If you want to hold Hotshot solo, stop chasing perfect raids. Bank strong scores, extract alive, and only push when the route is clean. This guide gives you the loadouts, maps, and score targets that actually work in live raids.

• Best Solo Hotshot Trials Strategy
• Best Loadouts for ARC Raiders Solo Trials
• Flanking Augment Build
• Best Weapons by Trial
• Dam Battlegrounds ARC Probes and Couriers Route
• Route
• Target Score
• Spaceport Flying ARC Damage Trial
• Recommended Loadout
• Best Positioning
• Snitch Scanner Method
• Target Score
• Buried City Supply Drop Trial
• Route Priorities
• Safety Rules
• Dam and Riven Tides Leaper Trial
• Best Maps
• Dam Leaper Spots
• How to Kill Leapers Safely
• Dam Pops Trial Route
• Best Pop Farming Route
• Best Weapon
• Loot Priority During Trials
• PvP Rules for Solo Trials
• Raider Behavior Checklist
• Weekly Hotshot Score Plan
• FAQ
• What is the best solo augment for ARC Raiders Trials?
• Is Jupiter better than Hullcracker for flying ARC?
• What Hotshot score should solo players aim for?
• What is the safest map for Pop farming?
• Should I extract after three stars?
• Summary

↖ Best Solo Hotshot Trials Strategy

Hotshot is not about one miracle run. It is about stacking safe, repeatable scores across all five Trials.

The rule is simple: three stars first, score push second.

If you already have a strong score, leave. Dying for one extra Courier or Pop is how good runs turn into wasted gear.

↖ Best Loadouts for ARC Raiders Solo Trials

Use weapons that solve specific problems. Do not bring expensive gear just because it looks good.

↖ Flanking Augment Build

Flanking Augment is one of the best Trial augments because it gives fast handling, good storage, and strong pistol/hand cannon synergy.

Use Flanking when you want speed. Use Survivor Augment when the Trial is risky and survival matters more than handling.

↖ Best Weapons by Trial

For flying ARC, Jupiter beats Hullcracker. It is not close. Hitscan matters when targets move constantly.

↖ Dam Battlegrounds ARC Probes and Couriers Route

Dam is the best solo map for ARC Probe and Courier Trials. Spawns are dense, rotations are readable, and extracts are manageable.

↖ Route

Start near Red Lakes if possible.

Then rotate:

1. Red Lakes

2. Swamp

3. Research/Admin

4. Water Treatment

5. Safest extract or hatch

Prioritize Couriers over Probes.

Open your map often. Nearby objective ARC can show up when you are close enough. This saves minutes.

↖ Target Score

• 6,000+ = usable
• 9,000+ = strong Hotshot score
• 10,000+ = great, but risky

If you hit 9,000+, extract unless the next targets are free.

↖ Spaceport Flying ARC Damage Trial

For this Trial, bring a Jupiter. Do not overthink it.

↖ Recommended Loadout

↖ Best Positioning

Use rooftops near:

• Departures
• Trench
• Wall-side buildings
• Any roof with cover and escape routes

Place Barricades before farming. Block ladder angles and long sightlines.

↖ Snitch Scanner Method

Do not throw every scanner at once.

Use this rhythm:

1. Secure rooftop.

2. Place barricades.

3. Throw 2–3 Snitch Scanners.

4. Clear targets.

5. Reload.

6. Repeat.

This keeps the fight controlled and lowers the chance of getting rushed.

↖ Target Score

Once you hit 10,000+, start thinking about extraction. Do not lose a Jupiter for one extra Hornet.

↖ Buried City Supply Drop Trial

Buried City is the cleanest map for Supply Drop Trials. Multiple stations are close together, and other players often call drops for you.

↖ Route Priorities

Check these areas first:

1. Gas station

2. Apartments

3. Overpass

4. Library / parking area

5. Any already-called drop nearby

You get value from searching drops even if another Raider called them. Let them loot first if needed. Then search it for score.

