If you've played Arc Raiders for more than a few matches, you've probably had this experience: one game you feel like a god, the next game you swap to a cool‑looking gun and instantly become free loot. If you keep feeling that my aim isn't terrible, but my gun just never feels right, chances are you're picking weapons that don't match either the meta or your actual range preference.

• 1. What S / A / B / C / D actually mean in this list
• 2. S Tier: the guns you bring when you really want to win
• 3. A Tier: very strong, but more who's holding it and where
• 4. B–D Tier: playable, niche, or just content guns
• 5. Overall tier overview (PvP focus, PvE noted where relevant)
• Summary

↖ 1. What S / A / B / C / D actually mean in this list

Before we throw names into boxes, you need to know what each tier stands for in this specific context.

This means:

if your goal is to consistently win vs good players, your primary pool should be S and high A. B is it works, but there are better options. C and D are there for fun, not for climbing.

↖ 2. S Tier: the guns you bring when you really want to win

S tier weapons share one trait: They still look good when the lobby is full of sweats.

From the transcript, we can reconstruct the streamer's S tier core:

2.1 Venator – best gun in the game

Role: all‑purpose PvP monster

The streamer doesn't hedge on this one at all:

• Venator, best gun in the game.
• All you need in your inventory is the Venetian.
• If I'm playing a tournament vs good players, I want this gun.

What that tells you:

• Dominates close and mid‑range. You're not forced into one distance; you can pressure, push, or hold.
• Scales into high‑tier lobbies. It's not just a pub‑stomper; the gun still works when people shoot back.
• Builds whole loadouts around it. He literally says he'd build his loadout to keep his Venator and sacrifice other guns first.

If you only have time to master one primary for PvP, Venator is the safest long‑term investment.

2.2 Renegade – the second‑best gun, by his own words

Role: stable mid‑range anchor

Orders them very clearly:

- Best gun is Venator.

- Then Renegade. Those are the two best guns in the game. In that order.

Renegade is:

- More disciplined than Venator. It shines when you're controlling angles and taking smart mid‑range fights.

- A bit more forgiving. The way he compares Osprey to Renegade (Osprey's fine but not as good) suggests Renegade hits a sweet spot of control and impact.

If you tend to play slower, hold positions, and win gunfights through positioning more than raw entry fragging, Renegade fits that mindset perfectly.

2.3 Tempest – the all‑terrain rifle

Role: flexible, beginner‑friendly, still strong at high level

Starts with Tempest, probably A then immediately talks himself into upgrading it:

• I love the Tempest.
• It's a really, really good gun.
• Let's go S.
• Later: Tempest is really good close range, and it also smacks from long distance.

So what does that mean in practice?

- Works at almost any range. You don't get punished as hard for mis‑positioning because the gun can handle shifts in distance.

- Great for learning. If you're still figuring out whether you're a close‑range or mid‑range player, Tempest won't lock you into one lane.

If your gun pool is small or your game sense still developing, Tempest is an excellent default main.

2.4 Anvil – the I can't afford to lose this fight choice

Role: tournament‑minded, high ceiling rifle

When he imagines a high‑pressure situation, his third gun candidates are: Pharaoh or Anvil

That's a strong signal:

Anvil isn't just kinda good, it's a gun he trusts in clutch situations, provided the player behind it knows what they're doing.

Realistically this means:

- Higher skill requirement. You need decent mechanics and some understanding of spacing and timing.

- High payoff. Once you get the gun, it belongs in the same conversation as Pharaoh and Bobcat for top‑end picks.

If you already feel solid on something like Renegade and want a more aggressive or higher ceiling primary, Anvil is worth deep practice.

2.5 Bobcat – undeniably strong, but slightly behind the very top

Role: high damage, slightly more volatile

The streamer goes back and forth, but the net result is:

• Bobcat is S tier;
• Within S, he personally ranks Tempest above Bobcat;
• He'd pick Venator / Renegade / Pharaoh / Anvil before Bobcat in a must‑win stack.

From that you can infer:

- Bobcat hits hard and performs very well

- It's a little more picky about either your mechanics or the fights you take, compared to Tempest.

If you're mechanically confident and like guns that reward aggression and precision, Bobcat will feel fantastic.

2.6 Pharaoh – the am I crazy putting this this high? sleeper

Role: high‑potential sleeper tournament pick

The way he talks about Pharaoh is telling:

- Third best gun in the game… I'd probably pick Pharaoh, bro. Am I crazy? The Pharaoh's so good.

That usually means:

- High skill ceiling, but not plug‑and‑play. Requires understanding of range, recoil, or timing.

