The best weapons in ARC Raiders can deal with any enemy in any situation, but there are optimal options for PvE and PvP, as well.
All of the weapons in ARC Raiders have their place, but the best of them can and will win teamfight after teamfight, raid after raid. Others are purpose-built to take on the ARC, while still others work wonders no matter what you’re fighting. Here’s our list for the best weapons in ARC Raiders.
The best weapons to use in ARC Raiders
Source: Embark Studios
The best weapons in ARC Raiders, to my mind, come in three categories: the best for PvP, the best for PvE, and the best all around. There is some overlap between PvE and PvP, but the best overall can do work in any situation against any enemy type.
Meta PvE weapons in ARC Raiders
PvE in ARC Raiders is a mixed bag, as you can have grenades do a lot of the heavy lifting. However, the best PvE meta weapons will delete almost any ARC from almost any distance.
Ferro
Source: Shacknews
The Ferro is the best budget option for fighting ARC. It’s cheap to buy or craft, and as a grey-rarity weapon, it’s cheap to upgrade and repair. You need to be accurate, but thanks to its high muzzle velocity, you don’t need to be close to get the most out of it. If you have a fast-firing backup weapon, you use that to deal with the odd hostile raider while also chunking ARC enemies of any size with the Ferro.
Hullcracker
Source: Shacknews
At the opposite end of the PvE meta spectrum is the Hullcracker, a weapon that has almost zero use against enemy raiders but is a must-bring if you plan to take on a Queen or Matriarch. With this thing in your hands, a Rocketeer is hardly any threat at all. Bastions and Bombardiers are a cakewalk. That it’s expensive to buy, craft, and upgrade is immaterial. If you have a Hullcracker, the ARC will fall.
Meta PvP weapons in ARC Raiders
Whether ARC Raiders even is a PvP game is an argument for scholars better suited to it than I. However, the following weapons will put hostile enemy raiders on the floor, ready for a knock-out punch almost too quickly.
Torrente
Source: Shacknews
No shooter is complete without a bullet hose, and the Torrente fills that position in ARC Raiders gladly. It’s almost worthless at anything save close range, but play in its favorite places, and the Torrente shreds enemy raiders in seconds flat. Your only real issue is not bringing enough ammo for it to chew.
Il Toro
Source: Shacknews
There are few things more satisfying than downing a raider with a pump-action shotgun to the gut. Provided your aim is serviceable, the Il Toro will deliver win after win at point-blank range. Keep a longer-range weapon handy for fighting ARC and other players at distance, but when the fighting is up close, accept no substitute.
Osprey
Source: Shacknews
No other weapon in ARC Raiders is as deadly at range as an Osprey, and that’s primarily thanks to the scope. Sure, you can plink away at people with a Ferro, but at extreme ranges, only the Osprey will do. You’ll need to learn how to lead your shots properly, and it’s a little clunky to handle at times, but for sniping on Blue Gate or from atop the Dam? Nothing comes close.
Best all-around meta weapons in ARC Raiders
The best all-around weapons in ARC Raiders can do well in any situation against any enemy type and size. Soloing a three-man team? Done. Fighting the deadliest ARC in the game? No sweat. They’re all great, no matter how you use them.
Stitcher
Source: Shacknews
I think the Stitcher is probably the best budget weapon in ARC Raiders, or at least in the top two. It’s surprisingly effective against ARC, and it will shred through shields and the raiders they protect, whether you’re on a free loadout or have the gun tricked out.
Anvil
Source: Shacknews
It’s more than viable to go into a raid with just an Anvil, a lot of Heavy Ammo, and some grenades, and know that you can probably win most of the fights you get into. This thing chunks both ARC armor and raider health and shields, and while it might lose out at both extremes of the range spectrum, there’s really no other weapon in the game, save the Stitcher, I’d rather have in my back pocket.
Renegade
Source: Shacknews
Sue me, but I’m a sucker for lever-action rifles, and not only does the Renegade do work against ARC, but enemy raiders at medium distances better watch the heck out. Not only does the Renegade hit like a truck, but it can hold more than 20 rounds with a good magazine attachment. That much firepower is trumped only by the final entry on our list, and if you’ve been keeping score, you probably know what it is.
Venator
Source: Shacknews
There can be only one. The Venator was once so good that it had to be on the receiving end of one of the largest nerfs this side of the Trigger ‘Nade. Now it’s just one of the best weapons to use anywhere in the game against almost anything you can shoot at. It loses out to the Renegade at distance and the Il Toro upclose, but not by a large enough margin to not always have a Venator in your back pocket. Or better yet, pair it with one of those weapons and have a really good time making other raiders have a really bad time.
For much more on ARC Raiders, check out our dedicated game page.
Shacknews staff does not use generative artificial intelligence (AI) in their content. Shacknews strictly prohibits the use of its content for AI training or to generate text, including text in the style or format used for this publication. Shacknews reserves all rights to this work.
John’s been gaming for almost 30 years, starting with Super Mario 64, but his first real love is Final Fantasy. Or Armored Core, depending on how he slept last night. If you want to know where to find an item in a massive open world or how to beat a boss, he can help. They’ve probably kicked his teeth in a few times already. You can normally find him eyes deep in the latest FromSoftware game if he isn’t doing dailies in the half-dozen live service games he plays. He can be found on BlueSky.
