How to Stop Getting Turned into Scrap Metal by Every Robot in Arc Raiders
Let's get one thing straight: the killer robots in Arc Raiders are pretty damn scary, but they're also surprisingly dumb.
Alright, let's talk about the ARCs. The big, scary secret here is that this entire army of death machines is basically blind and deaf.
They look intimidating, sure, but every single one has a laughably small 45-degree vision cone. It’s a literal searchlight. Blue means it's passive, yellow means it heard something, and red means it's about to end your run. They can see far, but they can't see wide.
As for sound? Most of them won't hear you unless you're practically close enough to get run over. The only real exception is the Snitch. And no, they're not a hivemind. Alerting one just alerts its little patrol buddies, not the entire map.
Shoot the Shiny Bits
Armor in this game is simple. If it's white, it's a soft target. Shoot it. If it's grey plating, that's armor, and you're mostly wasting your time unless you've got heavy ammo.
The really important parts are bright yellow. These are the weak spots, usually tucked away on the rear or at the joints. If you see yellow, put all your ammo there.
If you're new and still learning the ropes, I'd just carry a ferro. It punches right through that armor and saves everyone a headache.
Dealing with the Small Fry
When a group of small drones spots you, don't stand out in the open. Find a doorway. The gun-toting Wasps are simple; just shoot two of their rotors, and they crash. Focus them first.
The Taser Quadcopters, or officially Hornets, are the real pain. If you have a heavy gun, pop one front thruster and the one behind it. If not, you have to get under it while it reloads.
The good news is it can't lead its shots, so just running diagonally away from it makes it miss forever. You'll look ridiculous, but you'll be alive.
Then you have the ground-based annoyances. The Armored Flame Rollerbot will open up its armor right before it attacks. Just stand still, aim, and shoot it the second it exposes its core. The Exploding 'Pop' bot is just a fast-moving bomb. Shoot it, or bait it into getting close and then run away.
And finally, the Snitch. This thing is the only ARC that seems to have ears. Hide behind a solid wall, not a flimsy bush, and don't move. If it spots you, it'll call for backup. You've got about ten seconds to kill it before more drones spawn. Just shoot two of its three rotors, or run into a large building.
Turrets are Just Puzzles
Turrets are just glorified aim checks. For the standard ones, just peek from behind a corner in third-person, shoot it until it shoots back, wait for it to stop, and repeat.
The Sniper Turrets are even easier. They have that giant laser showing you exactly where they're aiming. Find an angle where you can shoot them, but they can't shoot you. Since it only aims for your body, you can usually just poke your head and a rifle out from cover. Aim for the yellow pipe on its "neck."
The Big Bastards (And How to Run Away)
Now for the mini-bosses. If you're not specifically hunting these things, my professional advice is to identify them and run the fuck away. Getting caught in the open is a death sentence.
The Leaper, that four-legged freak, needs its eye mag-dumped. Stun it if you can. If you're in the open, just run sideways when it jumps, and it'll fly right past you.
The Bastions are the van-sized 8-legged nightmares. The Artillery Bastion (Grenadier) sends out two little spotter bots. Kill those weak spotters, and the main cannon can't even find you. Just keep moving; it can't lead its targets.
The Bastion is slow, loud, and easy to avoid. Just... avoid it. Both Bastions have weak spots on their leg joints and rear.
The one you really need to fear is the Rocketeer This is, by far, the most dangerous ARC. Give it a 100-meter berth, minimum. If it sees you, run to the nearest building and break line of sight. It also doesn't lead its targets, but its rockets will one-shot you. Don't get cocky. Don't peek. Just hide.
That's Not a Moon, It's a Queen
Finally, there's the Queen. That enormous, building-sized spider. The strategy here is simple: don't fight it. Avoid it. It's huge, loud, and usually spawns out of the way.
If you really need the harvester loot it's guarding, just remember it has the same bad vision as everything else. It walks in a circle. Wait for it to look away, then sprint for the harvester. Grab your loot and get out.
If you really want to try and kill it, go find a video guide. My guide is about how to survive.
So there you have it. The secret to fighting ARCs is just exploiting the fact that they're all dumb, have terrible peripheral vision, and can't lead a target to save their lives. It's a tough world out there, almost as depressing as that time I had to run a frozen city in Frostpunk.
Get out there, try not to die, and maybe you'll find some decent loot. Or, you'll get cocky and get blown up by a Rocketeer. Let's be honest, it's probably going to be that one.