If ARC Raiders combat ever felt like I did everything right and it still took forever, the new grenade blueprints change that math.

I've been testing a simple idea: kill speed isn't only about DPS—it's about forcing ARCs into damage they can't dodge. Trailblazer, Deadline, and Seeker grenades do exactly that, but only if you use them with the right spacing, timing, and terrain (doors and corners are secretly your best weapons).

Below is my current fastest-kill playbook for each ARC, plus the Stella Montis Lobby loot route I use to keep Trailblazers/Deadlines craftable without turning my stash into a bankruptcy simulator.

• 1) The Fastest-Kill Cheat Sheet (Use This First)
• 2) Why These Methods Work (Mechanics That Actually Matter)
• 2.1 Trailblazer is a damage line, not a single explosion
• 2.2 Trailblazer damage stacks (and that changes the grenade meta)
• 2.3 Shredder's dodge is real—so doors become part of your kit
• 2.4 Deadline is best-in-slot, but only if you can plant it safely
• 3) Step-by-Step SOPs (What I Actually Do In-Raid)
• 3.1 Leaper: Wall Pin + Trailblazer Finish
• 3.2 Shredder: Door Trap Method (Trailblazer Guaranteed Value)
• 3.3 Bastion: Two Fast Options (Pick Based on What You Have)
• 3.4 Bombardier: Stealth Approach + Lure Window + Deadline
• 3.5 Rocketeer: Still Wolfpack (But Seeker Has a Niche)
• 3.6 Wasps & Hornets: Seeker Grenades for Sanity
• 4) Blueprints & Crafting Reality: What You'll Run Out Of
• 4.1 Where the new grenade blueprints come from
• 4.2 The real bottleneck is materials (not Arc circuitry)
• 5) Stella Montis Lobby Route: Farming Fuel + Explosive Compound (and the Blueprints)
• 5.1 Route logic (why this loop works)
• 5.2 The route as an executable checklist
• 5.3 What a good run looks like (a real example)
• 6) Loadout Recommendations (So You Don't Overpay for Speed)
• FAQ
• 1) Why do I need to stand so close for Trailblazer?
• 2) Why does Trailblazer feel inconsistent on Shredder?
• 3) Is Deadline always better than Trailblazer for Bastion/Bombardier?
• 4) Wolfpack vs Seeker grenades for Rocketeer—what's the point of Seekers?
• 5) Where should I farm the new grenade blueprints?
• Summary

↖ 1) The Fastest-Kill Cheat Sheet (Use This First)

If you just want the answer without the theory, start here.

If you're under-geared, then Trailblazer + terrain is your best multiplier.

If you're rich or speedrunning, then Deadline plant windows are how you delete big ARCs on schedule.

↖ 2) Why These Methods Work (Mechanics That Actually Matter)

↖ 2.1 Trailblazer is a damage line, not a single explosion

Trailblazer doesn't just pop once. It creates a trail to the throw point and a blast line that leads back toward you. Anything inside that trail takes damage.

This means positioning matters more than aim:

• The closer you stand when you throw, the more of that trail overlaps the ARC's body.
• If you throw from far away, you often paint the floor instead of painting the target.

↖ 2.2 Trailblazer damage stacks (and that changes the grenade meta)

Unlike some grenades that don't reward dumping multiple at once, Trailblazer benefits from stacking. So you can front-load damage.

This means you should treat Trailblazers like a burst combo:

• For Bastion/Bombardier: throw 3–4 quickly during a safe window.
• Don't overthink spacing—your priority is maximizing trail overlap.

↖ 2.3 Shredder's dodge is real—so doors become part of your kit

Shredder can physically move out of the Trailblazer trail if it has space and time.

If you throw into an open area, then it often sidesteps and you feel betrayed.

If you trap it in a small room and close the door, then it can't dodge the line and you get the full value.

↖ 2.4 Deadline is best-in-slot, but only if you can plant it safely

Deadline can delete Bastion/Bombardier quickly, but it asks for something specific: a short window where you can run up and stick it.

This means Deadline is less about damage and more about:

• creating a plant window (disables, lure, distraction),
• and using terrain so you aren't exposed during the sprint.

↖ 3) Step-by-Step SOPs (What I Actually Do In-Raid)

↖ 3.1 Leaper: Wall Pin + Trailblazer Finish

Goal: force overlap and end the fight before it turns into a stun-loop.

1. Get inside/near a building and tag the Leaper to pull aggro.

2. Wait until it's pressed against the wall/building edge.

3. Walk up close (yes, uncomfortably close).

4. Throw Trailblazer so the trail runs across its body.

5. Finish with a few Anvil shots.

If you notice it's not hugging the wall, then don't waste the throw—reposition to re-pin it first.

↖ 3.2 Shredder: Door Trap Method (Trailblazer Guaranteed Value)

1. Bait Shredder into a small room with a door.

2. Step out / create space so you don't get clipped.

3. Throw Trailblazer into the room.

4. Close the door immediately.

Don't throw Trailblazer at Shredder in an open hallway and expect miracles.

Do force geometry to do the work for you.

↖ 3.3 Bastion: Two Fast Options (Pick Based on What You Have)

Here's the real decision: are you trying to save grenades, or save time?

