Rick Flair
ARC Raiders is a PvPvE game. Unlike other games of the same genre, you can’t use the same gun for every weapon. Some weapons are good against people, while others work well against ARCs. This creates a unique decision-making process before going into a raid. Do we focus on killing ARCs in this raid, or do we try to fight other people? In this ARC Raider best PvE weapons tier list, we explain what guns are good against ARCs.
To kill ARCs in the game efficiently, you will need some of the best weapons in the game. Finding them can be time-consuming, but you can find blueprints that let you craft them. The blueprints are extremely rare to find, so why not use our ARC Raiders Blueprints services? You’ll get any blueprint needed fast.
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ARC Raiders PvE Weapons Tier List
There are 8 weapon categories and 21 guns in the game. They vary drastically in how they feel and how they’re used. There are Swiss Army knives, but there are also guns that excel at one thing only. Let’s first take a look at all 8 categories:
Assault Rifles: Your fast-firing guns. There’s one that’s semi-auto and one that’s burst-fire.
Battle Rifles: Or marksman rifles, in other words. Better pray you aim well, as they can punish you hard for missing.
SMGs: Some of the best PvP weapons, but they’re weak against most ARCs
Shotguns: Despite dealing huge damage up close, they’re also weak against ARCs.
Pistols: There are some bangers when it comes to dealing with enemies here.
LMG: Should’ve named the category Torrente, as it’s the only gun that fits into it. It’s okay against ARCs, but mainly because it spews ammo like a KRISS Vector.
Special: Two legendary guns that don’t fit into any other category. Both are really good against ARCs.
Now that you know what weapon classes there are, let’s take a look at our ARC Raiders PvE Weapons tier list:
| Tier | Guns |
| S-Tier | Hullcracker, Jupiter, Equalizer, Anvil, Aphelion |
| A-Tier | Ferro, Torrente |
| B-Tier | Venator, Arpeggio, Tempest, Renegade, Osprey, Bettina |
| C-Tier | Stitcher, Bobcat, Il Toro, Vulcano, Kettle |
| D-Tier | Rattler, Hairpin, Burletta |
S-Tier guns are absolute units to fight against ARCs. A-Tier is pretty good too, but sometimes their DPS cannot be enough to deal with ARCs fast. B-Tier guns are alright for both, but they’re weak to deal some significant damage to parts. C-Tier guns are okay only against regular ARCs. D-Tier is so weak that you’d have a better time outrunning ARCs than encountering them. Now, let’s dive deeper into each gun and explain how it works and why it’s good.
S-Tier
Here, we will break down every weapon in detail to explain what actually makes them so good. With further tiers, we will cover weapons in one or two sentences, as the lower tiers are just bad to use. We’d go so far as to suggest not using them altogether. With that out of the way, let’s explain our ARC Raiders PvE weapon tier list.
Hullcracker
Even after the nerfs, Hullcracker is still the best PvE weapon in ARC Raiders. Doesn’t matter if it’s a small ARC or a boss one. It has the highest pure DPS, but it has a learning curve. It's a grenade launcher, but the grenades fly pretty slowly.
- Firing Mode: Pump-action
- Damage: 100
- ARC Armor Penetration: Very strong
If you thought that this weapon could be efficiently used against people, you’re wrong. Its grenades only explode when hitting ARCs. Still, what it does, it does the best. It’s a great weapon when you have one goal specifically - farm bosses. It’s not too difficult to craft, but it can be a bit expensive to buy for a newer player. When you go out into the raid, be sure to pick some other gun for PvP. Hullcracker attracts players like moths to flames.
Jupiter
A close contender for the name of the strongest PvE gun in ARC Raiders. A sniper rifle that charges before shooting. Sort of a railgun. It’s a legendary gun that can only be crafted using the Queen Reactor, along with other materials.
- Firing Mode: Bolt-action
- Damage: 55
- ARC Armor Penetration: Very Strong
This gun beats Hullcracker in a couple of things. First, the range: you can reliably damage ARCs from afar. The second thing is that you don’t have to calculate the bullet drop off. You just shoot at the target, and that’s it. It’s one of the best weapons to deal with the Matriarch. You can reliably hit the weak areas on its head and face. Overall, it’s really good. The only downside is that losing it can make you tear your hair out.
