Arc Raiders How to Beat Every ARC

Enemies in Arc Raiders might look terrifying, but every single ARC unit has exploitable weaknesses that can turn these death machines into scrap metal. Recognizing ARC enemy behavior patterns and aiming for weak spots makes a huge difference.

Key Takeaways:

• Every ARC unit in Arc Raiders has exploitable weaknesses — aim for yellow weak spots to deal maximum damage.
• Most ARCs are nearly deaf, but the Snitch drone can hear from long distances and call reinforcements.
• Enemies don’t share alerts — engaging one group won’t aggro the entire map.

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ARC Weaknesses in Arc Raiders

ARC weaknesses in Arc Raiders are important to understand for all players. This knowledge will save you some stress and ammunition. The way ARC weak points work is that white-colored surfaces represent soft, unarmored areas that take full damage from your weapons. Grey plating is thick, reinforced armor that reduces damage unless you are using armor-piercing ammunition or a high-caliber weapon.

ARC weaknesses are the yellow components. These glowing or highlighted parts mark an ARC’s weak points, and hitting them can deal massive damage. Weak spots are usually on the back side of enemies, around joint connections, or on their cores. If you can consistently land shots on these areas, you’ll destroy even heavily armored ARCs in seconds. To summarize, depending on the color you will deal:

• White areas: Full damage.
• Grey areas: Reduced damage.
• Yellow areas: Increased damage.

Arc Raiders ARC Strategies

Each ARC type has its own behavior and weaknesses, which can be exploited to defeat it. Learning how they operate and where to attack them is very important, as it can save you in a raid. Killing ARCs is also profitable, as they drop important parts for crafting and progression. Defeating these machines becomes much easier if you have a good gun, which you can obtain with our Weapon Farming service. Below we have prepared a detailed list of all known ARC enemy types you will encounter in Arc Raiders.

And if you want a fast version of each strategy, here is a sheet that explains how to beat every ARC as concisely as possible with loot:

📌 You can tag or mark enemies in-game to reveal their names and easily identify each ARC type.

Wasp

The Wasp is the most common ARC drone and one you will see in every single raid. These flying robots patrol areas in groups, often led by a stronger Hornet. They will immediately fly towards your position if they hear gunfire or other loud noises. Even sprinting too close can trigger them to investigate. Fortunately, Wasps are fragile. Their armor is thin, and their four thrusters are their weak spots. A few shots at the thrusters or a single burst from a rifle is usually enough to bring them down.

Weak Spots: Thrusters

Hornet

The Hornet is equipped with a rapid-fire machine gun that can shred through shields in seconds. Its front thrusters are covered with armor, making frontal attacks against them not very effective. The best way to deal with Hornets is to flank them or wait for them to turn, since their back thrusters are not armored. If you can land shots there, you will quickly disable them before they can attack you back.

Weak Spots: Back Thrusters

Leaper

Leapers are fast, four-legged ARCs that use shockwaves to attack you. They close the distance quickly, jumping across covers and slamming the ground as an AoE move. Wait until they land and start to recover from a jump attack. This will make them vulnerable.

Timing your shots right after a leap can stagger or interrupt them. Keep moving, avoid getting cornered, and use vertical terrain or dodge rolls to create space when they charge.

Weak Spots: Legs, Faceplate

Sentinel

Sentinels act as stationary defense systems, guarding high-value loot locations across the map. You can often find one mounted on towers or rooftops, like at the top of Pilgrim’s Peak in the Blue Gate region. They have exceptional visual range and can spot you from far away, making stealthy approaches challenging. The safest strategy is to approach from cover, then aim for the glowing yellow fuel tank at their base.

Destroying it results in an instant kill and a satisfying explosion. If you want to farm Leaper materials but are struggling to fight them, our Leaper Kill service is exactly what you are looking for.

Weak Spot: Yellow Fuel Tank

Rocketeer

The Rocketeer is one of the most dangerous standard ARCs you will encounter. They are less common than Wasps or Hornets but far more dangerous, especially in higher-difficulty zones like Blue Gate.

Regular weapons will barely work on this ARC. You will need armor-piercing rounds or a powerful weapon. Focus your fire on the thrusters. Destroying them usually results in a chain explosion that kills the Rocketeer quickly.

Weak Spots: Thrusters

Pop

Pops are small, rolling drones. They patrol the interiors of large buildings with high loot potential. They are fast, unpredictable, and can kill you quickly if you ignore them. When they get too close, they self-destruct and deal heavy damage. Fortunately, they have low HP and can be destroyed in just a few shots. Always listen for their loud rolling noise to notice them early.

Weak Spot: No Specific Weak Spots

Tick

Ticks are another small enemy type, most commonly found clinging to ceilings and walls inside dark, enclosed areas. They tend to ambush unsuspecting players exploring the upper floors of locations like the Dam Control Tower. Their main threat comes from surprise rather than durability. A few bullets are all it takes to destroy them. Keep listening for a faint mechanical whirring sound they make before they jump at you.

Weak Spot: No Specific Weak Spots

Turret

Turrets are automated defensive units scattered throughout medium and high-value loot areas on all maps. Unlike Sentinels, Turrets only detect you when you enter their scanning beam. They are easy to notice, but they react instantly once they notice you. While they don’t have much health, their damage can kill you in seconds. Wait for a pause between bursts, then pop out from cover and return fire.

