Dead Island 2 Best Weapons: Best Weapons in Hell-A to Slay Zombies

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Having learned the tricks of the trade regarding games journalism at Veryali Gaming, Alex is now a key member of the Ready Game Survive team, and loves nothing more than grabbing a controller and bracing himself for a devastatingly brutal battle for survival. Outside of traditional survivals, Alex loves immersive RPGs, has spent more time in Skyrim than he dare admit, and he also loves playing guitar.

Bottom Line-Up Front

Don’t worry if the Venice Beach zombie horde is shambling towards you. I’ve placed all the important zombie-slaying deets here:

This list is a mix of melee and ranged weapons so you can get the best of both worlds. Not all the weapons on this list are legendary, so keep an eye out during your playthrough. You don’t have to complete the game to get your hands on some powerful weapons.

Bodycount
Peggy
Raven
Red Dragon
Emma’s Wrath
Big Shot
Blood Rage
The One
Party Starter
Krakatoa

All these weapons on this list are reliable and will do well to keep you breathing in the zombie-infested Hell-A. However, that doesn’t mean that you should have all of them on your weapon wheel.

You’ll want to pick the right weapons for your Slayer’s abilities and have a set of weapons that don’t overlap with elemental damage and weapon mods.

This is because you’ll face zombies in Hell-A that are immune to specific elemental damage and effects.

I make sure to keep weapons of the same weapon type and mod in slots away from each other as the last thing you want is to engage an Inferno Crusher and cycle through multiple fire-inflicting weapons.

Singling Out the Top Zombie Droppers

Dead Island 2 has a wide variety of weapons available to you. But they’re not always the most reliable zombie-killing tool; some weapons have low durability but have high damage.

Others specified in taking out singular targets. There are seven weapon profiles in the game, so I picked a diverse set of weapons, both melee and ranged, to create this list.

All of the weapons on this list are acquired by completing quests, so as a general rule, you’ll want to keep all weapons from Lost and Found Side Quests, as these are better quality than weapons found by opening Zomproof Slayer Hoard containers.

Bodycount

The Bodycount is hands down the best assault rifle in Dead Island 2. It’s not only aesthetically unique to other rifles in the game starring an AK-47 look, but it’s also equipped with deadly Perks and Mods that allow this weapon to shred through the toughest of Apex Zombies.

Mutators, Screamers, Crushers, and Slobber zombies stand no chance against the rapid-fire lead and metal unleashed by Bodycount.

To acquire the Bodycount, you must complete the “[REDACTED]” Lost & Found Side Quest acquired by picking up the “[REDACTED]” journal from LT. Ford was found in the Military Outpost. You can head straight to Container 66 to pick up the Bodycount.

The Bodcount assault rifle inflicts Critical Hits and is granted a minor accuracy boost when rapid-firing the weapon. This effect stacks, meaning the longer you fire, the more carnage you will unleash.

This zombie cleansing weapon comes with the Superior Ranged Puncturator Mod, which inflicts the bleed status and increased damage to your targets.

The Bodycount is my get-out-of-jail-free card as it shreds everything, bar Butcher Apex Zombies and Spiky Runners, as these zombies are immune to Puncturator-modded weapons.

The Exit Wound Perk gives the Bodycount AOE damage as the bleed status will be inflicted on all nearby zombies making it great for taking out swarms.

Bloodthirsty is the second perk that the Bodycount comes with, which gives the rifle a moderate damage boost and Fury generation when killing a zombie.

The Bodycount has two free perk slots allowing you to tinker the rifle to your weapon modding desires. I run my Bodycount with the Tactical Reload and Precision Shot perk for an increase in damage after I reload to mop up any zombies that get too close.

The Precision Shot Perk increases the damage of the Bodycount for each successful hit while rapid-firing. I picked this perk to synergize with the Rapid Fire effect.

Peggy

There is no better hunting rifle than Curtis Sinclair’s trusty Peggy. This rifle loads heavy bullets. Its high calibur lets you take out Inferno Crushers, Voltaic Screamers, and Slobbers with just a few rounds.

You can easily dismember zombies with Peggy due to its high raw damage; Peggy has a few tricks that make it even more potent in killing zombies.

The High-Calibur perk is the only fixed perk that comes with Peggy increasing both the Force and Damage of the weapon. However, it comes at the cost of accuracy and magazine size. Peggy already has a slow reload time due to being a hunting rifle and a heavy weapon.

