In ARC Raiders, one of the most efficient but often underestimated challenge objectives is dealing melee damage to ARC enemies. Unlike standard ranged combat tasks, this objective forces players into close-range engagements where movement, timing, and positioning matter far more than weapon power.
This challenge is especially valuable because it benefits from a high damage multiplier of approximately 7.5x, meaning the total required damage for a 3-star completion is only around 400 melee damage. Compared to typical combat objectives, this makes melee farming extremely efficient and repeatable, even for early-game players, forming a simple ARC Raiders BluePrint for fast progression.
Objective Overview
The rules for this challenge are straightforward:
Players must deal melee damage directly to ARC units. Only physical melee attacks are counted toward progress. This includes both equipped melee weapons and basic unarmed attacks such as punches.
However, all ranged damage sources—including firearms, grenades, and gadgets—do not contribute to the objective at all. This means players must intentionally commit to close-range combat and consistently land melee hits to progress.
Because of this restriction, success depends more on execution and positioning than on loadout strength.
Why Melee Farming Is So Efficient
The main advantage of this objective lies in its scaling system. The high multiplier significantly reduces the effective damage requirement, allowing players to complete the challenge in a short time window.
As a result, even brief engagements with ARC enemies can provide substantial progress. This makes melee farming one of the most time-efficient challenge types available.
Additional advantages include:
Very low gear dependency
Fast completion cycles
Accessibility for early-game players
High repeatability in ARC-spawn zones
These factors make it an excellent choice for consistent weekly or progression-based farming.
Recommended Loadout Setup
To optimize efficiency, players should prioritize mobility and survivability over raw damage output.
A strong melee setup typically includes a fast melee weapon such as a baton, blade, or similar close-range tool, paired with lightweight armor that allows for quick movement and repositioning.
Healing ARC Raiders Items are recommended to maintain sustain during repeated engagements, especially in higher-density ARC areas.
Players can also complete this objective using unarmed attacks, although this approach is less consistent and generally riskier due to reduced range and damage control.
Efficient Farming Strategy
The best approach is to target isolated or low-risk ARC enemies in predictable spawn zones.
A standard farming loop should follow this pattern:
Identify a single ARC unit or small group
Close distance using cover and movement paths
Execute continuous melee attacks until the target is eliminated
Immediately rotate to the next spawn location
The key is maintaining a steady rhythm of engagements rather than fighting large groups. Overcommitting to multiple enemies at once increases damage risk and reduces efficiency.
Build Optimization Tips
For players looking to improve performance further, several build adjustments can significantly increase efficiency.
Movement speed bonuses help reduce downtime between engagements, allowing faster farming loops. Damage resistance improves survivability during close-range fights, especially when engaging more aggressive ARC units. Stamina or attack-speed enhancements can also increase damage output consistency.
Crowd-control tools are particularly useful for isolating single targets, which makes melee engagements safer and more predictable.
The ARC Raiders melee damage objective is one of the fastest and most efficient progression tasks available when approached correctly. With a 7.5x damage multiplier and only around 400 total damage required for 3-star completion, it strongly rewards aggressive, close-range gameplay.
For those willing to engage directly with ARC enemies, melee farming offers a reliable and low-cost method to accelerate progression without relying on advanced gear or high-end builds.