Guides/Weapon Guide

This page contains tips and strategy for the various weapons and throwables in Super Animal Royale curated by the community. Beginners to the game may consider viewing the guide for the basic use of the throwables and weapons at the Newcomer's Guide. 
== Throwables ==
Throwables are unique utilities that the players can find thorough the world of Super Animal Royale. As the name implies, these weapons are thrown with trajectory to the intended position instead of fired from handheld contraption, allowing most of them to bypass through short walls. 
There are currently four types of weapon throwable and one utility throwables in Super Animal Royal: Grenade, Skunk bomb, Banana, Lucky cat mine, and Zip-and-Go. Each of these throwables has its own unique role in the game. It is important to consider which type the player want to use based on the situation they might find themselves in, as there is not one throwable that is better than all the others.
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Grenade is one of the most commonly used throwable thanks to its simple and straightforward use. When the grenade is thrown, it will have a small delay of two seconds before it explodes and deals damage to opposing players in a large area, with the center of the explosion capable of killing them instantly. The grenade is a very versatile weapon due to this, giving it a use case in almost any situation. Some effective uses for grenades include:
* Throwing a grenade straight down at the player's feet while fleeing from an enemy to work as a timer bomb trap. this can be made even more effective if thrown a grenade while going around a corner, catching the chaser by surprise with no time to react.
* Grenades can be thrown behind cover or in closed-off areas to damage them. This allows the thrower to damage enemies in cover without risking of exposing themselves.
* Grenades are excellent when fighting multiple people, since its splash damage means players can deal huge damage to multiple enemies quickly something a firearm cannot do. Alongside with it, This will also help disperse the group and force them to separate, allowing the fight to be more bearable.
* Grenades can be used as a crowd control, forcing the opponents away from where the grenades were thrown. This allows luring them out of their cover, or even limits the way the enemies can run off to, giving huge advantage to the player and rendering their enemy's movement very predictable.
* Grenades destroy bananas in their blast radius.
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Skunk bomb is a throwables that creates a zone filled with toxic skunk gas, dealing damage over time to anyone standing inside it. Unlike grenades, the explosion has no delay, and instead occurs instantly the moment it hits the ground. The poison gas that covers the area is not blocked off by walls and covers, meaning enemies behind tall walls outside the building can still take damage even if the bomb is thrown inside.
While Skunk bombs can deal damage, its main strength is instead as a barrier that blocks a passage and discourage the opponents to go through it. This is extremely useful to secure an area, to trap the opponents in a place, or even give the throwers more time to find escape route or catch a breather. The skunk gas also works as a one way passage for only the thrower's teammates to push through with less risk, thanks to the fact that Skunk bombs cannot be used to harm teammates directly.
Be wary, however, because while Skunk Bombs can barricade passage, it is not a "solid wall". Bullets can still be shot through it, grenades can still be thrown over it, and opponents that are bold enough can still attempt a daring push through the gas to catch the player off guard, which will put the throwers in a pickle if they're trapped in the room that has no other way out. On the flipside, the player can also attempt to do the same which will lead to high risk high reward play!
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Bananas are the best, the greatest, the granter of satiation for the Super Animals a throwable that puts down a slippery banana peel after thrown. When someone walks over it, it will cause them to slip and fall to the ground, momentarily stunning them and preventing them from moving, using and switching weapon, while also halting any actions they were doing prior. If the player has on with them, an option will also pop up allowing them to eat the banana peel, which will heal 25 points of HP.
By itself, banana is a rather niche throwables that most players will opt out of using. Its small area coverage and only brief stunning makes it one of the harder throwables to utilize in the middle of combat, and instead more often used for blocking pathways during idles, and the stun period is brief enough that many can survive through it. While it can be used as a permanent barricade, it will often require plenty of bananas to cover just a single passageway. However, banana is the only throwables that can stop enemies on their track completely without harming them, which is useful for pacifist run. And in some occasions though, when thrown in the right spot at the right time (preferably around inner corner of a turn), perhaps a few seconds of stun is all it takes to completely turn the table of the fight.
