Hitman is a franchise that promotes stealth first and foremost. Each level is designed so that you can sneak in, take out your target, and leave without attracting much attention. Whether you’re infiltrating a fashion show in Paris, a race in Miami, or a hospital in Hokkaido, the aim is to get in and get out. 

There are many mission stories the player can follow that promote opportunities like pushing your target off a building or trapping them in a hot sauna, yet there are many, many more opportunities than what’s on the surface. This is the case for Hitman 2016, the first title in the “World of Assassination” trilogy. 

Part of the reason this game has so many different means of assassination is because of its wide arsenal of weapons the player can take into the level. You can very easily bring in a sniper rifle and shoot the target atop a high building or bring in some shurikens to throw at the target as you’re passing by. There are so many weapons to choose from, and each one proves to be good at its own individual thing. So, here’s a ranking of, in my opinion, the 10 best weapons in Hitman 2016.

10. Shuriken (best for throwing at medium range)

Though the Shuriken is a weapon you will probably look past, it can be a great addition to your starting loadout.

The Shuriken is an item that is easily glossed over. It can be unlocked by reaching level 7 mastery in Hokkaido, and I can certainly say that it’s never my first thought when planning what to take into a mission, but the Shurikens are a lot better than you’d think. And they’re pretty cool looking, so they feel satisfying to use. 

The Shuriken is a lethal weapon that can be thrown or used in melee combat. They’re best used for being thrown at your target, though. With how easy it is for Agent 47 to lock onto a target, it’s guaranteed that you’ll take them out within a matter of seconds and get away in the process. Also, when choosing the Shuriken, it comes equipped with three of them. That’s what makes the Shuriken better than, say, a screwdriver, because you automatically have three in your loadout. 

Now, the Shuriken isn’t as good as any of the guns on this list, nor is it as iconic as other weapons, but it’s still a solid option that can be trusted. It can still achieve some silent assassinations too if you sneak behind a target, so there’s a lot that the shuriken excels in.

•     Taking out the target with a lethal throw
•     Looking cool
•     Coming with three in your loadout

Perks:

•     Lethal melee
•     Lethal throw

9. Fiber Wire (best for close-range silent assassinations) 

The Fiber Wire is nothing short of icnonic. Besides it being a useful weapon for silent assassinations, it's been Agent 47's most trusted asset since the start of the franchise.

The Fiber Wire is one of the only weapons that has stayed put throughout the entire Hitman franchise. It’s been part of the basic loadout since Hitman: Codename 47, so it’s not a Hitman game without going into a mission with one in your inventory. No unlocking needed. The Fiber Wire is just iconic and Agent 47’s most trusted tool. 

And trusted is probably a fitting name for it. There’s not much to go wrong with using the Fiber Wire. Yeah, it doesn’t have as much of a spectacle or as many uses as a sniper rifle, for example, but it’s one of the best weapons to bring for silently taking out a target. 

With the Fiber Wire, you can sneak behind your target and choke them to death in a matter of seconds. Without attracting any attention, might I add. And once the target has successfully crossed paths with the murderous 47, you’re automatically carrying them with the Fiber Wire, eliminating the time needed to pick them up as you drag them to a closet or dumpster to hide the body. No wonder it’s Agent 47’s favorite weapon. 

The Fiber Wire excels in: 

•     Quickly taking out the target
•     Automatically dragging the target for ease of hiding
•     Silent assassinations

The Fiber Wire doesn’t have any special stats or perks, but it’s an iconic weapon with great silent-assassin gameplay. Just as Agent 47 would have wanted.

8. ICA19 Silverballer (best for medium-range combat)

You can't go wrong with the ICA19 Silverballer. Its sleek design and utility makes it worthy of Agent 47's appreciation.

The ICA19 Silverballer is another weapon you will most likely be entering the game with. For good reason, though. It’s a solid pistol that every hitman should have on their person at all times. And what can go wrong with the sleek design of its silver plating? 

The Silverballer does many things right. It’s a silenced pistol, meaning you won’t attract any attention when using it. Not to mention it’s easy to unlock, only needing a level 10 mastery in Paris. I think it’s the perfect tool for taking out a target from a decently far distance. Even if you’re caught in open combat, the Silverballer is a great weapon to get you out of a tight situation. It has the steady aim perk also, meaning there’s improved accuracy while aiming. So, those quick headshots are easy to get. 

