Patch 1.7 for Arc Raiders has really shaken up the PvE scene, pushing some common and rare weapons to the top while leaving a lot of epic guns behind. The changes focused on weak-point damage, recoil control, and ammo efficiency, and the results are clear in high-difficulty raids. At the top of the list, the Renegade combat rifle dominates. It's precise, fires fast, and tears through ARC weak points on bosses like Queens and Matriarchs with minimal upgrades. Players have found that sustained DPS, armor stripping, and how well weapons scale with upgrades matter just as much as raw power, which is why some accessible guns now feel stronger than high-rarity options ARC Raiders Coins.

Alongside Renegade, Ferro and Anvil stand out as S-tier picks. Ferro's heavy rounds can one-shot most Arc Wardens once you tweak reload speed, making it incredibly efficient for players on tight resources. Anvil is reliable across all ranges, stripping armor easily with six heavy shots and no attachments, which makes it great for solo runs. Both weapons are strong because they require little investment yet deal serious damage, especially against groups of ARC enemies.

A-tier guns include Bettina, which benefits from expanded magazines, faster reloads, and reduced durability loss, making it excellent for heavy ammo weak-point damage. Tempest is another strong option, matching Bettina in damage but needing more attachments to hit its full potential, excelling at sustained fire on exposed cores. Torrente works well for close-range bursts on Bastions, and Aphelion is ideal for flying ARCs, delivering stuns and armor peel if you swap weapons at the right moments.

Jupiter and Venator also sit in A-tier with specialized roles. Jupiter's charged bursts pierce small flyers, giving instant kills if timed correctly, while Venator's upgraded double-shot mode offers good medium-ammo output and controllable recoil. Osprey is a bolt-action sniper that can one-shot Rocketeers at range but suffers from slow reloads, partially offset by upgrades. Bobcat rounds out this tier with high-RPM SMG action, melting groups but requiring tuning to stay competitive.

B-tier weapons like Rattler, Arpeggio, and Burletta are decent backups but don't compete with the top guns. Rattler benefits from bigger mags but still falls short against Tempest. Arpeggio's triple-burst is good with upgrades, but burst fire struggles in fast weak-point fights. Burletta is strong in crowd-control windows but lacks armor penetration. Shotguns like Vulcano and Il Toro hit hard up close but are limited by range. Kettle and Stitcher are reliable early-game autos but don't scale well buy ARC Raiders Coins.

C and D-tier weapons show the patch's unevenness. Hairpin is accurate but painfully slow, needing serious buffs. Pharaoh is a budget burst option but can't keep up with top rares. Equalizer and Hullcracker are situational; Equalizer shines for team armor stripping, while Hullcracker requires perfect hits to matter. These middling guns work okay in duos but fall apart solo at high-tier content.

Patch 1.7 favors smart, practical weapon choices over flashy epics. Renegade, Ferro, and an upgraded Bettina will often outperform higher-rarity guns. Heavy weapons are key for stripping armor, rares handle sustained damage, and attachments should be used to manage recoil-heavy autos. Always bring a flyer counter like Jupiter or Osprey. In practice, efficiency and weak-point discipline now beat rarity, forcing players to rethink their loadouts for Arc Raiders' toughest encounters.