Slaying Cycles Across Atropos: A Pro Gamer‘s Returnal Weapon Tier List
"Welcome back, Selene. Death is not your end."
As the icy voice repeated my name for the hundredth time, I rose wearily from the crash site ruins once more. Snow billowed in an eerie alien wind, revealing towering spires looming in the distance. Home called this frozen wasteland the Tower of Sisyphus. Early explorations taught me hostile automated sentries guarded each level ferociously. Their tracking rounds and energy shields thwarted my usual evasive talents swiftly.
I needed better weapons.
Luck shone however discovering technology resembling 3D printers within ancient alien structures. By offering various materials found on Atropos, these unusual machines produced firearms with randomly generated properties. I quickly discovered certain output traits dramatically augmented weapons – seemingly trivial bonuses stacking into profound transformation.
What gun reigns supreme though when honed perfectly across Returnal‘s endless gauntlet? As a professional eSports tournament champion devoted to mastering this planet‘s trials, I present my hierarchy gauging theoretical potential for each alien armament. May my harsh-earned insights serve fellow Repeating Explorers struggling to break the cruel cycles imposed upon us. This planet bends but does not break – we merely lack proper tools…for now.
God Tier – Reality Warpers
Electropylon Driver
DPS: 113 (Trait Dependent)
Effective Range: 50m
Recommended Traits: Pylon Web, Explosive Rot
No tool alters the fabric of fights faster than a perfectly Trait-boosted Driver enveloping entire zones in pure electron mayhem. Generate enough pylons and Sparkbeam chaining melts legions at a time. I distinctly recall an Overload salvo reducing a screenwide aerial swarm into ash under five seconds – less a gun than a handheld apocalypse.
But truly mastering the Driver means creative spatial arrangements. Curve pylons around corners or intersect long hallways to shred shielded Hoverjets. Establish rear lines obliterating newly spawned reinforcements. Adapt flows reactively protecting objectives or identified weak points. My effortless 32-pilot massacre securing Tower Site Four took minutes-long setup pivoting high ground.
Sheer power alone cannot overcome Returnal‘s cunning opposition without equal strategy. But for difficulty warping the Driver is peerless.
Mickey‘s Pro Tip: Stack damage over crowd control traits prioritizing individual targets first. Control secondary waves once showstoppers drop.
Top Tier – Specialist Destroyers
Pyroshell Caster
DPS: 89
Effective Range: 35m
Recommended Traits: Streamlined Chambers, Simmering Explosion
Long before mastering the Driver, I clung desperately to early exploder finds blessed by bouncy projectile traits. My journal logs 27 distinct boss collapses specifically thanking lucky grenade arcs churning the target into chunky salsa. Yeah, past survivors evident by records still prove luck shapes success. But consistent tournament victories demand reducing RNG influence through disciplined practice.
I stays frosty nowadays keeping high mobility shredding infantry from medium range while reserving shells for isolated heavies or clustered groups. The Pyroshell Caster requires restraint stifling instinct to rain full arcs nonstop. With proper timing between barrages, even elite enemies evaporate under calculated shell distribution. Just beware point blank blasts!
Thermogenic Launcher
DPS: 107
Effective Range: 45m
*Recommended Traits: Airborne Stabilizer, Auxiliary Guided Rockets
Whereas the Caster rewards poise, Thermogenic Launchers empower unloading full missile spread into the thick. I adore this gun giving cathartic "watches baddies go boom" gameplay perfect alleviating frustrations after multiple failed cycles. It really helps blasting ancient alien monsters in their stupid mouths mid-roar before they finish me off with legit bullshit undodgeable attacks for the zillionth time.
But explosions can‘t solve EVERY situation. Launchers ammo-hog targeting lone enemies, withering under sustained counterfire if caught reloading. Solution? MORE ROCKETS. I once obliterated an aerial bomber/turret combinant monstrosity by auxiliary volleying a dozen micro-rockets into its torso mid-flight, buying seconds to escape being cornered. Bless all seeking rockets gifts from the RNG gods!
