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The best weapons in Arc Raiders right now are the Ferro, the Anvil, the Bettina and the Dolabra – a cheap break-action rifle, a hard-hitting hand cannon, a buffed heavy assault rifle and the one legendary shotgun actually worth building. Between them they cover long-range headshots, armour-shredding against ARC machines, and close-quarters duels with other Raiders, which is why they sit at the top of nearly every loadout.
This tier list ranks all 23 weapons in the current arsenal using their in-game stats, then weighs each one for both PvE and PvP. Damage figures are per shot; fire rate, range and stability are the weapon ratings pulled straight from the in-game inspect screen (upgraded values where a weapon has a Mk IV variant). Everything below is current for Live Update 1.39.0 (4 August 2026), and we re-check it after every balance patch.
Arc Raiders weapons tier list (S-D)
| Rank | Weapon | Class | Rarity | Ammo | Damage | Fire rate | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ferro | Break-Action Rifle | Common | Heavy | 40 | 6.6 | S |
| 2 | Anvil | Hand Cannon | Uncommon | Heavy | 40 | 16.3 | S |
| 3 | Bettina | Assault Rifle | Epic | Heavy | 14 | 32 | S |
| 4 | Dolabra | Shotgun (energy) | Legendary | Energy Clip | – | – | S |
| 5 | Jupiter | Bolt-Action Sniper | Legendary | Energy Clip | 55 | 7.7 | A |
| 6 | Renegade | Lever-Action Rifle | Rare | Medium | 35 | 21 | A |
| 7 | Kettle | Semi-Auto AR | Common | Light | 10 | 28 | A |
| 8 | Tempest | Assault Rifle | Epic | Medium | 10 | 36.7 | A |
| 9 | Aphelion | Battle Rifle | Legendary | Energy Clip | 40 | – | A |
| 10 | Equalizer | Energy Beam Gun | Legendary | Energy Clip | 8 | 33.3 | A |
| 11 | Osprey | Scoped Sniper | Rare | Medium | 45 | 17.7 | B |
| 12 | Venator | Two-Shot Pistol | Rare | Medium | 18 | 36.7 | B |
| 13 | Stitcher | SMG | Common | Light | 7 | 45.3 | B |
| 14 | Torrente | LMG | Rare | Medium | 8 | 58.3 | B |
| 15 | Il Toro | Pump Shotgun | Uncommon | Shotgun | – | – | B |
| 16 | Hullcracker | Grenade Launcher | Epic | Launcher | 100 | 20.3 | B |
| 17 | Bobcat | SMG | Epic | Light | 6 | 66.7 | B |
| 18 | Burletta | Pistol | Uncommon | Light | 10 | 28 | B |
| 19 | Arpeggio | Burst Rifle | Uncommon | Medium | 9.5 | 18.3 | C |
| 20 | Vulcano | Semi-Auto Shotgun | Epic | Shotgun | 49.5 | 26.3 | C |
| 21 | Canto | SMG | Rare | Medium | – | – | C |
| 22 | Rattler | Assault Rifle | Common | Medium | 9 | 33.3 | C |
| 23 | Hairpin | Silenced Pistol | Common | Light | 20 | 9 | D |
How we ranked the weapons
A gun that flattens ARC robots is not always the one you want when another Raider rounds a corner, so every weapon here is judged on more than raw damage. These are the factors that decide where a weapon lands:
- PvP performance – time-to-kill, headshot damage and how forgiving the recoil is in a snap duel.
- PvE and armour penetration – how quickly it strips plating off Bastions, Rocketeers and other ARC machines. Weapons rated “Strong” or “Very Strong” for ARC penetration do the heavy lifting here.
- Cost and rarity – a Common you can craft for pocket change is worth more than a Legendary you lose on one bad extraction.
- Current patch – placements reflect Live Update 1.39.0 and the recent durability and buff passes, not last season’s meta.
S-tier weapons: the best guns right now
Four weapons clear the rest of the field. Each one solves a different problem, and together they make up the loadouts you see most often on the Spaceport and Dam Battlegrounds.
