Weapons are pistols, submachine guns (SMGs) and shotguns, as well as grenades. Melee combat "weapons" (empty hands, Hand Razors, Spurs) are also covered for the sake of comparison. In general, shotguns are most effective against heavily armored targets (Renraku strike teams), while SMGs are great at mowing down unarmored targets, most notably Hellhounds. Pistols are somewhere in the middle, boasting more stopping power than SMGs, while still able to use a Silencer and Smartlink or Laser Sight, making them superb general-purpose weapons.