ARC machines are the AI-controlled units occupying the Rust Belt, and they’re the main thing standing between you and a clean extraction. Ask three different enemies guides how many types exist, though, and you’ll get three different answers, some count 16, others claim 30. This guide covers all 28 confirmed types, current through Riven Tides, organized by threat level so you know exactly what you’re facing.
Table of Contents
How to Read an ARC Before You Engage
Every ARC machine gives away its intentions before it attacks, if you know what to look for. Two systems, scanner color and armor plating, tell you almost everything you need to know about a threat from a distance.
Scanner States
Each ARC has a scanner light that shifts color based on its alert level:
- Blue - Patrolling. The ARC hasn’t spotted you and is searching passively. This is your window for a stealth approach or a clean ambush.
- Yellow - Alerted. The ARC heard or sensed something and is investigating. Stay low and quiet, and it will usually drop back to blue if it doesn’t find a target.
- Red - Aggressive. The ARC has locked onto you and will attack until it loses you or you destroy it.
One exception worth knowing: if you attack an ARC directly while it’s still on blue patrol, it can skip the yellow investigation phase entirely and go straight to red. Don’t expect a grace period just because you fired first.
Armor Types and Weak Points
ARC plating comes in three types, and you can identify each by color:
- Unarmored plating (matte white) - Damaged by nearly any weapon, though rounds with moderate armor penetration or higher work fastest.
- Armored plating (shiny dark gray) - Anything under moderate armor penetration won’t get through. Sustained fire from a round that qualifies strips this layer off and exposes whatever’s underneath.
- Weak points (bright matte yellow) - The actual damage multiplier. Every ARC has at least one, and hitting it instead of the armor is the difference between a three-second kill and burning a full magazine.
Learn to spot the yellow before you spot the enemy’s name, and most fights get shorter.
How Many ARC Enemies Are There, Really?
Search around and you’ll find guides claiming 16, 22, 28, 29, or even 30 ARC types. The discrepancy isn’t really about new content being missed, though that happens too. It comes down to three counting errors that show up across multiple guides.
First, legacy names get counted as separate enemies. Bison was the Leaper’s name during early development testing, and Rollbot was the Surveyor’s. Some guides still list these as distinct entries with their own stats, effectively double-counting the same machine.
Second, non-combat sightings get counted as fightable enemies. The Colossus has been spotted walking in the background of Blue Gate, but it has never actually been encountered as a fightable target. It’s lore, not a roster entry, at least for now.
Third, event objectives get counted as enemies. The Harvester is the structure you’re defending or attacking during the Harvester event, not a unit you fight directly. The Queen is the boss that guards it.
Strip out the duplicates and the not-yet-real, and you’re left with 28 confirmed ARC types: 21 that will actively fight you, and 7 husks, probes, and a courier that you loot rather than fight. That’s the number this guide works from.
Low-Threat ARC
These are the enemies you’ll meet constantly and should be able to clear without burning resources. Individually weak, but a few of them still punish you for ignoring them.
Tick
Ticks are small, spider-like ARC that cling to ceilings and dark corners, waiting for a Raider to walk underneath before leaping onto your head and latching on. They’re unarmored and have almost no health, so a single melee strike or any weapon hit kills one outright. The real danger is the panic of being latched: hold the interact prompt to pry it off immediately rather than trying to fight through the damage. Loot: Tick Pod, ARC Flex Rubber.
Pop
Pops are small rolling machines that rush toward detected Raiders and self-destruct on contact. They’re fast and aggressive but fragile, low health and no armor. Shoot them from a distance before they close the gap, or dodge roll over one to bait the explosion if you’re caught at close range. Loot: Pop Trigger, Crude Explosives, ARC Coolant.
Wasp
Wasps are the most common ARC in the game, small flying drones armed with light, rapid-fire guns. They’re rarely a threat alone, but they patrol in groups and often escort Hornets, so a Wasp encounter frequently turns into a multi-target fight. Their thrusters are the weak point, destroy them and the Wasp drops. Loot: Wasp Driver, Light Ammo, Simple Gun Parts.
Fireball
A small armored rolling ARC that opens its front panel to spray flame when it gets close, exposing its unarmored core in the process. That open-panel moment is your window: a single heavy round or well-placed shot ends the fight before it gets close enough to burn you. Loot: Fireball Burner, ARC Coolant, Crude Explosives.
