[ARC Raiders]A complete guide to the 3 most powerful weapons that are useful in PVE mode! A thorough explanation of Equalizer, Jupiter, and Hull Cracker from the beginning to high difficulty[Ark Raiders 2025 latest patch compatible]

ARC Raiders' PVE mode features battles against hordes of fierce enemies and large bosses. This game has strong elements of an extraction shooter where the player aims to survive and escape while collecting resources, and weapon selection greatly affects survival rate and efficiency. Especially in PVE, weapons with ARC-specific performance have an overwhelming advantage.

In this article, we will focus on the three most powerful weapons that are absolutely useful in PVE: Equalizer, Jupiter, and Hull Cracker, and thoroughly explain their performance details, strengths and weaknesses, optimal usage methods, and acquisition routes. If you master these weapons, you will be able to conquer everything from the low difficulty early stages to the high difficulty battles of Queen and Matryak. We will provide practical information based on the latest environment after patch 1.3.0, taking into account the effects of nerfs, so please use it as a reference.

ARC Raiders PVE severity and importance of weapons

ARC Raiders PVE isn't just about destroying enemies, it's about survival while managing limited ammunition and endurance. Enemy arcs range from small Swarms to heavily armored Reapers and Bastions, flying Hornets and Wasps, and boss-class Queens and Rocketeers, and each requires an optimal response. While general-purpose weapons struggle with insufficient armor penetration, ARC-specific weapons efficiently strip away armor, exposing weaknesses and maximizing damage.

Regular ARs and SMGs are suitable for dealing with small arcs, but they tend to waste ammunition and have high repair costs when dealing with large arcs. On the other hand, the strongest class special weapons have very strong or highly rated ARC armor penetration, allowing them to be safely disposed of from long distances. The tier list places these three weapons in Ex (highest tier) or S++ in PVE. Although it is difficult to obtain in the early stages, once you obtain it, the time to clear high-difficulty stages will be dramatically shortened and reward efficiency will be improved. Weapon selection criteria are enemy composition prediction and distance management. Prioritize sustained firepower for swarming, instant firepower for bosses, and precision fire for long-distance surveillance. This understanding is the difference between becoming an advanced PVE player.

Strongest weapon #1: Equalizer's overwhelming sustained firepower

The Equalizer is a legendary special heavy weapon that reigns as the most powerful weapon in PVE. As long as the trigger is pulled, the energy beam is continuously irradiated, and the large capacity magazine of 50 shots inflicts stable damage. Base damage is 8, but ARC armor penetration is very strong, quickly dissolving the outer shell of heavily armored arks and exposing internal weaknesses. Recoil control is easy and there is almost no distance attenuation, so it is also effective against long-range queens and rocketeers. In the PVE performance tier, it receives an S++ rating and stands at the top of continuous firepower.

A specific strength is the excellence in herd handling. If a swarm of small arcs occurs on a high difficulty stage, you can destroy multiple bodies at the same time by simply sweeping the beam. Even if the aim accuracy is low, it can be compensated for by the persistence of the beam, and its appeal is that it is easy to use from beginners to advanced users. It is possible to destroy a large Ark Reaper with a few seconds of irradiation after stripping its armor. Test data has confirmed cases where full magazine irradiation can reduce Queen's durability by more than 70%. Overheating is likely to occur, so it is essential to use short burst shots in between to cool down. It is heavy at 14kg and has the disadvantage of reduced mobility, but since stationary shooting is the mainstream in PVE, this is not considered a problem. Although it is powerless in PvP battles, it is perfect for solo PVE and team ARC. With this weapon, dealing with large numbers of enemies on stages will turn from pain to joy.

Strongest weapon #2: Jupiter's precision long-range penetration

The Jupiter is a legendary sniper rifle that is bolt-action and uses an energy clip. It is characterized by a single shot with a base damage of 55, and although it has a magazine of 5 shots, it has strong ARC armor penetration performance. A small arc is a one-hit kill, and can strip off the armor of a large arc with one or two shots. The firing range is extremely long, allowing you to snipe boss weak points from a very long distance. It is S+ to Ex in PVE tier and is rated as a precision weapon.

Its strength is its processing ability from a safe zone. On high difficulty levels, you can crash the flying arc's Hornet or Wasp by penetrating their rotor blades before they get close. Even heavily armored enemies such as Bastion will receive internal damage immediately after their armor is destroyed, and will be incapacitated in just a few shots. When reloading, there is a specification to discard remaining bullets, so you need to keep in mind to shoot all the shots. Its weaknesses are its low rate of fire performance and small magazine capacity, making it unsuitable for close combat or crowding. Therefore, it is combined with a short-medium range firearm such as an anvil as a sub-weapon. During operations, we utilize the terrain to secure high-altitude positions and predict enemy appearance patterns. If you weaken the queen from a distance in the boss room in the middle of the stage, the risk of close combat will be drastically reduced. With the introduction of this weapon, many players are seeing their PVE death rate halved.

