MENACE Best Weapons: Rifle and Special Weapon Guide

Rifles That Anchor Your Squad Loadouts

MENACE best weapons can turn a stalled firefight into a clean advance, but range and armor penetration matter as much as damage. Choosing the right gun matters because every loadout competes for limited supply points. This MENACE best weapons guide starts with dependable squad rifles, then covers specialized firepower and budget replacements.

The weapon comparisons account for combat roles and deployment costs using the v0.7.16 balancing changes through v0.7.17. Squad rifles provide a foundation for rifle squads; specialized weapons and temporary equipment fill different needs. Match each weapon to its job before comparing raw damage.

Name	Strengths and trade-offs
R10A6 K-PAC Assault Rifle	Strong all-around squad weapon with better armor penetration, suppression, and rate of fire than the starting carbine.
BR3A3 Kr-BaR "Crowbar"	Long range, hard-hitting bullets, strong penetration, and suppression; weaker close-range accuracy and a slower rate of fire limit flexibility.
R14A2 ARC	Higher HP and armor damage than the K-PAC, with a shorter engagement range; v0.7.16 increased armor penetration to 25.

R10A6 K-PAC: Start With a Flexible Rifle

The K-PAC offers versatility. It improves several important characteristics over the C1A2-SPC Carbine without forcing the squad into a dedicated close-range or marksman role.

Replace carbines on squads that rely on their standard weapons for damage. Keep the K-PAC as your default when you need mid-range firepower, then equip other squads to cover longer sightlines and close approaches.

Avoid spreading your early upgrades evenly across every unit. Prioritize the squads actually delivering rifle fire; a special-weapons team has different equipment needs.

Crowbar: Put Its Range to Work

The Crowbar hits hard per bullet and can damage light vehicles such as pirate trucks. Its lower rate of fire makes clearing numerous enemies harder than its damage alone suggests.

Position a Crowbar squad behind your close-range units. Let those units handle enemies that get inside the battle rifle’s comfortable engagement distance.

The balance update reduced ammunition from 12 to 10 and raised the standard Crowbar’s supply cost from 9 to 11. Keep those changes in mind when budgeting sustained fire support.

R14A2 ARC: Trade Reach for Armor Damage

The ARC fits a more aggressive rifle squad. Its higher HP and armor damage come with less range than the K-PAC.

Move it toward engagements where that shorter reach becomes less restrictive. Keep longer-range support nearby instead of asking every ARC squad to cross open ground under fire.

The MENACE best weapons decision here comes down to engagement distance: equip a balanced rifle line, then add specialization where the mission demands it.

Official page: MENACE (menacegame.com)

Powerful Weapons With Specific Jobs

The next MENACE best weapons picks reward deliberate positioning and clear target selection. These weapons bring strong precision damage, suppression, or close-range output, but their roles demand more planning than a general-purpose rifle.

Image: Steam / Overhype Studios

Name	Strengths and trade-offs
IAR Infantry Automatic Rifle	Damage increased to 25, armor penetration to 40, suppression to 30, and ideal range to 7.
SR41 KASS	Damage increased to 55, with an additional 20% critical hit chance on Aimed Shot; sniper rifles require stationary firing.
Plasma Rifle	Counters heavy infantry and light vehicles while weakening vehicle or building armor; limited ammunition and weak suppression demand accurate shooting.
M320 SSW SOC Light Machinegun	Suppression increased to 15 and ammunition to 10; its accuracy penalty fell to -5 and supply cost to 35.
Griffin MK1MOD1	Strong close-quarters option with ideal range increased to 3, repetitions increased to 6, and supply cost reduced to 18.
Rocket Launcher	High accuracy and penetration support attacks on vehicles and hardpoints; stationary firing, limited ammunition, and price restrict flexibility.

IAR and M320: Build a Useful Support Squad

The IAR received substantial improvements across damage, penetration, and suppression. Its maximum range also increased from 9 to 10, while trade value dropped from 120 to 90.

Use that reach to support advancing squads. Select targets that let you contribute from your established firing position rather than spending movement chasing a closer engagement.

The M320 SSW SOC supplies suppression with improved accuracy and ammunition capacity. Light machineguns can operate on the move, giving assaulting units support without the stationary firing requirement of medium machineguns.

Choose between these tools around the squad’s task. Compare range, suppression, and supply requirements before committing equipment points.

SR41 KASS: Support the Fight From Range

The SR41 KASS combines its increased damage with a critical-hit bonus on Aimed Shot. In v0.7.16, critical hits also gained 50% increased armor penetration.

Select exposed enemies or targets moving between cover. Heavy frontal cover still creates problems for sniper rifles, and their low suppression on missed shots makes accuracy especially valuable.

Pair precision weapons with the revised Take Aim perk where available. It delays the unit’s activation while granting 10% accuracy and 30% critical hit chance.

Plasma and Rockets: Give Armor a Dedicated Answer

Plasma rifles damage armored targets and reduce the armor of vehicles or buildings with each hit. Their limited ammunition makes speculative shooting expensive in practical terms.

Assign the plasma rifle to a competent shooter. Follow successful armor-damaging attacks with other units rather than treating the weapon as a suppression tool.

Use rocket launchers against the vehicles and hardpoints they specialize in. Establish a firing position before you need the shot, since conventional rocket launchers require the squad to remain stationary.

Griffin MK1MOD1: Commit to Close Combat

The Griffin’s increased ideal range, additional repetition, and lower deployment cost strengthen its close-quarters role. Tap Fire also gained an ideal range increase from 4 to 5.

