Weapons Tier List for No More Room in Hell 2
What to swing, what to shoot, and what to leave on the floor.
Firearms feel powerful in No More Room in Hell 2 trailers. In live deployments, ammunition scarcity and noise escalation decide whether that magazine is a win or a wipe. This weapons tier list ranks melee and guns for 1.0 co-op extracts on Scenario and Survival, with S/A/B bands and the reasoning behind each. Pair it with Best Builds and the Skills Tier List once you know your role.
New players should also skim Getting Started so tier advice does not outrun basic infection and stamina rules.
Ranking rules
- S-tier: Take it every spawn opportunity; defines a role.
- A-tier: Excellent when it matches your skills or map.
- B-tier: Usable filler; swap when something better appears.
- Noise, stamina cost, and ammo economy weigh as much as raw damage.
Melee tiers
S-tier melee
Reliable one-handed blades earn S for limb work and low stamina tax when you pace swings. They keep doorways clear without waking three streets. Two-handed blunt kings (sledge-class and heavy bat equivalents) sit beside them for stagger and crowd control—Survival waves and plant chokes love knockdown pressure.
Why S: silent relative to guns, infinite “ammo,” and synergistic with Athlete/Guts/Butcher style skills. Most successful pubs are melee-majority for a reason.
A-tier melee
Versatile mid-weight tools (crowbar-class, axe-class, shovel-class) clear walkers efficiently but punish panic spamming. Long reach poles help on stairs yet struggle in closets. Carry one A-tier backup even on Marksman kits.
B-tier melee
Light improvised junk and awkward novelty swings exist to get you to a real weapon. Use them to reach the next POI, then drop them for the mule’s scrap pile.
Firearm tiers
S-tier firearms
Controlled shotguns in tight finales and bunkers: one shell, many problems, then back to melee. Accurate heavy rifles for armored priorities and distant runners when a Marksman build is actually present—not when five players each clutch five rounds.
S-tier guns are S because of decision quality, not spray volume. The Responder who saves eight rifle rounds for the plant catwalk outranks the Responder who dumped sixty into walkers at spawn.
A-tier firearms
Service pistols and carbines with common ammo types help when runners break spacing. Suppressor-friendly setups (when attachments allow) reduce the tax of emergency shots. Keep them holstered until melee fails.
B-tier firearms
Ammo-hungry automatics and exotic calibers that nobody else can share. Fun on a full drop; disastrous as a main plan. If the magazine cannot be refilled by the team’s found boxes, it is a temporary toy.
Melee vs firearms decision tree
- Are you fighting walkers in a choke? Melee.
- Is a runner or screamer about to break the formation? Firearm, then sheath.
- Are you starting a loud objective? Holster guns until the minigame needs a save.
- Is the squad already loud? Still prefer melee—do not stack noise for free.
Attachments and share discipline
Sights, rails, and muzzles change gun feel, but they do not create ammo. Attach for clarity and control, not for ego. Unload and share calibers when a dead Responder’s gun is the wrong role for you.
Throwables are honorary weapons: pipe bombs and deployables are A-tier when a Breacher calls the throw, B-tier when someone panics in a closet and blocks the exit.
Map and mode modifiers
Broadway-style interiors favor blades and shotguns; long Lewiston approaches tempt rifles you cannot refill. Bunker and hospital vertical fights reward blunt control on stairs. Raven Rock’s dense sightlines punish spray-and-pray more than careful melee pushes. Survival Mode between waves is when you reorganize ammo—never mid-horde when the tower is screaming.
If living Responders fall to three or fewer, weapon greed should not block early extract. Drop excess guns for whoever can still swing, grab pills, and leave. A perfect S-tier rifle on a corpse helps nobody.
Loadout philosophy for 1.0
Expect to finish most deployments as a melee fighter who sometimes shoots. Build inventory around one primary melee, one emergency gun with an honest ammo count, meds, and pills. Gene Therapy outranks a third firearm every time. Infection delay from Phalanx Pills (~five minutes) also outranks “just one more magazine” when veins are showing.
Use this list as pickup priority, then specialize through skills and the best-builds page. The meta is not “guns bad”—it is “guns expensive.” Spend them like credits you cannot farm mid-match, and let melee carry the boring majority of kills that actually get you extracted.
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers for Responders preparing for the next deployment.
Why do melee weapons rank above most guns?
Because ammo is scarce and shots attract pressure. Melee wins the majority of walker fights without emptying the team pool or escalating sectors.
When should I use a rifle?
For armored threats, distant runners, and finale priorities—ideally on a Marksman kit with scavenged ammo, not as default trash-clear.
Are shotguns good in Survival Mode?
Yes in chokes and tower doorways, if you ration shells between waves. They are not a replacement for blunt crowd control.
Should I carry multiple firearms?
Rarely. Extra guns steal weight and ammo from roles that need them. One emergency firearm plus strong melee is the safer default.