Discover the Best ARC Raiders Stocks: Ultimate Attachment Guide for Recoil & Handling
In ARC Raiders, stocks are weapon accessories that can be attached to weapons to alter their characteristics. They can be crafted at Gunsmith in Workshop, found on the ground, or purchased from Astronomy Department.
Original stocks provide different modification effects. So how do you choose the right stock for your equipment?
Understanding stock terminology and functions will help you understand which stock is best suited for each weapon and why. Let's take a look.
Stock Classification
ARC Raiders features five different types of stocks.
Stable Stock
There are three different Stable Stocks: Stable Stock I, Stable Stock II, and Stable Stock III. They all have two main functions: reducing Recoil Recovery Time and Dispersion Recovery Time.
When you fire, the bullet flies upwards and then returns to your initial aiming point. Simultaneously, your crosshair enlarges. The time it takes for the crosshair to return to its normal size is the weapon's Dispersion Recovery Time. The time it takes for the muzzle to return to your initial aiming position after firing is Recoil Recovery Time. These two points are the essence of Stable Stock.
Stable Stock I reduces Recoil Recovery Time and Dispersion Recovery Time by 20%, Stable Stock II by 35%, and Stable Stock III by 50%.
Upgrading to Stable Stock III has a slight drawback: Equip Time and Unequip Time increase by 20%, but this is negligible.
Padded Stock
Padded Stock is special. It reduces Vertical Recoil and Horizontal Recoil by 15% and Per-Shot Dispersion by 20%, meaning less recoil.
Take Torrent as an example. When aiming with Torrent, you see a circular crosshair. If you fire a bullet with Torrent, it will land anywhere within the crosshair. Per-Shot Dispersion essentially means that each bullet you fire will land at a different location within the circle. Equipping your gun with Padded Stock reduces Per-Shot Dispersion by 20%.
However, the downside of Padded Stock is that Equip Time and Unequip Time increase by 20%. Most seriously, ADS Speed decreases by 30%, meaning aiming time increases by 30%, significantly reducing weapon handling.
Lightweight Stock
Conversely, Lightweight Stock increases ADS Speed by 200%, resulting in extremely fast aiming. It significantly improves handling. It also reduces Equip Time and Unequip Time by 30%. However, its downside is a 50% increase in Vertical Recoil and Recoil Recovery Time.
How to Choose?
Single-Shot Weapons
Single-shot weapons include Aphelion, Renegade, Kettle, Arpeggio, and Vulcano.
These weapons must be equipped with Stable Stock, allowing for faster firing and effective control of recoil and bullet spread, resulting in quicker firing.
All these single-shot weapons require reduced recoil for faster firing. Therefore, Stable Stock is essential; other stocks are not considered. Furthermore, the more expensive Stable Stock you can buy, the greater the advantage you gain from these single-shot weapons and the more ARC Raiders Items you acquire.
Fully Automatic Weapons
Choosing these weapons is actually quite simple. You need to choose Padded Stock. This reduces recoil and lowers single-shot spread by 20%.
While there will be a slight decrease in handling, it's very subtle, especially for submachine guns like the new Canto, Bobcat, and Stitcher. You'll barely feel the increase in Equip Time and Unequip Time. The 30% increase in aiming time is also insignificant, as their aiming speed is already very fast and their handling is excellent. Therefore, you'll hardly feel these drawbacks.
So, for all rapid-fire weapons like submachine guns in ARC Raiders, Padded Stock is the simplest and wisest choice. However, for some types of players, Padded Stock may not be the best option for using Canto and Bobcat.
If you're the type of player who prefers short bursts, like releasing the trigger after two, three, or four bullets to control recoil and maintain aim, then a padded stock might not be for you. You should use a stable stock, as your recoil and bullet spread recover much faster.
Therefore, for players who prefer short bursts, even with submachine guns, a stable stock is recommended. However, if you prefer to unload the magazine, you should choose a padded stock; a stable stock offers no advantage.
Other Situations
First, I want to discuss two weapons that I believe completely lack a stock. The first is Osprey, which can be used without a stock. IL Toro is similar; it's a single-shot shotgun with a pump-action mechanism, so a stock offers little advantage.
Vulcano requires reduced recoil and single-shot spread, so you can use it with a soft stock. For players who like using Torrente on Stella Montis map, a lightweight stock might be useful. Lightweight Stock is also a great fit for Hullcracker, significantly improving handling.
Your Stable Stock I, Stable Stock II, and Stable Stock III are interchangeable, depending on how many resources you have in the game. You won't notice the increased Equip Time and Unequip Time when using Stable Stock III. Of course, it depends on your personal preference. If you're the type of player who likes to use SMGs and fully automatic weapons with heavy magazines, then Padded Stock is the best choice for you.
Lightweight Stock is a very niche attachment and not very useful in ARC Raiders. You can equip it on Hullcracker, and some might think it works well on Torrente, but the final choice is yours.
These stock usage suggestions are just recommendations. You need to adjust your stock usage in ARC Raiders according to your own playing style. Once you understand the function of each stock, you'll find the one that truly suits you.