The reduction in magazine size makes Peggy unreliable when facing large swarms of zombies. However, you do have three empty perk slots and a mod slot to customize the weapon.

I run Peggy with the Speedloader Perk to increase the reload speed and Vigilant Perk to gain a moderate damage boost every time I reload the rifle. These two perks counter the poor reload aspects of the weapon, making Peggy more viable in fights with swarms.

Curtis Sinclair will give you Peggy as a reward for completing the “Creature Comforts” Side Quest, which can be picked up in Emma Gaunt’s Mansion in Bel-Air.

You must complete “The Red Mist Story” Quest and “The Death of the Party” Side Quest as a requirement before you can pick up “Creature Comforts.” As a result, you can acquire Peggy once you first travel to Venice Beach.

Don’t worry if you pick up Peggy early into the game, as you can use the Match Level feature to level Peggy to your level.

Raven

I’m never without the Raven while traveling through Hell-A. This marksman weapon may only be a Rare tier weapon, but it packs a big punch.

You can acquire the Raven in Bel-Air by completing “My Mailman Was a Zombie!”. A Lost & Found Side Quest that can be picked up before entering Brentwood Sewers during the “Flushed” Story Quest. As a result, you can get the Raven very early in the game, and I strongly advise you to do so.

The Raven is reminiscent of an M4 with an ACOG scope attachment. You’ll want to use the scope as much as possible, as its Sharpshooter passive grants you a significant damage boost to zombie heads and limbs for Critical Hits.

Despite being a semi-automatic assault rifle, you can reliably take out a swarm of zombies thanks to the Precision Shots fixed perk. The Precision Shots Perk grants the Raven a minor increase in damage when firing in quick succession.

Although the Raven is not the most powerful rifle on this list, it’s my favorite, thanks to its versatility in battle and from being able to acquire it early in the game.

Moreover, there are two additional perk slots and a weapon mod slot to customize the Raven to your needs.

I run my Raven with the Rare Ranged Cremator Mod, High-Calibur, and Hazardous Perk, a perk that triggers an explosion from hitting zombies inflicted by a status effect. This creates fireballs engulfing and knocking back any nearby zombies.

Red Dragon

Like a dragon, the Red Dragon Shotgun spits fire upon your foes, leaving them charred and burned.

This shotgun looks hot, like a hot rod, and deals devastating damage. It doesn’t have a high rate of fire like an Assault Shotgun, but what it does have will blow all zombies in front of you away.

The Red Dragon has a fixed Superior Ranged Cremator Mod, which inflicts major fire damage onto zombies. Landing successive hits apply burn damage that can be exploited with the Red Dragon’s fixed Hazardous Perk. A perk that triggers a forceful explosion when attacking a zombie inflicted by a status effect.

You can purchase the Red Dragon from Douglas, the Trader of the Ocean Avenue area. Douglas will restock the Red Dragon Shotgun so you can purchase a new one instead of using the Match Level to save money.

The Red Dragon is classed as a Demolition-type weapon granting it 100% Critical Hits to zombies inflicted by the Vulnerable condition. As a result, zombies will have a chance to ignite in a ball of fire and deal significant critical damage while knocked to the floor.

This shotgun is an absolute blast and very reliable. I recommend equipping the Red Dragon with the Tactical Reload, Destructive, and Russian Roulette perks, as this allows you to capitalize on its low ammo capacity and improve reload speed and AOE damage.

Bear in mind that the Red Dragon will have zero impact on Firefighter zombies, Inferno Crushers, and Firestorm Slobbers, as they are immune to fire damage.

Emma’s Wrath

Emma’s Wrath is given to the player by Sam B at the end of the campaign after completing the “Hollywood Ending” quest in Hollywood Boulevard. It is the first Legendary Weapon you can acquire in Dead Island 2.

Emma’s Wrath is a Two-Handed Blunt Bulldozer weapon meaning this giant sledgehammer has increased force to make each hit drain the zombie’s stamina. After enough successive hits, the zombie will be knocked out and flung into the air, making this hammer a joy to swing.

You won’t be able to customize Emma’s Wrath as much as the other weapons on this list, as the sledgehammer has two fixed perks:

Overkill: Performing a head stomp or counter on a zombie will prime Emma’s Wrath to strike the next enemy with a shotgun blast!
Shockwave: Knocking down a zombie triggers a forceful explosion.

These two perks, in combination with the fixed Superior Melee Impactor Mod, inflict major physical damage and force boost. In addition, successive hits send zombies flying from applying the Traumatized effect. Flying zombies deal damage to all zombies they hit.

