In ARC Raiders, every ARC is built to punish hesitation. Some swarm you, some snipe from distance, and others turn entire zones into boss arenas. Knowing where their weak spots are, how their attack patterns work, and when to commit to a fight is essential if you want to survive and extract with valuable parts.
This guide covers every ARC enemy in the game, detailing how to destroy them efficiently, what weapons work best, and what loot you can secure from each encounter.
ARC Raiders Enemy Loot Table
This table summarizes the loot drops for every ARC enemy in ARC Raiders. Use it to quickly identify which enemies are worth fighting if you are farming specific crafting components or rare ARC parts.
| ARC Enemy | Loot Drops |
|---|---|
| Wasp | ARC Alloy, Wasp Driver, Light Ammo |
| Hornet | ARC Alloy, ARC Powercell, Hornet Driver, Medium Ammo |
| Snitch | ARC Alloy, ARC Powercell, Snitch Scanner |
| Fireball | ARC Alloy, ARC Powercell, Fireball Burner |
| Pop | Pop Trigger, ARC Powercell, ARC Thermo Lining |
| Tick | ARC Alloy, Tick Pod |
| Turret | ARC Alloy, ARC Powercell, Light Ammo |
| Sentinel | ARC Alloy, Advanced ARC Powercell, Sentinel Firing Core, Heavy Ammo |
| Shredder | Shredder Gyro, Shotgun Ammo, ARC Powercell, ARC Alloy, ARC Synthetic Resin |
| Firefly | Firefly Burner, ARC Alloy, Chemicals, Synthesized Fuel |
| Comet | Comet Igniter, Explosive Compound, ARC Coolant, ARC Alloy, ARC Thermo Lining |
| Surveyor | Surveyor Vault, ARC Alloy, ARC Powercell |
| Leaper | Leaper Pulse Unit, ARC Alloy, ARC Powercell, ARC Performance Steel |
| Rocketeer | ARC Alloy, Advanced ARC Powercell, Rocketeer Driver, Heavy Gun Parts, ARC Motion Core |
| Bastion | ARC Alloy, Advanced ARC Powercell, Bastion Cell, ARC Circuitry |
| Bombardier | ARC Alloy, Advanced ARC Powercell, Bombardier Cell, Launcher Ammo |
| Queen | ARC Alloy, ARC Powercell, Queen Reactor, Magnetic Accelerator, Complex Gun Parts |
| Matriarch | Matriarch Reactor, Magnetic Accelerator, Complex Gun Parts, ARC Alloy, Advanced ARC Powercell |
1. Wasp
Wasp
The Wasp is one of the most common flying ARCs you will encounter in ARC Raiders. It patrols open areas and applies constant aerial pressure, especially in locations where multiple ARCs are active at once.
The Wasp hovers at mid-range and fires repeatedly while repositioning in the air. It rarely commits to a low dive unless pressured. Its most important vulnerability is its four rear thrusters. They are also frequently summoned as reinforcements when a Snitch calls backup.
How to Kill Wasp and Loot Drops
- Kill method: The fastest way to kill a Wasp is by targeting its four rear thrusters. Once enough damage is dealt to the thrusters, the Wasp loses stability, spirals, and crashes.
- Loot drops: ARC Alloy, Wasp Driver, Light Ammo.
2. Hornet
Hornet
The Hornet is a heavier, more dangerous variant of the Wasp. While it shares similar aerial movement patterns, it introduces electrical shock attacks that disrupt your movement and make repositioning harder under pressure.
This makes the Hornet particularly dangerous in open terrain without hard cover. Unlike the Wasp, the Hornet’s front thrusters are protected. Its rear thrusters are the only effective weak points.
How to Kill Hornet and Loot Drops
- Kill method: To kill a Hornet efficiently, stay behind hard cover and peek to shoot the rear thrusters. Its electrical attacks can interfere with your movement, so open-field fights are risky. Breaking the rears sends it flailing and crashing.
- Loot drops: ARC Alloy, ARC Powercell, Hornet Driver, Medium Ammo.
3. Snitch
Snitch
The Snitch is a reconnaissance ARC designed to escalate encounters rather than deal damage directly. It patrols areas scanning with a visible laser. While it does not fire conventional weapons, it is one of the most dangerous enemies to ignore.
If a Snitch detects you and remains alive long enough, it calls in reinforcements from the sky. The reinforcement wave consists of two Wasps and one Hornet, instantly turning a quiet route into a prolonged fight.
The Snitch’s weakness is its underside plating. It has three plating sections underneath, and destroying two of them is enough to bring it down.
