In this extraction shooter, death means permanent gear loss. You won’t get that fancy rifle back if you go down. This creates an interesting balance between performance and practicality sometimes a cheaper weapon that does 80% of the job is smarter than risking an expensive legendary that might get looted off your corpse.
Arc Raiders features 21 distinct firearms, each with fixed rarity tiers. You can’t find common and epic versions of the same gun what you see is what you get. Improvement comes through Gunsmith upgrades at your Workshop or by attaching weapon mods during raids.
I’ve tested every weapon extensively across both PvP engagements and ARC encounters. This guide breaks down the entire weapon roster, explaining what makes each gun tick and where it excels. Whether you’re a new Raider or a veteran looking to optimize your loadouts, this analysis will help you make informed decisions.
Complete Weapon Tier Rankings
| Tier | Weapons |
|---|---|
| S-Tier | Anvil, Venator, Renegade, Bobcat, Vulcano |
| A-Tier | Ferro, Tempest, Osprey, Stitcher, Bettina |
| B-Tier | Il Toro, Aphelion, Jupiter, Torrente, Burletta, Arpeggio |
| C-Tier | Kettle, Rattler, Hullcracker, Equalizer |
| D-Tier | Hairpin |
This ranking system evaluates weapons based on damage output, versatility, handling characteristics, upgrade requirements, and overall combat effectiveness. I’m deliberately ignoring acquisition difficulty here understanding raw performance helps you recognize when you’ve found something special during a raid.
Remember that rarer weapons take significant time to unlock. You’ll need to find Blueprints before crafting most Epic and Legendary gear. Early on, even a single Arpeggio or Il Toro represents serious firepower.
Detailed Weapon Analysis: Ranked Best to Worst
1. Anvil – The Overperforming Hand Cannon
The Anvil might be the most cost-effective weapon in Arc Raiders right now. For an Uncommon pistol, it punches way above its weight class—honestly, it outperforms most Rare and Epic weapons you’ll encounter.
After just a few hours of raiding, you’ll have enough resources to craft multiple Anvils. That’s remarkable considering this hand cannon rivals the stopping power of weapons like the Ferro or Renegade. While it doesn’t quite match their effective range, it compensates with rapid semi-auto fire and exceptional portability.
Six rounds per magazine with Strong ARC Armor Penetration makes it reliable against both mechanical threats and enemy Raiders. Pair it with a Ferro for an aggressive early-game loadout, or combine it with full-auto weapons like the Stitcher, Torrente, or Tempest for balanced PvP capability.
2. Venator – Double Trouble Pistol
The Venator earns its spot through sheer damage concentration. This lightweight sidearm fires two projectiles per trigger pull, creating devastating burst damage when you land shots accurately. Recent patches increased its weight slightly, but it remains highly mobile.
Default magazine capacity limits this weapon significantly—immediately attach a Medium Extended Magazine when possible. Additionally, upgrading to Rank IV maximizes fire rate, transforming the Venator into one of Arc Raiders’ deadliest close-to-mid-range options. Without these improvements, it’s merely good. With them, it becomes exceptional.
3. Renegade – Battle Rifle Excellence
The Renegade represents everything a Battle Rifle should be. It trades slightly lower per-shot damage compared to the Ferro for significantly faster firing speed and superior long-range performance.
Each upgrade tier increases fire rate, making a fully upgraded Rank IV Renegade genuinely intimidating. If I needed to solo-wipe an enemy squad, this would be my primary choice. Accurate shooting rewards you with consistent eliminations across any engagement distance.
4. Bobcat – Superior SMG
Think of the Bobcat as the Stitcher‘s evolved form. This Epic SMG delivers substantially higher damage while maintaining blistering fire rates that shred heavily armored opponents at close range.
Standard SMG limitations apply—poor effective range and significant recoil make it situational. However, in confined spaces or aggressive flanking scenarios, few weapons match the Bobcat‘s lethality.
5. Vulcano – Close-Range Annihilation
The Vulcano semi-automatic shotgun deals the highest per-shot damage in Arc Raiders. Within a few meters, nothing survives its devastating output—heavily shielded Raiders drop almost instantly.
Fast firing speed provides forgiveness for missed shots, letting you quickly correct mistakes. The critical weakness is magazine capacity—only four shots before reloading. Always attach magazine extensions to any Vulcano you acquire. This weapon dominates CQC scenarios but requires intelligent positioning.
6. Ferro – The Reliable Opener
Every Arc Raiders player respects the Ferro. This single-shot Battle Rifle hits incredibly hard, maintaining damage over distance with excellent ARC Armor Penetration. It’s the quintessential early-game weapon for initiating engagements.
Understanding its limitations prevents deaths. Don’t push aggressively after your opening shot—the slow fire rate punishes missed follow-ups. Instead, start fights with the Ferro, then swap to a faster secondary weapon to finish Light Shield opponents.
