Classic

The Classic is the default sidearm everyone starts every match with — free, semi-automatic, a 12-round magazine, and a genuinely useful secondary fire: holding the alt-fire trigger switches it into a 3-round burst-fire shotgun mode at close range. That alt-fire is what separates the Classic from being a purely forgettable starting pistol.

Its primary-fire damage (78 headshot within 30 meters, 66 beyond it) needs two headshots for a guaranteed kill on an unarmored target, putting it in the same rough tier as the Frenzy, but delivered at a slower, more controlled semi-automatic pace rather than full-auto spray.

Because every player has it from the very first round, understanding its alt-fire mode well is disproportionately valuable — pistol rounds decide economy for several rounds afterward, and the Classic is the one weapon guaranteed to matter in every single match.

Being free is the obvious strength — every player has it by default with zero economic cost, and the burst alt-fire mode gives it real teeth in a close-range surprise engagement that a purely single-fire pistol wouldn't have. It's a genuinely useful weapon on a full-eco round, not just a last resort.

Low wall penetration and modest per-shot damage mean it loses clean duels against nearly every other sidearm once an opponent has spent any credits at all. It has no answer for range — the burst mode is a close-quarters tool only, and the semi-automatic primary fire falls behind full-auto or high-damage pistols in almost every matchup.

The alt-fire burst mode also has a real cooldown between activations, so it can't simply be spammed as a substitute for the primary fire — using it well means recognizing the specific moment a close-range engagement is about to happen, not holding it as a default firing mode.

There's no buying decision to make with the Classic — it's already equipped whenever nothing else is purchased, which is exactly the point. The real decision is whether to spend credits on armor instead of a different sidearm on a full-eco round, since even a small amount of armor can be worth more than upgrading from Classic to Frenzy or Shorty in some spots.

It's the baseline every other pistol and rifle is implicitly compared against — understanding its burst alt-fire is worth doing even for a player who expects to buy up most rounds, since eco and pistol rounds happen in every half.

On a genuine full-eco round, it's often correct to spend the entire budget on armor and utility and simply keep the Classic rather than upgrading to a Shorty or Frenzy at all — the burst alt-fire closes more of that gap than it first appears to.

Practicing the burst-fire alt-mode specifically for close range is the single biggest thing that separates a player getting real value from the Classic versus one just tapping the primary trigger — at close range, the burst mode's effective damage output is meaningfully higher than the standard semi-automatic fire.

On pistol rounds it rewards the same patient, angle-holding play as any semi-automatic sidearm, saving the burst mode specifically for when an opponent commits to a close push rather than using it as a first response.

It's also worth remembering the Classic is what's left in hand after any other weapon is dropped or lost mid-round — treating it purely as a last resort rather than a genuine option undersells how much a well-timed burst can still turn a bad situation around.

Against another Classic on a true pistol round with no upgrades, the fight is entirely about aim and positioning — both players have identical tools, so the burst alt-fire at close range often becomes the deciding factor once the fight closes distance.

Against a Sheriff or Ghost, the Classic is at a clear per-shot disadvantage at range and should generally avoid a long, open exchange, since neither side of that fight favors the free pistol at anything beyond close quarters.

It performs its best relative to expectations in a surprise close-range encounter — a corner or doorway where the burst mode's shotgun-like spread can equalize what would otherwise be a lopsided matchup against a pricier sidearm.

Because every player has it from the start of the match, the Classic shows up everywhere — but it's most relevant on pistol rounds and full-eco rounds, where holding a tight, close-range angle and saving the burst mode for a confirmed push gives it the most realistic chance of winning a duel.

On open, long-sightline positions it's a much weaker option relative to a purchased sidearm, so a player relying on the Classic alone is generally better off falling back toward a shorter, more defensible angle than trying to hold a long lane with it.