ARC Raiders Augments Guide: Best Frames Ranked 2026

ARC Raiders augments are the most consistently misunderstood system in the game, and not for the reason you might think. Augments are not skill-tree perks and they are not weapon mods. They are the frame you equip that decides how much you can carry, how many gadgets you can quick-use, and which shield you are allowed to run. Pick the wrong frame for a run and you either come home with half a backpack or get caught with a shield two tiers too weak.

This guide covers what augments actually do, the three types, the best Mark III picks, and how to get them.

TL;DR: Augments are equippable frames that set your backpack slots, weight limit, safe pockets, quick-use slots, and shield compatibility. Three types: Combat (shield + grenade slots, less inventory), Looting (max slots and weight, weaker shield), and Tactical (most quick-use slots and shield recharge, smallest backpack). The best all-round pick is the Looting Mark III Survivor (20 slots, 80 kg, 3 safe pockets, 5 quick slots, deployable). Epic Mark III frames are crafted from blueprints that drop best in Medical areas.

ARC Raiders augments: quick answer

An augment in ARC Raiders is the loadout frame you equip before a raid. It is gear, not a passive unlock, and it sets the numbers that decide your run: backpack slots, weight limit, safe pockets (gear that survives death), quick-use slots for gadgets, and your shield compatibility tier. Some frames also add a deployable slot or a small passive.

There are three types, each tuned for a playstyle: Combat, Looting, and Tactical. They come in tiers (Mark I through Mark III), and the Mark III frames are the Epic-grade versions you build from blueprints. Your augment is a bigger decision than any single weapon, because it caps how the rest of your kit fits together.

This is a separate system from the skill tree. The Survival, Mobility, and Conditioning branches are passive character progression; augments are the gear frame you choose each run.

GODEEPER: Mark III augments are crafted, and the blueprints gate the whole thing. Where blueprints drop and how to build the frames. ARC Raiders Crafting Guide →

Key takeaways

• Augments are equippable frames, not skill-tree perks: they set backpack, weight, safe pockets, quick slots, and shield tier
• Three types: Combat (shields + grenades), Looting (carry capacity), Tactical (quick-use + shield recharge)
• Best all-round: Looting Mark III Survivor: 20 slots, 80 kg, 3 safe pockets, 5 quick slots, deployable slot
• Best shield uptime: Tactical Mark III Defensive: integrated shield recharger that works while moving
• Best aggressive: Combat Mark III Aggressive: 18 slots, 65 kg, 4 quick slots, 2 grenade slots, heavy shield, passive heal out of combat
• Mark III frames are crafted from blueprints that drop best in Medical-area POIs

The three augment types

Every augment falls into one of three categories, and the category tells you what the frame is built to do.

Combat augments prioritize shield compatibility and combat advantages, and they pay for it with inventory space. If you expect to take fights, a Combat frame lets you run a heavier shield and carry grenades, at the cost of a smaller backpack. This is the frame for players who plan to win contacts rather than avoid them.

Looting augments flip that trade. They maximize backpack slots and weight limit so you extract the most value per run, and they accept weaker shield compatibility in return. If your plan is to move through a zone, fill up, and leave before fights find you, a Looting frame is the highest-value choice.

Tactical augments sit in the middle on inventory but lead on quick-use slots, which is where your gadgets, mines, and consumables live. They carry the smallest backpacks and middling shield compatibility, but the extra quick slots (and, on the top frame, a shield recharger) make them the support and gadget-heavy pick.

Your augment frame decides how much of that desert loot actually comes home. A Looting frame trades shield strength for the slots and weight to haul it.

Best augments by category (Mark III)

The Mark III frames are the Epic-grade versions and the ones worth building toward. One pick per category covers most players.

Looting Mark III Survivor (best all-round)

The Survivor is the most flexible frame in the game and the default recommendation for most raiders. It carries 20 backpack slots, an 80 kg weight limit, three safe pockets, five quick slots, and a deployable slot for ziplines, mines, or barricades. That combination means you extract the most value, keep three items safe through a death, and still have the quick slots and deployable to handle a fight if one finds you. It gives up some shield compatibility, but the sheer flexibility makes it the frame you reach for when you are not building around a specific fight.

Tactical Mark III Defensive (best shield uptime)

The Defensive frame runs 20 backpack slots, a 60 kg weight limit, five quick slots, and an integrated shield recharger. The recharger is the headline: it tops your shield back up over time, even while you are running. That changes how you reposition and disengage, because you are not waiting until cover to recover. For players who get into and out of fights repeatedly, the on-the-move recharge is one of the strongest defensive tools available.

