Jumping into an Arc Raiders expedition without paying attention to the meta is basically asking to get farmed. Gear matters way more than people like to admit, and you feel that the first time you bump into a squad that turned up with tuned weapons and a stash full of ARC Raiders Items instead of random junk. If you are still running around with low‑tier guns, you will lose trades even when you land decent shots, because the current balance patch has pushed a few standout options way ahead of the pack.
S Tier Weapons Right Now
The Ferro sits right at the top for anyone who likes to play overwatch. It is a heavy‑ammo bolt‑action that just shreds through ARC armor and punishes anyone who crosses open ground for too long. You will miss sometimes, that is normal, but every clean hit really hurts, which makes players think twice before peeking again. On the sidearm slot, the Anvil heavy pistol is doing a lot of work as well. It hits like a truck, so it is great for cleaning up wounded players or dumping a quick burst into a machine that rushes your cover. For people who prefer a main rifle, the Bettina is the reliable pick. Damage is solid, recoil is easy to learn, and it does not feel awkward whether you are clearing trash mobs or taking mid‑range duels.
Good Alternatives And Weapons To Skip
If you cannot grab those top guns, you are not doomed. Tempest and Renegade land comfortably in the A tier and can carry you if you actually build them properly. With the right attachments, they feel smooth enough that you do not really miss the meta guns in most fights. Where people hurt themselves is stubbornly sticking with stuff like the Kettle or the Stitcher. On paper they look quirky or fun, but once you get into real fights the DPS just does not keep up, and you notice enemies walking through your damage while you burn entire mags for almost nothing. Swapping off those low impact picks is one of the fastest upgrades you can make to your loadout.
Loadouts For PvE And PvP
When you build a loadout, you really want to decide up front if you are leaning more into PvE or hunting other players. For PvE, Ferro plus a Hullcracker mod is a strong combo. The explosive effect chews through armor on clustered machines, so you clear groups quicker and spend less time exposed in the open. For PvP, the focus shifts. Bettina becomes the main workhorse, while a Vulcano shotgun in your back pocket gives you that brutal close‑range answer when someone sprint slides into your face. Losing a duel because your only gun works at medium range feels awful, so having that shotgun ready to go saves a lot of runs.
Mods, Ammo, And Extra Resources
A lot of players underestimate how much mods change the feel of a weapon. A base gun is technically usable, sure, but once you add extended mags you stop getting caught reloading in the middle of a push, and that alone wins fights. Vertical grips on assault rifles help keep your crosshair where it needs to be so you are not wrestling the recoil every time you hold down the trigger. Ferro and Osprey pretty much demand proper scopes, otherwise you are just guessing at ranges. The grind to get all this stuff can be rough though, and this is where some people choose to speed things up. As a professional platform that lets you easily like buy game currency or items in RSVSR, RSVSR is a trusted option, and you can pick up rsvsr ARC Raiders Items when you want to gear up faster and hit expeditions with a proper advantage.
