How To Kill Shredder Arc Raiders

The Shredder is one of the most dangerous ARC enemies in Arc Raiders, turning indoor corridors into absolute panic zones. This hovering nightmare may look small, but its heavy armor and devastating 360-degree shrapnel blast make it behave more like a mini-boss than a standard enemy.

Many Raiders underestimate the Shredder and rush in with light weapons, only to get shredded while reloading. This guide covers everything players need to know about defeating, finding, and looting Shredders efficiently.

How to Defeat Shredder

Understanding the Shredder’s attack pattern makes fighting it easier. Once a Shredder spots a player, it moves directly toward them. At close range, it stops and begins charging up with a visible and audible windup. After charging, it unleashes a 360-degree shrapnel shotgun blast in all directions.

The charge animation is the key moment in every Shredder fight. When players see or hear the windup, they must immediately break line of sight. The shrapnel blast requires direct line of sight to connect, so stepping behind any cover completely negates the attack.

Kite the Shredder away from downed teammates and kill it before trying to revive teammates or get a 2nd teammate to revive while you kite it away. (alternatively, you can kite it far enough to give yourself time to revive if it is urgent.)

Shredder Weakness

Most players instinctively aim for the Shredder’s glowing eye, but this is a mistake. The eye is heavily armored and takes minor damage. The real weak spots are located on the underside and sides of the unit.

The primary weakness is the main turbine and large thruster located on the Shredder’s underside. Hitting this component deals significant damage and can destabilize the enemy. The secondary weak points are the side maneuvering thrusters, which appear as small blue and white engine ports around the body.

Once a side thruster is shot, it can cause a fire on the Shredder, indicating the Shredder is severely damaged.

Breaking two or more side thrusters can knock the Shredder to the ground or dramatically slow its movement. A well-timed shot to the thrusters can also stun the Shredder mid-charge, causing it to miss its attack entirely.

Best Strategy

Solo players should identify cover before engaging any Shredder. Walls, pillars, crates, and door frames all provide adequate protection from the shrapnel blast. The most effective solo strategy involves baiting the charge, ducking behind cover, then emerging to fire at the thrusters while the Shredder repositions.

Use the environment to make fights easier; it cannot open doors, so closing behind you is a surefire way to lose the attention of a Shredder as long as there’s no quick way around the door. If you close the door and use the nearby windows, it’s an easy Shredder kill.

I like to use Lifts to duck under the fencing while they fire and shoot at the shredder. As they don’t have a direct route to you, they are stuck wandering nearby. This is a very safe way to deal with them. Lifts are found throughout the map and are relatively common near Shredder spawns.

Best Weapons Against Shredder

Heavy ammo weapons are the most reliable choice for killing Shredders. The Ferro and Anvil both penetrate the heavy armor plating effectively, making them excellent primary weapons for Stella Montis runs. The Hullcracker remains the best option overall, as it is for most ARC enemies. In the instance of Stella Montis, it is usually normal for players to run free loadouts, which can include the Ferro (Sometimes).

When fighting solo with a heavy weapon, expect to land between 10 and 18 shots to destroy a Shredder. Aiming for the thrusters rather than the body will significantly reduce this number. Shotguns like the Toro can also be effective at close to mid-range, capable of staggering the Shredder if shots connect with the thrusters and creating some distance with its knockback.

Explosives offer the fastest way to eliminate Shredders. Snap Blast Grenades are particularly effective because they stick to the target. Three Snap Blast Grenades stuck to a Shredder will kill it outright. Heavy Fuse Grenades and ARC-following grenades also work well. The Wolfpack Grenade can one-shot a Shredder, but this is most definitely overkill, and Wolfpacks are better saved for tougher and bigger ARC threats like Bastions.

Light ammo weapons should be avoided entirely. SMGs, pistols, and basic rifles will chew through entire magazines for minimal effect. Players who attempt to fight a Shredder with light weapons will likely empty their entire clip, fail to kill it, and get shredded while reloading.

Where to Find Shredder

Shredders spawn primarily in indoor facility zones across Arc Raiders. While they can appear on all maps, Stella Montis has the highest concentration of these enemies. Players exploring indoor areas should always be prepared for a potential Shredder encounter.

During nighttime raids, the threat level increases significantly. Single rooms can contain multiple Shredders at night, turning routine looting runs into intense survival situations. Raiders should exercise extra caution when exploring indoor facilities after dark.

Common Spawn Locations

In Stella Montis, Shredders frequently patrol several key areas. The Business Center near the Lobby entrance is a common spawn point, as are the hallways above the Sandbox. The Assembly and Assembly Workshop areas also see regular Shredder activity.

Additional spawn locations include Cargo Docks A and B, the Lobby Metro platform, and the Culture Archives. Players can often hear the distinctive hovering sound of a Shredder before seeing it, providing a brief warning to prepare for combat or avoid the area entirely.

Night Raids in Stella Montis make so many Shredders spawn, it is terrifying!

What Does the Shredder Drop

Defeating a Shredder rewards players with several useful items. The unique drop is the Shredder Gyro, which currently has no crafting function and can only be recycled or sold. Standard ARC loot also drops, including ARC Powershells, Simple Gun Parts, and ARC Alloys.

Shredders also drop Shotgun Shells, making them a decent source of ammo for players running shotgun builds. While the Shredder Gyro may gain crafting uses in future updates, the current loot pool makes Shredders worth killing for the materials alone.

What Is a Shredder

The Shredder is a small, dark, cylindrical robot that hovers just above the ground. Despite its compact size, it features full heavy armor plating, making light weapons almost useless against it. Raiders who first encountered this enemy quickly learned why it earned such a literal name.

Unlike other smaller ARCs, the Shredder does have a higher tolerance for tanking shots. Its weakness is that once it unleashes its shrapnel blast, it simply moves toward its target and repeats the attack pattern. This makes it a persistent threat that requires a strategic approach to defeat.

The Shredder’s tankiness for a small ARC unit, combined with its ability to damage players in all directions, makes reviving downed teammates particularly difficult. Standing too close to a Shredder while reviving can result in both Raiders taking heavy damage.

Frequently Asked Questions