S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 Cost of Hope: Best Faction Weapons — Duty vs Freedom Rewards

Updated August 25, 2026

If you're trying to collect the best unique weapons in S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Cost of Hope, the biggest mistake you can make is treating every gun as a normal loot pickup.

Several of the expansion's unique weapons are tied to Duty/Zulu or Freedom/Mavka, while others can be permanently missed if you leave a story encounter without collecting them.

The most important decision comes during The Destructive Power of the Mind, when you choose whether to follow Mavka or Zulu.

That choice affects more than the ending. It determines which unique weapons you can obtain through several later story and side-quest rewards.

This guide breaks down the 12-weapon unique set, which weapons are faction-exclusive, which are available to everyone, and which rewards you should plan around before committing to a route.

⚠️ Important: If you want the largest possible weapon collection on one save, don't make the Mavka/Zulu decision without first creating a manual save.

📋 Table of Contents

• How Many Unique Weapons?
• Duty vs Freedom Rewards at a Glance
• Justice
• AKM-9B
• Luftgarde
• Rifled Barrel
• Maximum
• Clapper vs Warszawa
• Leichtfuchs
• Guardian vs Mriya
• Freedom's Bounty vs Stranger's Rifle
• Which Weapons Are Faction-Exclusive?
• Can You Get Every Weapon in One Playthrough?
• Best Save Point for Both Routes
• Best Duty Weapons
• Best Freedom Weapons
• Weapon Collection Checklist
• FAQ
• Community Tips
• Final Verdict

How Many Unique Weapons Are in Cost of Hope?

For this guide, the Cost of Hope unique weapon set contains 12 named weapons:

• Justice
• AKM-9B
• Luftgarde
• Rifled Barrel
• Maximum
• Clapper
• Warszawa
• Leichtfuchs
• Guardian
• Mriya
• Freedom's Bounty
• Stranger's Rifle

The important distinction is that Update 2.0 also adds four standard weapon platforms: ARev, GP3A, SIC/SKP, and Fora-230. Those standard weapons should not be confused with the named unique weapons associated with Cost of Hope. Update 2.0 is the free update released alongside the paid Cost of Hope expansion.

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Duty vs Freedom Weapon Rewards at a Glance

The most important weapons are divided into three mutually exclusive reward pairs.

Story Decision	Freedom / Mavka	Duty / Zulu
The Destructive Power of the Mind	Clapper	Warszawa
The Price of a Miracle	Guardian	Mriya
Territorial War	Freedom's Bounty	Stranger's Rifle
Status Quo	Leichtfuchs	—

There are also five important weapons that aren't locked to the faction decision: Justice, AKM-9B, Luftgarde, Rifled Barrel, and Maximum.

This means the faction choice doesn't simply determine one weapon. It can affect three separate weapon rewards, while Leichtfuchs adds another Freedom/Mavka-only weapon.

The practical maximum is 9 on Mavka's route and 8 on Zulu's route.

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1. Justice

Route: Any

Mission: Shadows of the Past

Source: General Tachenko

How to get it:

1. Progress through Shadows of the Past.
2. Reach the confrontation involving General Tachenko.
3. Continue through the Shadow Chimera sequence.
4. After the encounter, check the ground where Tachenko falls.
5. Pick up Justice before leaving the area.

Justice is particularly easy to miss because it is physically dropped into the environment rather than simply being added to your inventory. This is one of the weapons I'd prioritize early in your collection.

⚠️ Don't leave without it: If you're also collecting the Heart of a Shadow Chimera, this is a good opportunity to handle both pieces of loot carefully. Our artifact guide covers that separate missable pickup: S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 Cost of Hope: Flickering Flare & The Forgotten Guide

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2. AKM-9B

Route: Any

Location: Iron Forest

Type: Unique AK variant

The AKM-9B is hidden inside a coded safe rather than awarded through a faction quest.

How to get AKM-9B:

1. Enter the Iron Forest.
2. Travel toward the SWYD-West Checkpoint area.
3. Find the relevant building.
4. Locate the locked safe.
5. Enter the code 3456.
6. Open the safe and collect the AKM-9B.

The weapon is therefore completely independent of the Mavka/Zulu decision. That makes it one of the easiest unique weapons to secure before committing to either faction.

