The Finals Core Mechanics: Class Matchups, Weapons, and Destruction Strategy

TL;DR: Light beats Heavy (kite, never engage head-on), Medium beats Light (range + healing), Heavy beats Medium (HP + demolition). Each class has 3 weapon types matched to its identity. Destruction is most useful for opening sightlines and demolishing cover — not for collapsing buildings (yet). Cash economy rewards players who grab coins and deposit, not kill-feed chasers.

Who this guide is for

You have played 10–30 hours of The Finals and want to climb
You keep losing 1v1 fights and don’t know why
You want to understand class matchups and team comp
You are not yet thinking about tournament finals

This is the second guide in our zero-to-rank The Finals series.

1. The class triangle: Light → Medium → Heavy → Light

The three classes form a rock-paper-scissors triangle.

The matchup chart

Matchup	Winner	Why
Light vs Heavy	Light	Mobility — Light can kite, retreat, never let Heavy close
Light vs Medium	Medium	Range — Medium has assault rifles, longer TTK
Light vs Light	Whoever aims better	Mirror matchup
Medium vs Heavy	Heavy	HP — Medium can’t burst Heavy down
Medium vs Medium	Whoever aims better	Mirror matchup
Heavy vs Light	Light (if kite works)	Same as Light vs Heavy

The principle

You beat the class below yours in the triangle
The class above you beats you
Your job is to pick fights where the matchup favors you

How to use the triangle in a match

If you’re Light and see a Heavy alone — pick the fight (you kite them)
If you’re Light and see a Medium at range — retreat and find another angle
If you’re Heavy and see a Light — don’t chase, they will escape
If you’re Heavy and see a Medium — push, you win the trade

Common pitfall: taking every fight you see. Pick fights where your class wins. If you lose the matchup, reposition.

2. Weapons by class: what each class can use

Each class has 3 weapon archetypes, but the variants differ.

Light weapons

Weapon	Type	Best for
V9S	SMG	Default Light weapon, fast TTK
Sword	Melee	Close-range one-shot potential
Dagger	Throwable	Stealth kills
LH1	Sidearm	Long-range option for Light

Medium weapons

Weapon	Type	Best for
AKM	Assault rifle	Default Medium, all-purpose
Cerberus	Shotgun	Close-range brawler
R .357	Revolver	High-damage one-shot potential
FCAR	Battle rifle	Long-range poke

Heavy weapons

Weapon	Type	Best for
Lewis Gun	LMG	Default Heavy, sustained fire
M60	LMG	High mag size, suppress
SA1216	Shotgun	Close-range demolition
Spear	Sniper	Long-range poke (rare for Heavy)

The “best in slot” picks (Season 7 / Riven Tide)

Class	Best weapon	Why
Light	V9S with extended mag	Fastest TTK in the game
Medium	AKM with compensator	Easy to control, all-purpose
Heavy	Lewis Gun with thermal scope	Great in Rivendale vertical fights

Common pitfall: chasing the “best weapon” without learning to use it. Pick a weapon and master it before switching.

3. Destruction: when to use it (and when not to)

Destruction is The Finals’ signature mechanic. Most new players don’t use it enough, but some experienced players use it at the wrong times.

When destruction wins fights

Scenario	What to break
Enemy hiding behind cover	Break the cover
Need to flank	Break through a wall
Enemy is on high ground	Break the floor they’re standing on
Enemy camping in a building	Collapse the building on them
Need a new sightline	Break a wall you can’t shoot through

When destruction backfires

Scenario	Why not
You’re hiding in the building	You lose your cover
You’re chasing a Light	They’ll run while you’re stuck in the rubble
You collapse a floor onto yourself	You take fall damage
You destroy a wall in a corridor	Enemies have multiple flanking angles now

The destruction priority

Priority	Action
1	Open a sightline you couldn’t shoot through before
2	Break an enemy’s cover
3	Drop an enemy from high ground
4	Collapse a building the enemy is camping
5	Don’t destroy things just for the sake of it

Common pitfall: spamming destruction. You give away your position AND create new flanking angles for the enemy. Destroy with purpose.