It's also a classic weapon that can be seen in many games in the franchise. It’s Agent 47’s most beloved pistol, and there’s a reason for that. The ICA19 Silverballer excels in a lot. 

•     Silent shots
•     Shooting at short, medium, and sometimes long range 
•     Getting the player out of a tight situation

Perks: 

•     Suppressor 
•     Steady Aim

7. Krugermeier 2-2 (best for tactical medium-range combat)

The Krugermeier 2-2 is another gun you can't go wrong with. Though it doesn't have as much utility as the Silverballer, its subsonic quality makes up for it.

The Krugermeier 2-2 is a very interesting weapon. It can be unlocked by reaching level 20 mastery in Bangkok, so you will have to work for it, but I promise it’s worth it. 

The Krugermeier is a silenced pistol with a low fire rate and damage output. It doesn’t sound all that special, until I mention why it’s worty of its placement on this list. It has the subsonic perk, which makes the Krugermeier the most silent pistol in the game – the entire WOA trilogy, in fact. You can take out the target or guards without attracting any attention at all, unless you’re standing literally right next to an NPC. 

What I think the Krugermeier excels at, though, is shooting security cameras and other obstacles. You can be just a few feet behind a guard, shoot the camera down, and continue on your way. It’s the perfect gun for keeping silent. There’s a lot to expect from this gun. 

•     Extremely silent shots
•     Shooting down cameras and obstacles
•     Not attracting attention

Perks: 

•     Suppressor
•     Subsonic

6. Custom 5mm (best for sneaking through frisk)

The Custom 5mm is also more of a gimmick weapon, but again, its gimmick of being able to sneak it through frisk makes this weapon great.

The Custom 5mm looks more like a toy gun than anything, but don’t let that deceive you. It can be unlocked by reaching level 5 mastery in Hokkaido. This is another weapon that is fairly unique and, though it lacks in many aspects, its gimmick makes up for it.

The Custom 5mm’s gimmick is that it can be snuck through frisk. That’s actually a pretty amazing quality if you think about it. It happens all the time where I’ll try to go through a gate but have to turn around and hide my pistol in a trash can or else I’ll be detained. With the Custom 5mm, you will never have to do that. 

The downside of it being a toy-like gun that the guards will look past is that it only has five rounds, but you might not need any more than that. It also has the suppressor perk, meaning those five rounds will be silenced. You’ll need that in those guarded areas you’re sneaking it into. That’s just one of the many things the Custom 5mm excels at. 

•     Undetectable during frisk
•     Suppressed fire
•     Sneaking past guards

Perks: 

•     Suppressor

5. ICA Explosive Phone (best for tactical assassinations)

The ICA Explosive Phone is the perfect weapon for tactical gameplay. Because it looks like a normal phone, the target will pick it up and keep it with them until the player sets it off.

The ICA Explosive Phone is an item with many, many uses. It can be unlocked by reaching level 10 mastery in Bangkok, so again, it’s an item you’ll have to put in a little work for. But it’s very much worth it. 

It may seem like a regular explosive upon first glance, but it’s a lot more than just a rubber duck or block of C-4. When tossed, the nearest NPC (target, perhaps) will pick it up and keep it on their person for the rest of the game. To activate it, you call the phone, and when the holder picks it up, it explodes. This is amazing, because then you can wait for the perfect moment to detonate it. The holder, therefore, becomes a ticking bomb. 

This offers many tactical plays. You can wait for the holder to get near another target and then detonate, taking them both out, or just detonate the one target when they’re in a more isolated area. The explosive phone can also be used as a distraction as the nearest NPC will walk over to pick it up. Just make sure you pick it up before they do. There’s just so much the Explosive Phone excels in. 

•     Tactical gameplay
•     Timed assassinations
•     Distracting NPCs

Perks: 

•     Explosive Device
•     Non-Lethal Throw

4. TAC-SMG Covert (best for close/medium range combat)

A tutorial on how to unlock the TAC-SMG Covert. It's a little more difficult to unlock than most weapons on this list, but I promise it's worth it.

The TAC-SMG Covert is just an all-around great weapon. It’s a light-weight modern submachine gun that can get you out of any sticky situation with ease. It’s a gun any hitman would love.

This is a gun that’s made for more open combat. It’s not as stealthy as, say, the Krugermeier, but you can still be stealthy with the TAC-SMG Covert. I picked the Covert mainly because of its suppressed perk, meaning it’s silenced. That puts it above its other variants, in my opinion, because you can take out an entire room without attracting any attention from anyone on the outside. 

