Frozen Trail is here, and it brings two brand-new firearms to ARC Raiders: the Stiletto, a light-ammo battle rifle, and the Bantam, a heavy-ammo revolver. New weapons don't come along often, so the moment one drops the practical question is the same every time: are these two worth chasing first? This guide covers exactly what each weapon is, how it slots against the guns you already know, who should craft it, and how to get both into your loadout fast.
Quick answer (TLDR): The Stiletto is a light-ammo battle rifle built as a cheap, early-game alternative to the Renegade — accurate at range with low initial recoil, but handling degrades if you mash the trigger, so it rewards controlled, paced shots. The Bantam is a snub-nosed heavy-ammo revolver with a unique hip-fire capability that overlaps with the Anvil's role — faster to respond with but less precise. If you want reliable ranged damage and you're still building out your kit, the Stiletto is the priority craft; the Bantam is a close-to-mid pocket cannon for aggressive players. Read on for the full breakdown.
ARC Raiders - Blueprints
Get blueprints in 10 minutes
Why two new weapons matter right now
New guns are rare in ARC Raiders — the arsenal grows slowly and deliberately, so each addition genuinely matters. Frozen Trail — the game's first-anniversary update (ARC sold 16 million-plus copies in its first year) and, per Embark, its "most ambitious update since launch" — adds the Stiletto and the Bantam on top of the new map, enemies, and Amplified-weapon systems. New weapons are exactly the kind of addition that reshuffles what's worth running, so it's worth knowing where these two fit before you spend materials on them.
Both weapons fill gaps rather than replace staples. The Stiletto gives early-game Raiders a credible ranged option before they unlock the Renegade or an Assault Rifle; the Bantam hands aggressive, close-range players a heavy-ammo sidearm that punches far above a pistol. Neither is a straight upgrade over an existing gun — they're role tools, which is exactly how ARC's arsenal is designed.
What is the Stiletto in ARC Raiders?
The Stiletto is a light-ammo battle rifle and, in Embark's own words, "fits in as an early-game alternative to the Renegade." It is cheap to craft and easy to wield, aimed squarely at Raiders who want to fight from distance without committing to a pricier mid-game rifle.
Its defining trait is a tension between fire rate and control. Per the official Frozen Trail preview: "Fire rate can be fast, but button mashing will sacrifice accuracy — keep a cool head and hit your shots." In practice that means the Stiletto rewards a steady trigger finger. Tap it in controlled, paced shots and it stays accurate at range; spam it as fast as you can and your rounds scatter. Inven Global's hands-on preview described it as semi-automatic on light ammo with a 16-round magazine, accurate with low initial recoil that climbs under sustained fire — numbers to treat as preview-stage until the in-game stat card is confirmed, but they match Embark's "keep a cool head" framing exactly.
How to run the Stiletto well. Because accuracy falls off the harder you spam the trigger, the Stiletto is a positioning weapon, not a run-and-gun one. Fight from medium range, use cover, and settle your reticle between shots rather than holding the trigger down. That controlled-fire identity is a natural fit against ARC machines at distance and against Raiders you've already spotted — situations where you set the terms of the fight. It's a weaker pick for surprise close-range brawls, where a faster-cycling weapon (or the Bantam) will out-trade you before your careful shots land.
Stiletto vs Renegade: which should you run?
Embark explicitly calls the Stiletto "an early-game alternative to the Renegade" — a progression comparison, not an ammo one (the Stiletto runs light ammo; the Renegade uses medium ammo, so they draw from different pools). The point is role: both give you dependable ranged damage, and the Stiletto gets you there earlier and cheaper. Once your economy recovers, the Renegade is the heavier-hitting long-term option — and notably it's one of the 15 guns eligible for a Frozen Trail Amplified fifth-tier upgrade (Embark's example: a Renegade with a scope). Treat the Stiletto as your bridge weapon: craft it early, run it until your kit stabilizes, then branch out.
What is the Bantam in ARC Raiders?
The Bantam is a snub-nosed revolver that uses heavy ammo to, as Embark puts it, "punch a hole straight through your adversaries." It's effective against both ARC and rival Raiders and ships with a unique hip-fire capability — the official copy leans into the "cowboy fantasy, even if you've got frozen fingers" framing, which is a direct nod to firing from the hip on the move rather than aiming down sights.
That hip-fire identity is what separates the Bantam from everything else. It's a close-to-mid-range burst-damage tool for players who want to stay mobile and aggressive, trading the precision of an aimed weapon for speed and the ability to shoot while repositioning.
