The Sentinel Firing Core is a rare crafting material in Arc Raiders, primarily dropped by the Sentinel, a turret-type ARC enemy. While the Sentinel’s light armor leaves it somewhat exposed, it can still be tough to approach due to its high damage output. Engaging one requires careful positioning and cover to avoid being taken down.
An effective way to farm Sentinel Firing Cores is by looting every Arc Courier you encounter. These often contain valuable ARC components, including Sentinel Cores.
1. What is Sentinel Firing Core
Sentinel Firing Core Arc Raiders
The Sentinel Firing Core is a rare crafting material in Arc Raiders, primarily used to upgrade your Workbench and Gunsmith II. You’ll need 4x Sentinel Firing Cores, Rusted Gear, and Advanced Mechanical Components to complete these upgrades. These crafting upgrades are essential for progressing through mid-to-late-game weapon tiers and improving overall build efficiency.
Where to Find Sentinel Firing Core
Primary Locations:
- Dam Battlegrounds: The Research & Administration Building is the most reliable place to find Sentinels. Check near staircases and upper platforms, where they often spawn to guard key loot spots.
- Buried City: Head into industrial blocks and rooftop areas — Sentinels can spawn as defensive units near major loot containers. They’re easier to spot here due to open sightlines.
- Acerra Spaceport: One of the most dangerous yet rewarding areas. Sentinels here guard launch towers and hangars, dropping high-tier ARC loot, including Sentinel Firing Cores.
Alternative Farming Source:
- Arc Courier Husks (damaged ARC machines) also have a chance to drop Sentinel Firing Cores. You can find them scattered across Dam Battlegrounds and Blue Gate, often containing random loot like Wasp Drivers, Fireball Burners, and other high-end components.
What is a Sentinel
Sentinels are stationary ARC turrets that guard key areas in ARC Raiders. They detect movement with an orange scanning beam and unleash rapid bursts of heavy energy fire once they lock onto a target. Despite their high accuracy, they have major weaknesses you can exploit.
- Type: Stationary ARC Turret
- Behavior: Scans with an orange detection beam and fires sustained energy rounds when triggered.
How to Defeat a Sentinel
- Stay out of its scan radius — use cover and move only when the beam sweeps away.
- Aim for the yellow capsule on its rotating arm. This is its weak point; hitting it causes massive damage or instant destruction.
- Use weapons with ARC penetration such as Ferro or Stitcher to cut through its armor quickly.
- Engage from the side or rear whenever possible — the turret turns slowly and struggles to track fast movement.
- Avoid prolonged firefights. Once alerted, Sentinels can call in nearby ARC drones.
Weaknesses: Slow turning speed, limited mobility, light armor plating.
2. Best Locations to Farm Sentinel Firing Core
Here are the best locations on all maps where you can loot Sentinel Firing Core.
2.1 Dam Battlegrounds
Dam Battlegrounds
The Dam Battlegrounds is the most reliable place to farm Sentinel Firing Cores in Arc Raiders. Head to the south staircase of the building — you’ll usually find a Sentinel positioned in the corner, scanning the area. Use cover, then shoot the yellow capsule on its arm to destroy it quickly. Once it’s down, loot the body to get the Sentinel Firing Core.
Be aware of a bug where the Sentinel may fall through the map, making it unlootable. Try to kill it on flat ground to avoid losing the drop.
More Locations of Sentinel in the Dam Battlegrounds
Combat Arc Raiders
Besides the Research and Administration Building, several additional spawn points exist across the Dam Battlegrounds. These are the best ones to check:
- South Staircase (Main Building): Consistent Sentinel spawn with clear sightlines.
- East Side of The Breach: Occasional spawn near destroyed scaffolding — rare but valuable.
- West Side of The Breach: Another potential spawn point, appearing roughly once every 30–40 runs.
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Control Tower Perimeter: Sometimes includes extra patrol units carrying Sentinel parts.
Alternative Method – ARC Carriers
If you’re struggling to find Sentinels directly, focus on ARC Carriers — the large crashed ARC vessels with smoke rising from them.
These carriers are not the small, cigarette-shaped probes, but rather bigger crash sites that can be breached for loot.
- Often contain Sentinel Firing Cores and rare ARC components.
- Provide a more consistent and safer farming option compared to hunting random Sentinel spawns.
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Ideal for solo Raiders or those looking for steady material farming without high PvP risk.
2.2 Buried City
Defeating Sentinel Arc Raiders
In the Buried City, Sentinels have a chance to spawn on the rooftop of the Town Hall, located near the center of the map. Look for the small arch where a bell would normally hang — that’s where a Sentinel can appear. It’s a rare spawn, showing up roughly once every 10 runs, but worth checking each time.
After destroying the Sentinel, its core may fall onto the sand below, so head down carefully to loot it. Be cautious — a large enemy often patrols this area, making retrieval tricky. The Town Hall, Hospital, and Research buildings are all known Sentinel spawn points within the Buried City.
2.3 Spaceport
The Spaceport is another possible location where Sentinels can spawn in Arc Raiders. While their appearance here is less consistent, players have reported sightings near high-tier loot areas around the launch towers and interior zones. Because this map attracts experienced Raiders and offers dense loot, expect heavy competition.
If you’re still building up your gear or learning the game, it’s best to farm Sentinels in the Dam Battlegrounds or other lower-risk maps first.
2.4 Blue Gate Map
On the Blue Gate map in Arc Raiders, Sentinel spawns are rare but possible. The most common location is above the large central checkpoint, right in the middle of the map. Another potential spawn point is on the northern side, near the lookout towers by the main gate and the large antenna structure.
This map has the lowest Sentinel spawn rate compared to others, making it the least reliable for farming Sentinel Firing Cores. However, if you’re already exploring Blue Gate for loot or quests, it’s worth checking these two spots for a chance to take one down and secure a rare drop.
3. Best Strategies to Farm Sentinel Firing Cores
Running from Sentinels
1. Preparation & Setup
- Use the Safe Pocket augment before starting your run — any Sentinel Firing Cores you collect will be safely extracted even if you die.
- Bring medium or heavy weapons such as the Tempest or Ferro for fast takedowns.
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Equip light armor for mobility and stamina efficiency while dodging incoming shots.
2. Combat Tips
- Scout before engaging: Identify the Sentinel’s line of sight and approach from blind angles or behind cover.
- Stay mobile: Sentinels fire large, heavy rounds that can shred through armor. Keep dodging and strafing to break their tracking lock.
- Aim precisely: Target the yellow capsule on the turret arm for maximum damage and a quicker kill.
- Stealth approach: Crouch and use terrain to avoid early detection — their scanning beam can reach long distances.
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Use grenades or heavy ammo if you’re struggling to destroy them quickly.
3. Efficient Farming Route
- Start at the Research & Administration Building in Dam Battlegrounds.
- Clear the interior and loot Arc Courier Husks while searching for Sentinels.
- If Sentinels don’t spawn, extract and reload the map — respawns are random and switching maps (e.g., to Spaceport) is often faster than waiting.
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Repeat the cycle until you’ve gathered all four Sentinel Firing Cores.
4. Resource Management
Sentinel Firing Cores in Arc Raiders are not guaranteed drops, meaning you may not receive one after every Sentinel kill. Managing these resources efficiently is crucial. If you’re running low on crafting materials, you can recycle Sentinel Firing Cores to obtain valuable components for upgrades. Alternatively, if you need quick currency, consider selling them for coins.
Tip: It’s wise to keep a few stored in your stash, as these cores are essential for late-game crafting recipes and higher-tier upgrades like Workbench and Gunsmith II.
