A Chernobylite Survival Book—Choose the Best Weapon for Your Playstyle
Ahh, yes, the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. It’s a land that’s dark, full of terrors, and no amount of fire can burn away the eerie fog of death that hangs over it. You won’t be able to rely on your luck to survive. Luck is with no one here, you’ll be dead before long. But fret not, my friend. This old stalker will share some knowledge with you. You don’t survive in the Zone this long and not pick up a thing or two. Whether you’re fresh meat or an experienced stalker seeking extra tips, our knowledge on the best weapon upgrades for your playstyle will surely be useful for you.
Chernobylite allows you to switch between a strategy of stealth or brutal action as you see fit. Knowing whether your preference is close combat or staying out of reach as a sniper will help you decide which weapons and upgrades are right for you. You will—and should—always have a gun on you. In the game, you can choose between four customizable arms, each of them offering slightly different possibilities: Revolver, Shotgun, AK47, and Railgun. There’s also the Molecular Plasma Thrower, which doesn’t have upgrades.
When it comes to customizing your arms, each weapon has five stats: Damage, Range, Stability, Recoil Reduction, and Magazine Size. Damage determines the power of a weapon, Range will tell you from how far away you can hit a target, Stability helps you aim with steady hands, Recoil Reduction influences your speed of shooting, and Magazine Size allows you to shoot more bullets without reloading.
Are weapon upgrades important?
Weapon upgrades will make things easier for you, but there’s no need to worry about them too much. As long as you have the necessary resources, you can change an upgrade at any time or craft enough weapons to test different possibilities.
Revolver
You get your first revolver early in the game from Olivier and you can find two more after a mission for Mikhail (Hacking Into NAR Servers in the Moscow Eye area). When you’re done with the mission, you’ll find the weapon in the building the mission started in. Revolvers can be crafted at a Crafting Station and upgraded if you have the Revolver Calibration Tools and required resources. This weapon starts with balanced statistics.
| For Close Combat | For Snipers |
| Riffled Barrel – Damage +2 Knuckles Handle – Stability +1, Recoil Reduction +1 Double Cylinder – Magazine Size +3 Closed Red Dot Sight – Stability +1 Hardened Trigger – Range +1, Stability +1 | Sniping Barrel – Range +2, Stability +1 Heavy Stock – Range +1, Stability +1 Double Cylinder – Magazine Size +3 Sniper Scope – Range +1 Hardened Trigger – Range +1, Stability +1 |
Shotgun
The Shotgun offers more base Damage than a revolver, but a bit less Stability, Recoil Reduction, and Magazine Size. You can find it in Tarakan’s Hideout or in the Moscow Eye area, in a building in the northern part of the map (you’ll need a lockpick). It can be crafted at a Crafting Station and upgraded with Shotgun Calibration Tools. This weapon is rather slow and takes a while to reload, so consider increasing its Recoil Reduction for close combat.
| For Close Combat | For Snipers |
| Widened Barrel – Damage +1, Recoil Reduction +1 Reducer – Range +1, Recoil Reduction +1 Extended Magazine Space – Magazine Size +1 Open Red Dot Sight – Stability +1 Automatic Trigger System – Damage -1, Recoil Reduction -1 | Long Barrel – Damage +1, Range +2 Assault Stock – Stability +1 Chamber Reinforcement – Damage +1, Range +1 Closed Red Dot Sight – Range +1 Enhanced Trigger System – Range +1, Stability +1 |
AK47
While the Damage of AK47 is low compared to other weapons, its Stability, Recoil Reduction, and Magazine Size are higher. You can find one in Pripyat Hospital and another during the mission to find Tarakan in Pripyat Port, in the elevator shaft on the roof of the target building. The AK47 can be crafted at a Crafting Station and upgraded with Rifle Calibration Tools. While the basic weapon has a high recoil, you can decrease it with upgrades for more stable shooting.
| For Close Combat | For Snipers |
| Sniper Barrel – Damage +2, Range +2 Sharpshooter Stock – Stability +1, Recoil Reduction +1 Drum Magazine – Magazine Size +3, Stability -1, Recoil Reduction -1 Closed Red Dot Sight – Stability +1 Sniper Trigger – Damage +2, Stability +1 | Sniper Barrel – Damage +2, Range +2 Reducer – Range +1, Recoil Reduction +1 Extended Magazine – Magazine Size +1 Sniper Scope – Range +1 Sniper Trigger – Damage +2, Stability +1 |
Railgun
You can only craft this weapon in your base. First, you’ll need to build Chernobylite-Powered Tools, which will unlock the Molecular Accelerator—both the weapon and its bullets are crafted with it. Railguns can be upgraded if you have Railgun Calibration Tools and the required resources. This weapon starts with high Damage, but low Recoil Reduction. Due to many upgrades decreasing the Recoil Reduction, you may consider not upgrading it fully.
| For Close Combat | For Snipers |
| Double Barrel – Damage +2, Range -1, Stability -1, Recoil Reduction -1 Assisted Radiation Charger – Deals more damage to human targets Full Liquid Magazine – Range -1, Stability -1, Magazine Size +6 Sniper Scope – Range +1 Recoil Leveling System – Recoil Reduction +1 | Reducer – Recoil Reduction +1 Compressed Magazine – Magazine Size +3, Stability -1 Sniper Scope – Range +1 Automatic System – Damage -2 |
Molecular Plasma Thrower
While the Molecular Plasma Thrower doesn’t have upgrades, it’s the strongest weapon in the game. It can only be crafted—you’ll need Chernobylite-Powered Tools and then the Molecular Accelerator to craft the weapon and its bullets. The weapon deals extremely high Damage, but has low Range and Magazine Size. It also takes a long time to reload.
Do you agree with our upgrade suggestions? If you have tips for other stalkers or want to share your own ideas for a build, join the discussion on our Discord.