The ARC Raiders Bettina is the best weapon for PvE, i.e., player vs. environment, according to the developers. The players have reported it as one of the worst. Clearly, the developers are out of touch with the player base, and the Bettina weapon is an enigma. 

Therefore, we decided to take out the weapon and have a look for ourselves. The ARC Raiders weapon, along with us, visited Stella Montis and defeated a Bastion. We also utilized the weapon for PvP. We wanted to see if the weapon was worth all the hype or if it was just wasted ammunition.

If you have been doubtful about making this weapon or if you happened to use it a one time and then discarded it, this guide is for you.

PvE Stress Test: Bastion and Rocketeers

Every weapon needs a benchmark. For the best PvE weapon, it was Tempest, a standard fave.

The Bastion Run

We took a budget Bettina build (low-level attachments to mitigate dispersion) to fight a Bastion. The strategy was standard: break the legs, expose the core.

Here is what we found:

• The Tempest Benchmark: In previous runs, Defeating a Bastion took approximately 55 seconds.
• The Bettina Result: Surprisingly, the Bettina clocked in slightly faster than the Tempest.

The weapon's high armor penetration allows you to shred the outer plating of the Bastion, something the Tempest struggles with. However, while it can break armor, is that actually useful? In most efficient runs, you destroy the legs and aim for the battery canister. Stripping armor is a flashy mechanic, but it is rarely the most efficient way to Defeat.

The Rocketeer Problem

Next, we tested it against a Rocketeer. There are two ways to handle these: shoot the armored body or aim for the thrusters.

Since the Bettina boasts high Arc armor penetration, we tried simply brute-forcing the main body. It took about 50 seconds and dug a huge hole in the ammo.

Compared to Tempest, this weapon has a lot of advantages. Since thrusters are armor-less, a weapon with decent armor penetration like Tempest or Rattler has no problem eliminating them. For a Bettina, even  cheap and light options with no armor are better.

Ammo Complications

This is where the Bettina truly struggles, and it is likely why players dislike it.

The weapon uses Heavy Ammo, which you can only stack 40 rounds per inventory slot. That's so much less than the Medium Ammo weapons that stack to 80.

Bettina's magazines are emptied in no time, and that makes things even worse.

It means you have to reload a lot, and you have to deal with an ammo system that makes your inventory less, much less, available.

We have noticed that while DPS (damage per second) is perfectly reasonable, the Damage per Backpack Slot is horrible.

You run the risk of running out of ammo mid fight, or sacrificing loot space for ammo.

Using the features, here is the experience in the field.

While consolidated, the main differences in the two SMG's feature are listed below (Tempo/Bettina).

PvP Viability: The Alpha Build

After the PvP tests we upgraded to Alpha Bettina and added a Kinetic Converter, which increases the fire rate by 15%. We prepared for what we suspected would be loss in PvP, but were pleasantly surprised.

We had to face Stitchers, Ventor's, and Anvil's. Bettina kept up in every fight.

• The Good: The TTK is competitive. If you land all your shots, especially head shots, the enemies go down quickly.
• The Bad: The magazine size isn't very forgiving. In one fight with a Shredder and a player, we ran dry immediately.

With the Kinetic Converter, the weapon is very strong, with a good fire rate and high damage. The current issue is that because of the magazine size, if you miss a burst or have multiple enemies, you have a problem. You have the magazine depth of an AR or the persistent fire of an LMG.

How to Fix the Bettina

After a lot of testing, the Bettina isn't trash, but it is confused. It attempts to be a heavy hitter, with the very fast rate of fire and undersized magazine.

If we were balancing this weapon, we would make a very simple shift.

• 1. Lower the Fire Rate.
• 2. Increase Damage Per Shot.

This would keep the DPS roughly the same but would greatly improve the ammo economy. You would increase the damage per 40 round stack, making it a good option for long raids, without needing to fill a ton of your bag with ammo.

FAQ

Q: Is Bettina really the best weapon for PvE?

A: In terms of time-to-kill on armored targets, Bettina does perform well. However, when you take into account the weight of the ammo and how many you can fit into a magazine, it becomes less efficient than the Tempest or Rattler for general farming.

Q: Which attachments are mandatory for Bettina?

A: A magazine upgrade is absolutely necessary. The base magazine is simply too small. For PvP, the Kinetic Converter makes it a lot more brutal, but you gotta be ready to manage recoil and keep an eye on your ammo.

Q: Is it possible to use Bettina for PvP?

A: For sure! Bettina does surprisingly well against meta weapons such as the Advocate or Manticore. Make sure your backup is ready though, because chances are you will unload your entire magazine in one fight.

Q: Why do people consider it bad?

A: It is an ammo hog. The large ammo consumption restricts the total amount of ammo and loot you can carry, and the benefits, such as faster armor shredding, are not really needed if you can shoot and aim for the weak points on the enemy when needed.

The Final Verdict

Bettina isn't a complete disaster, but it also isn't nearly as awesome as the developers touted it to be. Bettina is a Vanilla weapon: decent, reliable, but nothing to really write home about.It is a good armor shredder with some niche uses for Queens or Matriarchs, but for most prospectors, the hassle of heavy ammo management is often worse than the combat advantages. If you want to do something different and have the resources to spend, try the Alpha build.