The short answer: Knife on Island 1, Shotgun on Island 2, SMG on Island 3, Sniper Rifle on Island 4 for the Albatross, and the Assault Rifle on Island 5 for the whales. Everything else is optional. Below is why, and where the popular tier lists disagree.
The buying order
- Island 1: Knife ($45). 16 damage per hit right away. The anvil's first three sharpenings ($14, $28 and $36) take it to 22, which is plenty for the Spider Crab. Brass Knuckles ($24) start at only 5 damage; skip them unless money is very tight.
- Island 2: Shotgun ($150). 25 pellets of 3 damage per shot. It wrecks the Giant Piranha up close and clears small piranhas in a spread. It holds only two shells and has no Extended Mag slot.
- Island 3: SMG ($650). 24 damage per bullet, fully automatic, 30-round magazine (40 with the Extended Mag). Add the Compensator; the recoil is the only thing holding it back. It handles the Blue Shark and the Pufferfish.
- Island 4: Sniper Rifle ($3,800). 200 damage per bullet, one shot per second, five rounds (eight with the Extended Mag). It is the weapon for the Albatross and for headshot kill-score multipliers.
- Island 5: Assault Rifle ($20,000). 40 damage per bullet at 0.07 seconds between shots. Once upgraded it shreds both whales, but with every attachment it costs close to ten times the Sniper Rifle.
What the tier lists say
Three rankings are widely shared, and they disagree about the cheap guns.
A video tier list puts the Pistol and the SMG in S tier. Its case for the Pistol: it costs a third of the Shotgun, carries far more ammo, unlocks ranged kill bonuses such as One Shot One Kill and headshots, and is good for shooting seagulls for food. The Knife, Shotgun, Sniper Rifle and Assault Rifle land in A, Dynamite in B for its use against the Giant Piranha's swarm, and Brass Knuckles in C.
Game8's list puts the Assault Rifle and SMG in S, the Sniper Rifle and Knife in A, the Pistol, Shotgun and Dynamite in B, and Brass Knuckles in C. It recommends the Red Dot Sight and Suppressor on the Assault Rifle, the Extended Mag and Compensator on the SMG, and the Laser Sight on the Sniper Rifle for hip fire.
A long-form ranking calls the Shotgun the best buy for most players and the Pistol a trap that leaves you short of money for the SMG. Its picks also include the Knife as best value after sharpening and the Assault Rifle as endgame-only.
The disagreement comes down to how you play. If you mostly fight bosses, especially solo, the Shotgun's burst is worth more. If you farm money with trick shots, the Pistol's precision and ammo matter more. Everyone agrees on the SMG, the Sniper Rifle for the bird and the Assault Rifle for the finale.
Damage per second, worked out
Using each gun's base damage and the time between shots, ignoring reloads and assuming every hit lands:
- Pistol: 25 ÷ 0.15 s ≈ 170 per second.
- Shotgun: 75 per shot if all 25 pellets hit ÷ 0.22 s ≈ 340 per second, but only for two shots before reloading.
- SMG: 24 ÷ 0.05 s ≈ 480 per second.
- Assault Rifle: 40 ÷ 0.07 s ≈ 570 per second.
- Sniper Rifle: 200 ÷ 1.0 s = 200 per second, with headshot bonuses on top.
Bullet upgrades change the picture at the top end. At tier 12 the Pistol reaches 160 per bullet, the SMG 70, the Assault Rifle 100, the Sniper Rifle 500 and each Shotgun pellet 28, so a fully upgraded Shotgun blast at point-blank range does about 700 damage.
Attachments worth buying
- Extended Mag: the best attachment on the SMG and Assault Rifle; it does not exist for the Shotgun.
- Compensator and Suppressor: reduce recoil (the Suppressor more strongly); the Compensator is the cheap fix for the SMG.
- Laser Sight: shows where the gun points, which makes hip fire reliable on the Pistol, Shotgun and Sniper Rifle.
- Red Dot Sight and Sniper Scope: easier aimed shots; the scope suits the Sniper Rifle at range but slows quick shots.
Attachment prices depend on the gun. The same Suppressor costs $1,800 on the Shotgun and $8,000 on the Assault Rifle.
Next: the Bow from the Islet Update, which none of these lists rank.
Source video