Battlefield 1 released in October 2016 and put the series in the First World War, where Operations chains two or three maps into one long attack and defence battle fought across a stack of battalions. When a team falls badly behind, the game hands it a Behemoth: the six seat Airship L30, the six seat Armored Train or the four seat Dreadnought. Gas grenades, bolt action rifles and cavalry horses make it the most deliberate shooter DICE has shipped in the modern era.
Your choice of weapons defines your damage output and playstyle. This guide ranks every major option, explains what makes each one strong, and tells you which builds they pair best with.
Weapons Rankings
| Weapon | Tier | Best For | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hellriegel 1915 | S | Holding an interior objective on Amiens or Argonne Forest where fights come in waves. | Assault submachine gun with an oversized drum magazine and manageable recoil, so it wins extended close range fights that would leave other SMGs reloading. |
| Automatico M1918 | A | Doorway and trench ambushes where the first half second decides the fight. | Assault submachine gun firing at roughly 900 rounds per minute, which shreds anything inside ten metres and empties the magazine almost as fast. |
| Lewis Gun | A | Covering a bridge, a trench line or a stairwell that the enemy has to keep crossing. | Support light machine gun with a pan magazine and a bipod. |
| Martini-Henry | B | Confident marksmen on open maps such as Sinai Desert and Monte Grappa. | Single shot Scout rifle that kills with one torso hit at almost any range, followed by a slow reload that punishes a miss badly. |
| M1907 SL | B | Medics who need to fight for the objective rather than sit behind it. | Medic self loading rifle. |
S-Tier: Hellriegel 1915
Assault submachine gun with an oversized drum magazine and manageable recoil, so it wins extended close range fights that would leave other SMGs reloading.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | S |
| Best For | Holding an interior objective on Amiens or Argonne Forest where fights come in waves. |
| Key Mechanic | Operations mode |
| Recommended Role | Assault |
How to get it: Available from mid-game onward. See our walkthrough for the exact progression point.
Best builds using Hellriegel 1915: Pairs naturally with Assault thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
A-Tier: Automatico M1918
Assault submachine gun firing at roughly 900 rounds per minute, which shreds anything inside ten metres and empties the magazine almost as fast.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | A |
| Best For | Doorway and trench ambushes where the first half second decides the fight. |
| Key Mechanic | Behemoths |
| Recommended Role | Medic |
How to get it: Accessible in the early-to-mid game. Check our maps guide for the location.
Best builds using Automatico M1918: Pairs naturally with Medic thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
A-Tier: Lewis Gun
Support light machine gun with a pan magazine and a bipod. Prone or braced it suppresses hard, standing it sprays.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | A |
| Best For | Covering a bridge, a trench line or a stairwell that the enemy has to keep crossing. |
| Key Mechanic | Elite kits |
| Recommended Role | Support |
How to get it: Accessible in the early-to-mid game. Check our maps guide for the location.
Best builds using Lewis Gun: Pairs naturally with Support thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
B-Tier: Martini-Henry
Single shot Scout rifle that kills with one torso hit at almost any range, followed by a slow reload that punishes a miss badly.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | B |
| Best For | Confident marksmen on open maps such as Sinai Desert and Monte Grappa. |
| Key Mechanic | Weapon variants |
| Recommended Role | Scout |
How to get it: Found in later areas. Our walkthrough covers when you can access this.
Best builds using Martini-Henry: Pairs naturally with Scout thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
B-Tier: M1907 SL
Medic self loading rifle. The Sweeper variant fires fully automatic and turns the kit into a close range weapon, while the Factory variant stays semi automatic for mid range trades.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | B |
| Best For | Medics who need to fight for the objective rather than sit behind it. |
| Key Mechanic | Bayonet charge |
| Recommended Role | Cavalry |
How to get it: Found in later areas. Our walkthrough covers when you can access this.
Best builds using M1907 SL: Pairs naturally with Cavalry thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
Weapons Progression Path
The order you should acquire weapons as you progress:
- Starting gear → Enough to clear Amiens
- Automatico M1918 → Your first real upgrade, available early
- Lewis Gun → Mid-game upgrade with good scaling
- Hellriegel 1915 → Best-in-slot, aim for this by late game
- Upgrade to max → The power spike from max upgrades is enormous
Weapons Tips
- Always upgrade your primary weapon before diversifying. One strong option beats three mediocre ones.
- Match your weapons to your build's stat priorities for maximum scaling.
- Choose the weapon variant deliberately. A Trench variant adds hip fire accuracy and drops the sight quality, an Optical variant does the opposite, and picking the wrong one makes a perfectly good gun feel broken.
- Check our tier list for how weapons rankings affect overall build effectiveness.
More Battlefield 1 Guides
- Battlefield 1 Battlefield 1 Overview
- Battlefield 1 Best Builds
- Battlefield 1 Tier List
- Battlefield 1 Walkthrough
- Battlefield 1 Beginner's Guide
- Battlefield 1 Tips & Tricks
- Battlefield 1 Combat Guide
- Battlefield 1 Boss Guide
- Battlefield 1 Maps & Locations
- Battlefield 1 Crafting Guide
- Battlefield 1 Classes & Characters
Similar Games
If you enjoy Battlefield 1, check out these related guides:
- Counter-Strike 2 Weapons Guide: fps game with similar mechanics
- Apex Legends Weapons Guide: fps game with similar mechanics
- Rainbow Six Siege Weapons Guide: fps game with similar mechanics
