The best weapons and loadout for Fortnite's Simpsons season

The Simpsons mini season in Fortnite has a remarkably balanced loot pool—but there are still some standout best weapons, especially the new Mr Blasty pistol.

Below I'll rank all 10 guns in a tier list so you know exactly what to carry in every situation. Then, I'll discuss the best mobility, healing, and utility items to complete your loadout, including the fast-healing Krusty Burger and the Blinky Fish, which basically lets you teleport short distances.

If you just want to know my best five-item loadout, I'd pick:

• The Mr Blasty pistol for long-range fights
• The tactical shotgun for finishing shots up close
• The fast-firing Striker assault rifle as an extra mid-range option, or to follow up your shotgun shots (although the suppressed assault rifle is nearly as good)
• Shockwave grenades for mobility—they're still the best in the game
• Krusty Burgers or Chug Jugs for healing.

But I also like doubling up on mobility, taking shockwave grenades and either the Blinky Fish or the Super Squishee, which grants unlimited stamina. That means only taking two weapons, so in that case, pick the tactical shotgun and the infantry rifle, which doesn't hit as hard as Mr Blasty but is fully automatic, and therefore a bit more versatile.

Fortnite best weapons tier list

It feels like you almost have to carry the Mr Blasty pistol or the infantry rifle: both deal incredible damage at mid-to-long ranges.

A single headshot from Mr Blasty deals 100 damage, which means you can two-tap players at range in build mode, or leave them with 50 health in Zero Build. The full-auto infantry rifle is a perfect long-range alternative: it deals 80 damage to the head and fires faster than Mr Blasty. The tactical and thunder shotguns, as I'll explain below, are both good options for different reasons (although I'd recommend the tactical for most players), and the two assault rifles are both solid.

Use this list as a rough guide, but make sure to test different guns for yourself and find your favorites.

S-tier

Mr Blasty

A high-damage revolver that excels up close or at range. It deals more than 50 damage to the body and around 100 to the head—and it has a decent fire rate, too. Once you have an enemy in your crosshairs out of cover, it's game over. It's the best weapon in the game and its exotic variant, which I'll mention in the next section, is absurdly, brilliantly overpowered.

It only has six shots in the magazine, so you'll need to carry a solid follow-up weapon for when you run out of bullets in close-range fights. Its accuracy has been nerfed recently, but it's still excellent.

Infantry rifle

This rifle has been reworked from previous seasons and is now fully automatic, while still dealing plenty of damage per bullet: around 80 for a clean headshot. Its pinpoint accuracy and non-existent bloom make it the best long-range weapon if you can't find Mr Blasty.

Its recoil means you'll usually want to tap-fire it, but you get used to the rhythm quickly. It only fires eight times before you need to reload it so, like the Mr Blasty, make sure you have other reliable weapons with you.

A-tier

Tactical shotgun

I can't choose between the tactical shotgun and the Thunder shotgun (below) this season. The tactical deals less damage because of its larger bullet spread but it also fires a lot faster, so your misses feel less punishing. I see it as the more versatile, beginner-friendly shotgun of The Simpsons mini season.

Thunder shotgun

The Thunder, in comparison, is a one-shot beast: in perfect conditions you can deal nearly 200 damage in a single shot. It fires slowly, so you'll want to pair it with a spray weapon to finish your kills, such as the Striker assault rifle. I reckon the Thunder is the better option for more experienced players who trust their aim.

B-tier

Striker assault rifle

Just like with the two shotguns mentioned above, the two main assault rifles—the Striker and the suppressed AR—feel equally strong. Where the Striker shines is in close-to-mid ranges thanks to its faster fire rate and higher potential damage-per-second. I like using it as a finishing weapon: when I've landed a heavy shot with Mr Blasty, or with the Thunder shotgun, I swap to my Striker to confirm the kill.

Suppressed assault rifle

The suppressed assault rifle, in contrast to the Striker, is a more well-rounded weapon. Its damage-per-second is slightly lower but it has a larger magazine, faster reload, and higher headshot multiplier. Because its damage per bullet is higher than the Striker it's a better option at longer ranges, although its chaotic bullet bloom means you'll have to tap fire it.

Deodorant Applicator

The low damage—10 per shot—is mitigated by its rapid fire rate and its complete lack of bloom or spread. It will normally lose to a shotgun in a fair 1v1, but it's always a nuisance to fight against, especially because your screen is electrified when hit, throwing off your aim.

I especially like it for finishing off low HP enemies who are running away: that perfect accuracy makes it feel like a lightning gun.

C-tier

Compact SMG

At higher rarities this SMG can melt players, but the recoil can be hard to handle and, overall, I prefer the consistency and versatility of the assault rifles at mid-range—and the one-shot potential of shotguns up close. Do not, however, sleep on the mythic version, which you can obtain from the Marge boss.

Ranger shotgun

The Ranger, as the name suggests, has better range than the other shotguns, but it fires too slowly to be your first choice. In a season with plenty of strong mid-range weapons, it feels a little pointless, although Epic recently buffed the damage – this thing hits hard if you land your shots.

Suppressed pistol

It's better than you might think: this pistol should not replace your assault rifle but, if you can hit headshots, it deals a surprising amount of damage thanks to its 2x critical damage multiplier. If you can land on one to begin the game then you'll often kill a handful of players before they have time to settle.

Cobalt slingshot

A slow-firing slingshot that you have to charge before unleashing. When it hits, it creates a cloud of radiation, dealing 10 damage per second to anyone in the area.

In the right situation, it's incredible at forcing enemies from cover: if you know somebody is hiding behind a tree or in a bush with nowhere to go, the radiation cloud will chip their health and force them into the open, and that can make it strong in the final circle. But the cloud is simply too small, and deals too little damage, for me to recommend you consistently pick it up.

