Beginner’s Weapon and Loadout Guide for The Cycle: Frontier

If you’re new to The Cycle: Frontier and confused about which weapons to use or what gear to run, this beginner’s guide breaks it all down—from top early-game guns to optimal loadouts. Whether you’re solo or running with a squad, these tips will give you a major head start in understanding what works and why.

Shotguns, SMGs, and ARs – Early Game Workhorses

Let’s start with the basics—shotguns and SMGs are great close-range weapons in early game:

Trench Gun ($1,200 K-Marks): Surprisingly effective against green and even blue armor, especially in squad fights. A great up-close finisher.
PDW (9 dmg, 20-round mag): With even basic white recoil attachments, this SMG performs well against white and green armor. It struggles a bit vs. blue unless modified, but it’s cheap, reliable, and arguably one of the best early weapons.
AR-55 (13 dmg, 22-round mag): Performs similarly to the PDW but at a higher cost (1,700 K-Marks). Since most fights are close-range early on, the PDW gives better value. Still, the AR is a viable option.

Shop now and enjoy up to 50% off your favorite gaming gear at Amazon!

Shop now

Bolt Action – The Big Equalizer

At $6,800 K-Marks, the Bolt Action Sniper is one of the strongest weapons early on:

Hits for half a player’s health on a body shot with no converter.
Commonly seen in squads, where one player supports from range while others push.
Works great with a secondary like a PDW, Flechette, or Manticore.

If you’re accurate, the bolt action is a top-tier opener. Hitting a body shot often forces a player to burn multiple stims.

Early Trader Weapons – What’s Worth It?

White Pistol: Skip it unless you’re doing a quest. Better to spend slightly more on a PDW.

Korolev Trader:

Scrapper: Close-range SMG alternative to PDW. Slightly more recoil and smaller mag. PDW is generally better and cheaper.
Maelstrom: Fully automatic shotgun, despite saying semi-auto. Shreds white/green armor. Very strong when modded with crafted mags.

ICA Trader:

Bulldog: Insane burst damage at close range (2-shot shotgun), but low mag size. Still, for 6,400 K-Marks, PDWs may offer better sustained value.
ICA Guarantee: 10 dmg, 40-round mag, good early game AR-style gun. Attach white mods for solid recoil control.
Lacerator: DMR that feels underpowered for its 41K price tag. Lower damage than expected.

Osiris Trader:

Scarab: Burst-fire pistol. Not bad if you can hit your bursts, but generally outclassed by PDWs or Scrapper.
Manticore: One of the best all-around weapons early game. Low recoil, solid damage. Even better with white recoil mods. Matches great with your playstyle—aggressive players can lean PDW, while passive or medium-range players can run Manticore.
Phasic Lancer: Mid-game burst weapon. Strong if modded with a purple converter but not beginner-friendly.

Crafting Station – How to Upgrade Your Weapons

You can craft attachments like optics (holo sights), but the true power spike comes from converters and extended magazines:

Converters increase penetration, making your weapon deal full or bonus damage against better armor tiers.
Auto-loaders and extended mags increase uptime and damage potential.

Crafting purple mods for weapons like the PDW or Manticore will make them shred players and mobs alike. Resources like hardened metals, zero systems, and magnetic field stabilizers are key.

Attachment Tips

You can buy recoil-reducing attachments (white or green) from any of the four vendors:

Angled Foregrips and Stocks (white or green): Reduce recoil and are far more valuable than ADS speed bonuses.
Blue/purple attachments found in-raid are often ADS-related (aim-down-sight speed), which is less useful than recoil control.

Verdict: Always prioritize recoil mods for consistent aim and faster kills.

The Optimal Early Loadout Strategy

After hundreds of hours and early access grind, here’s the most optimal early loadout based on efficiency and firepower:

Rush Osiris’ Green Stims: Found in the third mission line. These stims are cheap (5 for 3K), quick, and heal a lot—essential in fights.
Primary Loadout Combo:
- Bolt Action + PDW – one opens from range, the other pushes close.
- OR Bolt Action + Manticore – for mid-range, slower-paced players.
Bring at least 15 stims (white or green) per raid. You’ll need them.
Ammo is cheap – bring more than enough. Drop extra in-raid if needed.

Armor and Crafting Goals

As soon as possible, start collecting CPU units, cloudy crystals, and rattler skins. These materials are essential for crafting:

Blue Armor: Huge survivability boost, especially against bolt action users.
Purple Gear: Expensive but extremely strong. Start prepping now for squad use.

Running a full squad with even partial blue gear will let you steamroll most early lobbies.

Recap

PDW and Manticore are your best value weapons.
Bolt Action dominates early fights when paired with a solid secondary.
Craft converters and recoil attachments ASAP.
Rush green stims from Osiris—they’re game changers.
Start hoarding blue and purple gear materials early.

Stick to these principles and you’ll be way ahead of the curve in your first few days of The Cycle: Frontier.

Good luck out there, Prospector.