And taking out an entire room is what you can easily do with this weapon. It’s still a submachine gun, so it’s much faster than a pistol. Though you most likely won’t be using the TAC-SMG Covert in every mission, it’s a very solid weapon to bring. You can choose to be stealthy with it or complete a kill-everyone challenge. It excels at everything the player wants it to. 

•     Stealthy combat
•     Succeeds in open fire
•     Easily takes down crowds

Perks: 

•     Steady Aim
•     Suppressor

3. Jaeger 7 Lancer (best for long-range combat)

The Jaeger 7 Lancer is one of the best snipers in the game. Though it doesn't have a very close zoom, it has a powerful shot that can take out a target in one hit.

Now, we’re really getting into weapons that have no clear answer as to which is better. It’s hard to say whether the Jaeger 7 Lancer is better than the TAC-SMG Covert or the next two weapons, but since this is all a matter of opinion and analysis, I think the Lancer deserves its spot at #3. 

The Lancer can be unlocked by reaching level 20 mastery in Sapienza. Perfect, because Sapienza is one of the best maps to use this sniper rifle om. It has two levels of zoom, which isn’t a lot compared to the next sniper on this list, but it’s still a very accurate weapon. It’s made more for damage than stealth as it has the piercing perk, which means shooting the target anywhere on the body will result in an assassination. That’s what makes up for just the two levels of zoom; you don’t need a headshot. 

This weapon is perfect for hiding out atop a high building to shoot your target from afar. It’s so easy to find a good vantage point and take out the target without getting too close to them. And sniper rifle kills are super iconic when it comes to making kills as a hitman. So, the Lancer excels in a lot.

•     Long distance kills
•     Body-shot assassinations
•     Not attracting any suspicion

Perks: 

•     Piercing
•     Marksman 
•     Variable Scope

2. Enram HV Covert (best for close-range combat) 

The Enram HV Covert is another amazing weapon that can do pretty much everything. And what's cooler than a silenced shotgun?

The Enram HV Covert sounds like a contradiction, but I guess anything is possible in a Hitman game. As a silenced shotgun, it’s one of the best weapons in the game in my opinion. It can be unlocked by reaching level 10 mastery in Bangkok.

Like I said, a silenced shotgun sounds like a contradiction. Usually, shotguns are known for being unbearably loud and attracting a lot of attention. Most shotguns in Hitman are like that, but with the Covert, you get all the damage output while still keeping your stealth. 

If you get close enough, you can take out a target with one hit to the back. It’s the perfect weapon for those that aren’t sure whether they want to enter the mission guns-blazing or to try and be stealthy. Honestly, both are viable options with this amazing weapon. It just excels at so much. 

•     High damage output
•     Silent shots
•     Option for stealthy or loud gameplay

Perks: 

•     Suppressor

1. Sieger 300 Ghost (best for long-range assassinations)

A tutorial on how to unlock the Sieger 300 Ghost. Like the TAC-SMG Covert, it's a little trickier to unlock, but as probably the best weapon in the game, it's worth the effort.

And finally, at the number 1 spot, we have objectively the best sniper rifle in Hitman 2016. It’s probably already well-known because there’s nothing this rifle can’t do. 

The Sieger 300 Ghost has a whopping four perks. Not only does it have four levels of zoom, meaning you can take shots from the other end of the map with ease, it also has the subsonic quality, meaning it is almost entirely silent. There’s nothing to dislike about this weapon. You can shoot the target from afar atop a high building or take shots closer to the target, as you won’t be drawing any attention. It’s hard to unlock, that’s for sure, but it’s too amazing to pass up. 

It's only a matter of opinion whether a sniper is better than a shotgun, but when it comes to a Hitman game, a sniper always wins in my opinion. It’s just such a classic Hitman move to take out the target without being anywhere near them. And this gun, the Sieger 300 Ghost, just excels at so, so much. 

•     Extremely silent shots 
•     Stealthy gameplay
•     Never missing a shot with 4x zoom

Perks: 

•     Extended Scope
•     Suppressor
•     Subsonic
•     Marksman

All the guns on this list are great in their own right. You may find a Fiber Wire more useful than a shotgun; it all just depends on your style of gameplay. But with how many ways there are to play this game, it’s hard to pin one against the other. I still think I found the best weapons in Hitman 2016 though, and I hope you agree. 

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