Expeditions wiped your blueprints. Your level reset. Grinding topside for scraps feels like a waste of a raid.

Here's the fix: farm the Spaceport Matriarch, abuse a tunnel angle, dump damage safely, then loot every corpse before extract.

Run it clean and you're looking at ~80,000 XP in 20 minutes. Here's exactly how.

Why the Matriarch Beats Everything Else

XP comes from five sources on this fight — not just the kill:

• Boss damage
• Matriarch part searches
• Core search
• Nearby ARC searches
• Extraction bonus

The Matriarch outperforms the Queen because the fight runs longer and pulls in more surrounding ARC. More enemies dying around it = more bodies to search = more free XP.

The Tunnel Exploit

The Matriarch has two moves: stomp and missile barrage. Pull her to a tunnel entrance or bunker opening and the missiles stop connecting cleanly.

The loop:

1. Pull her toward the tunnel

2. Peek — shoot

3. Missiles incoming — hide

4. Reload inside cover

5. Repeat until she drops

Don't chase her across the map. Don't stand in the open. Don't get greedy during barrages.

Don't Be First Aggro

First shot = you eat every Leaper, Bastion, Bombardier, and Rocketeer in the area alone.

Let someone else pull first. Be the second damage dealer. You get the same damage window with none of the early swarm pressure. More uptime, less risk.

Weapon: Hullcracker

Bring a Hullcracker or any hard-hitting weapon built for peek-damage windows. You need to:

• Peek fast
• Dump max damage
• Break line of sight
• Reload safe
• Repeat

Bring full ammo. Running dry mid-fight kills the whole run.

Loot XP: Search Every Body

The kill isn't the payout — the search phase is.

Core first. Legs second. Then sweep everything else nearby before other squads beat you to it.

Full Run Order

1. Spawn → straight to Spaceport Matriarch. No side-looting.

2. Claim your tunnel spot before the fight escalates.

3. Let someone else pull first, if possible.

4. Peek → shoot → hide → reload. Repeat until dead.

5. Search the Core (1,000 XP), then legs.

6. Sweep nearby ARC bodies — Leapers, Rocketeers, Vaporizers, Bombardiers, Bastions.

7. Extract before the window closes. Don't die rich.

Matriarch vs Queen

Queen dies fast. That sounds great until you realize it kills your damage window and cuts your search pool. Matriarch wins for leveling.

Mistakes That Kill the Run

• Fighting in the open — missiles will wreck you
• Skipping search XP — it's half your total
• Slow looting — other squads move fast
• Always taking first aggro — unnecessary risk
• Overstaying the extract window — dying erases everything

Loadout Checklist

• Hullcracker (or equivalent boss-damage weapon)
• Full ammo reserves
• Adrenaline shots
• Healing items
• Free inventory space for loot
• An extraction plan set before the fight ends

FAQ

What's the fastest way to level up in ARC Raiders right now?

Farm the Spaceport Matriarch. Tunnel cover, sustained damage, full loot sweep, clean extract.

How much XP can a good run actually get?

A tight run hits ~80,000 XP in 20 minutes. Depends on damage dealt, parts searched, and successful extraction.

Why does the tunnel spot work so well?

It blocks the missile barrage's clean hits. You peek to shoot, duck to reload, and never eat full damage.

Is the Matriarch really better than the Queen for XP?

Yes. Longer fight, exposed core, and way more surrounding ARC to search after the kill.

What should I loot first after the kill?

Matriarch Core (1,000 XP) first. Then legs (500 XP each). Then sweep nearby ARC bodies before anyone else grabs them.

Bottom Line

Tunnel angle. Second aggro. Hullcracker. Search the core, legs, and every body nearby. Extract before greed gets you.

Run it clean and this farm rebuilds your entire level in 20 minutes — no other post-Expeditions method comes close.