Weak Spot: No Specific Weak Spots

Fireball

The Fireball rolls around the interiors of high-loot areas but doesn’t self-destruct. Instead, it’s equipped with a flamethrower, setting you on fire. The strategy for handling them is similar to Pops. Listen for the rolling noise and destroy them before they get closer to you.

Weak Spot: Exposed Core

Surveyor

Surveyors are rare, but high-value ARC drones that reward players with a wide range of crafting materials if caught. They behave like Pops and Fireballs but move much faster. Noticing them can be difficult, but they sometimes pause their patrolling to emit a bright blue scanning beam into the sky.

If you see that light, you are close to one of them. Since Surveyors move quickly and run away when threatened, using a sniper rifle or another long-range weapon is your best option.

Weak Spot: Exposed Core

Bastion

Bastions are massive, heavily armored ARCs that patrol high-value zones. They are easily some of the most dangerous enemies in the game and are often supported by flying drones. Fighting a Bastion head-on is suicide. Instead, use grenades and explosives to wear it down, then flank it from behind to hit its weak spots. Its rear leg joints are particularly vulnerable, and destroying them will limit its mobility. For maximum damage, aim for the rear canister to expose the barrel core underneath. This is its biggest weak point.

Weak Spots: Yellow Canister, Legs

Bombardier

The Bombardier is a ranged ARC that shoots mortar rounds. Its shots follow your movement, which makes them difficult to dodge. Bobardier is usually followed by Spotter drones that mark your position. Taking out these drones first will leave the Bombardier disoriented.

Its yellow kneecaps on each leg and the yellow cylinder on its rear are key weak points. Hitting the kneecaps slows it down and exposes its inner sections for extra damage. Destroying the back cylinder can also disable it quickly. The best time to attack is right after it fires artillery, as it becomes vulnerable. Spotters will eventually respawn, though, so keep an eye out for that. Alternatively, you can let us handle the Bombardier Kill for you!

Weak Spot: Kneecaps, Yellow Canister

Snitch

The Snitch is an unarmed reconnaissance drone that floats high above the battlefield, constantly scanning for raiders. It’s one of the few enemies with enhanced hearing, capable of detecting gunfire and movement from a distance. Once it identifies a threat, it immediately calls for reinforcements, often triggering large-scale engagements. You can avoid detection by hiding behind buildings or dense vegetation, but if you choose to engage, make sure you have enough firepower to destroy it quickly before it signals backup.

Weak Spot: Underside of the drone

Queen

The Queen is an endgame boss that only appears during a Harvester event on any map. Taking her down requires a full team plus other raiders on the map. Queen is heavily armored and deals massive damage, so you’ll need a good supply of Heavy Ammo.

Queen’s first weak spots are the yellow joints on her legs, which only appear once the leg armor has been destroyed. After that, her next weak spot is the top of her head. It is exposed briefly while Queen fires her laser, and for a moment after that. Coordinating attacks around these windows, constantly moving, and timing your grenades is the key to victory.

Weak Spot: Yellow Legjoints, Head

Matriarch

The Matriarch is one of the hardest enemies in ARC Raiders and only shows up for a limited time during a special map event. Most of its body is heavily armored, so you will need weapons that can punch through ARC plating. The glowing core is its real weak spot, and that’s what you want to focus on.

When you fight Matriarch, smaller pieces will break off of it and can be looted like normal ARC debris, but the best rewards come from the main chassis. The Matriarch also spawns extra ARC enemies, so make sure to take care of them as well.

Weak Spot: Glowing Core

Shredder

Shredder is one of the two new ARCs added in the first major update on November 13, 2025, alongside the Matriarch. Currently, there is no data about Shredder’s weaknesses, but we will update the guide as soon as more information becomes available.

Weak Spot: TBA

Arc Raiders How to Avoid Enemies

Every ARC enemy uses a narrow 45-degree vision cone. When you are within that cone, the color of their detection indicator tells you exactly how aware they are of your presence. A blue light means they are patrolling, a yellow signal that they have heard something suspicious, and red means that they are entering combat mode.

Despite their intimidating designs, most ARCs are almost deaf. You can often sprint or fire suppressed weapons nearby without drawing attention, unless you are dealing with the Snitch. This surveillance drone has enhanced audio sensors and will immediately alert other ARCs if it detects trouble. It’s one of the few enemies that can genuinely hear you coming from a distance.

One crucial thing to remember is that ARCs don’t share a unified hive network. If you alert one, only that specific patrol group will respond. You can use this to your advantage, picking off smaller clusters of enemies without worrying about the entire map converging on your position.

Arc Raiders Enemies FAQ

Here you can find answers to the most common questions about Arc Raiders enemies, how they operate, and how to deal with them effectively.

How Do Weak Spots Work in Arc Raiders?

Weak spots are marked by yellow components on ARC units. Hitting these areas deals increased damage, allowing you to destroy even armored enemies quickly.

Can You Stealth Kill Enemies in Arc Raiders?

You can’t perform true stealth takedowns, but you can avoid entire patrols by staying out of their vision cone.

Do ARCs Fight Each Other in Arc Raiders?

No. ARCs operate under the same network and never attack one another. Their behavior is solely focused on eliminating raiders.

Do ARCs Alert Everyone When They Spot You?

No. ARC patrols do not share alerts globally. If one group sees you, only that squad engages.

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Knowing how each ARC enemy behaves makes a huge difference once the fighting starts. The more you recognize their patterns and weak points, the easier it becomes to win. Keep an eye on their movements, use cover smartly, and pick your shots.