TL;DR
- Saros has 15 Main Weapons across 5 classes and 4 Power Weapons — 19 total.
- All weapons unlock through story progression. No hidden or optional guns.
- Weapons drop from white, red, and yellow containers across biomes.
- The best Main Weapons are the Eruptor Handcannon and Onslaught Rifle.
- The best Power Weapons are Illumine and Prominence.
- You need 25 kills per weapon for the Full Arsenal trophy.
Saros is a roguelite from Housemarque and it puts a lot of weight on its weapon system. Pick the wrong gun and a run can fall apart fast. Pick the right one and even tough biomes feel manageable.
This guide covers every weapon in the game. You will find out how each one works, where it first appears, and which ones are worth keeping. If you are new to the game, check out how long Saros takes to beat so you know what you are getting into.
You can also grab Saros directly from the PlayStation Store if you have not picked it up yet.
How Weapons Work in Saros
Every weapon in Saros has two fire modes. The primary fire is R2 and the alt-fire is L2. Most of the depth in combat comes from learning when to use each mode.
Main Weapons use ammo from clips. They pick up random traits when they drop. The more Proficiency a weapon has, the more traits it can carry — up to five. Higher Proficiency also means better scaling.
Power Weapons sit in a separate slot. They run on Power, which you build up by absorbing blue projectiles with your shield or through certain Artifacts. They deal far more damage than Main Weapons but you cannot spam them.
Weapons drop from white, red, and yellow locked containers. You can reroll these containers if you want a different weapon. For more on how containers and keys work, see our guide on how to open locked containers with Carcosan Keys.
There are no hidden weapons or secret drops in Saros. Every weapon enters the loot pool as you move forward in the story. The unlock order goes: Handcannons first, then Rifles, Shotguns, Crossbows, Chakrams, and finally the last Power Weapon.
All Main Weapons in Saros
There are 15 Main Weapons split across five weapon classes. Each class has three variants. Here is every weapon, how it works, and where it first shows up.
Handcannons (Biome 1 – Shattered Rise)
All three Handcannons unlock in the first biome. They are the first weapons you will use in the game, and they hold up surprisingly well into the later biomes.
Eruptor Handcannon — This is Arjun’s starting weapon. It fires in three-round bursts and carries the Autohit property on its primary fire, meaning it tracks enemies without needing precise aim. The alt-fire charges up a single shot that deals heavy damage to weakpoints. It is one of the most versatile weapons in the entire game. Its only weak point is magazine size — it runs dry fast, so you need to stay on top of reloads.
Ricochet Handcannon — This one does not have Autohit on its primary, but its rounds pierce and bounce off the environment. Against clustered enemies it clears rooms in seconds. The alt-fire removes the fire rate limiter and lets you fire as fast as you can pull the trigger. The downside is that its ricochet strength becomes less useful against single targets like bosses.
Marksman Handcannon — This is the precision option. There is no Autohit on the primary. Instead, the alt-fire marks a target. Once marked, Autohit activates and every shot connects. It rewards patience and good aim, but it punishes players who miss the initial mark on fast-moving enemies.
If you are just getting started in Shattered Rise, the Eruptor is the one to keep. For more on that first biome, see our guide to beating the Prophet in Shattered Rise.
Rifles (Biome 1 – Shattered Rise)
Rifles unlock alongside the Handcannons in Biome 1. They offer more sustained fire and are generally strong from the start.
Onslaught Rifle — A full-auto rifle that fires continuously with R2. The alt-fire switches to Heavy Rounds, which are slower but hit harder and deal precision damage to weakpoints. Landing a Perfect Reload with this weapon grants bonus rounds through its Overload mechanic. It is excellent against high-health single targets and bosses.
Smart Rifle — This one is built for mobility. Its primary fire has Autohit, so you deal steady damage without having to stop dodging. The alt-fire fires Split Smart Rounds — each bullet breaks into three homing projectiles mid-flight. Against swarms of weaker enemies this is one of the best options in the game. It scales well into mid and late biomes without needing a replacement.
Tactical Rifle — A full-auto rifle where the alt-fire gradually increases fire rate the longer you hold it, similar to a minigun spin-up. The problem is that releasing the trigger resets the ramp-up completely. Since Saros encourages constant dodging, holding down the alt-fire for any length of time is often not possible. This makes the Tactical Rifle harder to use than it looks on paper.
Shotguns (Biome 2)
Shotguns enter the loot pool in Biome 2. All three work differently in terms of spread and alt-fire style.