If the player has however, the banana changes from one of the most niche throwables into one of the most useful healing item. Players can instead throw a banana onto the ground and quickly eat it to replenish a chunk of health. Being able to heal oneself in the middle of combat can easily turn the tides of the fight, since it removes the need to hide away to heal if one is injured, allowing for a much more aggresive play, or even survive the chase at much more longer time. Be careful not to accidentally slip on your own banana while running and eating them however, otherwise one will find these tasty potassium becoming the one slipping away their chance of survival.
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Lucky Cat Mines are throwables that arms a proximity mine upon landing to the ground after thrown, which will trigger and detonate once any animals walk into its detection zone. It can be triggered by any living being, namely the throwers, the opponents, emus, and even the thrower's own teammate, although it cannot be used to harm the latter. When armed, the Mine will emit red or green glow (depending on whether the mine can harm the players seeing it), and will emit subtle beeping sounds. This glow can be seen through walls and even behind fog of war.
The Lucky Cat Mines share some distinctive characteristics with all previously mentioned throwables: it is an explosive device that hampers anyone walking to it and often use to barricade a pathway. It can be set up in a hidden nook and cranny, allowing for traps for unsuspecting players to walk into and take damage. It can also be used to block a pathway, preventing opponents to walk through them without triggering the mine. It also creates a loud sound when exploded, alerting the thrower of the presence of opponents, and is especially useful if they're trying to hold their grounds.
One should not treat Lucky Cat Mine as a superior throwables than the other three previously mentioned throwables, as there are a couple of traits that are inferior to them:
* Lucky Cat Mine takes much longer than grenade to detonate after being thrown, giving the opponents ample of time to run away from them. Moreover, Lucky Cat Mine has lower base damage and smaller radius, requiring much more precise positioning to outright kill an opponent with a single mine. This means Lucky Cat Mine cannot be reliably used as element of surprise if the players are already in engagement.
* Lucky Cat Mine can be used to block a passage, but this can simply be worked around by triggering the mine, which at best, only buys time for a second or two. Skunk bomb, on the other hand, can block passage for as long as 8,5 seconds.
* It is not recommended to eat Lucky Cat Mine, and bananas makes for a much better alternative for healing quickly.
== Weapons ==
There are myriad of weapon types available in the world of Super Animal Royale, all with each of their own function and playstyle. In general, it is recommended to have both a long-ranged weapon, for hitting animals further from the player, and a short-ranged weapon for dealing with threats such as Giant Emus and Hamster Balls, which due to their speed can quickly catch up with an unprepared player.
To get better with using the weapons, practice makes perfect. In the lobbies before games start, players can pick up and test guns in the Super Shooting Gallery. This is an excellent time to practice using these weapons and get used to how they feel. A beginner will likely want to loot weapons that are simpler to use such as the , , or the (and the direct upgrades to these weapons such as the , and the ), and gradually get used to the other weapons, which may require more practice to understand.
In order to more easily understand the best suited usage of each weapon, it is important to know how each weapon performs inside and outside their effective range first. Therefore, the weapons can be categorized into four different types:
*Generalized Weapons are flexible to use inside and outside their intended effective range, among the easier weapon to pick up and use. This category includes Assault Rifles (AK, M16); SMG (SMG, Thomas Gun); and Machine guns (Superite Laser and Minigun).
*Centralized Weapons distinctively pack more punch inside their effective range, but perform worse than General Weapons outside of it. This category includes Hand Cannons (Magnum, Deagle); and Handguns (Pistol, Dual Pistol, and Silenced Pistol).
*Idealized Weapons can deal massive damage to the target in their effective range, but can be a liability if used outside of it. Weapons in this category are among the harder weapons to use. This category includes Long Range Rifles (Hunting Rifle, Sniper); and Shotguns (Shotgun, Jag-7).
