Learn how to beat every enemy in Arc Raiders fast with this detailed guide covering all hidden weak points, best weapons, and quick strategies for each Arc.
Arc Raiders, developed by Embark Studios, landed with a bang on PC, PS5, and Xbox, hitting a Steam peak of over 350,000 concurrent players in its launch window. It’s a third-person PvPvE extraction shooter: you drop in, loot, fight enemy Arc machines (and other players), and extract with your haul.
Matches throw a mix of flying bots, rollers, turrets, and giant walkers at you, many of which can ruin your run if you don’t know their quirks. Below, we’ve put together a practical, tested guide to every Arc’s hidden weak points and fast-kill methods.
All Arc Raiders enemies (full list)
Here’s a list of the major Arc enemies you’ll come across in Arc Raiders:
- Leaper
- Rocketeer
- Bombardier
- Bastion
- Wasp
- Hornet
- Tick
- Pop
- Fireball
- Snitch
- Sentinel
- Queen (world boss)
Most of these bots roam the surface in groups or patrol key areas. Some fly, others roll, and a few are just massive killing machines. But every single one of them can be taken down much faster once you know their hidden weakness.
Arc Raiders enemy weaknesses & fast-kill tips
Now, let’s talk about all the enemies and their weaknesses that will help you take them down easily.
Leaper
The Leaper’s biggest weakness is Fire. These spider-like enemies completely lose it when set ablaze. Toss a Fireball Burner or use Blaze Grenades, and they’ll panic, flail, and collapse within seconds. If a Leaper stays in the flames too long, it simply shuts down, no weapons needed.
Rocketeer
The Rocketeer looks intimidating, but it’s actually pretty easy to take down. Hitting it with a Hornet Driver or Showstopper grenade stuns it for around 10 seconds, grounding it so you can shoot its thrusters freely. If you’ve got heavy firepower, use a Wolfpack and one Hullcracker shot for a clean, instant takedown. Miss the grenade though, and things can get ugly fast.
Bombardier
This enemy’s weakness is hidden right on its back. Get close before it starts firing and stick a Snap Hook or Trigger grenade directly to the weak spot. Anything sticky works; bouncing grenades don’t. If you don’t have stickies, bait it to cover and damage the knees until they explode. Breaking them triggers a small explosion that disables them temporarily, giving you a short window to dump as much damage as you can.
Bastion
The Bastion shares the same weak spot on its back, but it’s much riskier to approach. It can grab or crush you if you get too close. Instead, lure it near a building or cover, peek to damage the knees, and wait for them to explode. When it’s stunned, go all in. Repeat this pattern until it’s down.
Wasp
The Wasp is small, aggressive, and surprisingly stubborn. Even when you destroy its thrusters, it keeps firing while wobbling around. The trick is to ignore the wings, aim straight for its main body. Three Anvil shots are enough to destroy it, and most mid-tier weapons work fine too. Kill it fast before it locks onto you.
Hornet
Most players try to shoot the rear thrusters, but that’s a tough angle in combat. Instead, break the front plating with any medium-to-heavy weapon (even a Rattler works). Then shoot through the plating to hit the thrusters behind it. Destroying two thrusters on one side drops the Hornet much faster than going for the back.
The Queen
The Queen is the toughest Arc of them all. It uses laser beams, EMPs, ground slams, and she constantly calls in Rocketeers. The fast way to bring her down is a stagger loop:
- Break the leg joints to force a knockdown.
- When she drops and the core (“brain”) opens, dump heavy shots (Anvil/Tempest/Hullcracker) into it.
- Reset behind cover, manage adds, then repeat.
During tests earlier this year, the Queen was killed just 58 times across ~4 million raids, which should give you a feel for the intended difficulty. Since launch, players have even posted solo kills. So, it’s possible, but it’s a slog and relies on careful positioning and loads of heavy ammo.
Smaller Arcs: Tick, Pop, Fireball, Snitch
These are the easy ones.
- Tick: Leaps and latches. Just shoot or melee it before it explodes.
- Pop: Rolls and self-destructs. keep distance.
- Fireball: Uses a flamethrower; hit its core when it opens to attack.
- Snitch: Doesn’t fight, just calls reinforcements, so take it out first.
Arc Raiders Weapon Recommendations by Enemy Type
Here’s our recommended weapons for each enemy type in Arc Raiders.
| Enemy Category | Primary Weapons | Secondary Options |
|---|---|---|
| Small Arcs | Energy weapons, SMGs | Precision rifles |
| Leaper | Heavy rifles, Ferro | Explosives |
| Rocketeer | Heavy rifles, Ferro | Explosives |
| Wasp | Heavy rifles, Ferro | Explosives |
| Hornet | Heavy rifles, Ferro | Explosives |
| Rocketeer | Rocket launchers, Heavy Machineguns | EMP grenades |
| Bastion | Rocket launchers, Heavy Machineguns | EMP grenades |
| The Queen | Heavy launchers, Energy weapons | EMP effects |
If you found this guide useful, check out our Arc Raiders Hub for the latest guides, updates, and leaks.
What’s been your hardest Arc encounter so far? Share your experience in the comments below!