S-tier
S-tier
S-tier
S-tier
The Ferro is the value pick of the entire game. It costs almost nothing to craft, hits for 40 a shot and reaches out to long range with pinpoint accuracy, making it the best opener in the arsenal – land a headshot, then swap to a faster second gun to finish the fight. Its 6.6 fire rate is the only real drawback, and against ARC that barely matters. If you want a similar breakdown for a different shooter, our Apex Legends best guns tier list uses the same stat-first approach.
The Anvil is the sidearm you always keep in your second slot. It is a single-action hand cannon with the same 40 damage as the Ferro, brutal headshot numbers and enough armour penetration to crack ARC plating in a pinch. The Bettina is the heavy AR that a recent buff pushed to the top: slower and punchier than most rifles, it tears through the game’s tankier machines from distance. The Dolabra rounds out the four as the only Legendary that earns its build cost – its energy blast downs most players in two shots and it is cheaper to make than the other Legendaries.
Best weapons for PvE (fighting ARC)
ARC machines are slower and more predictable than players, but far more durable, so PvE rewards precision, range and armour penetration over quick-draw speed. The Ferro, Anvil and Bettina carry over from S-tier, joined by three specialists.
The trade-off with the Equalizer and Hullcracker is cost and risk: both are expensive and slow enough that a Raider can catch you reloading, so save them for boss-tier machines rather than open patrols. For a cleaner all-rounder, the Renegade lever-action rifle covers medium range with 35 damage and strong accuracy. If you want to see how another squad shooter balances its arsenal, our The Finals best weapons rankings break down a similar class system.
Best weapons for PvP (fighting Raiders)
Player fights are won on speed and first-shot damage, not armour penetration. Here the Kettle comes into its own – a cheap semi-auto AR that stays lethal at mid-to-close range even after repeated nerfs, and the single most common gun you will be shot at with. The Anvil again earns its keep with one-tap headshot potential, while the Stitcher and Bobcat SMGs win close-quarters rushes with fire rates of 45.3 and 66.7 respectively.
For duellists who like a burst, the Venator two-shot pistol punishes any missed peek, and the Dolabra ends most encounters the moment it connects. None of these need heavy ammo or armour penetration, which keeps your inventory light and your extractions cheap.
Best budget and starter weapons
You do not need Legendaries to win in Arc Raiders. The most efficient loadouts in the game are built around Common and Uncommon weapons you can craft again the moment you lose them, which matters in an extraction shooter where every death costs gear.
| Weapon | Rarity | Best for | Why it punches up |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ferro | Common | Long range, PvE | 40 damage for pennies; best opener in the game |
| Kettle | Common | Mid-range PvP | Still a top-tier duelling AR after nerfs |
| Anvil | Uncommon | Backup sidearm | Cracks armour and one-taps heads |
| Rattler | Common | Early game | Cheap automatic to bridge you to better gear |
The pattern is clear: pair a cheap Ferro or Kettle with an Anvil in the sidearm slot and you have a loadout that beats far more expensive builds without the fear of losing anything valuable. Arc Raiders remains one of the most-played games on Steam for exactly this reason – see where it sits in our most played Steam games of 2026.
Best weapon in every class
If you prefer to pick by weapon type rather than tier, here is the standout in each category as of patch 1.39.0.
| Class | Best pick | Damage | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assault Rifle | Bettina | 14/shot | Heavy-hitting anti-armour AR |
| Battle Rifle | Ferro | 40 | Cheap long-range king |
| Hand Cannon / Pistol | Anvil | 40 | Best sidearm, huge headshots |
| SMG | Stitcher | 7/shot | Cheap, controllable close-range |
| Sniper Rifle | Jupiter | 55 | Highest single-shot damage |
| Shotgun | Dolabra | – | Two-shot down, only worthwhile Legendary |
| Special / Heavy | Hullcracker | 100 | Anti-boss explosive punch |
The Jupiter deserves a special mention as the best sniper in the game after its buff: at 55 damage per shot with an energy clip, it deletes ARC weak points and punishes campers, though its cost keeps it out of everyday loadouts. Weapons this dominant tend to define a game’s legacy – plenty of the entries on our best-selling video games of all time list rode a single iconic arsenal to the top.