- Cracked in the right hands. He's actively tempted to rate it alongside Anvil and above Bobcat in a must‑win environment.

If you enjoy mastering off‑meta or less‑understood guns and turning them into win conditions, Pharaoh is your project gun.

2.7 S‑tier quick reference

↖ 3. A Tier: very strong, but more who's holding it and where

A tier guns can look S‑tier in the right hands or the right game, but they're less universally reliable.

3.1 Kettle – criminally underrated mid‑close PvP gun

Role: mid‑close pressure, safer than it looks

Kettle goes on a bit of a rollercoaster:

- Initially hyped as PvP demon:

- Kettle boys, Kettle boys… PvP demon.

- At one point floated in S;

- Eventually placed in A, but with clear respect:

- The Kettle's good. The Kettle's really good. It's really underrated.

The big argument comes when chat says Stitcher > Kettle. His response:

- Stitcher is only truly good very close.

- If I'm fighting you and you have a Stitcher, I'm going to win 9 out of 10 fights because I don't need to get in your face.

That's the core insight:

- Kettle gives you solid mid‑close performance without forcing you to hard‑commit to face hugging.

- Against decent players, that flexibility often matters more than raw melt in 3 meters.

If you like playing mid‑close and want a strong but not hyper‑all‑in gun, Kettle belongs in your pool.

3.2 Stitcher – close‑range demon, but extremely range‑locked

Role: extreme close‑range burst

The community loves Stitcher 4, and the streamer agrees with a huge asterisk:

• Stitcher 4 is very, very good.
• But it's only good very close range.
• You have to be right up on me and dump the mag into me.
• Given the choice, if you bring Stitcher and he brings something with range, he believes he wins 9 out of 10.

So:

- Stitcher is terrifying in tight corridors, doorways, and corner fights.

- It falls off hard if enemies consistently keep a few extra meters of space.

If you specialize in flanks, indoor fights, and abusing sound and timing, Stitcher will make you look unkillable in the right spots. If you constantly find enemies just out of reach, it will feel awful.

3.3 Toro – disgusting up close, not a Spartans gun

Role: high‑burst shotgun for close quarters

We likes Toro, but honest about its limitations:

• Mouse + keyboard Toro is kind of nasty.
• Controller Toro is still good, not bad at all.

But then draws a line:

- If fighting really good players (the 300 Spartans), won't bring Toro.

- Bring Venator + Renegade instead.

Also:

- In close range, calls Toro insane and adds it should be, it's a shotgun.

So Toro is:

- Incredible in close‑range chaos and average lobbies.

- Much more limited vs disciplined players who deny you easy closing distance.

If your whole identity is I shove a shotgun in people's mouths in buildings, Toro is your comfort pick. But don't expect it to solve every lobby.

3.4 Volcano & Osprey – useful but clearly below the stars

Volcano

- hasn't really used it: I've never shot it.

- Chat rates it, roughly accepts B/A but doesn't push it into must‑pick territory.

Osprey

- Osprey is probably a B. You know, not as good as the Renegade though.

- Later it sits below Kettle / Stitcher / Toro in his adjusted list.

Volcano and Osprey can play solid supporting roles, but they're not loadout‑defining in his view.

3.5 A‑tier quick reference

↖ 4. B–D Tier: playable, niche, or just content guns

These guns aren't all trash, but they either have too narrow a niche or are simply outclassed.

4.1 Hallcracker – PvE god, PvP okay

Role: PvE specialist

crystal clear:

- Hallcracker for PvE? This is the best gun.

- Even considered making a separate category for it.

But in PvP:

- It doesn't show up in his mental need to win list.

- For their purposes, it lands around B for PvP: usable, but not something trusts over S/A rifles and SMGs.

So:

- If you're grinding PvE or boss content, Hallcracker is absolutely worth investing in.

- If you're sweating PvP, it should be a side project, not your centerpiece.

4.2 ABS, mid Osprey, it's fine but rifles

ABS gets roughly slotted into B:

ABS, ABS, we'll go B. I can't go higher than B.

Osprey, as mentioned, lives around B as well.

That cluster of guns is basically:

- Good enough to win with in casual or mid lobbies;

- Not better than your S/A options in serious play.

They're good for learning basic mechanics, but once your fundamentals stabilize, you'll feel the ceiling.

4.3 C / D Tier: Hairpin, Berleta, Betina, the forgotten children

The verdict is brutal and funny:

Hairpin

- Nobody gets erect if they see a Hairpin. Nobody cares.

- Hairpin's ass. Dog meat.

Berleta

walks right by me every day. I don't even know there.

They're not just slightly weak—they're completely unexciting and outclassed in his view.

