durability has been reduced, as well as the presence of upgrades.
You can only repair the first weapon you receive in the game for free – Skif's pistol. However, with further upgrades, repairs will still cost money.
One of the first technicians you will meet on your way to Zalesie, there will be a technician Lens. Later, as you progress through the game, you will be able to find one technician for each large settlement.
To repair any of your weapons, start a dialogue with one of the technicians and simply press the Q button to call up a special menu. Next, in the lower right corner of the screen you will find a button that says “Repair” and the cost of repair in coupons.
How to improve weapons in Stalker 2
For improvements to both weapons and armor, You should also contact technicians. After starting the dialogue, press the Q button to open the improvement menu.
You can select any weapon on the left side of the screen. Available parts for upgrading any gun will be indicated by circles. Click on each of them to select a particular improvement.
Keep in mind that some techniques will not be able to install absolutely all the upgrades on the weapon you need. For example, only the Harpy technician, who is located at Yanov's base, can upgrade the Kharod rifle.
Also, if the durability of your equipment is critically reduced, its improvement will not be available.
You will not need a technician to install modifications, such as improved magazines. Select the weapon you want, press the T button and select the appropriate modification.
These are all the best weapons in Stalker 2, which can be bought from various merchants or found in the open world. We hope that our guide will help you find it, as well as repair and improve it if necessary.
