What is the Bombardier's weak point in Arc Raiders?

The Bombardier has two named weak points, the rear plate and the leg joints, and both render in the game's bright yellow. The rear canister on its back is the higher value target, since hitting the back panel does more damage than the legs and destroying that cylinder can disable the machine quickly. The yellow kneecaps on all four legs are the secondary option, and shooting them cripples its mobility while exposing unarmored inner sections. Breaking either the canister or a leg joint also stuns it for a couple of seconds.

What ammo should you use on a Bombardier in Arc Raiders?

Launcher ammo first, heavy ammo second, explosives throughout. The Hullcracker is the standard pick because its explosive projectiles pierce ARC plating, with the Ferro and the Anvil as the heavy ammo alternatives. Light and medium ammo is the wrong tool, since ARC armored plating needs rounds at Moderate ARC Armor Penetration or above and anything below that bounces off. No numeric penetration values are published, so treat this as an order of effectiveness rather than a threshold you can calculate.

Is the Bombardier heavily armored in Arc Raiders?

No. The wiki lists the Bombardier's Armor class as Light, which makes it the lightest armored of the large legged machines, below the Bastion, Leaper, Rocketeer, Queen and Matriarch. The in-game Codex says the same thing in words, that its front-facing armor is strong but not as impenetrable as the Bastion's. Light armor does not mean light ammo works, though, because its plating still turns away anything under Moderate ARC Armor Penetration.

Should you kill the Spotters before the Bombardier?

Yes, and skipping it is the single biggest mistake in the fight. Spotters point a laser at any Raider in line of sight so the Bombardier can target them accurately, which means it can shell you while you are hiding behind cover and never sees you itself. A Spotter has 80 health and no armor, so any weapon drops one quickly. Both Spotters respawn after being destroyed, so expect to kill them more than once and use vertical cover, a full roof rather than a low wall.

Where does the Bombardier spawn in Arc Raiders?

Bombardiers appear on four maps: Dam Battlegrounds, Buried City, Spaceport and The Blue Gate. Commonly cited spots include the Primary Facility area at the Dam, the Parking Garage roof in Buried City, The Trench at Spaceport, and Checkpoint at The Blue Gate, though different guides list different sub-locations across the same four maps. Patch 1.22.0 in March 2026 adjusted area coverage for Bombardiers to improve navigation, so exact spawn spots are best treated as fluid. There is no positive confirmation either way about whether they appear on Stella Montis or Riven Tides.

Is the Bombardier worth fighting in Arc Raiders?

Yes, if you brought the right kit for it. It drops the Bombardier Cell, a unique item used to upgrade the Refiner, and reported yields run roughly 3 to 4 cells per kill, with one guide reporting up to 6. Cells also sell for 5,000 Coins each, and the machine drops Launcher Ammo, ARC Performance Steel and Heavy Gun Parts on top. The caveat is real though, because two mortar shots can strip a full shield, so engage it deliberately rather than opportunistically.

Arc Raiders Bombardier Guide: Weak Points and Best Ammo

How to kill the Bombardier in Arc Raiders: the rear canister and leg joints, why its armor is Light, which ammo penetrates, and why cover will not save you.

Category: ARC Machines, Every Enemy · Updated 2026-08-03

What a Bombardier actually is

A large four legged walker that fights as artillery. It does not chase you. It sets up at range, drops mortar rounds on your position, and usually arrives with a pair of small flying drones called Spotters feeding it your location in real time.

The community wiki lists its health at 2,670, its primary attack as Mortar Fire and its ability as Shockwave. Its Armor class is Light, which catches people out: it is the lightest armored of the big legged machines, lighter than a Bastion. The Codex agrees, calling its front-facing armor strong "though it is not as impenetrable as the Bastion's."

It looks like a Bastion, white and light blue instead of black, with a similar shape and similar yellow weak points, and the Codex calls that a kinship. It is not a Bastion with the gatling swapped out, and it does not fight like one.

