ARC Raiders Weapon Compendium and Modifications#

ARC Raiders splits its arsenal into three lines: conventional guns handle players and light armor, anti-ARC specials crack heavy machines, and legendary weapons are the endgame chase. This page compiles the weapon lists and acquisition routes from community guides, along with modification and gun-picking advice.

Note: official damage and fire-rate numbers have not been published, so this page focuses on weapon roles and acquisition routes. In-game testing is the final word on values.

Weapon List Overview#

Community guides also mention attachment blueprints such as Toro, Osprey, Torrente, and Betina, used to modify existing weapons.

The Three Weapon Lines#

Conventional Guns: Against Players and Light Armor#

Conventional guns like the Ferro and Anvil burn standard ammo and carry the vast majority of engagements. The criteria for picking one:

• Engagement range: open maps (Spaceport) favor mid-to-long range, city maps (Buried City) favor close-to-mid range;
• Ammo economy: standard ammo is easy to come by, so you can trade fire freely;
• Cost efficiency: run looted guns early on, then switch to crafted ones once your blueprints stabilize.

Anti-ARC Weapons: Against Heavy Armor#

The Hullcracker and Equalizer are built for heavily armored targets and chew through Bastion-type units far faster than any conventional gun. Usage notes:

• Special ammo is expensive and eats backpack space; plan your carry count around the target list instead of hauling rounds you never fire;
• Decide before deployment whether this run has heavy armor targets: Blue Gate underground and the endgame maps are where specials earn their slot;
• Specials still hurt players just fine, so spending one to clutch a losing fight is never a waste.

Legendary: The Endgame Goal#

Legendary weapons sit at the top of the current power ceiling. Every one is crafted from a blueprint — none drop as finished guns. Three representative acquisition routes:

1. Event rewards: the Vulcano comes from the Hidden Bunker event, and Hurricane weather also gives you a shot at the First Wave Cache; the Jupiter comes from the three special containers in the Harvester event;
2. Exclusive blueprints: the Aphelion and Ailion blueprints only spawn in Stella Montis;
3. Endgame material crafting: both the Aphelion and the Dolabra need endgame materials such as the magnetic accelerator; recipes are in Crafting and Resource Economy.

For the complete blueprint source list, see Blueprint Mechanics and Sources.

Attachments and Modifications#

Attachment blueprints (Toro, Osprey, Torrente, Betina, and more) define how a weapon actually feels in your hands. Prioritize mods in this order:

1. Fix the weakness first: add optics for range, stability parts for recoil — patch the most obvious flaw before anything else;
2. Then double down on the role: once the weakness is covered, build around the weapon’s main job — mobility for close-range guns, precision for long-range ones;
3. Match the ammo: mod anti-ARC specials to maximize heavy armor damage first; don’t tune them like a conventional gun.

Attachments unlock through blueprints just like weapons, so when you loot one, run the same “grab it, then plan the extraction” discipline.

Weapon Selection Decision Flow#

Before every deployment, pick your gun in four steps:

1. Set the goal: farming materials, boss hunting, or PvP? The goal dictates the weapon type;
2. Set the map: bring range for open maps, burst for interiors;
3. Set the stake: match gear investment to expected returns; don’t bring expensive guns on low-stakes runs;
4. Set the backup: keep one low-cost fallback besides your primary, so dying doesn’t sting.

A Rough Guide to Ammo Management#

Behind the weapon system sits an ammo economy. Do the rough math before you deploy:

Do the special-ammo math from both ends: carry too little and you stare down a Bastion with nothing to shoot, carry too much and spare rounds waste pack slots on extraction — precise planning starts with a clear target list before you leave.

Beginner Loadout Recommendations#

Related Pages#

• Blueprint Mechanics and Sources — how to get every weapon blueprint
• Crafting and Resource Economy — recipes and materials for legendary weapons
• Augments and Shield Loadouts — the rest of your power budget beyond weapons
• ARC Machine Enemy Compendium — which gun for which enemy