With over a dozen games to its name, the Tomb Raider series is one of the best known in gaming history. Globe-trotting archaeologist Lara Croft tracks down lost artifacts, buried treasure, and the tombs of ancient civilizations while defending herself from a variety of foes that don’t want her to succeed. Whether she finds herself on remote islands, glacial tundras, or sand-swept deserts, she wields myriad weapons, each with their own attributes that make them fan favorites.
Whether players prefer something with the ability to annihilate Lara’s enemies quickly and efficiently like an Uzi, the long-range efficacy of her rocket launcher, or the option for stealth presented with the various bows from the recent reboot games, these are the best weapons for every preference and playstyle in the Tomb Raider games.
Dual Pistols
![The 10 Best Weapons In Tomb Raider Games](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Tomb-Raider-Lara-Croft-Underworld.jpg)
The most reliable and iconic weapons in the entire Tomb Raider series, the dual pistols have been Lara’s (and plenty of cosplayers’) trusty companions through battling Tyrannosaurus Rex, rogue druids, skeletons, marauders, and anything her adventures throw at her.
The pistols aren’t as effective as some more powerful weapons unless Lara circles her opponents while jumping and firing, but where they lack in power they more than make up for in dependability. While they’re often a starting weapon in the majority of her games, they’re worth holding on to thanks to their unlimited ammunition.
Dual Uzis
![Lara Croft wielding dual Uzis in Tomb Raider: Anniversary](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Tomb-Raider-Anniversary-Lara-Croft-using-Uzis.jpg)
Introduced in Tomb Raider III, Lara’s Uzis take the maneuverability and dependability of her dual pistols and augment their ability to do damage by a significant amount. When it comes to getting rid of enemies quickly and efficiently, a pair of Uzis helps Lara take down hordes of foes with a striking amount of ammo.
When other weapons like the Desert Eagle or the Rocket Launcher were brought into Tomb Raider III the Uzis were severely demoted because of their lack of accuracy and long-range ability, but they remain a fan favorite (and reappear in Tomb Raider: Anniversary).
Desert Eagle
![Lara Croft in the snow wielding a desert eagle in Tomb Raider III](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Lara-Croft-desert-eagle-Tomb-Raider-III.jpg)
Nicknamed “Broken Eagle” by some fans due to its inconsistent stats and heavy-handling, the Desert Eagle is nevertheless the best gun for the mission in Tomb Raider III, quickly overtaking Lara’s dual pistols and Uzis as her weapon of choice. Similar to the revolver, the weapon packs a hit at close range but is capable of delivering even more damage (it can take down enemies in less than three hits).
In Tomb Raider: Chronicles, Lara can attach a laser sight, making it an impressive long-range weapon. This means that whether or not Lara is engaged in a boss battle or interested in picking off as many guards as she can before entering a location, she has the perfect weapon for the job — all the accuracy of a pistol with the stopping power of a shotgun.
Assault Rifle (M-16)
![Lara Croft holding an M-16 assault rifle in Tomb Raider II](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Lara-Croft-holding-an-M-16-in-Tomb-Raider-II.jpg)
The assault rifle is a weapon that Lara relies on in numerous games, beginning in Tomb Raider II, when the M-16 truly shines after Lara retrieves it from the Diving Area. Not only does it have the distance and firepower capabilities, it has a world-class firing rate, allowing Lara to rapidly engage and kill enemies at long-range.
While the M-16 has its drawbacks (Lara can’t run or jump while shooting it, but she can walk), what sets it apart from other rifles (such as the A12 from Tomb Raider: Underworld) is that ammunition pickups are plentiful, ensuring that Lara never runs out of juice when she needs it.
Rocket Launcher
![The rocket launcher from Tomb Raider III](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Tomb-Raider-III-rocket-launcher.jpg)
First introduced in Tomb Raider III, the rocket launcher soon became a fan favorite thanks to its devastating kill ratio. While almost nothing could survive a blast from the rocket launcher, there wasn’t much in the way of ammo to be found in the game, so Lara had to be sagacious with how she used it.
