What You'll Learn

This guide explains the fastest way to clear the Phantom Targets project in ARC Raiders, including where to farm every glitched component, how to handle the firework damage objective, and which enemy types give the best returns. If you want smoother project completion, better extraction value, and fewer wasted raids, this route keeps the whole chain efficient.

How Phantom Targets Works

Phantom Targets revolves around hunting altered flying ARC enemies and collecting a set of glitched components tied to their behavior. The project is split into material turn-ins followed by a final explosive damage test against airborne targets. The core idea is simple: focus on repeatable flying enemy spawns instead of wandering for random drops.

The most reliable target throughout the project is the wasp. It appears often, can be forced into fights with snitch scanners, and drops several of the required items. While other ARC enemies can also contribute, wasp farming is the most consistent method for stacking ARC Raiders extraction loot while progressing the mission at the same time.

Best Farming Strategy for the First Material Stage

The first collection segment asks for four main items:

• 10 Glitched ARC Power Converters
• 10 Glitched ARC Transmitters
• 10 Glitched ARC Phase Arrays
• 10 Advanced ARC Power Cells

The fastest approach is to chain snitch scanner pulls and eliminate the flying enemies they summon. This creates a compact loop that is much faster than roaming the map and hoping to meet the right targets naturally.

Why Wasp Farming Is So Efficient

Wasps are ideal because they are common, quick to kill, and repeatedly callable through snitch scanners. They can drop several of the glitched components needed for the project, especially the lower-rarity pieces. Fireflies, bombardier drones, and some other ARC units can also drop relevant parts, but they are better treated as bonus kills rather than the center of the route.

If you are trying to optimize your ARC Raiders resource farming, bring multiple scanners into a raid. More scanners means more forced flying engagements, which means more chances at the required drops. This is one of the cleanest examples of converting a utility item into direct project progress.

Important Snitch Scanner Tip

Destroy snitches before they fully escape upward. If they complete their alert behavior, they can escalate the encounter and call in rocketeers. That makes the farm slower, louder, and much more dangerous than it needs to be. A clean scanner cycle should feel controlled: trigger, summon, eliminate, loot, rotate.

Which Drop Usually Takes Longest

Among the first-stage items, the Glitched ARC Phase Array tends to be the slowest because it appears less often than the gray and green-tier components. Expect this to be the item that stretches the farm. The answer is not changing routes constantly; it is simply increasing the number of flying kills per raid.

Advanced ARC Power Cells are less restrictive because they can come from more than one source. Keep an eye on probes, fallen ARC enemies, and opportunistic side kills. If a probe lands nearby, it is often worth checking because it can add progress without disrupting your loop.

The next collection segment shifts into a different set of components:

• 10 Glitched ARC Rings
• 10 Glitched ARC Circuitry
• 10 ARC Thermal Lining
• 10 ARC Circuitry

This stage is still manageable with flying-target farming, but one item changes the route priority: ARC Thermal Lining.

Glitched ARC Rings and Circuitry

These two usually come at a solid pace from the same scanner-based farming method. Keep looting all dropped husks and containers around your fight area. Even if other players are not running the project, they may leave behind components they do not need. That makes post-fight cleanup surprisingly valuable.

These items also sell well, so once your turn-in is complete, extra copies become useful credits. For players balancing project progression with stash growth, this is a good point to build up ARC Raiders Coins indirectly through efficient loot conversion rather than pure farming for cash alone.

How to Farm ARC Thermal Lining

ARC Thermal Lining is usually the bottleneck. The best sources are flame-oriented ARC enemies, especially comets. Fireflies and other heat-based threats can also contribute, but comets are the most dependable target if you are farming this item specifically.

Prospecting probes and crashed probes are also worth checking, since they can contain thermal-related materials. If a raid has probe activity, treat it as a strong side objective. This is one of the easier ways to improve your total haul of ARC Raiders crafting Materials while still staying focused on the project.

Because this item can be streaky, do not judge progress by one raid. A better benchmark is several efficient loops with a mix of scanner pulls, comet kills, and probe checks.

Take a look at: the full update breakdown for glitched wasp behavior

Crafting ARC Circuitry Instead of Farming It

ARC Circuitry is the easiest requirement to solve because it can be crafted from ARC Alloy in the refiner, assuming the station is upgraded enough. If you have been looting regularly during the earlier stages, you will often have enough alloy to finish this requirement without dedicated farming.

This is where general progression matters. Players with better station development can skip some of the randomness by converting stockpiled materials into project items. That is one reason ARC Raiders Workstation Upgrades and long-term crafting progression matter even when a mission seems combat-focused on the surface.

How to Prepare for the Final Firework Test

The last objective asks you to deal damage to flying ARC using fireworks. This is the only part of the project that can feel awkward if you try to do it casually. Fireworks are not reliable when thrown into open space without setup, so the key is forcing airborne enemies into a tight area and timing the blast correctly.

