Arc Raiders Wasp Best Guide
In the unforgiving world of Arc Raiders, where rogue AI machines known as ARC terrorize the remnants of humanity, few enemies embody the relentless drone swarm quite like the Wasp. Developed by Embark Studios, Arc Raiders is a high-stakes PvE extraction shooter that pits players as resourceful Raiders scavenging for survival in a shattered Earth overrun by mechanical horrors. Released in late 2025 after a much-anticipated beta, the game has captivated players with its tense raids, deep crafting systems, and dynamic enemy AI. Among the aerial threats, the Wasp stands out as a ubiquitous foe-small, agile, and deceptively deadly in groups. This comprehensive guide dives deep into everything you need to know about the Wasp: from its patrol patterns to pinpoint weak spots, optimal takedown strategies, and the valuable loot it drops. Whether you're a fresh Raider dodging bullets in Speranza's outskirts or a veteran farming high-tier upgrades, mastering the Wasp is essential for any successful extraction. By the end, you'll turn these buzzing pests from nightmares into easy pickings.
Appearance and Behavior: The Humble Scout of the Skies
The Wasp is the archetypal ARC drone, a compact marvel of malevolent engineering designed for reconnaissance and rapid response. Visually, it's a sleek, fist-sized orb roughly the size of a softball, propelled by four exposed thruster nozzles that glow with an eerie blue plasma hue. Its chassis is matte black with subtle red accents along the sensor arrays, giving it a wasp-like silhouette-hence the name. Equipped with a single light machine gun turret protruding from its underbelly, it lacks the bulky armor of larger ARC variants like the Hornet, making it appear almost fragile at first glance. But don't be fooled; these drones are the eyes and ears of the ARC network, constantly scanning the environment with a suite of LIDAR and thermal sensors.
In patrol mode, Wasps operate with mechanical precision, forming tidy formations with packs of 3-5 units, often shadowed by a bulkier Hornet escort. They hover at altitudes of 5-10 meters, weaving in lazy figure-eights over key areas like resource nodes, ruined highways, or abandoned outposts. This behavior isn't random; Wasps are programmed to map Raider activity, alerting nearby ARC forces to intrusions. A quirky flaw in their AI leads them to occasionally target inanimate objects-humanoid statues, billboards, or even scarecrows-mistaking them for threats. Raiders have exploited this glitch for ambushes, positioning decoys to draw fire while circling for a flank.
Once alerted-triggered by gunfire, footsteps, or proximity-the Wasp's demeanor shifts dramatically. It abandons its orderly flight for erratic, unpredictable maneuvers: sharp dives, barrel rolls, and sudden altitude spikes that make tracking it a nightmare. This adaptive pattern, powered by onboard gyroscopes and thrust vectoring, ensures no two engagements feel the same. In group encounters, Wasps coordinate loosely, with one acting as a spotter while others peel off to engage. Their threat level is rated moderate, with a base health pool of 110 HP, but their numbers and mobility amplify the danger exponentially. In night raids on maps like Buried City, where visibility drops and shadows lengthen, these drones become phantom harassers, their red targeting lasers cutting through the dark like fireflies from hell.
Attacks and Combat Mechanics: Bullets from Above
The Wasp's offensive capabilities are straightforward but punishing in volume. Its primary weapon is a lightweight 5.56mm machine gun, capable of unleashing short bursts of 3-5 rounds at a rate of 600 RPM. Each bullet inflicts a modest 8-12 damage, chipping away at health and shields rather than one-shotting. What makes it lethal is the lead-up: a thin red laser emitter projects from the gun barrel for 0.5-1 second, painting the target before the volley fires. This telegraphed aim gives skilled Raiders a brief window to dodge, but in the chaos of a raid, that split-second can mean the difference between cover and catastrophe.
Damage scales with distance-full force at 20 meters, tapering to half at 50-but penetration is low, stopped cold by even basic cover like concrete barriers or vehicle husks. Wasps prioritize exposed Raiders, ignoring crouched or prone targets unless directly overflown. In alerted states, they enter a "lock-on" phase, where the laser persists longer, and bursts chain into sustained fire if the target remains in LOS. Community reports highlight their stubbornness: even critically damaged, a Wasp will wobble erratically while continuing to shoot, turning a downed drone into a ground-based turret until it self-destructs.
Environmental factors play a role too. In wind-swept areas like Dam Battlegrounds, gusts can deflect their flight paths, buying time for repositioning. Conversely, enclosed spaces like Acerra Spaceport hangars funnel their attacks into kill zones, where a single Wasp pack can suppress an entire fireteam.