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3. Luftgarde

Route: Any

Requirement: Water Drop

The Luftgarde is one of the more unusual unique weapons because its acquisition is connected to the Water Drop artifact. You don't simply find the weapon sitting in an obvious open-world location. Instead, the Water Drop provides access to the route leading to the weapon.

Important: Don't sell your Water Drop before checking the Luftgarde route. Our artifact guide covers the two known Water Drop acquisition paths and why keeping the artifact can matter: S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 Cost of Hope: Flickering Flare & The Forgotten Guide

Luftgarde is treated as a route-independent unique weapon rather than a Mavka/Zulu reward.

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4. Rifled Barrel

Route: Any

Quest: The Forgotten

Location: Otter's Chest

The Rifled Barrel is hidden inside Otter's stash/chest during The Forgotten. This makes it another reason not to rush through the quest simply to obtain the Flare artifacts.

How to get it:

1. Start The Forgotten.
2. Progress through the quest until you reach Otter's Ventilation Shaft area.
3. Find Otter's stash/chest.
4. Open it.
5. Collect Rifled Barrel.

You can combine this objective with your Flickering Flare and Flare artifact collection. For the complete quest route, use our dedicated walkthrough: S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 Cost of Hope: The Forgotten Walkthrough

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5. Maximum

Route: Any

Location: CNPP — Module IB Building

Type: Unique SVU-MK S-3

Maximum is another weapon that doesn't depend on your faction choice.

How to get Maximum:

1. Reach the CNPP.
2. Explore the Module IB Building.
3. Find the Monolith stash room.
4. Enter the room.
5. Search the area around the desk/safe.
6. Collect Maximum.

This is one of the weapons worth specifically marking on your map because it can otherwise be overlooked while you're focused on the main storyline.

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6. Clapper vs Warszawa

This is the first major faction weapon choice. The decision happens during The Destructive Power of the Mind. You choose whether to follow Mavka or Zulu.

Choose Mavka → Clapper: Clapper is the Freedom/Mavka reward. Follow Mavka's approach through the mission and complete the associated objective. The weapon is awarded as part of that route.

Choose Zulu → Warszawa: Warszawa is the Duty/Zulu counterpart. Choose Zulu's route during the same mission and you'll receive Warszawa instead of Clapper.

Can you get both? Not on the same uninterrupted route. The two weapons occupy the same faction branch: Mavka → Clapper, Zulu → Warszawa. The two are treated as alternative faction rewards, which is why a branch save is so useful. And this is exactly why you should create a manual save before the decision.

For the complete ending choice, see: S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 Cost of Hope Endings: Duty vs Freedom & Point of No Return

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7. Leichtfuchs

Route: Mavka / Freedom

Mission: Status Quo

NPC: Myklukha

Leichtfuchs is different from the other faction rewards because it isn't simply one half of a two-weapon reward pair. It is an additional weapon associated with the Mavka/Freedom route.

How to get Leichtfuchs:

1. Follow the Mavka/Freedom storyline.
2. Reach Status Quo.
3. Continue to the Arena in Rostok.
4. Fight Myklukha.
5. Defeat him.
6. Loot his body.
7. Collect Leichtfuchs.

⚠️ Don't forget to loot Myklukha: Like Justice, this is a weapon you need to deliberately collect from an NPC rather than assume it has been automatically added to your inventory.

Leichtfuchs is the Mavka-only weapon that makes the route totals uneven. So: Mavka/Freedom = one additional unique weapon, Zulu/Duty = no equivalent extra weapon at this stage.

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8. Guardian vs Mriya

The second major faction weapon pair comes from The Price of a Miracle.

Choose Mavka → Guardian: Guardian is the Freedom/Mavka reward. It is associated with the final boss sequence on the Mavka side and is given by Mavka during the relevant progression.

Choose Zulu → Mriya: Mriya is the Duty/Zulu counterpart. If you follow Zulu and complete the Duty route, Mriya becomes your reward.

The pair: Freedom/Mavka → Guardian, Duty/Zulu → Mriya. Again, these are mutually exclusive rewards on a single route.

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9. Freedom's Bounty vs Stranger's Rifle

The third major faction weapon split happens later through Territorial War. This is particularly important because it occurs after the main ending, so choosing your faction doesn't mean the weapon collection is finished when the credits roll.