Annihilator Shotgun — The primary fire is a standard pellet spread. The alt-fire is what makes this weapon special. It converts the gun into a grenade launcher. One or two direct hits can delete an enemy’s health bar. Even in boss fights, consistently landing grenades pushes phases down fast. It is less useful against small flying enemies, but the primary fire covers that gap.
Stalwart Shotgun — This fires a spread of pellets on primary. The alt-fire creates a hovering wall of projectiles that floats in front of you. Enemies that walk into it take heavy damage. It requires two inputs to get value — one to fire the wall and one to manage the fight around it. That extra step makes it feel clunky compared to the Annihilator.
Horde Shotgun — A semi-auto shotgun with a horizontal pellet spread. The alt-fire rotates the barrel 90 degrees and fires a vertical spread instead. It is the most straightforward of the three shotguns. The damage is solid but there is no standout mechanic that makes it a priority pick over the other options in the pool.
Crossbows (Biome 4)
Crossbows unlock in Biome 4. They tend to reward charged shots and have stronger alt-fires compared to earlier weapon classes.
Bifurcator Crossbow — Both the primary and alt-fire have homing mechanics on this one. Charge R2 and release or dash to fire. A longer charge sends out more projectiles, all of which home in on the nearest enemy. The alt-fire behaves like the Repeater’s split-bolt shot. Because both modes track enemies, Arjun almost never misses a shot with this weapon.
Repeater Crossbow — A full-auto crossbow on primary fire. The alt-fire fires a single bolt that splits into multiple homing projectiles on contact. You can aim the alt-fire at any point on the floor or a wall and the projectiles will still track enemies. In boss fights you can alternate between the two modes to keep pressure going. Many players consider this the most consistently powerful weapon in the game due to how little precision it demands.
Impactor Crossbow — This one leans on charge mechanics. The primary charges up a bolt before firing. The alt-fire behaves similarly but with a different release point. It is a strong weapon at higher Proficiency but requires more commitment than the Repeater.
Chakrams (Biome 6 – Acolyte’s Haven)
Chakrams are the last Main Weapon class to unlock, appearing in Biome 6. They are disc-based weapons with unique mechanics not found anywhere else in the game.
Myriad Chakram — Uses Autohit to fire spinning discs rapidly without requiring precise aim. The alt-fire turns Autohit off but lets discs track weakpoints directly. Any disc that hits a weakpoint returns instantly, letting you maintain a near-constant stream of fire. The return mechanic feeds into a fast loop with the right traits.
Ripsaw Chakram — Holding R2 fires discs that embed into enemies and deal damage over time. Activating the alt-fire while discs are lodged spins them faster and extends the damage window. The problem is that the alt-fire pins your L2 button while the fight continues around you. Saros rewards burst damage, and this weapon’s sustained damage model is often too slow to keep up.
Reaping Chakram — Fires a single disc with R2. Pressing L2 calls it back to Arjun. Holding L2 after the disc returns creates a spinning ring around him that damages nearby enemies in melee range. It is a hybrid of ranged throw and close-range control. The single-disc design means damage cycles slowly, which makes it the weakest Main Weapon in most scenarios.
Biome 6 is one of the most complex areas in the game. Our complete biomes guide for Saros breaks down every area in detail.
All 4 Power Weapons in Saros
Power Weapons are a separate category. They sit in their own slot and do not compete with your Main Weapon. You build Power by absorbing blue enemy projectiles with your shield or through certain Artifacts. Each Power Weapon delivers a big damage spike when you use it.
There are four Power Weapons in Saros. They unlock at different points in story progression.
Prominence — A single explosive shot that deals massive damage and staggers enemies. It has a wide area of effect, so it works against groups and single targets. Traits like Trail Mines, Vacuum Bomb, and Purge Blast change how it interacts with enemy projectile waves. Multiple charges become available as your Power maximum increases, so later in a run you can fire two or three back-to-back. This is the first Power Weapon available and it is one of the strongest.
Illumine — A charged beam that locks onto its target and deals continuous damage for as long as it fires. It is excellent for sustained single-target pressure and boss damage. It also works against groups if enemies are clustered. Illumine and Prominence are the two most versatile Power Weapons because they perform well in almost any encounter type without needing to adjust your approach.
Dispiritor — Fires a stream of homing projectiles that apply damage over time. When an enemy dies from the Dispiritor’s effect, it leaves behind a temporary Cell that also fires projectiles at nearby enemies. This creates a chain reaction in dense waves. Against swarms it can be extremely effective, but it lacks the immediate burst damage of Prominence and Nova Lance in single-target situations.
