Elias here, back from another white-knuckle run in the wasteland for Rivalsector.com. In the high-stakes world of an extraction shooter, your loadout is your life. We all obsess over our primary. Is the Tempest better than the Bettina? Is the Osprey the king of snipers? We debate it constantly. But I find that what really separates a good run from a “back to the lobby” screen is your secondary. And for me, one gun has become my most trusted companion, my “get out of jail free” card, and the star of my A-tier list: the Venator.
I know, I know. I can already hear the keyboards clacking. “Elias, that gun is broken S-Tier!” “Elias, it’s a C-tier peashooter, the Anvil is better!” This is exactly why I want to talk about it.
In my playbook, “S-Tier” is reserved for items that are genuinely game-breaking, items that have no real downsides and invalidate other choices. I am looking at you, Hullcracker (for PvE). The Venator is not that. It has clear weaknesses. But “A-Tier” is my highest honor for a weapon. An A-Tier gun is one that is incredibly effective, versatile, and, most importantly, efficient. It’s the gun I want to craft every single time. It’s the gun that, when I have it, I feel a tangible spike in my confidence.
So today, I am planting my flag. Here is my personal breakdown of the Venator and why this twin-shot terror is my definitive A-Tier sidearm.
The Core Argument: It’s a Primary in a Pistol’s Body
The entire case for the Venator starts and ends with its unique trait: Twin Shot.
For those who haven’t had the pleasure, here is the deal: every time you pull the trigger, the Venator fires two projectiles instantly but only consumes one single round from its magazine.
Let’s do some quick, dirty math. The base Venator deals 18 damage per projectile.
- 18 damage x 2 projectiles = 36 damage per click.
This is not a 2-round burst. It is an instant, simultaneous hit. This means its “time to kill” is not measured in how fast you can burst, but in how fast you can click your mouse. You can spit out three clicks, dealing over 100 damage, faster than many automatic rifles can even spin up.
I have deleted fully-shielded players in CQC before they even realized I had swapped weapons. This gun has the raw stopping power of a battle rifle, but it’s packed into a pistol frame. You get the damage of a primary with the agility, swap speed, and lightweight bonus of a secondary. This combination of lethal power and raw utility is the first pillar of my A-Tier argument.
Pillar Two: The Glorious Ammo Economy
This is the part of the loadout that so many players overlook, but for me, it’s critical. The Venator uses Medium Ammo.
Why is this a massive, A-Tier-defining deal? Because my favorite primary weapons also use Medium Ammo.
- The Sniper Support: My go-to loadout is an Osprey sniper rifle. This gun also chambers Medium Ammo. This means I only need to carry one ammo type. My inventory is not cluttered with Medium rounds for my primary and Light rounds for my secondary.
- The All-Rounder: If I am running an assault rifle, I am using the Tempest. Again, Medium Ammo.
This streamlined loadout is an efficiency-lover’s dream.
- More Space for Loot: I can dedicate all my ammo slots to one stack of Medium Ammo, opening up two or even three extra inventory slots. That is more space for hard drives, rare materials, or enemy dog tags.
- Easier Resupplies: When I am looting, I am not looking for two different ammo boxes. I just hoover up every single green Medium Ammo box I see, feeding both of my weapons at once.
- Deeper Reserves: This setup allows me to carry a massive total reserve of ammo for both my guns, letting me stay in extended fights or clear entire compounds without running dry.
This efficiency alone would make a decent pistol a B-Tier pick. But when you apply this efficiency to a gun that hits as hard as the Venator, it vaults straight into A-Tier.
Pillar Three: The “Oh Crap” Button Perfected
Every extraction shooter player knows the feeling. You are sniping and get flanked. You are in a firefight and your primary magazine runs dry. That fraction of a second where you are vulnerable is usually a death sentence.
This is where the Venator shines brighter than any other secondary in the game, including the popular SMGs.
The swap speed to a pistol is lightning fast. It is noticeably quicker than swapping to a secondary primary weapon like a Torrente SMG or an Il Toro shotgun. When my Osprey clicks empty and a Raider is pushing me, I do not have time for a 3-second reload or a clumsy weapon swap.
I hit my ‘2’ key, and the Venator is in my hands instantly. The enemy rounding the corner is met with “pop-pop, pop-pop,” and the fight is over. That 36-damage instant click is the single best panic button in ARC Raiders. It rewards reflexes in a way that a spray-and-pray SMG does not. The Venator is not just a backup, it is a life-saving tool that has turned dozens of my certain-death scenarios into clutch victories.
My A-Tier Build (And Why It’s Not S-Tier)
The base Venator is good. A modded Venator is what makes it my A-Tier champion. Its only real weakness is its base 10-round magazine. That is only 10 trigger pulls. In a chaotic 1v2, this is not enough. Your crafting priority should be fixing this immediately.
Here is the build I run every single time I can craft it:
| Attachment Slot | My Go-To Mod | Why It’s Essential for A-Tier |
| Magazine | Extended Medium Mag III | Non-negotiable. This bumps the magazine to 22 rounds. This transforms the gun. You now have 22 clicks of 36-damage bursts. That is 792 potential damage per mag. |
| Optic | Holo Sight | Personal Preference. I find the 1x Holo gives me the perfect clean sight picture for both rapid CQC snaps and placing 40-meter shots. |
| Grip | Horizontal Grip | Pure Comfort. The Venator’s recoil is already very manageable (mostly vertical). This grip just about deletes it, turning the gun into a point-and-click laser beam. |
So why is this not S-Tier? Because it has two very smart, very intentional weaknesses.
- Damage Drop-off: This is not a sniper. Past 50 meters, the damage falls off, and the two projectiles can spread. It cannot compete with a true rifle at range.
- No Barrel Slot: This is the big one. You cannot equip a suppressor. This gun is LOUD. Firing it is ringing the dinner bell for every player and ARC bot in the area.
This is beautiful game design. It is an A-Tier “loud” option that forces you to make a choice. It is a CQC monster, but using it compromises your stealth. This clear trade-off is what separates it from a broken S-Tier weapon and solidifies its place as a top-tier, but balanced, choice. It is a high-skill, high-reward part of the ARC Raiders best weapons roster, and I respect it for that.
The Final Verdict: My Workhorse Champion
The Venator is the total package for me. It is a high-lethality weapon that gives me the stopping power of a primary. It is a hyper-efficient tool that streamlines my inventory and ammo management. And it is the most reliable life-saver in my arsenal.
It is not a “do-everything” S-Tier gun. It is a specialized master of CQC and mid-range burst damage that perfectly complements my preferred playstyle. It makes my entire loadout stronger just by being in my pistol slot. And that, for me, is the very definition of an A-Tier weapon.
For more in-depth weapon analysis and loadout guides, be sure to dive into our ARC Raiders category. We are always breaking down the meta.
That is my case for the Venator. Now I want to hear from you. Am I right on the money, or am I crazy? What is your personal, must-have A-Tier gun that you will defend to the death? Let me know in the comments!
