ARC Raiders Queen and Harvester Guide: The Puzzle, Weak Points and Drops
The Queen guards the Harvester, a crashed ARC machine that holds Legendary Jupiter and Equalizer blueprints. You can rob the Harvester without ever fighting her, or you can bring her down for the Queen Reactor that both of those guns need. This guide covers both
The Queen at a glance
| Queen | |
|---|---|
| Armor | Heavy |
| Health | About 23,000 (the wiki's figure) |
| When | Only during the Harvester map condition, guarding the Harvester |
| Maps | Dam Battlegrounds, Spaceport and The Blue Gate |
| Main attack | Mortar Fire: 2 to 5 fire mortars at a time |
| Abilities | Laser beam, EMP pulse, ground slam and an electric surge through the Harvester |
| Weak points | Shoot off the armor plates, then the red glowing core. Yellow weak points on her legs |
| XP | +1,000 for the kill, +1,000 for looting the core, +500 per leg |
| Best drop | Queen Reactor (Legendary) |
When and where the Harvester lands
The Queen never wanders the map on her own. She shows up with the Harvester map condition, which drops a Harvester at a fixed spot on three maps and puts the Queen on patrol around it. Like every condition it lasts an hour. The live schedule on our store page shows when it is next up in your region
| Map | Where the Harvester is | Condition rating |
|---|---|---|
| Dam Battlegrounds | Southeast of the Power Generation Complex, at the Red Lakes | 3 / 5 |
| Spaceport | South side of the map, by Staff Parking | 4 / 5 |
| The Blue Gate | Middle of the map, west of the Checkpoint | 4 / 5 |
Dam Battlegrounds is the easiest of the three by the wiki's own rating, and the best map for a first attempt
The Harvester puzzle, step by step
This is the part most Raiders come for, and you do not have to fight the Queen to do it. Solve the puzzle and the Harvester opens containers with 1 to 3 Legendary blueprints, always Jupiter or Equalizer
- Get three fusion cores. One lies on the floor in the middle of the Harvester. The others are in the breachable containers on the upper level
- Insert them into the central pillar. Use the base of the pillar to open its chambers, then put all three in quickly, one right after the other
- Shoot the yellow targets. Twelve pulsing yellow targets light up around the inside. Each takes about 100 damage. When the last one breaks, the loot containers open in the middle
The two defenses that try to stop you
- Fire Discharge: a yellow warning light and a warning sound, then the inside fills with fire. The outer doors open so you can get out, so get out. It also throws every fusion core back out of the pillar
- Electrical Surge: starts once the cores are in. The Queen turns on anyone inside and fires her laser into a node on top of the Harvester, which shocks everyone in it. It only drains shields and stuns you for a moment. It cannot kill you, and the doors stay shut
Once the puzzle is solved, both defenses switch off for good. The Harvester turns into a solid firing position with doors you can hold, which is exactly what you want if the Queen is next
Her attacks
- Mortar Fire: 2 to 5 mortars from the top of her dome. They land around you and burst into fire two seconds later. Keep moving
- Laser Beam: fired at any Raider she can see. It scorches the ground it touches
- EMP pulse and ground slam: what she does to Raiders who get close. Stay off her legs
- Harvester surge: if you are inside the Harvester during the puzzle, she lasers its roof node and shocks everyone in it
Weak points
| Part | What to do |
|---|---|
| Armor plates | Shoot them off first. Behind them is the core |
| Red glowing core | Her real weak point. Once it is exposed, pour everything in. A Deadline works here too |
| Head | A good spot for a Deadline |
| Legs | Yellow weak points on each leg. Blown-off leg armor can also hold a Queen Reactor, so check them when she falls |
Best loadout for the Queen
| Slot | Take | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Main gun | Hullcracker | Explosive rounds that only go off on ARC, with Very Strong ARC armor penetration. Bring a lot of Launcher Ammo |
| Or | Jupiter or Equalizer | Both Legendary, both Very Strong against ARC armor. The Equalizer is a fully automatic beam rifle with a 50 round clip. Both run on Energy Clips |
| Second gun | Anvil or Venator | For the Raiders who come to steal your kill |
| Explosives | Deadline and Wolfpack | Deadline on her core or head, Wolfpacks for the ARC around her |
| Defense | Door Blocker and Barricade Kit | Lock the Harvester doors behind your team |
| Healing | Shield Recharger, Vita Spray and a Defibrillator | A long fight. Bring more than you think |
| Getting out | Zipline and a Raider Hatch Key | Leave with the Reactor while everyone else is still fighting |
A team plan that works
- Queue the map while the Harvester is up and get to it early
- Stay out of the Queen's sight on the way in and get inside the Harvester
- Solve the puzzle first: two Raiders on cores and targets, one at the door watching her and other players
- Bank the blueprints in your safe pockets as soon as the containers open
- Lock the doors and fight the Queen from the Harvester's doorways: armor plates, then the core
- Loot the core and the legs, then leave by the route you planned
What she drops and what it is for
Her debris carries Advanced ARC Powercell, ARC Alloy, ARC Circuitry, ARC Motion Core, Magnetic Accelerators, Complex Gun Parts and more. The prize is the Queen Reactor: Legendary, weight 10, sells for 11,000 Coins
| Use | What it takes |
|---|---|
| Craft a Jupiter | 1 Queen Reactor, 3 Magnetic Accelerators and 3 Complex Gun Parts at Gunsmith level 3, with the Jupiter Blueprint learned |
| Craft an Equalizer | The same: 1 Queen Reactor, 3 Magnetic Accelerators and 3 Complex Gun Parts at Gunsmith 3, with the Equalizer Blueprint |
| Trophy Display stage 4 | 3 Queen Reactors, 10 ARC Synthetic Resin, 10 Magnetic Accelerators and 8 Rocketeer Drivers. The reward includes a Bobcat IV and the Bobcat Blueprint |
| Nothing Gained quest | Apollo wants a Queen and a Matriarch destroyed and one of each Reactor. You get both Reactors back, plus 10,000 XP |
| Recycle | 1 Power Rod and 1 Magnetic Accelerator |
So the Harvester gives you the blueprint and the Queen gives you the part to build it. That is why one Harvester run can set a Raider up with a Legendary gun
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to kill the Queen to get the Harvester loot?
No. The Harvester puzzle opens its loot containers whether or not the Queen is alive. You only need to stay out of her way
What does the Harvester drop?
One to three Legendary blueprints for the Jupiter or the Equalizer, plus ARC parts from its breachable containers
Which maps have the Harvester?
Dam Battlegrounds at the Red Lakes, Spaceport by Staff Parking and The Blue Gate west of the Checkpoint, while the Harvester condition is on
How do I stop the Electrical Surge?
You can't stop it, but it only drains shields and stuns. Take your shield off before the puzzle and it does nothing to you
Where is the Queen's weak point?
Shoot off her armor plates, then hit the red glowing core underneath. Her legs have yellow weak points too
What is the Queen Reactor used for?
Crafting the Jupiter or the Equalizer, Trophy Display stage 4 (3 Reactors) and the Nothing Gained quest. It also recycles into a Power Rod and a Magnetic Accelerator
Can a PRO kill the Queen with me?
Yes. Our Queen Kill service brings a PRO to take her down with you, and the Queen Reactor and every other drop are yours
Sources: the ARC Raiders Wiki (CC BY-SA 4.0), Embark Studios news and patch notes
