Welcome to the Rust Belt, Raider. Don’t Die.
Embark Studios’ new extraction shooter, ARC Raiders, throws you into a deadly, post-apocalyptic wasteland called the Rust Belt. Your goal is simple: get in, grab valuable resources, and get out. The problem? The entire place is patrolled by an army of relentless, killer robots known as ARC. A new “Know Your Enemy” trailer highlights just how vital it is to learn the mechanical menagerie you’ll be facing. Going in blind is a one-way ticket back to the lobby. Before you can worry about other players stealing your loot, you need to master the art of fighting-and avoiding-the machines.
Your two best friends in the Rust Belt are stealth and sound discipline. ARC machines are nearly deaf and have a narrow field of vision indicated by their searchlights. This means you can often sneak right past them if you’re careful. Every gunshot and explosion is a dinner bell for both ARC and rival players. Knowing when to engage and when to ghost is the first and most important skill you’ll learn.
A Mechanical Menagerie: Know Your ARC
The ARC forces are varied, and you need a different strategy for each one. Some are minor annoyances, while others can wipe your squad in seconds. Here’s a field guide to what’s out there.
The Swarm: Low-Level Threats
- Ticks: These small, fast, spider-like bots will try to jump on you. They have very low health, and a quick melee attack is usually enough to take them out. Don’t let them overwhelm you in numbers.
- Wasps: Small flying drones that often travel in packs. They can be annoying, but they’re fragile. The trick is to shoot out two of the rotors on the same side, which will cause them to crash.
- Snitches: These are your top priority. A Snitch is an unarmed aerial scout that, upon spotting you, will emit a loud alarm and call in a squad of much deadlier ARC reinforcements. If you see one, take it down fast before it can ruin your day. Heavy ammo can often one-shot them by targeting their rotors.
The Patrol: Standard Enemies
- Fireballs & Rollbots: These spherical bots do exactly what their names suggest. Fireballs get close and use a flamethrower, while the larger Rollbots will try to crush you. Their weak spot is exposed right before they attack, so dodge their advance and then light them up when their front hatch opens.
- Turrets: Stationary but deadly. These wall-mounted guns have a clear field of vision and pack a punch. Don’t engage them head-on. Use cover to peek and shoot, or find a blind spot to disable them. Watch out for sneaky red alarm lights on cars and doors, too-you can melee these to disable them before they give away your position.
- Hornets: The Wasp’s bigger, meaner cousin. These larger drones can fire a taser that stuns you, leaving you completely helpless. This makes them incredibly dangerous in a firefight. Their rear rotors are unarmored, so focus your fire there.
The Elites: Run or Have a Plan
- Bastions: A four-legged walking tank armed with a brutal minigun. Engaging a Bastion requires a plan. Its weak points are the glowing yellow knee joints and a fuel tank on the back of its head. Use cover and coordinate with your squad to hit these spots.
- Bisons: Another heavy four-legged bot, the Bison is incredibly fast and uses a devastating jump attack. Its only weak point is its eye, making it a very difficult target. It’s often better to avoid these entirely unless you have no other choice.
- Rocketeers: Perhaps the most feared standard ARC. This flying drone fires powerful rockets that can wipe out an entire squad with a single well-placed shot. If a Rocketeer spots you, your best bet is to run and break line of sight immediately. If you must fight it, you’ll need to strip the armor from its rotors before you can take it down.
And then there’s the Queen. This massive, top-tier machine is a raid boss in its own right, typically found guarding the high-value Harvester. For now, all you need to know is this: if you see it, run the other way.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- What are ARC in ARC Raiders?
ARC are the primary AI-controlled enemies in the game. They are a hostile army of robots of various shapes and sizes that have taken over the Rust Belt. - What is the best general strategy for fighting ARC?
Stealth is key. ARC are nearly deaf and have a limited field of vision. Avoid making noise and stay out of their searchlights. When you must fight, use cover and focus on their specific weak points. - Which ARC enemy should I prioritize?
Always prioritize the Snitch. It’s an unarmed scout drone that will call in heavy reinforcements if it spots you, turning a manageable situation into a deadly one. - Can I use ARC to my advantage against other players?
Yes. Smart players can use ARC as a warning system by leaving them alive. If another team approaches, the ARC may spot them or be shot at, giving you a heads-up. You can also use items like a rubber duck to lure ARC toward an enemy team’s position. - How do I deal with flying enemies like Wasps and Rocketeers?
For smaller Wasps, target two rotors on the same side to make them crash. For the heavily armored Rocketeers, you must first shoot off the armor plating around their rotors before you can destroy the rotors themselves. It’s often better to avoid them entirely. - What’s the difference between a Wasp and a Hornet?
A Hornet is a larger, more dangerous version of a Wasp. Its key attack is a taser that can stun and incapacitate you, making it a major threat during any fight.
Conclusion
In the unforgiving world of ARC Raiders, knowledge is your most powerful weapon. Learning to identify each ARC machine, understanding its behavior, and knowing its weak points is the difference between a successful extraction and a body bag. The mechanical threat is constant, but it’s predictable. Master the hunt, use the machines to your advantage, and always, always watch your back for the most dangerous enemy of all: other Raiders. Good luck out there.