Hey, Raiders. Elias here. I’ve just dragged myself back to Speranza after a run that went sideways, all thanks to a Harvester Queen and two other human squads who decided to crash the party. As my team got pinned and the air filled with lasers, I did what any sane specialist would do. I ignored the players, pulled out my Hullcracker, and focused on the real prize. Five thunks later, the Queen was staggered, her head core exposed.
If you’ve spent any time at all in the Buried City, you know the sound of this gun. It’s the 40mm cannon that makes Bastions and Rocketeers completely trivial. But is it really the king of PVE?
Let’s not beat around the bush. Yes, it is. The Hullcracker isn’t just a good PVE gun, it is the best PVE gun in ARC Raiders, period. But it comes with a massive catch that makes it one of the most high-risk, high-reward items in the game. It’s the definition of an S-Tier specialist tool.
What Exactly Is the Hullcracker?
The Hullcracker is an Epic-tier “Special” weapon. It’s a pump-action grenade launcher with a 5-round magazine that fires its own unique, and often rare, “Launcher Ammo.”
But here is the single most important detail about this weapon, the one thing that defines its entire existence:
Its projectiles only detonate on contact with an ARC machine. They do zero damage to human players.
If you shoot another Raider, the 40mm shell just bounces off them harmlessly. If you shoot the ground at their feet, it just sits there, a sad, unexploded dud.
But if you hit a Leaper, a Bastion, or a Queen? The result is pure, unfiltered destruction. This is why the Hullcracker is in a league of its own. It’s not a hybrid weapon, it’s not a “jack-of-all-trades.” It is a dedicated, single-purpose ARC-killing machine.
Why It’s S-Tier: The Hard Stats
In a game where armor penetration is king, the Hullcracker wears the crown. Most guns, even good ones, struggle against the thick plating of high-tier ARCs. Your bullets spark, you see those little “resist” indicators, and you feel like you’re using a peashooter.
The Hullcracker simply doesn’t care.
- “Very Strong” ARC Armor Penetration: This is its secret sauce. It bypasses the armor on even the toughest enemies and hits their internal health directly.
- Massive Base Damage: At 100 base damage per shot, a full 5-round magazine delivers a devastating 500-damage payload, and that’s before you even factor in weak-point multipliers.
- Weak Point Annihilator: The Hullcracker staggers big ARCs like nothing else. Hitting a Bastion’s joints or a Queen’s Head Core with a full volley is the fastest way to break them and open them up for even more damage.
- Boss Melter: No squad serious about farming a Harvester Queen should go without at least one. It turns a dreadful 10-minute battle of attrition into a 90-second execution.
Other ARC Raiders weapons are designed to be versatile. Your Rattler, your Anvil, your Ferro, they all have to balance their performance between fighting players and fighting ARCs. The Hullcracker throws that entire concept out the window. It sacrifices all PvP viability for 100% PVE dominance.
The Two Sides of the S-Tier Coin
Let’s be clear: when I say the Hullcracker is S-Tier, I mean it’s in the “S-Tier (PVE)” bracket. In a PvP-only fight, it is unequivocally “F-Tier.” It is literally a useless, 7KG paperweight.
This creates a fascinating, tense dynamic for any Raider who dares to equip it.
The Dream Scenario (Why It’s S-Tier)
You’re with a squad. You’re hunting a specific Bastion for its core. Your two teammates, armed with Tempest and Vulcano shotgun, clear the area and watch your back. They call out, “Target clear!” You step up, aim, and thunk-thunk-thunk. The Bastion is staggered. You reload, fire five more shots into its weak point, and it collapses into a pile of scrap. You grab the core and you’re gone before any rival players even know you were there.
The Nightmare Scenario (The Risk)
You’re running solo, Hullcracker in hand, hunting for Leapers. You round a corner and come face-to-face with a 3-player squad. You panic-fire. The 40mm shell dinks uselessly off the first guy’s helmet. You are now holding an empty grenade launcher and have only your sidearm. You are dead.
This weapon demands a specific playstyle. You cannot run and gun with it. You are not a fragger. You are the specialist, the “big game hunter.” Your job is to let your team handle the humans while you focus on the chrome.
How to Use the Hullcracker Effectively
You don’t just “use” the Hullcracker. You build a strategy around it. Here is my proven method for making this gun work.
- Never Run It Solo: Don’t. Just don’t. Unless you are the sneakiest player alive and 100% confident you can avoid all other humans, this is a team-only weapon.
- Assign a “Bodyguard”: Your squad’s job is to protect you. You are the “package.” Your teammates are your security detail. Their job is to keep players off you while you do your job.
- Combine with Stuns: The ultimate combo? A Showstopper grenade followed by a full Hullcracker mag. The Showstopper stuns the ARC, giving you a perfect, stationary target to dump all five shells into.
- Know Your Weak Points: Don’t just shoot the chassis. Learn the weak points. Hit the glowing joints on Bastions. Hit the legs on Leapers. Focus the Head Core on the Queen. This is where you get the massive damage multipliers.
- Manage Your Ammo: Launcher Ammo isn’t everywhere. Craft what you need, bring it with you, and don’t waste it on Ticks. This is a “boss killer,” so save it for the bosses.
Here’s a quick-glance comparison of the Hullcracker versus a standard “good” rifle, like the Ferro, in a PVE context.
| Feature | Hullcracker (Epic) | Ferro (Uncommon) |
| Primary Role | ARC Boss Killer | All-Purpose Mid-Range |
| ARC Armor Pen | Very Strong | Moderate |
| Base Damage | 100 | 40 |
| Magazine Size | 5 | 6 |
| PvP Viability | None (0 damage) | Excellent |
| Best Use Case | Melting a Harvester Queen | Fighting players, clearing small ARCs |
The Final Verdict
So, is the Hullcracker the best PVE gun in ARC Raiders? Absolutely. It’s not even a contest.
No other weapon in the game provides the raw, specialized power to delete high-tier ARCs. It is the key to efficient boss farming, the tool that separates the amateurs from the professional ARC hunters.
It’s S-Tier because it is the absolute best at its one, specific job. The price for that power is helplessness in PvP. This is the trade-off. This is the specialist’s dilemma. And in a game all about finding the right tool for the job, the Hullcracker is a 40mm sledgehammer.
If your goal is progression, to craft the best gear, and to take down the biggest threats in the Buried City, you need a Hullcracker in your stash.
For more guides and deep dives into the ARC Raiders meta, make sure to check out our ARC Raiders category right here on Rivalsector.com.
Now get out there, Raider. And crack some hulls.