How you know one is there

The tell is overhead. A Spotter is a small flying ARC that points a laser at any Raider it can see, so the Bombardier can target them accurately. Laser on you, shells incoming: that is the pair. Patch 1.29.0 (May 19 2026) also added a distinct sound for a Bastion or Bombardier switching targets, so you can hear it turn onto you.

How it attacks

Mortar fire. Indirect and long range. The Codex says it tries to flush Raiders out of cover with heavy mortar fire. TheGamer puts numbers on the danger: two shots empty a Light Shield, with a Medium shield taking about three hits and a Heavy shield about four.
Spotter-assisted targeting. With Spotters alive it hits Raiders who are hiding in cover, because it does not need to see you itself.
Shockwave. A close-range ability the Bastion does not have. Closing the distance is not the safe answer here.
It stays put. It rarely repositions, because its range does the work and the Spotters do the aiming.

The opening you want comes right after it fires: the wiki notes it becomes vulnerable immediately after firing its artillery.

Where to shoot it

The infobox names two weak points, the Rear Plate and the Leg Joints, both rendered in the game's matte bright yellow.

The rear canister is the priority. Hitting the back panel does more damage than the leg joints, and the wiki states destroying the rear cylinder can disable a Bombardier quickly. TheGamer counts a barrel-shaped part hidden behind that canister as a further spot.
The yellow kneecaps on all four legs. Shooting them impairs mobility, breaks pieces of leg off, and exposes unarmored inner sections that take increased damage, with reports of it dropping to its knees.
Either one staggers it. Breaking a leg joint or the canister stuns it for a couple of seconds.
One mine can end it. Two sources report a well placed Deadline near the canister destroys a Bombardier outright, the cheapest kill available if you can reach its feet.

Aim assist used to miss these spots. Patch 1.26.0 (April 28 2026) fixed it not targeting leg joints and weak spots on the Bastion, Bombardier, Queen and Matriarch.

What to bring

The governing rule for all ARC is ARC Armor Penetration, not raw damage. Armored plating needs rounds at Moderate penetration or above, and anything below Moderate bounces off. No per weapon penetration values are published, so treat this as an order, not a scale.

Launcher ammo first. The Hullcracker leads, firing explosive projectiles strong enough to pierce the plating.
Heavy ammo second. The Ferro and the Anvil are the two heavy ammo guns guides name for this fight.
Explosives throughout. Trigger Nades, Blaze Nades and Wolfpacks, plus a Deadline for the canister.
Light and medium ammo is the wrong tool. Standard weapons struggle against the plating.

Loadout planning lives at /loadouts, and individual gear pages are under /items.

Sources disagree on whether stun tools work here. One guide pairs Showstopper and Hornet Driver stuns with Deadline mines, another says it is immune to stun effects, and the wiki lists "helpless when stunned" for the Bastion and the Leaper but not the Bombardier. Do not plan around stunning one.

Where it spawns

The wiki lists four maps: Dam Battlegrounds, Buried City, Spaceport and The Blue Gate. Wiki spots include the Primary Facility at the Dam, the Parking Garage roof and Marano Park in Buried City, The Trench at Spaceport, and Raider's Refuge and Checkpoint at The Blue Gate. Other guides list a different set across the same four maps, so treat sub-locations as fluid. Patch 1.22.0 (March 31 2026) adjusted area coverage for Leapers, Bombardiers and Bastions to improve navigation, a direct reason spawn write-ups drift.

Stella Montis and Riven Tides are not on the wiki's list, but nothing positively confirms either way for the two newer maps, and absence from a list is not proof. Map pages are at /maps.

The mistake that gets people killed

Treating cover as safety while the Spotters are alive. The mortar is indirect fire and the Spotters supply your position without the Bombardier needing to see you, so hunkering down behind a low wall is exactly the wrong instinct. Kill the Spotters first to disorient it, then use vertical cover, a solid roof rather than a waist-high barrier. A Spotter has 80 health and no armor, so it goes down fast, but both respawn, making this upkeep during the fight rather than a one-time step.

The runner-up mistake catches experienced players: carrying Bastion tactics across. Dropping on it from above is a Bastion play, and the Bombardier has a shockwave that punishes exactly that.

