Ready or Not offers a rich arsenal of weapons that can take out any enemies standing in your way. However, all of that firepower might get boring after a while. And if you have been playing with conventional weaponry for more than you like, it might be time to try something less lethal. Today we’ll be going over the best non-lethal loadout in Ready or Not and everything that comes with it.
Most of us bought and played Ready or Not for the realistic weapons and gameplay. This is why it might be weird to switch to less-lethal ones. However, the beauty of this game is the ability to experiment.
There are plenty of missions and game modes that will require you to prioritize arrests over kills. And if you like to roleplay a SWAT operative, you might have to utilize non-lethal weaponry at times.
Brief Overview of Non-Lethal Weapons in Ready or Not
Non-lethal weapons don’t see a lot of time in loadouts in Ready or Not, and we think we know why. But, if you are interested in going down that route, then you’ll have to keep a few things in mind.
The most important thing to remember is that weapons categorized as “less lethal” can still end up becoming lethal if used incorrectly. Especially if you’re aiming at vital areas of the body such as the head.
Furthermore, less-lethal weapons in this game and in real life are mainly used to subdue an opponent without causing any long-lasting damage. If given a chance, these types of weapons can prove incredibly useful in hostage rescue game modes.
Hostage rescue missions are always nerve-wracking due to civilians getting caught in cross-fires. Less-lethal weapons should help mitigate this issue and allow you to get a good mission score.
As it currently stands, there are 3 less-lethal weapon options for your loadout in Ready or Not, and 2 of those 3 are primary weapons. We can’t help but remark that there’s not a lot of variety when it comes to these types of weapons, but you’ll have to make it work, seeing as how not many players want to use them in the first place.
Implementing and adding non-lethal weapons to the weapon pool definitely took Ready or Not to the next level in terms of realism and combat planning. You’re forced to carefully weigh the risks and benefits of each situation you’re in and how you’re going to tackle it if hostages are involved.
Related Article: The Best Gun in Ready or Not: Both Lethal and Non-Lethal
Top Non-Lethal Loadout in Ready or Not
Now that you know what they’re best used for, let’s start unveiling our version of the best non-lethal loadout in Ready or Not. There’s plenty to cover, so make sure to follow closely if you’re interested in revitalizing your gameplay experience. Without further ado, let’s first start with our primary weapon of choice.
Best Non-Lethal Primary Weapon for this Ready or Not Loadout
The primary weapon that we’ve gone with for this loadout build is the R7 Launcher. This unusual launcher is shaped like an assault rifle, yet it’s far from that. It fires pepperballs that are dangerous enough to subdue human targets. The only real downside to this pepperball launcher is its non-lethal nature, but we assume you’re not in the business of killing people with this equipped.
It might not look effective at first, and we don’t blame you for thinking so. However, the R7 is a blessing in disguise, as it can take care of most enemies if you place your pepperball shots right. Now, it won’t do as well against heavily-armored opponents, so make sure to avoid bringing this on missions that may require lethal force.
Alternate Non-Lethal Weapon
Our alternate choice for this loadout will go to the Beanbag Shotgun – another superb option for any non-lethal-oriented players. It fires 120A beanbag rounds that hit like a truck upon impact, and it’s even more potent at subduing threats than the R700 and its pepperballs. Although this is the only other non-lethal primary weapon there is in Ready or Not, we think it still deserved a quick mention in our build.
Even though the beanbag shotgun may be classified as “less lethal,” it’s still capable of eliminating someone if used incorrectly. That is why you should try to aim for larger parts of the body in an attempt to get your opponent or civilian to submit.
Alternatively, if that doesn’t work, then you may have to resort to headshots in order to get the job done.
Best Non-Lethal Secondary Weapon for this Ready or Not Loadout
Luckily, there is one non-lethal option that you can pick as a secondary weapon for your loadout. This would be the trusty old Taser – a gadget that law enforcement agencies across the world hold sacred. The taser is your go-to option for dealing with situations that require less-lethal methods of submission. Yet another gadget that adds new layers of realism to Ready or Not.
Now, the way the taser works is pretty obvious, and you should get the hang of it pretty quickly. It’s not the fastest-firing weapon, so you might have to place your shots just right. Not only that, but you won’t have a lot of range with a taser, which will sometimes force you to handle your opponents differently.
As soon as a taser shot hits, your target should be shocked by an intense bolt of electricity. This will either disarm them or incapacitate them entirely. Additionally, the taser has a built-in laser pointer for easier aiming. All of this makes it quite easy to use in close-quarters combat and hectic situations.
Make no mistake, though – use the taser only on non-compliant targets and switch to something a bit more powerful for more dangerous ones.
Primary Weapon Attachments for this Ready or Not Loadout
Nearly every weapon in this game has a wide variety of attachments. This also applies to the non-lethal weapon category. Although it might be peculiar that you can put attachments on something like the R7 Launcher, we welcome it with open arms.