D-tier

Moe's Five Gun

I love that Epic added this weapon, which is five weapons welded together, all firing at once. But it's too erratic and the shotgun element—it only fires when you click, so to get a second shot you have to stop spraying and fire again—is fiddly. Pick it up for the laughs, drop it when you want to win.

Machine SMG

This is not a terrible weapon, but there are better options at every range. The compact SMG has a higher headshot damage, so I prefer it for damaging players, but this can tear through builds.

Exotics

Fortnite The Simpsons season: mythics and exotics

This mini season brings one exotic weapon, two mythic weapons, and one mythic defensive item: Jebediah's Protective Helm.

The weapons, listed below, drop from the three bosses that spawn across the map. They're corrupted versions of Homer, Marge, and Krusty the Clown. Their spawn locations are randomized, and one of them spawns at the end of each of the first three storm circles, so you can't really plan to fight one in particular. All the weapons are worth carrying if you can find them.

• Exotic Krusty's Mr Blasty (exotic): The single most powerful weapon in the game right now. If you hit an enemy with the first bullet of each magazine, or even if you hit near them, a balloon hoists them skywards, making them easier to target. Hilarious and lethal.
• Enhanced tactical shotgun (mythic): A higher-damage version of the tactical shotgun, obtained by defeating Evil Homer.
• Enhanced Compact SMG (mythic): A more powerful version of the compact SMG that drops from the Witch Marge boss.
• The final mythic is Jebediah's Protective Helm. It falls off the statue of Jebediah Springfield at Springfield Town Square when you damage it. It negates the first headshot you take, which can save your life, and you can pop it back on after a cooldown. The downside is that it takes up an inventory slot, so I don't usually end up carrying it.

Best Fortnite items

Best items in Fortnite The Simpsons: What heals and mobility to carry alongside your weapons

You know the best weapons—so how should you complete your loadout? You'll want a mixture of heals and mobility items, and there are some excellent options this season. As I mentioned earlier, my preferred loadout is to carry three weapons, one mobility item, and one healing item, but you could equally swap out one of the weapons for extra mobility, outplaying your opponents with positioning.

Let's start with heals.

The single best healing item is the legendary slurp juice but there is only one on the map, and to grab it you have to complete a puzzle at the power plant. Don't rely on it.

Instead, you'll want to carry the Krusty Burgers or the Chug Jug.

Chomp them to receive 10 health and 30 shields over time: that might not sound like much but the effect stacks and they only take a second to eat.

Munch three of them and you're quickly at full shields. You'll find them in buildings, particularly in the kitchens of Springfield's houses, served on a platter. You used to be able to take six but now you can only carry a maximum of three.

The Chug Jug is also excellent: it will heal you for 200 health or shields in total, and you can glug as much or as little as you want before storing it back in your inventory.

If you're playing with a team, you might swap the burgers for the Chug Splash, which is the only area-of-effect healing item in the game. Chuck it at the ground for an instant 20 health or shield—anyone who's splashed feels the benefit.

Of course, the best healing item is whatever you have to hand: mini shields, big pots and med kits all work. The Chug Jug is also excellent: it will heal you for 200 health or shields in total, and you can glug as much or as little as you want before storing it back in your inventory.

For mobility, and we're spoilt for choice.

I will always pick up shockwaves when I can. They remain the best movement item in the game: you can travel large distances, reach high ground, escape a panicked fight, or push up to a damaged enemy.

But there are two other strong mobility items in The Simpsons mini season. The first, the Super Squishee, is a drink that heals you for 15 damage, boosts your speed and jump height, negates fall damage and grants unlimited stamina. You can grab it from vending machines around the map.

The second, and perhaps the most fun, is the Blinky Fish. They're annoyingly rare but when you eat them, you can "blink" a short distance (called a zero-point dash) whenever you want for 15 seconds. It's basically a short-range teleport and it's unlimited for that time period. It's fantastic for flanking enemies or escaping to solid cover, but be careful, because you can take fall damage after you blink.

The Blinky and Squishee combo brilliantly for zooming around the map, but I still think shockwaves are the better option.

The final mobility item, added mid-season, is the cartoon chainsaw. It's technically a melee item, but we prefer it for movement: hold right click to saw the ground and zoom forwards. It's good for closing gaps or reaching POIs quickly, although you're easy to beam while you're using it.

It's also worth testing the two utility items: the Bush Bomb and, in zero build, the Port-a-Bunker, both of which give you instant cover. The Bush Bomb is especially good this season because The Simpsons art style makes the bushes bigger and denser, all the better for hiding in.

Fortnite loadout tips

Experiment to find your perfect loadout

Now you have a feel for all the weapons and items, here are some simple tips for picking your ideal combo:

• Play to your strengths: Everyone’s playstyle is different. If you’re good at closing distances with shifty movement, you could ditch an assault rifle and combine an SMG with a shotgun (the compact SMG and the tactical shotgun, for example). Test different combos until you find some you enjoy.
• Pick weapons that synergise: Ideally, that means something short-range and something for mid-range fights. Also think about your weapons’ strengths and weaknesses, and how they fit together. The infantry rifle doesn't have enough bullets to shine up close, so if you're only carrying one other weapon, you'll need something that can deal sustained damage at short-range. The tactical shotgun would be a better pick than the more powerful but slower-firing Thunder shotgun.
• Consider swapping to a "worse" weapon of higher rarity: A purple SMG will beat a white assault rifle. Adapt to what you find.
• Remember, there are no rules: Find a loadout you enjoy and stick with it, or vary it up every match depending on your mood.