ARC Raiders Augment Tier List (Riven Tides 1.26.1)
Every Augment ranked by what it actually does for a build, not by raw stats. The Mk. 3 keystones that decide your loadout, plus the Mk. 1 and Mk. 2 picks that earn their slot.
How to read the augment tier in ARC Raiders
Augment tier is not weapon tier. A weapon either does damage or it does not. An Augment decides what loadout you can legally bring onto the surface. The Augment locks shield compatibility, weight ceiling, backpack size, and quick-use slot count, and the Mk. 3 variants attach a passive that defines a playstyle. Picking the Augment first is the right way to build a loadout in this game; picking the weapon first is how you end up with a kit that cannot carry its own ammo.
Tier placement below weighs three things: how much the Augment shapes a build (the Mk. 3 keystones outrank everything because they enable archetypes), how often the Augment is the right answer for the role it serves (Defensive vs Healing for Tactical squad medic), and how much its constraints punish a Raider who is bad at managing weight. Rankings reflect the Riven Tides 1.26.1 patch.
S-tier
These three Augments anchor the strongest live archetypes in the game.
item:combat-mk3-aggressive is the PvP Brawler keystone and the most-picked Augment in the top extraction percentile. The +2 HP per 5 seconds combat regen with a 30-second pause on damage means you reset between firefights without burning a quick-use slot on a heal. Heavy shield compatibility plus a 65-weight ceiling fits the item:bettina plus item:anvil meta loadout cleanly. Build identity: brawl, win the trade, regen between fights, push again. Pair with the ARC Raiders PvP Brawler Build Guide loadout.
item:looting-mk3-cautious is the Pure Looter keystone. 24 backpack slots is the highest in the game. The integrated Binoculars solve the scouting problem without spending a quick-use slot. The Weak Adrenaline Shot on shield break gives you the panic window to disengage from a fight you should not have started. Light shield only is the cost, and it is real, but the Adrenaline Shot covers the shield-break gap. The Pure Looter archetype lives or dies on this Augment. See the ARC Raiders Pure Looter Build Guide for the rotation.
item:tactical-mk3-defensive is the Squad Anchor keystone. The integrated Shield Recharger plus the on-the-move Recharger usability is the single most valuable defensive utility in the squad meta. Heavy shield compatibility plus a 60-weight ceiling fits a item:torrente LMG or a item:bettina plus item:anvil kit. The 1.17.0 grenade-equipment buffs raised this Augment's value because Tactical Mk. 3 Defensive plays around grenade pressure better than Combat Mk. 3 Aggressive does. The ARC Raiders Squad Anchor Build Guide covers the play pattern.
A-tier
Strong picks that define their respective archetypes but lose the comparison to the S-tier keystones in head-to-head loadout planning.
item:looting-mk3-survivor is the solo-extraction Augment. 80 weight ceiling is the highest in the game, which means you can carry a Heavy weapon plus a Medium secondary plus a full quick-use load. The Health regen to 75% of max while stationary is the unique passive: it pays you to camp valuable loot rooms and recover before pushing the extract. Up to Medium shield only is the ceiling. Pair with the ARC Raiders Solo Stealth Build Guide.
item:tactical-mk3-revival is the duo Defibrillator carrier. The integrated Defibrillator means you do not waste a quick-use slot on the heaviest revive item in the game. The +1 HP per 5 seconds with combat pause is a weaker version of the Aggressive regen but works in the same windows. Light shield only is the cost. The Augment's value crashes in solo play; in duos and trios it pulls ahead of Healing because the Defibrillator beats the healing cloud on revival speed.
item:tactical-mk3-healing is the squad medic role. The healing cloud restoring 20 HP on revival is the niche use case. Light and Medium shield compatibility. Lower weight ceiling than Defensive (55 vs 60), which limits the weapon options. Use this Augment when your squad runs a Defensive plus a Healing pair to maximize sustain at the cost of one-shot damage.
item:combat-mk3-flanking is the pistol-and-hand-cannon swap-finisher kit. 33% faster pistol equip means item:hairpin and item:venator swap loops actually beat enemy panic-fire reaction time. 20 backpack slots is generous; 5 quick-use slots is the only Combat option that gets the extra slot. Light shield only is the cost. Build identity: rifle pressure into pistol finisher. The 1.17.0 input-buffering fix slightly cooled this Augment's swap-loop ceiling, but the kit still works.
item:looting-mk3-safekeeper is the high-stakes-loot insurance Augment. The Safe Pocket protects one item across deaths, which means you carry a Workshop key or a Legendary blueprint into a contested run knowing the worst case is losing your other gear instead of everything. Heavy shield compatibility is the bonus. Lower backpack (18) and weight (65) than the other Mk. 3 Looting variants, so this Augment trades raw inventory for one-item insurance. Use it when the run's headline loot justifies the slot constraint.