- Optic: Holosight EXPS3
- Underbarrel: Combat Grip
- Illuminator: Laser Pointer or Flashlight
A hectic raid will require you to have a visual advantage, this is why we’re going with the holosight EXPS3 for our optic slot. It should serve you nicely. The underbarrel slot goes to none other than the combat grip for increased accuracy. And lastly, it doesn’t matter whether you go for a laser pointer or flashlight in terms of the illuminator. Both are to be used according to the situation at hand.
Sadly, you can’t attach anything to the taser in Ready or Not. However, the integrated laser pointer should serve you well regardless of the situation. If you’re not comfortable with a taser, then you could go for a 9mm pistol with attachments from our guide on the best pistol loadout in Ready or Not.
Best Tactical Equipment
Tactical equipment plays a large role in every Ready or Not loadout. You’ll have to use it if you want to survive, and that rule applies even more to this loadout. Our tactical equipment of choice for this build will be the Ballistic Shield. Something as useful as the ballistic shield is designed to protect you from ballistic bullets.
Rightfully so, the ballistic shield continues to receive constant praise for its usefulness in combat and front-line defense. You can only use a secondary weapon with it, and in this case, that will be your taser. Juggling a taser and ballistic shield won’t be easy, as there aren’t many taser cartridges available even if you reduce other slot sizes.
Moreover, your character will tilt the shield to the side in order to get a good shot, so be careful when aiming down sights.
The ballistic shield should be your main piece of tactical equipment when you’re roleplaying by yourself or using a non-lethal loadout in Ready or Not to arrest people. It is by far the most reliable thing that you can bring on both solo and multiplayer missions.
Your team will surely appreciate having an impenetrable shield operative leading the way. For more information on how to make the best of this great asset, check out our related shield loadout for Ready or Not.
Best Armor
Most of our other loadout guides for Ready or Not prefer heavy armor, and that’s exactly what we’re going to be choosing for this loadout build. There’s a good reason to. Armor in Ready or Not is in a tough spot, and this is mainly because of how the AI behaves.
Unless you have cheats or you’re a true FPS Champion, a bullet is bound to hit you eventually. It’s just best to stick with heavy armor and not risk dying from a stray bullet to the chest.
Keep in mind that you won’t be spending a lot of time behind your teammates with this loadout. That’s why it’s important to know your role and how you’ll go about realizing it during a mission. Heavy armor will slow you down significantly, making you feel quite sluggish overall. With all of that in mind, you should be able to take on anything that’s coming your way.
Best Armor Material
As for armor material, we’d recommend going with Ceramic Plates for that extra layer of protection. Steel is naturally the sturdiest material, but we’ve decided to reduce the extra weight that you’ll be carrying. Trust us, you’ll need at least a bit of mobility to keep the momentum going.
You could also opt for kevlar, but that won’t make much of a difference seeing as how you’ll be wearing heavy armor. At the end of the day, armor material doesn’t really matter as much. Pick whatever you feel personally works best.
Ammo & Deployable Slots
In Ready or Not, going the non-lethal route with your loadout is not simple. You will be forced to use a lot of ammunition due to its less-lethal nature. One pepperball likely won’t be enough to take down one adult-sized human, which will, in turn, make you shoot way more than you wanted to.
The same rules apply to the taser, and we’ve thus edited our ammo/deployable slots accordingly.
Here’s a full list of exactly how your slots should look like if you want your non-lethal loadout to work well:
- Primary Ammunition: x4 Pepperball Magazine
- Secondary Ammunition: x3 Taser Cartridge
- Grenades: x2 Flashbang
- Deployables: x2 Pepper Spray
The large majority of your slots should be allocated towards primary and secondary ammunition. We’ll be using up a lot of our ammo during raids, so that’s why we went ahead and reduced the number of deployable equipment you bring in favor of ammunition. Flashbangs are going to be your best friends for clearing rooms, especially if you’re going the non-lethal route.
Lastly, pepper spray should take care of any stragglers that are refusing to cooperate. We’d advise using it only on unarmored opponents once you’re running low on pepperball magazines and taser cartridges.
Best Headwear for this Non-Lethal, Ready or Not Loadout
Headwear is a vital part of your loadout, you’re most definitely going to need it wherever you go. Despite the community’s complaints, Void Interactive still hasn’t added more headwear options that serve a more broad purpose. The only objectively good headwear option is the Night-Vision Goggles (NVSG), which is what we’re going to use in this loadout.
Certain missions or raids take place in very dark areas or even at night. The thing is, even if a mission takes place during the day, the NVSG is still going to be useful due to how dark interiors can get. The other headwear options could prove useful in certain situations, but having the visual advantage is far more imperative.
Final Thoughts on the Best Non-Lethal Loadout in Ready or Not
Remember, there’s plenty more where that came from. What worked for us might not work for you. You don’t have to strictly adhere to what we showed you today. Feel free to put your own twist on it.
Beware, though, there’s a big learning curve when it comes to non-lethal or less-lethal loadouts like this in Ready or Not. It will definitely test your patience multiple times over.
Ready or Not is constantly changing, and we can’t wait to see what the future has in store for it. With that in mind, make sure to check out our other loadout builds, such as the best shotgun loadout in Ready or Not.