Betina and other low‑ranked guns get tossed into C/D with no attempt at defense.

These are your:

- I want to try every gun once picks, or

- I like playing on hard mode challenge choices.

If your goal is winrate, you shouldn't revolve your loadout around them.

4.4 B–D tier quick reference

↖ 5. Overall tier overview(PvP focus, PvE noted where relevant)

Here's a consolidated snapshot so you can quickly reference everything:

Top‑tier PvE; mediocre PvP

Use this table as your I'm about to queue, what should I pick? cheat sheet.

FAQ

Q1: I'm new. I don't want to be useless. Which gun should I focus on first?

If you're early in the game and just want to stop feeling like free loot, start with:

- Tempest – easiest S‑tier to live with; works across maps and ranges.

- Renegade – perfect if you naturally play slower and like holding angles.

Once those feel comfortable, branch into:

- Venator if you want to push your aggression and raise your ceiling.

- Kettle if you prefer more mid‑close brawling without fully committing to shotguns.

Q2: Does mouse & keyboard vs controller change which guns I should use?

Yes, quite a bit.

- On mouse & keyboard:

- Faster, more precise turning and micro‑aim.

- Guns like Toro and Venator feel especially disgusting because you can snap quickly in close quarters.

- On controller:

- If aim‑assist is decent, rifles like Renegade and Tempest shine because their stable patterns work well with AA.

- Very recoil‑heavy or flick‑dependent guns can feel harder to fully exploit.

If you constantly feel like I saw him, but I couldn't turn and line up in time, then you're better off with Renegade / Tempest and a more position first style, instead of overly relying on shotguns or micro‑flick weapons.

Q3: I keep getting melted by Stitcher up close. Doesn't that mean Stitcher is better than Kettle?

Not automatically.

When you die to Stitcher, that usually means:

- You gave someone close‑range access (bad door peeks, no sound awareness).

- They're playing a style that abuses tight spaces.

At high level, when both players actively control distance:

- Stitcher becomes much harder to use consistently.

- Kettle (or similar mid‑close rifles/SMGs) become more reliable because they don't require full face‑hug to work.

So the real question is: Are you a slam corridors and bet it all on close‑range player, or a control space and chip people down player?

If it's the first, Stitcher will feel incredible.

If it's the second, Kettle will actually serve you better overall.

Q4: I mostly play PvE. Is this list still useful?

You can still use this list, but re‑weight some guns:

• Hallcracker jumps up massively for PvE. The streamer calls it the best gun for PvE.
• Generalist rifles like Tempest and Renegade also remain excellent since they're reliable in many situations.
• Some PvP monsters (like certain bursty close‑range guns) may feel clunky into hordes or bosses if they lack sustain.

A simple rule:

- PvE focus: invest early in Hallcracker, then a versatile rifle (Tempest / Renegade).

- PvP focus: invest in Venator, Renegade, Tempest, and one or two A‑tier stylistic picks (Kettle, Stitcher, Toro).

Q5: Won't a balance patch make this tier list obsolete?

Numbers can change, but the framework you use to judge guns doesn't have to.

If you keep asking:

1. Can this gun get reliable damage against strong players, not just bots?

2. Is it too dependent on one narrow range or can it adapt a bit?

3. How hard is it to pilot compared to what it gives back?

Then you'll be able to evaluate new buffs/nerfs and new weapons without needing someone else's list every time.

This guide maps those answers to the current set of guns; the thinking behind it remains useful even after patches.

↖ Summary

If you look over this whole tier list, one pattern stands out: The best guns aren't just the ones with the highest damage; They're the ones that stay strong across more situations and don't betray you in hard games.

If your goal is serious PvP, a healthy weapon pool could look like this:

- Core S‑tier backbone:

- Venator / Renegade / Tempest / Anvil – pick 1–2 to main.

- Style amplifiers from A tier:

- Kettle / Stitcher / Toro – depending on whether you're a mid‑range player or a close‑range psycho.

- PvE specialist:

- Hallcracker – for when you're farming rather than sweating.

A concrete way to move forward:

1. Pick one primary S‑tier gun as your main (Tempest or Venator is a great starting point).

2. Pick one A‑tier gun that fits your preferred chaos (Kettle for space control, Stitcher/Toro for face‑hugging).

3. Play a week using just those two as your primary weapons.

After that week, ask yourself:

- Where do I feel strongest (close, mid, or long)?

- In which maps or fights does each gun feel like cheating, and where does it feel like pain?

Once you can clearly say I pick this gun because it lets me create this kind of fight, you're no longer just copying a tier list. You're using the tier list as a toolbox to shape your own win condition—and that's where your performance starts to climb for real.