Snitch
Snitches don’t attack directly, they’re scout drones that summon ARC reinforcements the moment they spot you. The damage they do is indirect: ignore one and you’ll suddenly be fighting a wave of Wasps or Hornets you didn’t ask for. Treat it as a priority target and drop it before it finishes its signal. Loot: Snitch Scanner, Sensors, ARC Synthetic Resin.
Medium-Threat ARC
Medium-threat ARC require more attention than the low-tier swarm enemies but won’t usually wipe a squad on their own. Most of these reward patience: bait the attack, then punish the opening.
Turret
Small, unarmored gun emplacements mounted on interior walls, built for close-quarters defense. They’re fragile once you find them, but their chokepoint placement makes them dangerous to anyone who rushes a room without checking corners first. Bait the burst of fire from cover, then close in or pick it off with two heavy rounds. Loot: Light Ammo, ARC Synthetic Resin, Simple Gun Parts.
Sentinel
Large unarmored turrets mounted high on rooftops and ledges, tracking movement and firing a single heavy round roughly every five seconds once they have line of sight. The exposed capsule on the swiveling arm is the weak point. Stay out of its sightline between shots and target the capsule when you do engage. Loot: Sentinel Firing Core, ARC Coolant, Advanced ARC Powercell.
Surveyor
The largest of the rolling ARC, a heavily armored sphere that periodically stops to transmit a scanning signal. That’s the moment to strike: its armor opens slightly while transmitting, exposing the core underneath. Once it notices it’s under threat, it flees at high speed rather than pressing the fight, so don’t expect a Surveyor to stick around once you’ve tagged it. Loot: Surveyor Vault, ARC Circuitry, Advanced ARC Powercell.
Hornet
An upgraded Wasp with a stun attack that can shred shields and light armor in a single hit. Hornets rarely patrol alone, expect them alongside Wasps or as air support for a larger ground unit. Rear thrusters are the weak point, and getting stunned mid-fight against anything else nearby is the real risk here, so prioritize Hornets when they show up in a mixed group. Loot: Hornet Driver, ARC Performance Steel, Medium Ammo.
Spotter
Similar to the Snitch but tougher and slower to kill, the Spotter doesn’t call in reinforcements directly but constantly relays your position to nearby ARC. It can take more punishment than its size suggests, and its erratic flight pattern makes it annoying to track. Worth clearing early in a fight rather than letting it broadcast your location the whole time. Loot: Spotter Relay, Sensors, ARC Synthetic Resin.
Comet
A heavily armored ground unit that locks onto a Raider and charges, splitting its armor open to reveal an explosive core right before it detonates. The blast radius is bigger than it looks, so don’t group up near one. Force the charge from a distance, then hit the exposed core as it opens, or use heavy ammo or grenades to drop it before it gets close. Loot: Comet Igniter, Crude Explosives, ARC Coolant.
Firefly
A flying flamethrower variant of the Hornet that trades the stun attack for sustained fire, and it’s noticeably more aggressive about closing distance than its cousin. It often patrols alongside Wasps or Hornets, swooping in once you’re already engaged elsewhere. Its thrusters are semi-armored and easy to destabilize, and the yellow canister on its body is the main weak point, hit it and the Firefly goes up in its own fire. Loot: Firefly Burner, ARC Performance Steel, ARC Coolant.
High-Threat ARC
This is where loadout and positioning start to matter more than reflexes. High-threat ARC hit hard enough that a mistake can end a raid, and most reward coordinated fire over solo aggression.
Bombardier
Heavy, slow-moving artillery armed with a multi-rocket launcher that can devastate a squad caught in the open. It’s usually accompanied by Spotter drones feeding it your position, so clearing those first cuts down how accurately it can target you. The yellow leg joints and rear canister are the weak points, hit them with heavy ammo to stagger it before it fires again. Loot: Bombardier Cell, ARC Performance Steel, Heavy Gun Parts.
Bastion
A walking fortress built around a fully automatic minigun, slow but capable of suppressing an entire squad with a sustained burst. Listen for the screech before it opens fire, that’s your cue to get behind cover. Target the rear plate and leg joints to bypass its heavy frontal armor, and expect Hornets or Wasps patrolling nearby to protect it. Loot: Bastion Cell, Heavy Gun Parts, ARC Circuitry.
