ARC Raiders Weapons Tier List: Top Guns Ranked 2026

Twenty-two weapons. Six ammo types. One extraction run to lose all of them. This ARC Raiders weapons tier list ranks every gun for April 2026 — after patch 1.11.0's Kettle nerf and the Flashpoint update's new Legendary additions — across both PvP encounters and ARC machine farming.

Short version: Ferro for primary, Anvil for secondary, and don't spend Legendary resources on anything until you understand why the Dolabra earns its cost.

Key Takeaways

• S tier: Ferro (battle rifle), Kettle (assault rifle), Anvil (pistol), Dolabra (energy shotgun)
• Best budget pick: Ferro — craftable from common materials, performs at Legendary level in the right hands
• Best secondary: Anvil — heavy ammo hand cannon that hits like a primary weapon
• Biggest nerf in 1.11.0: Kettle dropped from 600 to 450 RPM; still S-tier but no longer dominant at close range
• Skip early: Osprey sniper — inaccurate relative to damage, outclassed in almost every scenario

Overview

Ranking methodology covers three variables: PvP performance, ARC enemy effectiveness, and acquisition cost. A weapon requiring Legendary resources gets scored against its accessibility — the Dolabra earns its S ranking despite high cost because nothing at that price point matches its two-shot capability. The Ferro earns its S ranking partly because it's cheap.

Patch 1.11.0 is the baseline. The Flashpoint content update added the Equalizer minigun and Aphelion battle rifle, which changed the Legendary weapon pool enough to shift some A-tier assessments. I tested all 22 weapons across 80+ hours and all five maps before settling these rankings.

For a full breakdown of how to use these weapons across different map zones, the ARC Raiders beginner guide covers vendor access, ammo economy by zone, and why weapon choice matters differently in White vs. Red zones.

S Tier — Best Weapons in ARC Raiders

Ferro (Battle Rifle, Heavy Ammo)

The best primary weapon in the game isn't Legendary — it's craftable at Tian Wen's workbench with two rubber parts and five metal parts. The Ferro fires semi-auto with high per-shot damage and exceptional armor penetration against ARC machine types. Against Hornets, Wasps, and Ticks, it consistently strips armor in two to three shots where comparable rifles need five.

In PvP the Ferro's damage profile rewards aim. At medium range it outperforms assault rifles with technically higher DPS numbers because the DPS advantage disappears when those shots absorb armor the Ferro would have stripped on shot two. I've run the Ferro on every map and lost it to bad decisions, not to the weapon underperforming.

Best for: Players who want one weapon that handles PvP and ARC without a specialized build. Caveat: Semi-auto punishes missed shots harder than ARs. At close range inside buildings, SMGs beat it.

Kettle (Assault Rifle, Light Ammo)

Patch 1.11.0 cut the Kettle from 600 to 450 RPM. It dropped from dominant to merely excellent. At 450 RPM with its existing damage profile, the Kettle is still one of the strongest assault rifles — the nerf put it in line with its price, not into irrelevance.

Light ammo economy is the Kettle's real strength. Light ammo is the most common drop in White and Orange zones, meaning Kettle users rarely hit the dry-run problems that kill Heavy and Energy builds in long sessions. Find it in Orange zone containers or buy from Tian Wen.

Best for: Players who want sustained DPS without managing an expensive or scarce ammo economy. Caveat: The pre-1.11 close-range dominance is gone. Don't bring a Kettle expecting the old experience.

Anvil (Pistol, Heavy Ammo)

The Anvil sits in your secondary slot and hits like your primary. A heavy ammo hand cannon with a slow fire rate and devastating per-shot damage — it's the only pistol that regularly one-shots lighter-armored ARC units on a headshot. In PvP, two center-mass shots drop most standard loadouts.

The secondary slot distinction matters. You carry a full primary plus the Anvil, running heavy damage without the weight penalty of LMGs. Advanced players swap to the Anvil when pushing a position and back to their primary when retreating — the Anvil rewards aggressive engagement timing more than any other weapon in this slot.

Best for: Experienced players who want a high-ceiling secondary that rewards aim and positioning over spray. Caveat: Heavy ammo is less common than Light or Medium. Stock up at Tian Wen before every run.

Dolabra (Energy Shotgun, Energy Clips)

Legendary rarity, energy clip dependency, and a two-shot kill range that nothing else matches. The Dolabra is the only energy shotgun in ARC Raiders and it earns its cost: two shots delete most players from encounters, and against ARC Hornets it's the fastest close-range clear in the game. Period.

The energy clip limitation is real. Energy Clips don't drop in White zones with any regularity — you source them from Shani or Red zone containers, and you budget for them every session. Don't bring a Dolabra until you have the Speranza resources to absorb losing it. If you're still learning maps, the ARC Raiders beginner guide advice still applies: run Standard loadouts for your first 20 hours.

Best for: Experienced players running Red zones regularly who can sustain energy clip costs. Caveat: Losing a Dolabra loadout without extracting is a significant resource setback. Know your exit.

The Canto SMG (A-tier) and Dolabra energy shotgun (S-tier) introduced in the Flashpoint update — two of the strongest weapons in the current meta.

A Tier — Strong Alternatives

Canto (SMG, Medium Ammo)

The Canto fires controlled, accurate bursts at medium range — unusual for an SMG. Its damage per burst sits below the Ferro's, but its handling at close-to-mid range beats every primary rifle when you're inside a building. Medium ammo economy is sustainable without needing Light ammo abundance. Best choice for players who prefer interior map routing.