*Specialized Weapons have extra perks or effects that set them apart with the rest, with a steeper learning curve. This category includes Dart guns (Dogna Dart Gun, Dogna Dartfly Gun); Sparrow (Bow & Sparrow, Sparrow Launcher); and BCG.
===Assault Rifles===
Assault rifles, such as the and the , are arguably the most user-friendly weapon in the game. Anyone can pick them up from the ground and quickly make the most of it. With their decent fire-rate, along with good damage output, consistent spread, and flexible range effectiveness, it is a well-rounded weapon that can be effectively used for spraying at distance.
AR is a weapon best suited for deterring an enemy from engaging a fight, although in the experienced hands it can still be utilized to directly confront an enemy with. The AR’s mag size along with their consistent spread allowing them to perform very solid suppressing fire, which makes a good defense for punishing reckless and cocky enemies.
However, being the jack of all trades also mean they’re the master of none. Assault Rifles do not offer notable strength compared to other weapons in the list, and therefore can be outclassed by other more specialized weapons, even if the user has the advantage. Moreover, its slower mobility while firing can lead the user becoming an easy target for the opponents to land their shots, quickening the user’s demise.
Here are the rule of thumbs for assault rifles that players can use to maximize its performance:
* Practice making a habit of firing in 3 to 6 round bursts, followed up by a roll. This will allow the players to maintain mobility while wielding this gun, making them a harder target to hit than they would if they simply spray and pray. The players can also practice tap firing in such manner as well.
* All weapons in Super Animal Royale have Spray inaccuracy, AR included. The first two shots of AR are very accurate, while the following 4 shots will begin to veer off the center of crosshair (but still reliably controllable). Any shots afterwards will be both inaccurate and imprecise. Therefore, making a habit of rolling between burst fires also allows the player to cool down on their spray, allowing the AR to regain its accuracy.
* It is advised to maintain a medium to long distance between the user and the enemy, keeping the user’s ground in the comfortable spot while keeping the hostiles at bay.
* Avoid getting into CQC to the enemy, as AR can be finicky to use at too close of range, not to mention that some guns easily outperform AR at such range as well. If an enemy manage to push close to the player, it is more favorable to do a tactical retreat instead, break the line of sight before reengaging. Only get into CQC if there are significant advantage against the opponent, such as getting the surprise attack, or finishing off injured enemies.
===Submachine Guns===
Submachine guns, such as and , are the close-range counterpart of the Assault Rifles, bearing the same ease of use, allowing for anyone to pick up and make the most of them quickly. What distinguish the Submachine Guns are their faster fire rate, better mobility, and more controllable spray pattern, in exchange for higher damage dropoff and wider spread, thus making them a more viable weapon for spraying especially at closer range.
Submachine Guns shine in letting the user have more flexible mobility, and therefore they are weapons that are all-rounders in regards of the user’s positioning, movement, and dodging. They allow for the user to jump into close range combat and run away from it whenever they seem fit, and also make for a good supporting weapons, especially when paired with sluggish / slow weapons.
While their bullet damage in general is still on par with the Assault Rifles, the Submachine Guns have more prominent damage drop-off, wider spread inaccuracy and slower bullet speed. This means trying to hit an enemy at further range can be hard with these weapons, although still doable. One may require to land more shots to kill a well armored target at medium range with Submachine guns than using Assault Rifles. They also share the same weakness with AR, being the jack of all trades of close range weapons, and can be outmatched by more centralized weapons.
Here are the rule of thumbs for submachine guns that players can use to maximize its performance:
* Submachine guns are specially designed for spraying and praying, therefore all engagement should be done in such manner. It is not recommended to tap fire or perform short round burst, as they do not have great first shot accuracy in the first place. Just remember not to overexposing oneself from focusing too much on spraying.
* Due to their mobility, spread, and fire rate, Submachine Guns are useful for close quarter combat, especially with surprise attack. The best way to maximize them is with a more aggressive approach, by jumping into mid-close range and engage into combat.
