The Kettle is the Common semi-automatic assault rifle most Raiders first meet in a free loadout: Light Ammo, a 20-round magazine, 8.5 damage per shot, 450 RPM and a 2.5x headshot multiplier, with Very Weak ARC armor penetration. Frozen Trail 2.0 added it to the amplified weapons list with three new nodes: X-Rounds, Anti-Shield and Full-Auto. They don't all fit on one gun. X-Rounds conflicts with both of the others, so every amplified Kettle ends up as one of two builds: X-Rounds alone, or Anti-Shield plus Full-Auto. An activated amplification can't be removed or changed, so this is a one-time call. This Kettle amplification guide covers all three nodes with their exact tooltip values and costs, checked against the ARC Raiders Wiki amplified-weapons table, plus the research behind them and which build suits which player.
Quick answer (TL;DR): The Common Kettle needs one Amplification Module Mk. I to reach Level 5, after the Gunsmith and Research Station both hit Level 4. That makes it the cheapest gun in the game to amplify. X-Rounds (+6.5 base damage, +400% vs ARC armor, but 20% slower fire rate, 30% lower bullet velocity and 4 fewer rounds; Embedded Blast Engineering research, 3 Fossilized Lightning) turns it into an anti-ARC rifle. Anti-Shield (+100% vs Raider shields, -2 base damage; Shield Stress Testing research, 3 Assessor Matrix) plus Full-Auto (+15% fire rate, full-auto trigger, more recoil and spread; 3 Pneumatic Actuator, no research listed) turns it into a PvP shield-breaker. Pick X-Rounds if you farm ARC, Anti-Shield + Full-Auto if you fight Raiders.
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What is Kettle amplification?
Weapon Amplification arrived with Frozen Trail 2.0 on October 8, 2026. Amplified weapons are ones that can be pushed to Level 5, which opens amplification slots that change how the gun works (Amplified Weapons, ARC Raiders Wiki). Level 5 sits above the normal Kettle I to IV upgrades, and the module that gets you there has to match the weapon's base rarity. The Kettle is Common, so it takes an Amplification Module Mk. I, the lowest tier. The Level 5 upgrade alone adds +70 Max Durability before you pick any node.
The Kettle's base profile explains why the nodes look the way they do. It's quick and accurate, but it hits light (8.5 per shot), barely scratches ARC armor, and the wiki notes it has low bullet velocity and a long reload. Kettle IV fixes some of that with 75% more bullet velocity and a 40% shorter reload. The three amplifications pull the gun in opposite directions: X-Rounds makes each shot heavier and much better against ARC armor, while Anti-Shield and Full-Auto make it spray faster and strip Raider shields.
The Kettle page on the wiki lists all three nodes as added in patch 2.0. If you're still choosing which gun to invest in, the best ARC Raiders weapons loadout vs ARC and the amplified weapons hub compare the roster.
What are the Kettle amplification nodes?
The Kettle has three nodes. X-Rounds conflicts with Anti-Shield and with Full-Auto. Anti-Shield and Full-Auto don't conflict with each other, so they can run together. Here's each node from the wiki's Assault Rifles table:
| Node | Effect | Research | Materials | Conflicts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| X-Rounds | +6.5 base damage, +400% damage vs ARC armor, +15% vertical and horizontal recoil, 30% lower bullet velocity, 20% lower fire rate, -4 magazine size | Embedded Blast Engineering | 3 Fossilized Lightning | Anti-Shield, Full-Auto, Magazine Mod |
| Anti-Shield | +100% damage vs Raider shields, -2 base damage | Shield Stress Testing | 3 Assessor Matrix | X-Rounds |
| Full-Auto | +15% fire rate, 20% lower headshot multiplier, +30% vertical and horizontal recoil, +30% max shot dispersion | None listed | 3 Pneumatic Actuator | X-Rounds |
A note on the numbers: the wiki's general Amplification overview groups X-Rounds for the Kettle and Anvil under one set of lower values (+5 damage, +33% vs ARC armor). The per-weapon Amplified Weapons table, edited after it, gives the Kettle its own row, and that's what we use here. The Anvil's row in that same table still shows +5 and +33%, so the Kettle's version really is the bigger buff. The same goes for Full-Auto: the overview lumps the Kettle in with the Burletta (+60% fire rate), but the per-weapon table gives the Kettle a milder +15%. Check the in-game tooltip before you commit, because numbers on a two-week-old system can still get tuned.
