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The assault rifle is one of the most iconic weapons in any multiplayer shooter out there, let alone Fortnite. Within Fortnite, the AR is likely the most popular weapon category of all time. As such, we have created a Fortnite assault weapons guide to help you get up to speed on this group.
The Fortnite assault weapons guide will let you know about all of the assault rifles that currently exist within this group. You will find out about each and every assault rifle from across all seasons. We will break down if the gun is still around and its general purpose. There are a lot of assault rifles to cover, so let’s get started.
Bottom Line Up Front
The Fortnite assault rifle is one of the largest and most versatile categories of weapons in the game. The assault rifle, at its core, is a mid-range killer. It is the best at dominating those medium-range fights in matches. It is fast and accurate enough in just about any gunfight. But then there are variations that make it faster, give it scope, slow it down, make it more powerful, and so on. There is no doubting that Epic Games has genuinely given some excellent ARs over the years. Here is every single assault rifle in this category that we will cover:
- Assault Rifle
- Skye’s Assault Rifle
- Burst Assault Rifle
- Ocean’s Burst Assault Rifle
- Slone’s Burst Assault Rifle
- Combat AR
- Drum Gun
- Jules’ Drum Gun
- Midas’ Drum Gun
- Shadow Midas’ Drum Gun
- First Order Blaster Rifle
- Heavy Assault Rifle
- Infantry Rifle
- LMG
- Makeshift Rifle
- Primal Rifle
- Meowscles’ Peow Peow Rifle
- Minigun
- Brutus’ Minigun
- MK-Seven Assault Rifle
- The Foundation’s MK-Seven Assault Rifle
- Pulse Rifle
- Slone’s Pulse Rifle
- Burst Pulse Rifle
- Ranger Assault Rifle
- Scoped Assault Rifle
- Sideways Minigun
- Sideways Rifle
- Stark Industries Energy Rifle
- Suppressed AR
- Tactical AR
- Thermal Scoped AR
What Is a Fortnite Assault Rifle?
First and foremost, it is essential to know what an assault rifle is. It is one of the primary weapon categories in the Fortnite battle royale game. Assault rifles are the middle of the pack weapons, anchoring every other category. They are perfect for mid-range fights and are the best at it.
In many ways, ARs are the jack-of-all-trades and master of one. They can fight at long-range, if necessary, and can be okay in close-range, too. But where they excel is in between that when you are just enough distance from an enemy. The reliability of the assault rifle is uncanny.
It is capable of decimating opponents from afar. That is why many players make sure that they always have an assault rifle in their inventory. Though you could choose between an SMG and a shotgun, and whether or not to have a sniper rifle, an AR is almost guaranteed and necessary for most players.
There is no category of weapons greater and more important than assault rifles. Epic Games know this and has given us plenty of variety to choose from. Almost every season comes out with one or two new rifles to try out. Some are duds, but most are interesting and valuable enough to check out.
Fortnite Assault Rifle Ammo Explained
In general, the ammo of choice for ARs is medium. This is the ammo category created for this group, after all. Since assault rifles are correct in the middle of the weapon categories, it makes sense that it is the medium ammo.
That said, there are a few exceptions to this rule. There are several guns in this category that use light ammo instead. This is either due to their similar speed to SMGs or lighter components. Either way, there are a couple of these that break the rule of thumb. In general, though, just make sure to get lots of light and medium ammo.
All Fortnite Assault Rifles Explained
There are around 32 assault rifles and counting released in Fortnite battle royale. Across three chapters and nearly 20 seasons, Epic Games has given loads of weapons to choose from. We will break down all of them, from start to finish. We’ll go over the brief history of the weapon and its purpose in battle.
Assault Rifle
Starting this list, we have the most basic guns: the original assault rifle. While there is nothing special about this gun, it is the basic form. I would even argue that it is better than some guns later on this list. The standard assault rifle is a fully automatic weapon.
It has a decent fire rate but nothing too insane even compared to other shooter games’ ARs. It is the mid-range dominator with an excellent damage range. The assault rifle is not the worst weapon in this category but certainly not the best. It is the basis, though, for every gun to come.
Skye’s Assault Rifle
The assault rifle has one mythic variant in Skye’s AR. There are a few differences between it and the original. The main change is it is slightly more accurate, a large magazine, and less recoil. Players could obtain it by defeating Skye in Chapter 2, Season 2. It has not been seen in battle royale since.
Burst Assault Rifle
The burst assault rifle is largely similar to the base version. The main difference here is with its range and fire rate. It fires in short bursts of bullets, rather than being a steady stream. This makes it highly accurate, though, in practice.
So long as you land all your shots in the burst, you can defeat foes pretty easily. This also makes it slightly better at longer ranges than the base gun.
