The Matriarch is a new event-tier Arc Boss in Arc Raiders introduced with the Northline update. She’s even more dangerous than the Queen and only appears when the map condition is active, usually on Dam Battlegrounds, Blue Gate, or Spaceport.
Before engaging, make sure you’re fully geared—bring Wolf Packs for burst damage, Hullcracker for armor penetration, and plenty of heals and shield recharges. As the fight progresses, smaller parts of the Matriarch will break off; keep the pressure on and stay focused to bring her down for the best rewards.
1. What Is the Matriarch?
Matriarch Arc Raiders
The Matriarch in Arc Raiders is a special event mini-boss, larger and far more formidable than the Queen. As one of the toughest open-world enemies, she brings overwhelming damage output and relentless swarm support. You can check if Matriarch is active while selecting a map for raid, and if your goal is to fight her, join that map.
When the Matriarch spawns, the fight immediately shifts into a heavy long-range bombardment phase, so get behind solid cover fast. Use your Hullcracker to steadily damage her by aiming at the center of her body, and have teammates focus fire on her leg joints to slow her down and limit her movement.
2. Recommended Loadout & Strategy For Matriarch
Loadout for Matriarch Arc Raiders
Defeating the Matriarch isn’t an easy task, and it’s recommended to have a high ground for an easier challenge. She deals massive damage, spawns swarms, and can shred your armor quickly. Going in with the right loadout and a coordinated squad is essential.
Core Survivability Tools
Heavy Shield: Essential for absorbing long-range barrages and surviving tracking rockets. Without it, most hits become lethal.
Surge Shield Recharger ×10: Keep shields topped up between barrages; you’ll burn through these quickly under pressure.
Herbal Bandage ×10: Fast self-heal for when your HP dips below safe thresholds.
Primary Damage Options
Combat Mk. 3 (Aggressive Build): Reliable sustained damage that steadily chips away at armor segments.
Hullcracker 4 + Launcher Ammo (×144+): Your main burst tool. Aim directly at weak points and center mass to break armor plates quickly.
Anvil 4 or Venator: Strong supplemental fire during stagger windows or when repositioning between covers.
Utility & Crowd Control
Wolfpacks ×6: Excellent for clearing swarms and applying pressure while you’re forced into cover.
Snap Hook: It’s a grapple hook and lets you reposition instantly when mortars or rockets force you out of your spot.
Barricades: Deploy when your cover is destroyed or you’re forced to reset position mid-fight.
Team Coordination
The Matriarch is designed around squad coordination, not solo clears.
- Assign one player to Arc control
- One focuses on weak-point burst (Hullcracker)
- Remaining players maintain steady DPS from cover
- Rotate shields, cover positions, and rechargers together
3. How To Defeat Matriarch (All Phases)
Defeating Matriarch
The best spot to engage her is Dam Battlegrounds, where she usually appears at the top of the map in the valley between the two sides of the structure. Teams can set up on either side of the dam to start dealing damage early.
3.1 Phase One – Long-Range Assault
Phase One starts immediately after she spawns. This is primarily a long-range bombardment phase, so positioning and cover are key.
- The Matriarch is multidirectional; she attacks everyone constantly, so staying behind solid cover is critical.
- Focus fire on her body core using high-damage tools like Hullcracker, while teammates target her leg joints to reduce mobility.
- During shield phases, avoid wasting ammo. Use this time to heal, recharge shields, and reposition safely.
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Expect gas mortars, heat-seeking rockets, and swarms of smaller ARCs. Keep a fallback position where you can maintain line of sight and continue dealing damage.
3.2 Phase Two – Aggressive Rush
Once Phase Two begins, the Matriarch becomes far more aggressive and starts moving toward your squad, combining her attacks with area denial.
- She will rush your team, launching mortars, missiles, and now flashbang mines.
- Flashbangs stick to surfaces and erupt multiple times, obscuring vision for several seconds each time—stay mobile.
- Maintain consistent pressure while dodging her attacks and positioning strategically.
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Continue focusing on weak points, while keeping shields and health topped up.
3.3 Phase Three – Drone Swarm
Matriarch Swarm
Phase Three is the final and most chaotic stage. The Matriarch calls in all types of arcs, creating a swarm that requires careful crowd control.
