ARC Raiders amplified weapons tier list: every build ranked for PvE and PvP
Every Frozen Trail amplification ranked for PvE and PvP, with the module each one costs and a filter for your budget.
Quick answer
Hullcracker with Incendiary Grenades is the best amplified weapon for killing ARC, and the full Aphelion build is the best for killing Raiders, if you can afford a Mk. V module. On a budget, Il Toro with Slug Rounds (Mk. II) and Canto with Carbine Conversion (Mk. III) are the picks. Don’t touch Anvil Splitter.
Updated October 17. Ranked on the Frozen Trail launch build. Amplification choices are permanent, so read the tree before you burn a module.
Frozen Trail gave every endgame gun a fifth level and a choice you can never undo, so a tier list is finally worth having. Below is every amplification build I’d actually consider, ranked for PvE (killing ARC) and PvP (killing other Raiders), with the module each one costs sitting right on the card.
I ranked builds, not weapons. Most of these guns have two to four paths that play nothing alike, and a Kettle with X-Rounds and a Kettle with Full-Auto are different guns.
Tier list
Flip between Overall, PvE and PvP, and use the module buttons if your stash is crying. Tap any build for what it does, what it costs and what I think of it.
Mk. V module. PvE A, PvP S.
What it does Hold to charge for a bigger burst. Increased Burst adds more projectiles on top and needs Charged Burst. Incendiary Rounds adds burn damage (+5 per second, +2 seconds on ongoing burns). Bigger Mag does what it says.
What it costs Mk. V module. Charged Burst, Increased Burst and Incendiary Rounds each have their own research project at 5,000 research points, plus an ARC part and a task. Bigger Mag needs no research.
The dream gun. It costs a fortune, one bad raid and someone else is walking off with it at 10 durability, and I would still run it every time. It is filthy.
Mk. IV module. PvE S, PvP A.
What it does Incendiary Grenades adds burn damage (+5 per second, +2 seconds on ongoing burns) and spreads fire when a grenade goes off on ARC. Mag Reload reloads the whole magazine at once instead of one grenade at a time.
What it costs Mk. IV module. The fire upgrade needs the Compact Combustion Charges research (5,000 research points, Bombardier Cells and a Blaze Grenade damage task). Mag Reload needs no research.
Already the answer to heavy ARC before amplification. Now it sets things on fire and stops making you reload one grenade at a time. If you run the Frigate, this is your gun.
Mk. II module. PvE B, PvP S.
What it does Slug Rounds swaps the pellet spread for one big, high-damage slug. More Reload loads more shells at a time.
What it costs Mk. II module, one of the cheapest in the game. Slug Rounds needs the Solid-Core Casting Tech research (5,000 research points, Tick Pods and a task that has you shooting down flying ARC with shotguns). More Reload needs no research.
A shotgun that finally has range, for a Mk. II. Best value PvP build on the list and it is not close.
Mk. III module. PvE A, PvP B.
What it does Explosive rounds: slightly more damage to Raiders and much more to ARC armor plating. Exclusive with Anvil Splitter.
What it costs Mk. III module. X-Rounds needs the Embedded Blast Engineering research (5,000 research points, Rocketeer Drivers and a Light Impact Grenade task on Fireflies), shared with the Bettina and Kettle.
Does exactly what it says. Hand cannon, now it eats ARC armor.
Mk. IV module. PvE A, PvP B.
What it does Semi-Auto turns the Bettina semi-automatic and adds +3 base damage. X-Rounds needs Semi-Auto and adds explosive rounds that do slightly more damage to Raiders and much more to ARC armor. Semi-Auto is exclusive with Bigger Mag.
What it costs Mk. IV module. Semi-Auto needs the Trigger Reset Systems research and X-Rounds needs Embedded Blast Engineering, 5,000 research points each.
Turns the heavy rifle into an armor popper. You lose the full-auto spray, so it is a PvE pick first.
Mk. III module. PvE B, PvP A.
What it does Carbine Conversion gives much better stability and accuracy at the cost of agility. Incendiary Rounds adds burn damage (+5 per second, +2 seconds). Carbine Conversion is exclusive with Sprint Shooting, and Incendiary works with either.
What it costs Mk. III module. Incendiary needs the Thermite-Tipped Rounds research (5,000 research points, Firefly Burners and a Fireball task), shared with the Aphelion, Hairpin and Rattler. Carbine Conversion needs no research.