Ocean’s Burst Assault Rifle
Ocean’s burst assault rifle is the mythic variant of the fan-favorite gun. With this one, the only real difference is with the stats. Everything else is exactly the same in practice. Players could get this gun by defeating the Ocean NPC. It was only available in Chapter 2, Season 3. However, you can still use it in Creative mode.
Slone’s Burst Assault Rifle
There are few differences between Slone’s burst assault rifle and Ocean’s. They even have very similar damage stats and everything. Perhaps it was just a way of Epic to bring back this beloved mythic. It was only available in Chapter 2, Season 8. Players could get it by fighting Slone’s NPC. It is worth noting, hilariously, that it has 21 rounds in a magazine. Because of this, the final shot with it will always be only one bullet since it fires in bursts of two.
Combat AR
The combat assault rifle is one of the newer guns on this list. Released in only Chapter 2, Season 8, it was only featured in that season. It is no longer in the game but could return in the future. The only difference between it and the regular AR is that it has some slight stat changes. In addition, it is capable of long-range fights. However, the catch is that it has wild recoil in sustained firing situations.
Drum Gun
One of the most popular guns to ever be released in Fortnite is the drum gun. It is also one of my favorites, too. The drum is seen as a light machine gun in a way, balancing between an AR and an SMG. It has the range of some AR guns but is slightly limited. At the same time, it has the speed of an SMG.
This makes it a devastating weapon in battle. Some would even call it too OP in previous seasons. That said, the main downfall of the powerful and fast drum gun is its accuracy. It can be quite inaccurate at times if you fire for too long or at too long of a range. It was first introduced in the original Season 4 and has been in numerous seasons since. However, its last appearance was in Chapter 2, Season 1.
Jules’ Drum Gun
While the original drum gun is out of the question, mythic versions are not. There are a whopping three of them in total that have come out. Jules’ drum gun is a spin on the original. It emphasizes the SMG aspect of this gun even more than the standard version. Players could get it by defeating Jules in Chapter 2, Season 3. That was the only season it was in.
Midas’ Drum Gun
There are few differences between Midas’ drum gun and the one from Jules. The main difference is slightly with the damage stat, making this one a little bit more powerful. Players could get it in Chapter 2, Season 2 by defeating Midas at The Agency.
Shadow Midas’ Drum Gun
The final mythic variant of the drum gun is from Shadow Midas. Shadow Midas’ drum gun is almost exactly the same as the Jules one. It was just basically an excuse for Epic to keep this fan-favorite around. The only difference here is the appearance of the gun. Players could only get it in Chapter 2, Season 4 by defeating Shadow Midas at The Ruins.
First Order Blaster Rifle
The First Order blaster rifle is a special event assault rifle. It was available in Chapter 2, Season 1 during the Star Wars crossover event. For a large part of the season, players could get this gun by taking out the Stormtroopers on the island.
The First Order blaster rifle used energy ammo. Because of this, it had infinite ammo. In exchange, players had to deal with overheating if they fired for too long. This blaster rifle is one of the best in the category and one I hope returns someday, even without the Star Wars license attached.
Heavy Assault Rifle
The heavy assault rifle is a beast in this category. It takes the base AR and slows it down even further. In exchange, though, it has some of the best damage in the game. Furthermore, the accuracy and recoil allow it to be a dominant force at both medium and longer ranges.
The heavy assault rifle is one of the best in the category. With its slaying power, it can replace a sniper rifle and just about any other weapon at mid-range. The slower nature, though, means that players have to worry about landing every shot. The heavy AR came out in the first Season 6. The last time it was in the game was Chapter 2, Season 7. It is only a matter of time until it returns.
Infantry Rifle
The infantry rifle is one of the strangest assault rifles in the game. It is more of a sniper rifle than anything else, without the scope. It is exceedingly slow but powerful. It also has great accuracy that makes up for its slow-firing nature.
The problem with the infantry rifle is it does not have quite the range of a sniper rifle. This places it in the marksman rifle category in Fortnite, where it sits pretty much alone. In the right hands, the infantry rifle can be a devastating, slightly faster sniper. But there are few players who can master its unique style. It came out in the original Season 7 and last appeared in Chapter 2, Season 6.
LMG
The light machine gun is exactly what you would expect. It is a massive gun that is super fast with a huge magazine. It can fire for a long time and at a decent mid-range. The best part about the LMG is its ability to mow down structures in quick succession and lay down cover fire.
The LMG is perfect for someone on your team to provide cover fire for the rest of the team to flank the enemy. It has some recoil, though, that players should be concerned about. It is not super reliable against enemies but can be a structure killer. It came out in the first Season 3. It was last seen in Chapter 2, Season 4.
