Defeating the Queen in ARC Raiders is no walk in the park, even with squads. In most cases, you’ll run out of ammunition and healing items, leaving you with the option of a valiant death, or a cowardly escape.
Taking her down solo should be near impossible, but it isn’t; it’s just very difficult. In my experience of bringing her down solo, I was more afraid of opportunists waiting in the bush to ambush me while I was busy reaping the rewards of my hard work.
Can it be done solo? Absolutely. Do I recommend doing it solo? Absolutely not. I probably won’t try to deal with her unless I’m with a squad, but managing both her and the other Raiders, who are trying to take you out of the equation, is a huge headache.
Since I went through the pain of checking what makes the fight easier solo, I’ve curated an easy-to-follow guide for you to try and do the same. It’s a satisfying but long and repetitive fight, so make sure to follow all tips and tricks to take her down efficiently in ARC Raiders.
The Queen’s Health Pool & Attacks in ARC Raiders
Before we start discussing the ideal loadout to take down the Queen solo, you need to know a few things. First, she spawns only during the Harvester special map modifier/event, has a whopping 22,000 health pool, and has three major attacks that can one-shot you if you’re not behind cover:
- Laser Beam: The Queen targets the Raiders in her line of sight and fires a scorching laser beam that leaves the ground charred. When you see her charging up the laser, run.
- Mortar Barrage: The Queen fires up to 5 mortars that land near Raiders and cause an explosion after a 2-second delay. This is her primary attack, so if you’re not already out of its radius within those 2 seconds, consider yourself soloed.
- Ground Slam/EMP Pulse: The Queen performs a ground slam or an EMP Pulse when Raiders get too close to her. This one’s easy to dodge if you stay away.
The best way to deal with her is to take cover inside a building and keep your distance from her. Whether she spawns on Dam Battlegrounds, Spaceport or The Blue Gate map, don’t be too close to the Harvester, or she will hunt you down.
Get inside a building far away from her, get a good angle to land your shots, magdump all your ammo and pray to the ARC Raiders all-mighty that she goes down in your next shot. Now, it’s time to discuss the firepower you need to do so.
The Ideal Loadout to Solo the Queen in ARC Raiders
As a solo player, you probably already know that you’re going to need a crap ton of ammunition, Shield Rechargers, Herbal Bandages, Heavy Shields, and other healing items. An ideal loadout to bring the Queen down would feature the following weapons and items:
- Weapons: A Tier-4 Hullcracker and an Anvil or a Venator should do the trick. Her joints and her head are her weak points. Be sure to carry a surplus of launcher ammo, and preserve it for the Queen’s weak points. Use the Hullcracker on her, and keep the Anvil/Venator for other Raiders or ARC Rocketeers and Hornets nearby.
- Grenades: Wolfpacks and Showstoppers are mandatory for a chance to defeat the Queen solo. Throw Wolfpacks at her joints to deal maximum damage, or use them on the other ARCs that aggro. Showstoppers are great for stunning, and each use can give you a 10-second window to go ham on her.
- Gadgets: The Snap Hook is a must-have if you want to get your hands dirty or are looking for a quick retreat behind cover. Snap Hook has two uses: either to get up close to the Queen and fire at her head, or dodge her laser beams and mortar barrages with quick mobility. I’d also recommend carrying a Hatch Key to extract back to Speranza as soon as you’ve collected every loot.
- Healing: Finally, without healing, you’re roasted before you’ve even started cooking the Queen. This isn’t a 5-minute boss fight; it can take up to 20 minutes or even more to bring her down, so equip a Heavy Shield and carry numerous Shield Rechargers, Herbal Bandages, and Vita Sprays. I’m more biased towards Herbal Bandages due to their healing-over-time and stacking capabilities.
Tips & Tricks to Defeat the Queen Solo in ARC Raiders
Movement is key; that’s been a staple throughout the entirety of ARC Raiders, whether you’re dealing with a Leaper, a Raider, or the fearsome Queen. So, try to fine-tune your movement and position before you start attacking her. Here are a few tips and tricks to make your solo run easier:
- Position away from the Queen: You should always position yourself at a distance from the Queen, inside buildings, from where you can get a good angle on her. If you’re out fighting in the open, keep your fingers on the dodge and roll button to avoid the mortar barrages and the laser beams. Never get too close to her. If you have a Heavy Shield, you can tank her laser beam, but I don’t recommend it.
- Aim at the Queen’s Head Core & Leg Joints: The Queen’s joints and her head are her only weak points. If you’re fighting from a distance, aim the Hullcracker at either weak point and magdump. If you’re up close, use the Showstopper Grenade to stun her for 10 seconds, and unload the Hullcracker at her head. Deal with other ARCs or Raiders with the Wolfpacks and the Anvil/Venator when necessary. Preserve your Hullcracker ammo for the Queen.
- Listen to audio cues for the Queen’s next move: ARC Raiders offers you the opportunity to figure out your opponent’s next move via visual and audio cues. For the Queen, audio cues are crucial. Through audio cues, you’ll know when she’s charging her up with a laser beam, or when another Raider is trying to get the drop on you inside your fortified and secluded building. Listen carefully to the audio cues before you take action.
- Stay inside a building or behind cover: You must stay behind cover at all times, and I cannot stress this tip enough. Don’t be one of those players who dive headfirst into battles, guns ablaze. That might work against other Raiders, but this is the Queen we’re talking about. Stay inside a building for maximum protection, and barricade the doors for safety from other Raiders.
- Take your time and do not rush: The Queen has a 22,000 health pool, so it’s no use to rush the fight and get it over with as soon as you can. Take your time, heal yourself and recharge your shield as many times as you need to. It can take up to 30 minutes when doing solo, so chip away at her health bit by bit, until she’s down.
Once you’re done with her, collect her loot and extract back to Speranza as soon as you can before the Raider in the bushes blows your ankles off.
If other solo Raiders try to aid you in battle, be on your toes, as it could lead to a betrayal when it’s time to split the loot. I’d recommend doing it solo, strictly, without any help.
Rewards For Defeating the Queen in ARC Raiders
Finally, we come to the thing that makes every Raider tick – the rewards. Defeating the Queen leads to riches hitherto undreamt of, but can also lead to rags if you’re not careful. With that said, here’s what you earn for defeating the Queen solo:
Main Debris Loot Pool
- Queen Reactor
- Magnetic Accelerator
- Complex Gun Parts
- Advanced Mechanical Components
- Advanced Electrical Components
- ARC Performance Steel
- ARC Synthetic Resin
- ARC Thermo Lining
- ARC Flex Rubber
- ARC Coolant
- ARC Circuitry
- ARC Motion Core
- Advanced ARC Powercell
- ARC Alloy
Minor Debris Loot Pool
- Queen Reactor
- Magnetic Accelerator
- ARC Performance Steel
- ARC Synthetic Resin
- ARC Thermo Lining
- ARC Circuitry
- ARC Motion Core
- Advanced ARC Powercell
- ARC Alloy
The Queen guards the Harvester, which leads to another rich loot pool that you can obtain by solving a Fusion Core puzzle inside. With the Queen out of the way, you might as well collect the rewards from it, too:
- Up to 3 Blueprints, with guaranteed Equalizer or Jupiter Blueprints
- ARC Items
I would recommend doing this with a squad or at least a trio, since it’ll not only reduce the time taken to defeat her, but you also don’t need to carry as many materials. However, to each their own, and if you can successfully do it, more power to you.
Since the Cold Snap update in ARC Raiders has added winter-themed events to the game, check out our comprehensive guide on Gathering Candleberries – All Rewards, an event that requires Merit to unlock brand-new free rewards.