The SMG grows up. Steadier, burns things, and it is only a Mk. III. Easy to recommend.
Mk. V module. PvE A, PvP B.
What it does Ramping Damage makes the damage climb the longer the beam stays on a target. Bigger Mag lets you hold that beam for longer. Ramping Damage and Anti-Weak Point are exclusive.
What it costs Mk. V module. The Beam Resonance Tech research behind Ramping Damage costs 5,000 research points, two Queen Reactors and a damage task on Vaporizers. Bigger Mag needs no research.
Pretty great and damn expensive to make. Two Queen Reactors just for the research is the kind of ask that makes you check the stash twice. If you have the Mk. V, it melts big ARC.
Mk. III module. PvE B, PvP A.
What it does Scoped adds a sniper scope. The amplified Renegade takes a barrel and stock but loses its magazine slot. More Reload loads more per reload step.
What it costs Mk. III module. Scoped needs the Top Mounted Optics Retrofittings research (shared with the Jupiter): 5,000 research points, Snitch Scanners and a trip to Pilgrim’s Peak on Blue Gate.
A lever-action sniper that clears flying ARC from a rooftop. Brilliant at range, miserable in a hallway.
Mk. IV module. PvE B, PvP B.
What it does +15 magazine and it stays full-auto. Exclusive with Semi-Auto, so you cannot also take X-Rounds.
What it costs Mk. IV module. No research needed.
The boring safe one. Same gun, more bullets.
Mk. II module. PvE C, PvP A.
What it does Full-Auto gives a 60% higher fire rate, but less damage per shot, a much worse headshot multiplier and a lot more recoil. Sprint Shooting lets you fire while sprinting. Full-Auto is exclusive with Burst Fire.
What it costs Mk. II module. Sprint Shooting needs the Mobile-Fire Grip Fittings research. Full-Auto needs none.
I love the Burletta. I loved it before amplification and I would love it with nothing on it. This is the chaos build, and chaos is the point.
Mk. III module. PvE B, PvP B.
What it does Sprint Shooting lets you fire while sprinting. It is exclusive with Carbine Conversion.
What it costs Mk. III module. Sprint Shooting needs the Mobile-Fire Grip Fittings research, shared with the Burletta, Hairpin and Rascal. Incendiary needs Thermite-Tipped Rounds.
For people who never stop moving. Fun, just less reliable than the steady version.
Mk. V module. PvE B, PvP B.
What it does Scoped adds a scope. Ergonomic Bolt (also called Straight Bolt) lets you cycle the bolt while aiming. Bigger Mag adds magazine size.
What it costs Mk. V module. Scoped needs Top Mounted Optics Retrofittings and Ergonomic Bolt needs Action Economy (shared with the Osprey).
Nice, but not legendary-module nice. You are paying Mk. V money to make a sniper nicer to cycle.
Mk. I module. PvE B, PvP B.
What it does More Reload loads more rounds per reload step. Drum Mag adds 40 rounds (64 total) at the cost of more recoil, more dispersion and slower aiming, and needs More Reload. Incendiary Rounds adds burn damage (+5 per second, +2 seconds).
What it costs Mk. I module, the cheapest tier. The drum needs the Magazine Geometry 101 research, which wants a lot of damage on a Bastion with a Rattler. Incendiary needs Thermite-Tipped Rounds.
Best value for your module, no contest. The research for the drum is a grind, though.
Mk. II module. PvE C, PvP B.
What it does Burst Fire adds two projectiles per burst, so a 3-round burst. Increased Burst makes it a 5-round burst and adds +3 magazine. Burst Fire locks out Full-Auto.
What it costs Mk. II module. Burst Fire needs the Burst Assembly Recovery research and Increased Burst needs Extended Burst Cycles, 5,000 research points each, so this is the research-heavy Burletta.
The controlled Burletta, for people who hate recoil. More research, less chaos. Pick your poison.
Mk. V module. PvE B, PvP C.
What it does Anti-Weak Point does more damage to ARC weak spots and less to the outer armor. It does nothing special against Raiders. Exclusive with Ramping Damage.
What it costs Mk. V module. The Targeted Component Trial research (shared with the Osprey) costs 5,000 research points, Fireball Burners and a task on flying ARC thrusters.
