ARC Raiders became very popular among players who love exciting shooting games as soon as it was released, mainly due to its unique gameplay, followed by the high degree of uncertainty and player customization. The player's main task is to stay on Topside and bring out enough loot within the time limit.
This high-reward, high-risk gameplay style has forced many players to seek out loadout, which offer the best value for money and a permanent solution. Many players tend to choose the free loadout, which minimizes the cost of each battle.
However, unfortunately, the basic Augment - a single weapon, a few consumables, and a handful of bullets included - is only suitable for quickly earning in-game coins or scavenging for resources. If you want to challenge Arc robot enemies more easily and complete all the extraction missions, you'll still need to spend a little on loadout.
So how can you achieve more with less money? That's where this low-budget but efficient loadout guide comes in handy. Here, you'll find weapons to explore freely, along with matching Augments, Shields, and Quick Use Items. Of course, you can also customize some of these accessories to suit your playstyle.
1. Weapons
Choosing the right weapon from the start is crucial, as it establishes your combat style and subsequent attachment options. Here are two recommendations: Ferro and Kettle. The former is better suited for high-intensity challenges, while the latter is better for regular exploration and when the budget is limited.
Based on feedback from many players, Ferro is the best starting weapon for dealing with enemies in ARC Raiders, regardless of which map you are on. With the help of the heavy ammo, Ferro can easily shoot through small flying enemies such as Snitch, Wasp, and Hornet.
And in burst mode, a single burst can kill any enemy you encounter in any building, such as Pop, Fireball, and Turret. Its only drawback is that it slows you down. In comparison, Kettle has much weaker damage output, but its movement speed and damage speed are both quite well.
So if these two weapon options are combined, the effect will be twice as good with half the effort: Ferro is best used to engage enemies at a greater distance, while Kettle is ideal for close-quarters combat, as its high mobility and rate of fire provide ample room to escape. Don't forget that no matter which weapon you use, your aiming point should always be on the propellers; they will further increase your combat efficiency.
2. Accessories
Since Ferro is manually loaded and Kettle is semi-automatic, you don't need to carry a lot of ammunition. Generally, one set of each type of ammunition should be enough for an extraction operation - heavy for Ferro, light for Kettle. In addition, you can choose the corresponding attachments.
Looting Mk. 1 Augment
Looting Mk. 1 Augment is the top choice. It provides the most inventory space and the highest carry capacity, giving you a greater chance of survival and acquiring more loot from enemies or the environment.
Light Shield
Next is Light Shield, mainly because after equipping Looting Mk. 1 Augment, this is your only shield option. However, it's important to note that this shield isn't strictly necessary if you want to minimize conflicts. You can allocate your budget to acquiring and upgrading other ARC Raiders Items.
Quick Use Items
Generally, when the budget is limited, the options for Quick Use items will be fewer. Among the available options, we recommend Bandages. Please note that you should only carry a maximum of five; trust me, these five will provide complete protection for your life. Additionally, carry 2-3 Shield Rechargers, as ARC Powercells can also provide protection in emergencies.
If you manage to pick up other useful in-game items during combat, you can add them to your other Quick Use slots. This will make your character better suited to completing challenges in that situation. Remember: be flexible and allocate your resources according to your available funds.
3. Price
The most exciting part is here! Next, we'll list all the items in the lowest-budget but most effective loadout in ARC Raiders, along with their in-game prices and crafting materials. You're free to choose.
Ferro - Battle Rifle
- Cost: 1,425 Coins
- Crafting Materials: 5 Metal Parts & 2 Rubber Parts
Kettle - Assault Rifle
- Cost: 2,250 Coins
- Crafting Materials: 6 Metal Parts & 8 Rubber Parts
Heavy Ammo - Ammunition
- Cost: 900 Coins (x10)/3,600 Coins (x40)
- Crafting Materials: 3 Metal Parts & 2 Chemicals (x10)/12 Metal Parts & 8 Chemicals (x40)
Light Ammo - Ammunition
- Cost: 900 Coins (x10)/3,600 Coins (x100)
- Crafting Materials: 3 Metal Parts & 2 Chemicals (x10)/12 Metal Parts & 8 Chemicals (x100)
Looting Mk. 1 - Augment
- Cost: 1,920 Coins
- Crafting Materials: 6 Plastic Parts & 6 Rubber Parts
Light Shield - Shield
- Cost: 1,920 Coins
- Crafting Materials: 2 ARC Alloy & 4 Plastic Parts
Bandage - Quick Use
- Cost: 750 Coins (x1)/3,750 Coins (x5)
- Crafting Materials: 5 Fabric (x1)/25 Fabric (x5)
Shield Recharger - Quick Use
- Cost: 1,560 Coins (x1)/7,800 Coins (x5)
- Crafting Materials: 5 Rubber Parts & 1 ARC Powercell (x1)/25 Rubber Parts & 5 ARC Powercell (x5)
This concludes the detailed introduction to the most cost-effective loadout build currently available in ARC Raiders. Frankly, this build is only suitable for PvE content; its chances of winning in PvP are not very high.
However, it's true that many players have recently complained about the poor quality and boredom of PvP. We currently don't know the developers' attitude, as very few extraction adventure games are entirely PvE. For now, all you can do is wait and enjoy the game!














