ARC Raiders Combat Guide: How to Hit 100K Damage Output

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Hitting the massive 100,000 damage output requirement for the ARC Raiders seasonal expedition can look incredibly daunting on paper, but it becomes a completely different game once you adjust your mindset. The biggest mistake most raiders make is treating these runs like standard looting trips. If you are stopping to search containers or worrying about extracting safely with a full backpack, you are drastically slowing down your progress.

The secret to knocking this out efficiently relies on one core mechanic: damage accumulation tracks across rounds and persistently counts even if you die before extracting. Your goal here is pure, unadulterated PvE destruction. Forget the loot, cycle your runs quickly, and prioritize heavy-ordnance damage output across consecutive matches.

The Ultimate "100K Damage" Loadout

Standard PvP weapons are meant for flesh and light shields; they struggle to chip through heavy ARC armor efficiently. To maximize your damage-per-second (DPS), you need to leave the standard rifles behind and build your loadout entirely around explosive power and specialized anti-ARC tech:

• Primary Weapon: Renegade Hullcracker – This launcher is the absolute king of PvE damage. It strips ARC armor rapidly and deals massive AOE chunk damage to tight clusters of hostiles. Make sure to pack 4 to 5 full stacks of launcher ammo per match so you never run dry mid-fight.
• Secondary Weapon: Jupiter or Anvil – The Jupiter is a legendary anti-ARC sniper rifle built for extreme single-target damage when pinpointing boss weak spots from a safe distance. If you prefer getting up close, run the Anvil hand cannon equipped with the Anvil Splitter mod to instantly shatter armor plates at close-to-medium range.
• Pocket / Utility Gadget: Deadline Mines – Secure 1 or 2 Deadlines in your safe pocket every single run. Sliding up to a heavy target like a Bastion and slapping a single Deadline onto it nets an instant, satisfying chunk of around 5,000 damage points.
• Tactical Throwables: Wolfpacks & Lure Grenades – Use Wolfpack rocket clusters to keep smaller, annoying targets in a continuous loop of damage. Even better, toss a Lure Grenade directly in front of major enemies; it forces them to turn around, completely exposing their glowing weak spots for easy weapon or mine placement.
  
  

Best Maps & High-Yield Farming Locations

To optimize your time, avoid low-density areas entirely. Look for map sectors that feature fast-spawning groups and reliable vertical cover to protect yourself while you rain down hell.

1. Riven Tides (Highly Recommended)

Drop into a normal-condition match without the "beachcombing" modifier active. Make a straight line for the Hotel or the Stacking Yard and Wharf area. Sit comfortably on top of high structures like the hotel roof to secure complete visibility over the map. Fire a few potshots to bait roaming ARC forces right toward your position, then safely rain down Hullcracker fire from above. The Wharf hatch is particularly lucrative, featuring rapid, constant respawns of Bastions, Leapers, and Rocketeers.

2. Matriarch & Queen Raid Lobbies

Actively queue into Harvester, Matriarch, or Queen raid events. While soloing a Queen guarantees a massive point drop, public lobbies are often incredibly overcrowded with other players competing for the final hit. Instead of playing that lottery, focus your heavy launcher ordnance on the infinite minor ARC adds and drop-pods that spawn continuously around the Matriarch. This method easily yields a reliable 15,000+ damage per round with zero stress over who gets the boss kill.

3. Buried City (Red Tower Rotations)

If you prefer a consistent, lower-interference grind away from the chaos of public boss events, head to the Red Tower zone in the Buried City. Equip your Hullcracker with a Kinetic Converter mod. Target high-value mechanical targets while gathering simple gun parts and mechanical components directly from the field—this lets you craft ammo mid-raid and keep the destruction going indefinitely.

The "Suicide-Line" Speedrun Strat

If you have a limited window of time or simply want to clear the 5 skill points as fast as humanly possible, you can abuse the zero-extraction loop. Because damage is saved regardless of your survival, you can run a highly efficient suicide rotation:

• Load into a match completely naked, equipping only a Deadline Mine and an Adrenaline Shot in your safe pocket to ensure zero gear risk.
• Sprint directly from your spawn point to the nearest heavy ARC unit location, looking for a Bastion or a Bombardier.
• Toss a lure grenade to distract it, slide directly behind the unit, and plant your Deadline Mine square on its weak spot.
• Once the mine detonates, allow the surrounding ARC units to eliminate you, or quickly open your menu and choose to surrender.
• Instantly queue back up and repeat. Since each quick Bastion kill awards roughly 5,000 damage points, repeating this rapid cycle about 20 times clears the entire 100k requirement in under an hour.