The Vaporizer Regulator is an Epic crafting material introduced in ARC Raiders' Flashpoint update (patch 1.22.0). It drops exclusively from Vaporizers, the large aerial ARC drones that patrol maps during the Close Scrutiny map condition. You'll need a significant stockpile of them — up to 19 for a single community project — so farming these efficiently matters.
Quick answer: Destroy a Vaporizer during a Close Scrutiny event and loot its salvage. The Vaporizer Regulator is a guaranteed drop as long as no other player loots the wreck first.
Where Vaporizers spawn
Vaporizers only appear when the Close Scrutiny map condition is active. During this event, they show up frequently across the map, often traveling solo but sometimes grouping near Assessors — the special loot locations unique to Close Scrutiny. If you're struggling to find a lone Vaporizer in the open, head toward an Assessor and begin breaching it. Vaporizer spawns around Assessors are essentially guaranteed.
From a distance, Vaporizers resemble Rocketeers. The key visual difference is their laser armament and the ring of rotors around their body. Once you learn to spot them, they're hard to miss.
How to destroy a Vaporizer
Vaporizers are extremely durable and deal heavy fire damage with a charged laser beam. Treating them like a Wasp or other lighter ARC will get you killed fast. Preparation and positioning are everything.
Step 1: Bring high-damage, long-range weapons. The Hullcracker, Aphelion, Dolabra, and Wolfpack explosives are all strong choices. A fully upgraded Renegade can also work if you can consistently hit the small rotors on its sides. The Hullcracker is particularly forgiving because it doesn't require pinpoint accuracy — emptying a full magazine without missing will take a Vaporizer down.
Step 2: Find a sheltered position near buildings or solid cover before engaging. You need to break the line of sight repeatedly because the Vaporizer's primary laser charges for roughly one second before firing. When you see it aim the beam, move behind cover immediately.
Step 3: Focus fire on the rotors around the Vaporizer's rim to slow its movement, then target the core on its underside. Watch for a shield activation similar to the Matriarch's — while the shield is up, all damage is negated. Stop shooting and wait for it to drop before resuming.
Step 4: Loot the salvage immediately after the Vaporizer is destroyed. The Regulator appears to be a guaranteed drop, but another player can grab it first in a shared match.
Stock up on strong healing consumables before the fight. The Vaporizer's fire damage ticks persistently, and you'll burn through medical items quickly if you take repeated hits. Grouping up with friends or cooperating with other players in your match makes the fight far more manageable.
All current uses for the Vaporizer Regulator
| Use | Regulators needed | Other requirements |
|---|---|---|
| Craft Dolabra (weapon) | 2 | 3× Shredder Gyro, 3× Magnetic Accelerator, Gunsmith 3, Dolabra Blueprint |
| High-Gain Antenna — Data Logger stage | 4 | Part of the community project |
| High-Gain Antenna — Parabolic Dish stage | 15 | Part of the community project |
| Recycle | 1 | Returns 1× Advanced Electrical Components, 2× ARC Circuitry |
| Salvage | 1 | Returns 2× ARC Circuitry |
The Dolabra is a powerful weapon added in the Flashpoint update. If you've found its blueprint, each craft costs two Vaporizer Regulators alongside three Shredder Gyros and three Magnetic Accelerators, and requires Gunsmith level 3.
The High-Gain Antenna is a community player project that demands 19 Vaporizer Regulators across two of its stages — 4 for the Data Logger step and 15 for the Parabolic Dish step. That total makes it one of the most resource-intensive goals currently in the game.
Should you recycle or save them?
Recycling a Vaporizer Regulator yields one Advanced Electrical Component and two ARC Circuitry, while salvaging returns just two ARC Circuitry. Those returns are modest for an Epic item. Given that you need 19 Regulators for the High-Gain Antenna project alone — plus 2 more every time you craft a Dolabra — it's worth hoarding them until you've met those thresholds. Recycle or salvage only the extras.
Because Vaporizers are tough to kill and only appear during Close Scrutiny, every Regulator you collect has real value. Prioritize the High-Gain Antenna donations first, then set aside enough for any Dolabra crafts you want, and treat recycling as a last resort for surplus stock.