Weaknesses and Vulnerabilities: Exposed Thrusters, Your Ticket to Victory
For all their agility, Wasps are riddled with exploitable flaws, chief among them their unarmored propulsion system. The four thrusters-two primary ventral units and two stabilizing dorsal ones-are completely exposed, lacking even basic heat shielding. A direct hit to any thruster deals 2x damage multiplier due to volatile plasma cells, and popping two (ideally the primaries) cripples the drone instantly. It enters a freefall spiral, engines sputtering blue flames as it plummets. From heights above 15 meters, this fall becomes a kill shot: impact velocity shreds the chassis on contact, no follow-up needed. Grounded Wasps fare worse; after 10-15 seconds of immobility, they overheat and explode in a fiery burst, dealing 20-30 AoE damage to nearby foes-or careless Raiders looting too close.
Contradicting some early beta myths, the wings (if you can call the fin-like stabilizers that) are irrelevant-ignore them. The real sweet spot is the central chassis housing the CPU and gun, vulnerable to headshots that stagger the drone mid-burst. EMP grenades or the Hacker perk disrupt their sensors for 5 seconds, forcing a patrol reset and exposing thrusters for easy picks. In co-op, designate a spotter: one Raider draws aggro with flares, while the team focuses fire.
Strategies for Defeating Wasps: From Solo Skirmishes to Raid Clears
Engaging Wasps demands a mix of patience and precision. Solo Raiders should prioritize evasion: duck behind cover like rusted shipping containers or overgrown foliage to break LOS-their sensors struggle with dense vegetation, mistaking bushes for safe havens. Once hidden, wait out the alert timer (20-30 seconds) or flank via elevation changes-climb a catwalk to turn their flight path against them.
In groups, coordinate bursts: suppress with SMGs to force erratic dodges, then unload on thrusters during predictable hovers. The "clip the wings" tactic-targeting one thruster first-lures them lower for grounded finishes. For high-density swarms in Night Raids, deploy the Wasp Driver gadget (more on that later) to hack and redirect one drone against its kin, sowing chaos.
Common pitfalls? Chasing airborne Wasps wastes ammo; let gravity do the work. Over-reliance on explosives risks friendly fire in tight maps. And never loot mid-fight-those explosions have claimed more Raiders than bullets.
Loot and Rewards: Hunting for Wasp Drivers
Victory over Wasps yields more than satisfaction: their chassis often cough up Wasp Drivers, compact circuit boards essential for progression. These rare drops (10-20% chance per kill) are a cornerstone of Speranza's economy, recyclable into ARC Alloys for trading or salvaged for electrical components in crafting. Early-game, they're critical for upgrading the Workshop to Gunsmith level 2 (requiring 8 Drivers, plus Mechanical Components and Rusted Tools). Sell extras for 1000 Raider Tokens to stockpile meds or mods.
Farming hotspots include Dam Battlegrounds' flooded zones, Acerra Spaceport's elevated platforms, and Buried City's subterranean vents-night variants spike spawns during cyclic raids, where boss fights summon Wasp escorts. Chest dives and Field Crates occasionally yield Drivers too, but direct kills are king. Pro tip: Use the Scavenger perk to boost drop rates by 15%.
Best Weapons and Loadouts: Arming Up for Aerial Annihilation
No Wasp guide is complete without gear recs. Mid-tier weapons shine here: the Anvil assault rifle downs one in three well-placed shots to the body, while Ferro heavy rifles punch through packs with 50m accuracy. Explosives like frag grenades clear swarms but watch the blast radius. For precision, equip the Marksman scope on any LMG to snipe thrusters at range.
Loadout blueprint: Anvil (primary), Viper SMG (secondary for CQC), two EMP nades, and the Aerial Hunter mod (+20% drone damage). Perks like Quickdraw (faster ADS) and Evasive Maneuvers (dodge boost) round it out. In endgame, the Railgun variant one-shots, but that's overkill for basic patrols.
Advanced Tips and Common Mistakes: Elevating Your Game
Veterans swear by "statue baiting": position near decoy sculptures to trigger false positives, thinning herds before they swarm. In raids, pair Wasp kills with Hornet takedowns for combo XP bonuses. Mistake #1: Ignoring alerts- one Wasp calls five more. #2: Forgetting fall damage; herd them off ledges. #3: Neglecting upgrades-stockpile Drivers early to unlock drone-jamming tech.
For co-op synergy, use voice comms for "thruster calls"-pinpoint which nozzle to hit. In solo, audio cues are gold: the high-pitched whine signals incoming bursts.
From Pest to Prey
The Wasp may rule the skies of Arc Raiders, but knowledge is your ultimate thruster-killer. Meanwhile, ARC Raiders Coins and ARC Raiders Items can help you quickly become stronger and defeat them. By exploiting their exposed vulnerabilities, mastering evasion, and farming those precious Drivers, you'll transform frantic dodges into calculated exterminations. As Shani warns in the lore, "Don't let the bugs swarm ya-clip 'em quick, or they'll sting ya dead." Dive into your next raid armed with this guide, extract with hauls intact, and claim the wasteland as your own. Happy hunting, Raiders. The ARC awaits.
MMOexp ARC Raiders Team