DesertStorm Weapons Tier List — Alpha S to D Rankings

This weapons tier list ranks every commonly looted and trader-sold firearm in DesertStorm [EXTRACTION] during alpha. Rankings span S through D and assume competent ammo — not bottom-tier FMJ plinking rounds. Alpha balance changes weekly; treat the updates hub as mandatory reading before copying a loadout into an insured raid.

Return to the tier list hub for ranking criteria or jump to armor and gear once you pick a primary.

Alpha balance disclaimer

DesertStorm developers tune penetration, recoil curves, and trader prices without always publishing granular numbers. A mid-patch hotfix can demote an assault rifle from S to A without a headline announcement. We note known swings in each section, but your raid experience beats any static table — report outliers after verified patches.

S tier — meta definers

These weapons win fights at their intended range with acceptable ruble costs for mid-to-late alpha stash accounts.

Weapon	Class	Why S tier
AK-74M “Desert Guard”	Assault rifle	Best all-around recoil-to-damage ratio; tolerates 5.45 BP-style ammo; reliable trader restocks
M4A1 Custom “Dust Rail”	Assault rifle	Highest ergonomic ceiling with modded grips; melts tier-A armor at mid range
SV-98 “Long Reach”	Bolt sniper	One-shot potential vs. tier-B helmets with top ammo; stable scope sway
MPX “Sandstorm”	SMG	Indoor TTK rivaling rifles with 9mm AP loads; low recoil for Roblox flick aim

Note: M4A1 parts costs spiked in recent alpha passes — still S for performance, but A for economy if you die often.

A tier — reliable workhorses

Excellent primaries with clearer tradeoffs — recoil, price, or range limits.

Weapon	Class	Why A tier
AKM “Rust Walker”	Assault rifle	Hard-hitting 7.62 with manageable tap fire; cheaper than 74M meta
AK-101 “Mirage”	Assault rifle	Lower recoil 5.56 option; ammo slightly rarer in alpha loot
HK416 “Contractor”	Assault rifle	Near-M4 performance; locked behind higher trader rep in some wipes
SR-25 “Marksman”	DMR	Semi-auto power at range; punishes moving targets if you whiff
VSS Vintorez “Whisper”	DMR	Subsonic flavor with built-in suppression; drop-off beyond medium range
MP5SD “Tunnel Rat”	SMG	Stealth CQB; falls off outdoors vs. A-tier rifles
Saiga-12 “Breacher”	Shotgun	Room clearing monster; ammo weight hurts multi-fight extracts

B tier — situational and budget picks

Strong in niche roles or early wipe progression.

Weapon	Class	Why B tier
AK-74N “Surplus”	Assault rifle	Budget 5.45; outperformed by 74M after recent recoil patch
G36C “Scout”	Assault rifle	Solid handling; mod slots limited vs. M4 platform
Scorpion EVO “Stinger”	SMG	Melts unarmored scavs; struggles vs. tier-A plates
M700 “Civilian”	Bolt sniper	Cheaper than SV-98; needs headshots vs. meta helmets
M870 “Roadblock”	Pump shotgun	Devastating first shot; slow follow-up vs. squads
M9A3 “Sidearm”	Pistol	Best pistol for backup; still a pistol
FN Five-seveN “PDW Hand”	Pistol	Armor pen niche; low damage per hit

C tier — quest tools and desperation picks

Usable for tasks or when the stash is bare — not for serious PvP extracts.

Weapon	Class	Why C tier
SKS “Militia”	DMR	Obsolete vs. SR-25/VSS after DMR buffs
PP-19 “Bizon”	SMG	Huge mag, pea damage; suppressed by MPX indoors
TOZ-106 “Farm Gun”	Shotgun	Meme single-shot; quest item only
M1911 “Classic”	Pistol	Slow TTK; outclassed by M9A3
Mosin-Nagant “Legacy”	Bolt sniper	Budget one-tap myth; lost to SV-98 handling buffs
AUG A2 “Prototype”	Assault rifle	High recoil anomaly post-alpha tuning; awaiting fix

D tier — avoid in competitive raids

Keep for hideout upgrades or jokes — not insured runs.

Weapon	Class	Why D tier
PM “Makarov”	Pistol	Starter pistol; lose every fair fight
MP-133 “Scrap”	Shotgun	Inconsistent pellet spread bug reports in alpha
VPO-136 “Bare Bones”	Assault rifle	No mod path; worse than AKM for similar price
RPK-16 “Heavy”	LMG	Recoil unusable on Roblox mouse; mobility kills extracts
SVD “Old Guard”	DMR	Placeholder stats; dev notes mention future rework

Class-by-class alpha notes

Assault rifles

The meta centers on AK-74M and M4A1 Custom with good ammo. AKM remains the budget king for players learning recoil. Watch updates for 5.45 penetration experiments — they shuffle AK families fast.

SMGs

Map dependent. MPX owns CQB maps; Scorpion stays B-tier for cost runs. SMGs drop entire letter grades in open desert sightlines.

Snipers and DMRs

SV-98 holds S tier with top ammo; M700 teaches bolt fundamentals cheaply. DMRs reward squads who call range — VSS wins stealth flanks, SR-25 wins ridge fights.

Pistols and shotguns

Sidearms are backup insurance — M9A3 tops the class. Shotguns spike in extract camper metas but fall off when squads trade from cover.

Ammo pairing reminder

A B-tier rifle with S-tier ammo sometimes beats an S-tier rifle with trash rounds. Budget for ammunition before splurging on weapon base cost. Pair rankings with armor tiers so you are not shooting tier-A bullets at tier-D plates inefficiently.

Recent alpha shifts to watch

Community testers reported these swings — verify against latest patch IDs:

• AK-74M vertical recoil reduced — cemented S tier.
• M4A1 dust cover mod prices increased — economic A-tier for broke players.
• VSS subsonic damage falloff extended slightly — stayed A/S border.
• AUG A2 placed in C pending rework — do not insure until notes change.

Related pages

• Tier list hub — criteria and navigation.
• Armor and gear tier list — complement your primary pick.
• Scripts hub — we do not rank cheats; fair gear only.
• Guides — quest unlock paths for higher-tier weapons.

Insure smart, shoot straight, and re-read this page after every balance pass.