Shell Tier List
The best ammunition in IRON NEST — ranked by general combat usefulness, by target type, and by beginner purchase priority. Based on the launch build (August 6, 2026), the demo, and community guides.
Overall Rankings
The workhorse shell. Cheap at 3 requisition credits, reliable against infantry, artillery batteries, mechanized columns and civil riots — and it is what most mission orders will call for. Master HE before anything else.
The surgical option for bunkers, armored vehicles and hardened underground targets that HE splashes off of. Small blast radius means it is safe near friendlies, but it needs a precise firing solution.
More than double HE's blast radius (0.63 km vs 0.27 km) for 5 credits. Devastating against clustered targets — just be very sure no friendlies are in the area before you fire it.
Toxic gas that kills infantry while leaving infrastructure intact — ideal when you need the ground afterwards. Currently only requested in specific mission types.
Creates a smokescreen covering a large area (1.86 km radius). Useful for screening your own position or planned withdrawals, though its practical use cases are limited at launch.
A non-combat flare shell that illuminates a huge area (12.74 km) for recon. Powerful for confirming targets at night or in fog — just remember it is a tool, not a weapon.
Non-lethal crowd dispersal. Thematically perfect for the civil-war setting, but of little use in standard military engagements — you are rarely ordered to disperse riots.
Best Shell by Target Type
HE kills infantry outright and is cheapest per kill; HCHE handles packed formations; phosgene removes infantry without destroying the ground you need to hold.
Counter-battery work is a race — fire HE for speed and reliability, HCHE when batteries are clustered. Mark all enemy artillery positions BEFORE your first shot, since the counter-battery timer starts immediately.
Armor-piercing is the only shell that reliably penetrates bunkers, armored vehicles and hardened targets. Budget for AP when the orders mention fortifications.
HE blasts tracks and unarmored support vehicles; AP can mission-kill the armored vanguard and stop the column cold.
Recon units are soft targets — a well-placed HE shot with minimal powder does the job. Save expensive shells for what they are meant for.
Beginner Purchase Priority
Spend your starting requisition credits on HE shells and powder charges — shells are useless without the charges that launch them. Never leave the depot without powder.
Once you can reliably range infantry and batteries, carry AP for the bunker and armored missions that will inevitably come.
Buy when the orders call for them. HCHE for cluster targets, S.T.A.R. for night recon, smoke for screening, phosgene for gas missions.
With no riot-dispersal missions in the standard campaign flow, tear gas is a curiosity early on. Revisit it in challenge modes.
A Note on Tier Lists
These rankings are editorial and community-based — they are player opinions informed by the launch build, not official game data. IRON NEST is not a game where one shell beats everything — every shot is mission-driven, and High Command often dictates ordnance. HE ranks high because it is cheap, reliable and useful in most engagements. The real "build" is your requisition strategy: which shells and upgrades you keep in stock. The 30 advertised ammo types and abilities will likely reshape this list as the community unlocks them — check back as we verify each one.