I hit the roof of Buried City and a Leaper folded the distance in a heartbeat. You hear Spotters whining and the raid timer ticking; three stars can evaporate before your HUD blinks. I stopped guessing and started hunting with intention.
Every quick-check list begins with the obvious: a plan saves time.
- ARC Raiders Week 18 Trials walkthrough
- Damage Leapers
- Loot bird’s nests
- Damage Spotters
- Open ARC Probes
- Search containers in the Medical Research Wing
I watch players rush in circles when the new trials drop; calm beats panic.
The Week 18 Trials split into five clean tasks. You can clear them in a single smart raid if you manage heat, distance, and attention. Treat the list like a short route plan — hit the high-value stops first and avoid fights that devour time.
How do I get three stars in Week 18 Trials?
Stars come from completion speed and clean objectives. I run these rules every time: prioritize tasks that are stationary or map-specific, avoid long chases unless the reward is guaranteed, and play with tools that match each enemy’s behavior.
For Week 18, that means: finish bird’s nests on Buried City when the Bird City event is active, smash ARC Probes as you pass, and clear the Medical Research Wing containers while you’re in Stell Montis. Keep engagements with Leapers and Spotters short — they cost time if you let them herd you into a fight.
Leapers: they explode into the fight and demand immediate attention — plan for vertical threats.
Leapers are landmines in motion. They favor open lines and elevators on Dam Battlegrounds, and show up during Matriarch hunts.
Strategy: shelter first — roofs, alcoves, or any cover that blocks the jump. Aim for the eyes; weak spots make the Hullcracker chew through armor fast. Flame-based explosives turn the fight in your favor because Leapers react poorly to fire. You don’t have to farm them, but killing a Leaper yields the Leaper Pulse unit and tidy loot.
Bird’s nests: rooftops hide small wins — treat them as quick loops through the map.
Bird nests are treasure chests. They only appear when the Bird City event runs on Buried City; check chimneys and rooftops during that window.
Search nests for trinkets and collectible Ducks you can sell for credits. If your aim is three stars, treat nests as high-efficiency plunder: quick, low-threat, and map-specific. Use in-raid timers on Steam or your squad’s Discord to mark when Bird City spawns.
What’s the best way to damage Spotters?
Spotters keep their distance and call reinforcements. I use the Renegade because it rewards precision at range. Land your first two shots and the Spotter’s pathing gives you a second to finish it before Bombardiers or other ARCs arrive.
Spotters don’t sit in fixed locations, but you’ll find them near Bombardiers guiding rockets. Prioritize them when you have a safe perch; ignoring them invites waves.
You hear a metallic ping and know a resource node is nearby — follow the sound.
ARC Probes come in two states: flat or standing. The standing probes are the ones worth your time — they hide better resources. Probes don’t have fixed spawns, but they’re common across raids and make noise. Break them open and search to register progress toward the trial.
Where do ARC Probes spawn?
There’s no single spawn point. Expect probes near points of interest, pathways between objectives, and around map events. If you’re running with a squad on Xbox or PlayStation, call out probe locations in voice chat or ping them on the map to save time.
The Medical Research Wing attracts players like a crowded subway car — plan for company.
The Medical Research Wing sits on the top floor of Stell Montis, southwest quadrant. It’s dense with containers that count for XP even if they’re empty, so clear them while you pass through. Expect other raiders — move fast and don’t linger with your back turned.
When a team forks, it’s often better to split objectives: one player tags Probes and nests, another clears containers and handles Leapers. Use squad pings on Steam, and coordinate via Discord or the ARC Raiders Reddit to shave minutes off runs.
I coach players who want three stars: stop chasing every fight and start collecting time-efficient wins — which objective will you drop to shave a minute off your run?