Hey Raiders, Elias here from Rivalsector.com.
We have all been there. You spend 20 minutes in the bunker, agonize over your loadout, and drop onto the surface with a kitted-out rifle and a backpack full of… well, junk. You have bandages, some basic shield cells, and maybe a grenade you found last raid. Then, you get into a fight, and you are pinned. You are out of stamina, your health is critical, and that player pushing you just used some high-tech gadget you have never seen before.
You die. Your gear is gone.
I have played countless hours of the Arc Raiders server slam, and I have learned a harsh lesson: Your gun is not the most important thing you bring. Your survival, your ability to win fights, and your success at extracting all come down to your equipment.
A good player with a great gun can lose to an average player with the right gadgets. Your equipment is your toolbox. It gives you options. It lets you control the fight, escape when you are outmatched, and turn a guaranteed death into a clutch victory.
So, I am throwing out the “all equipment” list. This is not a “what does this do” guide. This is my personal, non-negotiable, S-tier list of the equipment you must have if you want to survive.
The Foundation: Your Augment and Shield
Before we even talk about gadgets, let’s fix your core build. This is the part everyone gets wrong. You cannot bring S-tier equipment if your fundamental loadout cannot support it.
Must-Have Augment: Mark 1 Tactical
This is not a debate. The Mark 1 Looting augment is a trap, and the Mark 1 Combat augment is decent, but the Mark 1 Tactical is the clear winner for one simple reason: it gives you five quick-use slots instead of four.
That one extra slot is everything. It is the difference between bringing a stun or a smoke grenade. It is the slot for your Adrenaline Shot and your Defibrillator. Having more tools at your fingertips, ready to go, is a massive advantage. Yes, you sacrifice a tiny bit of carry capacity (40kg vs 45kg for the Combat), but I promise you, you will win more fights and extract with more loot because you had that fifth tool. Getting your augments right is critical, it is something I cover in my full ARC Raiders systems guide and it is the base of every good build.
Must-Have Shield: Medium Shield
This pairs directly with your Mark 1 Tactical augment, which unlocks it. The Light Shield is just too weak. It breaks fast and its mitigation is low. The Heavy Shield sounds great with its massive 52.5% mitigation, but the 15% movement penalty is a death sentence. It makes you a slow, easy-to-hit target.
The Medium Shield is the perfect balance. It gives you 70 charge and a very respectable 42.5% damage mitigation, all for a tiny 5% movement penalty that you will barely even notice. It is durable enough for a real fight but keeps you mobile. This is the one.
The ‘Clutch’ Heals: Stop Bringing Just Bandages
Your heals are your lifeline, but most players bring the wrong ones. Bandages (Common, Herbal, Sterilized) are fine. They heal you over 10 seconds. That is great for after a fight. But what about during a fight?
You need heals that work under pressure.
- Must-Have Heal: Vita Shot
The Vita Shot is your panic button. It takes about 4 seconds to use, but it gives you 50 health instantly. When you are trading shots and duck behind a rock with a sliver of health, that 10-second bandage heal will get you killed. The Vita Shot gets you back in the fight now. It is the single best white-health healing item for active combat.
- Must-Have Support: Defibrillator
This is, without a doubt, a mandatory item for any team player. A normal revive takes forever. The Defibrillator gets your teammate up in 1.5 seconds with 50 health. Think about that. In the middle of a chaotic 3v3, you can reset the entire fight in less than two seconds. It completely changes the dynamic of team fights and makes you an invaluable squadmate.
Mobility is Life: The Holy Grail of Movement
If you are slow, you are dead. This is the golden rule of extraction shooters. Your ability to reposition, escape, or push an advantage is defined by your movement.
Must-Have Legendary: Snap Hook
This is the item. The one you will dream about. The grappling hook. It is legendary-tier for a reason. The Snap Hook breaks the rules of the game. It lets you get to high ground no one else can reach. It lets you escape a fight by flying over a building. It lets you push a sniper’s nest in seconds.
The mobility this one item provides is so far beyond anything else in the game that it is in a tier of its own. It has durability now, so you cannot spam it forever, but every single use can be a game-winning play. If you find one, you protect it. If you have one, you bring it.
Must-Have Utility: Adrenaline Shot
This is the most slept-on item in Arc Raiders, and it is my personal favorite. I used to ignore these completely. Now, I will not raid without a stack of them. Stamina is everything. It is not just for running across the map. It is for sprinting from cover to cover. It is for dodging Arc attacks. It is for out-running another player in a close-quarters fight.
An Adrenaline Shot is a cheap, instant stamina refill. When that enemy player is out of breath and walking, and you are still at a full sprint, you win. It is that simple.
The ‘Big Brain’ Tools: How to Outplay Your Lobby
You have your foundation, your clutch heals, and your mobility. Now you need the tools that let you out-think your opponents.
Must-Have Tactical: Smoke Grenade
If the Vita Shot is your health panic button, the Smoke Grenade is your tactical panic button. It is the most versatile grenade in the game.
- Pinned by a sniper? Smoke your own position and run.
- Need to revive your friend with the Defib? Smoke his body first.
- Need to cross a dangerous open field? Smoke the sightline.
- Running to the extraction point? Smoke the extract and hide in it.
- Looting a high-value crate? Smoke it so you are not a sitting duck.
It is not a damage tool. It is a problem-solver. It creates chaos, blocks information, and lets you make plays that would otherwise be impossible.
Must-Have Trap: Jolt Mine
Forget explosive traps. The Jolt Mine is the thinking player’s trap. It is a proximity mine that stuns enemies in its radius. Why is this better than an explosive? Because an explosive mine just deals damage. The Jolt Mine hands you a free kill.
You place this on your flank while you are looting. You put one at the top of a staircase in a building you are holding. The moment you hear it go off, you peek. Your enemy is stunned, unable to move or shoot. You get a free, easy headshot. It is an alarm system and a death sentence all in one.
My S-Tier ‘Must-Have’ Loadout
So, here it is. My perfect loadout using that Mark 1 Tactical 5-slot augment. This kit gives me an answer to every single problem I might face.
| Quick Slot | Item | Purpose |
| Slot 1 | Vita Shot | Instant in-combat health |
| Slot 2 | Main Shield Recharger | Standard shield healing |
| Slot 3 | Adrenaline Shot | Stamina for mobility/escape |
| Slot 4 | Jolt Mine | Flank security and tactical control |
| Slot 5 | Smoke Grenade | Tactical utility and escape |
| Backpack | Defibrillator | Always in the backpack for team support |
| Gear | Snap Hook | (If I have one) Pure S-Tier mobility |
Conclusion: Stop Trusting Luck
At the end of the day, a gun is just a tool. But this loadout? This is a toolbox. It’s a core part of the total build philosophy I cover in The ARC Raiders Meta Hub: My Updated Guide to the Best Loadouts.
This specific kit gives you in-combat healing with the Vita Shot. It gives you unmatched mobility and escape with the Adrenaline Shot and Snap Hook. It gives you tactical control with the Smoke Grenade and team-wipe prevention with the Defibrillator. And it gives you free kills and information with the Jolt Mine.
Stop dropping into raids with random junk in your pockets and hoping for the best. Build a dedicated kit. Bring the right tools for the job. You will be amazed at how many “unwinnable” fights you suddenly start to win.
What is your number one, non-negotiable, must-have item? Did I miss a piece of gear you think is S-tier? Let me know in the comments below.
For more deep dives, build guides, and news on Arc Raiders and more, stay right here with me at Rivalsector, and check out our Gaming Insights category.
Keep raiding,
Elias
