Enter the Gungeon is a bullet hell dungeon crawler by Dodge Roll, published by Devolver Digital and released on 5 April 2016. Four misfits descend through a gun shaped fortress looking for a weapon that can kill their own past, and the run gives them over 200 guns and hundreds of items to find on the way down. Every room is a bullet pattern puzzle solved with a dodge roll that grants brief invulnerability and a blank that wipes projectiles off the screen. Runs last roughly 30 to 60 minutes, nothing carries over except permanent unlocks bought with Hegemony Credits, and the difficulty curve is famously steep.
Your choice of equipment 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.
Equipment Rankings
| Equipment | Tier | Best For | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marine Sidearm | S | Early floors and any moment when your good gun has run out of ammo. | The Marine's starting pistol and the strongest of the four default sidearms, with infinite ammo and enough damage to carry a full floor if nothing better drops. |
| A.W.P. | A | Boss fights and any run where you have picked up a frost related item. | A bolt action sniper rifle with a tiny magazine and heavy single shot damage, awkward on trash and excellent on bosses. |
| Patriot | A | Late floor bosses where sustained damage matters more than mobility. | A heavy rotary gun with high sustained output, one of the strongest raw damage guns in the game and a reliable boss killer. |
| Vulcan Cannon | B | Packed rooms on the Hollow and the Forge where enemy count is the problem. | A spin up minigun with an enormous ammo pool and a wide spray, built to delete crowded rooms rather than snipe. |
| Black Hole Gun | B | Emergency clears in boss phases where blanks have already been spent. | Fires a singularity that pulls in enemy bullets and enemies alike, briefly turning a bullet hell pattern into an empty room. |
S-Tier: Marine Sidearm
The Marine's starting pistol and the strongest of the four default sidearms, with infinite ammo and enough damage to carry a full floor if nothing better drops. It is why the Marine is the standard first pick for a new player.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | S |
| Best For | Early floors and any moment when your good gun has run out of ammo. |
| Key Mechanic | Dodge roll invulnerability and blanks |
| Recommended Build | The Marine |
How to get it: Available from mid-game onward. See our walkthrough for the exact progression point.
Best builds using Marine Sidearm: Pairs naturally with The Marine thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
A-Tier: A.W.P.
A bolt action sniper rifle with a tiny magazine and heavy single shot damage, awkward on trash and excellent on bosses. It anchors several named item pairings, including Arctic Warfare with frost items, which adds freezing and a 62.5 percent damage increase.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | A |
| Best For | Boss fights and any run where you have picked up a frost related item. |
| Key Mechanic | Item combinations the game highlights in blue |
| Recommended Build | The Pilot |
How to get it: Accessible in the early-to-mid game. Check our maps guide for the location.
Best builds using A.W.P.: Pairs naturally with The Pilot thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
A-Tier: Patriot
A heavy rotary gun with high sustained output, one of the strongest raw damage guns in the game and a reliable boss killer. It also forms the Gunderlord pairing with Ice Breaker, which connects its shots with electricity.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | A |
| Best For | Late floor bosses where sustained damage matters more than mobility. |
| Key Mechanic | Curse and Coolness hidden stats |
| Recommended Build | The Convict |
How to get it: Accessible in the early-to-mid game. Check our maps guide for the location.
Best builds using Patriot: Pairs naturally with The Convict thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
B-Tier: Vulcan Cannon
A spin up minigun with an enormous ammo pool and a wide spray, built to delete crowded rooms rather than snipe. The spin up delay means you have to commit before the room becomes dangerous rather than after.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | B |
| Best For | Packed rooms on the Hollow and the Forge where enemy count is the problem. |
| Key Mechanic | Keys, chests and chest quality |
| Recommended Build | The Hunter |
How to get it: Found in later areas. Our walkthrough covers when you can access this.
Best builds using Vulcan Cannon: Pairs naturally with The Hunter thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
B-Tier: Black Hole Gun
Fires a singularity that pulls in enemy bullets and enemies alike, briefly turning a bullet hell pattern into an empty room. Ammo is scarce, so it works as a second blank rather than as a primary weapon.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | B |
| Best For | Emergency clears in boss phases where blanks have already been spent. |
| Key Mechanic | Master Rounds for flawless boss kills |
| Recommended Build | The Robot |
How to get it: Found in later areas. Our walkthrough covers when you can access this.
Best builds using Black Hole Gun: Pairs naturally with The Robot thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
Equipment Progression Path
The order you should acquire equipment as you progress:
- Starting gear → Enough to clear Keep of the Lead Lord
- A.W.P. → Your first real upgrade, available early
- Patriot → Mid-game upgrade with good scaling
- Marine Sidearm → Best-in-slot, aim for this by late game
- Upgrade to max → The power spike from max upgrades is enormous
Equipment Tips
- Always upgrade your primary equipment before diversifying. One strong option beats three mediocre ones.
- Match your equipment to your build's stat priorities for maximum scaling.
- Dodge roll through a bullet rather than away from it, because the invulnerability window is short and rolling backwards usually lands you in the next wave.
- Check our tier list for how equipment rankings affect overall build effectiveness.
More Enter the Gungeon Guides
- Enter the Gungeon Enter the Gungeon Overview
- Enter the Gungeon Best Builds
- Enter the Gungeon Tier List
- Enter the Gungeon Walkthrough
- Enter the Gungeon Beginner's Guide
- Enter the Gungeon Tips & Tricks
- Enter the Gungeon Combat Guide
- Enter the Gungeon Boss Guide
- Enter the Gungeon Maps & Locations
- Enter the Gungeon Crafting Guide
- Enter the Gungeon Classes & Characters
Similar Games
If you enjoy Enter the Gungeon, check out these related guides:
- Risk of Rain 2 Weapons Guide: roguelike game with similar mechanics
- Hades Weapons Guide: roguelike game with similar mechanics
- Darkest Dungeon Weapons Guide: roguelike game with similar mechanics
