Free Fire has a robust weapon system comparing to other battle royale competitors, with new ones getting added to every big patch. The Marksman Rifles or DMRs are the newest weapon class getting added to the game - they are considered semi-automatic Sniper Rifles.

SVD vs SKS vs Woodpecker, which is the best?
SVD vs SKS vs Woodpecker, which is the best?

In this article, we are going to answer the question of "Which Is The Best Marksman Rifle In Free Fire?" by listing out all weapons in the class along with their strengths and weaknesses. Comparing to the previous version of the list, the M14 has been recategorized into the AR class, so it won't be part of this list.

Which is the best Marksman Rifle in Free Fire?

Overall, the SVD is the best Marksman Rifle in Free Fire 2021. While the Woodpecker used to claim the top spot, it was bumped down due to a nerf a few patches ago. Overall, the SVD is just much easier to use, with the ability to equip an extra magazine and high base range right out of the gate.

The SVD
The Dragunov SVD is the best Marksman Rifle in the game.

This means you can begin firing right away without having to wait for attachment pickups, unlike the Woodpecker. Its higher base damage also works better on unarmored targets as well - great for the earliest phase of the game.

Free Fire Maro
Maro is the best character to combo with marksman rifles.

The best character skills to use with marksman rifles are Rafael, Laura, Maro and Awakened Kelly. You should be able to instantly kill a lot of targets with Maro's help, while Rafael's ability works wonder in Squad mode. Laura's passive provides accuracy when scoped in.

About the SVD - Best Marksman Rifle in 2021

The Dragunov or SVD is a Soviet-made medium-range squad support weapon. It is designed for non-trained marksmen with accuracy higher than 50% - you can call it a sniper rifle for noobs. In Free Fire, the Dragunov is a powerful marksman rifle with high damage, armor penetration ability, and range.

Svd
SVD Swordsman Legends in Free Fire

Similar to all other marksman rifles, the SVD spawn with its own 4x scope. It can be equipped with all attachments in the game, including a magazine. Amongst them, the foregrip and stock are most vital - they would increase weapon accuracy and range.

Stat-wise, the SVD has the strongest baseline amongst the three marksman rifles. It has a high base damage of 89 in combination with 80 range. Overall, the SVD is just as strong as an AWM but with a much higher fire rate. It also has some really good skins as well.

About the SKS

The SKS is the oldest weapon on this list. In real life, it is a Soviet-made predecessor to the AK-47, which was used before World War 2. This is probably why the SKS has the weakest statline amongst the three weapons in Free Fire. Damage-wise, it has only 82 points and 46 armor penetration, which are much lower than its rivals.

SKS Hysteria in Free Fire
SKS Hysteria in Free Fire

Similar to all other semi-automatic marksman rifles, the SKS comes pre-attached with a 4x scope. It can equip the same array of attachments as the SVD and has the same priority of foregrip and stock.

The biggest advantage that the SKS has over the other two is its higher spawn rate. You should be able to find it much easier than the SVD or Woodpecker.

About the Woodpecker

The Woodpecker is one of the newest guns released in Free Fire. It was added to the game back in October last year. In real life, the M21 Woodpecker is an American-made weapon, an upgrade from the M14 line... for even more power and piercing ability.

Woodpecker
Woodpecker in Free Fire

This is showcased clearly in the game, with the Woodpecker having a whopping 85 damage stat, much higher than its predecessor M14's 77. It is also the weapon with the highest armor-piercing ability in the game, with a whopping 75 points. This means the M21 Woodpecker is able to ignore up to 3/4 of armors and helmet damage reduction.

Its weakness is probably the subpar range of only 63 - one of the lowest amongst all Free Fire sniper rifles. While its accuracy stat is fairly decent at 69, it is still incomparable with the usual pinpoint accuracy of the normal Sniper Rifles. This means the Woodpecker is highly inaccurate - you need good aim to be able to use it.

Woodpecker skins in Free Fire
Woodpecker skins in Free Fire

The Woodpecker can be further modified with silencer/muzzle/foregrip and stock. These attachments would increase its effective range and reduce recoil.

This is our answer to the question of "Which Is The Best Marksman Rifle In Free Fire?". Interested in more of Gurugamer's articles related to Garena Free Fire? Please check out this article to find out more about The Best Pets In Free Fire In 2021.