Fortnite players have concluded that the Thunder Burst SMG is the best assault rifle in the Battle Royale compared to the actual ARs available.
Fortnite’s weapon pool is rather extensive, with plentiful variants of assault rifles, sniper rifles, and submachine guns to give players an edge toward the coveted Victory Royale. Speaking of assault rifles, the pool feels diluted with no standout option that clears the rest.
Enter the Thunder Burst SMG, the three-round burst weapon introduced at the beginning of Chapter 5. While many were iffy when it debuted as part of the new chapter, it’s finally found its niche, as Fortnite’s subreddit dubbed it the “best AR in the game right now.“
On paper, the Thunder Burst SMG isn’t amazing compared to the actual assault rifles available. Its base has lower damage-per-second and a higher TTK than the suite of assault rifles in the game. That said, the AR loot pool is divisive, as many shared the Warforged has too much recoil while the Tactical does too little damage.
What sets the Thunder Burst apart is its 1.75x headshot damage multiplier, which is rather fierce. When weapon mods are attached, it makes this weapon incredibly viable at nearly every range completely defying the SMG label.
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Many of the replies echoed the above sentiment. One player said the addition of a laser gives it nearly “100% accuracy while hip-firing.”
Another added that the foregrip makes it “soo good at long-range.” Others chimed in with their dream setups, as Fortnite’s player base rallied behind the Thunder Burst SMG.
We had the Thunder Burst SMG in the B-Tier segment of our Fortnite weapon rankings last season, due to its slower rate of fire. However, it seems everyone loves a good comeback story, or when weapons find their niche in Fortnite.