Mk. V money to be good at weak spots and worse at armor. Ramping is the better use of the same module.
Mk. I module. PvE D, PvP A.
What it does Full-Auto makes the Kettle fully automatic at the cost of accuracy and stability. Anti-Shield breaks shields faster. The two combine, and X-Rounds locks out both.
What it costs Mk. I module. Anti-Shield needs the Shield Stress Testing research (5,000 research points, Matriarch Reactors and a damage task on Raiders). Full-Auto needs none.
The hardest one to place. It is a light-ammo rifle that is weak against ARC armor, so I rate it as a PvP gun only, and in PvP it is decent: shields melt and it sprays. That lands it in the middle.
Mk. I module. PvE B, PvP C.
What it does Explosive rounds with a big bonus against ARC armor plating, which is exactly where the Kettle is weak. Locks out Anti-Shield and Full-Auto.
What it costs Mk. I module. Needs the Embedded Blast Engineering research (shared with the Anvil and Bettina).
Fixes the Kettle’s big problem for the price of its personality.
Mk. III module. PvE C, PvP B.
What it does Ergonomic Bolt lets you cycle while aiming. Tracker Rounds reveal a target for 5 seconds when you hit them, and are exclusive with Anti-Weak Point.
What it costs Mk. III module. Ergonomic Bolt needs the Action Economy research. Tracker Rounds needs none.
A squad support pick: mark them and let someone else finish the job. Cheap, but you will not get the credit.
Mk. III module. PvE B, PvP C.
What it does Anti-Weak Point does more damage to ARC weak spots and less to the outer armor. Exclusive with Tracker Rounds.
What it costs Mk. III module. Needs the Targeted Component Trial research (shared with the Equalizer) and Action Economy.
The ARC-sniper version. It is fine. Just fine.
Mk. I module. PvE D, PvP B.
What it does Semi-Auto gives a 150% higher fire rate, a lower headshot multiplier and more spread per shot. Sprint Shooting needs Semi-Auto and lets you fire while sprinting.
What it costs Mk. I module. Semi-Auto needs the Trigger Reset Systems research and Sprint Shooting needs Mobile-Fire Grip Fittings.
The Hairpin has been a meme since day one and it is still hilarious to play. It is quite a bit more decent now, which is the nicest thing I can say about it.
Mk. I module. PvE C, PvP C.
What it does +5 burn damage per second and +2 seconds on ongoing burns. Picking it closes off the other Hairpin upgrades.
What it costs Mk. I module. Needs the Thermite-Tipped Rounds research.
A Hairpin that sets things on fire. Still a Hairpin.
Mk. I module. PvE D, PvP C.
What it does Reveals the target for 5 seconds when you hit them. Exclusive with Incendiary Rounds.
What it costs Mk. I module. No research needed.
Pure team gimmick. Fun for one squad, forgettable for everyone else.
Mk. III module. PvE D, PvP D.
What it does Each round splits into four projectiles: +3 projectiles per shot, 70% less damage on each, and a 40% lower headshot multiplier. It replaces the old Splitter mod, which no longer drops.
What it costs Mk. III module. No research needed.
Do not. It used to be a mod you could swap, now it is permanent, and it is worse than X-Rounds. Recycle any old Splitter mods for Amplified Fragments instead.
Mk. III module. PvE D, PvP D.
What it does High Velocity makes projectiles faster. Sprint Shooting lets you fire while sprinting. Incendiary Grenades adds burn damage (+5 per second, +2 seconds).
What it costs Mk. III module. Incendiary Grenades needs Compact Combustion Charges and Sprint Shooting needs Mobile-Fire Grip Fittings. High Velocity needs no research.
Three upgrades and none of them fix what actually hurts. Skip it until Embark gives it something real.
Tap a build to see what it does, what it costs and what I think of it.
How the tiers work
The tiers rate power, not price. A Mk. V gun doesn't get marked down for being a Mk. V gun, because that's what the module buttons are for. Overall is the average of the PvE and PvP ratings, so a build that's an S in one and a C in the other lands in the middle. The Stiletto and Bantam aren't here because they can't be amplified yet, and Embark has said amplification is about options as much as raw power, which is why so much of this list sits in B.