Nova Lance — A charged railgun shot that passes through enemies in a straight line and deals heavy damage to weakpoints. It is best used against slow-moving targets or bosses where you can consistently aim for weakpoints. In chaotic arenas full of fast-moving enemies it can be harder to land cleanly. Against the right enemy, though, it deals some of the highest single-hit damage of any Power Weapon.
How to Unlock All Weapons in Saros
You cannot unlock weapons by completing optional tasks or exploring hidden areas. Every weapon in Saros becomes available through story progression. As you move forward in the plot, new weapons get added to the random loot pool. You then find them inside containers across the relevant biome.
The unlock order follows the weapon class sequence: Handcannons and Rifles first in Shattered Rise, then Shotguns, then Crossbows, then Chakrams in Acolyte’s Haven, and finally the last Power Weapon after that.
If you want to make sure you are picking up everything along the way, our Saros biomes guide covers what to expect in each area.
Full Arsenal Trophy – Weapons and Kill Tracking
To earn the Full Arsenal trophy you need to get 25 kills with every weapon in the game. The Databank tracks your progress and shows each weapon at roughly 20% per kill milestone. This means you need to rotate weapons regularly and not stick to your favourite for entire runs.
Reroll containers outside boss rooms before a fight if you need to pick up an unfamiliar weapon. Getting your kill count up on lower-priority weapons before a tough encounter is smarter than trying to grind kills with them mid-boss. For a full breakdown of what trophies are available and how to unlock them, see our complete Saros trophy guide.
Best Main Weapons in Saros
If you want a quick answer on what to prioritise, here it is.
The Eruptor Handcannon is the best Main Weapon in the game. Its burst fire with Autohit handles chaotic situations well, and the charged alt-fire gives it real punch against bosses. It is available from the very first biome and scales cleanly into the end of the game.
The Onslaught Rifle is the second best. Its heavy alt-fire rounds deal serious weakpoint damage, and the Overload mechanic on Perfect Reloads rewards players who stay sharp. It is the stronger option if you are comfortable with timing your reloads.
The Smart Rifle is the best pick if you are new to the game or prefer staying mobile. Its homing alt-fire means you rarely miss shots while dodging, which is valuable in early biomes.
Keep in mind that Corrupted versions of any weapon add extra modifiers on top of their base stats. If you find a Corrupted Eruptor or Corrupted Onslaught Rifle, pick it up regardless of Proficiency differences. It will almost always outperform a standard version of the same weapon at a lower tier.
Weapon traits and how Proficiency scales are closely tied to the Volatility system in Saros. Our guide on Saros attribute volatility explains how that works and how to use it to your advantage.
Best Power Weapons in Saros
The Illumine and Prominence are the top two Power Weapons. Both of them work well in almost any situation. You do not need to adjust your approach based on the enemy type, which makes them consistently reliable across all biomes and boss fights.
The Dispiritor is excellent in swarm encounters but underperforms against single targets. The Nova Lance is very powerful against slow bosses and anything with a clear weakpoint, but it is harder to land against fast enemies in chaotic arenas.
If you are heading into a tough boss encounter, Prominence or Illumine will give you the most flexibility. For a specific fight like the Consort, our guide on what happens if you beat Consort in Saros covers what to expect.
Tips for Getting the Most Out of Weapons in Saros
- Reroll before boss rooms. Random traits like Explosive Rounds, Weakpoint Feeder, or Trickster can make a mid-tier weapon punch well above its weight. Always check your options before committing to a fight.
- Do not ignore unfamiliar weapons. Even if you have a preferred loadout, picking up weapons you have not used helps you grind toward the Full Arsenal trophy. 25 kills per weapon adds up faster than you think.
- Match your Power Weapon to the encounter. Prominence and Illumine handle mixed fights. Dispiritor clears swarms. Nova Lance is for slow, high-HP enemies where you can aim at weakpoints.
- Proficiency matters. A higher Proficiency weapon in a lower tier often beats a lower Proficiency weapon in a higher tier. Swapping up when you find better rolls is usually worth it.
- Corrupted weapons are always priority. If you see a Corrupted version of any weapon you already like, pick it up. The additional modifiers stack on top of base performance.
For more on the systems behind each run, our guide on Saros Nightmare Strand explains one of the more advanced mechanics. And if you want to understand how upgrades feed into your damage output, check out our guide on what to do with Halcyon Primary Upgrades in Saros.
