Pistols in Outward offer a unique combat style that blends high burst damage with careful planning due to their lengthy reload times. Despite their modern feel in a fantasy setting, they are balanced and incredibly fun to use, providing a tactical edge in fights. This guide breaks down the top five pistols in Outward: Definitive Edition, exploring their strengths, status effects, and how to use them effectively.

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Why Use Pistols in Outward?

Pistols deal impressive burst damage and can quickly inflict status effects such as Burning, Confusion, and Elemental Vulnerability. Their limited ammo and lengthy reload times make them less suited for sustained fights but excellent for tactical openings or finishing blows. Understanding how to manage reload times and combining pistols with melee or magic builds is key to maximizing their potential.

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#5: Cannon Pistol – The Impact King

• Damage: Low
• Impact: 100 (Highest among pistols)
• Effect: Inflicts Confusion instantly

The Cannon Pistol is a versatile choice from early to late game. While its raw damage is modest, its 100 Impact per shot can stagger most enemies, creating openings for melee attacks. The Confusion status further weakens enemy resistance to knockback, making it a reliable choice for hit-and-run tactics.

Where to Find: Obtainable early in Levant, making it an accessible and powerful option for newcomers.

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#4: Vigilante Pistol – Pure Damage

• Damage: 90 (Highest physical damage)
• Impact: 90
• Effects: Inflicts Crippled (50% movement speed reduction)

Crafted by placing a Militia Pistol in a Legacy Chest, the Vigilante Pistol boasts the highest physical damage of any pistol. Its ability to inflict Crippled slows enemies significantly, providing valuable breathing room in tougher fights.

Tip: Use in combination with traps or AoE spells to maximize downtime for enemies.

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#3: Obsidian & Meteoric Pistols – Masters of Fire

• Obsidian: Inflicts Burning instantly
• Meteoric: Inflicts Holy Blaze (6 Lightning Damage per second)

These pistols excel at damage-over-time effects. The Obsidian Pistol’s instant Burning is invaluable against high-health enemies, while the Meteoric variant adds lightning damage if conditions are met. Although requiring precise setup, they can melt enemy health bars rapidly.

Best Use: Target heavily armored enemies to bypass high physical resistances.

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#2: Cage Pistol – The Late-Game Powerhouse

• Damage: 90
• Impact: 75
• Effects: Inflicts Sapped (Reduces elemental damage) and Weakened (Reduces physical damage)

As a boss-tier weapon, the Cage Pistol offers impressive damage reduction capabilities. While its build-up requirements are cumbersome, its ability to mitigate both physical and elemental damage makes it indispensable for late-game bosses.

Strategy: Open fights with Sapped to mitigate elemental attacks, then switch to melee to capitalize.

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#1: Chimera Pistol – The Best in Outward

• Damage: 90
• Impact: 70
• Effect: Inflicts Elemental Vulnerability (25% increased damage taken)

The Chimera Pistol stands out for its ability to make enemies more susceptible to all elemental damage with a single shot. This makes it perfect for hybrid builds that mix magic and firearms. A single shot can drastically shorten fights by amplifying subsequent elemental attacks.

Best Combo: Pair with Lightning or Fire-infused melee weapons for devastating results.

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Conclusion: Choosing the Right Pistol

The diversity of pistols in Outward allows for a variety of playstyles, from high-impact staggering to damage-over-time builds. The key is selecting the right pistol to complement your build. With careful planning and smart reload management, pistols can be a powerful tool in your arsenal.

Experiment with these top five picks to find the pistol that suits your playstyle best!