Arc Raiders: How to Choose Weapons for Every Raids

Venturing topside from Speranza always carries that thrill—the promise of loot against the swarm of ARCs and rival Raiders. But in this extraction shooter, your starting arsenal isn't just gear; it's your lifeline. A smart pick can turn a chaotic raid into a haul of treasures, while a mismatch leaves you scrambling. Whether you're a stealthy scavenger or an all-out aggressor, understanding your options makes all the difference.

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Why Weapon Choice Matters

In Arc Raiders, every raid hinges on adaptability. Your loadout shapes how you tackle ARCs with their armored hides or outgun human foes in tense standoffs. Skill counts, but the right tool amplifies it, letting you pivot from PvE farming to heated PvP scraps. We're breaking down the full roster here, not as a strict ranking, but as a toolkit to match your vibe—be it calculated picks or reckless rushes. This way, you can weigh options against your preferred pace and loadout limits.

Key Factors for Smart Picks

To level the field, let's establish a straightforward framework for assessing any firearm. These elements highlight trade-offs, ensuring your choice aligns with raid goals without overwhelming your carry capacity.

• Carry Weight: Every piece adds to your total before scavenging. Lighter options free up space for extra loot, though perks can ease the burden—ideal if you hate cutting runs short.

• Ammo and Penetration: Types dictate threats you shred. Light ammo flies fast and stacks high (up to 100 rounds) but bounces off heavy armor; medium (80 rounds) handles most balanced fights; heavy (40 rounds) crushes shields and thick plating but weighs a ton and fires slow. Shotgun shells pack punch up close with brutal drop-off, while energy clips devastate ARC plating yet falter on flesh.

• Efficiency in the Field: Beyond stack size, it's about rounds-to-kill. Some guzzle ammo in bursts, demanding spares; others stretch every shot, perfect for prolonged ops.

• All-Range Flexibility: Does it shine solo across distances, or pair best with a buddy weapon? True standouts cover close-quarters chaos to mid-range duels without gaps.

• Customization and Quiet Ops: Extra slots mean tailored tweaks, like extended mags or recoil taming. Stealth gets a bonus for silencer compatibility—crucial for slipping past patrols undetected.

With that baseline, dive into the archetypes, from everyday reliables to rare powerhouses.

Sidearms for Swift Switches

These compact carriers excel in mid-to-close scraps, serving as backups or lightweight primaries. Their variety in ammo lets you tailor for specific threats, keeping you nimble without the bulk.

Start with the Hairpin, a featherweight bolt-action starter that prioritizes precision over power. Chambering each light-ammo round mimics a mini-sniper rhythm, promoting careful aim that conserves shots against unarmored pests like Ticks or Wasps—though it whimpers against tougher hides. Its innate hush and pinpoint accuracy make it a stealth darling for silencing alarms or picking off lone scouts, freeing slots for more gear in pure PvE runs. Just don't lead charges; it's a finisher, not a frontline brute.

The Burletta embodies the no-frills backup: ultra-light, 12-round light-ammo clip, and trigger-happy fire rate for snap responses. It tags players post-shield but struggles with armored ARCs, so treat it as a quick-swap panic button. Dual mods (magazine and barrel) unlock suppression, blending speed with subtlety for those "oh crap" moments.

Enter the Anvil, the hand cannon that punches above its class—Embark tweaked it, yet it still hums with upside. This heavy-ammo revolver packs six high-impact slugs that vaporize shields and carve ARC plating, viable even as a main gun despite SMG-like heft. A unique tech slot swaps bullets for splitting shards, turning it shotgun-tight for crowds or precise for duels, though range fades beyond mid. Barrel suppression tempers its roar, making it a do-everything beast if you master the deliberate draw.

For balanced bite, grab the Venator: semi-auto medium-ammo fire in paired bursts from a 10-round mag demands shot discipline to avoid burnout. It reliably chips ARCs via weak spots and handles Raider tussles, outshining lighter peers in versatility. Foregrip and magazine slots boost control, but no barrel means no hush— a stealth sin in our book, though its featherweight draw redeems it for aggressive flanks.

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Burst Machines for Bold Rushes

Submachine guns scream "get in their face," unleashing light-ammo storms that melt shields and overwhelm in tight spaces. They're player-killers at heart, less so against plated foes.

The Stitcher flies under radars as a low-damage starter, but cheap upgrades flip the script. Its 20-round clip devours light stacks in frenzy, excelling at raw output over distance—pair it with a long-range pal. Four slots (barrel, foregrip, magazine, stock) invite suppressors and recoil reins, elevating it to Bobcat levels for corner-peek ambushes. Tame the kick, and it turns raids into highlight reels.

The Bobcat? Pure aggression incarnate. Matching the Stitcher's stats but with blistering fire rate, it shreds Raiders in blinks—stock up on ammo towers, as 20 rounds vanish fast. Light ammo limits ARC work to weak-spot pokes, but four mods (including barrel hush) let you ghost through fights. Its wild recoil rewards practice, instilling dread in any peeked foe.

Boom Sticks for Door-Breakers

Shotguns thrive on surprise, chunking health in 1-2 blasts up close but fading fast—useless at range, risky against swarms unless you're glued to cover.

The Il Toro, an uncommon pump with five-shell tube, demands hits to justify its mid-weight (8kg). Craft via blueprint; it shatters shields and drones point-blank, but misses sting hard. Four mods (stock, magazine, foregrip, barrel) hint at a rare hush option, suiting aggressive pushes or chokepoint holds when backed by speedier follow-ups.

Upgrade to the epic Vulcano for semi-auto fury: six rounds fly quicker, outpacing peers in alpha strikes if you initiate. Same weight and mod suite, it rewards reflexes in corridors—smoke nades amplify its chaos. Heftier upkeep, but for bull-rushers, it's the horns that gore deepest.