Equalizer
Yeah, we know. There’s a general consensus in the community that Equalizer is really bad. Well, that’s where the community is wrong. This weapon is bound to become one of the ARC Raiders' meta PvE weapons. Let us explain. The Equalizer is an energy rifle that fires a beam, spending ammo relatively quickly. For how fast it wastes the ammo, you’d think it destroys ARCs really fast. Well, not really. Check the stats:
- Firing Mode: Fully-automatic
- Damage: 8
- ARC Armor Penetration: Very Strong
That’s not a typo; it really does have such low damage. So why is it in S-Tier? The thing is, it’s really bad against small ARCs and even ARC bosses like Rocketeer or Bombardier. But when it comes to the Queen or the Matriarch, it does something that no other gun can do. It strips the armor away from the huge ARCs in just one clip. This reveals their hidden weak spots that you can effectively damage with any gun in the game. It’s a strictly utilitarian weapon that does one thing, but does it really well. Don’t sleep on this gun. The next time you go to fight the huge boss, pick it. Of course, it’s a weapon that is better used in a squad, not solo.
Anvil
This green weapon tears off weak parts with such ease, you’d think it’s a laser cutter. One of the best weapons in the game for dealing with any ARCs. There’s really not much to say here; it’s that good. Unlike S-Tier weapons mentioned above, this gun isn’t a huge boss killer. It’s a weapon you use to deal with smaller ARCs faster. It also works pretty well against medium boss enemies like Leaper or Rocketeer.
- Firing Mode: Single-action
- Damage: 40
- ARC Armor Penetration: Strong
It’s a really efficient weapon, as it can also be used to fight people. One shot from it kills light shields, much like Ferro. But unlike Ferro, you can shoot this gun after. If you want to go into a cheap raid to farm for some ARC parts and don’t want to take two guns, this is your choice. To make this gun really shine, upgrade it to level 4.
Aphelion
The newest addition to the roster. Aphelion is crazy good in both PvE and PvP. It’s a very unique weapon because of how it shoots its ammo. It’s really easy to handle and to use, unlike other legendaries. It’s crafted from the Matriarch Reactor, which makes it a bit tougher to get than the Queen’s Reactor.
- Firing Mode: 2-round burst
- Damage: 24
- ARC Armor Penetration: Strong
Despite the stats that might seem a bit mediocre, it’s actually quite a nice weapon. It shoots fast and tears through medium boss ARCs like no tomorrow. It’s also decent against people. A very strong Swiss Army knife to deal with all sorts of dangers.
A-Tier
This tier includes weapons that deal quite well with ARCs, but aren’t as effective or fast. Let’s cover them in a couple of sentences.
Ferro: Your starter weapon to deal with ARCs efficiently. It does decent damage to ARC parts, but it’s painfully slow. Upgrading it feels a bit pointless, since it’s basically a free weapon. Still, if you have nothing at hand, using it purely for ARCs can be fine. Especially if you shoot well.
Torrente: This gun shouldn’t be in this tier, but it is. You can probably guess why it’s here. The firerate on this thing is crazy. It doesn’t break the ARC parts efficiently; it just destroys the ARC. The only problem is that you should be really close to the ARC for it to work. Otherwise, all your bullets will disappear in thin air. Try it on Bastion or Bombardier, especially their radiator on the back.
A-Tier weapons are still very viable against ARC enemies. With them, you can reliably face them on, without fear of losing your HP or loot.
B-Tier
These weapons can handle ARCs fairly well, but it feels like using a microscope to crack a nut. Just why? It can do the task, but it will not do it well, and it may cost you. Still, they’re enough to get rid of pesky Snitches or Hornets. Don’t even think of using them to deal with boss ARCs.
Venator: A PvP powerhouse can deal with ARCs. Just don’t expect it to do wonders, especially after the nerf.
Arpeggio: Surprisingly good, especially an upgraded version. Thanks to its high fire rate, it can destroy ARCs and break their parts fast. Still, feels like a waste of ammo to do it on Arpeggio.