Strongest Weapon #3: Hull Cracker's explosive destructive power

Hull Cracker is an epic-class special launcher, an explosive weapon with 100 base damage and very strong ARC armor penetration. A single shot of 5 shots from the magazine, which explodes only when it hits the ARC directly, causing additional damage to the surrounding area. It has a Tier Ex rating as a large Ark killer, and is capable of defeating Reaper, Bastion, Queen, and Rocketeer with just a few shots. It has high specifications with a firing rate of 20.3, a firing range of 38.9, and a stability of 97.2, and weighs 7kg, making it easy to carry.

Its greatest strength is its instantaneous firepower. Before the patch, you could melt the boss with one or two shots, but in 1.3.0, the effective firepower and ammo cost have been nerfed, and the number of bullets required has doubled. Still, it's unmatched against heavily armored enemies, and if you land it in the center of a swarm, it can wipe out multiple enemies with area-of-effect damage. It has a stealth value of 1 and can be used covertly, but it is mainly used for boss battles. The weaknesses are that it is ineffective against people, the player's bullets are wasted, and it is vulnerable when soloing. Teams require sub-personnel weapons. As an example of an actual battle, in a high-difficulty Queen battle, if three bullets land, the armor will collapse, and the rest can be killed off with the Equalizer. This combo is standard in PVE. Repair costs are also reduced and cost performance is good. Take advantage of its versatility to maintain the highest rank even after the nerf.

Optimal attachment and mod configuration for each weapon

The true value of these weapons comes with attachments and mods. The equalizer prioritizes energy efficiency mods to reduce overheating by 20%. The scope has a medium range of 2.5x, which increases the accuracy of the beam. Jupiter has a high magnification scope (4x-6x) and penetration mod to maximize long-range accuracy. Hullcracker has a rate of fire mod that increases it by +53% with Upgrade IV. Controlling the dispersion of launcher bullets is also important.

As a common mod, durability is strengthened and weight is reduced, making it suitable for long-term battles. It can be crafted in Workshop Gunsmith 3, and the materials are advanced mechanical parts and large beast parts. For example, Hull Cracker IV repair requires 4 advanced mechanical parts and 4 large beast parts. The PVE build example diversifies armor penetration by using Equalizer as the main weapon, Jupiter as a secondary weapon, and Anvil as a side arm. This will cover all enemy types and reduce ammo consumption by 30%. Regular reloading practice is key.

Recommended operations by difficulty level and enemy type support

In the early stages on low difficulty, use Equalizer to wipe out the crowd and learn the basics. In the middle stage, add Jupiter and prioritize the elimination of flying enemies. On high difficulty levels, Hull Cracker is specialized for bosses and will instantly destroy armor in the Queen battle. By enemy type, Equalizer is used against small Swarms, Jupiter strips the armor against medium-sized Reapers, and Hull Cracker is used to attack large Bastion. When playing in a team, we emphasize the division of roles, and when playing solo, we focus on positioning. After the patch, Hull Cracker's bullet management has become more difficult, but it can be overcome with predictive shooting. With this operation, you can achieve a clear rate of over 95%.

Efficient acquisition method and farming route

Equalizer and Jupiter are legendary, so field scavenging and purchasing Kian'u are the main things. Hull crackers are epic and easy to craft. Required materials are magnetic accelerator x 3, large gun parts x 3, and canister x 3 (Gunsmith 3). Farming routes obtain blueprints from queen treasuries and matryak drops. It is possible to print at a speed of 5 to 7 minutes, and it is recommended that you cycle it every day. Collecting repair materials is parallel to hunting large beasts. In the early stages, use Anvil instead and prioritize saving. This is the most efficient routine and can be completed in 3 laps a day.

Summary and loadout examples for complete PVE strategy

Equalizer, Jupiter, and Hullcracker are the three pillars of PVE. It is possible to conquer all stages with a balance of persistence, precision, and explosion. The optimal loadout is Equalizer as the main, Hull Cracker as the sub, and Jupiter + Anvil as the side. Reinforce durability with green shield and stim. Even after patch 1.3, it remains at the top of the tier and is invincible in the latest environment. Please practice and master it. I sincerely hope that if you follow this guide, your PVE will be revolutionized.