Anvil
The Anvil is a single-action heavy-ammo hand cannon that plays like a pocket battle rifle: enormous per-shot damage plus armor penetration. It is a consensus S-tier "safe choice" across 2026 tier lists — roughly a two-headshot kill in PvP — and doubles as an armor breaker in PvE, all while staying cheap since even Uncommon rolls hit hard.
Role
Hand Cannon
Core Mechanic
Single-action heavy-ammo fire: massive per-shot damage and armor pen, low rate of fire that punishes missed shots.
Rarity
Uncommon
Overall Tier
OverallStrongPlaystyle
High damage and headshot damage but slow handling; heavy ammo penetrates armor.
Recommended Builds
Mid-range duelist
Full guide →Anvil primary held on 20–50m sightlines with a fast SMG secondary to finish pushes; muzzle mod for dispersion control.
PvE armor-breaker secondary
Full guide →Run a sustained AR (Bettina/Tempest) as primary and keep the Anvil as a burst finisher for elites and armored ARC.
Best Attachments
- Compensator II/III — Tightens dispersion so each precious single shot lands where you aim.
- Silencer II/III — Alternative muzzle for stealth peeks that cuts your noise radius.
- Anvil Splitter (tech mod) — Optional — multiplies projectiles for PvE clear, but wrecks single-target consistency in PvP.
Strengths
- +Extreme per-shot damage — reliably two-taps Raiders on headshots.
- +Heavy-ammo armor penetration doubles it as a boss/elite tool.
- +Low rarity floor: even Uncommon Anvils are meta-viable, so it is cheap to run.
Weaknesses
- −Low rate of fire and heavy recoil make whiffs very costly.
- −Mediocre sustained DPS in long fights or horde PvE.
- −Unforgiving for new players — demands consistent headshots.
Why This Tier
Strong on the Overall (ARC armor-pen) axis because heavy ammo shreds armor, and it is the game's benchmark all-round sidearm in PvP.