You do not buy a weapon permanently in WARDOGS. First you unlock it once: you reach the required level in a progression tree and pay a fee. Then you buy it again for every life at the vendor (the gear seller), and when you go down and nobody revives you, you lose it. This article covers every weapon category, tables of prices and unlock levels as they stand in Season 1, attachments, ammo basics and the weapons that recommendations agree on, including the ones that are not worth it.
How buying weapons works
Every weapon has two prices. The price per life is the amount you pay each time you take the weapon into a match. The unlock is a one-off fee you pay only once, and only after you reach the level in the relevant tree. The trees (tracks) are progression lines named after roles: Assault, Medic, Recon, Support, Driver and Pilot. Above them sits the overall Career level. The game has no fixed classes, the tree only unlocks what you are allowed to buy. This is covered in detail in the article on roles and progression.
The weapon, the magazines and the ammo are bought separately. A weapon comes with only one magazine, so without spare magazines and rounds you will not get far. At the very beginning you pay nothing for a rifle, though: every faction has a free starter rifle. Valkyra has the A-91, Lonestar the Bushmaster M17S and Manticore the KH-2002. You only pay for the ammo.
Before you invest in a more expensive weapon, try it out on the firing range.
Weapon categories and trees
Weapons are split into nine categories and each one is unlocked in a particular tree.
| Category | Unlocked in tree |
|---|---|
| Assault rifles | Assault |
| Submachine guns (SMG) | Medic |
| Shotguns | Support |
| Machine guns (LMG) | Support |
| DMRs (Marksman Rifles) | Recon |
| Sniper rifles | Recon |
| Bow | Recon |
| Pistols | Career |
| Rocket launchers and grenade launchers | Support |
XP from fighting with assault rifles goes into the Assault tree, with submachine guns into Medic, with shotguns and machine guns into Support and with DMRs and sniper rifles into Recon. So you can level a tree through your weapon too: if you want to get to the defibrillator, which is unlocked in the Medic tree, faster, you can use a submachine gun. The game has no “battle rifle” category, the FAL counts as an assault rifle.
Weapon tables: prices and unlocks
The figures are accurate as of 15 September 2026 for Season 1. The developers at BULKHEAD change the XP curve and the item order every season, so the levels may shift after the reset. The Unlock column gives the tree, the level and the one-off fee. A dash means the figure has not been reliably confirmed yet.
Assault rifles
| Weapon | Price per life | Unlock |
|---|---|---|
| A-91 | $0 | Valkyra faction starter rifle |
| Bushmaster M17S | $0 | Lonestar faction starter rifle |
| KH-2002 | $0 | Manticore faction starter rifle |
| T-21 | $600 | no unlock needed |
| AK74 | $1,600 | Assault 3 · $10,000 |
| Galil | $2,200 | Assault 10 · $35,000 |
| M4 | $2,800 | Assault 20 · $100,000 |
| FAL | $6,500 | Assault 35 · $200,000 |
Submachine guns (SMG)
| Weapon | Price per life | Unlock |
|---|---|---|
| AMP-9 | $900 | no unlock needed |
| PP-19 Vityaz | $1,200 | Medic 4 · $25,000 |
| MP5 | $1,500 | Medic 15 · $75,000 |
| Super-45 | $2,600 | Medic 35 · $150,000 |
Shotguns and machine guns
| Weapon | Price per life | Unlock |
|---|---|---|
| MP43 (double-barrel shotgun) | $400 | no unlock needed |
| M500 (shotgun) | – | Support 10 · $50,000 |
| M249 SAW (machine gun) | $3,200 | Support 15 · $100,000 |
| PKM (machine gun) | $4,500 | Support 30 · $150,000 |
DMRs, sniper rifles and the bow
| Weapon | Price per life | Unlock |
|---|---|---|
| Scout Rifle TD (sniper rifle) | $1,100 | no unlock needed |
| SKS (DMR) | $2,400 | Recon 5 · $25,000 |
| Mosin Nagant (sniper rifle) | $4,500 | Recon 10 · $50,000 |
| SVD (DMR) | $4,800 | Recon 12 · $50,000 |
| Compound Bow (bow) | – | Recon 17 · – |
| SV98 (sniper rifle) | $5,200 | Recon 19 · $100,000 |
| MK22 (sniper rifle) | $6,400 | Recon 25 · $150,000 |
| BMR-308 (DMR) | $6,000 | Recon 30 · $125,000 |
| AMR 50 (sniper rifle) | $8,800 | Recon 35 · $200,000 |
Pistols
| Weapon | Price per life | Unlock |
|---|---|---|
| GGX 17 | $200 | Career 1 · $5,000 |
| Judge | $250 | Career 18 · $15,000 |
| M1911 | $300 | Career 40 · $25,000 |
| GGX 18 | $800 | Career 70 · $50,000 |
| Deagle | – | Career 85 · – |
Rocket launchers and grenade launchers
| Weapon | Price per life | Unlock |
|---|---|---|
| RPG-7 | $2,000 | Support 5 · $30,000 |
| 9K333 Verba | $800 | Support 16 · $50,000 |
| MAAWS | $2,600 | Support 20 · $125,000 |
| MGL-40 | $6,000 | Support 35 · $200,000 |
The RPG-7 fires unguided rockets. The anti-tank MAAWS can be used repeatedly, while the Verba is a single-use anti-air weapon that needs to lock onto the target before firing. The MGL-40 is a revolver grenade launcher. How to use them against armor, helicopters and structures is covered in the guide to destroying tanks and FOBs.
