The Damage Vaporizers Trial asks you to fight one of the deadliest flying ARCs in the game and deal enough damage to fill out the star track. It runs from August 4 to 10, 2026, and because you are going up against a miniboss with a lethal laser and a smart shield, the difference between a smooth run and a quick death comes down to your loadout and where you choose to fight.
Quick answer: Load into a map with the Close Scrutiny condition, force a Vaporizer’s shield down, then destroy its underside armor and shoot the exposed core. Every point of damage counts as 1.3 Trials score, so one full Vaporizer kill puts you near 3,600 and a little extra damage on a second clears the 4,000 needed for three stars.
Score needed for three stars
Damage is the only thing that matters here. For every 1 damage you land on a Vaporizer, you bank 1.3 Trials score. Because these machines have a large health pool, fully destroying one gets you close to the finish line on its own.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Score per 1 damage dealt | 1.3 Trials score |
| Approx. score for one full Vaporizer kill | ~3,600 |
| Score needed for three stars | 4,000 |
| Practical target | One kill plus light damage on a second |
After a kill, open your logbook mid-raid to check your running total. If you are just short of 4,000, you only need to chip away at a second Vaporizer rather than commit to another full fight.
Recommended loadout
You need firepower that strips ARC plating and enough consumables to survive the laser. A free loadout will not carry this Trial, so bring your own gear or have a squadmate drop you weapons.
| Slot | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Primary | Anvil or Hullcracker (Bettina and Jupiter also work well) |
| Ammo | Four stacks each; collect more from destroyed Vaporizers |
| Shield | Medium Shield to tank laser hits |
| Recovery | Shield Rechargers, plus Bandages or Vita Spray |
| Burst option | Wolfpacks for finishing a downed shield |
Note: Smoke Grenades or a Photoelectric Cloak are handy for breaking line of sight when other players or ARCs crowd the fight.
Where to find Vaporizers
Vaporizers reliably appear during the Close Scrutiny ARC Operation, where they patrol and guard Assessor probes. Assessors fire red beams into the sky, which pulls in other squads, so expect competition at those spots. If you want a calmer fight, head to The Blue Gate and pick off an isolated Vaporizer instead.
Buried City on Close Scrutiny is a strong pick because it offers dense buildings and natural cover to peek from. Wherever you land, find the closest building you can shelter in before you start shooting, and check for hostile players and smaller ARCs like Ticks, Pops, Fireballs, and Wasps nearby.
How to bring down a Vaporizer
Confirming your three stars and common mistakes
The Trial rewards only count once you extract, so survival is the final step. Check your logbook after a kill to see if your score has crossed 4,000. If it has, de-aggro the ARC, break contact, and head to an extraction point. The star track will show three stars filled once your score is finalized on extraction.
Two mistakes account for most failed runs. The first is firing into the shield, which wastes ammo and gadgets for zero score since the barrier absorbs everything. The second is dying before extraction, which wipes the progress you earned that raid. Plan a fight where you can retreat safely, and bank the kill by getting out.