Leaper
An arachnid-like siege unit that closes distance with shockwave-generating leaps that can clear entire structures. Its armor protects the core, but the legs and eye are exposed and become the priority target, immobilize the legs first if you can. Don’t try to outrun it in open ground, it covers distance faster than you can sprint. Loot: Leaper Pulse Unit, ARC Performance Steel, Explosive Compound.
Rocketeer
A heavily armed flying ARC that saturates an area with guided rockets, turning static cover into a liability. Stay mobile and watch for the targeting lock-up sound cue, that’s your warning to break line of sight before the barrage lands. Thrusters are the weak point, and a Hornet Driver can destabilize it if you’ve got one on hand. Loot: Rocketeer Driver, ARC Circuitry, Heavy Gun Parts.
Shredder
A close-quarters airborne threat that hits hard in tight interiors, and despite older guides still listing it as exclusive to Stella Montis, it’s no longer locked to that map. Never engage one without cover already lined up, it punishes anyone caught in the open during its attack signal. Thrusters are the weak point. Loot: Shredder Gyro, Mechanical Components, ARC Synthetic Resin.
Vaporizer
Introduced in the Flashpoint update, the Vaporizer pairs Rocketeer-grade speed with a Matriarch-style energy shield and laser attacks precise enough to strip your shield and set you on fire. You’ll run into it patrolling near ARC Operations sites and during Close Scrutiny conditions. Thrusters are the weak point, and its shield has a cooldown window between uses worth timing your push around. Loot: Vaporizer Regulator, Heavy Gun Parts, Energy Clips.
Boss-Tier ARC
Boss encounters are squad content. Going in alone against any of these three is less a fight and more a slow, expensive way to lose your gear before you ever reach extraction.
Queen
The Queen guards the Harvester during the Harvester event and is the single greatest threat on the map while it’s active. Her mortar barrage clusters around a targeted Raider before detonating, and she switches to a sustained laser sweep or a close-range EMP and ground slam if anyone gets too aggressive at range. Shoot off her armor plates first, then focus the exposed core, and watch for the yellow weak points on her legs throughout the fight. Loot: Queen Reactor, Magnetic Accelerator, Advanced Electrical Components.
Matriarch
The deadliest standard boss encounter in the game, spawning during dedicated Matriarch map conditions. She can summon lower-tier ARC as backup, fires rockets and gas mortars, and runs an energy shield that blocks incoming fire until it drops. Clear her summons first or you’ll be fighting a war on two fronts. Core and leg weak points are the same priority as the Queen’s. Loot: Matriarch Reactor, Magnetic Accelerator, Advanced Electrical Components.
ARC Turbine
The newest boss, added in the Riven Tides update, and the first airborne boss in the game. It drifts unpredictably over the coastline while flying and is nearly untouchable in that state, your opening comes when it lands to deploy its turbine mechanism. Once grounded, three rotating yellow canisters become visible through the landing gear, those are the only weak points. It also lays a minefield before landing, so approach carefully. Loot: Turbine Compressor.
Husks, Probes, and the Courier: What’s Lootable, Not Fightable
Not every ARC on this list is something you shoot. Seven entries in the roster are loot interactions rather than fights, and knowing the difference saves you from wasting ammo or, worse, walking into a fight you didn’t need.
Husks are the remnants of older ARC machines scattered across the map. Wasp Husk, Rocketeer Husk, Baron Husk, and Deforester Husk can all be breached and looted without engaging a live enemy, and most yield baseline crafting materials like ARC Coolant and ARC Flex Rubber. Breaching a Baron Husk specifically triggers loud sounds that can alert nearby hostile ARC, so don’t assume it’s risk-free just because nothing’s shooting at you yet.
ARC Probes descend periodically with a loud beeping alert and land at fixed points across the map. They carry no weapons and pose no direct threat, but the breach process takes time and the landing signal draws attention from both ARC patrols and other Raiders, so treat a Probe sighting as a timed, contested opportunity rather than a free pickup.
The ARC Courier functions similarly to a Probe but with a different loot table, also unarmed and breachable.