4. The Cashout economy: how to win tournaments

Cashout is the main mode. The goal: deposit more cash than the other 3 teams. Here’s the math.

The cash sources

Source	Cash amount
Kill an enemy	$250–$500 (depends on respawn)
Steal a coin from an enemy	$1,000 per coin
Deposit a coin in your vault	$1,000 per coin (locked in)
Win the round	Bonus cash

The 5 cashout rules

Deposit early — coins in your vault are safe; coins on the ground are not
Don’t fight for no reason — every fight is risk vs reward
Steal coins — this is often easier than earning them
Camp the enemy’s vault in the final 30 seconds
Bank it, don’t hold it — $10,000 in your pocket is a magnet for 3rd parties

The winning strategy

Mid-game: deposit early, focus on map control
Late-game: target the team with the most cash
End-game: don’t fight, just hold your deposit

Common pitfall: hoarding cash. Deposit or you’ll lose it to a third party.

5. The team composition rule

In a 3-person squad, the best composition depends on your playstyle, but the baseline is 1 of each class for versatility.

The 3 main compositions

Composition	Strengths	Weaknesses
1 Light + 1 Medium + 1 Heavy	Balanced, all roles covered	No role stacking
2 Light + 1 Heavy	Aggressive, kite	Squishy, relies on positioning
1 Light + 2 Heavy	Tanky, hard to kill	Slow rotations

The recommendation

Default to 1 of each. It’s the most versatile
Run double Heavy if you want to push the objective hard
Run double Light if your team is great at flanking

Common pitfall: stacking 3 of the same class. Diversify. Different classes cover each other’s weaknesses.

6. The Rivendale map: vertical thinking

Rivendale (the new map from Riven Tide) is the most vertical map in The Finals. Winning requires vertical awareness.

The 3 Rivendale zones

Zone	Vertical feature	Best class
The Lagoon	Central tower	Medium (long-range)
The Plantation	Treetop walkways	Light (grapples)
The Ruins	Multi-story ruins	Heavy (demolition)

The vertical rules

Always check high ground — Light players will drop on you
Use grapple points — they’re everywhere in Rivendale
Demolish floors under enemies — they fall, take damage, lose positioning

Common pitfall: only looking horizontally. In Rivendale, you must look up.

7. The 5 endgame mistakes (Bronze to Gold)

Mistake 1: Chasing kills

Symptom: you see an enemy, you chase across the map
Cost: you die, your team loses the cash
Fix: get the cash, not the kill

Mistake 2: Hoarding cash

Symptom: you have $5,000 on you, no deposit
Cost: 3rd party kills you, takes your cash
Fix: deposit every $1,000–2,000

Mistake 3: Standing still

Symptom: you stand behind cover, shoot, don’t move
Cost: you’re an easy target for an enemy flank
Fix: always be moving, even when shooting

Mistake 4: Not using gadgets

Symptom: you have Healing Beam, never use it
Cost: you take damage you could have avoided
Fix: use gadgets every fight — they’re short cooldowns

Mistake 5: Ignoring destruction

Symptom: you shoot enemies but never break their cover
Cost: the enemy regenerates, holds the angle
Fix: break the cover they’re using

8. Frequently asked mistakes (Bronze to Gold)

Mistake	Why it hurts	Fix
Picking fights vs the class that beats you	You lose 1v1s	Pick fights by matchup
Chasing the kill feed	You lose the objective	Get the cash
Hoarding cash	3rd party steals it	Deposit regularly
Standing still	Easy target	Always move
Not using gadgets	Free value missed	Use gadgets every fight
Ignoring destruction	Enemy holds cover	Break the cover

9. Next steps

You now understand the four underlying rules. The natural next read is Cashout Strategy: How to Win Tournaments — once you have the basics, climbing is about consistent improvement.

If you want to master the new map, see Rivendale Map: The New Vertical Battlefield.

Version note (2026-07-18): Based on The Finals Riven Tide update (mid-2026). The Rivendale map and class balance are current. Class matchups (Light > Heavy > Medium > Light) and weapon recommendations are stable across seasons. The cash economy rules apply regardless of patch.

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