B-tier
The Mk. 2 Augments. Worth running until the Mk. 3 unlock; rarely the right answer once you have Mk. 3 access.
item:combat-mk2 is the Mk. 2 Combat option. +1 HP per 5 seconds with a 30-second pause on damage. 18 backpack slots, 55 weight, all shield compatibility. The honest assessment: this is a strict downgrade from Combat Mk. 3 Aggressive, but the Mk. 3 unlock takes time and Combat Mk. 2 carries you through the early-mid game without making your loadout feel broken.
item:looting-mk2 is the auto-Tick-throw Augment. Attached Ticks auto-throw after 1 second, which sounds great until you realize the play pattern requires you to be standing still long enough for a Tick to attach in the first place. 22 backpack slots is the appeal. Light shield only is the cost. Use when you are mid-progression toward Looting Mk. 3 Cautious.
item:tactical-mk2 is the Smoke-on-shield-break Augment. The smoke deploy is a panic-disengage tool. 17 backpack slots, 45 weight, Light and Medium shield compatibility. Useful for new Raiders learning when to push and when to break off; replaced by Tactical Mk. 3 Defensive once you unlock it.
item:tactical-mk3-smoke is the Riven Tides addition. The on-demand Smoke deploy fits skirmish loadouts that want a positional reset tool without burning a grenade slot. Lower weight than Defensive but no Shield Recharger integration, which puts it in B placement until the community settles on the role it actually fills.
Niche / Situational
item:combat-mk1, item:looting-mk1, item:tactical-mk1 are the starter Augments. They exist to give new Raiders a functional kit before the Workshop unlocks the Mk. 2 tier. Replace them as soon as Mk. 2 is available. The Mk. 1 Augments have no passive, which is the structural reason they fall behind.
item:free-loadout is the no-cost option used in free-loadout events and as a last-resort fallback when you are broke. 14 backpack slots, 35 weight, 4 quick-use slots, Light shield only. The Augment exists so you can keep playing when you cannot afford a real Augment; it is never a strategic pick.
How to pick the right Augment for your loadout
Pick the role first. PvP Brawler wants Combat Mk. 3 Aggressive. Pure Looter wants Looting Mk. 3 Cautious. Squad Anchor wants Tactical Mk. 3 Defensive. Solo Stealth wants Looting Mk. 3 Survivor. The Augment is the role; the weapons are how you express it.
Once you have the Augment, check the shield compatibility against the weapon weight you want to bring. The classic rookie mistake is picking Looting Mk. 3 Cautious because the backpack is the biggest, then loading a item:bettina plus a item:hullcracker and discovering the Light shield ceiling cannot carry the weight without crippling movement. Use the ARC Raiders Skill Tree Builder to model the Augment plus weapon plus skill allocation before you queue.
FAQ
What is the best Augment in ARC Raiders?
There is no single best Augment because each one anchors a different archetype. The closest universal answer is item:combat-mk3-aggressive for PvP-leaning play because the regen passive plus Heavy shield ceiling fits the meta item:bettina plus item:anvil loadout. Pure Looter players want item:looting-mk3-cautious. Squad Anchor players want item:tactical-mk3-defensive. Solo extractors want item:looting-mk3-survivor.
Which Augment has the biggest backpack?
item:looting-mk3-cautious at 24 slots. item:looting-mk2 is the runner-up at 22 slots. The Combat and Tactical Augments cap at 20 slots even at Mk. 3.
Which Augment carries the most weight?
item:looting-mk3-survivor at 80 weight. item:looting-mk3-cautious is next at 70. item:combat-mk3-aggressive sits at 65, which is enough for a item:bettina plus item:anvil plus a Heavy shield with weight to spare for a quick-use load.
Can I run a Heavy shield with any Augment?
No. Heavy shield compatibility is locked to item:combat-mk2, item:combat-mk3-aggressive, item:tactical-mk3-defensive, and item:looting-mk3-safekeeper. The other Mk. 3 Looting and Tactical Augments are Light or Light/Medium only.
Is Combat Mk. 3 Aggressive still S-tier in Riven Tides?
Yes. The Augment held S placement across the 1.13.0, 1.17.0, and 1.22.0 Flashpoint patches and through the 1.26.1 Riven Tides hotfix. Nothing in the recent balance passes displaced it from the PvP Brawler keystone slot.
Should I use Free Loadout if I am broke?
Run item:free-loadout only when you cannot afford a real Augment. The 14-slot backpack and 35-weight ceiling make most loadouts non-viable. Recover Coins on a few low-stakes runs, then upgrade to a Mk. 2 or Mk. 3 Augment as soon as you can afford the swap.