ARC Raiders offers a dynamic, high-stakes experience where every decision can tip the balance between survival and loss. One of the primary ways to customize your playstyle and boost your effectiveness in both PvE and PvP is through the game's augment system. This guide will walk you through the best augments to use, breaking down their strengths and weaknesses for both PvE and PvP, helping you make the right choices for your raid runs.
ARC Raiders Augment Tier List (1.11) – Best Augments for PvE & PvP
Augments are specialized gear items in ARC Raiders that determine your inventory space, loadout weight, shield compatibility, the number of quick-use slots, safe pockets, and unique passives that can be decisive in the heat of battle. The right augment can mean the difference between extracting with a haul of loot or getting sent back to base empty-handed.
Each augment comes with its own set of stats and a unique passive that can shape your approach to combat, looting, and survival. As you progress, you'll upgrade from common (Mark 1) through rare (Mark 2) to epic (Mark III) augments, each offering increasingly powerful bonuses.
With this groundwork, let's move into the definitive ARC Raiders Augment Tier List, rating each augment for both PvE and PvP, and explaining why they excel or fall short. Below, you'll find a detailed look at each major augment, including their use cases and star ratings for both PvE and PvP.
1. Looting Mark III Survivor (S Tier)
The Looting Mark III Survivor stands at the top for its sheer flexibility and survivability. It provides 20 backpack slots, a massive 80 kg weight limit, three safe pockets, five quick slots, and a deployable slot for ziplines, mines, or barricades. Its standout feature is a passive that regenerates health up to 75% while downed and stationary, allowing you to stay alive longer and even crawl to extract after being knocked down.
Even more impressive, this is the only looting augment that allows you to equip medium shields, combining excellent defense with unmatched looting capacity. The extra safe pockets mean you can protect your most valuable finds, even in high-risk runs.
PvE: ★★★★★
PvP: ★★★★★
2. Tactical Mark II (S Tier)
For those looking for a budget-friendly but highly effective option, the Tactical Mark II is a favorite among both solo and team players. Offering 17 backpack slots, a 45 kg carry weight, five quick slots, a deployable slot, and access to medium shields, it stands out due to its passive ability: when your shield breaks, it deploys a smoke grenade automatically.
This passive can be life-saving, giving you a crucial moment to reposition or escape, especially when ambushed. It's a frequent pick in PvP lobbies, where the surprise smoke can turn the tide of an encounter. Its low crafting cost and consistent performance make it a staple for high-risk, high-reward runs.
PvE: ★★★★☆
PvP: ★★★★★
3. Tactical Mark III Defensive (S Tier)
If your focus is on survivability and heavy shield usage, the Tactical Mark III Defensive is an outstanding choice. With 20 backpack slots, a 60 kg weight limit, five quick slots, and an integrated shield recharger, it’s one of the best heavy shield augments in the game. The ability to recharge your shield on the go (even while running) gives you a strong edge when repositioning or escaping.
Its main downside is a long cooldown on the integrated shield recharger and only one safe pocket, but for players prioritizing durability in both PvE and PvP, it’s a top pick.
PvE: ★★★★★
PvP: ★★★★☆
4. Combat Mark III Aggressive (A Tier)
The Combat Mark III Aggressive is designed for direct confrontations. It features 18 backpack slots, 65 kg weight capacity, four quick slots, two grenade slots, and heavy shield compatibility. Its passive restores two health every five seconds outside of combat, which, while not a game-changer, can help conserve healing items between fights.
While the healing effect is modest, the real draw is the ability to carry heavy shields and have extra grenade slots, making this augment a go-to for players who want to push fights head-on. If you’re planning to brawl in PvP or tackle tough PvE encounters, this augment won’t let you down.
PvE: ★★★★☆
PvP: ★★★★☆
5. Tactical Mark III Healing (A Tier)
This augment excels in team play and high-value loot runs. With 16 backpack slots, a 55 kg carry limit, four quick slots, three healing slots (letting you stack medical items), and three safe pockets, it’s designed for flexibility and support. Its passive provides a healing cloud when revived, helping you and your teammates recover quickly after being downed.