Mickey‘s Pro Tip: Lead shots against moving targets rather than direct hits. Environmental splash damage fills gaps.
A Tier – Generalists
Tachyomatic Carbine
DPS: 73
Effective Range: 40m
*Recommended Traits: Retarget, Leeching Rounds
Ol‘ Reliable. Everyone‘s ginormous bullet hose maintains respectable output once you gather enough traits gifting increased projectile size, damage and bounce. I acknowledge scrub-level complaining about "shooting peashooter BB‘s" early on. But by utilizing the environment and properly staggering fire, the Carbine stops hordes far faster than newcomers realize once adapted. The fun truly unlocks returning projectiles to your location mid-dodge though!
But nostalgia aside, Carbine familiarity breeds comfort blanket complacency. Veterans know over-dependence risks disaster entering later Tower phases hosting deadlier opposition. Lean FULLY and fail adapting? That‘s how we get sloppy, then killed by some 400 foot abomination flattening everything in a five mile radius. The Carbine trains wheels coming off when world says "No."
Atropian Blade
DPS: 65
Effective Range: Adjacent Targets
*Special Move: Lance Flurry
I‘ll confess scoffing Selene‘s puny starter sword amongst Scouts‘ thermal walls and poisonous flora yielding such deadlier space-age offerings. But after an particularly humiliating ambush emptying all ordinance into seemingly harmless aerial puffballs got me temple-clapped by a three story king puffer, the Blade saved my bacon wrestling free close range. Turns out Atropos hosts ANGRY plants! Who knew?
Anyway, I stayed stubbornly old school several loops rocking blade-only runs. And lemme tell ya, that puppy cuts serious crap given opportunity! She‘ll pare through hordes like literal butter mid-dash once you learn proper timing and positioning. Goes double against shielders and force fields from point blank Immortal slashes. It ultimately plays second fiddle when heavy ordinance enters play, but remains forever a trusty backup in worst case scenarios.
Mickey‘s Pro Tip: The Blade can reflect certain enemy projectiles mid-flight while dashing! Risky but SO SATISFYING.
B Tier – Specialists
Rotgland Lobber
DPS: 124 (Overcharge)
Effective Range: 17-36m
*Recommended Traits: Caustic Rot, Explosive Rot
Unequivocally my most polarizing weapon. The Rotgland Lobber‘s charged bio-grenade launcher seems either godly beyond reason or utterly worthless between attempts based on environment…with little middle ground. Tight corner ambushes? Worthless. Long open spaces and clustered enemies? Delete bosses. Much past the optimal range though? Might as well hurl marshmallows.
But OH baby, acquiring Explosive Rot and watching entire rooms melt from chain reactions proves such glory. Lobber lift-off relies on maintaining proper spacing while advancing though. Get cornered by surprise hordes mid-charge without escapes? Total waste of a run. Ultimately it fills a narrow niche, but fills it magnificently. Just know your limits or die learning them fast.
Spitmaw Blaster
DPS: 89 (Close Range)
Effective Range: 20m
*Recommended Traits: Narrow Maw, Expanded Maw
The Spitmaw Scattergun resembles a conventional shotgun archetype, trading Range for Raw Damage. Funnel, Flachette and Narrow your arc tight shredding initial welcoming parties. But once the party starts rocking and foes close distances? PRAY you found the Expanded Maw…cause you‘ll want to start making space FAST once they enter melt zones.
It WRECKS no question. But also wrecks your face if caught sleeping, since backing up not advisable mid fire. I Watched an amazing run end pathetically cornered by a surprise Spiker ambush from behind, unable to retreat from their flood. Lesson learned: the Spitmaw owns hearts and minds, but should not be heart OR mind while wielding! Look alive!
Mickey‘s Pro Tip: Hip fire supports mobility while damaging approaching targets. Just watch that ammo count!