How to run the Bantam well. Treat it as a secondary that rewards aggression: pair it with a longer-range primary (the Stiletto, the Renegade, or an assault rifle) and pull the Bantam when a fight collapses to close range and you don't have time to aim down sights. Its heavy ammo means every hit is meaningful, so pick your moment and commit — strafe, hip-fire, and reposition rather than standing still to trade. Where a light-ammo SMG wins by volume, the Bantam wins by weight per shot, which makes it especially useful for finishing a wounded Raider or punching through an ARC unit that's already closed the distance on you.
Bantam vs Anvil: the heavy-ammo overlap
The Bantam lands in the same heavy-ammo lane as the Anvil, ARC's long-standing Uncommon single-action Hand Cannon (40 damage, a 2.5× headshot multiplier for a 100-damage headshot, Strong ARC armor penetration, 6-round magazine). Inven Global's hands-on preview described the Bantam as compact and overlapping with the Anvil — not quite as accurate, but faster to respond with. That suggests the trade: the Anvil is the deliberate, precise heavy-ammo option, while the Bantam leans into speed, hip-fire mobility, and faster follow-ups. In practical terms, reach for the Anvil when you have time to line up a high-value shot on armored ARC or a headshot duel, and the Bantam when a fight collapses to close range and you're moving. Exact Bantam damage, fire rate, and armor-pen values were not published pre-launch, so treat any specific number as provisional until you can read the in-game weapon card.
ARC Raiders - Materials
Get materials in 10 minutes
How to get the Stiletto and Bantam
Both weapons follow ARC's standard acquisition model — you find and learn a blueprint, then craft the gun at your workbench from materials and gun parts. ARC blueprints are "learn and consume": you learn the recipe once (which consumes the blueprint) and can then craft the weapon. Blueprints are earned through play — from containers, traders, and Expedition rewards — but Embark hadn't published the exact Stiletto and Bantam blueprint sources or recipe costs before launch, so confirm those in-game rather than assuming a specific drop route. The Stiletto is explicitly flagged as cheap to craft, which is the whole point of an early-game option, so it should be one of the more accessible new recipes to build once you've learned it. The Bantam, as a heavy-ammo revolver, leans on your heavy-ammo economy and the usual gun-part materials.
Two things worth planning around:
- Blueprints gate access, materials gate volume. You need the blueprint in hand before you can craft either gun at all — then every copy you build, and every upgrade tier you push at the Gunsmith, costs gun parts and components you have to farm or buy.
- Prioritize the cheap Stiletto if you want ranged damage online fast. It's the less material-intensive craft of the two by Embark's own description, so it's the quicker path to a reliable mid-range gun. If you'd rather skip the blueprint RNG and the material grind entirely and get straight into Pendola Pass with a working kit, that's where ready-made blueprints and material stock do the heavy lifting.
Check out our ARC Raiders services
Chasing the new Frozen Trail guns? Skip the blueprint RNG and the material grind and get straight into Pendola Pass with the gear you actually want.
- ARC Raiders Blueprints — from $0.99 — 80+ blueprints · unlock rare weapons · fast & secure delivery
- ARC Raiders Materials — all rarities · instant delivery · trusted
- All ARC Raiders services — leveling, carries, and more
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Stiletto better than the Renegade in ARC Raiders? Not outright — the Stiletto is a cheaper, earlier light-ammo battle rifle positioned as an alternative to the Renegade, not an upgrade. It's the better pick when you're low on materials in the early game; the Renegade is the stronger long-term platform once your economy recovers, and it can take a Frozen Trail Amplified fifth-tier upgrade.
What ammo does the Bantam use? Heavy ammo. It's a snub-nosed revolver that overlaps with the Anvil's heavy-ammo, high-damage role, but with a unique hip-fire capability that makes it faster to respond with and better suited to mobile close-range fights.
Should I craft the Stiletto or the Bantam first? If you want reliable ranged damage and you're still building out your kit, craft the Stiletto first — Embark explicitly built it to be cheap to craft. Pick the Bantam first only if your playstyle is aggressive, close-range, and hip-fire heavy.
How do you unlock the new weapons? Like other ARC Raiders guns, you first learn each weapon's blueprint — ARC blueprints are "learn and consume," found in Weapon-type containers, from traders, and as Expedition rewards — and then craft the gun from materials and gun parts at your workbench.
Are the Stiletto and Bantam the only new weapons in Frozen Trail? They're the two brand-new firearms. Frozen Trail also adds Amplified Weapons — a fifth quality tier that rolls out to 15 existing guns via the fully upgraded Research Workstation at your Outpost, with branching upgrade paths like a full-auto Burletta or an incendiary 64-round Rattler.
Sources: official ARC Raiders Frozen Trail content preview (arcraiders.com/news/frozen-trail-content-preview), Embark Studios Frozen Trail press release (Sept 23, 2026), and arcraiders.wiki. Weapon stat values from community hands-on previews are flagged as preview-stage and should be confirmed against the in-game weapon card. Guide by the timesaver.gg team.