What X-Rounds does to the Kettle
X-Rounds adds an explosive compound to every bullet. If the +6.5 applies to the base 8.5, each shot lands for about 15 damage on paper, close to double. The headline is +400% damage vs ARC armor, which is aimed squarely at the Kettle's biggest weakness: Very Weak ARC armor penetration. On paper, nothing else the Kettle can get changes its anti-ARC role this much.
It isn't free. Fire rate drops 20% (roughly 450 to 360 RPM), bullet velocity drops 30%, recoil goes up 15%, and the magazine shrinks from 20 to 16 rounds. It also lists a conflict with Magazine Mod. That's not an amplification node, it points at the Kettle's light-mag attachment slot, the same way the wiki tags slot conflicts on other weapons. Expect X-Rounds to cost you your magazine attachment too, so 16 rounds is what you'll actually carry. Fewer, heavier, slower shots: it plays more like a marksman rifle than a spray gun.
What Anti-Shield does to the Kettle
Anti-Shield redistributes damage so the gun breaks shields faster: +100% damage vs Raider shields, at the cost of 2 base damage (8.5 down to about 6.5 per shot). That's a straight PvP trade. Against a shielded Raider you strip the shield much faster, but once the shield is gone every bullet does less than a stock Kettle's. It's useless against ARC.
What Full-Auto does to the Kettle
Full-Auto turns the semi-auto Kettle into a fully automatic rifle. You get +15% fire rate (around 518 RPM) and a held trigger. The cost is accuracy: 20% lower headshot multiplier, 30% more vertical and horizontal recoil, and 30% more max shot dispersion. It's the only Kettle node with no research listed in the wiki's Amplified Weapons and Amplified Research tables, so if that holds in-game, it goes on as soon as the Kettle hits Level 5 and you have three Pneumatic Actuators.
Which Kettle amplification build is best?
Since X-Rounds blocks the other two, there are really only two finished builds. Pick by what your Kettle shoots:
- You use the Kettle on ARC (PvE, Pendola Pass runs, research challenges): X-Rounds only. +400% vs ARC armor and close to double damage per shot fix the Kettle's worst stat. You give up magazine size and fire rate, but against armored ARC that's the right trade.
- You use the Kettle to fight Raiders: Anti-Shield + Full-Auto. Double damage into shields plus a faster, held trigger is a short-range shield-shredder. Body damage after the shield breaks is lower, and the gun gets much harder to control, so it works best up close.
- You're short on Research Points: Full-Auto alone. It's the only node with no research listed, so it can be your first activation while you grind Shield Stress Testing. Don't take it if you might want X-Rounds later. Once Full-Auto is on, X-Rounds is locked out for good.
Our verdict: X-Rounds for most players. Most Kettle owners run it as a cheap, low-risk gun for ARC-heavy raids, and X-Rounds is the one node that changes what it can kill. Anti-Shield + Full-Auto is a real PvP build, but it needs two research-gated or Frigate-sourced materials and turns a forgiving rifle into a recoil-heavy one.
How do you unlock Kettle amplification?
The chain is the same for every amplifiable weapon (Amplified Weapons, ARC Raiders Wiki):
- Unlock and build up your Outpost. The Outpost build guide covers the order.
- Raise the Gunsmith to Level 4.
- Raise the Research Station to Level 4. Both benches have to be at Level 4 before Level 5 upgrades and amplifications open up.
- Upgrade the Kettle to Level 5 at the Gunsmith with one Amplification Module Mk. I.
- Activate your node or nodes. Full-Auto has no research listed. X-Rounds and Anti-Shield need their research finished first.
The research projects
Every Amplified Research project has two steps: a challenge, then a submission of 5,000 Research Points plus ARC components (Amplified Research, ARC Raiders Wiki). Once one is done, it's permanently available on every eligible Level 5 weapon.
- Embedded Blast Engineering (X-Rounds): deal 1,000 damage each to Fireflies, Hornets, Fireballs and Surveyors using Light Impact Grenades, then submit 5,000 Research Points and 5 Rocketeer Drivers. The same project unlocks X-Rounds on the Anvil and Bettina, so if you finished it for the Anvil, your Kettle is covered. Rocketeer Drivers come from destroyed Rocketeers.