Why the Lure works: it buys you a predictable window.

Why the Showstopper works: it briefly disables the turret, which is all you need to throw.

If you don't trust your timing, then use Showstopper first. It's the training wheels version that still works.

↖ 3.4 Bombardier: Stealth Approach + Lure Window + Deadline

Bombardier is easy only if you respect two things: sightlines and shockwaves.

1. Use buildings/cover to get close without being spotted.

2. When you're in planting range, throw a Lure grenade to pull its fire.

3. Sprint in and plant Deadline.

4. Back out immediately and avoid shockwave range.

If you get greedy and hug it too long, then the shockwave stun can turn the plant into a death certificate.

↖ 3.5 Rocketeer: Still Wolfpack (But Seeker Has a Niche)

• Fastest: Wolfpack (often 1 + a couple Anvil shots; otherwise 2).
• Budget/utility: Seeker grenades (~15 for a Rocketeer).

Why Seeker is interesting: it doesn't require a long throw distance like Wolfpack. You just need to throw it close enough for it to acquire the target inside its radius.

This means you can harass a Rocketeer more safely from positions where Wolfpack throws are awkward.

↖ 3.6 Wasps & Hornets: Seeker Grenades for Sanity

• Wasps: Seeker grenades are a clean one-shot tool.
• Hornets: armored, so it takes more—but still a good craftable convenience.

I treat Seekers like a quality-of-life slot: cheap to carry, and they prevent death-by-annoyance while I'm focused on bigger fights.

↖ 4) Blueprints & Crafting Reality: What You'll Run Out Of

These methods are only fast if you can keep crafting.

↖ 4.1 Where the new grenade blueprints come from

In my experience, the Trailblazer/Deadline/Seeker blueprints are Stella Montis drops, and the drop rate is common enough that open lots of containers is a real plan.

If you loot Stella consistently, then probability does the boring work for you.

↖ 4.2 The real bottleneck is materials (not Arc circuitry)

• Arc circuitry: manageable—kill ARCs, refine as needed.
• Pain points: Explosive compound and Synthesized fuel (these limit Trailblazer/Deadline volume).

Here's the crafting dependency simplified:

↖ 5) Stella Montis Lobby Route: Farming Fuel + Explosive Compound (and the Blueprints)

When I need to restock Trailblazers/Deadlines, I run a Lobby-centered loop because it gives me three wins in one:

1) lots of containers (blueprint chance),

2) black boxes/cabinets that can roll explosive compound,

3) multiple spots for fuel canisters.

↖ 5.1 Route logic (why this loop works)

• It clusters high-value container types without forcing long cross-map travel.
• It has good enough escape paths, so you aren't married to a doomed raid.
• It naturally passes by locations that can also roll other valuable drops (including certain augment-related containers).

↖ 5.2 The route as an executable checklist

↖ 5.3 What a good run looks like (a real example)

On one clean loop, I've walked out with numbers like:

• 6 fuel canisters
• 2 explosive compound
• 7 crude explosives (sometimes these roll into compound instead, but don't count on it)

This means a few runs can stock you for multiple Trailblazer/Deadline crafts, assuming you survive the PvP tax Stella loves to charge.

If you're running naked or free kit, then keep one safe pocket open for the highest-scarcity material (usually explosive compound). Die later, craft sooner.

↖ 6) Loadout Recommendations (So You Don't Overpay for Speed)

You don't need a museum-grade kit to do this.

↖ FAQ

↖ 1) Why do I need to stand so close for Trailblazer?

Because Trailblazer's damage is applied along its trail. The closer you are, the more trail overlaps the ARC's hitbox, and the more damage you get per throw.

↖ 2) Why does Trailblazer feel inconsistent on Shredder?

Shredder can move out of the trail before damage completes if it has space. Trap it in a small room, throw inside, and close the door to deny the dodge.

↖ 3) Is Deadline always better than Trailblazer for Bastion/Bombardier?

Deadline is faster when you can plant it safely. Trailblazer is more consistent because it doesn't require the same planting window—just proximity and a distraction tool.

↖ 4) Wolfpack vs Seeker grenades for Rocketeer—what's the point of Seekers?

Wolfpack is still the fastest. Seekers are cheaper and can be used from positions where a long-distance Wolfpack throw is awkward; they only need to be tossed near enough to acquire.

↖ 5) Where should I farm the new grenade blueprints?

Stella Montis. Loot lots of containers, and treat it like probability: volume wins. If you're also short on fuel/compound, the Lobby route doubles as your supply chain.

↖ Summary

This whole system is built around one idea: force ARCs into unavoidable damage, then finish with a consistent weapon like the Anvil.

• Trailblazer deletes Leapers when you pin them and throw close.
• Doors turn Shredder from annoying into solved.
• Bastion/Bombardier die fastest when you either stack Trailblazers during a distraction window or plant Deadline during a disable/lure window.
• Rocketeer still respects Wolfpack, but Seekers offer a workable budget path and amazing anti-wasp utility.
• Stella Montis isn't just a blueprint map—it's the supply line for explosive compound and synthesized fuel if you run the Lobby loop with discipline.

If you play this like a route + recipe (not a heroic duel), your time-to-kill drops hard—and your stash stops bleeding.