ARC Raiders is a shooter that features a deliberately tight and tactical weapon sandbox. With only 21 weapons in the game, every gun fulfills a specific role. There’s a gun to help you melt ARC machines, win PvP duels, or even sneak you through loot-heavy runs without drawing attention.
If you’re not sure which ARC Raiders weapons you should use while playing (and when to use them), this tier list can help you get a head start in this action-packed game.
ARC Raiders Weapon Tier List: The Criteria
This ARC Raiders weapon tier list ranks every gun based on:
- Overall performance
- Damage output
- Armor penetration
- Handling
- Upgrade value
- Versatility
This list does not account for how early a weapon is unlocked or how easy it is to acquire, enabling an accurate power comparison across the entire arsenal.
Overall, the ranking is organized as follows:
- S-Tier: These are best-in-slot weapons that dominate PvP and PvE
- A-Tier: The ARC Raiders weapons that are extremely strong alternatives with minor drawbacks
- B-Tier: Weapons that tend to be situational or outclassed, but usable with the proper setup
- C/D-Tier: Very niche tools or ARC-only weapons with heavy limitations outside of their specific use cases
S-Tier Weapons (Best Guns in ARC Raiders)
These ARC Raiders weapons define the current meta, so if you can access them, they should form the backbone of your loadout.
1. Anvil
The Anvil is absurdly strong for how early and cheaply it can be crafted. This hand cannon hits almost as hard as top-tier rifles while remaining extremely lightweight. Strong ARC armor penetration, fast firing, and excellent handling make it viable in nearly every scenario. It pairs perfectly with long-range rifles and full-auto weapons, making it the most versatile gun in the game.
2. Venator
The Venator is a pistol that behaves like a high-end primary weapon. Each trigger pull fires two bullets, giving it incredible burst damage at close to mid-range. While its default magazine is small, a Medium Extended Magazine and Rank IV upgrades turn it into one of the fastest time-to-kill ARC Raiders weapons.
3. Renegade
When you upgrade this battle rifle, it easily eclipses the Ferro. The Renegade fires faster, performs better at range, and scales incredibly well with upgrades that further increase its fire rate. In skilled hands, the Renegade is one of the best solo weapons in the game.
4. Bobcat
The Bobcat is the Stitcher’s terrifying late-game evolution. Its blistering fire rate shreds even the most heavily armored enemies in seconds. While the recoil and range limit its effectiveness in open spaces, few weapons can match it in close-quarters PvP.
5. Vulcano
The undisputed king of close-range combat. This semi-auto shotgun delivers the highest burst damage in ARC Raiders and can erase players almost instantly. Its limited range and small magazine are its only fundamental weaknesses, making magazine upgrades mandatory.
A-Tier Weapons (Excellent, but Situational)
A-tier ARC Raiders weapons are strong enough to carry raids, but they lack the raw dominance or flexibility of S-tier options.
6. Ferro
One of the best early-game weapons and still relevant later. The Ferro’s single-shot damage, armor penetration, and long-range accuracy make it an excellent initiator weapon. Its unforgiving fire rate means you should always pair it with a faster secondary.
7. Tempest
A balanced assault rifle with solid damage, large magazines, and good ammo efficiency. The Tempest may not hit as hard as the Bettina, but using Medium Ammo with it gives a significant cost advantage in longer raids.
8. Osprey
The first true sniper rifle most players encounter. Its built-in scope gives it a massive advantage in long-range engagements. However, the inability to remove the scope makes it risky once enemies close the gap.
9. Stitcher
The highest DPS full-auto weapon, just after the Torrente. The Stitcher is cheap to craft, easy to upgrade, and devastating up close, remaining viable far longer than most Common-rarity weapons.
10. Bettina
A heavy-hitting assault rifle with excellent armor penetration and manageable recoil. Its major drawback is Heavy Ammo consumption, which makes it expensive to maintain, especially during longer PvE-focused runs.
B-Tier Weapons (Usable, but Outclassed)
The weapons on this ARC Raiders weapons list have clear strengths, but they tend to be overshadowed by better options.
11. Il Toro
A hard-hitting pump shotgun that excels in tight indoor fights. It struggles against ARC armor and lacks the raw speed of the Vulcano, but clever peek-and-shoot tactics make it dangerous in confined spaces.
12. Aphelion
This is a legendary battle rifle that fires two shots per trigger pull. While powerful, it does fail to justify its rarity and cost, given that the Renegade offers similar performance with a lot more flexibility.
13. Jupiter
An endgame sniper capable of deleting enemies with well-placed shots. The Energy Clip’s dependency and lack of attachments make it higher-risk than more flexible rifles.
14. Torrente
The only LMG in ARC Raiders. It’s heavy, inaccurate, and slows movement—but its sustained DPS and massive magazine make it highly effective at close-range PvE encounters.
15. Burletta
A reliable, lightweight pistol that performs well against Light Shields. It’s a great secondary early on, but is inevitably overshadowed by higher-tier sidearms.
C- and D-Tier Weapons (Niche or ARC-Only)
These ARC Raiders weapons serve specific purposes but struggle in general combat, so they’re less likely to be useful.
16. Arpeggio
This burst rifle has decent accuracy and early-game viability, but its damage ceiling is too low to compete later on in the game.
17. Kettle
These ARC Raiders weapons are quiet and accurate, but slow-firing and low-damage. It works best in stealth-focused builds rather than direct combat.
18. Rattler
The Rattler is decent if you use it in early PvP when you upgrade it, but its small magazine and lack of attachment options make it unreliable out of the box.
19. Hullcracker
An ARC-only missile launcher. Devastating against machines, useless in PvP, and extremely risky to bring into raids due to its visibility and slot cost.
20. Equalizer
This beam weapon is exclusively for melting ARC armor, which is perfect if you need it for that specific instance. Otherwise, its poor PvP damage and high visibility make it a liability against any players that use it.
21. Hairpin
A silent, accurate pistol with terrible damage. It shines only in stealth and loot-focused runs where avoiding fights is the goal.
Play ARC Raiders on a High-Performing Gaming PC
ARC Raiders rewards smart weapon choices more than raw rarity, which is where this ARC Raiders weapons tier list can help. Many Uncommon and Rare ARC Raiders’ weapons can outperform Legendary gear when properly upgraded and paired with the right secondary.
No matter how great your weaponry is, a low-quality gaming PC can impact your gameplay. With iBUYPOWER gaming PCs, you can get top-level performance at great value, along with a choice to get something prebuilt or to make your own custom PC.
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