The Queen is the toughest end-game boss in Arc Raiders, standing as a massive mechanical nightmare that guards the most valuable loot in the game. Defeating this powerful ARC enemy requires precision, teamwork, and the right strategy. Many players have lost countless hours and valuable gear trying to take her down without proper preparation. In this comprehensive guide, you’ll learn exactly how to kill the Queen in Arc Raiders, including the best loadouts, combat strategies, and essential tips to help your squad emerge victorious and claim those high-tier rewards.
Key Takeaways
- Queen only spawns during Harvester Events (look for ‘link’ icon on maps)
- Best weapon: Hullcracker (primary) and Venator (secondary)
- Weak points: Joints and Head Core
- Essential grenades: Wolfpack and Showstopper
- Rewards include Queen Reactor and high-tier materials
- Bring a Raider Hatch Key for safe extraction
- Fight from inside buildings when possible for better cover
Where to Find the Queen in Arc Raiders?
In Arc Raiders, the Queen doesn’t just appear anywhere on the map. This powerful boss is exclusive to Harvester Events, which are special missions marked with a ‘link’ icon next to the map names. When you’re selecting a mission, look for this distinctive icon to identify which maps will have the Queen.
Once you enter a Harvester Event map, finding the Queen is actually quite straightforward. She’s one of the largest ARC enemies in the entire game, making her impossible to miss. The Queen always spawns near the Harvester itself, which is the main objective of these events. As soon as you land on the map, head toward the Harvester location, and you’ll find the Queen guarding it aggressively.
Remember that Harvester Events attract other players looking for the same valuable rewards, so always stay alert for enemy Raiders while approaching the Queen’s location. The combination of the Queen’s devastating attacks and potential PvP encounters makes these events particularly challenging but also incredibly rewarding.
Queen Stats, Attacks, and Weaknesses?
Before you attempt to fight the Queen, understanding her capabilities is crucial for survival. This boss has specific stats, attack patterns, and weaknesses that you can exploit to gain an advantage in battle.
| Category | Details |
| Threat Level | Extreme |
| Armor Plate | Full Plated |
| Primary Attack | Mortar fire |
| Special Abilities | Laser beam, EMP Pulse, Ground slam |
| Weakness | Joints, Head Core |
| Health | 22,000 HP |
The Queen has several devastating attacks that you need to learn to recognize and dodge:
Mortar Fire: This is the Queen’s primary attack. She fires 2-5 mortars from the top of her dome that create flaming ground impact zones. You’ll get clear visual and audio cues before these mortars land, giving you time to dodge roll away from the targeted area.
Laser Beam: One of the Queen’s most dangerous attacks is her sustained laser beam. This attack deals massive damage and comes with a heavy sound cue as it charges up. Having a Heavy Shield can help you survive if you can’t dodge in time.
EMP Pulse and Ground Slam: When you get close to the Queen, she switches between these two melee attacks. The EMP Pulse can disable your electronics, while the Ground Slam creates a shockwave that knocks you back. These attacks are hard to predict since the Queen uses them randomly.
The Queen’s primary weak points are her joints and Head Core. These areas take significantly more damage than the rest of her armored body. When she’s stunned, you have a perfect opportunity to focus fire on these weak points for maximum damage output.
Best Loadout to Kill the Queen in Arc Raiders?
Taking down the Queen requires the right equipment. Your loadout can make the difference between victory and defeat, so choose carefully based on what works best against this specific boss.
What Shields and Augments Should You Use?
The best augment for a Queen run is the Raider Augment IV. Craft this augment using 1x Power Rod and 4x Processor. It provides 24 backpack slots, 3 safe pocket slots, and 8 quick use slots, but most importantly, it allows you to use higher-level shields. For the Queen fight, we recommend the Heavy shield, which can absorb more damage and potentially save you from instant knockdowns.
In your safe pocket, make sure to include a Raider Hatch Key. This essential item helps with extraction even when most elevators are swarming with enemy ARCs or hostile players. It’s better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.
What Weapons Work Best Against the Queen?
