Let me get the honest caveat out of the way first, because every tier list you read this week is standing on the same thin ice: nobody has enough hours yet to know the "true" meta. This is launch week. What follows is built from my own runs plus what the community is converging on across Reddit and early guides — and I'll flag exactly where a pick is confident versus provisional. If you want one rule that will survive any patch: level a main and a backup, don't spread Shards thin.
Quick reminder on how weapons work here, because it changes what "best" means. Every weapon has a level, and higher level means more damage. You raise it with Spirhalite Shards at Frye's Weapon Stash, and the cost climbs each level. So a "B-tier" weapon you've poured Shards into will out-perform an "S-tier" you just picked up. Tiers here assume comparable investment.
The tier list at a glance
| Tier | Weapon | Class | Why it's here |
|---|---|---|---|
| S | Plastic Splatana | Splatana | Best-in-slot burst. Melts Boss Salmonids and one-shots most Lesser Salmonids on a charged slash. The clearest standout right now. |
| S | Tri-Stringer | Stringer | Safe ranged priority killing. Delete Stingers, Flyfish and other dangerous ranged enemies before they touch you. |
| A | Toy-Claw Blaster | Blaster | Great crowd-control-plus-burst middle ground. No glaring weakness; comfortable on almost every island. |
| A | Toy-Horn Blaster | Blaster | Same versatile blaster profile; reliable all game, just doesn't top any single category. |
| A | Splat Dualies | Dualies | The comfort pick. Dodge-roll mobility plus solid DPS makes it forgiving against swarms. Returning-player muscle memory carries hard. |
| A | Flamingo / Water-Wing Splattershot Jr. | Shooter | Ink-efficient, beginner-friendly, dependable early-to-mid. Eventually out-scaled, but never bad. |
| B | Soap-Bottle Splattershot | Shooter | Respectable damage and coverage, but lacks the burst or horde-clear of higher tiers. |
| B | Jam / Perfume Squelcher | Shooter (long-range) | Strong reach and ink coverage; struggles when swarms close the gap on you. |
| B | Bamboo Stringer | Stringer | Has real moments, but demands precision and patience most players won't want mid-horde. |
| B | Steam / Oil Blaster | Blaster | Fine splash damage; overshadowed by the Toy blasters once both are leveled. |
| C | Pulley Brush | Brush | Fun and mobile, but you'll spend noticeably longer killing things than with almost anything above. |
| C | Cycle Brush | Brush | Same problem — damage and efficiency fall off hard as dungeon difficulty ramps. |
S-Tier, in detail
Plastic Splatana — the boss deleter
If you're stuck on a boss or a Seasoned Salmonid, this is the answer more often than not. The charged slash does enough burst that you can trade a single well-timed hit for chunks of a boss health bar, and the uncharged swings still clear Lesser Salmonids fast enough to not feel clunky. The catch is the same catch every melee weapon has: you have to be in range, which means you have to read attacks. Pair it with a Speed Tank and you get an in-and-out playstyle that feels unfair once it clicks. This is my "when in doubt, bring this" weapon.
Tri-Stringer — the safety weapon
Where the Splatana asks you to get close, the Tri-Stringer asks you to stay calm and pick targets. The value here isn't raw DPS — it's that you delete the enemies that actually kill you (ranged Salmonids, priority spawners) from a safe distance before a fight goes sideways. On higher difficulty, deleting the dangerous enemy before it gets a turn is worth more than a bigger number on a swarm.
What to level first (the actual advice)
- Pick one main you enjoy from S/A and start feeding it Shards. Enjoyment matters because weapon level is a long-term commitment.
- Keep one ranged backup leveled — a Stringer or long-range Shooter — for the fights where getting close is a death sentence.
- Don't sell rare weapons early. Some rare drops have special powers; hold anything unusual until you've read what it does.
- Re-evaluate after each patch. Launch balance rarely survives the first month. This page is updated as new balance data comes in.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best weapon in Splatoon Raiders?
On launch, the Plastic Splatana for raw burst and boss damage, with the Tri-Stringer as the safest ranged pick. Both are provisional until the meta settles.
Do weapons have levels?
Yes — higher level means more damage. Level up with Spirhalite Shards at Frye's Weapon Stash; costs climb each level, so commit to a main.
Should I upgrade one weapon or spread it out?
Pick a main plus one backup and pour Shards into those two. Spreading thin leaves everything underleveled for difficulty spikes.
Are brushes bad?
They're fun and mobile but under-damage tough content, so they land at C-tier for clearing hard raids. Fine early or as a movement weapon.
Where do I get new weapons?
Salmonids drop weapons when defeated, and raids hide rare weapons with special powers. You keep everything you find, even if you're splatted mid-raid.
Is this tier list final?
No. It's a launch-week snapshot and will change with patches and more playtime. Bookmark and check back.
Next: a weapon is only half your loadout. Read the best tank & build guide to pair it with the right gadgets, or jump to the boss guide if something specific is wrecking you.