Heavy Hitters for Holding Ground

Light machine guns embody "spray and pray," but the lone Torrente demands squad eyes-on-back. This medium-ammo behemoth (heaviest class) chews stacks for 80-round mag dominance in close-mid sprays, equalizing Raider and ARC threats. Recoil and spread demand crouch-slides or static posts; three mods (barrel, magazine, stock) add hush, but it still echoes. Team it right, and it's raid insurance—solo, a risky bet.

All-Purpose Rifles for the Grind

Assault rifles bridge ranges, shining mid with taps or autos—go-tos for most ops.

The Kettle kicks off light-ammo semi-auto style: low velocity suits player ambushes and light ARCs, but spread punishes sprays. Tap for mid-close efficacy; four mods (stock, magazine, foregrip, barrel) and hush make it a budget stealth staple post-level 3 upgrades, slashing reload woes.

The Rattler, auto medium-ammo baseline, baffles with 10-round starts—slow chamber-reloads drag in heat. Level it up for mag growth and it flips to ammo-sipper accuracy, three mods (stock, foregrip, barrel) enabling quiet taps. Cheap to run, it rewards patience over panic.

Burst fans, meet Arpeggio: medium-ammo three-shot volleys from 24 rounds demand burst precision to stem stack drain. Accurate for head peeks, 6kg frame and four mods (stock, magazine, foregrip, barrel) shine with hush—uncommon rarity hikes costs, but it's a corner-carver.

The Tempest elevates to "melt mode": easy-recoil medium auto taps or sprays foes, weak-spotting ARCs too. Epic weight (11kg) and cost curb early use, but three mods (magazine, foregrip, barrel) with suppressor turn it lethal—must-have for mid dominance.

Finally, Ferro's heavy-auto promise sours on recoil: burst it for ARC armor strips, but full-auto flops mid-range, and it loses CQC to faster guns. Small stacks and rapid durability loss (plus 11kg) make it a love-it-or-hate-it epic—fun feel, punishing upkeep.

Long-Shot Specialists

For measured takedowns, battle and snipers prioritize placement over volume.

The Pharaoh, heavy-ammo single-shot king, one-two punches shields and plating with top efficiency—common but methodical. Three mods (barrel, foregrip, stock) mandate hush for safety; pair with rushers for combos.

Dial to medium with Renegade's 12-round lever: mid-range hybrid shines 50-150m, accurate autos defending close too. Mods (barrel, magazine, stock) hush it up; weight bites with shields, but 80-round stacks endure.

Osprey bolts medium efficiency: eight rounds quicker than Pharaoh, built-in optic for extremes. Four mods (barrel, foregrip, magazine, stock) flex hush; 7kg starts light, but CQC weakness screams "bring backup."

Legendary Jupiter rail-guns energy blasts: five per clip (full-reload only) one-shot pests, melt heavies like Leapers. Ammo-efficient, unmoddable, pinpoint—craft steep (Queen reactor), but ARC-slaying distance godsend. Players? Nah, windup telegraphs doom.

Update 1.3.0: Aphelion | Energy | 10.0 | 10 | 2 (round burst) | Strong ARC Armor

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Arc-Slaying Oddities

These niche tools trade PvP for swarm control.

Hullcracker's epic launcher shells explode only on ARC armor—15 damage to Raiders, but bastion-rippers otherwise. Five-round pump arcs shots deliberately; two mods (stock, foregrip), no hush, slow fire—pair with PvP cover, or ARCs evaporate.

Equalizer's 14kg beam rifle (one energy mag, 50 "rounds") strips elite plating sustained, exposing weak spots for teams. Easy aim, no fall-off, but interruptions weaken it—unupgradable legendary, player-weak, better than nothing for armor-peel duties.

FAQs on How to Pick a Weapon in ARC Raiders

1. How do weight and perks interact in loadout planning?

Weight caps your pre-raid total, directly cutting post-loot capacity—e.g., a 11kg Tempest leaves less room than a 4kg Hairpin. Skill tree nodes like Loadout Efficiency slash effective mass by 20-30%, letting heavies like Torrente shine without full sacrifice, but balance with augments for hybrid runs.

2. What's the real impact of energy ammo on ARC-focused builds?

Energy stacks tiny (five clips) but refills mags fully, excelling at plating melt (Jupiter one-shots Wasps) yet scraping players (low flesh damage). Craft via ARC cells/batteries or Harvester loot—ideal for PvE farms, but waste lingers if partial reloads happen, so empty clips first.

3. Can suppressors fully enable stealth playstyles?

They muffle to near-silent (two-star boost here), dodging patrols and Raiders without damage hits—crucial for Il Toro or Arpeggio in camera-heavy zones. Not all guns allow (Venator skips barrel), and LMGs like Torrente still rumble faintly, so layer with smoke or slides for ghost runs.

4. Why upgrade early weapons like Kettle over rushing epics?

Base stats hobble (Rattler's 10-round mag drags fights), but level 3 unlocks (doubled capacity, faster reloads) transform them into meta contenders cheaply. Epics like Tempest demand rare mats; starters build economy fast, letting you hoard for legendaries without raid-starved grinds.

5. How does versatility change with team vs. solo raids?

Solo demands all-rounders (Renegade covers mid-long, pairs with sidearm), while teams let specialists thrive—Torrente suppresses as mates flank, or Jupiter snipes while Bobcat rushes. Versatility scores drop for niche like Hullcracker solo (PvP blindspot), but squads amplify them exponentially.

Thanks for Reading

There you have it—a full sweep to arm your next Speranza send-off. Keep following MMOJUGG for fresh dives into the wastes.