You have two perk slots to tinker Emma’s Wrath. I’ve installed the Destructive Perk, which causes zombies to explode when killed. This grants Emma’s Wrath even more, AOE damage.

To top it off, the Skilled Perk works nicely as it moderately increases attack damage from Heavy Attacks and decreases charge time.

Big Shot

The Big Shot is a Legendary Demolition Heavy Revolver that fires explosives at your targets. The Big Shot is obtained by completing the “It’s Not Your Fault” Side Quest in Bel-Air. You must complete the campaign before Luciana offers the side quest to you.

The Big Shot deals high damage and is capable of one-shotting regular zombies, and is the revolver equivalent of Emma’s Wrath.

The Big Shot comes equipped with the Superior Ranged Impactor Mod, which significantly boosts physical damage and force. Like Emma’s Wrath, successive hits will apply the traumatized effect to zombies sending them flying.

You will have two free perk slots to customize the Big Shot, as this revolver comes with the following fixed Perks:

Boomstick: Rounds trigger explosions on impact and can traumatize zombies.
Russian Roulette: When your magazine runs low, gain a moderate damage boost.

The Big Shot trades its high damage and force for poor range and rate of fire. However, its small magazine size can be used to your advantage.

You can only fire three rounds before needing to reload; therefore, installing the Speedloader Perk is a great option to decrease reload time. I run my Big Shot with the Tactical Reload alongside the Speedloader Perk, allowing me to rain explosives onto zombies at great speeds.

Blood Rage

“Now, this is a knife. ” If knives and precision weapons are your cup of tea, then the Blood Rage is the zombie slaying weapon for you. The Blood Rage is a legendary knife acquired by completing the “Fool’s Gold Lost and Found Side Quest in the Santa Monica Pier area.

The first Headhunter weapon on this list, the Blood Rage deals high critical hits for striking zombies in the head. Making this the perfect weapon for Jacob and Bruno.

The Blood Rage comes with the Superior Melee Puncturator Mod. A weapon mod that grants the Blood Rage a major increase in physical damage and applies Bleed damage to enemies that take successive hits. So consider installing the Lightweight Perk to increase its Attack Speed.

The Blood Rage comes with two fixed mods that grant this knife an ungodly amount of damage output to singular targets:

Puncture Wounds Mod: this is a fixed mod of the Blood Rage, which boosts critical hit damage from landing critical hits in quick succession, so always aim for the head. This effect not only stacks but applies bleed damage.
Infectious: Hitting a zombie causes additional bleed damage to it and makes nearby zombies bleed. This gives the Blood Rage a slither of AOE damage, but I would not rely on it for taking out swarms of zombies. At its core, the Blood Rage is best used for taking out Apex Zombies quickly, as you can stack critical damage.

The One

Is there anything more badass than dispatching zombies with a two-handed claymore?

No didn’t think so. The One is a sword fit for a king; the low attack speed and force mean nada, as this blade’s high damage and durability make it reliable and… Damn, just look at this beauty.

This legendary sword is acquired by completing the “Beacon of Hope Side Quest” in Hollywood Boulevard, requiring you to both complete the campaign and “The Terror of Sound Stage 7” Monarch Studios Side Quest.

The One is a sharp and a Maiming weapon (duh). Cleaving zombies in two is even easier, thanks to its Superior Melee Mutilator Mod. This greatly boosts the claymore to physical damage and applies the weakened effect, which stuns zombies. In addition, you’ll regain stamina for striking weakened zombies.

You won’t be able to inflict elemental damage with The One due to its fixed weapon mod, but you will be able dead forceful explosions and high critical hits thanks to its fixed perks:

Headhunter Perk: Decapitating zombies triggers a forceful explosion and regains health and stamina.
Swift Blow: Heavy attacks charge faster.

This leaves you two spare perk slots. I recommend installing the Skilled perk to increase The One’s heavy attack damage and charge speed. As well as the Leech Perk to benefit from more support in battle. Which allows you to swing this legendary sword for longer.

Party Starter

The Party Starter is a legendary Brass Knuckles weapon acquired by completing the “Drunk and Disorderly!” Lost and Found Side Quest picked up in Ocean Avenue by killing the “Dudes Who Chug” named zombie found in the “Staff Only” Bathroom on the first floor of the Serling Hotel.

The Party Starter has high durability, attack speed, and damage, coming at the cost of low Force. The Party Starter excels in landing hits in quick succession, thanks to it being a Frenzy weapon making it perfect for critical hits.

