Top Weapons for Completing PvE in Arc Raiders

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In Arc Raiders, exploring above ground involves many threats, but the most common enemies are the AI robots called ARC. These dangerous machines come in many shapes and sizes, offering a range of challenges that players must overcome to return to Speranza with their loot.

To fight these mechanical foes, you’ll have access to a variety of weapons. Not all guns perform equally, and some are better suited for fighting ARC than for battling other players. Here’s a tier list to help you understand which weapons are best for eliminating robots.

Overall PvE Weapon Tier List

Before diving into the tiers, it’s important to clarify what we evaluate. The focus is on how each weapon performs during player versus environment (PvE) encounters. How a gun fares against other players (PvP) is not considered here. Damage, versatility, ammo efficiency, and accessibility are the main criteria. All weapons are rated in their basic form, without attachments or upgrades, as not everyone has the resources to enhance their weapons constantly. While some guns become more effective with upgrades, this list emphasizes their standard capabilities. Keep in mind, feel free to choose weapons you enjoy; efficiency at killing ARC varies, but personal preference matters.

Here’s a quick overview of where each weapon ranks in our PvE list:

S-Tier

Hullcracker
Known as the top PvE weapon, the Hullcracker is a grenade launcher built specifically for ARC. Its capacity is five shots, capable of wiping out swarms of Hornets or taking down bigger enemies like Bastions and Leapers efficiently. It’s often used against bosses such as the Queen or Matriarch thanks to its armor-piercing shells, wide blast radius, and high damage. The blueprints are easy to get through specific quests or vendor exchanges, making this a highly accessible and powerful tool for most players.

Bettina
Once not as high-ranked, the Bettina’s durability improvements have made it a top choice. This heavy ammo assault rifle features a slow fire rate but delivers high damage with precision. It’s excellent for hitting weak points on enemies, killing ARC quickly and efficiently. Its main limitation is the heavy ammo consumption, which requires managing inventory carefully. Still, when paired with higher-tier support, the Bettina excels.

Anvil
My personal favorite for fighting ARC, the Anvil is a heavy ammo revolver with impressive damage, decent firing speed, and high accuracy. It’s accessible and effective against enemies like Hornets, Wasps, Fireballs, Shredders, and Bastions. Its range and precision allow players to exploit weaknesses easily, making it one of the best PvE options for daily raids.

Renegade
This lever-action rifle fires medium ammo and, while it doesn’t pack the raw punch of heavy weapons, it compensates with a good firing rate and impressive range. It quickly dispatches common ARC foes, especially when ammo is limited. Eight rounds per magazine make it a flexible and efficient choice, ideal for clearing small groups of ARC on the fly.

Ferro
The most affordable S-tier weapon, Ferro is a surprisingly powerful single-shot gun. Although it needs reloading after each shot, it does decent damage against standard ARC. Its availability in free loadouts is a big plus for players starting out or rebuilding stockpiles. However, its limited firepower makes it less suitable for swarms or tougher enemies.

Jupiter
The rarest and most expensive on this list, Jupiter is a legendary weapon boasting the highest raw damage. It needs a brief charge-up, but once fired, it’s devastating against anything, especially heavily armored targets like Leapers and Bastions. Acquiring its blueprint involves solving the Harvester puzzle, and finding the gun in-game is rare.

A-Tier

Venator
A versatile weapon often used in PvP, the Venator is also effective in PvE. Its quick firing and accuracy at medium to close ranges make it good for dealing with nuisance enemies like Wasps and Hornets during raids, though it’s not suited for heavy-duty boss fights.

Equalizer
This legendary laser mini-gun delivers high damage with excellent armor penetration, letting you directly target ARC cores. However, its high ammo consumption means you’ll need ample inventory space, making it suitable for players who can afford to use up resources.

Tempest
The second-best assault rifle for PvE, Tempest balances armor penetration, controllable fire rate, and solid damage output. Its large magazine (25 rounds) helps for normal raids against low- and mid-tier ARC. It’s great for quick, mobile targeting but less effective at longer distances or against heavily armored bots.

Aphelion
Similar to Jupiter, Aphelion trades high firing speed for powerful, slow shots. Firing two rounds per shot, it requires some skill to control recoil, but with practice, it can swiftly kill most ARC. Its blueprint is easier to obtain, making it accessible for many players.

B-Tier

Torrente
A light machine gun that excels in close quarters, Torrente unleashes rapid bullets capable of destroying most ARC up close. Its low accuracy and limited effective range make it unsuitable for medium or long-range combat, especially in open maps.

Kettle
A semi-automatic rifle with good range and accuracy, Kettle is effective in a pinch. Its fire mode allows precise targeting of weak points on normal ARC, though it struggles against tougher enemies due to low damage. It’s not the top choice for PvE but works when necessary.

Burletta
Similar to Kettle, Burletta can handle standard ARC effectively at close to mid-range. Its use of light ammo limits armor penetration, reducing its effectiveness against tougher enemies. It’s good for quick takedowns of weaker robots.

Arpeggio
Often dismissed, Arpeggio is a decent middle-ground weapon. Its burst fire makes it easier to aim and target weaknesses, but it doesn’t do much damage overall. It’s best against weaker ARC like Snitches or Hornets, not for heavier foes.

Osprey
Unique for being the only gun with sights, Osprey is a bolt-action sniper. It excels at long-range headshots, especially on weak points like Bastion joints. Its slow reload and close-range ineffectiveness mean it’s best used at a distance and when you can stay out of close combat.

C-Tier

Rattler
In its base form, Rattler is an average weapon, offering decent damage but with a very small magazine and slow reload speed. At low levels, it’s unreliable for fighting larger ARC, but upgraded versions can be better.

Vulcano and Il Toro
Shotguns that deliver high damage at close range, Vulcano and Il Toro are tough to use against flying enemies or at longer distances due to their limited range. They’re more effective on maps like Stella Montis but generally aren’t recommended for ARC fights.

Bobcat
This submachine gun has a very high firing rate and small magazine. Unless you’re within five meters, it often misses or performs poorly against mobile ARC, making it a tricky weapon to rely on outside close combat.

D-Tier

Hairpin
The least effective in PvE, Hairpin might be used for fun or as a joke. It’s suitable only for minor enemies or for laughs; otherwise, ignore it for serious fights.

Stitcher
While good against small enemies or Raiders, Stitcher doesn’t perform well against clusters or bigger ARC. Its limited damage output and effectiveness make it a poor choice for PvE robots.

This ranking balances raw performance, versatility, and accessibility, helping players select the best options to tackle ARC in their expeditions.

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