Augments in ARC Raiders determine far more than inventory space. They control which shields you can equip, how many safe pockets protect your valuables on death, and whether you get a passive ability that might save your run. Picking the right augment before dropping into a raid shapes everything from your survivability in PvP firefights to how much loot you can haul back to base.
Quick answer: Looting Mk3 (Survivor) and Tactical Mk2 sit at the top of the current meta. Survivor offers 80 weight capacity, three safe pockets, medium shield compatibility, and a passive that regenerates health while downed. Tactical Mk2 costs less to craft but deploys a smoke grenade automatically when your shield breaks, making it exceptional for PvP escapes.
How augments work in ARC Raiders
Every augment falls into one of three categories: Combat, Looting, or Tactical. Combat augments prioritize shield compatibility and grenade slots at the expense of inventory space. Looting augments maximize backpack slots and weight limits, but often restrict you to light shields. Tactical augments emphasize quick-use slots and utility items with middling shield options.
Shield compatibility matters enormously. Light shields offer minimal protection and leave you vulnerable in extended fights. Medium shields provide solid defense without crippling your movement. Heavy shields turn you into a tank, but slow you down considerably. Augments that support medium or heavy shields climb higher in value because they let you survive encounters that would otherwise end your run.
Safe pockets preserve items when you die. Keys, rare crafting materials, and high-value loot stored in safe pockets stay with you even after a failed extraction. Augments with two or three safe pockets let you protect the most important finds from each raid.
S-tier augments
Looting Mk3 (Survivor) stands as the strongest all-around augment in the game. The 80 weight limit lets you carry substantial gear without stamina penalties. Twenty backpack slots and five utility slots provide ample storage. Three safe pockets protect your most valuable items. Medium shield compatibility keeps you competitive in fights.
The passive ability pushes Survivor into its own category. While downed and stationary, your health regenerates up to 75% of maximum downed health instead of bleeding out. This creates massive revive windows for teammates. Solo players can crawl to extraction, start the timer while downed, and slide into the evac with their safe pockets full of loot. Failed fights become ugly but successful exits.
Tactical Mk2 delivers exceptional value at rare crafting cost. The 45 weight limit feels restrictive, but skill tree perks like Broad Shoulders and Loaded Arms offset this limitation. Seventeen backpack slots and five quick-use slots handle most loadouts. Medium shield access keeps you alive in PvP.
The automatic smoke grenade on shield break defines this augment. When someone cracks your shield, smoke deploys instantly without any input from you. This creates immediate cover for repositioning, healing, or escaping. In corridors, extract doors, and ambush situations, that free smoke saves lives. The low craft cost means you can run Tactical Mk2 on every raid without worrying about resource drain.
A-tier augments
Tactical Mk3 (Defensive) supports heavy shield builds with a built-in shield recharger. The 60 weight limit and 20 backpack slots handle most loadouts comfortably. Five quick-use slots provide flexibility. The integrated recharger has its own durability bar, saving you from crafting or buying shield rechargers for extended sessions.
The single safe pocket hurts, but heavy shield access combined with free shield restoration creates strong sustain for boss farming and PvE content. You can use the recharger while running, which adds mobility during retreats.
Combat Mk3 (Aggressive) offers 65 weight capacity, two grenade slots, and compatibility with light, medium, and heavy shields. The passive restores 2 HP every five seconds, pausing for 30 seconds after taking damage. This healing rarely matters during active combat but helps conserve medical items between fights.
Looting Mk2 remains the budget king for pure loot runs. Twenty-two backpack slots and 60 weight capacity let you fill your bag quickly. Two safe pockets protect key finds. Three trinket slots add flexibility. The passive auto-primes grenades after one second, which provides minimal practical benefit since most players already do this manually.
Light shield restriction creates real danger in close-quarters maps, but the cheap rare crafting cost makes Looting Mk2 perfect for fast spaceport runs where you sprint, grab loot, and extract before combat finds you.