- Expect bombardiers, bastions, leapers, rocketeers, and swarms of wasps, hornets, and balls.
- Focus on keeping the team coordinated—divide attention between the arcs and the Matriarch herself.
- Once her armor drops low, target the exposed core and unleash all your firepower.
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When defeated, she erupts with flames and lightning, leaving behind valuable loot for your squad to claim.
4. Matriarch Attack Pattern
High Ground Arc Raiders
Matriarch has multiple different attacks. Learning the attack pattern of this enemy is crucial to eliminating it effectively.
4.1 Missile Attack
Stay behind cover: Missiles hit extremely hard and can curve slightly, so shift your angle or move between cover if you keep getting clipped.
Avoid open areas: Standing in the open guarantees you’ll get hit, especially when the barrage ramps up.
4.2 Gas Mines
Leave the gas cloud immediately: The gas causes nonstop coughing that interrupts shooting, sprinting, and accuracy. Leaving right away prevents you from getting stuck, unable to defend yourself, especially during arc spawns or missile phases.
Reposition after gas appears: Gas mines are great opportunities to shift your angle. When she drops one, use that moment to rotate to a safer flank or reset your distance. This keeps the Matriarch from pinning you into a corner or forcing bad cover positions.
4.3 Flashbangs
Create distance from the flash: Being close to a flashbang blinds you for several seconds, leaving you helpless during enemy pushes. Keeping distance gives you enough time to identify where it lands and step away before it detonates.
Move out of the blast radius quickly: If a flash drops near your feet, don’t try to tank it—back up or strafe away immediately. Losing vision while missiles, arcs, or teammates are mid-fight often leads to instant downs.
4.4 Heat-Seeking Missiles
Keep moving constantly: These missiles punish players who try to kite her in predictable patterns. Constant lateral movement and sharp direction changes make the missiles lose tracking, keeping you safe while maintaining distance.
Use the cover to break the lock: Line-of-sight blockers like walls, rocks, or terrain instantly cancel the tracking. Break her visual contact as soon as you notice the lock-on to reset her pursuit and regain control of the fight.
5. Key Things to Watch Out For During the Matriarch Fight
Constant Elite ARC Spawns
The Matriarch continuously summons elite enemies, including Leapers, Rocketeers, Bastions, and Bombardiers.
- Clear them immediately — leaving even one alive can force you out of cover or break your formation.
- Prioritize Rocketeers and Bombardiers first due to high burst damage.
Shield Phase (Temporary Invulnerability)
- Hold your Hullcracker ammo and explosives during this phase.
- Use the downtime to reposition, revive teammates, or reset cover.
Expanded Attack Patterns
- gas-field mortars
- tracking rockets
- sustained machine-gun barrages
- Unprepared squads will take heavy losses — always keep a backup cover angle ready.
Lower Health Than the Queen
- With coordinated burst damage during her vulnerability windows, she goes down faster than expected.
- Proper ammo management leads to a surprisingly resource-efficient kill.
Heavy Shield Strong Recommendation
- Mobility is slightly reduced, but the damage absorption is essential.
- With the right augment, the trade-off becomes negligible and dramatically increases squad survivability.
6. Rewards For Defeating the Matriarch
Matriarch Rewards
Aphelion Rifle Materials
Defeating the Matriarch gives players access to Matriarch Reactors, the key crafting component for the Aphelion Rifle once it becomes available. Every part of her body can drop these reactors, so a well-coordinated fight can leave you with half a dozen or more.
The Aphelion Rifle is the new assault rifle added with the Stella Montis map in Arc Raiders.
Once you have collected the reactors, extraction is critical. Don’t linger—other Arc enemies may still be roaming, defending the fallen Matriarch, and can make your loot run dangerous.
Below are all the items you can obtain from defeating the Matriarch in Arc Raiders.
- Matriarch Reactor
- ARC Alloy
- Advanced ARC Powercell
- ARC Motion Core
- ARC Circuitry
- ARC Coolant
- ARC Flex Rubber
- ARC Thermo Lining
- ARC Synthetic Resin
- ARC Performance Steel
- Advanced Mechanical Components
- Advanced Electrical Components
- Complex Gun Parts
- Magnetic Accelerator