↖ Safety Rules

• Smoke exposed drops.
• Watch rooftops.
• Do not stand still after searching.
• If you reach 7,000+, leave.

Buried City turns ugly late. Bank the score.

↖ Dam and Riven Tides Leaper Trial

For Leaper kills, we want two kills minimum for a clean three-star run.

↖ Best Maps

Dam is better if you also need ARC Resin, Baron Husk loot, or general resources.

↖ Dam Leaper Spots

Check:

• Red Lakes
• Swamp
• Water Treatment
• Dome edge
• Central lowlands

↖ How to Kill Leapers Safely

Do not ego-fight in the open.

Use:

• Wolf Pack for burst
• Seekers to create space
• Osprey / Anvil for clean damage
• Zipline or high ground when possible
• Hatch Key after two kills

If you kill two Leapers, you have the job done. A third is optional, not mandatory.

↖ Dam Pops Trial Route

Dam is safer than Stellar Montis for solo Pop Trials if you know the underground route.

↖ Best Pop Farming Route

Run this loop:

1. Tunnels under Primary / Research

2. Research/Admin interiors

3. Underground return path

4. Water Treatment

5. Back through tunnels after respawns

6. Hatch out

The goal is to keep moving through dense indoor spawns without exposing yourself to long sightlines.

↖ Best Weapon

Use Bleta + Silencer III.

It is quiet, fast, and perfect for small ARC. The Anvil also works, but Bleta is cleaner for this job.

If you hit 6,000+, extract. Pops are not worth dying over.

↖ Loot Priority During Trials

Do not loot everything. Grab what funds more Trial runs.

Skip low-value junk if it slows the run.

Trials burn through gear fast. Hatch keys, Wolf Packs, ammo, smokes, and repairs cost money. Keep your economy healthy or you will start playing scared.

↖ PvP Rules for Solo Trials

Other Raiders are often more dangerous than ARC.

↖ Raider Behavior Checklist

Use voice chat, but do not trust voice chat.

Good phrases:

• Friendly, doing Trials.
• You can loot first.
• I'm leaving.
• Careful, Leaper behind you.

Short. Clear. No debate.

↖ Weekly Hotshot Score Plan

Do this in order.

A strong solo Hotshot board usually looks like this:

That range is usually competitive for Hotshot. Thresholds move, so check late in the week.

↖ FAQ

↖ What is the best solo augment for ARC Raiders Trials?

Flanking Augment is best for speed and weapon handling. Survivor Augment is better when the run is dangerous and survival matters more than tempo.

↖ Is Jupiter better than Hullcracker for flying ARC?

Yes. Jupiter is better for flying ARC Trials because it is hitscan, accurate, and safer from rooftops. Hullcracker hits hard, but Jupiter is more consistent.

↖ What Hotshot score should solo players aim for?

Aim for 35,000–40,000+ total weekly points. That usually means strong scores in Probes, flying ARC, supply drops, and three-star clears elsewhere.

↖ What is the safest map for Pop farming?

Dam Battlegrounds. Use tunnels, Research/Admin, and Water Treatment. Stellar Montis can score well, but it is riskier for solo players.

↖ Should I extract after three stars?

Yes, if the raid is getting messy. Three stars bank rewards. Push higher only when the route is safe, time is healthy, and extraction is realistic.

↖ Summary

For solo Hotshot Trials, play disciplined.

Use Jupiter for Spaceport flying ARC.

Use Bleta + Silencer III for Pops.

Use Anvil for flexible runs.

Use Osprey for safe precision.

Use Flanking Augment when speed matters.

Use Survivor Augment when dying would ruin the run.

The winning pattern is simple:

Three stars first. Strong score second. Extract before greed kills the run.

Target board:

Bank clean runs. Reset bad spawns. Leave suspicious players. That is how you hold Hotshot solo.