The three safe pockets are especially attractive for extracting rare loot. While its passive isn’t as impactful for solo play, its overall utility in group settings makes it a strong pick.
PvE: ★★★★☆
PvP: ★★★★☆
6. Looting Mark II (A Tier)
Looting Mark II is the best rare augment for pure looting runs, thanks to 22 backpack slots, 60 kg carry weight, two safe pockets, and three trinket slots. While it’s limited to light shields, this augment’s low cost and impressive capacity make it ideal for budget loot runs where combat is best avoided.
Its passive (auto-removal of ticks after one second) is mostly a minor convenience, but the sheer efficiency in inventory management keeps it high on the list for both PvE and PvP, especially when resources are tight.
PvE: ★★★★☆
PvP: ★★★★☆
7. Looting Mark III Cautious (B Tier)
Offering the largest backpack in the game at 24 slots and a 70 kg weight limit, the Looting Mark III Cautious is tempting for loot-heavy runs. However, it restricts you to light shields and only offers two safe pockets, making it less secure in high-risk scenarios. It includes integrated binoculars and a passive that grants a weak adrenaline shot upon shield break, providing a brief stamina boost.
While it shines in pure looting, the lack of defense and the limited utility of its passive means it’s generally outperformed by the Survivor variant.
PvE: ★★★★☆
PvP: ★★★☆☆
8. Combat Mark III Flanking (B Tier)
This augment is all about utility and fast weapon swaps, enabling you to equip stowed pistols and hand cannons 33% faster. With 20 backpack slots, 60 kg carry weight, five quick slots, three deployable slots, and two safe pockets, it supports a utility-heavy playstyle.
However, it suffers from major drawbacks: only light shields are allowed, and its passive is only relevant for specific weapon setups. The overall lack of defensive options makes it a niche pick.
PvE: ★★★☆☆
PvP: ★★★☆☆
9. Combat Mark II (B Tier)
Combat Mark II serves as an early entry to heavy shield use, with 18 backpack slots, 55 kg carry weight, four quick slots, a grenade slot, and one safe pocket. Its passive restores one health every five seconds out of combat, which is only a minor benefit.
This augment is best used when heavy shields are needed but resources are limited. While it’s serviceable, its lack of standout features compared to higher-tier options keeps it in the mid-tier.
PvE: ★★★☆☆
PvP: ★★★☆☆
10. Looting Mark I (C Tier)
The best among the common augments, the Looting Mark I provides 18 backpack slots, a 50 kg carry weight, four quick slots, and one safe pocket. Its main draw is its affordability and utility for early-game loot runs—ideal when you’re just starting out and need to build up resources without risking much.
PvE: ★★☆☆☆
PvP: ★★☆☆☆
11. Combat Mark I (C Tier)
A low-cost option for running medium shields early on, Combat Mark I offers 16 backpack slots, 45 kg weight, four quick slots, and one safe pocket. It’s practical for budget runs where some extra defense is needed, but is quickly outclassed as soon as you get access to rare augments.
PvE: ★★☆☆☆
PvP: ★★☆☆☆
12. Tactical Mark I (C Tier)
With 15 backpack slots, 40 kg weight, five quick slots, and one safe pocket, Tactical Mark I is the least desirable of the basics. While it allows medium shields, its lower carry weight and limited slots make it the weakest choice among entry-level augments.
PvE: ★☆☆☆☆
PvP: ★☆☆☆☆
In ARC Raiders, picking the right augment can determine your success in both PvE and PvP. The Looting Mark III Survivor and Tactical Mark II stand out as the top choices for most scenarios, thanks to their blend of survivability, inventory space, and utility. For heavy shield enthusiasts, the Tactical Mark III Defensive and Combat Mark III Aggressive are strong contenders. While some augments offer unique playstyles, others are best left for specific situations or budget runs.
No matter your preference, understanding the strengths and weaknesses of each augment will ensure that you’re always prepared for whatever the next raid throws your way.