Tempest: Point in case of the description of this tier. This gun is so good that it just works. Of course, one of the best guns in the game will do well against ARCs. It has zero recoil and decent damage per bullet.
Renegade: Another PvP powerhouse, but it deals with ARCs much better than Venator. It’s actually a bit closer to A-tier, but still, it doesn’t do it that well. Thanks to its efficient ammo use, you can destroy ARCs relatively fast. Not the case with big enemies, though.
Osprey: Actually kind of the same as Renegade, but feels much clunkier to use because of its sniper scope. Most ARCs try to get close to you, so using a sniper scope to shoot their parts feels really awkward. But at least it breaks the parts and ARCs.
Bettina: This gun is a mystery. It’s an Epic assault rifle that shoots heavy ammo. On paper, it should be good. Well, Nerfhammer has reached it on release, since it was OP in beta. It breaks fast, chews through heavy ammo, and it’s not good against boss ARCs. It works decently against normal ARCs. BLOG20
B-Tier weapons are quite viable to deal with ARCs, but they are your last resort. Unless you want to spend a ton of ammo using them, avoid ARCs, even the most minor ones.
C-Tier and D-Tier
The guns in these two tiers aren’t supposed to be used against ARCs at all. They’re either purely PvP or just bad. Most of what you can get from them is destroying Pops or Fireballs. Don’t even expect them to deal well with anything bigger than that. Let’s finish off our ARC Raiders' best PvE weapons ranked list here:
Stitcher: Well, it can shoot fast. It can potentially destroy Hornets or Wasps by pure stopping power. It will take a good bunch of your bullets, though.
Bobcat: This is just a waste of ammo. This is an Epic gun that excels in PvP thanks to its crazy fire rate and fast reload. You can destroy ARCs just like with Stitcher, but why?
Il Toro and Vulcano: Both of these shotguns are high-tier in PvP, but unfortunately for PvE, that’s not the case. We figure these are balancing decisions. Funnily, killing a Pop with Il Toro can be harder than two-shotting a player. Don’t use them for ARCs.
Kettle: It’s a bit better than other guns on this list, but it’s still bad for killing ARCs. We can’t say much about it. Just don’t use it for ARCs. It’s a budget PvP king, not a clanker killer.
Rattler: Perhaps the worst weapon in the game. It’s an assault rifle with medium ARC penetration. Well, it’s either not true, or you just need a bigger mag for that to work. But upgrading Rattler just to better deal with ARCs is a meme. Forget that it exists.
Burletta: It can be okay, just like Kettle, but it’s a weapon that excels in PvP, not in PvE. That’s just how it is.
Hairpin: Who? Seriously, we’ve yet to see anyone running this weapon unironically. It has a built-in silencer, but even the game tells you it’s not good for combat. Its only use case is breaking the cameras and alarms. You won’t kill even a Pop with it. It’s the worst weapon against ARCs, and it’s an objective opinion.
With these weapons, avoid ARCs like wildfire. Even if you manage to take down the machines, you will spend a lot of ammo. That's the very least. The worst-case scenario is that you'll die to them. You don't want to die to a Hornet, don't you? Thankfully, avoiding ARCs is quite easy most of the time, so don't trigger them for no need.
Conclusion
That’s it for our recommendations of the worst and best PvE guns to use in ARC Raiders. Soon, we will update our ARC Raiders Best Weapons Tier List according to the current meta. Stay tuned for that. More guides are coming soon!
F.A.Q
What is the best PvE gun in ARC Raiders?
It’s a close tie between Hullcracker, Jupiter, and Equalizer.
What weapon kills ARCs the fastest in ARC Raiders?
It’s definitely a Hullcracker. Grenade launcher with 100 damage per bullet. It drops ARCs extremely fast.
What are the best PvE weapons in ARC Raiders?
Hullcracker, Jupiter, Equalizer, Anvil, and a new marksman rifle, Aphelion.
Are shotguns good against ARCs in ARC Raiders?
No, absolutely not. They have low armor penetration, so for them, killing even a Pop or a Fireball is a difficult task.
What weapon has the highest damage to ARCs in ARC Raiders?
Hullcracker is the most damaging weapon against ARCs. Which makes sense, since it’s a weapon that works only on ARCs. You can’t even use it on people.
