No More Room in Hell 2 runs on scarcity: ammo is rare, guns are loud, and most fights happen in melee. This tier list ranks the whole arsenal for 1.0 extraction runs — what to swing, what to shoot, and what to leave on the floor.
How We Rank
Tiers are based on in-game mechanics, not invented community scores or damage numbers (the 1.0 meta is still settling). Four weights decide a weapon's rank:
- Noise — gunshots pull the horde; a suppressor shrinks detection to roughly ~10 m.
- Stamina cost — two-handers hit harder but tax stamina and force you to drop the flashlight.
- Ammo economy — shared calibers (9mm / .45 / .357) beat exotic rounds nobody else can feed.
- Role definition — S-tier defines a job, A-tier is excellent when the map fits, B-tier is usable filler.
A quick tactic that shapes every tier: cut a Runner's legs. A slashing melee turns a fast threat into a slow crawler, which is why one-handed blades sit high.
Best Melee Weapons — Tier List
The 1.0 roster has 19 melee weapons across four families. One-handers let you keep a flashlight lit; two-handers trade that for reach and knockdown.
| Weapon | Family | Tier | Why it ranks here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mallet | One-handed blunt (default) | S | Reliable default, low stamina tax, solid knockdown — the safest all-rounder. |
| Sledgehammer | Two-handed blunt | S | King of stagger and crowd control; clears packed walkers in one swing. |
| Fire Axe | Two-handed slashing | S | Wide arc plus dismemberment; top two-hander for leg-cuts. |
| Machete | One-handed slashing | S | Fast, efficient leg-work; keeps your offhand light free. |
| Crowbar | One-handed blunt | A | Great control tool, strong panic-defender. |
| Cleaver / Hatchet | One-handed slashing | A | Sharp, dependable limb-work without the stamina hit of two-handers. |
| Baseball Bat | Two-handed blunt | A* | Rebalanced in Armageddon — strength is debated between guide sites. Treat as map-dependent, not a guaranteed S. |
| Large Wrench / Large Pipe | Two-handed blunt | A | Stagger and crowd control; heavier stamina cost than the Mallet. |
| Kitchen Knife | One-handed slashing | A | Quiet, fast, good for finishing crawlers. |
| Small Pipe / Tire Iron / Wrench / Claw Hammer | One-handed blunt | B | Usable filler; outclassed by the Mallet for the same role. |
| Rebar / Tree Trimmer / Shovel / Hockey Stick | Two-handed | B | Work, but slower or narrower than the S/A two-handers. |
* Baseball Bat is explicitly contested after the 1.0 rebalance — verify against current patch notes before locking it into S.
Best Firearms — Tier List
Firearms are caliber-specific, and sharing the right ammo is a team skill. Fire only when a Runner breaks your spacing, then sheath it.
| Weapon | Caliber | Tier | Why it ranks here |
|---|---|---|---|
| DB12 Shotgun | 12GA | S | Controlled close-range power for tight finales and doorways. |
| Rochester 1873 / Heavy Rifles | Long-range | S | Accurate, punches through armored targets and distant Runners. |
| Suppressor (attachment) | — | S | Cuts detection radius to ~10 m and tightens spread — changes every gun's value. |
| M9A3 Pistol | 9mm | A | Common ammo, 15-round mag; dependable sidearm. |
| MP5 SMG | 9mm | A | 30-round 9mm for when Runners break formation. |
| M1911 Pistol | .45 ACP | A | Hard-hitting, shareable .45 ammo. |
| Model 13 Revolver | .357 Magnum | A | Default starting ranged weapon; six rounds, decent punch. |
| Exotic / ammo-hungry autos | Various | B | Source: hungry automatics and exotic calibers nobody else can share rank lowest. |
Best Weapon for Every Situation
- Crowd control / stagger — Sledgehammer (two-handed blunt).
- Armored targets / distant Runners — Rochester 1873 or a heavy rifle, suppressed.
- Runner breaks the line — MP5 (9mm) or M9A3; fire, then sheath.
- Quiet clear — one-handed slash (Machete) with the flashlight lit; no gun.
- High-pressure finale — DB12 shotgun, ideally suppressed.
Weapons to Avoid Wasting Ammo
Ammunition is the real boss. Don't dump rounds into walkers at spawn — melee them. Save scarce ammo for armored enemies and objective saves, and unload and share calibers when a fallen teammate's gun doesn't fit your role. A Responder who banks eight rifle rounds for the finale outranks one who burned sixty on walkers.
Pair this with: the full weapon list for every stat and family, the best builds to match weapons to skills, and the enemy guide to know what each gun should target.