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SMG

RangedGunTiers I–IV

Unlock: Available from the start
Starting weapon for: 30 characters

Community builds that use it

ApprenticeLevel-ups give every damage stat, so hybrid weapons pay off: Plank, Lightning Shiv and Cacti Club, or SMG/Double Barrel Shotgun and Slingshot for ranged. Take Luck to reach the higher Max HP level-ups.
BuilderThe Builder's Turret copies your best ranged weapon, so upgrade Slingshot (or Revolver/SMG) and leave materials uncollected until the turret is maxed around wave 12; buy Engineering items rather than damage.
CaptainStay on one to three weapons for most of the run to boost level-ups and XP, buy every XP item, and add weapons late; Spear, Javelin and Shredder are recommended starts. Luck makes level-ups better.
CreatureCurse provides flat damage, so stack Curse and lock shop items so they become cursed, with Fish Hook to get more. SMG or other ranged weapons tolerate the Range loss best; Javelin is a reported alternative, and capped Dodge protects against cursed enemies.
CyborgKeep the Minigun, add guns that scale with Ranged Damage and Engineering weapons (Wrench or Plank), and put upgrades into Ranged Damage rather than Engineering, since Ranged Damage converts to Engineering mid-wave.
FishermanPrimitive melee with reach, Spear or Stick, to cut through the bait swarms; take few Bait early, build Luck and Harvesting, then raise Bait later. Armor early and up to 60% Dodge by waves 15-18 are recommended; Spiky Shield and gun builds also appear.
GangsterSteal items each shop and kill the elites it spawns; guides favour ranged weapons (SMG, Revolver) to handle those elites, with Luck early so stolen items are better. Avoid stealing right before elite or boss waves until the build is strong.
GeneralistPair three melee and three ranged weapons that scale with flat damage, such as Cacti Club or Spear with Slingshot, SMG or Javelin, and favour items that give both Melee and Ranged Damage. Ghost weapon and crit (Knife/Shuriken) combinations are also reported.
LichDamage comes from healing scaled by Max HP, so stack Max HP, HP Regeneration and Life Steal and use weapons that trigger healing often or scale with HP: elemental burn with Snake and Scared Sausage, Slingshot, Chopper or Spiky Shield. Sources differ on the main weapon.
LoudThe extra enemies supply materials, so skip Harvesting and pick weapons that handle crowds: Spear, Jousting Lance, Lightning Shiv and Thief Dagger for melee, Double Barrel Shotgun, Shredder, SMG or Slingshot for ranged. Take items that add more enemies.
MutantLevel-ups supply most stats because items cost 50% more, so buy only key items, take Luck for better upgrades and rush all six weapons early. Quarterstaff scales with level; SMG, Double Barrel Shotgun or Minigun with Ranged Damage from upgrades are the gun route.
One-ArmedWith a single weapon and doubled modifiers, pick one that handles crowds: Slingshot or Lightning Shiv are the safe choices, SMG for high-roll Ranged Damage runs. Focus and Silver Bullet suit the one-weapon setup; switch to Nuclear Launcher or a legendary when offered.
RangerGun build that stacks Ranged Damage (boosted 50%), % Damage and Attack Speed; SMG is the usual pick, with Double Barrel Shotgun, Revolver and Minigun also recommended. A Crossbow variant instead stacks Range and Crit Chance and skips Ranged Damage.
RenegadeUse single-projectile weapons that gain most from the +2 projectiles: SMG with Ranged Damage and Life Steal, Revolver or Laser Gun, or Ghost Scepter. Buy every new tier-1 item to offset the -80% Damage; explosive guns, Javelin and Flute builds are also reported.
RomanticCharm triggers below 25% enemy HP and scales with Max HP, so build Max HP alongside an ordinary ranged setup; SMG with early Ranged Damage and Sharp Bullet is the easiest, Slingshot or Spoon the alternatives. Dodge is needed.
SickUse fast or multi-hit weapons so Life Steal outpaces the 1 HP-per-second drain: SMG, Slingshot or Lightning Shiv, with Bandana and other piercing items. Never buy Weird Ghost.
SoldierStand still to shoot and move only to dodge: Double Barrel Shotgun, SMG or Revolver with lots of Ranged Damage plus some Max HP, Dodge or Life Steal. Javelins (scaling with Melee Damage) are another reported option.
StreamerStand still with a ranged weapon (SMG early, Revolver late, or Slingshot) and invest in Ranged Damage, or run an Engineering Wrench build that never levels damage stats; every structure item adds Armor. Do not start waves holding very large material piles.
VampireStay at low HP to boost damage and heal only through Life Steal; Spiky Shield, Stick, Lightning Shiv, Sharp Tooth or SMG are suggested, with Armor and some Dodge. Aim to keep HP around a third to half.
Well-RoundedNo restrictions, so any build works; the common picks are six SMGs or Double Barrel Shotguns with Ranged Damage, or Sticks/Spears as a primitive melee fallback. Take early Luck and Harvesting, then split between offence and defence.
WoundedOne hit ends the run, so use long-range high-DPS guns: SMG, Double Barrel Shotgun, Icicle or Rail Gun, prioritising Ranged Damage and Range. Laser Guns are advised for Nightmare, where a mutated enemy releases bullets when struck by ranged attacks.

Stats by tier

Tier I Common
Damage
3 (+50% Ranged Damage)
Cooldown
0.167s
Crit
x1.5 (1% chance)
Range
400
Tier II Uncommon
Damage
4 (+60% Ranged Damage)
Cooldown
0.167s
Crit
x1.5 (1% chance)
Range
400
Tier III Rare
Damage
5 (+70% Ranged Damage)
Cooldown
0.167s
Crit
x1.5 (1% chance)
Range
400
Tier IV Legendary
Damage
8 (+80% Ranged Damage)
Cooldown
0.15s
Crit
x1.5 (1% chance)
Range
400

Damage in brackets is added from your stats before %Damage multiplies the total; see the damage formula or the calculator.

DPS at tier IV

53.6 DPS with no stats, 160.8 at 20 Ranged Damage and 321.6 at 50 (single target, every projectile hits, crits averaged): #7 of 29 weapons that scale with Ranged Damage. Full ranking or your own stats.

Builds that rank it in their top five

Characters that can start with it

Class set bonuses

Gun

2 weapons: +10 Range
3 weapons: +20 Range
4 weapons: +30 Range
5 weapons: +40 Range
6 or more: +50 Range

Each step replaces the previous one. All class bonuses.

Other Gun weapons

Guides that mention it

Source

Brotato Wiki, SMG, generated from the game files. The 12 November 2026 patch changed no weapon numbers. Reviewed 12 November 2026.