Best Weapons Tier List

Complete weapon tier list for Arc Raiders ranked by DPS, versatility, and ease of crafting.

Category: Tier List · Updated 3 October 2026

S Tier

• Anvil (Uncommon): The single best weapon in Arc Raiders for 2026. Heavy damage hand cannon that strips shields with single shots. 2.5x headshot multiplier. Works at mid range with devastating effect. Pair with an SMG for close backup.

• Bobcat (Epic): Fires at 1006 RPM. Shreds in close quarters. Requires Gunsmith 3 and blueprint but the DPS output is unmatched for CQB.

• Renegade (Rare): Lever action battle rifle with heavy chunk damage. 2.25x headshot multiplier and 35 base damage make it lethal at mid to long range. Each shell loads individually. Best single shot DPS.

• Venator (Rare): Semi auto pistol that fires two bullets per trigger pull. Fastest raw time to kill even after nerfs. Moderate ARC armor penetration with medium ammo.

• Vulcano (Epic): Semi auto shotgun with good bullet spread. 49.5 damage per shot. Deletes enemies in close quarters. Requires Gunsmith 3.

• Ferro (Common): Break action battle rifle. 40 damage per shot with 2.5x headshot multiplier. Strong ARC armor penetration with heavy ammo. Cheapest effective weapon in the game. 5 Metal Parts + 2 Rubber Parts to craft.

A Tier

• Kettle (Common): Quick and accurate assault rifle. 8.5 damage with 2.5x headshot multiplier. Low bullet velocity but reliable. Great for learning the game.

• Dolabra (Legendary): Experimental shotgun from the Flashpoint update. Variable focus beam: wide blast or tight beam of heat. Uses Energy Clip ammo with strong ARC armor penetration. Blueprint found at ARC Assessor.

• Bettina (Epic): Slow fire rate assault rifle with 16 damage per shot using heavy ammo. Strong ARC armor penetration. The only assault rifle that can effectively fight armored ARC units.

• Tempest (Epic): Fully automatic assault rifle with moderate fire rate. 10 damage per shot, 25 round magazine. Reliable all rounder for medium range.

• Stitcher (Common): SMG with good damage but a low fire rate, and hard to control, per its in-game description. Craftable at Gunsmith 1. Still viable as a secondary.

• Canto (Rare): New SMG from Flashpoint update. Fully automatic with medium ammo. 6.5 damage. Moderate ARC armor penetration. Craftable at Gunsmith 3.

B Tier

• Osprey (Rare): Bolt action sniper rifle with built in scope. 45 damage, 80.3 range. Excels at long range target elimination. Craftable at Gunsmith 2.

• Torrente (Rare): LMG with huge magazine (60 to 90 rounds by tier). 8 damage at 808 RPM. Only accurate while crouched. Great for sustained PvE fire.

• Il Toro (Uncommon): Pump action shotgun firing 9 pellets of 7 damage. Nerfed in Patch 1.20.0. Ammo reloads one by one.

• Burletta (Uncommon): Semi auto pistol with decent damage. 10 damage. Lightweight at 4.0 weight. Surged in community popularity post March 2026 patch.

• Arpeggio (Uncommon): 3 round burst assault rifle. 9.5 damage with good stability. Controllable burst pattern makes it forgiving for new players.

C Tier

• Rattler (Common): Fully auto assault rifle. 9 damage at 500 RPM. Has to be reloaded 2 bullets at a time. Better options exist at every tier.

• Hairpin (Common): Built in silencer pistol. 20 damage with 2.5x headshot multiplier. Great for stealth but only 8 round magazine makes combat tricky.

• Jupiter (Legendary): 60 damage per shot; its in-game description calls it the hardest hitting weapon in the game. Very Strong ARC armor penetration. But bolt action, heavy at 9.0 weight, and no attachment lists it as compatible. Requires Queen Reactor to craft.

• Equalizer (Legendary): Experimental beam rifle. 8 damage with a 50 round magazine. Very Strong ARC armor penetration. Strips ARC armor fast but expensive to craft. Requires Queen Reactor.

• Hullcracker (Epic): Fires explosive projectiles that only detonate when hitting ARC. Does NOT damage players. 100 damage. Best PvE specialist weapon but useless in PvP.

• Aphelion (Legendary): Battle rifle; an experimental ARC beam weapon powered by a Matriarch Reactor, per its in-game description. Crafted at Gunsmith 3 with a Matriarch Reactor.