Whilst Left 4 Dead 2 might feature a variety of weapons, many of these have a functionally identical twin. For example, both the T1 SMGs are very similar, as are both pairs of shotguns, and to a certain extent the Hunting Rifle and Military Sniper. In addition, there are a few weapons which are outright better than their peers, and are popular meta choices due to their unrivalled strength; these weapons often excel in all situations, unlike other weapons which have clearly defined strengths and weaknesses.

TAO aims to address this by following these principles
· Most weapons will have obvious strengths and weaknesses, being good in some situations and worse in others. This lets players specialize in a particular role, and makes relying on your teammates more important in cases where you don't have a weapon well suited to the threat you're dealing with.
· Similar weapons have been made more distinct from each other. Most notably, several primary weapons have been reworked into secondaries, and others have had their stats exaggerated to make their particular strengths stand out more.
· Problematic weapons have been addressed and brought back in line with their peers. Whilst their trademark strengths may be preserved, additional weaknesses have been introduced to limit their power.

Below is a brief description of how each weapon compares to its vanilla counterpart, and what role is serves within the balance of TAO. There's also a few basic stats to give an idea as to how it might perform.



Damage: How much damage each bullet deals.

Firing Speed: How long, in seconds, you have to wait after firing a shot before you can fire again.

Reload Speed: How long, in seconds, it takes to reload the weapon when it's out of ammo.

DPS: How much damage a weapon deals on average per second if you fire the entire clip and reload.

Clip Size: How many bullets the weapon can fire before it needs to reload.

Reserve Ammo: How many extra bullets the weapon has.

Accuracy: A rough indicator of how likely a weapon is to hit a target. Higher accuracy means increased effectiveness at longer distances.

Damage Potential: How much damage the weapon can deal if every bullet hits its target.

Other Features: In some cases, a weapon might have an extra bonus that isn't made clear from stats alone. It will be listed here.



Highly accurate and with plenty of ammo to spare, the Silenced SMG is well suited to dealing mid range chip damage and picking off key targets at a distance.

Damage: 25
Firing Speed: 0.085
Reload Speed: 2.27
DPS: 192
Clip Size: 50
Reserve Ammo: 650
Accuracy: High
Damage Potential: 17500


Reworked to contrast the Silenced SMG, the MP5 now hits much harder, though it has a smaller clip size and slower firing rate, as well as reduced accuracy. In terms of functionality, it bridges the gap between the SMGs and Assault Rifles.

Damage: 35
Firing Speed: 0.11
Reload Speed: 3.07
DPS: 150
Clip Size: 25
Reserve Ammo: 650
Accuracy: Moderate
Damage Potential: 23625


Remaining as the only T1 shotgun, the Pump trades some accuracy for a few extra pellets per shot. It now also deals no damage at long distances.

Damage: 25 x 12
Firing Speed: 1
Reload Speed: 4.2
DPS: Varies, usually around 215
Clip Size: 8
Reserve Ammo: 72
Accuracy: Low
Damage Potential: Varies, usually around 24000


The Autoshotgun and Combat Shotgun have been adjusted to feel distinct from one another. The Autoshotgun now has a much tighter spread, and its clip size has been reduced to 8 shells. It also deals no damage at long distances. Compared to the Combat Shotgun, it's better for taking out tightly packed groups of enemies at close range.

Damage: 23 x 11
Firing Speed: 0.15
Reload Speed: 3.2
DPS: Varies, usually around 450
Clip Size: 8
Reserve Ammo: 90
Accuracy: Moderate
Damage Potential: Varies, usually around 24794

Similarly to the Pump Shotgun, the Combat Shotgun has had both its strengths and weaknesses multiplied, firing more pellets in a wider cone. It also deals no damage at long distances. Compared to the Autoshotgun, it's better for dropping whatever is right in front of you.

Damage: 28 x 11
Firing Speed: 0.15
Reload Speed: 4.0
DPS: Varies, usually around 550
Clip Size: 10
Reserve Ammo: 90
Accuracy: Low
Damage Potential: Varies, usually around 30800


The Hunting Rifle has undergone several smaller changes. Its reserve ammo has been increased to 180 rounds. It has also received a damage and accuracy buff, but its firing speed and clip size have been slightly reduced. It's great for picking off a specific target at long range, such as a special infected, or for thinning out a distant horde. Whilst it lacks the DPS and clip size of the Military Sniper, it has a much higher damage potential over longer periods of time.