* Utilize the terrain and blind spot of the area to maximize engagement. Staying out of sight and jumping between cover allows the player to more safely close the distance to the enemy without exposing themselves to barrage of bullets. The player can also utilize cover to disappear from the enemies once again, and reemerge at different spot / time for follow-up surprise attacks.
* If the enemy has the range advantage, it is best to do a tactical retreat and find cover. Not only this avoid the player from engaging a difficult fight, sometimes this will cause the opponents to try and give chase. This can lead them to close the distance by themselves, allowing a more favorable outcome of the fight should one decide to go through with it.
===Machine Guns (Superite Lasers and Miniguns)===
Machine guns (namely and ) are weapons that are notable of their capability of sending barrage of bullets. They are the combination of best of both previously mentioned weapon in terms of firepower: the extreme rate of fire of SMG, and the DPS (damage per second) output of AR, making it a really great weapon for supression and discouraging an enemy from charging in, as this weapon can quickly overwhelm the opposing animals, even with high armor tier.
Machine Guns are specialized for defensive play, even more so than AR. This is because each time the weapon is triggered, it requires a small windup before they can fire their barrage of bullets, meaning a direct confrontation will only lead up to the user exposing themselves greatly to the enemies. Its etremely wide bullet spread also means landing an accurate and reliable shots is neigh impossible with this weapon, adding further to the discouragement. On the other hand, in defensive plays. deterring enemies are extremely effective with this weapon because of its randomness; the enemies will require a ton of luck to survive the engagement without heavy damage.
===Hand Cannons===
 and are technical tier ranged weapons, built to be more specifically used in medium to long range combat compared to the Assault Rifles. They are semi-automatic and lightweight revolvers that compensate for their lower fire-rate and mag size by packing more punch per shot, having higher mobility, and good armor piercing, allowing the player to take down a enemy with few well-aimed shots.
Hand Cannons are some of the most reliable duelist weapons. They are weapons that can still be powerful when used alone, without any other sidearm. Their high mobility, damage output, and versatility means that in the hands of very skilled players this weapon turns the user into a dangerous mobile threat, and can be used to pick their fights, engage in and finish it while taking minimal damage. Just make sure to keep some distance from The enemies, because these weapons are not as viable at close range.
===Handguns===
, , and are weapons that have been designed to perform more optimally in close range combat, and can be compared to the Submachine Guns. While their high fire-rate is similar to the SMGs, handguns differ in their magazine size, slow bullet speed and high damage drop-off with better base damage, tight weapon spread, and generally much more reliable accuracy, while still maintaining ease of use.
Handguns are some of the most consistent and versatile weapons in terms of damage output. Fast fire rate, massive damage, high mobility and tight spread means these weapons will be able to wipe out an enemy quickly, while still having room for mistakes. Just like one can choose their fights with a Hand Cannon, one can simply run around a corner and finish an important target quickly and get out of the fight before anyone realizes what is happening. Being very flexible weapons means Handguns can be paired with any other long-range weapon and still be a viable choice.
Bear in mind that these weapons don't do well at long range (aside as harassment), or when facing groups of enemies. And try not to click too fast when using this weapon: nobody wants to have their gun “jamming” in the middle of the fight, would they?
===Long-range Rifle===
Compared to most other weapon categories in this list where the latter weapon is the direct upgrade to the former, the relation between and are more of a sidegrade, because their statistic and performance differences also directly change how each weapon should be used to get the most of it. In this category, we will first explain the similarity of both weapons before individually delving into their differences and how those affects their optimal play style.
Both Hunting Rifle and Sniper are built specifically for long range engagement to deal massive damage with each shot. Their extremely high bullet speed and accuracy means every first shot delivered will always land exactly where the player is aiming, with little or no spread. Coming with the weapons also includes zooming feature, where players can increase their field of view by holding sneak button with this weapon held in hand, further increasing the weapon’s maximum range and making them able to see and shoot target even if they normally would be off-screen. And because of the need for precise shots, both weapons require high skill in order to use effectively.
