ARC Raiders Rascal Guide: Stats, Blueprint Location, and How It Compares to the Hullcracker
Is the Rascal a good weapon? Where can I find the Rascal blueprint? How does it compare to the Hullcracker? Check out our guide for answers.
The Rascal is ARC Raiders' newest weapon introduced in Update 1.29: a blue tier grenade launcher designed to give players a cheaper, lighter, and more accessible alternative to the Hullcracker. But is it actually worth using? Is the blueprint worth hunting down? And how does it hold up against real ARC enemies in the field?
— Rascal —
This guide covers everything: crafting costs, blueprint locations, real damage numbers against Shredders and Bastions, and a direct Rascal vs. Hullcracker comparison to help you decide when and whether to bring this thing into a raid.
What Is the Rascal? Quick Overview
The Rascal is a blue (rare) tier grenade launcher — the first new launcher added to ARC Raiders since launch. It sits a full rarity tier below the Hullcracker (which is epic), and that gap shows in the stats. Less damage per shot, more bullet drop, slower fire rate. But it also weighs significantly less, equips faster, and most importantly, it spawns in the world constantly, making it one of the most accessible anti-ARC tools in the game regardless of where you are in your progression.
Think of it less as a Hullcracker replacement and more as an arc-clearing sidearm you'll stumble across naturally and actually want to hold onto.
Rascal Crafting Costs and Upgrade Requirements
If you do decide to craft the Rascal from a blueprint, here's what you're looking at:
Base craft:
- 5 Canisters
- 3 Heavy Gun Parts
- 2 Advanced Mechanical Components
Each subsequent upgrade (Tier 1 → 2 → 3):
- +1 Advanced Mechanical Component
- +2 Heavy Gun Parts
Tier 3 → Tier 4 (final upgrade):
- 2 Advanced Mechanical Components
- 2 Heavy Gun Parts
This follows the same upgrade curve as other rare weapons in the game. It's not a cheap craft in absolute terms, and here's the honest reality check: if you compare the total material cost to just buying a Hullcracker from the store at 30,000 coins, the store purchase is arguably the better time investment for most players.
That said, crafting from a blueprint does have a place, particularly if you want a leveled-up Rascal early in an expedition before you've rebuilt your finances. The main benefit of the upgrade levels is reduced reload time, which matters a lot on a single-shot weapon.
Should You Bother Finding the Blueprint?
Probably not; at least not as a priority.
Here's the thing: the Rascal drops constantly from standard containers. After a few hours of normal looting, you're likely to find multiple Rascals just going about your usual raid routine. The blueprint, on the other hand, showed up only once in those same hours of play.
The Hullcracker never drops from containers. The Rascal drops like candy. That asymmetry is basically the whole pitch for this weapon: you will have an abundance of level one and level two Rascals sitting in your stash almost automatically. For most players, that's enough to make good use of the weapon without ever tracking down the blueprint.
If you do want the blueprint specifically, read on.
Where to Find the Rascal Blueprint
The most reliable source for the Rascal blueprint is raider-style containers, which include:
- Raider backpacks
- Weapon cases
- Med bags
- Grenade tubes
- Security breaches
- Uncovered caches
These containers appear on every map in the game. Uncovered caches in particular seem to offer slightly better odds; if that container type is in the weekly rotation, it's worth prioritizing.
There are also reports from the community of the Rascal blueprint dropping from key rooms and normal non-raider containers, though this appears to be less consistent. If you've found it outside of raider containers, it's worth noting where: the drop pool may be wider than initially documented.
For anyone starting fresh on an expedition without workbenches built up and without the coin to buy a Hullcracker from the store, finding a few Rascals through normal looting is genuinely one of the best early-game situations you can be in. A cheap, functional anti-ARC launcher with no upfront cost is hard to complain about.
Rascal vs. Hullcracker: Full Comparison
This is the real question. Let's break it down across the stats that actually matter.
Weight
| Weapon | Weight |
|---|---|
| Rascal | 4.0 kg |
| Hullcracker | 7.25 kg |
The Rascal is 3.25 kg lighter. For loadouts that are already pushing weight limits, that's a meaningful difference. It gives you more room to carry heavier gear elsewhere without sacrificing launcher utility.
Equip Speed
The Rascal equips and aims noticeably faster than the Hullcracker, unless the Hullcracker is running the Lightweight combo mod, which brings both weapons to roughly the same equip speed. Without that mod, the Rascal pulls ahead clearly.
This makes the Rascal a legitimately better "sidearm launcher," something you can swap to quickly mid-engagement, fire, and swap back without the slow draw time that makes the Hullcracker feel clunky in reactive situations.
Fire Rate
| Weapon | 10 Shots Fired In |
|---|---|
| Hullcracker | ~9.5 seconds |
| Rascal | ~17 seconds |
The Rascal takes nearly twice as long to fire 10 rounds due to its single-shot reload between each round. This is the biggest practical downside of the weapon in sustained fights. Against anything that requires volume, like a prolonged Bastion fight or a group of Hornet/Wasp clusters, the Hullcracker's reload advantage is substantial.