Damage: 115
Firing Speed: 0.35
Reload Speed: 3.13
DPS: 188
Clip Size: 12
Reserve Ammo: 180
Accuracy: High
Damage Potential: 22080
Other Features: Scope


The Military Sniper has been reworked into a DMR style weapon. It boasts a much higher rate of fire, but its damage and penetration have been nerfed to reduce its ability to shred through hordes and tanks. Its accuracy has also been adjusted, with it being slightly less accurate by default, but with a faster recovery after each shot. It excels at single target elimination and for dealing with common infected during defensive holdouts.

Damage: 45
Firing Speed: 0.1
Reload Speed: 3.3
DPS: 214
Clip Size: 30
Reserve Ammo: 180
Accuracy: High
Damage Potential: 9450
Other Features: Scope


A jack of all trades assault rifle, the M16 has received a few major buffs, offset by some minor nerfs. Both its damage and accuracy have been increased, greatly improving its effectiveness at long range, against specials, and while on the move. Its clip size has been reduced to 40 rounds, and its firing speed has been slightly reduced. The M16 performs well in all situations against any number of targets.

Damage: 38
Firing Speed: 0.095
Reload Speed: 2.2
DPS: 253
Clip Size: 40
Reserve Ammo: 360
Accuracy: High
Damage Potential: 15200


The AK47 has been toned down so as to not overshadow the other rifles. Its key strengths are its high damage and DPS. However, the AK47 becomes much less accurate the more it's fired, so firing full auto against mid range targets can prove ineffective. It's best used in situations where there's an easy target right in your face, like a Tank or Charger.

Damage: 61
Firing Speed: 0.14
Reload Speed: 2.5
DPS: 273
Clip Size: 30
Reserve Ammo: 360
Accuracy: Moderate
Damage Potential: 23790


The Desert Rifle functions almost completely differently to its vanilla counterpart. It can be fired as a burst rifle or fully automatic rifle thanks to an adjusted firing speed, and it also boasts pinpoint accuracy and a very high damage per bullet, letting it fill the niche between the assault rifles and sniper rifles. Much like a sniper rifle however, it has a low reserve ammo count and far less bullets in the clip, making every shot matter and punishing misses.

Damage: 65
Firing Speed: 0.1
Reload Speed: 3.3
DPS: 310
Clip Size: 30
Reserve Ammo: 210
Accuracy: High
Damage Potential: 15600


Serving a new purpose as a light machine gun, the SG552 has plenty of ammo to burn and the fire rate to burn it. Though it lacks the damage per bullet of the other rifles, it's the perfect choice for spray and pray tactics or holding down a choke point. With the new ammo sharing mechanic, the SG552 can also fill a support role by supplying ammo to teammates using other rifles, since it has plenty to spare.

Damage: 24
Firing Speed: 0.085
Reload Speed: 3.4
DPS: 188
Clip Size: 80
Reserve Ammo: 650
Accuracy: Moderate
Damage Potential: 17520
Other Features: Scope


Generally considered to be one of the worst weapons in the game, the AWP has been given its own niche as a dedicated special infected killer. A significant damage buff allows it to kill most special infected in a single shot, and put a huge dent in the health bars of Tanks and Witches. Its clip size has been dropped to 5, and its reserve ammo has been dropped to 72. If you need something dead as soon as possible, there's no better choice than the AWP.

Damage: 600
Firing Speed: 1.2
Reload Speed: 3.66
DPS: 310
Clip Size: 5
Reserve Ammo: 72
Accuracy: High
Damage Potential: 46200
Other Features: Scope


Being reworked once more, the M60 acts as a cross between the AK47 and the SG552. It has a high clip size, plenty of damage and fires multiple bullets at once, but it becomes much less accurate when fired in full auto. It can also have its ammo refilled from ammo piles, and you'll be switched to your secondary when at low ammo to avoid dropping the M60. It reigns supreme in terms of point blank DPS, but struggles significantly against mid range targets.

Damage: 35 x 3
Firing Speed: 0.11
Reload Speed: 2.5
DPS: Varies, can be as high as 650
Clip Size: 50
Reserve Ammo: 180
Accuracy: Low
Damage Potential: 24150


Like the M60, the grenade launcher has been reverted to behave more like it does in vanilla. However, it now has a more noticable projectile arc in exchange for increased damage. It can also be refilled from ammo piles.

Damage: 700
Firing Speed: N/A
Reload Speed: 3.3
DPS: Varies based on targets hit
Clip Size: 1
Reserve Ammo: 30
Accuracy: High, but fires an arcing projectile
Damage Potential: Varies based on targets hit
Other Features: Splash Damage