*Hunting Rifle
Aside from their sluggish movement speed, has exactly one shot per magazine, meaning that for every shot delivered, players need to reload in order to be able to shoot again. In exchange, the reload speed takes only 0.7 seconds, and Hunting Rifle has no weapon spread after each shot, allowing the players have their next shots to always be as precise as their first shot.
Due to their fast-firing speed and pinpoint accuracy, Hunting Rifle is meant to be used used as a main damage weapon rather than a support side weapon. This means players are best to hold their ground and use cover while having this weapon to constantly fire at the enemies, dealing massive damage in quick succession. In fact, switching weapons or making major movement will instead lower the damage output the player can give to the opponent, making them even more vulnerable than they already are. Therefore, using this weapon should be treated as a “glass cannon” weapon, where players can deliver massive damage quickly with it, but also render them immobile and an easy target.
Do not engage an enemy with this weapon without having any cover to protect the user, or within close range without prior advantage, as doing so would quickly put an end the user’s survival.
*Sniper
In contrast to Hunting Rifle, has 5 bullets per magazine in their disposal, which means without needing to reload as often, the user are able to engage in a fight longer and have slightly more mobility. This comes with a drawback, however, as instead chaining multiple shots in a row leads to massive weapon spread. Without spacing the timing between each shoots, sniper users will not be able to even hit the broad side of the barn without relying on pure luck.
Most sniper users also equip a sidearm in tandem to cover the downtime of the sniper’s recoil, using snipers solely for starting a fight to break the opponents’ armor and/or to quickly finish off injured enemies trying to get away, as their massive damage can take down an almost full health down to 0. on the contrary, players can also accommodate the downtime by rolling around to dodge the enemies’ shots, as two consecutive super jump rolls are enough time spacing to reset the sniper’s recoil, returning it to its original pinpoint precision. Regardless, the quirk of the sniper means it is best used as a supporting damage dealer rather than main damaging weapon.
While sniper in this regard is more viable as close-range weapon than HR, it is still advised against engaging an enemy at close range without other weapons or without prior advantage.
===Shotty (Shotgun and Jag-7)===
Shotties (namely and ) are weapons that is made specifically for close range encounter. Unlike most close-range weapon such as SMG and Pistol, Shotty has slower fire-rate, 5 bullets per magazine, and massive damage drop-off. But this downside is made up by capability of dealing massive damage that comes in multiple pellets in each shot that spread wider the more they travel.
Shotty is extremely valuable as a defensive weapon. Thanks to their massive damage output and wide pellet’s spread, not only this weapon can make a quick work on even level 3 armored enemies on close range, but they are also very lenient with the accuracy at medium range allowing them to hit mobile targets a lot easier. Thus, Shotty is an excellent weapon to severely punish players for making mistakes and create openings for the user to attack.
However, Shotties are often best used alongside a long-range weapon, such as Hand Cannon, Long-range rifle, or even Assault Rifle to compensate their terrible long-range effectiveness. It shouldn’t be reminded that one should never engage a long-range fight with a shotgun alone. What if one doesn’t heed this warning? Only one way to find out…
===Sparrow Weapons===
Just like the relation between Hunting Rifle and Sniper, have distinctively different use than thanks to the quirk and mechanic of both weapons being very varied, and therefore we will first discuss their similarity before following through with the difference in each weapon.
Both Sparrow Weapons have characteristics that is comparable to Hand Cannon: Low fire-rate between shots, but a great weapon as dangerous mobile threat. However, what set aside the Hand Cannon from Sparrow weapons are their lack of damage drop-off over distance and weapon spread, their ability to deal damage through armor, and most importantly, their sparrow tagging capability, leaving the victim’s position revealed for a couple of seconds.
====Bow and Sparrow====
 is one of two weapons in Super Animal Royale that has inverted firing mechanism. That is, the player is required to hold the fire button to charge the bow, and release it to shoot the projectile. This inverted firing mechanism alone makes bow and sparrow a weapon with the steepest learning curve, requiring very precise timing between rolling, charging and shooting to make the most of the weapon’s capabilities. In return, bow doesn’t require reloading like any other weapons, meaning it can be used to engage an enemy for really long time without needing to fall back due to downtime.