For your primary weapon, the Hullcracker is absolutely essential. As confirmed in our Arc Raiders weapons tier list, this epic cannon is specifically designed to break through ARC armor. It fires launcher ammo that only detonates when hitting ARC machines, making it incredibly effective against the Queen. Just remember that it’s useless against other players, so you’ll need a secondary weapon for PvP encounters.
As your secondary weapon, the Venator works like magic. This gun is strong against ARCs, which helps when dealing with the Wasps and Hornets that often accompany the Queen. Additionally, its high damage and armor penetration make it effective against human intruders as well.
What Healing Items Should You Bring?
Survival during a Queen fight requires proper preparation, and that includes bringing enough healing items. Pack multiple Herbal Bandages and Shield Rechargers for this extended battle. These items will keep you in the fight longer and increase your chances of success.
Also, bring a couple of Defibrillators to revive teammates or other humans instantly. In the chaos of a Queen fight, teammates will go down, and being able to revive them quickly can turn the tide of battle. Having a few Vita Shots is also helpful for instantly filling missing HP during critical moments.
Which Grenades and Gadgets Are Essential?
To deal with a powerful machine like the Queen, you need strong grenades and gadgets. The Wolfpack is a must-have grenade for this fight. This ARC-killing grenade detonates and targets nearby ARCs after a short delay, dealing 1992 damage on contact. Use it when no other ARCs are nearby to ensure all damage goes to the Queen.
The Showstopper is another essential grenade that stuns ARCs for 10 seconds on impact. Use this to shut down the Queen before unleashing your Hullcracker rockets. During the stun duration, you can deal massive damage to her weak points without fear of counterattack.
The Snap Hook is one of the best gadgets for the Queen fight. It helps you latch onto surfaces and cover large distances quickly. Use it to jump on top of the Queen for better access to her Head Core weak point or to escape when things get dangerous. The Barricade Kit is also valuable, providing 500 points of health cover that can protect you from the Queen’s primary attacks.
How to Effectively Fight the Queen?
Now that you have the right loadout, let’s discuss the actual strategy for fighting the Queen effectively. These tips will help you survive the battle and maximize your damage output.
How Do You Dodge the Queen’s Attacks?
In a fight against the Queen, keeping your dodge button handy is crucial. For her mortar attack, dodge roll away as soon as you see the mortars launched. The visual and audio cues give you enough time to escape the impact zones, which will create flaming ground that damages you over time.
The laser beam is simpler to dodge but much more dangerous if it hits. When you hear the charging sound, move perpendicular to the Queen’s line of sight to avoid the beam. This attack deals more damage than any other ARC attack in the game, so dodging it should be your top priority.
When you’re close to the Queen, be prepared for her melee attacks. Have your Snap Hook ready to escape quickly when she uses either the EMP Pulse or Ground Slam. These attacks are hard to predict, so maintaining distance when possible is generally the safer strategy.
What’s the Best Strategy for Hitting Weak Points?
To deal maximum damage to the Queen, you need to target her weak points effectively. Start by using a Showstopper grenade to stun her for 10 seconds. During this stun window, use your Snap Hook to get on top of the Queen and focus fire on her Head Core, which is one of her most vulnerable areas.
If you can’t get close enough for melee range, focus on her joints with the Hullcracker. These weak points take increased damage from heavy weapons. When you’re near the Queen, spam Wolfpack grenades to deal additional damage, but make sure no other ARCs are nearby, or the damage will be split among them.
Coordinate with your team to focus fire on the same weak point. This concentrated damage is much more effective than spreading your attacks across different parts of her body. Communication is key – call out when you’ve stunned her so everyone can focus on the Head Core during that window.
Should You Fight from Inside Buildings?
Fighting the Queen from inside buildings is often the best strategy for survival. Buildings provide excellent cover from her mortar attacks and can limit her movement, making her easier to hit. Look for a building near the Queen’s location and fortify it with Noisemakers to detect if any human enemies are approaching.
From inside a building, you can safely spam Wolfpack grenades and Hullcracker shots at the Queen without taking direct hits from her Laser Beam attack. Just make sure you have a clear line of sight and can retreat further into the building if needed.
