If you’ve spent hours hauling cargo across Death Stranding 2’s post-apocalyptic wasteland, you know BTs, rogue MULEs, and hostile player raiders can turn a routine delivery into a fight for survival in seconds. That’s why knowing which Death Stranding 2 lethal weapons are worth your time and resources to craft, upgrade, and carry on every run is non-negotiable if you want to keep your cargo (and your limbs) intact. I’ve put 120+ hours into the game so far, testing every weapon across both single-player deliveries and open-world PvP matches, and I’m breaking down everything you need to know to pick the right tool for every fight. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been halfway up a snowy mountain with a stack of fragile medical cargo, only to get ambushed by a group of MULEs that I didn’t have the right weapon to fight off. Those frustrating runs are what pushed me to test every single lethal weapon in the game, so I could figure out which ones are actually worth the inventory space.
Top Death Stranding 2 Lethal Weapons Ranked for Every Scenario
Not all lethal weapons in the game are created equal, and picking the wrong one for a run can leave you wasting rare crafting materials or stuck reloading while a BT drags you into the tar. I ranked every available weapon based on damage output, crafting cost, weight, and effectiveness against both organic and BT enemies, and these three stand out as must-haves for any loadout.
- Anti-BT Rifle Mk. III: Deals 2x damage to BT core structures, uses common hematic ammo, and weighs only 2.3 kg so it won’t weigh down your cargo load. It also has a 4x zoom scope that works in both daylight and tar cloud low-visibility conditions.
- MULE Disabler Shotgun: Fires non-lethal stun slugs that can take down a fully armored MULE in two shots, with a spread wide enough to hit multiple targets chasing you on bikes. It uses standard shotgun ammo that you can find in almost every abandoned MULE camp across the map.
- Railgun Prototype: The highest damage per shot weapon in the game, capable of taking down a large carrier BT in one hit, but requires rare chiral crystals to craft and fire. It also has a 10-second charge time, so it’s not ideal for fast-paced close combat.
You don’t need to carry all three at once, of course. For most standard runs, the Anti-BT Rifle Mk. III is more than enough to handle any surprise encounters you run into. The MULE Disabler Shotgun is a better pick if you’re running routes through areas with high MULE activity, like the southern section of the Central Region. The Railgun Prototype is only worth bringing if you’re heading into a known high-risk BT zone for a story mission or high-value delivery, since its high weight and expensive ammo make it impractical for regular use.
How to Unlock and Upgrade Lethal Weapons Early
Most new players assume you have to wait until you reach the Central Region’s main story chapter to unlock high-tier lethal weapons, but that’s not the case. You can get blueprints for most top-tier weapons 10 to 15 hours earlier than the main story unlocks by completing side quests for specific NPCs scattered across the Eastern Region. The Weapon Smith NPC located south of Lake Knot City, for example, will give you the blueprint for the Anti-BT Rifle Mk. II after you deliver three lost weapon parts shipments for him.
You can cut upgrade material costs by 30% if you turn in high-value lost cargo related to weapon manufacturing to your local delivery node. I made the mistake of wasting 20 chiral crystals upgrading a Mk. I rifle early on, only to unlock the Mk. III variant two hours later that was twice as good. Don’t make that same mistake. Always wait to upgrade weapons until you have the Mk. III blueprint, since lower tier variants become obsolete very quickly as you progress through the story.
You can also find fully upgraded lethal weapons in hidden caches scattered across the map, usually located near abandoned research facilities or old military outposts. These caches are marked with small chiral graffiti on nearby rocks, so keep an eye out for them as you’re making deliveries. The weapons you find in these caches don’t require any crafting materials, so they’re a great way to get access to high-tier gear early without spending your resources.
Common Mistakes to Avoid With Lethal Weapons
A lot of new players make avoidable mistakes with lethal weapons that end up costing them perfect delivery ratings or even their entire cargo load. The most common mistake I see is carrying too many weapons on a single run. Every extra kg of weapon weight reduces your stamina and makes it harder to balance on rocky terrain, so you should never carry more than two lethal weapons on a standard delivery run. If you need extra weapons for a specific mission, you can store them at delivery nodes along your route so you don’t have to carry them the entire way.
Using lethal ammo against MULEs will raise your wanted level and cause more raiders to target your deliveries for the next 3 in-game hours. I learned this the hard way when I used a lethal sniper to take out a MULE that stole my cargo, and then had three groups of raiders chasing me for the rest of my run, which made me 45 minutes late to the delivery and lost my perfect rating. Stick to non-lethal stun ammo for MULE encounters unless you’re being attacked by a large group that you can’t outrun.
Another common mistake is not cleaning your weapons after BT encounters. Tar residue from BTs will jam your weapon after 3-4 shots if you don’t wipe it down with a cleaning kit, so always keep one cleaning kit in your pouch if you’re carrying lethal weapons through BT zones. It only takes 10 seconds to clean your weapon, and it can save you from being dragged into the tar mid-fight.
Optimal Lethal Weapon Loadouts for Different Run Types
The best lethal weapon loadout for you depends entirely on the type of delivery you’re making and the route you’re taking. For short distance local deliveries under 5 km that stay in low-risk areas, you don’t even need to carry a lethal weapon most of the time. If you do want to bring one for peace of mind, the MULE Disabler Shotgun with 10 rounds of ammo is more than enough to handle any small MULE groups you run into, and it’s light enough that it won’t impact your cargo capacity.
For long distance cross-region deliveries between 20 and 50 km, go with the Anti-BT Rifle Mk. III plus two reload packs of hematic ammo. This loadout weighs less than 5 kg total, so it won’t slow you down, and it’s capable of handling both small BT groups and stray MULEs you might encounter along the way. You can leave extra ammo at delivery nodes along your route if you’re worried about running out.
For high-risk deliveries to BT infested areas or PvP-enabled open world runs, you’ll want a slightly heavier loadout. Bring the Railgun Prototype plus one extra charge for large BTs, the Anti-BT Rifle Mk. III for smaller targets, and a stun sidearm for close combat. For PvP-enabled open world runs, add a sidearm stun pistol to your loadout to take down hostile players who try to hijack your cargo from behind. You should also leave 10% of your cargo space empty so you can move faster if you get chased by enemies.
At the end of the day, the right Death Stranding 2 lethal weapons will make your runs far less stressful, but you don’t need to collect every single weapon to be successful. Pick the ones that fit your usual delivery routes, upgrade them when you have extra materials, and don’t be afraid to leave a heavy weapon behind if it means you can carry more high-priority cargo. I’ve used these loadouts to complete 98% of my deliveries with perfect ratings, and they’ll work for you too, no matter if you’re a new player just starting out or a veteran porter looking to optimize your runs.