Bullet Drop
This is where the Rascal takes its biggest hit in the comparison. The bullet drop is significantly more pronounced than the Hullcracker. At around 45 meters, the aim correction required is large enough that missing entirely is a real risk until you've internalized the arc. Long-range shots against flying ARC like Vaporizers or Rocketeers are not where this weapon wants to be.
The practical implication: the Rascal is a close-to-medium range weapon. It rewards positioning, cover-peeking, and patience over volume fire at distance.
Damage Tests: Rascal vs. Hullcracker vs. Anvil
Shredder Test
The Hullcracker kills a Shredder in 2 shots. It's one of the most efficient Shredder-clearing tools in the game.
The Rascal takes 3 shots to kill a Shredder on body shots, confirming slightly lower per-shot damage. However, if you target the thrusters specifically, it's possible to 2-shot a Shredder with the Rascal as well. The Shredder's thruster hitboxes carry bonus damage multipliers, and landing on them with the Rascal brings it in line with the Hullcracker's output.
For comparison: a Jupiter also takes 3 shots on a Shredder. The Rascal sitting at that same benchmark for a blue tier weapon is solid.
Verdict on Shredders: Body-shot baseline is 3, but aimed shots at the thrusters can 2-shot. Strong performance for the weapon tier.
Bombader/Large ARC Test
Against higher-health ARC like the Bombader, the per-shot damage comparison becomes clearer:
| Weapon | Damage Per Shot (approx.) |
|---|---|
| Rascal | ~300–370 |
| Hullcracker | ~430–650 (varies with blast radius) |
| Anvil | ~80 |
The Hullcracker puts out roughly 50–100% more damage per shot depending on where you land relative to the blast radius. If the Hullcracker round hits dead center on a high-armor target, the gap is closer to 100%. If the blast catches only the edge of the hitbox, it narrows to around 30%.
The Anvil comparison is worth noting: one Rascal shot is roughly equivalent to five Anvil shots on heavily armored ARC. That's the tier gap the Rascal is bridging — it's not trying to match the Hullcracker, but it absolutely outclasses standard rifles on hardened targets.
Bastion Test
On a Bastion, a clean Rascal shot to the top deals around 316 damage. A Hullcracker shot to the same location lands around 427 damage. That's a roughly 30% advantage for the Hullcracker when blast radius isn't being maximized.
The Rascal against a Bastion is workable but slow given the reload time. The pattern that works best is peeking from cover, firing one shot, resetting, and repeating. It's a methodical playstyle, not optimal, but viable in the right circumstances.
When Should You Actually Use the Rascal?
Be honest with yourself: if you have a Hullcracker available, use the Hullcracker. It's the better weapon for dedicated ARC clearing in almost every measurable category.
But there are genuine use cases where the Rascal makes sense:
Early expedition, no workbenches: You've just started and can't buy a Hullcracker yet. You find two or three Rascals in normal containers. You're now equipped with a functional launcher that can handle Shredders, Hornets, and Wasps without spending anything.
PvP-heavy or risky lobbies: Bringing a Hullcracker into a sweaty PvP lobby means risking a high-value item. A Rascal you looted costs you nothing to lose. For maps like Riven Tide where ARC pressure is constant and player danger is high, the Rascal as a "throwaway launcher" makes real sense.
Loadout weight management: If your build is already heavy and you want launcher utility without sacrificing 7.25 kg, the Rascal's 4 kg weight gives you that coverage at a meaningful discount.
Sidearm against small ARC: The fast equip speed makes it a usable quick-draw against Wasps, Hornets, and Shredders mid-movement. Pull it out, drop the target, put it away. That's a role the Hullcracker doesn't fill as cleanly without the Lightweight mod.
What the Rascal Is Not
To manage expectations: the Rascal is not a weapon you build an anti-ARC loadout around. It won't carry you through a Queen fight. At range, the bullet drop will punish inconsistent aim until you've logged meaningful time with it. And its fire rate means sustained fights will drain your ammo and patience faster than alternatives.
It's also important to note: the Anvil still outperforms the Rascal in situations where weak point targeting (yellow joints) is the primary strategy. The Rascal deals splash launcher damage; the Anvil is more precise against specific structural weak points on larger ARC. Know which tool fits the fight.
Final Verdict: Is the Rascal Worth It?
For a blue tier weapon added specifically to broaden access to the launcher class, the Rascal delivers what it promises. It's not overpowered, it's not trying to be the Hullcracker, and it won't transform your loadout. But it's more capable than its rarity suggests, it's impressively easy to find without any blueprint hunting, and it fills a genuine gap, especially for players who need launcher utility without the grind or the risk of running premium gear.
The damage output on Shredders (and the potential 2-shot via thruster targeting) was genuinely surprising. The per-shot armor penetration against large ARC is legitimately stronger than what most rifles offer. And the fast equip speed gives it a sidearm identity that's actually functional.
Don't go out of your way to craft it. Do keep the ones you find. You'll thank yourself the next time you're weight-limited, broke, or just don't want to risk a Hullcracker in a dangerous lobby.
Looking for more ARC Raiders weapon guides and patch breakdowns? Stay on the site; https://arcraidersintel.org we cover everything from meta loadouts to farming routes and loot tier lists.