This strategy also gives you a defensive advantage against other players who might try to interrupt your Queen fight. Buildings provide natural chokepoints where you can defend yourself more effectively while still maintaining pressure on the Queen.
What Rewards Do You Get for Killing the Queen?
Defeating the Queen opens up one of the richest loot pools in Arc Raiders, making the challenging fight well worth your effort. Along with the Queen’s own ARC parts, you can also loot the Harvester she guards, which contains additional valuable items.
Main debris loot pool:
- ARC Alloy
- Advanced ARC Powercell
- ARC Motion Core
- ARC Circuitry
- ARC Coolant
- ARC Flex Rubber
- ARC Thermo Lining
- ARC Synthetic Resin
- ARC Performance Steel
- Advanced Mechanical Components
- Advanced Electrical Components
- Magnetic Accelerator
- Queen Reactor
Small debris loot pool:
- ARC Alloy
- Advanced ARC Powercell
- ARC Motion Core
- ARC Circuitry
- ARC Thermo Lining
- ARC Synthetic Resin
- ARC Performance Steel
- Magnetic Accelerator
- Queen Reactor
Harvester:
- ARC Items
- Blueprint
The Queen Reactor is one of the most valuable items you can obtain, as it’s essential for high-level crafting and can be quite rare. The other materials are also valuable for crafting advanced gear and weapons. When you consider the potential value of these rewards, the difficulty of the Queen fight becomes much more justified.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best weapon to kill the Queen in Arc Raiders?
The Hullcracker is the best weapon to kill the Queen in Arc Raiders. This epic cannon fires launcher ammo that’s specifically designed to break through ARC armor, making it incredibly effective against the Queen. It deals massive damage to her weak points and is the primary weapon you should bring for this fight. However, remember that the Hullcracker is useless against other players, so always pair it with a secondary weapon like the Venator for PvP encounters.
Where to find the Queen in Arc Raiders?
The Queen only spawns during Harvester Events in Arc Raiders. These special events are marked with a ‘link’ icon next to the map names when you’re selecting a mission. Once you enter a Harvester Event map, head toward the Harvester location, and you’ll find the Queen guarding it. She’s one of the largest ARC enemies in the game, making her impossible to miss once you’re in the right area.
How hard is it to kill a Queen?
Killing the Queen in Arc Raiders is quite challenging and requires proper preparation, coordination, and skill. With 22,000 HP and multiple devastating attacks, she can easily wipe out unprepared teams. You’ll need high-tier weapons like the Hullcracker, proper healing items, and effective grenades like Wolfpack and Showstopper. Teamwork is essential – coordinating your attacks on her weak points and timing your stuns correctly can make the difference between success and failure. While it’s possible to solo the Queen with the right strategy and gear, it’s much easier with a coordinated team.
How am I supposed to get a queen core?
Getting a Queen Core in Arc Raiders primarily comes down to luck, as it’s a rare drop from defeating the Queen. The Queen Core can drop from both the main debris loot pool and the small debris loot pool when you defeat the Queen. To increase your chances, make sure you’re dealing the final blow to the Queen and have a high luck stat if possible. Some players report better drop rates when fighting the Queen with a full team, though this isn’t confirmed. Persistence is key – you may need to defeat the Queen multiple times before obtaining the Queen Core.
Is killing the queen rewarding enough?
Yes, killing the Queen in Arc Raiders is definitely rewarding enough for the effort required. The rewards include high-tier materials like ARC Alloy, Advanced ARC Powercell, and the rare Queen Reactor, which are essential for crafting advanced gear and weapons. Additionally, you can loot the Harvester she guards for even more valuable items including blueprints. While the fight is challenging and requires significant preparation, the potential rewards make it one of the most profitable activities in the game. The value of the Queen Reactor alone can justify multiple attempts, especially if you’re looking to craft endgame equipment.
Conclusion
The Queen represents the ultimate challenge in Arc Raiders, but with the right preparation and strategy, you can defeat her and claim those valuable rewards. Remember to bring a Hullcracker, plenty of healing items, and coordinate with your team to focus on her weak points. Whether you’re planning to take on the Queen solo or with your usual trio, the strategies in this guide will help you emerge victorious. Good luck, and may your loot be plentiful!