7. Tempest – Balanced Assault Rifle
The Epic Tempest Assault Rifle feels like a refined Rattler—superior in every metric. Higher damage, larger magazines, equivalent range, better ARC penetration, and improved handling make it consistently reliable.
Comparing it to the harder-hitting Bettina creates tough decisions, but the Tempest‘s use of Medium Ammo instead of expensive Heavy Ammo tips the scales. It’s practical for extended engagements without breaking your resource bank.
8. Osprey – Dedicated Sniper
The Osprey introduces true sniper rifle gameplay with its integrated long-range scope. Hitting distant targets becomes significantly easier, giving you advantages against Ferro users at 150+ meters. It also delivers slightly higher damage per shot.
The permanent scope creates vulnerability when enemies close distance. Unlike the Ferro, you can’t remove the optic for close-quarters flexibility. If someone reaches you, the Osprey becomes problematic—almost any other weapon serves you better at that point.
9. Stitcher – Early-Game SMG
Your starting SMG, the Stitcher, excels exclusively in close quarters. Significant bloom and low per-shot damage mean you need to be within a few meters for effective use.
DPS comparisons reveal interesting data—the Stitcher outperforms the Rattler and maintains the highest DPS among full-auto weapons until you unlock the Torrente. Many players favor it because it’s cheap to craft and upgrade while remaining competitive against better-equipped opponents.
10. Bettina – Heavy-Hitting AR
The Bettina satisfies players who love punchy assault rifles. Lower fire rate improves handling while still outputting massive damage rapidly. It feels fantastic to use.
Heavy Ammo consumption represents its biggest downside each bullet costs more than almost any other gun. Maintenance and upgrades also run expensive. While it reliably eliminates Raiders, it’s less effective against ARC compared to alternatives.
11. Il Toro – Tactical Shotgun
Shotguns naturally dominate in third-person shooters, and the Il Toro proves no exception. Predictably short range makes open-area combat challenging, but confined spaces transform it into a room-clearing powerhouse.
Landing center-mass shots typically kills in 2-3 pulls—don’t expect one-shot eliminations. Employ peek-shoot-cover tactics: expose yourself briefly, fire, then retreat. Repeat until your opponent drops. In heated moments, most players struggle to counter this approach effectively.
12. Aphelion – Experimental Battle Rifle
The experimental Aphelion combines Renegade and Arpeggio characteristics. Each trigger pull releases two shots, and as a Legendary Battle Rifle, it packs considerable punch.
Unfortunately, like most Legendaries in Arc Raiders, stats don’t justify the rarity and expense. The Renegade offers more versatility, comparable strength, and lower profile—making it the smarter choice.
13. Jupiter – Energy Sniper
The endgame Jupiter Sniper Rifle uses Energy Clips to fire extremely powerful long-range shots with minimal damage falloff. No attachment slots and Energy Clip requirements create obvious limitations.
For ending fights before they begin, few things beat a Jupiter headshot. Whether that justifies the cost and risk compared to a Ferro achieving 75% similar results remains your decision.
14. Torrente – Heavy Machine Gun
Arc Raiders’ only LMG, the Torrente, significantly reduces movement speed when equipped. Substantial bloom and inaccuracy plague it, though crouching improves precision somewhat.
Conversely, the Torrente delivers massive consistent DPS—surpassing even the Epic Bettina. Default 60-round magazines (expandable at the Gunsmith, though I’d skip that upgrade) provide sustained fire. Used at close-to-medium range, it melts both Raiders and ARC. I’d leave it at Rank I personally.
15. Burletta – Fast-Firing Pistol
The semi-automatic Uncommon Burletta offers lightweight, affordable firepower that doesn’t require upgrades to function. Against Light Shields, it drops enemy Raiders quickly with decent damage output.
Nothing particularly negative stands out—it’s a solid sidearm and phenomenal pairing with the Ferro. Naturally, larger rarer guns outclass it.
16. Arpeggio – Three-Round Burst
Many players dismiss the Arpeggio‘s three-round burst mechanic. However, finding or crafting one early while facing Light Shields and Rattlers reveals its lethality in skilled hands.
Accuracy and control represent its greatest strengths. The Arpeggio becomes your first truly versatile weapon (besides the Anvil), lacking massive drawbacks like the Rattler‘s tiny magazines. Just don’t expect S-Tier performance.
17. Kettle – Quiet Assault Rifle
The Kettle feels nice despite being outclassed by rarer weapons. Decent accuracy pairs with very low per-shot damage, and it’s not even full-auto.
Worth noting: excluding the Hairpin with its integrated suppressor, the Kettle is Arc Raiders’ quietest gun. For lightweight stealth-focused loadouts, it serves adequately.
18. Rattler – Starting Assault Rifle
The Rattler struggles against ARC due to poor stability and punishing magazine capacity. Early-game Raiders find it reasonably effective in mid-range PvP encounters.
Unfortunately, no magazine attachment slot exists—you must upgrade to at least Rank III for reliable PvP performance. This makes free-loadout Rattlers frustrating. Once upgraded though, it becomes a solid early-game option.
