ARC Raiders Combat Fundamentals
Master stagger windows, shield breaks, and squad synergy to dismantle ARC warforms and rival Raiders.
ARC Raiders Combat Fundamentals
Arc Raiders rewards teams that coordinate ability timing, positional play, and target priority. Use this guide to elevate your squad’s combat efficiency whether you are hunting ARC warforms or contesting salvage against rival Raiders.
1. Understand ARC Archetypes
Core Enemy Families
| ARC Type | Behaviour | Counter |
|---|---|---|
| Scout Drone | Patrols airspace, tags your squad, calls reinforcements. | Silent takedowns (suppressed shots, Recon blade) or EMP darts. |
| Strider | Mid-range walker with energy shield and volley fire. | Break shield with Shock rounds, then focus on the exposed chassis. |
| Bulwark | Heavy frontline unit with frontal shield. | Flank, or stagger using melee slam + Demolition charges. |
| Titan Warform | Boss-tier ARC with missile pods and area denial. | Force stagger by destroying coolant nodes, then unload heavy ordnance. |
Escalation Levels
- Alert: Triggered when Scouts survive for 15 seconds after spotting you.
- Lockdown: Occurs after multiple squad wipes or alarm towers activating. Expect elite spawns.
- Annihilation: Late-match failsafe. Titans join the fight, and extraction becomes riskier.
2. Shield & Armour Break Mechanics
- Shield Types: Energy shields (blue) regenerate quickly; plating (orange) does not. Match ammo types accordingly.
- Damage Multipliers: Precision hits on exposed cores deliver x2 damage. Use Recon’s Target Uplink to highlight weak points for the team.
- Melee Stagger: Heavy melee attacks produce instant stagger on most non-boss ARC units. Chain a stagger into an execution to save ammo.
3. Ability Synergy
Recommended Combos
- Recon Pulse + Demolition Charge
- Spot hidden drones with Recon Pulse, then detonate Demolition charges while ARC units are tagged for bonus damage.
- Support Barrier + Assault Overclock
- Drop a portable barrier, then activate Overclock to boost rate of fire. Great for holding extraction zones.
- Arc Surge Beacon + Heavy Artillery Strike
- Beacon grants temporary overshields just before calling in a Heavy Strike, keeping the team alive through the blast radius.
Cooldown Management
- Ability Sharing: Supports can reduce teammates’ cooldowns using the Energy Distributor mod. Communicate before activating to maximise value.
- Battery Economy: Some gadgets consume Power Cells. Split inventory so that downtime isn’t caused by one player hoarding resources.
4. Positioning & Movement
- Vertical Advantage: Grappler Boots allow instant climbs on Calyx structures. Gaining high ground boosts accuracy and reduces melee threats.
- Slide & Dive: Use the slide to break line of sight when crossing open areas. The dive allows immediate access to low cover.
- Sound Discipline: Running generates audio cues for other Raider squads. Crouch-walk near known contention zones (meteor crash sites, ARC vaults).
5. Fighting Rival Raiders
Engagement Decisions
- Risk vs Reward: If carrying high-value salvage or arc cores, disengage unless you have numerical advantage.
- Third-Party Opportunities: Monitor firefight audio. Let ARC forces soften rivals, then strike when both sides are weakened.
PvP Tips
- Open with Utility: Flash grenades or Arc Flares disrupt enemy vision. Follow with focused fire on isolated targets.
- Armor Swap: Downed enemy Raiders drop armour plates compatible with your class. Swap quickly to refresh durability mid-fight.
- Extraction Contests: Use smoke or barrier gadgets to block lines of sight before hacking the extraction console.
6. Stagger Windows Cheat Sheet
| Trigger | Stagger Window | Follow-up |
|---|---|---|
| Shock Grenade detonation | 3 seconds | Focus fire for shield break |
| Melee slam on Bulwark rear | 2 seconds | Plant Demolition charge |
| Titan coolant node destroyed | 5 seconds | Heavy weapon burst or Orbital Strike |
| Counter-sniping rival Raider | 1.5 seconds | Push aggressively with shotgun/melee |
7. Practice & Review
- Simulation Range: Load the Training Simulator from the hangar to spawn configurable ARC waves. Practice combos without risking gear.
- VOD Review: Use the in-game replay system to analyse positioning mistakes, ability timing, and missed comms.
- Role Rotation: Swap roles between matches so every squad member understands each archetype’s responsibilities.
Next Up: Advance to the Extraction Playbook to develop end-game rotations and high-value contract strategies.