- Shield Stress Testing (Anti-Shield): deal 700 damage to Raiders, then submit 5,000 Research Points and 2 Matriarch Reactors. The challenge is easy. The reactors aren't: they're Legendary drops from the Matriarch, which only spawns under its map condition. Our Queen and Matriarch kill guide and Matriarch Reactor guide cover the fight and the drop.
If Research Points are your bottleneck, see which research pays best.
The materials
- Fossilized Lightning (X-Rounds, 3 needed) is an Epic item found at the epicenter of lightning strikes, and only while the Electromagnetic Storm map condition is active. Plan your storm raids around it.
- Assessor Matrix (Anti-Shield, 3 needed) is an Epic item scavenged from the ARC Assessor. Breaching the Assessor calls down a squad of ARC, so clear space first.
- Pneumatic Actuator (Full-Auto, 3 needed) is an Epic Topside Material added in Frozen Trail 2.0. The wiki lists ARC Frigate scavenging as its source. Our Pneumatic Actuator and Pressure Regulator farm guide covers where to get it, and the same material feeds the Burletta's Full-Auto node.
Where do you get an Amplification Module Mk. I?
The Common Kettle needs the Mk. I module. The wiki lists two sources for amplification modules: the Fallen Emperor on Pendola Pass, opened with an Emperor Gateway Conduit, and the cargo inside the ARC Frigate during the ARC Frigate event. The Amplification Module farm guide compares the two routes. One Mk. I per Kettle is all it takes. The nodes cost the materials above, not more modules.
Amplified weapons also change how you handle losses. Level 5 weapons can only be repaired with Amplified Fragments, and an amplified weapon drops at 10% durability when you're knocked out. That's where the Kettle has an edge: it's the cheapest gun to replace and re-amplify, so it's the one amplified weapon you can risk on a raid that might go wrong.
Is amplifying the Kettle worth it?
Yes, and it's the best value amplification in the game right now. A Mk. I module is the cheapest tier, the base gun is crafted at Gunsmith 1 from 6 Metal Parts and 8 Rubber Parts, and X-Rounds fixes the exact stat that kept the Kettle out of ARC fights. Anti-Shield + Full-Auto is worth it only if your Kettle is a PvP gun and you already have Matriarch Reactors to spare. Whichever you pick, decide before your first activation. Taking Full-Auto as a stopgap locks X-Rounds out forever.
For how the rest of the roster compares, the ARC Raiders amplified weapons hub lists every amplifiable gun and node.
Skip the amplification grind? timesaver.gg runs the Outpost research and the Frozen Trail farm for you:
- Outpost Research Boost: push the Research Station to the level that unlocks amplification.
- Frozen Trail Runs: farm the ARC components and materials the research grind demands.
FAQ
How many amplifications can the Kettle have? Two at most, and only as Anti-Shield plus Full-Auto. X-Rounds conflicts with both, so an X-Rounds Kettle has just the one node. Activated amplifications can't be removed or changed.
What module do you need to amplify the Kettle? The Amplification Module Mk. I, because the Kettle is a Common weapon and the module has to match the weapon's rarity. Modules come from the Fallen Emperor on Pendola Pass and from ARC Frigate cargo.
Is Kettle X-Rounds worth it? Yes, if you shoot ARC. It adds +6.5 base damage and +400% damage vs ARC armor, which covers the Kettle's Very Weak armor penetration. You lose 20% fire rate, 30% bullet velocity and four rounds of magazine.
Does Kettle Full-Auto need research? The wiki's Amplified Weapons and Amplified Research tables list none. Activating it costs 3 Pneumatic Actuator once the Kettle is at Level 5. Remember that it locks out X-Rounds permanently.
How do you unlock X-Rounds for the Kettle? Complete Embedded Blast Engineering at the Research Station: deal 1,000 damage each to Fireflies, Hornets, Fireballs and Surveyors with Light Impact Grenades, then submit 5,000 Research Points and 5 Rocketeer Drivers. Activating the node costs 3 Fossilized Lightning.
Is the Kettle Anti-Shield amplification good? In PvP, yes. It doubles damage against Raider shields for a 2-point hit to base damage. It does nothing against ARC, and the research needs 2 Matriarch Reactors.
Is X-Rounds the same on the Kettle and the Anvil? Same research and same material cost (3 Fossilized Lightning), but different numbers. The wiki's per-weapon table gives the Kettle +6.5 damage and +400% vs ARC armor, against +5 and +33% on the Anvil.