19. Hullcracker – ARC-Specific Launcher
The unusual and expensive Hullcracker launches missiles dealing damage exclusively to ARC. This creates tier list complications—using a Hullcracker in PvP means losing your Hullcracker.
For hunting ARC parts during late-game progression, it’s occasionally worthwhile. Surprisingly fast fire rate combined with massive ARC damage makes it efficient—a Wolfpack plus single Hullcracker shot instantly destroys Rocketeers.
You sacrifice a weapon slot, leaving only your secondary for PvP threats. Additionally, using a Hullcracker marks you as a target for hostile Raiders seeking Legendary loot. Significant risk accompanies its use.
20. Equalizer – Experimental Beam Weapon
Arc Raiders’ only true beam weapon, the experimental Equalizer shares the Hullcracker‘s ARC-focused design. Its beam quickly melts through heavily armored ARC sections with extreme effectiveness.
Against players, performance deteriorates significantly. Poor overall damage potential combines with a beam that broadcasts your position like a beacon, inviting Raiders to kill you for Legendary drops.
21. Hairpin – Silenced Pistol
Honestly, the Hairpin ranks among my favorites despite its placement. Arc Raiders’ only integrated-silencer weapon offers exceptional accuracy. Despite slow fire rate and poor damage, it’s an excellent cheap sidearm for loot-focused stealth missions.
It fills a specific niche effectively—silently destroying Pops, Ticks, Turrets, Cameras, and other small ARC without alerting anything. Just don’t rely on it during actual fights; its damage output is abysmal.
Progression-Based Weapon Recommendations
Early-Game Arsenal
The earliest accessible weapons are the Hairpin, Stitcher, Kettle, Rattler, and Ferro all Common-rarity guns easily crafted or found during raids.
Top early-game choices:
- Ferro – Affordable crafting and upgrades with truck-like hitting power, but requires a faster secondary weapon
- Stitcher – The definitive early full-auto weapon for most scenarios; with recoil and dispersion mods, it competes with later-game guns
- Hairpin – Practically useless in PvP but exceptionally quiet and accurate; perfect for eliminating small ARC
Mid-Game Options
Mid-game progression introduces Uncommon (green) and Rare (blue) weapons. Expect to encounter these after a few hours, especially by opening loot caches inside Field Depots.
Best Uncommon and Rare weapons:
- Anvil – Hits as hard as a Ferro but lighter and faster; possibly needs balancing adjustments
- Venator – Top-tier power and versatility at close-to-mid-range, requires full upgrades to truly shine
- Renegade – Tremendously powerful Rare Battle Rifle; accurate, versatile, and fast, especially when upgraded
Late-Game Powerhouses
Late-stage progression unveils the finest weapons Epic (purple) and Legendary (gold) variants.
Best late-game firearms:
- Bobcat – Direct upgrade to the already excellent Stitcher; extremely powerful close-range
- Vulcano – Delivers Arc Raiders’ highest per-shot damage
- Tempest – Balanced late-game Assault Rifle with high damage and ammunition efficiency
Complete Weapon Statistics Table
| Weapon | Type | DPS | DMG | Fire Rate | Mag Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hairpin | Pistol (Light) | 18 | 20 | 9 | 8 |
| Stitcher | SMG (Light) | 32 | 7 | 45.3 | 20 |
| Kettle | AR (Light) | 28 | 10 | 28 | 20 |
| Rattler | AR (Med) | 30 | 9 | 33.3 | 10 |
| Ferro | BR (Heavy) | 26 | 40 | 6.6 | 1 |
| Burletta | Pistol (Light) | 28 | 10 | 28 | 12 |
| Anvil | Pistol (Heavy) | 65 | 40 | 16.3 | 6 |
| Arpeggio | AR (Med) | 17 | 9.5 | 18.3 | 24 |
| Il Toro | Shotgun | 97 | 67.5 | 14.3 | 5 |
| Venator | Pistol (Med) | 66 | 18 | 36.7 | 10 |
| Torrente | LMG (Med) | 47 | 8 | 58.3 | 60 |
| Renegade | BR (Med) | 74 | 35 | 21 | 8 |
| Osprey | Sniper (Med) | 80 | 45 | 17.7 | 8 |
| Bobcat | SMG (Light) | 40 | 6 | 66.7 | 30 |
| Tempest | AR (Med) | 37 | 10 | 36.7 | 25 |
| Bettina | AR (Heavy) | 45 | 14 | 32 | 20 |
| Vulcano | Shotgun | 130 | 49.5 | 26.3 | 4 |
| Hullcracker | Special (Launcher) | 203 | 100 | 20.3 | 5 |
| Jupiter | Sniper (Energy) | 42 | 55 | 7.7 | 5 |
| Equalizer | Special (Energy) | 27 | 8 | 33.3 | 50 |
| Aphelion | Special (Energy) | 50 | 40 | 9 | 10 |