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Weapons6 min readUpdated June 8, 2026
Best Pistols in Valorant — Every Sidearm Ranked
All six Valorant sidearms ranked, from the free Classic to the round-stealing Sheriff, with exact credit costs and where each one shines.
By VALMAUK Staff
Pistols decide more Valorant rounds than people give them credit for. The opening pistol round sets the early economy, and a well-chosen sidearm can steal eco rounds off fully-armed opponents. Here is every sidearm ranked by how much value it offers for its exact cost.
Each cost below is the exact in-game credit price verified from valorant-api shop data (Patch 12.10). The tiers are a reasoned read of each pistol's role and value — not a win-rate or pick-rate statistic.
Sidearms Ranked
| Pistol | Cost | Tier | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sheriff | 800 | S | The eco-round king. High-damage, pinpoint single-fire that headshot-kills like a rifle, letting it steal rounds off fully-armed enemies. Punishing recoil means every shot has to count. |
| Ghost | 500 | A | A silenced, accurate sidearm with genuine headshot one-shot potential at close range and a tap-fire rhythm that stays controllable. The most popular pistol-round buy for good reason. |
| Frenzy | 450 | A | A fully-automatic pistol that dominates point-blank duels. Spray control and falloff limit its range, but up close it overwhelms slower-firing sidearms. |
| Classic | 0 | B | Free, and never to be underestimated. Its right-click burst fires a tight close-range spread, so even on a full eco the starting pistol can win a duel. |
| Shorty | 300 | B | A pocket shotgun for holding tight corners and angles on the cheapest ecos. Brutal point-blank, near-useless past a few metres. |
| Bandit | 600 | C | A budget sidearm that sits between the free Classic and the pricier headshot pistols. Functional, but most players spend a little more for the Ghost or save for the Sheriff. |
On the opening pistol round, the Ghost is the default for its accuracy and headshot threat, while Frenzy and Shorty reward aggressive close-range play. Once rifles enter the game, the Sheriff becomes the sidearm that can flip an eco into a round win. Learn the spacing each one wants and your pistol rounds — and your ecos — will start swinging your way.