Introduction - Who This Budget Loadout Is For

You do not need an expensive weapon or a backpack full of gadgets to make a profitable run in ARC Raiders. A cheap gun, a little healing and a clear extraction plan are often enough to bring back crafting materials, finish early quests and rebuild after a few lost kits.

A good budget loadout should be easy to replace, useful against smaller ARC enemies and capable of defending you if another Raider gets too close. It does not need to win an open fight against someone carrying a fully upgraded weapon. The important question is whether the kit can do its job without putting several successful raids' worth of materials at risk.

Frozen Trail adds two accessible weapons, Stiletto and Bantam, while the powerful Anvil now belongs to the Rare tier.  For regular scavenging, the simple guns you can repeatedly craft still offer excellent value.

Core of the Loadout

The appeal of a cheap loadout is consistency. These five weapons can cover most ordinary scavenging routes without requiring expensive ammunition or endgame equipment, although the Uncommon choices require blueprints and more crafting materials than Common guns. We would choose them based on what you expect to fight.

Ferro - The Budget PvE Workhorse

Common Battle Rifle | Heavy Ammo

Ferro punches through ARC armor much better than its modest crafting cost suggests. It is especially useful for dealing with flying enemies and exposed weak points while keeping your distance. Its single-shot break-action reload is the main drawback: miss at close range and you may not get another chance to fire.

Damage: 40Magazine: 1ARC Penetration: StrongRange: 53.1

Crafting: 5 Metal Parts + 2 Rubber Parts (Workbench or Gunsmith 1). Upgrade it when shorter reloads would meaningfully help your route, but the base version is already useful.

Il Toro - Close-Quarters Power

Uncommon Shotgun | Shotgun Ammo

Il Toro can still punish an enemy who pushes through a doorway or around a corner. It is much less appealing across open terrain, and its weak ARC armor penetration makes it a poor answer to heavily protected machines. It works well beside Ferro when you expect to fight inside buildings, but it is not our first recommendation for a player short on components.

Damage: 63 (9 pellets)Magazine: 5 at Level IARC Penetration: WeakRange: 20

Crafting: 5 Mechanical Components + 6 Simple Gun Parts at Gunsmith 1, with the Il Toro Blueprint learned. Its higher material cost is the reason we treat it as an optional upgrade rather than the default starter shotgun.

Stitcher - Affordable PvP Backup

Common SMG | Light Ammo

Stitcher gives Ferro the close-range firepower it lacks. You can pull it out when another Raider rushes your position instead of trying to complete a slow Ferro reload. It remains economical, but its recoil, spreading shots and limited magazine make it less forgiving than its reputation sometimes suggests. Short, controlled bursts are more dependable than spraying at medium range.

Damage: 6.5Magazine: 20ARC Penetration: Very WeakAutomatic

Crafting: 8 Metal Parts + 4 Rubber Parts (Workbench or Gunsmith 1). This is our preferred second gun for a basic Ferro loadout when PvP encounters are a concern.

Kettle - Simple and Versatile

Common Assault Rifle | Light Ammo

Kettle is easy to fit into a resource run where the plan is to avoid heavily armored enemies. It offers repeatable semi-automatic shots, useful accuracy and more flexibility during close pressure than Ferro. Its Light Ammo is poor against armor, so take a different weapon if your route involves sustained fights against tougher ARC.

Damage: 8.5Magazine: 20ARC Penetration: Very WeakRange: 42.8

Crafting: 6 Metal Parts + 8 Rubber Parts (Workbench or Gunsmith 1). A practical single-weapon choice for material runs and shorter raids.

Stiletto - Affordable Mid-Range Precision

Uncommon Battle Rifle | Light Ammo

Stiletto is the most interesting new budget alternative for players who prefer landing precise shots rather than spraying. It can pressure Raiders at medium range and pick off lighter ARC targets or exposed weak points without consuming piles of ammunition. Unlike Kettle, it rewards a measured firing rhythm: shooting too quickly causes accuracy to deteriorate. Weak ARC armor penetration also means it should not replace Ferro when your route involves heavily armored machines.

Magazine: 10 at Level IMagazine: 16 at Level IVARC Penetration: WeakSemi-Automatic

Crafting: 4 Mechanical Components + 4 Simple Gun Parts at Gunsmith 1, after learning the Stiletto Blueprint. Research Station 1 also offers the Blueprint for 3,000 Research Points and 15 Wasp Drivers. Early upgrades improve magazine capacity and handling, but the base rifle is enough to learn its rhythm.

Another Affordable Option - Bantam

The other Frozen Trail firearm, Bantam, is a compact Uncommon Heavy Ammo revolver with Strong ARC armor penetration. Its unique double-action firing rhythm and close-range hip-fire potential make it a fun alternative for players who are comfortable pushing into short-range fights. It is less accurate at range and noticeably harder to use than Ferro, so we would not recommend it as a beginner's only weapon.

Other Recommended Items

The remaining equipment should be just enough to survive a mistake and bring the loot home. Replacing expensive consumables after every death can cost more than replacing a Common weapon, so start small and adjust what you carry to the map and your confidence.

1. Looting Mk. 1 Augment (recommended): a strong baseline for regular scavenging. It provides more backpack capacity than the Free Loadout Augment and gives you a Safe Pocket. If you extract with a Free Loadout Augment, Lance can exchange it for a Looting Mk. 1, Combat Mk. 1 or Tactical Mk. 1.
2. Combat Mk. 1 (alternative): worth considering if you regularly seek Raider fights. For material runs, Looting Mk. 1 generally does more for your goal.
3. Light Shield: our standard defensive pick. It keeps the kit affordable and pairs well with the basic augments; a more expensive shield is not required for routine runs.
4. Bandages and Shield Rechargers: a small reserve of both is more useful than filling your pockets with situational throwables. Bring just enough to recover from a minor encounter.
5. Adrenaline Shot (optional): useful for repositioning or escaping if you already have one available. It can't bypass the stamina recovery penalty from Sprinting on Fumes.
6. One cheap utility item: a Smoke Grenade or basic throwable can help with a retreat or a contested extraction. Gas Grenades have their uses, but they are not essential purchases for every run.

Recommended Budget Loadouts

How to Keep Your Runs Profitable

Use inexpensive ammunition, avoid clearing heavily armored ARC, and extract when your backpack contains items worth more than the kit you brought. If you find a good weapon Topside, a one-gun starting loadout gives you a convenient place to carry it home. Repairing or upgrading a weapon you repeatedly survive with is usually more sensible than equipping costly attachments on every disposable kit.

Ferro and Stitcher remain a balanced low-cost pair, but not every run needs both. A short, quiet scavenging route may justify only one gun. When you plan to contest indoor objectives or fight Raiders, the extra investment in a second weapon and additional healing becomes easier to justify.

Final Thoughts

The best budget loadout is the one you can replace without slowing down your progression. Ferro + Stitcher is our preferred economical two-gun setup, with Kettle as a simple solo alternative and Il Toro available for players willing to spend more on close-range power.

Stiletto is the standout addition for players who want a low-cost, light-ammo precision rifle, provided they have already unlocked its Blueprint. Bantam is a more specialized close-range alternative. Keep the kit light, choose fights carefully and let successful extractions pay for the next run.

ARC Raiders and its game assets are intellectual property of Embark Studios AB.