Freedom → Freedom's Bounty: If you're on the Mavka/Freedom route, completing Territorial War gives you Freedom's Bounty.

Duty → Stranger's Rifle: If you're on the Zulu/Duty route, the corresponding reward is Stranger's Rifle.

These are the third faction-exclusive reward pair.

Make a save before Territorial War: There is an additional practical reason to do this. If you're specifically hunting the Territorial War weapon reward, make a manual save before starting the mission. The quest can behave inconsistently, so having a backup save is a sensible precaution.

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Which Weapons Are Faction-Exclusive?

Here's the easiest way to think about the entire collection.

🔵 Freedom / Mavka-exclusive: Clapper, Leichtfuchs, Guardian, Freedom's Bounty.

🔴 Duty / Zulu-exclusive: Warszawa, Mriya, Stranger's Rifle.

⚪ Available regardless of faction: Justice, AKM-9B, Luftgarde, Rifled Barrel, Maximum.

This classification is much more useful than simply presenting a list of weapon locations because it tells you which guns you're actually giving up by choosing one route.

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Can You Get Every Weapon in One Playthrough?

No.

The faction rewards prevent a single uninterrupted playthrough from collecting the complete 12-weapon set.

The practical route totals are:

• Mavka / Freedom: 9 of 12
• Zulu / Duty: 8 of 12

The reason Mavka's route reaches one weapon higher is Leichtfuchs, which is tied specifically to her side.

The three direct reward splits are:

Decision	Mavka / Freedom	Zulu / Duty
The Destructive Power of the Mind	Clapper	Warszawa
The Price of a Miracle	Guardian	Mriya
Territorial War	Freedom's Bounty	Stranger's Rifle

And then: Mavka only → Leichtfuchs.

The five remaining weapons can be collected regardless of faction. The weapons missing from your route belong to the opposing branch rather than being additional hidden map pickups.

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Best Save Point for Both Weapon Routes

If your goal is to eventually own both sides' faction rewards, don't wait until the final ending.

The safest practical strategy is to create a manual save before the permanent Mavka/Zulu decision during The Destructive Power of the Mind.

From that save you can:

Playthrough A: Choose Mavka → Freedom. Collect: Clapper, Guardian, Leichtfuchs, Freedom's Bounty.

Playthrough B: Reload the pre-choice save and choose Zulu → Duty. Collect: Warszawa, Mriya, Stranger's Rifle.

This doesn't magically merge both routes into one completed timeline, but it lets you experience the alternative branch without replaying the entire expansion from the beginning.

For the exact ending choice and point of no return, our dedicated guide goes deeper: S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 Cost of Hope Endings: Duty vs Freedom & Point of No Return

And if you're preparing for that decision, our missables guide is worth checking first: S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 Cost of Hope: Missables Before Choosing Duty or Freedom

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Best Duty Weapons

If you're choosing Zulu/Duty, I'd prioritize these:

1. Mriya: The major Duty-specific reward from The Price of a Miracle. If you're collecting faction weapons, this is one of the key guns you don't want to miss.
2. Warszawa: Your reward for choosing Zulu during The Destructive Power of the Mind. This is the first weapon that immediately confirms your faction route.
3. Stranger's Rifle: The Duty reward from Territorial War. Don't assume the weapon collection ends with the main ending; this post-game mission matters.
4. Maximum: Not faction-exclusive, but worth collecting regardless of your route.
5. Justice: Another route-independent weapon that can be missed through careless looting.

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Best Freedom Weapons

If you're choosing Mavka/Freedom, the standout collection is:

1. Guardian: The major Mavka reward from The Price of a Miracle.
2. Freedom's Bounty: Your post-game reward from Territorial War.
3. Leichtfuchs: This is particularly important because it is Mavka-only. Make sure you loot Myklukha during Status Quo.
4. Clapper: Your weapon from the first major Mavka/Zulu split.
5. Maximum: Again, this one isn't faction-locked and can be collected on either route.