How to Kill Snitch and Loot Drops
- Kill method: The key to killing a Snitch is speed. Do not hesitate. Commit focused fire to the underside plating the moment it detects you.
- Loot drops: ARC Alloy, ARC Powercell, Snitch Scanner.
4. Fireball
Fireball
The Fireball is a fast-moving ground ARC equipped with a flamethrower. It aggressively chases you and applies sustained flame damage that can quickly strip shields and health if you remain exposed.
Its outer shell is resistant to inefficient damage, making it easy to waste ammunition if you fire carelessly. The Fireball’s true vulnerability is its core, which becomes exposed during specific moments of its attack cycle.
How to Kill Fireball and Loot Drops
- Kill method: Heavy weapons can drop it in a few shots while it moves, but with lighter weapons you should wait for the core to open and then dump damage into the exposed core.
- Loot drops: ARC Alloy, ARC Powercell, Fireball Burner.
5. Pop
Pop
The Pop is a small but extremely aggressive ground ARC designed to rush and explode. Its durability is low, but its speed is high enough that hesitation can result in immediate shield loss or health damage.
Pops sprint directly at you and detonate at close range. The threat increases significantly when multiple Pops attack together, as they can stagger explosions in rapid succession.
How to Kill Pop and Loot Drops
- Kill method: Put a shot or two into it from any gun before it reaches detonation distance. This is more about accuracy and reaction than loadout.
- Loot drops: Pop Trigger, ARC Powercell, ARC Thermo Lining.
6. Tick
Tick
The Tick is a small, spider-like ARC that primarily appears indoors. It is built for ambush scenarios inside buildings and confined areas.
Ticks move quickly and can leap onto players. Once attached, they deal continuous damage until removed. Their small size and speed make them dangerous in tight corridors where visibility is limited. Ticks are commonly found inside buildings and enclosed interior environments.
How to Kill Tick and Loot Drops
- Kill method: The cleanest way to kill a Tick is with the melee for a quiet one-hit elimination. Shooting it works, but melee avoids noise and ammo waste in confined areas.
- Loot drops: ARC Alloy, Tick Pod.
7. Turret
Turret
The Turret controls indoor spaces and chokepoints. It scans areas with a blue light and switches to red once it has locked onto a target.
Once active, the Turret fires sustained bursts capable of shredding unprotected Raiders in seconds. It does not require a specific weak point to destroy.
How to Kill Turret and Loot Drops
- Kill method: Sneak into an out-of-sight angle and unload. Heavy ammo is faster, but any ammo type can drop a turret quickly if you commit damage from safety.
- Loot drops: ARC Alloy, ARC Powercell, Light Ammo.
8. Sentinel
Sentinel
The Sentinel is a stronger, long-range turret variant. It functions as a sniper platform capable of hitting Raiders from significant distance.
It has a larger health pool than standard Turrets and is particularly punishing in open sightlines. The Sentinel’s weak point is a visible yellow canister, which amplifies damage when hit.
Sentinels are commonly placed in elevated overwatch positions and long-range control areas, making positioning and approach critical when engaging them.
How to Kill Sentinel and Loot Drops
- Kill method: Approach from behind when possible and use a heavy ammo weapon for a fast kill, or shoot the yellow canister to amplify damage (it can be tricky to hit depending on angle).
- Loot drops: ARC Alloy, Advanced ARC Powercell, Sentinel Firing Core, Heavy Ammo.
9. Shredder
Shredder
The Shredder is a close-quarters ARC that becomes lethal when allowed to close distance. It can charge and unleash a high-damage explosive attack, making it especially dangerous without hard cover.
The Shredder does not have a specific weak point, but the safest strategy is to maintain distance, and commit heavy damage quickly before it can trigger its high-damage attack.
How to Kill Shredder and Loot Drops
- Kill method: Use heavy weaponry and keep cover between you and the Shredder. Grenades are especially effective if you can keep it still long enough to take the blast cleanly.
- Loot drops: Shredder Gyro, Shotgun ammo, ARC Powercells, ARC Alloy, ARC Synthetic Resin.
10. Firefly
Firefly
The Firefly is a flying flamethrower ARC and can be considered an aerial version of the Fireball. It circles while spraying flame, making it extremely dangerous in tight or enclosed terrain.
It has two effective weak points: its thrusters and its core when exposed. Destroying thrusters destabilizes it, while attacking the core during flame spray cycles deals efficient damage.
How to Kill Firefly and Loot Drops
- Kill method: The safest method is to fight in open space where you can move freely. When it opens its core to spray flames, unload damage directly into that exposed point. Medium and heavy ammo accelerate the kill significantly.