Support its approach with smoke and scouting. Keep enough action points available for the squad’s attack instead of spending the entire activation reaching the enemy.

When comparing MENACE best weapons for assault squads, account for how safely you can reach their effective range.

Useful Specialists and Budget Alternatives

These entries in this MENACE best weapons list cover particular tactical needs. Several offer inexpensive flexibility; others carry drawbacks that demand careful handling.

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Name	Strengths and trade-offs
R10A6 K-PAC with Launcher	Combines rifle fire with an underbarrel grenade attack; supply cost dropped from 18 to 11 and trade value from 65 to 40.
Stoneclad CS185	Dedicated close-range shotgun; damage increased to 20 and suppression to 6, alongside reduced accuracy bonus and steeper damage falloff.
Workshopped RPG	Mobile anti-vehicle option that can fire twice per turn; mediocre accuracy rewards better positioning or deployment.
Light Chaingun	Low firing AP cost supports repeated attacks and suppression; jamming and limited performance against tougher opposition constrain it.
Kingpost M8 Mortar	Damage increased to 40 and firing cost fell to 40 AP; scatter remains a consideration despite improved accuracy.

Launcher Rifles and Shotguns: Watch the Trade-Offs

The K-PAC with Launcher offers multiple attack options in one squad weapon. Its rifle accuracy penalty improved from -10 to -5, although the underbarrel grenade’s accuracy bonus dropped from 25 to 15.

Use the grenade option when its attack profile fits the target. Keep the rifle modes available for engagements that call for direct squad fire.

The Stoneclad remains a close-range commitment. Its v0.7.16 changes doubled its damage value from 10 to 20 but reduced its accuracy bonus from 20 to 10. Armor durability damage and maximum-hitpoint damage also decreased.

Close the distance before firing. Avoid relying on older impressions of its accuracy or armor damage when assembling a shotgun squad.

Pirate Weapons: Keep the Useful Loot

The Workshopped RPG supplies mobile anti-vehicle fire without requiring deployment. Its ability to fire twice in a turn creates opportunities to damage or disable multiple vehicles.

Deploy when the accuracy benefit matters more than movement. Keep another anti-armor option available rather than expecting an inexpensive RPG to solve every armored encounter.

The Light Chaingun’s 20 AP firing cost allows several attacks or movement followed by fire. Jamming can interrupt that sequence.

Spend its attacks on useful damage or suppression targets. Preserve another unit’s activation when an essential kill would otherwise depend entirely on uninterrupted chaingun fire.

Kingpost M8: Account for Scatter

The Kingpost gained damage, penetration, armor damage, and a lower AP cost. Its scatter chance fell from 50% to 33%, with scatter range reduced from 2 to 1.

Its damage dropoff also became steeper, changing from -10 to -25. That makes the difference between a central hit and an off-center impact especially relevant.

Consider the U60A1 HWCM Commando Mortar for suppression support: v0.7.16 increased its suppression from 25 to 50 and reduced its supply cost from 25 to 20.

Keep this distinction in mind when choosing MENACE best weapons: damage support and suppression support solve different problems.

Temporary Weapons and Supply-Saving Choices

These weapons occupy a narrow place in a MENACE best weapons loadout. Their value comes from affordability or immediate availability rather than strong combat performance.

Name	Strengths and trade-offs
C1A2-SPC Carbine	Cheap starting rifle with usable range and damage, but a low rate of fire and weaker performance than the main early alternatives.
Pipegun	Very inexpensive equipment for squeezing within the supply cap; poor accuracy and rate of fire limit combat contribution.

Replace Carbines Where Rifle Damage Matters

Upgrade active rifle squads as your resources allow. K-PACs, ARCs, and Crowbars give those squads clearer battlefield strengths.

Keep equipment spending tied to actual use. A squad built around its special weapon does not need the same rifle investment as a full rifle squad.

Pipeguns offer an even cheaper way to equip a dedicated weapon team. Use that saving only when the special weapon carries the squad’s combat contribution.

Budget the Whole Squad

Each infantry squad can equip one special weapon. Leaving that slot empty saves points and puts another soldier behind the squad weapon, which benefits units centered on SMGs or similar close-range guns.

Before deployment:

• Cover close, medium, and long engagement distances across your force.
• Bring an answer to vehicles and heavy armor.
• Add ammunition accessories to teams supporting extended firefights.
• Reserve smoke support for close-range advances and withdrawals.

Spend around the weapon’s job. An expensive gun cannot compensate for the wrong range, an empty ammunition supply, or an exposed approach.

FAQ

What are the MENACE best weapons for a starting rifle squad?

The R10A6 K-PAC is the general-purpose choice. Use the Crowbar for longer-range fire and harder-hitting bullets, or the R14A2 ARC for closer engagements emphasizing HP and armor damage.

Is the Crowbar still worth using after the balance update?

Yes. Its range, damage, penetration, and suppression remain valuable. Budget for 10 ammunition and an 11-point supply cost on the standard Crowbar, and cover its close-range weakness with other squads.

Should every squad carry a special weapon?

No. An empty special-weapon slot saves points and lets another soldier fire the squad weapon. Consider that option for assault squads whose main damage comes from SMGs or shotguns.

How do you get better weapons in MENACE?

Trade for equipment at the black market and collect loot after missions. Enemy equipment can appear on the mission results screen; weapons cannot be picked up or swapped during combat. Keep useful upgrades and trade surplus gear toward equipment your squads need.