Augments are the foundation of every ARC Raiders build: they set your carry limit, inventory layout, Safe Pockets, utility slots, and—most importantly—which Shield tiers you can equip. For the current live game, the strongest all-purpose choices are Looting Mk. 3 (Survivor) for high-capacity solo or squad raids, Tactical Mk. 3 (Defensive) for sustained fighting with a Heavy Shield, and Combat Mk. 3 (Flanking) for mobile PvP. Do not choose a Shield first and try to force it into a build; choose the Augment that supports your job, then equip the heaviest Shield whose movement penalty will not break your route.
ARC Raiders is currently on Live Update 1.39.0, released July 28, 2026. That update did not introduce a broad Augment or Shield balance pass, so the role recommendations below remain centered on the current Augment roster and Shield compatibility rules.
How Augments and Shields Work
An Augment is more than a backpack. It defines how much total weight you can carry, how many slots are available for loot and combat supplies, which protected Safe Pocket slots you have, and whether you can equip a Light, Medium, or Heavy Shield. You cannot replace an Augment once you are Topside, so solve compatibility and inventory problems before launching.
Shields reduce incoming damage while they have both charge and durability. They are not simply extra health. A higher-tier Shield gives more charge and better damage mitigation, but Medium and Heavy Shields also reduce movement speed. That trade-off matters most when you need to rotate through exposed terrain, escape a third party, or reach an extraction before another squad closes in.
| Shield | Charge | Damage mitigation | Movement penalty | Best use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light Shield | 40 | 40% | None | Budget runs, fast loot routes, mobile PvP |
| Medium Shield | 70 | 42.5% | 5% | General-purpose PvPvE and most combat builds |
| Heavy Shield | 80 | 52.5% | 15% | Boss pressure, defensive squads, committed fights |
Key rule: every Augment supports a Light Shield, but only selected models accept Medium or Heavy Shields. If a Medium Shield will not equip, your current Augment is the problem—not the Shield itself.
Best ARC Raiders Augments by Role
| Role | Best Augment | Recommended Shield | Main advantage | Main limitation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solo loot and survival | Looting Mk. 3 (Survivor) | Medium | 80 weight limit, three Safe Pockets, downed-health recovery | Cannot use Heavy Shield |
| High-value loot protection | Looting Mk. 3 (Safekeeper) | Heavy | Safe Pocket accepts any item; Heavy Shield access | Less total capacity than Survivor |
| Frontline PvPvE | Tactical Mk. 3 (Defensive) | Heavy | Integrated Shield Recharger and running recharge use | Heavy Shield slows rotations |
| Mobile PvP flanker | Combat Mk. 3 (Flanking) | Medium | Fast pistol/hand cannon swaps and three deployable slots | No Heavy Shield compatibility |
| Long raid sustain | Combat Mk. 3 (Aggressive) | Heavy | Health regeneration and high weight limit | Regen pauses after damage |
| Budget generalist | Combat Mk. 1 | Medium | Simple Medium Shield access at low commitment | Limited carry capacity and no special perk |
| Low-risk scavenging | Looting Mk. 2 | Light | Large loot capacity and automatic Tick removal | Light Shield only |
Best Solo Build: Looting Mk. 3 (Survivor) + Medium Shield
Looting Mk. 3 (Survivor) is the most complete Augment for players whose priority is getting out alive with enough loot to make each raid matter. It supports Light and Medium Shields, has an 80 weight limit, five Quick Use slots, three Safe Pockets, and an extra deployable utility slot. Its unique effect restores downed health while you remain stationary, up to 75% of your maximum downed health.
That passive is not an excuse to crawl into an open lane and hope for a rescue. Its real value is buying your squad more time to clear pressure, rotate back, or force an enemy to commit deeper than they want. For solos, it offers a little more room for an unlikely recovery window or a safer negotiation after being downed.
- Primary weapon: Kettle, Ferro, or Anvil based on budget and intended ARC pressure.
- Secondary: A pistol or Hand Cannon if you expect close-range interior fighting.
- Shield: Medium Shield. It is the practical balance between survivability and movement.
- Quick Use: healing, Shield Rechargers, one mobility item, and an emergency escape utility.
- Deployables: reserve the extra slot for a barricade, zipline, mine, or situational tool you find Topside.