- Loot drops: Firefly Burner, ARC Alloy, Chemicals, Synthesized Fuel.
11. Comet
Comet
The Comet is one of the fastest ground-based ARCs in ARC Raiders, designed to rapidly close distance and force raidera out of safe positions. Unlike slower mechanical units that rely on sustained attacks, the Comet functions as a high-speed assault unit that relies on momentum and explosive force.
Visually, the Comet resembles a compact rolling machine with reinforced outer plating and a central internal mechanism that becomes visible during its attack cycle. The rolling movement allows it to travel across open ground extremely quickly, making it one of the most unpredictable ARCs when first encountered.
How to Kill Comet and Loot Drops
- Kill method: The safest approach is to shoot from long range to avoid getting clipped by the explosion. Bring heavy weaponry (an Avil or Ferro) or a Hullcracker, then shoot the core when it opens to begin its attack.
- Loot drops: Comet Igniter, Explosive Compound, ARC Coolant, ARC Alloy, ARC Thermo Lining.
12. Surveyor
Surveyor
The Surveyor is a large spherical ARC designed for reconnaissance and data collection rather than direct combat. Unlike most ARCs that focus on offensive pressure, the Surveyor operates as a roaming intelligence unit that scans terrain and gathers environmental information for the ARC network.
One of the most recognizable features of the Surveyor is the thin blue laser beam it projects upward while performing its surveying routine. This laser acts as a visual indicator that the machine is actively collecting data. When you see this beam reaching into the sky, it means a Surveyor is nearby performing a scan.
How to Kill Surveyor and Loot Drops
- Kill method: Sneak up and stick a Snap Blast Grenade onto the exposed core while it’s performing data collection—this can drop it in a single explosion. Otherwise, unload heavy damage (or a Hullcracker) and be ready to chase.
- Loot note: As you destroy its outer metal, pieces can break off and be looted—meaning you may need to follow the trail back to collect everything.
- Loot drops: Surveyor Vault, ARC Alloy, ARC Powercell.
13. Leaper
Leaper
The Leaper is a large, aggressive ground-based ARC designed for rapid engagement and close-range pressure. Physically, the Leaper stands on powerful mechanical legs that allow it to launch itself across terrain in massive jumps. These jumps are not small repositioning movements. The machine can cover significant distance in a single leap, instantly collapsing the space between itself and its target.
Another defining feature of the Leaper is its armored construction. Its outer shell is reinforced with heavy plating that protects the machine’s internal systems. The legs and frontal armor absorb most incoming damage, which means it can withstand significant punishment while continuing to pressure its target.
How to Kill Leaper and Loot Drops
- Kill method: Use a building doorway or interior position that stops it from reaching you cleanly with jumps, then unload heavy ammo into legs and the face to break armor. Focus a single leg as a group to destabilize it, then swap to face when you have an angle.
- Loot drops: Leaper Pulse Unit, ARC Alloys, ARC Powercell, ARC Performance Steel.
14. Rocketeer
Rocketeer
The Rocketeer is a heavy aerial ARC built around long-range explosive attacks. It resembles an enlarged combat drone and operates similarly to other flying ARCs, but instead of using standard gunfire, it launches rockets that deal powerful splash damage. Because of this, the Rocketeer is extremely dangerous in open areas where there is little cover to absorb the blast.
When engaging a target, the Rocketeer usually hovers at mid-to-long range while tracking movement from above. At regular intervals it fires rockets downward, creating explosive impact zones that can damage raiders even if the direct hit is avoided. This splash damage makes the Rocketeer particularly threatening during fights against multiple enemies, since it forces players to constantly reposition.
How to Kill Rocketeer and Loot Drops
- Kill method: First break off the armored plating around a thruster using heavy ammo or grenades, then shoot the exposed inner metal. If it’s still up after you crack one or two thrusters, finish with heavy ammo or launcher to the body.
- Grenade shortcut: A single Wolfpack grenade can kill a Rocketeer, but isolate it first—Wolfpack splits into 12 mini homing missiles and targets up to three nearby ARCs, so you don’t want missiles wasted on smaller drones.
- Loot drops: ARC Alloy, Advanced ARC Powercell, Rocketeer Driver, Heavy Gun Parts, ARC Motion Core.
15. Bastion
Bastion
The Bastion is a large ground-based ARC built for durability and sustained firepower. It resembles a heavy mechanical walker with multiple legs supporting a central armored body. Unlike faster ARCs, the Bastion moves steadily but applies constant pressure through powerful rapid-fire weaponry capable of quickly stripping shields if a player stays exposed.