Renegade (Battle Rifle, Medium Ammo)

A lever-action battle rifle that rewards deliberate aim with higher damage-per-shot than the Ferro at the cost of a slower lever cycle. In PvP the Renegade is arguably the most forgiving slow-fire weapon — its damage lead is large enough that a three-hit kill with one miss still outpaces most assault rifle time-to-kills. Rare rarity but findable in Orange zone crates consistently.

Stitcher (SMG, Light Ammo)

The Stitcher is the first weapon most players should use seriously — Common rarity, found in White zones, Light ammo, outperforms its cost tier by a significant margin. For the first 10 to 20 hours of play it covers close-quarters encounters while you learn map layouts. Upgrade to the Canto when you're running Orange zones reliably.

Tempest (Assault Rifle, Medium Ammo)

All-around assault rifle with manageable recoil and balanced stats. The Tempest does nothing wrong and nothing exceptional. For PvP-focused players who need a reliable mid-range option without the Ferro's aim dependency, it's the safe choice. Consistent, accessible, and doesn't punish you for being human.

Jupiter (Sniper Rifle, Energy Clips)

The highest headshot damage available on any sniper platform, with piercing projectiles that pass through multiple ARC units in a line. That last trait makes it genuinely strong in dam corridors and stacked patrol routes. Outside those scenarios it's expensive for what it does. Energy clip cost keeps it off most default loadouts.

Equalizer (Special — Minigun, Energy Clips)

The Flashpoint update added this Legendary minigun — armor-shredding capability at the cost of spool-up time and near-uselessness against fast movers. Strong for stationary boss encounters like the ARC Matriarch and Vaporizer where you can pre-spool and sustain fire. Useless against Wasps and Ticks. Niche, but the niche is real.

Positioning before weapon choice — a raider in cover scouting an opponent across open ground. Range and cover dictate which tier list pick actually performs.

B Through D Tier

Current Meta Analysis

The post-1.11.0 meta is healthier than it was at launch. Multiple weapons compete for primary slots where before the meta was Kettle or nothing. The Flashpoint update's Legendary additions (Equalizer, Aphelion) gave end-game players more options without breaking the mid-tier bracket.

The biggest current tension is between the Ferro (craftable, accessible, high performance) and Legendary weapons that cost significantly more and in most situations don't justify the gap. The Dolabra is the exception — its two-shot capability at Legendary cost is genuinely irreplaceable. Everything else at Legendary asks you to pay more for marginal gains over Rare-tier options.

The meta plays out in moments like this — two players crossing paths in a low-visibility zone where weapon choice, ammo type, and draw speed decide who extracts.

PvP and PvE rankings diverge most visibly at the sniper tier. The Jupiter is legitimately strong against stacked ARC patrols; it's a liability in PvP engagements where engagement distances are shorter and the energy clip reload punishes you in follow-up fights. Build for what your typical run actually looks like rather than theory-crafting for worst-case scenarios.

For a look at how ARC Raiders compares to other games with deep build economies, the best roguelike games guide covers some useful parallels in resource loop design.

What to Buy First at Tian Wen

Craft the Ferro immediately — it requires no vendor relationship level and basic materials available from the first run. Buy the Canto at vendor relationship level 2. Don't approach Legendary crafting until you're running Red zones regularly and your Speranza reserves can absorb a failed extraction without setting back your progression by days.

The Anvil is available at vendor relationship level 3 and should be your first secondary purchase. It changes how you play secondary slot fights more than any other single upgrade.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best weapon in ARC Raiders? The Ferro battle rifle is the strongest overall weapon in the current ARC Raiders weapons tier list. Craftable early, handles both ARC enemies and PvP well, doesn't require Legendary rarity. The Anvil hand cannon is the best secondary slot weapon.

What weapons are in ARC Raiders? 22 weapons across assault rifles, battle rifles, SMGs, shotguns, pistols, sniper rifles, LMGs, and special weapons. Six ammo types: Light, Medium, Heavy, Energy Clips, Shotgun, and Launcher ammo.

What is the best budget weapon in ARC Raiders? The Ferro battle rifle — craftable from two rubber parts and five metal parts at Tian Wen's workbench. The Stitcher SMG is the best early find, commonly dropped in White zones with Light ammo abundant nearby.

What happened to the Kettle in patch 1.11.0? Fire rate dropped from 600 RPM to 450 RPM. It was the dominant close-range weapon before this change. Post-nerf it remains S-tier but no longer overwhelms other assault rifles at short range the way earlier builds allowed.

Which weapons are best for PvE vs PvP? PvE: Ferro and Dolabra for armor penetration against ARC machines. PvP: Renegade and Anvil for consistency. The Canto SMG works in both contexts without specialization. Avoid the Osprey — its inaccuracy relative to damage output doesn't justify the loadout slot in most builds.

Where do I get weapons in ARC Raiders? Tian Wen's shop in Speranza, loot containers across all zone tiers, enemy drops, and player corpses. Higher-rarity weapons like Dolabra and Equalizer appear mainly in Red zone containers and Legendary crates.

References

• ARC Raiders on Steam — patch history, community reviews, and system requirements
• ARC Raiders Official Site — Embark Studios' official patch notes including 1.11.0 fire rate changes and Flashpoint update weapon additions