C Tier – Specialty Picks
Coilspine Shredder
DPS: 167
Effective Range: 60m
*Recommended Traits: Retarget, Auxiliary Projectiles
The Coilspine Shredder‘s sheer stopping power cannot be understated. I‘ve one-shot mid-tier elite jumpers from outrageous distances thanks to its tendancy ricocheting about. It screams authority with each thunderous discharge. But does all that force lack something subtler tools provide? As a Tournament player, consistency matters. And nothing kills consistency faster than missing shots, which the Coilspine demands excessively between mandatory reloads.
Wiffing wastes entire opportunities that quicker-repeating weapons easily recover from. Not to mention the inability strafing while aiming down sights. I Lost more flawless runs botching easy money shots trying to slide mid-charge than I care admitting. It fits certain playstyles…just not mine. All firepower in the world means nothing without precision behind it. But I cannot deny witnessing masters work magic at range.
Hollowseeker
DPS: 124 (Fully Stacked)
Effective Range: 40m
*Recommended Traits: Serrated Projectiles, Waves, Shards
I consider the Hollowseeker a teaching tool for ammo conservation and maximizing field coverage. Lean into greed early on, watch death arrive swiftly mid-clip once swarmed. But properly pace shots targeting threats sequentially, suddenly you command entire battlespaces! It just takes experience gauging proper firing tempos.
Once suitably Trait-boosted, cascading projectile chains erase opposition with little aiming required on your part. Effortless wins feel hollow though (heh). The gun kinda plays itself. I vastly prefer weapons allowing creative input. But again, can‘t deny appreciating a simple button masher once heads start pounding from depthless repetition! Easy mode‘s alluring, yet lack dynamics sustaining advanced player interest.
Mickey‘s Pro Tip: Focus isolated enemies first quickly before targeting dense groups. Prioritize threats!
D Tier – Last Resort Options
Pistol
DPS: 60
Effective Range: 100m
*Recommended Traits: Leeching Rounds, Auxiliary Rockets
I mean sure – it shoots forever and lets you kite across massive arenas safely plinking. But c‘mon. We vault these things first opportunity nine runs outta ten. Tracking Rockets add mild entertainment I guess letting you shoot behind while evading. But basic mode against scaling durability? The Pistol defines starter weapon syndrome, toeing the line of relevance until blessed by late run traits or ammo reserves dwindle mid-horde. Then suddenly you kiss the ground grateful finding Ol‘ Faithful by some poor corpse.
I still remember the shame swarm dying to a dozen pint-sized Hoverjerk divebombers, ammo bone dry across better hardware. Then being saved last second peppering them with infinite pistol pews. Luck reduced my dependence on luck while Lady Fortuna laughed. It stayed holstered until extraction skirting another disaster. But hey – not dying and learning to better conserve ammo? I‘ll call that a win.
Dreadbound
DPS: Power Overwhelming
Effective Range: Do Not Recommend
*Recommended Traits: UNSTABLE! REQUIRES PATCHING
I mean on paper, achieving exponential damage sounds amazing right? By manually charging each projectile, you scale killing potential until everything before you dies, forever trivializing all difficulty. What‘s the worst that could happen? Oh right – EVERYTHING.
This janky light crossbow stacks power so dangerously that the entire game unravels trying containing that damage escalation. I botched optimizing my build so profoundly that the entire Tower glitched into the planet‘s orbit as my shots ruptured holes in reality itself! Selene got stranded in dead space endlessly suffocating across broken floating islands until the next loop reset cartesian physics. Whoops!
So uh, maybe don‘t try breaking that which harnesses fundamental forces binding existence together? Atropian weapons clearly draw from an arsenal transcending mortal designs. I Cannot recommend messing with Dreadbound further. Selene deserves some peace halfway understanding her cursed situation before some idiot implodes the entire universe. Oh Scarlet Nexus is so rad once extracted fully! Ciao!
And there you have it – favorites, trap picks and total head-scratchers across my countless expeditions into Atropos! Hopefully insights help kickstart your own signature build steering Selene toward answers and the path home. This planet seeks to break you only as badly as you allow. Learn from failure, optimize judiciously and survive this torment yet my friends! The secrets etched across alien stone seem so close now…
Game on escapists! Let none say we didn‘t try grasping light before the long last loop!