Effective at long-range attacks and close-range when fighting large enemies, the rocket launcher was ideally suited for bosses. If Lara didn’t use all of her rockets early on in the game, she would have a chance to bring them to bear in challenging levels like Antarctica where they could be most effective.
Bow
![Lara Croft pulling back her bow in Tomb Raider](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Tomb-Raider-Bow.jpg)
The bow has been a fixture of the rebooted Tomb Raider games, and though it might seem like a simple weapon at first, it becomes incredibly powerful once it’s upgraded. It kills enemies with a single shot no matter where Lara hits them, and arrows can even be equipped with explosives to inflict devastating damage on long-range targets.
No matter if she’s using a recurve, compound, or indigenous bow, it’s a highly effective stealth weapon when used properly, turning Lara into a cunning survival expert. If Lara is patient, observant, and a skilled marksman, she can go through almost an entire game without ever having to enter open conflict.
The Golden Shotgun
![Lara Croft wielding the rare golden shotgun in Tomb Raider: Anniversary.](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Tomb-Raider-Anniversary-Lara-Croft-using-golden-shotgun.jpg)
Lara receives the Golden Shotgun –also known as the Benelli Nova– after completing all the time-trials in the Lost Island level of Tomb Raider: Anniversary, or by completing the Score Challenges after the Mirror’s Wake level in Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light, or after beating the moderately paced Rise of the Tomb Raider.
With the Golden Shotgun at her disposal, Lara acquires one-shot kills no matter who she’s facing, including the bosses in Tomb Raider: Anniversary. And, much like her dual pistols, the Golden Shotgun possesses unlimited ammunition.
Grenade Launcher
![The grenade launcher from Tomb Raider](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Grenade-launcher-from-Tomb-Raider.jpg)
One of the most powerful weapons in Tomb Raider II (other than the rocket launcher), the grenade launcher would appear again in Tomb Raider III, Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation, and later as an attachment for the assault rifle in Rise of the Tomb Raider. Usually, one shot is enough to kill one of Lara’s enemies (excepting Xian warriors) because gravity doesn’t affect the trajectory of the grenades, ensuring they’ll fly straight and explode on contact.
In Tomb Raider: The Last Revelation, Lara can acquire three different types of ammunition for her grenade launcher: normal ammo (which maims), super ammo (which kills), and flash ammo (which emits a blast of light and a loud noise, allowing Lara time to escape). It’s slower to reload than the shotgun, but worth it!
The River Hawk
![Lara Croft With a Gun in Shadow of the Tomb Raider](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Lara-Croft-With-a-Gun-in-Shadow-of-the-Tomb-Raider.jpg)
A magnum that first appears in the best of the reboot games, Shadow of the Tomb Raider, the River Hawk is one of the most powerful handguns in the series. When used effectively, Lara can kill her opponents with one or two shots, not simply wound them.
It may not fire quickly, but its reload time is sufficient and its clip size can be increased, making this purchase in Kuwaq Yaku (or gift from Marco) a wise choice for Lara once she hones her skills in the reboot series. The River Hawk helps eliminate mid-range targets efficiently and impressively, but its recoil takes some mastery.
Wasp II
![The Wasp-11 sub-machine gun from Shadow of the Tomb Raider](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Wasp-11-from-Shadows-of-the-Tomb-Raider.jpg)
One of many coveted weapons found in Shadow of the Tomb Raider alongside the River Hawk is the Wasp II, a sub-machine gun that boasts good handling and a high firing rate, making it ideal when Lara needs to take down entire groups of enemies charging at her (though it’s just as effective targeting a single difficult enemy).
It’s not as powerful the further away an enemy is, making it ideally suited for close-range combat, but much like the assault rifle in Rise of the Tomb Raider, it comes with a grenade launcher attachment which quickly solves that issue.