What to use at what range
The split is simple. Submachine guns and shotguns belong up close and fall off quickly as the range grows. Heavier rifles, DMRs and sniper rifles, on the other hand, pay off at a distance. The weapon most often named as the best in close quarters is the Super-45 submachine gun.
At longer ranges, ballistics also come into play: the game models realistic bullet flight, so for distant targets you have to deal with zeroing (see below).
Attachments
Attachments include optics, bipods, magazines and muzzle devices such as muzzle brakes. You unlock them with a one-off payment in the trees, much like weapons. A few attachments worth your attention:
- Red dot sight: get one as soon as you can.
- 6-10x Scope MRAD: Recon 18, $40,000 unlock. The MOA version has a $45,000 unlock.
- 50-round drum magazine for the PP-19: Medic 29.
- Hybrid Grip Pod: Support 50, for players who want to play machine gunner.
Ammo in brief
There are three basic types of rounds. FMJ are all-purpose and deal the same damage to everything. HP deal more to an unprotected body and less to armor. AP deal more to armor and vehicles and less to unprotected spots. AP ammo unlocks late in Career: 7.62×54 AP at level 82 and 5.56 AP at level 83.
Instead of a pile of magazines, buy one or two spares and take the rest as loose ammo, which takes up less space in your backpack. You then refill empty magazines with the C key in the inventory. There is more about the inventory and your first purchases in the guide on how to start with WARDOGS.
Zeroing: sighting in for range
Zeroing sets the range at which your weapon hits exactly where you aim. The default value is 100 meters. When the target is further away than your setting, the bullet drops and you have to aim higher. While aiming you can hold left Shift and the weapon steadies for a moment. It works with every weapon, not just sniper rifles. The full procedure including the rangefinder is in the sniping guide.
Which weapons are worth it
Recommendations agree on a handful of weapons since the start of Season 1. Treat them as a starting point, not a fixed ranking, because the unlock order changes with every season.
- T-21 ($600, no unlock needed): the recommended rifle for beginners with the best price-to-performance ratio.
- M4 (Assault 20): one of the best assault rifles.
- FAL (Assault 35): the strongest of the expensive rifles. But at $6,500 per life, every death with it really hurts.
- Super-45 (Medic 35): the best choice up close.
- M249 SAW (Support 15): the best support weapon.
- SKS (Recon 5): the best DMR for the money and the first sensible weapon for long-range play.
Debatable picks
Opinions are split on the AK74. Some treat it as a cheap and reliable first upgrade at Assault 3, others criticize its handling at longer ranges. Verdicts on the double-barrel MP43 shotgun are just as divided. Try both on the firing range before you buy.
What is not worth it
- Scout Rifle TD: weak and unforgiving of mistakes. If you want to play at range, start with binoculars instead and wait for the SKS.
- Pistols: usually a pointless extra expense.
- An expensive weapon you cannot afford to lose: the best kit is the cheapest one that lets you do your job. You can pick up better weapons and gear from fallen enemies. How to manage your money is explained in the article on the WARDOGS economy.
What Season 1 changed about weapons
The Season 1 changelog from 10 September 2026 moved these weapon and attachment entries:
- Deagle: unlock from Career 90 to Career 85.
- 50-round drum for the PP-19: from Medic 33 to Medic 29.
- 6-10x MRAD scope: unlock fee from $25,000 to $40,000.
- 6-10x MOA scope: fee from $30,000 to $45,000.
- AP ammo: 7.62×54 from Career 83 to 82, 5.56 from Career 85 to 83.
At the same time the developers confirmed that every season will have a different XP curve and a different item order. What happens to your money and levels at the end of the season is in the article on the Season 1 reset.
FAQ
The T-21 assault rifle is the usual recommendation. It costs $600 per life and you do not have to unlock it. Completely free is your faction’s starter rifle, where you only pay for the ammo.
Yes, if nobody revives you or you give up. The unlock stays, though, so in your next life you simply buy the weapon again at its price per life.
Into the Medic tree. Assault rifles give XP in Assault, shotguns and machine guns in Support and DMRs and sniper rifles in Recon.
Usually not, a pistol tends to be a pointless extra expense. Pistols are unlocked through the overall Career level and even the cheapest GGX 17 costs $5,000 to unlock.
Yes. Season 1 moved the Deagle, for example, and raised the unlock fee for the 6-10x optics, and the developers change the item order every season. The tables are therefore accurate as of 15 September 2026.