S tier
Two builds, and they couldn't be more different. Hullcracker with Incendiary Grenades and Mag Reload is the best PvE amplification on the list. It was already the answer to heavy ARC. Now it sets things on fire, spreading the flames when a grenade goes off on ARC, and it reloads the whole magazine at once instead of one grenade at a time. It's a Mk. IV and the research for the fire isn't free, but if you farm the Frigate this is the gun.
The Aphelion with everything on it is the best PvP build, and the best thing in the game to hold, fight me. Hold to charge for a bigger burst, burn damage on top, bigger magazine. It also costs a Mk. V module and three separate research projects at 5,000 research points each, and it's a 200 durability gun that a stranger will pick up at 10 if you die with it. Huge risk, huge cost. I'd still run it.
The expensive ones
Equalizer is the proof that great and affordable aren't the same thing. Ramping Damage plus Bigger Mag is brilliant on big ARC, because the damage climbs the longer the beam stays on the target. It's also a Mk. V module and a research project that asks for two Queen Reactors. Pretty great, damn expensive, A tier. The Anti-Weak Point version costs the same module to be worse at armor, so don't.
Jupiter is the other Mk. V that is hard to justify. A scope, a bolt you can cycle while aiming and a bigger magazine is lovely, and it's still a sniper. Legendary module money for comfort.
Cheap builds worth a module
Il Toro with Slug Rounds is the best deal on the list. One big slug instead of pellets, on a Mk. II module, and it lands in A overall because PvP alone is an S.
Canto with Carbine Conversion is the SMG growing up: much steadier, burns things, and it's only a Mk. III. The Rattler is the cheapest module of all (Mk. I) for a 64-round drum with burn damage, though the drum's research is a proper grind.
Then there's the Burletta, which I love. I loved it before amplification and I'd love it with nothing on it. Full-Auto plus Sprint Shooting is the chaos build: 60% faster fire rate, less damage per shot, much worse headshots and a lot more recoil. The Burst Fire version is calmer but wants two research projects, so chaos wins on effort.
Kettle is the one I struggled with. It's a Mk. I light-ammo rifle that's weak against ARC armor, so Anti-Shield plus Full-Auto is a PvP-only build, and a decent one: shields melt and it sprays. X-Rounds fixes the armor problem but locks you out of both. B either way.
And the Hairpin. It's been a meme since day one and it's still hilarious to play. Semi-Auto plus Sprint Shooting makes it quite a bit more decent now, which is the nicest thing I can say about it. C tier, and I'd still bring it for the laugh.
PvE and PvP
For ARC, look at X-Rounds (Anvil, Bettina, Kettle), the Incendiary upgrades, Ramping Damage and Anti-Weak Point. X-Rounds does slightly more damage to Raiders and a lot more to ARC armor plating, and Anti-Weak Point is an ARC-only upgrade.
For Raiders, Slug Rounds, Full-Auto, Anti-Shield, Carbine Conversion and the scopes do the work. Tracker Rounds are for squads: they reveal whoever you hit for 5 seconds.
Modules and durability
Every build needs the module that matches the gun's original rarity. You can't swap a higher or lower Mark in.
| Module | Rarity | Weapons |
|---|---|---|
| Mk. I | Common | Hairpin, Kettle, Rattler |
| Mk. II | Uncommon | Burletta, Il Toro |
| Mk. III | Rare | Anvil, Canto, Osprey, Rascal, Renegade |
| Mk. IV | Epic | Bettina, Hullcracker |
| Mk. V | Legendary | Aphelion, Equalizer, Jupiter |
Modules drop from the Frigate and from inside the fallen Emperor on Pendola Pass. Each perk also needs a research project at 5,000 research points, plus an ARC part and a task. If research points are your bottleneck, our research points guide covers where they come from.
Amplified guns have 200 max durability instead of 130, and they burn through it quickly. One you loot off another Raider turns up at about 10. You repair them with Amplified Fragments, which you get by recycling amplified weapons, old Anvil Splitter mods or a spare module. Bring a cheap gun for the fights you don't want to lose it in.
Something wrong or out of date? Tell us
Guide by
Josh
Josh plays a lot of Arc Raiders and yells “friendly!” into proximity chat more than he should. He gets shot anyway. He’s also a horror fan who has quit more games at the first jump scare than he’ll admit, and he runs a Supermarket Simulator shop he’s weirdly proud of.
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