The Skulker is a small, fast-moving ground machine added to ARC Raiders in the Frozen Trail update. It stays at the edge of your vision, strikes with short bursts from a scorpion-like rifle, then glides away to reposition. Its compact size makes it easy to lose track of, but it has very little health behind its armor, so a focused approach drops it quickly.
Quick answer: Damage its legs to immobilize it while it pauses to fire, then burst the exposed body with a precision weapon such as the Anvil, Renegade, or Osprey.
Skulker part health and weak points
The Skulker rides on spherical leg components and uses thrusters to dart around the fight. Destroying those parts removes its mobility, which is the whole fight against it. Once it can no longer move, it becomes a stationary target you can dismantle at your own pace.
| Part | Health |
|---|---|
| Body | 230 |
| Leg | 125 |
| Thruster | 40 |
| Medium armor plate | 28 |
| Light armor plate | 13 |
The body carries the most health at 230, so trading shots into it while the machine is still mobile wastes ammunition and exposes you to return fire. Taking out the legs first, or destroying its weapon when it takes aim, shuts down its ability to hurt you and sets up a safe finish.
The Skulker’s gatling attack deals 12 damage per hit and fires in a flurry, so staying in the open during a burst can chunk your health fast. A laser telegraph appears just before it shoots, which is your cue to break line of sight.
Best weapons for killing a Skulker
Precision weapons work best because the Skulker is small and nimble, and you need accurate shots to strip its legs between its movements. Any of the following handle the job well while you hold cover and wait for openings.
- Anvil — Hand Cannon, Heavy Ammo, high damage and headshot output
- Renegade — Battle Rifle, Medium Ammo, strong damage and accuracy
- Osprey — Sniper Rifle, Medium Ammo, reliable damage at range
- Bettina — Assault Rifle, Heavy Ammo, slow fire rate with high damage
Bring plenty of ammunition and a shield before you go hunting one. Depending on the weapon, a single leg takes one to two well-placed shots to destroy, and you may face more than one Skulker at a time.
How to defeat a Skulker
If several Skulkers appear at once, focus one at a time and destroy it fully before switching targets, since each one you remove cuts the incoming fire. Keep moving between bursts, and if a machine slips out of sight, hold your angle and wait for it to reappear rather than chasing it into another enemy’s line of fire.
You know the fight is over when the Skulker stops moving and breaks apart, dropping its parts on the ground for you to loot.
Skulker drops and the Skulker Targeter
Defeating a Skulker can yield the Skulker Targeter, an Uncommon deployable, along with the Skulker Driver component. The Targeter acts as a small turret that fires at anything nearby, dealing 9 damage within a 25m radius. It hits any target in range, including other ARC machines and raiders, so it works as an ambush tool or defensive cover near an extract.
A lone Targeter is fairly weak, so setting up a pair gives better coverage of an approach. If you’d rather not deploy it, you can dismantle it for crafting materials.
The Targeter will shoot its own deployer, so stand clear of its firing line and warn teammates before you set it down.