Makeshift Rifle
Chapter 2, Season 6 Primal saw the release of the crafting system in Fortnite. As part of this, the makeshift rifle appeared. One of the most common weapons at the time, this was a gun that players would want to trade out as soon as possible.
The makeshift rifle is one of the worst in the category. This is intentional, though, as its main purpose is to craft it. With this gun, the player could turn it into a primal rifle or normal AR. On its own, though, it is highly inaccurate and slow. This gun was only available in that Season 6.
Primal Rifle
The primal rifle also came out in Chapter 2, Season 6, and was only featured there. During this Primal season, players could make this special version of the rifle. Using the makeshift rifle, you could craft this faster than normal AR.
The benefit of this gun was its speed and damage stats. Together, it could take down foes quicker than the usual AR. The problem, though, is that it is not very accurate at all. It was not my personal assault rifle of choice in this season and I don’t recommend it if it ever returns.
Meowscles’ Peow Peow Rifle
The popular Fortnite character, Meowscles, even has his own signature assault rifle. The Peow Peow Rifle is a take on the heavy assault rifle but in mythic form. As such, it shares a lot of common features. The notable difference is that it has slightly better stats. It came out as a drop from Meowscles in Chapter 2, Season 2 and was only available then.
Minigun
The minigun is one of the more interesting guns in Fortnite. However, it is also one of the strongest ever. The minigun is a unique gun in that it has no magazine at all. You can fire for a fair amount of time until the overheating function kicks in.
At the same time, though, the minigun does not fire immediately. It takes a moment to charge up after holding down the trigger. Once it fires, though, there is almost no gun in the game that can match its fire rate. At close to mid-range, it is unbelievably powerful and unwieldy to use. If you get a handle on the minigun, though, it will tear enemies apart nearly instantly. Its last appearance was Chapter 2, Season 3.
Brutus’ Minigun
Brutus is an NPC who has a mythic variant of the minigun. His minigun came out in Chapter 2, Season 2 and was only available then. The main difference with this one, besides stats, is the fact that it is quicker at charging up to fire.
MK-Seven Assault Rifle
The MK-Seven assault rifle is one of the best weapons in Fortnite’s history. It is also my favorite AR gun in this category. Releasing just recently at the start of Chapter 3, Season 1, it has dominated the meta. The MK-Seven takes the base assault rifle and adds a couple of twists to it.
The first of these is that it has high damage and a great firing rate. The most notable feature, though, is that you are able to aim down the sights with it. This is interesting since it does not have a scope. While the recoil can be rough at times when aiming, it is possible to master it. If so, you have one of the best guns in the Fortnite arsenal.
The Foundation’s MK-Seven Assault Rifle
The Foundation’s MK-Seven assault rifle also came out in Chapter 3, Season 1. It is dropped by The Foundation himself. The only difference with this version is its stats.
Pulse Rifle
The pulse rifle is a tricky weapon for me. I honestly think it is one of the worst in the category honestly. It has a dual function feature to it that is not great. The first is by hipfiring without aiming. When you do this, it fires faster but with weaker shots. If you aim, though, it gets really slow and more accurate.
The problem is that both situations are unfortunate. Hipfiring is unwieldy and you would be better off with an SMG. Aiming down the sights is too slow, though, and there are better ARs out there. It was only available in Chapter 2, Season 7.
Slone’s Pulse Rifle
Slone’s pulse rifle is the mythic variant dropped by the Dr. Slone NPC. The only difference here is its stats.
Burst Pulse Rifle
Also only available in that Chapter 2, Season 7 is the burst pulse rifle. It fires in burst shots, rather than single ones. This makes it a little bit more useful but still not great.
Ranger Assault Rifle
The ranger assault rifle is largely like the base one. The main difference here is its slower fire rate but more accurate and powerful shots. Overall, I like it more than the original but there is not much else to say here. It is currently available in the game in Chapter 3, Season 1.
Scoped Assault Rifle
The scoped assault rifle is by and large just an assault rifle with a scope attached. This changes the gun considerably, though, allowing you to aim down the sights. This allows for longer-range fights. I think it is better than the original and it was a favorite of mine until the MK-Seven. It first appeared before Season 1 and was last seen in Chapter 2, Season 4.
Sideways Minigun
In Chapter 2, Season 8, the infamous cube returned to Fortnite. In the midst of this cube-centric season, the Sideways also returned. With various zones and areas to fight the undead hordes, Sideways weapons began to appear. As part of this, one weapon was the Sideways minigun.
For the most part, the Sideways minigun is just a standard minigun. This means that you have to charge it up to fire it and it has no magazine. That said, the main difference here is how you obtain it. It was obtained in the Sideways zones and you were better off using this against the cube monsters rather than other players. While it is unlikely to return anytime soon, we could possibly see it again in a Fortnitemares event.