Tactical Mk3 (Healing) provides three safe pockets and three augmented slots for healing items. Medium shield compatibility keeps you reasonably protected. The passive releases a healing cloud when revived, restoring 20 HP over 10 seconds. Unfortunately, this cloud only heals you, not the teammate who risked their life to revive you. The 16 backpack slots and 55 weight limit feel cramped compared to other epic augments.
B-tier augments
Combat Mk2 provides early access to heavy shields at rare crafting cost. Eighteen backpack slots and 55 weight capacity handle basic loadouts. One grenade slot adds combat utility. The passive restores 1 HP every five seconds, pausing for 30 seconds after damage. This healing proves nearly useless in practice since real fights end with items or death, not slow passive regeneration.
Looting Mk3 (Cautious) offers the largest backpack in the game at 24 slots with 70 weight capacity. Built-in binoculars provide scouting utility. The passive grants a weak adrenaline shot when your shield breaks, giving a brief stamina burst. Light shield restriction on an expensive epic augment feels punishing. Looting Mk2 accomplishes similar goals at lower cost with the same shield limitation.
Combat Mk3 (Flanking) speeds up pistol and hand cannon equip time by 33%. Twenty backpack slots and two safe pockets provide decent storage. Light shield restriction undermines the aggressive playstyle this augment encourages. Fast weapon swaps mean nothing when your shield breaks and you fold before the second shot lands.
C-tier augments
Mark I augments across all three categories serve as tutorial gear. Combat Mk1 offers medium shield access with 45 weight and 16 backpack slots. Looting Mk1 provides 50 weight and 18 slots, but restricts you to light shields. Tactical Mk1 allows medium shields but only carries 40 weight and 15 slots. None have passive abilities.
Craft these early to learn how augment slots work, then upgrade to rare versions as soon as materials allow. The crafting cost uses only plastic and rubber, making them accessible but quickly outclassed.
The Free Loadout augment appears when you select a free loadout option. It provides 35 weight, 14 backpack slots, four quick-use slots, and zero safe pockets. Light shield only. No passive. You cannot swap this augment during a round. Use free loadouts to bootstrap resources by extracting the random gear, then trade it for proper equipment.
New augments from the Headwinds update
The Escalation expansion's Headwinds update introduced two epic augments. Tactical Mk3 (Revival) features an integrated Defibrillator for free revives on a 4-minute cooldown. The 65 weight limit and 16 backpack slots provide moderate storage. Two safe pockets protect key items. The passive restores 1 HP every five seconds, pausing after damage. Light shield restriction limits defensive options, but the free revive utility makes this augment valuable for team play.
Looting Mk3 (Safekeeper) allows its single safe pocket to store any item, including weapons. This means you can protect a valuable gun from loss if a raid goes wrong. The 65 weight limit and 18 backpack slots provide reasonable capacity. Two trinket slots add flexibility. Light, medium, and heavy shield compatibility makes this augment versatile despite having only one safe pocket.
Choosing augments for different playstyles
PvP combat favors Tactical Mk2 for automatic smoke cover and medium shield access. The low weight limit requires investment in skill tree perks, but the passive ability consistently saves runs. Tactical Mk3 (Defensive) works when you prefer heavy shields and need sustained shield regeneration during extended fights.
Pure loot runs benefit from Looting Mk2 for budget efficiency or Looting Mk3 (Survivor) when you can afford epic crafting costs. Survivor's passive turns failed extractions into successful ones by letting you crawl to safety while regenerating health.
Boss farming demands weight capacity and revive safety. Survivor handles both requirements. Tactical Mk3 (Defensive) provides heavy shield sustain for long encounters where shield plates matter more than safe pockets.
Mixed budget play works well with Combat Mk2 or Combat Mk3 (Aggressive) when you want heavy shield access and larger kits without committing epic materials to every raid. The healing passives rarely matter, but the shield compatibility and grenade slots provide consistent value.
Augment selection shapes raid outcomes before you even load into the map. Tactical Mk2 fills corridors with free smoke every time someone breaks your shield. Looting Mk3 (Survivor) turns death into a slow crawl to extraction with three safe pockets full of loot. The right augment for your playstyle and objectives makes the difference between consistent extractions and repeated trips back to base empty-handed.