Use Survivor when you are running long loot loops, carrying quest items, moving through mixed PvE and PvP zones, or playing with a squad that can realistically revive you. If you are deliberately hunting boss-tier ARC targets, a Heavy-Shield build is safer.
Best Secure-Loot Build: Looting Mk. 3 (Safekeeper) + Heavy Shield
Looting Mk. 3 (Safekeeper) is the specialist choice for raids where one extracted item is worth more than the rest of your inventory. Its defining feature is a Safe Pocket that accepts any item, allowing you to protect valuables that would not normally fit in a standard protected slot. It also supports every Shield tier, including Heavy.
This is the best Augment for blueprint hunting, rare boss materials, expensive weapons you need to secure, and objectives that create a strong incentive to leave immediately after success. Its 65 weight limit is respectable, but it does not match Survivor for bulk scavenging. Treat Safekeeper as a protection build, not a “fill every slot” build.
- Place the irreplaceable item in the special Safe Pocket as soon as you acquire it.
- Use a Heavy Shield when you expect a forced exit through exposed ground or a high-pressure extraction.
- Do not stay in raid merely because you still have open inventory slots; this Augment is strongest when it turns one successful find into guaranteed progress.
- Bring enough Shield recovery to sustain the Heavy Shield, because its mobility penalty makes late disengages harder.
Before risking rare components, review the ARC Raiders keep, sell, and stash guide so that valuable crafting and progression items do not disappear into a bad post-raid cleanup decision.
Best Defensive Squad Build: Tactical Mk. 3 (Defensive) + Heavy Shield
Tactical Mk. 3 (Defensive) is the premier hold-the-line Augment. It supports Heavy Shields, includes an Integrated Shield Recharger, and lets you use Shield Rechargers while running. That combination is especially valuable in extended ARC encounters, noisy objective areas, and squad fights where you must survive a retreat rather than win every trade immediately.
This is the build for the player who anchors a revive, controls the safest angle, carries the squad’s utility, or remains behind to cover an extraction. The Heavy Shield’s 15% movement penalty is real, so you need to route more carefully than a Medium-Shield player. Start every engagement with a retreat lane in mind; do not make the Heavy Shield solve a positioning problem you created.
- Primary weapon: Bettina, Anvil, or Ferro for reliable pressure against armored ARC targets.
- Secondary: A close-range option for indoor pushes and defensive holds.
- Shield: Heavy Shield.
- Utility priority: Shield Rechargers first, healing second, then a defensive deployable or smoke tool.
- Squad job: hold a lane, cover revives, absorb the first response to an ARC pull, and call the reset when the fight becomes a third-party magnet.
For weapon choices that fit this role, see the updated ARC Raiders weapons and gadgets guide. A durable build still fails if it lacks a weapon that can handle the target you chose to fight.
Best Aggressive PvP Build: Combat Mk. 3 (Flanking) + Medium Shield
Combat Mk. 3 (Flanking) is the best Augment for players who win fights by changing angles, breaking contact, and rapidly swapping to a sidearm rather than by standing in a damage trade. It supports Light and Medium Shields, has a 60 weight limit, two Safe Pockets, five Quick Use slots, and three deployable utility slots. Its passive makes stowed or unequipped Pistols and Hand Cannons 33% faster to equip.
The perk only matters if your loadout is designed around it. Pair a primary weapon for your opening range with a pistol or Hand Cannon that can finish a damaged opponent inside tight cover. The three deployable slots are equally important: they let you bring tools for entry, denial, and escape instead of spending your entire kit on raw healing.
- Primary weapon: Tempest, Kettle, or another controllable PvP primary.
- Secondary: Pistol or Hand Cannon; do not waste the swap-speed perk on an unused sidearm.
- Shield: Medium Shield for survivability without the Heavy Shield’s major rotational cost.
- Utilities: one movement tool, one denial tool, and one extraction or repositioning tool.
- Fight rule: use your first angle to gather information; use the second angle to deal decisive damage.
Flanking is not the best build for standing in front of a boss or holding an exposed extraction. It is for initiating from a strong position, forcing enemy attention to split, and leaving before the opposing squad can turn your push into a slow trade. The ARC Raiders PvP fundamentals guide covers the sound, positioning, and disengage rules that make this playstyle work.
