Most ARC Raiders players cannot forget the sense of awe they felt when first encountering the Matriarch. This gigantic robot is one of the deadliest enemies in any extraction shooter game, capable of taking down an army of players in just a few seconds. That said, some players have been able to solo the Matriarch, proving that there’s always hope for the people of Speranza.
For those wondering if beating the Matriarch is actually a feasible objective, this guide explains everything there is to know. It gives you a realistic plan to take down this infamous ARC juggernaut, as well as tips and tricks to maximize your chances of success. Let’s start with an overview of this powerful ARC enemy and a solid strategy to break its defenses.
Matriarch Overview
• Threat Level: Extremely High
• Armor Type: Fully-plated, Segmented (legs, cores, reactor).
• Attack(s): Missiles, flashbangs, gas, summons
• Range: Wide (could target raiders from miles away)
• Most Valuable Drop: Matriarch Reactor, used in Legendary blueprints like the Aphelion Rifle
Main Attacks
- Homing Missile Barrage: The Matriarch will constantly shower players in the open with a barrage of homing missiles. They’re fast, and deadlier than the Rocketeer’s rockets. Plus, they cannot be avoided using dodge roll. Staying in the open equals death.
- Gas Mine Barrage: This enormous enemy will shower players attacking it with a rain of gas mines that will activate on proximity, making players cough uncontrollably and preventing them from healing or aiming.
- Call for Help: The Matriarch is constantly calling for lesser ARC and at some point, it will call down a Rocketeer and a Bastion. Be careful with this.
- Flashbang Catapult: As the name implies, the Matriarch launches a lobbed Flashbang grenade of considerable size, which tends to have tremendous reach and gets through windows. It will explode, blinding everyone in a huge radius, so be careful, and if you see it landing nearby, turn around quickly.
- Antimatter Shield: The Matriarch deploys a protective dome of energy that destroys any projectile around it. Players need to wait a few moments until the shield comes down before resuming the attack.
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How to Find the Matriarch
The Matriarch only spawns when its exclusive map dynamic event appears in one of the following locations: Dam Battlegrounds, The Blue Gate, and Spaceport. When this limited-time event is active, you can find the Matriarch in predetermined areas shown in the following table.
|
Map |
Matriarch Spawn Area |
|---|---|
|
Dam Battlegrounds |
Water Towers area |
|
The Blue Gate |
South of the Warehouse complex, near the Ridgeline |
|
Spaceport |
Between Rocket Assembly and the Launch Towers |
Players will know a Matriarch is still active in the map if they spawn and Shani drops the following intro phrase: “A Matriarch has been sighted nearby. Her children seem hell-bent on keeping her from harm.”
The Matriarch is one of the largest ARC machines in the game, making it easy to spot. If you want to find it quickly, just climb a high structure and look around.
How to Take Down the Matriarch (Loadout Tips)
There are two distinctive strategies to beat the Matriarch and get away with the loot (alive). One is budget-friendly and only requires a few basic things for the loadout. The second is a more complex and costly approach, which requires advanced weaponry and lots of ammo.
Players who prefer to go solo should pick the Combat MK. 2 Augment and Heavy Shield, and use an Anvil or Bettina with at least 300 Heavy ammo to spare. They should also bring Ziplines, Wolfpack Grenades, and at least 2 Barricade Kits. Of course, Shield Rechargers and Bandages are a must, but unlike the Queen, which causes a ton of damage, the Matriarch is more of a battle of attrition, and its attacks can be avoided (mostly).
The best strategy consists of positioning on high ground and behind cover to avoid falling victim to the Matriarch’s barrage of attacks. Her homing missiles, though, are a serious issue and can take down most players if they’re not careful enough. The Barricade Kits are a good way to avoid being out of cover, but be careful, as they might break during combat. Watch out for that Rocketeer when it spawns, since it will most likely target solo players more than those in groups.
Observe the surroundings, and spot the Matriarch. If players see other Raiders attacking it, then it’s show time. Wait some time for others to draw aggro, then target the armor plating on the legs to expose its cores. Then, shoot the leg cores to make it fall to the ground. Then, players can attack its head or its belly if it falls on the sides.
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Its major weakspot though, is in the head: The Head Cores (also called Reactors) will be exposed once the plating over them is broken. Shooting them with a Hullcraker or Anvil will considerably reduce the Matriarch’s health and make her catch fire quicker. That’s the best possible time to launch the Wolfpack Grenades at her (if players have them), since these will target weakspots and cause more damage.
The best weapons to take down the Matriarch are the Hullcracker and the Equalizer, with the first needing at least 150 rounds to take down the Matriarch in a solo encounter, and the Equalizer around 75 Energy Clips to do the same.
It is also recommended that players carry a Torrente or a Stitcher as a PvP weapon, since this Dynamic Event often attracts the worst kind of Raiders who love to shoot those attempting to take the Matriarch down.
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The best approach is to place two Barricades next to each other with enough space in between so that you can shoot through them.
Positioning is when you need Ziplines or the Snap Hook. Use these items to climb the highest buildings or structures to put yourself in an advantageous position before starting to engage with the Matriarch.
There’s also another strategy known as the Deadline Catapult, which consists of putting a Trigger’Nade and a Deadline near it. Making the Trigger’Nade explode will propel the Deadline Mine in the direction of the Matriarch (with a bit of practice and good aim), causing devastating damage.
This can be done if players have the Snap Hook or lots of Ziplines to climb to the highest places on the map, where they can prepare the contraption safely and get away with causing lots of damage while remaining unseen by the ARC Matriarch.
Tips to Stay Alive After Hunting Down the Matriarch
If you are planning to take down the Matriarch, there will be yet another challenge to defeat, which is to take the loot and get away as fast as possible, before other Raiders hunt you down. Here are some tips for getting the loot fast and getting out alive..
- Have a PvP weapon on you. There are many hostile players that might see your battle with the Matriarch as an advantage and try to attack you while you’re busy. It’s always a good idea to have a rapid-fire gun like the Stitcher with you, just in case you encounter these types of players. Also, try to pick a position that has only one access so you don’t have to worry about getting ambushed from all different directions.
- Loot fast, and put the Matriarch Reactors in the Safe Pockets. That way, even if they beat you, at least you’ll save face and get some decent Legendary Resources.
- Bring a Raider’s Hatch key and spare Ziplines to connect a route to the Matriarch’s body, and another zipline aiming to the nearest Hatch (or at least in the direction to safety/cover).
- Plan your escape early. Keep a close eye on the timer on the top of the screen. It’s best to evacuate early rather than stick around and risk being pinned down by greedy players who ignore the ARC Satellite Strike that wipes the maps every 30 minutes.