Equipped with the Superior Melee Cremator Mod, your screen will become a blur of fire as your attack speed increases; you’ll fight like a Dragon Ball Z character.

As a result, fighting can get messy, and the low range can make it challenging to keep an eye on your surroundings.

The Party Starter comes with two fixed perks:

Spitting Fire: Knockdown or kill a zombie with a Heavy Attack to gain moderate Fire resistance and ignite nearby zombies. This fantastic perk makes the Hazardous Perk viable as you will take less damage from the fiery explosion.
Skilled: Killing a zombie gives a moderate damage boost to Heavy Attacks, and they charge up faster.

Since the Party Starter’s perks synergize nicely, I recommend equipping the Hazardous Perk with the Tear ‘N Sear Zombie Part Perk, generating spilled fuel from maiming zombies and creating even more fire!

Krakatoa

Dambuster Studios aptly named this axe after the Krakatoa volcano. Fit for a barbarian; the Krakatoa is a legendary weapon that engulfs and dismembers zombies in flames of fire.

This axe is acquired by completing the “Missing: Steve” Side Quest picked up from the notice board in the Serling Hotel in Ocean Avenue.

The Krakatoa is equipped with a fixed Superior Melee Cremator Mod that inflicts fire damage and gives a major damage boost to the weapon. You’ll be igniting all zombies that get in your way.

I’ve mentioned a few fire-based weapons on this list. However, the Krakatoa is unique, being a Sharp, Maiming Two-Handed Axe. Dismembernig zombies have never been so easy!

The Krakatoa deserves a place on the list thanks to its fixed perks:

Reaper: Hitting an Ignited zombie primes the weapon. When primed, Heavy Attacks inflict additional Fire and Limb Damage. The effect can stack multiple times.
Tear ‘N Sear: Maiming a zombie creates a pool of burning fuel beneath its feet.

I recommend installing the Empowering Perk as this increases Critical Hit and Heavy Attack damage to synergize with the Reaper Perk. To finish, I use the Violent Perk, which increases the Krakatoa’s damage every time you kill a zombie.

Dead Island 2 Best Weapons: FAQs

Question: How To Make Lots Of Money In Dead Island 2?

Answer: If you want to level up your favorite weapons in Dead Island 2, you’re going to have to have a fat wallet.

However, purchasing weapon blueprints and ammo, not to mention modding your weapon, all costs money. To make money fast, I recommend you sell any crafting materials and zombie parts that you hold an excessive amount of.

You never want to reach the carry limit of any items, so sell any close to the limit. Another way to earn cash fast is to sell weapons.

You’ll be incentivized to scrap weapons for parts early in the game. However, you’ll frequently pick up rare and superior weapons in the late game. You can get more value by selling them and then buying the crafting materials you need.

Question: Are Weapons Dropped From Zomproof Slayer Hoard Containers Random in Dead Island 2?

Answer: Yes, Zomproof Slayer Hoard containers drop random high-tier weapons. However, these weapons are less powerful than those unlocked through Lost and Found Side Quests. You can only find these containers by entering fuse box locations requiring you to purchase fuses from Traders.

These weapons are very powerful early and mid-game; however, they taper off as you reach the late game when rare and superior weapons regularly drop.

Question: How Can I Recover Lost Weapons in Dead Island 2?

Answer: If you’ve left a weapon behind on your adventures through Hell-A, whether due to a full inventory, too dangerous to pick up, or missed it. You can recover these weapons by selecting the Unclaimed Property tab in the Storage Locker. Bear in mind you can only access Storage Lockers while in safe zones.

Zombie Smashing Photo Finish

So there we have it, rapid-fire assault rifles, To give you a zombie-smashing photo finish.

These weapons are all reliable are a blast to wield. However, I’ll admit in the late game; there is no reason to swap out any legendary weapons. As a result, this gets a tad tedious, as there is no reason to pick up weapons other than to sell or use them for scrap.

Moreover, in this late game, there’s no point in unlocking the Fuse Box locations other than 100% of the game. However, dismembering, decapitating, and crushing zombies in Dead Island 2 is super fun. You can cause some crazy carnage with each of the weapon’s unique abilities and mods on this list.

Dambuster Studios has revealed that more Dead Island 2 content is on the way, and I’m very excited to see what new weapons they come up with. Dead Island 2 has a great variety of weapons. However, I’d like to see even more creativity. I want flaming guitars that play power chords when striking zombies or a modified two-handed Strimmer. Could you imagine…