How Fireworks Actually Deal Damage

The direct visual effect is not the important part. The damage comes from the explosive burst rather than the light trail itself. That means positioning matters more than simply launching a firework near a target. You want enemies hovering close to the detonation zone, not drifting through the sky at random angles.

You can acquire fireworks through the project reward blueprint if you do not already own it. Once learned, they can be crafted at the explosive station. The recipe is straightforward:

• 1 Explosive Compound
• 3 Pop Triggers

Explosive Compound is generally manageable to source, especially if you are already fighting comets and similar ARC enemies. Pop Triggers are the more important planning item, since you need several per firework. Dense loot zones and interior routes can help refill your supply quickly, making this one of the few steps where route discipline matters as much as combat execution.

If your stash is thin, this is a good moment to prioritize ARC Raiders progression resources over luxury loot. The final test does not require a huge stockpile, but bringing multiple fireworks gives you margin for error.

Bring These Three Tools

• Fireworks
• Snitch Scanners
• Lure Grenades

These three items create the full setup. Fireworks provide the damage source, snitch scanners bring flying enemies to you, and lure grenades hold them close enough to the blast for consistent damage.

If you do not have the lure grenade unlocked yet, it is worth finishing the related mission chain first. This is one of those cases where a utility unlock saves far more time than brute-forcing the objective with bad positioning.

Best Place to Complete the Firework Objective

The most reliable map area for this test is Buried City, specifically tight alleyways bordered by tall buildings. The reason is simple: vertical walls reduce the amount of escape space for the flying targets. Instead of drifting wide and high, they stay compressed in a more predictable zone.

Why Alleyways Work So Well

Open areas make the test inconsistent. Flying enemies spread out, change height quickly, and often avoid the exact detonation point. In a narrow alley, the blast area covers a larger share of their available movement space. This makes every firework more likely to connect.

Step-by-Step Firework Setup

Use this sequence for the cleanest completion:

• Find a narrow alley with tall walls
• Place one or more fireworks on the wall at slightly different heights
• Throw a lure grenade into the center of the alley
• Activate a snitch scanner to summon flying ARC
• Wait until the enemies cluster near the lure
• Trigger the fireworks as they enter the blast zone

With good placement, the objective can be finished in one or two attempts. Using more than one firework at different heights improves consistency because airborne targets do not all hover at the same level.

Take a look at: our broader progression guide for smarter looting and upgrades

Avoid These Common Mistakes

• Trying to hit naturally roaming fliers in open terrain
• Launching fireworks before enemies commit to the lure
• Using only one firework at a poor height
• Letting snitches escape and escalate the fight
• Ignoring nearby threats before setting up the alley

Clear the area first, then build the trap. The objective is easiest when the only variables are the summoned fliers and your own timing.

Phantom Targets is not mechanically difficult, but it becomes inefficient if your loadout is too heavy, too loud, or too expensive for repeated scanner loops. A practical setup is better than a prestige one.

Recommended Approach

• Bring accurate mid-range weapons for quick snitch kills
• Carry enough ammo for repeated flying engagements
• Reserve inventory space for glitched components and probe loot
• Use silencers when possible to reduce chain aggro
• Keep healing and throwables light so your bag stays flexible

This is also a good use case for ARC Raiders weapon Mods that improve stability or handling rather than raw burst damage. The project rewards precision and repetition more than boss-level stopping power.

Players still building out their arsenal can complete this comfortably with starter ARC Raiders Guns as long as they play around positioning and utility. Good trap setup is more important than elite gear here.

Why This Project Is Worth Doing

Phantom Targets offers a useful mix of weapon rewards, utility progression, and blueprint value. More importantly, it teaches repeatable habits that carry into the rest of the game: forcing favorable engagements, targeting specific drop pools, and using the environment to control flying ARC behavior.

It also highlights how mission progress and economy can overlap. Farming glitched components, crafting what you can, and selling extras is a strong model for players who want steady momentum without endless grinding. For anyone trying to balance combat goals with stash growth, this project is a solid example of efficient progression in action.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the fastest way to farm glitched drops in Phantom Targets?

Use snitch scanners to repeatedly summon wasps, then loot every husk and nearby drop. This creates the most reliable loop for the required components.

Which item usually slows down the second stage the most?

ARC Thermal Lining is commonly the slowest requirement. Focus on comets, fire-based ARC enemies, and both active and crashed probes.

Yes. If your refiner is upgraded enough, ARC Circuitry can be made from ARC Alloy, which reduces the need for random drops.

What is the best map area for the firework damage objective?

Buried City alleyways are the most consistent because the tall walls keep flying enemies close to the lure and blast radius.

Do I need high-end gear to finish Phantom Targets?

No. A clean utility setup matters more than expensive equipment. Efficient use of scanners, lures, and fireworks is enough for most players.