162 articlesKnowing what the best weapons are in ARC Raiders is always important when assembling a loadout, and that’s what our tier list aims to help you with!
There are dozens of weapons in this game. Nearly every one of them has something unique that makes them stand out, so they’re all pretty usable. However, there will always be some that are better than others… that’s just how it is!
Read on for our tier list ranking all weapons in the game from best to worst.
Best Weapons Tier List | ARC Raiders
Tier List Breakdown
S+ vs ARCS, F vs Players
First off, we have this special tier at the top. This is exclusively reserved for 2 weapons that are absolutely incredible when fighting ARCs, but completely useless when you have to deal with other Raiders.
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Similarly, the Equalizer has a pretty subpar DPS when used against other Raiders. It’s also pretty hard to get and can’t be modified at all. However, it’s the only other weapon besides the Hullcracker with a Very Strong ARC Armor Penetration. It’s not lying either, it does shred ARCs!
This kind of thing is why these weapons deserve their special spot. You’ll definitely want them when taking on stronger ARCs, such as The Queen. But you’d do well to pair them with a PvP-focused weapon to make up for their glaring flaw.
Speaking of taking on the ARCs, you would do well to learn everything you can about them. Check out our guide on all ARC types!
S Tier
For the S tier, we mostly have weapons capable of easily and quickly taking out targets. They are all great examples of this, but we think the Anvil does stand a bit above the rest.
A fully upgraded Anvil is capable of quickly eliminating both ARCs and other Raiders. It’s also readily available, customizable, and fairly light for its power. There is simply never a situation where the Anvil isn’t a good pick!
The others in this tier don’t fall too far behind, either. Although, they’re a bit more specialized.
The Ferro and Osprey are great for one-shot kills at a distance, for example. Vulcano has the highest DPS at close range, and the Venator is the lightest weapon in the game and can shred other Raiders.
A Tier
In A Tier, we have weapons that are pretty great but do have some weaknesses that make them inferior to our S Tier picks.
The Jupiter might be the most surprising pick to some of you. After all, it is classified as a Legendary in-game! It does have the highest single-shot damage in the game to fit that status, making it quite capable of easy one-shot kills.
However, its main weakness is pretty simple: it’s crippingly slow. You’re likely screwed if you miss even a single shot. On top of that, it can’t be modified, so you can’t build it for stealth either.
Moving on, the Bettina and Tempest are almost two sides of the same assault rifle coin! They’re very versatile, but not too extremely strong in any one way. Tempest is better for PvP, and Bettina is better for PvE.
The Renegade, on the other hand, has a role similar to the Ferro. It’s a mid-range single-shot rifle, and it does have better damage than the Ferro. But it is a tad slower and less reliable overall.
Last in this tier is Il Toro. This powerful shotgun is capable of shredding foes at close range, such as two-tapping Raiders with light shields! But it struggles against more armored foes and at longer ranges.
B Tier
In the B Tier, we have weapons that are just outdone by the ones in S Tier and A Tier. They lack the versatility or power to be higher up on this list.
That said, we do want to give a special shout-out to both the Rattler and Arpeggio. Neither of these guns is incredible from the get-go, but both of them are budget-friendly options that become surprisingly solid when upgraded.
Similarly, the Burletta is also a budget-friendly weapon that isn’t too bad. It doesn’t have the best damage output, but it’s one of the lightest weapons in the game. Plus, it’s a pretty common and cheap find!
The Bobcat is perhaps the biggest outlier on this tier. It’s a pretty solid weapon for those who want a quickdraw SMG. But, it’s the weakest of all Epic weapons, and is just not really worth going for generally.
C Tier
For the C Tier, these weapons are just nothing particularly special.
The Stitcher and Kettle are both solid weapons in the early game, and can be pretty decent later on as you upgrade them. However, they just get outdone by other similar weapons in higher tiers.
As for the Torrente, it’s just a very unwieldy weapon. It has pretty decent damage output and can be particularly good for wrecking drone-like ARCs. But its accuracy is frankly abysmal unless you’re crouching, which makes it pretty limiting.
D Tier
Lastly, in the D Tier we have the humble Hairpin. This is a weapon that has very low damage output against both ARCs and Raiders. As such, it’s generally pretty underwhelming…
However, even the Hairpin has a trick up its sleeve! It’s a very light weapon with the best stealth potential in the game. Its built-in suppressor makes it very quiet, so it’s ideal if you wish to go on a Raid without alerting ARCs or other Raiders.
What’s more, it actually shines whenever you’re planning to go looting indoors. Most of the indoor ARCs are pretty weak, so even the Hairpin’s low damage is enough to take them out in one shot. Without giving away your position, too!
So, while the Hairpin is definitely the weakest weapon overall, we can’t deny that it has its own niche. Not a bad choice at all for sneaking around topside, even if it’s not great for much else.
That’s the end of our tier list ranking all the weapons from best to worst in ARC Raiders! Mind you, the game is pretty new still, so this is all heavily subject to change over time. Nonetheless, we hope you found this helpful.
