Last updated: 8 October 2026

WARDOGS Best Weapons Free Starters, Unlock Costs and What to Buy

The best WARDOGS weapon for most players is not the top-tier gun on a tier list — it is the one you can unlock and afford to lose. Every weapon has a one-time unlock fee and a separate cash price each time you buy it for a life, so the cheap-but-solid options (the free starter rifles, the Galil, the SKS) carry you further than rushing a $6,500 FAL. This guide lays out the unlock levels and prices, which weapons cost nothing, and a simple way to choose a primary for your class. Prices come from several weapon guides published in the first weeks of Early Access, so check the in-game armory before you save up for anything.

01How Weapon Costs Work

Two different costs apply. The unlock is a one-time fee paid once you reach the weapon's required level — class weapons use that class's own level (Assault, Medic, Recon, Support), while pistols use your combined Career level. The purchase price is what each copy costs when you equip it in your loadout, and you pay it again every time you replace a lost one.

That second cost is the one that drains your cash: your kit is bought fresh each life, as the beginner guide explains, so a $6,500 rifle that dies with you is $6,500 gone. For the wider economy, see the money guide.

02Free Starter Weapons

Three assault rifles cost nothing at level 1 and nothing to buy: the Bushmaster M17S, the A-91 and the KH-2002. The T-21 is also available from level 1 with no unlock fee, but costs $600 per purchase. The AMP-9 SMG ($900), the MP43 shotgun ($400) and the Scout Rifle TD ($1,100) are likewise available from the start with no unlock fee.

These are the guns to learn the game on. You can afford to lose them every life, which matters more early on than raw stats. One tier list rates the T-21 as one of the best guns in the game at its price; another ranks the three free rifles only as serviceable. Opinions differ, so treat them as the zero-risk baseline rather than a ceiling.

03Assault: Rifles From Cheap to Costly

Assault weapons form the most straightforward upgrade ladder:

• AK74 — level 3, $10,000 unlock, $1,600 per purchase
• Galil — level 10, $35,000 unlock, $2,200 per purchase
• M4 — level 20, $100,000 unlock, $2,800 per purchase
• FAL — level 35, $200,000 unlock, $6,500 per purchase

The Galil is the sensible first target: a moderate unlock and a price you can absorb. The FAL is rated the strongest all-around rifle by one tier list, but at $6,500 per life it is a poor choice until your cash balance is comfortable.

04Medic: SMGs for Close Quarters

• PP-19 Vityaz — Medic level 4, $25,000 unlock, $1,200 per purchase (9×19mm, 800 RPM, 2.9 kg)
• MP5 — Medic level 15, $75,000 unlock, $1,500 per purchase
• Super-45 — Medic level 35, $150,000 unlock, $2,600 per purchase

SMGs are strong in close fights and fall off at range. Rankings disagree on the Vityaz: one progression guide calls it a strong early SMG that is easy to control, while a tier list places it low. The cheap price per life is the argument for it either way.

05Recon: Marksman and Precision Rifles

• SKS — level 5, $25,000 unlock, $2,400 per purchase
• Mosin Nagant — level 10, $50,000 unlock, $4,500 per purchase
• SVD — level 12, $50,000 unlock, $4,800 per purchase
• SV98 — level 19, $100,000 unlock, $5,200 per purchase
• MK22 — level 25, $150,000 unlock, $6,400 per purchase
• BMR-308 — level 30, $6,000 per purchase (reported unlock fees vary by source)
• AMR 50 — level 35, $200,000 unlock, $8,800 per purchase

The SKS is the budget entry: a forgiving semi-auto marksman rifle for medium and long range, with a limited magazine and slower reload. Precision rifles cost two to four times as much per life, so only bring one if you can reliably use it and survive to the end of the life.

06Support: Machine Guns, Shotgun and Launchers

• M500 shotgun — level 10, $50,000 unlock, $1,200 per purchase
• M249 SAW — level 15, $100,000 unlock, $3,200 per purchase
• PKM — level 30, $150,000 unlock, $4,500 per purchase
• RPG-7 — level 5, $30,000 unlock, $2,000 per purchase
• 9K333 Verba (anti-air, limited ammo) — level 16, $50,000 unlock, $800 per purchase
• MAAWS — level 20, $125,000 unlock, $2,600 per purchase
• MGL-40 — level 35, $200,000 unlock, $6,000 per purchase

Launchers fill a role (vehicles, structures, aircraft) rather than replacing a primary rifle. One tier list found the MAAWS and MGL-40 performed better than the RPG-7 against vehicles and structures; see the vehicles guide for when to bring one.

07Sidearms Use Career Level

• GGX 17 — level 1, $5,000 unlock, $200 per purchase
• Judge — level 18, $15,000 unlock, $250
• M1911 — level 40, $25,000 unlock, $300
• GGX 18 — level 70, $50,000 unlock, $800
• Deagle — $75,000 unlock, $900 per purchase; sources disagree on the required level (85 or 90)

The GGX 17 is a cheap emergency backup. Pistol unlocks follow your Career level, so they arrive slowly; do not plan a build around one early.

08How to Pick Your Primary

1. Start on a free rifle (M17S, A-91 or KH-2002) and learn recoil and ranges without risking cash.
2. Work toward the first affordable class upgrade: Galil for Assault, Vityaz for Medic, SKS for Recon, M500 or RPG-7 for Support.
3. Keep your kit's total price below what you can lose several times in a row. If one death sets you back past your next unlock, downgrade the primary.
4. Only buy a $6,000+ weapon (FAL, BMR-308, MK22, AMR 50, MGL-40) once your cash is stable and you know why you want it.
5. Check classes and progression so you level the class that owns the weapon you want.

09A Note on Tier Lists

Published tier lists disagree sharply — the SVD is S-tier in one and mid-field in another, and the Vityaz swings from praised to low. They are built on a few days of Early Access play and ratings will shift as BULKHEAD patches balance. Use the price and unlock data above as the stable part and the tiers as opinion. Cross-check the in-game armory and BULKHEAD's Steam patch notes for your current version.