Is it worth fighting

Yes, if you came prepared. It drops the Bombardier Cell, used to upgrade the Refiner, with Level III the commonly cited target. Reported yields run 3 to 4 cells on average, with around 6 on a good kill. Cells sell for 5,000 Coins each, and the machine also drops Launcher Ammo, ARC Performance Steel and Heavy Gun Parts, so a Hullcracker kill partly pays for itself. Looting its ARC parts pays 300 XP each, cut from 500 in the North Line patch, which also dropped its XP per damage from 3 to 2. For what to do with the drops, see /keep-or-sell.

When to walk away

Leave it alone if you have no launcher or heavy ammo, no explosives, or no roofed route to it. Fighting one from open ground with medium ammo is how this goes badly. Night raids are the quieter window if you want the farm without a third party arriving.

This is a fan-made companion site, not affiliated with Embark Studios. Everything above comes from the community wiki, in-game Codex text, official patch notes and published guides, with disagreements flagged rather than smoothed. More ARC breakdowns are at /ai, and the index is at /guides.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Bombardier's weak point in Arc Raiders?: The Bombardier has two named weak points, the rear plate and the leg joints, and both render in the game's bright yellow. The rear canister on its back is the higher value target, since hitting the back panel does more damage than the legs and destroying that cylinder can disable the machine quickly. The yellow kneecaps on all four legs are the secondary option, and shooting them cripples its mobility while exposing unarmored inner sections. Breaking either the canister or a leg joint also stuns it for a couple of seconds.
What ammo should you use on a Bombardier in Arc Raiders?: Launcher ammo first, heavy ammo second, explosives throughout. The Hullcracker is the standard pick because its explosive projectiles pierce ARC plating, with the Ferro and the Anvil as the heavy ammo alternatives. Light and medium ammo is the wrong tool, since ARC armored plating needs rounds at Moderate ARC Armor Penetration or above and anything below that bounces off. No numeric penetration values are published, so treat this as an order of effectiveness rather than a threshold you can calculate.
Is the Bombardier heavily armored in Arc Raiders?: No. The wiki lists the Bombardier's Armor class as Light, which makes it the lightest armored of the large legged machines, below the Bastion, Leaper, Rocketeer, Queen and Matriarch. The in-game Codex says the same thing in words, that its front-facing armor is strong but not as impenetrable as the Bastion's. Light armor does not mean light ammo works, though, because its plating still turns away anything under Moderate ARC Armor Penetration.
Should you kill the Spotters before the Bombardier?: Yes, and skipping it is the single biggest mistake in the fight. Spotters point a laser at any Raider in line of sight so the Bombardier can target them accurately, which means it can shell you while you are hiding behind cover and never sees you itself. A Spotter has 80 health and no armor, so any weapon drops one quickly. Both Spotters respawn after being destroyed, so expect to kill them more than once and use vertical cover, a full roof rather than a low wall.
Where does the Bombardier spawn in Arc Raiders?: Bombardiers appear on four maps: Dam Battlegrounds, Buried City, Spaceport and The Blue Gate. Commonly cited spots include the Primary Facility area at the Dam, the Parking Garage roof in Buried City, The Trench at Spaceport, and Checkpoint at The Blue Gate, though different guides list different sub-locations across the same four maps. Patch 1.22.0 in March 2026 adjusted area coverage for Bombardiers to improve navigation, so exact spawn spots are best treated as fluid. There is no positive confirmation either way about whether they appear on Stella Montis or Riven Tides.
Is the Bombardier worth fighting in Arc Raiders?: Yes, if you brought the right kit for it. It drops the Bombardier Cell, a unique item used to upgrade the Refiner, and reported yields run roughly 3 to 4 cells per kill, with one guide reporting up to 6. Cells also sell for 5,000 Coins each, and the machine drops Launcher Ammo, ARC Performance Steel and Heavy Gun Parts on top. The caveat is real though, because two mortar shots can strip a full shield, so engage it deliberately rather than opportunistically.