The ARC Assessor, introduced alongside the Vaporizer in the Flashpoint update, is the outlier here. It doesn’t attack on its own, but it touches down during the Close Scrutiny map condition with a heavy ARC presence around it, Vaporizers included. Trying to breach its three access sections sets off waves of reinforcements, so this is the one entry in this category you should treat like a fight even though the Assessor never attacks you directly.
That’s the full roster: 28 confirmed ARC types, current through patch 1.33.0, with nothing new expected until Frozen Trail in October. Learn the scanner states and weak-point colors first, and most of what’s above turns into pattern recognition instead of something you have to look up mid-raid.
Key Takeaways
- Arc Raiders has 28 confirmed ARC types: 21 that fight you, 7 you loot instead (husks, probes, and the courier)
- Scanner color (blue, yellow, red) tells you an ARC’s alert state before it tells you anything else
- Bright yellow plating marks the weak point on every ARC, hit it instead of the armor
- Low-threat ARC (Tick, Pop, Wasp, Fireball, Snitch) die fast but punish you for ignoring Snitches specifically
- High-threat and boss-tier ARC (Bombardier, Bastion, Vaporizer, Queen, Matriarch, ARC Turbine) are squad content, not solo content
- The Shredder is no longer Stella Montis-exclusive, and the ARC Turbine is the newest boss, added in Riven Tides
- The Colossus and Harvester aren’t fightable enemies yet, despite showing up in some “all enemies” counts
FAQ
How many ARC enemies are in Arc Raiders?
There are 28 confirmed ARC types: 21 that actively fight you and 7 that are husks, probes, or the courier you loot rather than fight. Some guides cite higher numbers by double-counting legacy names like Bison and Rollbot, or by including non-combat sightings like the Colossus.
What is the hardest enemy in Arc Raiders?
The Matriarch is widely considered the toughest standard encounter, with a larger moveset and tankier health pool than the Queen, plus the ability to summon lower-tier ARC as backup. The Queen is close behind and guards the Harvester event objective.
What’s the difference between the Queen and the Harvester?
The Queen is the boss you fight. The Harvester is the structure she’s guarding, a multi-stage objective you interact with by installing power cells and destroying nodes. They’re often confused because they appear together during the same event.
Is the Shredder still exclusive to Stella Montis?
No. The Shredder was originally Stella Montis-only but is no longer locked to that map. Several older guides haven’t been updated to reflect this.
What does the Vaporizer do in Arc Raiders?
The Vaporizer is a flying ARC added in the Flashpoint update that combines Rocketeer-level speed with a Matriarch-style energy shield and precise laser attacks. It patrols around ARC Operations and Close Scrutiny map conditions.
What is the ARC Turbine?
The ARC Turbine is the newest boss-tier ARC, added in the Riven Tides update. It’s the first airborne boss in the game, drifting over the coastline until it lands to deploy a turbine mechanism, at which point its three rotating weak points become exposed.
How do I know an ARC’s weak point on sight?
Weak points are colored bright matte yellow, distinct from the matte white of unarmored plating and the shiny dark gray of armored plating. Targeting yellow first is faster than guessing.
Can I avoid being detected by patrolling ARC?
Yes. ARC on blue scanner mode are patrolling and haven’t spotted you, which is your window to avoid or ambush them. Staying low and out of sightline keeps them on blue or drops an alerted yellow state back down.
Are ARC Husks dangerous to loot?
Generally low-risk, but not zero-risk. Breaching a Baron Husk specifically triggers loud sounds that can draw nearby hostile ARC, so check your surroundings before committing to the breach.
What’s the easiest ARC to farm for XP?
Sentinel and Surveyor are commonly farmed for fast, relatively safe XP, a solid early move if you’re working through our leveling guide. The Queen and Bastion offer far higher XP for players ready to take on tougher fights.
Is the Colossus a real enemy I can fight?
Not currently. It’s been spotted in the background of Blue Gate but hasn’t been encountered as an actual fightable target. It may be a tease for a future update.
Will Arc Raiders get new ARC enemies soon?
Not in the immediate term. Embark has moved away from monthly content updates in favor of two larger drops a year, with the next major update, Frozen Trail, targeting an October release. Patch activity between now and then has focused on events and balance, not new ARC types, so this roster is unlikely to shift before then.