Combat Mark III Aggressive (best for fighting)

The Aggressive frame is built for players who expect contact: 18 backpack slots, a 65 kg weight limit, four quick slots, two grenade slots, and heavy shield compatibility, plus a passive that restores two health every five seconds while you are out of combat. The grenade slots and heavy shield make it the frame for pushing fights and ARC encounters, at the cost of the smallest backpack of the three top picks.

GODEEPER: Your augment caps your shield tier, so the two systems have to be chosen together. How shield and armor tiers interact with detection and survivability. ARC Raiders Armor Guide →

Surviving a contact like this is where your augment's shield compatibility earns its slot. A Combat frame lets you run a heavier shield and trade fire; a Looting frame bets on never being seen in the first place.

How to get augments

You acquire augments three ways. The first is general looting: lower-tier frames (Mark I and II) turn up regularly in containers, so you will have a usable augment early without much effort. The second is taking them off downed players, which is how you upgrade fast in PvP-heavy zones. The third, and the one that matters for the Mark III frames, is crafting.

Epic Mark III frames require an augment blueprint before the recipe unlocks. Those blueprints drop randomly, but the odds are not flat across the map: Medical-area POIs outperform other locations for blueprint drops. If you are hunting a specific Mark III frame, prioritize running medical wings and clearing their containers. Once you have the blueprint, the frame is a standard craft at the workbench.

Best augment by playstyle

Value-first / stealth runs: Looting Mark III Survivor. Maximize slots, weight, and safe pockets, avoid fights, and extract more per run than any other frame allows.

Aggressive / PvP and ARC pushing: Combat Mark III Aggressive. The heavy shield, grenade slots, and out-of-combat heal are built for players who plan to take and win contacts.

Gadget / support play: Tactical Mark III Defensive. The extra quick slots and the moving shield recharger suit players who lean on deployables and need to reset their shield mid-engagement.

Most experienced raiders keep more than one frame built and swap based on the zone and the goal of the run, rather than committing to a single augment for everything.

Related Reading

• ARC Raiders Crafting Guide: how to turn augment blueprints into Mark III frames, plus the materials each tier needs.
• ARC Raiders Armor Guide: All Tiers and Detection: how shield and armor tiers interact, and why your augment's shield compatibility shapes your defensive build.
• ARC Raiders Skill Tree Tier List: the separate passive progression system (Survival, Mobility, Conditioning) and which nodes to prioritize.
• ARC Raiders Loot Guide: What to Keep, Sell, Scrap: how to fill the backpack your Looting frame just gave you with the highest-value items.
• ARC Raiders Best Solo Loadouts 2026: how an augment frame fits a complete solo kit alongside weapons, armor, and gadgets.

References

• ARC Raiders on Steam: official store page, patch notes, and updates from Embark Studios
• r/ARCRaiders: community augment tier discussions and Mark III frame comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions

What are augments in ARC Raiders? Augments are the frames you equip that define your loadout's core stats: backpack slots, weight limit, safe pockets, quick-use slots, and which shield tiers you can run. Some add a deployable slot or a passive. They are gear, not a skill tree, so the frame you bring shapes whether a run is built for fighting, looting, or utility.

What is the best augment in ARC Raiders? The Looting Mark III Survivor for most players: 20 backpack slots, 80 kg weight limit, three safe pockets, five quick slots, and a deployable slot. It extracts the most value while still leaving room for utility. For shield uptime, the Tactical Mark III Defensive; for fighting, the Combat Mark III Aggressive.

What are the three augment types? Combat (shield compatibility and combat advantages, less inventory), Looting (maximum backpack slots and weight, weaker shield), and Tactical (most quick-use slots and shield recharge, smallest backpack). Pick the type that matches how you want to play the raid.

How do you get augments in ARC Raiders? Loot them from containers, take them off downed players, or craft them. Epic Mark III frames need an augment blueprint first, and those blueprints drop best in Medical-area POIs. Mark I and II frames appear regularly through general looting early on.

Do augments affect your shield? Yes. Each augment caps which shield tiers you can equip. Combat frames allow heavy shields, Looting frames trade shield compatibility for inventory, and Tactical sits in the middle, with the Mark III Defensive adding a shield recharger that works while you move.

Should I use a Combat, Looting, or Tactical augment? Match it to the run. Looting for maximum extraction when you can avoid fights, Combat for aggressive play with shield uptime and grenades, Tactical for gadget-heavy or support play. Most players keep more than one frame and swap by zone.