Complete weapons tier list with detailed stats, rarity rankings, pros/cons, and meta loadouts for Update 1.3.0. Find the best guns for PvP, PvE, and ARC enemies.
Weapons ranked by effectiveness in Update 1.3.0 for PvP and PvE. Click any weapon to see detailed stats, ammo types, and best use cases.
Weak against ARC armor but economical and common. Best for PvP.
Balanced option for most encounters. Sufficient for raiders in PvP.
Best for fighting ARC enemies with superior armor penetration.
Specialized explosive ammunition for anti-ARC operations.
Proven loadout combinations dominating competitive play. Each build includes optimal primary and secondary weapons for specific playstyles.
Flexible setup for solo raiders. Renegade for mid-range control paired with Bobcat for close-range bursts gives strong survivability and versatility.
Best loadout for tackling ARC enemies. Hullcracker for explosive damage on large ARCs, Ferro for armor penetration and precision shots. Dominates PvE content.
Meta PvP loadout. Bettina as main gun for all situations with strong penetration and DPS. Venator for close-range burst damage. Versatile and deadly.
Best budget loadout using common weapons. Ferro is incredibly powerful despite low rarity. Stitcher has excellent cost per shot. Perfect for learning and low-risk runs.
Ultimate long-range setup. Jupiter for extreme-range eliminations, Anvil for when enemies get close. Requires precision but devastatingly effective.
Aggressive close-quarters loadout. Vulcano for instant deletion with highest burst damage. Venator for follow-up and mobility. Dominates indoor combat.
This ARC Raiders weapons tier list ranks all 19 weapons available in Update 1.3.0, including assault rifles, battle rifles, SMGs, shotguns, sniper rifles, pistols, and special weapons. Each weapon has been tested extensively in both PvP and PvE scenarios and ranked based on effectiveness against raiders and ARC enemies.
Best Overall: The Ferro remains the king despite being Common rarity. With 40 damage per shot and exceptional ARC armor penetration, it's incredibly powerful and dirt cheap. The Anvil matches its damage in a pistol form factor for close-range dominance.
Best for PvP: Bettina assault rifle offers the best all-around performance with strong armor penetration and solid DPS. Venator (post-nerf) still dominates close range with its double-shot mechanic, while Vulcano shotgun provides instant deletion potential.
Best for PvE/ARC Enemies: Hullcracker is unmatched for destroying ARCs with 100 damage explosive shots, though Update 1.3.0 significantly increased its price. Ferro and Bettina excel with heavy ammo penetration for consistent ARC damage.
Best Budget: Ferro and Stitcher form the ultimate budget loadout. Both are Common rarity with excellent cost-per-shot efficiency. Perfect for learning the game and low-risk runs.
Best Long Range: Jupiter (Legendary) tops the charts with 60 damage, but Osprey offers similar performance at Rare rarity with 45 damage and the longest range stat (80.3) in the game.
The latest patch brought significant balance changes. The Venator pistol received substantial nerfs, with fire-rate upgrade bonuses reduced from 22/44/60% to 13/26/40%, and weight increased from 2 to 5. This makes it less oppressive in close-quarters but still viable.
Hullcracker (Deadline) pricing was dramatically increased from 8,100 to 15,000 coins, with trader stock reduced from 3 to 1. This makes the premier ARC-killing weapon much more expensive to run, shifting the PvE meta toward more economical heavy ammo options like Ferro and Bettina.
Launcher ammo also saw price adjustments, now costing 4,500 coins for 6 ammo (down from 6,000 for 10), but with increased sell value. This change makes Hullcracker even more expensive to operate.
ARC Raiders features a five-tier rarity system: Common, Uncommon, Rare, Epic, and Legendary. Interestingly, rarity doesn't always correlate with effectiveness—the Common-rarity Ferro is S-tier, proving that weapon stats and mechanics matter more than rarity. Higher rarity weapons typically offer more mod slots and upgrade potential but come with higher replacement costs.
Heavy ammo is king for ARC enemies, offering superior armor penetration. Medium ammoprovides a balanced option sufficient for PvP raiders. Light ammo is the most economical but struggles against ARC armor plating. Launcher ammo is exclusively for the Hullcracker and devastatingly effective but very expensive post-1.3.0.
New raiders should focus on the Ferro + Stitcher combination. Both are Common rarity and incredibly cost-effective. Ferro handles medium-to-long range with devastating 40-damage shots, while Stitcher provides close-range defense with excellent DPS. This loadout costs almost nothing to replace and teaches fundamental gunplay mechanics.
Last Updated: November 21, 2025 (Update 1.3.0) | Data based on community feedback, competitive play statistics, and official patch notes.