The Finals: Best Heavy Build

Out of the three body archetypes in The Finals, the Heavy is the slowest, most durable, and most capable of wanton destruction. This class is built with demolitions and suppressive fire in mind, pelting enemy contestants with deafening machine gun fire and terrifying grenade salvos.

All classes in this game have specific playstyle specializations that are directly tied to whatever equipment players decide to bring to a match. While there is no true best Heavy build in The Finals, there are some loadouts that shine more brightly when used in the correct situations. Here are some example builds for the Heavy class that are optimized for specific roles and scenarios.

Updated June 15, 2024, by Marc Santos: The third season of The Finals introduced new content and some balance changes for all classes in the game. Heavies have gained a net buff in the new season’s initial balance pass, with a number of their key utilities and primary weapons receiving positive changes. However, with the buffs made to Mediums and Lights, Heavy players might find themselves dying more often. This guide has been updated to include a section that briefly goes over the major changes made to the class, as well as a new build on how to use the new weapons it received in the new season.

What’s New For Heavies In The Finals Season 3?

First, both Lewis Gun and M60 should now put them on par with some of the other automatic weapons in The Finals. The recoil on these machine guns is no longer as harsh as before, but only for the first few bullets of a burst. The longer players hold down the trigger, the worse the recoil will get. To compensate for the improved accuracy, the M60 and Lewis Gun now deal slightly less damage.

Apart from the LMGs, the KS-23 shotgun’s fire rate is now slightly faster. Also, a small but impactful change was also implemented for the Sledgehammer. Its camera animations while sprinting have been toned down, which should result in less motion sickness for some players.

For those who prefer the Heavy’s other weapons, you’ll be glad to know that Goo Gun now stops movement-based Specializations like Evasive Dash. This should make dealing with pesky Lights a lot more manageable, but Goo won’t stop other Heavies from using Charge ‘n Slam. This change also applies to Goo Grenades.

Heavy Grenadier Build

Though not necessarily the best Heavy build for general play, this one is extremely annoying to play against and very effective in the right context. The MGL32 does not immediately destroy buildings, but it can fill a room with so many grenades that it becomes almost impossible to steal a cashout. It fires and reloads relatively quickly, and by the time an enemy does reach a deposit box, the Heavy is usually ready to start spamming explosives again.

This Heavy build will force players to adopt a slow and defense-oriented playstyle, which is ironic for a movement-heavy shooter. Heavy GL users will likely lose most direct gunfights they take, especially against agile Light players. This is why Charge ‘N’ Slam is the preferred Specialization — when players are caught in the open, charge through a wall and escape as quickly as possible.

However, this build is extremely strong in cashout scenarios — find a good spot to lob grenades from, then use Barricades and place Explosive Mines behind them to blow up anyone who tries to mantle over them. After setting up a nest, it’s just a matter of spamming grenades until the cashout is complete.

All-Rounder Machine Gun Heavy Build

This general-purpose loadout excels in close-medium-range combat and area control, and it works best on maps with plenty of open sight lines like Seoul and Las Vegas.

Machine guns are meant to act as the Heavy’s jack-of-all-trades weapon. Their high magazine capacity and good damage per shot values mean players will be able to gun down multiple enemy contestants in a single fight, assuming the machine gunner has good aim.

In Season 2, the M60 was updated to become more accurate and controllable over time during sustained fire, making it even better for extended medium-range fights. Conversely, the Lewis Gun received a nerf to its accuracy — it now becomes harder to control the longer players hold down the trigger. Both weapons are still good for their intended roles, but they now have more distinguished identities, with the M60 as the accurate one and the Lewis Gun as the close-ranged meat grinder.

The C4 and RPG-7 are mainly used for destroying walls and floors. Having both lets players drop deposit stations on two floors instead of just one, which creates a huge advantage for the team. The RPG-7 can one-shot pesky Light and Medium players, and C4 can be used to take out anyone trying to steal a cashout. Meanwhile, Goo Grenades offer tons of utility — use them to create cover or platforms for reaching higher elevations. Keep in mind that C4 has received several nerfs to its lethality.— it can still one-shot Lights, but not Medium or Heavy players. Players also get one less block of C4 at all times, further hampering its ability to kill.

Mesh Shield helps the team cross open gaps (like the rooftops and bridges of Seoul) and create hardpoints within contested areas. Players need to be extra mindful of their positioning while using this, as the shield only covers the front.

Shotgunner Heavy Build

The Flamethrower used to be very strong in close combat fighting, but ever since it got nerfs to its range and DPS output, players will want to use the SA1216 shotgun instead for close-range fighting. This weapon’s high rate of fire, damage, and magazine capacity make it the ultimate CQB weapon, making this Heavy build very difficult to fight against in close-quarter cashout scenarios.

The Goo Gun, Gas Mines, and Barricades turn cashout fights into CQB nightmares for the enemy. When a hostile team enters a room, block off their escape with the Goo Gun and clean them up with gas and shotgun fire. Drop a ceiling on top of a cashout station to make fights even harder and fill the crevices with Gas Mines and Goo.

Due to the SA1216’s short effective range, having the Goo Gun equipped can make fights in open cashout stations a bit easier. This Heavy build is best used together with a Light player equipped with Smoke Grenades, as smoke will extinguish fire and keep the Heavy’s walls of Goo standing strong.

Thunderdome Heavy Build

This build is designed for holding objectives and setting up hardpoints that are extremely hard to contest without forcing enemies to use their utilities. All three pieces of equipment for this loadout are for blocking pathways and bullets, eventually forcing enemies into a close-ranged fight where Heavies have the advantage.

The Sledgehammer and SA1216 will chew any enemy up in close quarters. Meanwhile, those who want a bit more versatility with their engagement ranges now have the KS-23, which was introduced as a new weapon in The Finals Season 2. It fires heavy shotgun slugs that deal immense damage, but its range is somewhat limited by the projectiles’ slow speed. Players reload the KS-23 one shell at time, meaning they can cancel their reloads without ever getting taken out of the fight due to a lack of ammo.

If you’re worried about fire destroying your Goo, swap this out for the Anti-Gravity Cube. It creates a zero-gravity well that makes everything inside it float away, disrupting the movement of enemies as they try to contest objectives.

Heavy Spear Build

The Spear is a melee weapon that trades power for speed. One major advantage it has over the Sledgehammer is that it can be twirled around to deal damage over a wide area, though this move is risky to do since it locks players in a long animation.

This loadout is all about picking off enemy players. Use the new Winch Claw Specialization to hook players in, then poke them until they turn into a pile of coins. You can also use it to pull players into Explosive Mines, though you’ll likely take a bunch of damage as well if the explosion hits you as well. Use the RPG-7 to snipe distant targets or take out Lights who dash away from your Winch Claw, then use Dome Shield as portable cover for objective fights or when you need to disengage from distant attackers.