Best Sustained Combat Build: Combat Mk. 3 (Aggressive) + Heavy Shield
Combat Mk. 3 (Aggressive) supports all Shield tiers and restores two health every five seconds, but the effect pauses for 30 seconds after you take damage. That means its health regeneration is a between-fights sustain tool, not an in-fight healing substitute. It has a 65 weight limit and two grenade slots, making it a strong option for players who expect repeated fights and have the discipline to reset after each engagement.
Choose this over Tactical Defensive when you want heavier personal fighting capacity and can carry your own healing and Shield recovery. Choose Defensive instead when the ability to recharge a Shield while moving and the integrated tool are more likely to decide the raid.
Combat Mk. 2 is the cheaper version of this concept. It supports Heavy Shields and provides slower health recovery, making it an excellent progression Augment when you do not want to risk a Mk. 3 frame.
Best Support Build: Tactical Mk. 3 (Healing) or Revival
Support has two distinct approaches, and the correct Augment depends on what your squad lacks.
- Tactical Mk. 3 (Healing): supports Medium Shields, carries three healing-item slots and three grenade slots, and releases a healing cloud when you are revived from a downed state. Choose it for aggressive squads where revives happen frequently and teammates can capitalize on the healing cloud.
- Tactical Mk. 3 (Revival): includes an Integrated Defibrillator and passive health regeneration, but supports only Light Shields. Choose it for a designated medic who prioritizes revives, stays behind cover, and avoids becoming the first target.
- Tactical Mk. 3 (Smoke): supports Medium Shields and deploys smoke after a Shield break. It is a useful alternative for squads built around recovery, exits, and crossing exposed lanes.
Do not confuse an integrated tool with a freely selectable gadget. The Defensive Augment’s Shield Recharger and Revival Augment’s Defibrillator are built into those specific Augments; you only gain them by equipping the corresponding frame.
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Every Augment Family Explained
Combat Augments
Combat frames prioritize Shield access, personal sustain, grenade capacity, and fighting weight limits.
- Combat Mk. 1: entry-level Medium Shield access. Use it when you need a simple combat-ready kit without risking higher-tier gear.
- Combat Mk. 2: first affordable Heavy Shield option; slow passive health regeneration improves recovery between encounters.
- Combat Mk. 3 (Aggressive): stronger sustain and more grenade capacity for extended combat.
- Combat Mk. 3 (Flanking): Medium Shield mobile-combat frame with fast sidearm swaps and extra deployable slots.
Looting Augments
Looting frames emphasize capacity, Safe Pockets, and getting out with progress rather than winning every fight.
- Looting Mk. 1: a reliable early-game Light-Shield scavenging frame.
- Looting Mk. 2: adds greater capacity, more Safe Pockets, deployable slots, and automatic Tick removal.
- Looting Mk. 3 (Cautious): Light Shield only, but excellent capacity, Integrated Binoculars, and a weak emergency Adrenaline Shot when your Shield breaks.
- Looting Mk. 3 (Safekeeper): the item-protection specialist with Heavy Shield access.
- Looting Mk. 3 (Survivor): the best broad looting frame for volume, Safe Pockets, and downed survival.
Tactical Augments
Tactical frames lean into Quick Use capacity, special recovery effects, and integrated utility.
- Tactical Mk. 1: basic Medium Shield access with five Quick Use slots.
- Tactical Mk. 2: deploys a small smoke grenade when your Shield breaks; useful while learning resets and escape timing.
- Tactical Mk. 3 (Defensive): the Heavy-Shield specialist for sustained defense.
- Tactical Mk. 3 (Healing): revive-response support with extra healing and grenade capacity.
- Tactical Mk. 3 (Revival): dedicated revive utility at the cost of Medium and Heavy Shield access.
- Tactical Mk. 3 (Smoke): Medium-Shield support frame focused on automatic smoke cover after Shield break.
Shield Selection Rules That Prevent Bad Builds
- Use Light Shield when speed, low risk, and cheap replacement cost matter more than prolonged fighting. It is the default choice for Free Loadouts and Light-Shield-only Augments.
- Use Medium Shield for almost every mixed PvPvE raid. The 5% movement penalty is manageable, while the extra charge and mitigation give you more room to heal, reposition, or finish a fight.
