Inside the Firing Range: A Guide to the Weapons of Titanfall

After months of anticipation, “Titanfall” has finally landed on Xbox One. As is the case with any first-person shooter, it pays to not only know what type of player you want to be or what role you want to fill, but also to be familiar with the tools at your disposal. The weapons in “Titanfall” are varied and can be used in a number of roles and situations, so we thought it might be helpful to share our thoughts on each of them now that we’ve hit level 44 and unlocked them all. As each and every one of us plays differently, keep in mind that these are just some thoughts on our favorite loadouts and features.

Pilot Weapons

R-101C Carbine– As mentioned in our interview with weapons designer Ryan Lastimosa during the beta, the R-101C is a workhorse assault rifle that offers players wielding it the flexibility to solidly play long and short ranges, as well as everything in between.

Our Favorite Loadout: Holosight, Extended Magazine

REVA-8 Shotgun – Ahhh, the shotgun. Like most games, “Titanfall” features a shotgun that’s an absolute beast at close range. Perfect for games like Hardpoint and Capture the Flag, where defending is just as important as attacking.

Our Favorite Loadout: Leadwall

Smart Pistol MK5 – Easily the most divisive of the game’s weapons, the MK5 allows Pilots to lock on to nearby enemies and kill them with a few shots. Some might say it makes the game too easy. However, since it takes a few moments to lock on the requisite three shots to take down a Pilot, one could argue that those Pilots probably shouldn’t have spent so much time in one place. Just sayin’.

Our Favorite Loadout: Enhanced Targeting



R-97 Compact SMG – The first weapon you’ll unlock in “Titanfall” is this nasty little number, which spits out hot lead fast enough to clear a Hardpoint in seconds. This submachine gun is perfect for the Pilot that wants to get in and out of hotspots quickly and without stopping to aim.

Our Favorite Loadout: HCOG, Scatterfire



Longbow-DMR Sniper – When you hit level 9, you’ll finally unlock the first of two sniper rifles in “Titanfall.” The Longbow has a high enough rate of fire (slow, compared to “wicked slow” for the Kraber) that you can take down a target with a follow-up shot if you need to, but it should still only be used on the largest maps.

Our Favorite Loadout: 4.5X Zoom Scope, Stabilizer



G2A4 Rifle – Although it’s one of the most challenging weapons in the game to wield successfully, this single-shot, semi-automatic rifle is extremely satisfying to master once you get the hang of it. The key to staying alive and racking up the kills is staying out of close quarters situations and keeping some range between you and your foe.

Our Favorite Loadout: Holosight, Match Trigger



Hemlok BF-R – While it might not for everyone due to the fact it fire three shot …read more