Weapons
Every firearm Rebecca and Billy can find between the train and Marcus's laboratory, with pros, cons, and where to pick each one up.
Melee
Combat Knife
A self-defense blade for when you're truly out of options. Damage is minimal and you have to get uncomfortably close to land a hit, so it's mostly there for the rare moment every gun runs dry.
Handguns
Rebecca's Handgun
Rebecca Starting InventoryA Beretta M92FS custom-built for S.T.A.R.S. by the Kendo gun shop — standard issue, and part of why Rebecca is carrying it from the start. Best used at close range against easy targets; Leech Hunter Rank D unlocks infinite ammo for it.
- 9mm Parabellum (15-round magazine, boxes of 19)
- Reliable against early threats — zombies, crows, leeches
- Ammo boxes are common throughout the game
- Weaker than Billy's Handgun
Rebecca's Custom Handgun
Rebecca's Handgun fitted with a scope and precision parts for noticeably better accuracy. Worth building if you're set on using Rebecca's sidearm, but the same parts pay off more on Billy's gun.
- 9mm Parabellum (15-round magazine, boxes of 19)
- Fewer shots needed to drop most enemies
- Still not enough against mid-to-high-tier threats
- The less useful of the two custom handgun options — the parts are better spent on Billy's
Billy's Handgun
Billy Starting InventoryA modified M9-1911 army sidearm, likely lifted from the soldiers escorting him. Slightly more powerful than Rebecca's Beretta and just as useful against Cerberus, crows, and leeches; Leech Hunter Rank D unlocks infinite ammo for it.
- 9mm Parabellum (15-round magazine, boxes of 19)
- Hits harder than Rebecca's Handgun — can decapitate zombies outright
- Same ammo pool as every other 9mm weapon
Billy's Custom Handgun
The same scope-and-parts upgrade as Rebecca's, but on Billy's already-stronger pistol — the combination the parts are best spent on.
- 9mm Parabellum (15-round magazine, boxes of 19)
- Fewer shots needed to drop most enemies, more frequent decapitations
- Slightly stronger than Rebecca's version — the recommended combo
- Still falls short against many mid-to-high-tier enemies
Shotguns
Hunting Gun
A hunting shotgun, and useful crowd control against mid-tier threats, especially groups. Leech Hunter Rank C unlocks infinite ammo for it — which also removes the constant reloading, since you won't need to conserve those two shells anymore.
- 12-gauge Shells (2-round magazine)
- More damage than a Handgun
- Hits multiple enemies in a line and can decapitate in one shot
- Only holds 2 shells before reloading
Shotgun
A pump-action shotgun that replaces the Hunting Gun as your main crowd-control option. Point-blank shots can clear or decapitate a crowd of zombies in one blast.
- 12-gauge Shells (7-round magazine)
- More damage than a Handgun
- Knocks enemies back and hits multiple targets
- Excellent against Eliminators
- Heavier ammo footprint than the Hunting Gun
Heavy Weapons
Grenade Launcher
A large, rotary-fed launcher whose usefulness depends entirely on what you load it with: standard Grenade Rounds for regular enemies, Acid Rounds against Hunters and Plague Crawlers, and Napalm Rounds saved for the Leech Zombie when you're out of Molotov Cocktails.
- Grenade Rounds / Acid Rounds / Napalm Rounds (up to 255 rounds carried)
- Behaves like a shotgun with standard rounds — good general use
- Acid and Napalm rounds counter specific threats
- Round type matters — the wrong ammo wastes the weapon's potential
Rocket Launcher
UltimateThe reward for a Rank S clear: unlimited rocket ammunition that turns every fight, including the bosses, into a non-issue.
- Unlimited
- One-shot kills on anything in the game
- Never needs reloading
- Heavy recoil staggers Rebecca and leaves her briefly vulnerable — better carried by Billy
Magnums
Magnum Pistol
A hard-hitting semi-automatic sidearm. Ammo is scarce enough that it's worth saving entirely for the Prototype Tyrant and the Queen Leech rather than spending it on regular enemies.
- .357 Magnum Rounds (8-round magazine)
- Strongest standard-issue weapon in the game
- One or two shots down most mid-to-high-tier enemies
- Very limited ammo, and found near the end of the game
Magnum Revolver
An upgraded revolver with a reworked cylinder and frame. On a normal playthrough you only see Billy use it once, to finish off the Queen Leech in the ending. Reaching Leech Hunter Rank B lets you carry it from the very start of a new game instead.
- .357 Magnum Rounds (5-round magazine)
- The strongest weapon in the game short of the Rocket Launcher
- Can down most bosses in one or two shots
- Ammo is extremely scarce without infinite ammo unlocked, and doesn't normally show up until very late
- Recoil unbalances Rebecca, leaving her briefly vulnerable — better carried by Billy
Special
Molotov Cocktail
An improvised firebomb assembled on the fly. Save it specifically for Leech Zombies rather than spending it on enemies you can handle with bullets — and don't get too close before you throw it.
- Devastating against the fire-vulnerable Leech Zombie
- Effective on most mid-tier enemies in a pinch
- A noticeable delay while lighting and throwing leaves you exposed — worse when Billy throws it
Machine Gun (MP5)
BonusA submachine gun that doesn't need to hit hard when it can just keep an enemy from ever attacking back — a burst is often a cleaner, safer kill than a single well-aimed shot from anything else.
- 9mm belt magazine (fills from 0% to 100%)
- Fast enough fire rate to lock enemies in hitstun, preventing any counterattack
- Looks unimpressive on paper compared to the Shotgun or Magnums
Hook Shot
Traversal ToolNot a weapon in the traditional sense, but essential kit — the Hook Shot pulls down ladders, yanks open grapple points, and is required again much later to reach the church roof in the Laboratory area. Worth carrying even during the long stretches it does nothing.
- Opens shortcuts and reaches items no other tool can
- Takes up an inventory slot and is genuinely useless for stretches of the game
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