Sideways Rifle
While the Sideways minigun is pretty standard stuff, the Sideways rifle is another story. Also released only in Chapter 2, Season 8, it was a unique weapon that you could find in the Sideways zones. The difference here is that it takes after the minigun more than the AR.
In this way, it has no magazine at all. Instead, it focuses on having an overheating system that keeps it in check. It is also a fairly fast and accurate AR at the same time. It has the ability to even shoot at longer ranges than most ARs, making it an all-around amazing gun. But it, too, is better off being used against cube monsters.
Stark Industries Energy Rifle
In Chapter 2, Season 4, the Marvel-themed season began. During this season, Stark Industries made its appearance on the island. As part of this, there was the new Stark Industries energy rifle. This weapon is fairly similar to the pulse rifle that would come out later down the road.
The energy rifle is faster when hipfiring and slower at aiming down the sights. However, I think that it felt a little bit better than the pulse rifle variant. As such, I would say that this is the better of the two. Players could obtain this weapon by opening up special chests or defeating the Stark Industries NPCs.
Suppressed AR
The suppressed assault rifle is exactly what you would expect. It takes the base AR and then adds some suppression to it. This makes it a better weapon overall with the stealthy nature to it. Since there is suppression, this means that you will not show up on the radar when you fire.
In addition, the farther an enemy is, the harder it will be to hear your shots and know where you are. The suppressed assault rifle is also pretty good at mid to long-range engagements. It was first released in the original Season 5 and last appeared in Chapter 2, Season 8.
Tactical AR
The tactical assault rifle is a minor change from the regular one. It is meant for slower and deadlier fights. It has a high headshot damage multiplier, emphasizing headshots over everything else. Other than that, there is not too much else to say about this gun. It was released in Chapter 1, Season 9, and was last seen in Chapter 2, Season 5.
Thermal Scoped AR
If you took the scoped assault rifle and add thermal capabilities to it, you would have the thermal scoped AR. Like its previous incarnation, it allows you to aim down the sights. This makes it better for longer-range fights and highly accurate.
That said, it is a better weapon due to its thermal scope. This means that it will have heat detection and let you see enemies from even far away. It works better at night but is still a worthy addition to this gun. It released in the original Season 4 and last appeared in Chapter 1, Season 9.
FAQs
Question: What is the best assault rifle in Fortnite?
Answer: The best assault rifle in Fortnite is going to come down to personal preference. That said, I have a few picks that I think a good number of players would agree with. The first of these is the drum gun. The drum gun is the OG weapon that I dominated with in battle royale.
When I was first learning the ropes and had no idea how to build, the drum gun helped me get victory royales. This is due to its nature of being a machine gun in a way. It has the speed of the SMG mixed with the range and utility of an assault rifle. This is a perfect blend of what I needed at the time. Even today when the drum gun appears in Fortnite, it is still a go-to gun of choice.
On the other hand, there is another assault rifle that I think is better, though. It might be controversial but I think that the MK-Seven AR is one of the best in the business. It is fairly new, only releasing in Chapter 3, Season 1. However, it quickly became one of my favorite weapons of all time.
The MK-Seven is capable of aiming down the sights, which few ARs can do. Couple this with the intense accuracy, decent fire rate, and powerful damage, and you have an amazing gun. I am able to go without a sniper rifle with this gun in battle. It is the best gun, in my opinion, for mid and long-range fights. The drum gun and the MK-Seven are the best two assault rifles in Fortnite.
Question: Are assault rifles the best guns in Fortnite?
Answer: Yes, the assault rifles are the best guns overall in Fortnite. This is due to the fact that they are all the all-rounders. They are capable of fights at any range in the game, which cannot be said about others. They might not the best at certain ranges but they can do it. It helps, too, that the variation is phenomenal in the assault rifle group and better than any other gun category.
Question: How many assault rifles are there in Fortnite?
Answer: There are more than 30 assault rifles and counting in Fortnite. Our records show around 32 or 33 exist in the game at this time. However, this number is always changing as new guns in the group are released frequently. It won’t be long before there are 50 different ARs in Fortnite.
Conclusion
That was a lot of assault rifles that we covered in this Fortnite guide. Hopefully, this was able to let you know about all of the weapons in the category. It can ensure that you know a little bit more about each gun as soon as you see it in a match.
While the assault rifle category is the most essential one in Fortnite, it is not the only one. There are many other guns in the game, like SMGs, shotguns, and pistols. It is imperative that you know about each of them to truly excel in fights. For this purpose, be sure to take a look at our overall Fortnite weapons guide for more info.
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