Its outer frame is protected by thick armor plating, allowing it to absorb significant damage while continuing to advance toward targets. As it moves across terrain, the Bastion maintains steady fire, forcing raiders to rely on cover and careful positioning rather than open combat.
How to Kill Bastion and Loot Drops
- Kill method: Kite around a large object or corner to create safe firing windows, then shoot the yellow leg-joint spots. Destroying a leg drops it briefly, which is your chance to rotate behind it and dump damage into the yellow back canister. Repeat until it falls.
- Loot drops: ARC Alloy, Advanced ARC Powercell, Bastion Cell, ARC Circuitry.
16. Bombardier
Bombardier
The Bombardier is a heavy ground-based ARC that closely resembles the Bastion in structure, but instead of rapid-fire weaponry it uses mortar-style explosive attacks. Its design is built around indirect bombardment, allowing it to pressure raiders from distance while staying heavily protected behind thick armor plating.
Rather than engaging targets with sustained gunfire, it launches explosive projectiles that arc through the air before impacting the ground. Bombardiers are accompanied by Spotters, small reconnaissance drones that assist the Bombardier during combat.
Spotters scan the area and mark raiders with a visible yellow targeting laser. When this laser locks onto you, the Bombardier becomes significantly more accurate with its mortar strikes, making its explosive attacks much harder to avoid.
How to Kill Bombardier and Loot Drops
- Kill method: Stay in cover as much as possible, learn the dodge timing if you’re forced out, and immediately shoot down Spotters if their yellow laser tags you. Then kill the Bombardier the same way as a Bastion: break yellow knee joints to drop it, rotate behind, and destroy the yellow back canister.
- Loot drops: ARC Alloy, Advanced ARC Powercell, Bombardier Cell, Launcher Ammo.
17. Queen
Queen
The Queen is one of the largest and most dangerous ARC enemies in ARC Raiders. It is a massive mechanical unit that appears during the Harvester map condition, making it a rare but extremely high-threat encounter. Unlike regular patrol ARCs, the Queen functions as a boss-level machine capable of controlling large areas of the battlefield.
Physically, the Queen is a towering walker supported by multiple heavy legs and reinforced armor plating across its body. One of the defining characteristics of the Queen encounter is that it spawns additional ARC units during the fight. These reinforcements increase the pressure dramatically, turning the battle into a large-scale engagement where raiders must manage multiple threats at once.
How to Kill Queen and Loot Drops
- Kill method: Strip armor by targeting leg joints and the face, then unload into exposed inner metal. You’ll need heavy weapons or a Hullcracker to contribute meaningful damage. For the cleanest kill plan, bring a large supply of Wolfpack grenades.
- Loot drops: ARC Alloys, ARC Powercell, Queen Reactor, Magnetic Accelerator, Complex Gun Parts.
18. Matriarch
Matriarch
The Matriarch is another dangerous boss-level ARC. Similar in scale to the Queen, the Matriarch is a massive mechanical walker built for high-intensity combat and battlefield control. Its size, durability, and aggressive attack systems make it a major threat whenever it appears in ARC-controlled territory.
The Matriarch is equipped with several powerful weapons designed to overwhelm raiders from multiple angles. One of its most dangerous attacks is a volley of homing missiles that track targets and explode on impact, forcing raiders to rely on solid cover rather than open movement. In addition to its missile systems, the Matriarch can deploy flashbang devices and gas mines. These mines release a gas cloud that drains stamina and can briefly stun raiders who remain inside the area, making it difficult to escape follow-up attacks.
Another defining mechanic of the Matriarch encounter is its blue shield phase. When this shield is active, the machine becomes completely immune to damage. The shield cycle adds an extra layer of timing and patience to the fight, as attacking during the shield phase wastes valuable ammunition.
The Matriarch can also call in additional ARC units during the encounter, including heavy machines such as Bastions and Rocketeers. These reinforcements significantly increase the difficulty of the fight by applying pressure from multiple directions while the Matriarch continues its own attacks.
How to Kill Matriarch and Loot Drops
- Kill method: Bring a Hullcracker with plenty of ammo and pack Wolfpack grenades. Watch for the Matriarch’s blue shield—it takes no damage while that shield is up, so don’t waste ammo. When the shield drops, focus Hullcracker shots into the face to break outer metal and expose the core, then keep pelting that exposed point until it goes down.
- Loot drops: Matriarch Reactor, Magnegic Accelerator, Complex Gun Parts, ARC Alloy, Advanced ARC Powercell.
