ARC Raiders Enemy Threat Tiers: Drones to Bastions

The ARC machines are the constant presence in every raid, and ARC Raiders is built around avoiding them as much as fighting them. They react to noise and movement, and nearly all of them have armor gaps and an EMP vulnerability. Reading the threat ladder tells you when to sneak, when to suppress, and when to run.

Surveillance Drone — low threat

Small flying scouts. Take one out quickly and quietly, because left alive it draws attention to your position. A single suppressed shot or a well-placed EMP often ends the problem before it escalates.

Rollerbot — medium threat, dangerous in swarms

Rollers are manageable alone but lethal in numbers. The rule is simple: do not make noise near them, and use EMP when a pack forms. One roller is a chore; five rollers that heard your last mag dump is a wipe.

Spider Bot — high threat

Larger, harder-hitting machines. Use their own wrecks and terrain as cover rather than trading shots in the open. They punish players who treat every contact as a gunfight.

Bastion — very high threat

A giant tank-class machine. Do not engage solo or early; only attempt it with coordination and the right special grenades. The payoff is real — Bastions drop some of the best loot in the game — but the cost of a bad attempt is your whole kit.

The universal rules

Every ARC unit shares two truths: it reacts to noise and movement, and it has weak spots where shooting unarmored sections saves both ammo and time. Lean on EMP against drones and rollers, use cover against spiders, and save Bastions for when your squad and loadout are ready. The beginner death-loss page and the time budget guide explain why picking your fights is the difference between a profitable raid and a gear donation, and your mode choice sets how much backup you have when a contact goes wrong.