- Use Heavy Shield only when your Augment supports it and your raid plan includes direct pressure: boss hunting, objective defense, squad anchoring, or expensive-item extraction.
- Do not wear Heavy Shield for a fast, exposed loot loop unless you are protecting a specific high-value objective. You may survive the first exchange but fail the later rotation.
- Carry Shield recovery that matches your plan. A Heavy Shield without enough recharge capacity is just extra weight after the first hard engagement.
The most common mistake is treating Shield tier as a universal power ranking. Heavy Shield is strongest in a static fight, but Medium Shield is usually better for a mobile solo build, and Light Shield is often correct when the purpose of the raid is to scout, loot, or recover economically.
Role Builds for Common Raid Plans
Budget Recovery Run
Augment: Looting Mk. 1 or Mk. 2
Shield: Light Shield
Weapons: replaceable primary plus a cheap sidearm
Supplies: healing, one Shield Recharger, one escape or traversal option
Goal: extract with materials, not chase gunfire.
Use this after an expensive loss, when you need crafting supplies, or when you are learning a map condition. Take fights only when they block an objective or offer a clean advantage. A low-cost kit becomes profitable through consistent extracts, not surprise heroics.
High-Risk Boss or Elite ARC Hunt
Augment: Tactical Mk. 3 (Defensive) or Combat Mk. 3 (Aggressive)
Shield: Heavy Shield
Weapons: an ARC-capable primary with sufficient ammunition plus a close-range backup
Supplies: multiple Shield Rechargers, healing, area denial, and a planned retreat utility
Goal: secure priority drops, then extract before the encounter attracts more Raiders.
Heavy-Shield boss kits work because they absorb more pressure while you manage the target, adds, and incoming players. They fail when a team tunnels the boss without reserving an escape lane. For target-specific preparation, use the ARC Raiders boss and elite guide.
Three-Person Push Squad
Frontliner: Tactical Mk. 3 (Defensive) + Heavy Shield
Flanker: Combat Mk. 3 (Flanking) + Medium Shield
Support/loot carrier: Looting Mk. 3 (Survivor) + Medium Shield
This composition gives the group a durable anchor, a player who can create off-angles, and a high-capacity Raider who can carry supplies and secure loot. The frontliner should not chase every down; the flanker should not be the first player to hold a revive; and the Survivor player should not take the first exposed entry. Roles matter because they prevent three players from bringing the same strength and sharing the same weakness.
Common Augment and Shield Mistakes
- Equipping a Shield before confirming compatibility: inspect the Augment’s supported Shield tiers before buying or crafting a Medium or Heavy Shield.
- Using Heavy Shield as a default: its protection is excellent, but the 15% movement penalty can cost you more raids than it saves.
- Ignoring weight limit: a powerful combat kit becomes unreliable when ammo, healing, loot, and utilities overload the frame.
- Overvaluing passive regeneration: Combat regeneration stops after damage. It helps during quiet resets, not while you are being pushed.
- Misusing Safe Pockets: protect irreplaceable blueprints, objective items, rare components, or the single item that turns the raid into account progress—not low-value filler.
- Forgetting that Augments cannot be swapped Topside: check your Shield, supplies, and intended role in the loadout screen before queueing.
- Running a specialist frame without its purpose: Flanking needs a sidearm plan, Safekeeper needs a high-value objective, and Defensive needs enough Shield recovery to exploit its advantages.
Final Build Recommendation
If you want one answer for most raids, run Looting Mk. 3 (Survivor) with a Medium Shield. It offers the best balance of carrying capacity, protected inventory, Quick Use flexibility, and survivability without sacrificing mobility to a Heavy Shield.
Move to Tactical Mk. 3 (Defensive) with a Heavy Shield when your squad is intentionally taking long fights, defending an objective, or hunting dangerous ARC targets. Choose Combat Mk. 3 (Flanking) with a Medium Shield when your value comes from fast angles, sidearm swaps, and deployable utility. And if the entire raid is about securing a single rare item, Looting Mk. 3 (Safekeeper) is the correct investment.
If you need help preparing a specific build, collecting the required materials, or completing a difficult objective with a coordinated squad, ExpCarry offers ARC Raiders coaching, farming, and carry services for players who want structured support without relying on exploits.