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Weapon Collection Checklist

Available on Either Route:

• ☐ Justice — Shadows of the Past
• ☐ AKM-9B — Iron Forest safe
• ☐ Luftgarde — Water Drop route
• ☐ Rifled Barrel — The Forgotten
• ☐ Maximum — CNPP / Module IB

Mavka / Freedom:

• ☐ Clapper — The Destructive Power of the Mind
• ☐ Leichtfuchs — Myklukha / Status Quo
• ☐ Guardian — The Price of a Miracle
• ☐ Freedom's Bounty — Territorial War

Zulu / Duty:

• ☐ Warszawa — The Destructive Power of the Mind
• ☐ Mriya — The Price of a Miracle
• ☐ Stranger's Rifle — Territorial War

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FAQ

What are the best faction weapons in Cost of Hope?
For Freedom/Mavka, the key faction weapons are Clapper, Leichtfuchs, Guardian and Freedom's Bounty. For Duty/Zulu, they are Warszawa, Mriya and Stranger's Rifle.

Is Mriya a Duty or Freedom weapon?
Mriya is the Duty/Zulu weapon. Guardian is its Freedom/Mavka counterpart.

Is Warszawa a Duty weapon?
Yes. Warszawa is awarded when you choose Zulu during The Destructive Power of the Mind. Mavka's alternative reward is Clapper.

Is Leichtfuchs faction-exclusive?
Yes. Leichtfuchs is tied to the Mavka/Freedom route and is obtained by looting Myklukha during Status Quo.

Can you get both Clapper and Warszawa?
Not during the same uninterrupted branch. They are alternative rewards from the Mavka/Zulu decision.

Can you get both Guardian and Mriya?
Not on the same route. Guardian is the Mavka reward, while Mriya is the Zulu reward.

Can you get both Freedom's Bounty and Stranger's Rifle?
Not on one uninterrupted faction route. They are the alternative Territorial War rewards.

How many unique weapons can you get as Mavka?
The Mavka/Freedom route can collect 9 of the 12 weapons.

How many unique weapons can you get as Zulu?
The Zulu/Duty route can collect 8 of the 12 in the same collection structure.

Should I save before choosing Mavka or Zulu?
Yes. If you want to experience both faction weapon branches without replaying the entire expansion, make a manual save before the permanent choice.

Is Justice missable?
Yes, treat it as missable. Pick it up from the ground after the General Tachenko encounter rather than assuming it was automatically added to your inventory.

Is Cost of Hope separate from Update 2.0?
Yes. Cost of Hope is the paid expansion, while Back to the Zone — Update 2.0 is a free update released alongside it. GSC confirms that the expansion and Update 2.0 launched together on August 20, 2026.

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Community Tips

If you're starting Cost of Hope specifically to build a unique-weapon collection, I'd approach the expansion differently from a normal playthrough.

Before the faction decision: Do the following first: Pick up Justice, Collect the AKM-9B, Keep your Water Drop until you've checked the Luftgarde route, Complete relevant The Forgotten content for Rifled Barrel, Collect Maximum when exploring the CNPP, and Make a manual save before choosing Mavka or Zulu.

If you choose Mavka: Remember the four key weapons: Clapper → Leichtfuchs → Guardian → Freedom's Bounty.

If you choose Zulu: Remember: Warszawa → Mriya → Stranger's Rifle.

The Cost of Hope storyline is built around faction conflict and choices that shape what happens next, so planning around the major branch is more useful than simply following a generic weapon checklist.

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Final Verdict: Which Faction Gives the Better Weapon Collection?

If you're judging purely by quantity, Mavka/Freedom has the advantage, because Leichtfuchs gives that route one additional unique weapon.

But if your goal is to collect specific weapons, the better choice depends on what you want:

• Choose Mavka / Freedom if you want: Clapper + Leichtfuchs + Guardian + Freedom's Bounty
• Choose Zulu / Duty if you want: Warszawa + Mriya + Stranger's Rifle

And if you're a completionist, the best strategy isn't really choosing one side. Make the manual save before the faction decision. That gives you the cleanest way to experience both weapon branches while avoiding another full expansion playthrough.

For the broader missable-content planning, continue with: S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 Cost of Hope: Missables Before Choosing Duty or Freedom

And for the artifact side of the collection: S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 Cost of Hope: Flickering Flare & The Forgotten Guide

The key is to plan around the faction choice, collect the missable weapons before leaving their areas, and keep a manual save before the Mavka/Zulu decision if you want to experience both weapon branches.

Guide for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 – Cost of Hope