Bow and Sparrow are the ultimate weapon for dueling. In exchange for being much harder to use, it gives the user much more consistency in terms of accuracy and damage output compared to Hand Cannon. Not only that, the tagging mechanism and the lack of downtime means this weapon is a high risk, high reward weapon that puts extra edge on players that plays aggressively. It is without a doubt the reason why this weapon is the most preferred among the most competent players in Super Animal Royale.
====Sparrow Launcher====
Compared to Bow and Sparrow, does not have inverted firing mechanism, and have magazine capacity of 5, making it more similar in nature to Hand Cannon, both in play style and learning curve. However, it retains its tagging capability, has no weapon spread, and also has less magazine capacity than Hand Cannon, which means it’s a slightly harder but more consistent weapon to use than Hand Cannon without the extreme steep learning curve like Bow and Sparrow.
Since the weapon has reloading downtime, this weapon is much less well suited for aggressive play. Instead, their much longer tagging time makes them a good balance of offense and defense, especially as suppressing and intel gathering weapon. This weapon is an excellent supporting tool for assisting the player with decision making when it comes to approaching a fight thanks to their long duration tagging, making them a great support weapon to aid the user’s side weapon without making a big sacrifice of a weapon slot.
===Dart Guns===
Dart guns fulfill an interesting role in the game as a weapon that’s also designed for assists and team supports. Dart Guns can be fired at an injured teammates to heal them, gradually replenishing their HP to max with just four shots. At the same time, Dart gun can be shot at enemies to poison them, dealing gradual damage that ignores armor for few seconds.
Being weapon for support, it can be utilized greatly to aid teammates in need. Getting them to recover quickly is by itself a powerful feature, especially amid the heat of the battle, which can often times make or break one’s survival in the match. After all, nothing makes a better method of advancing than the ones that require little downtime.
Aside from being a good support weapon to heal teammates in need, the ability for dart guns to deal true damage through armor makes dart gun one of the most feared weapon when utilized correctly. Well placed shots are enough to send the opponents scurrying away, if not killing them already, which will give the player a massive breathing room. And most importantly, any opponents taken down this way will drop their armor intact. Allowing the player to snatch it for instant protection without needing to fix the armor first.
Be careful though, because the slow projectile speed and time to kill can easily caught its user off guard and throw their aim easily.
===BCG ( Big Clucking Gun )===
, unlike any other weapons in this game, is an artillery weapon that lobs out explosive eggs similar to a grenade launcher. It uses inverted firing mechanism, making it the only other weapon beside Bow and Sparrow that uses this firing function. The distance of the egg launched also depends on how long the weapon is charged, although unlike Bow and Sparrow, this does not affect the output damage of the projectile.
Charging the gun and releasing the trigger with BCG lobs out an egg projectile that launches slightly upwards before detonating upon falling to the ground or hitting another animals. When detonated, the egg will damage everyone within its small AoE Radius, while also leaving egg yolks behind that slows anyone walking over it and leaves traces of footprints visible to everyone even behind fog of war. While in the air, the egg projectile is capable of going over short walls and bounces off tall walls, allowing the players to hit targets behind covers.
BCG is an extremely useful weapon great for crowd control while also capable of dashing out large amount of damage. Thanks to its splash AoE and Armor Piercing damage, it is capable of killing enemies with as little as three shots regardless of their armor (and with Legendary BCG, only two shots), and even bypass protection of their vehicles if they are riding one. Its Wall bouncing, and lobbing over short walls means the user need not to be overly accurate with their aim as long as they can control where the egg’s impact will occur. Although it has a rather weird and unintuitive projectile trajectory, and has one of the more limited range, it is not impossible to adapt to, and accustomed player will soon realize this weapon is nothing short of a diamond in the rough.