ARC Raiders: Throw Snowballs on Rocketeers Guide

New weekly challenges are out for ARC Raiders, and players are already frustrated with this one: you’re tasked with damaging enemies—Rocketeers—using only snowballs. While it seems silly, it can actually take a long time to complete if you’re not sure how to approach it.

I scored a huge 44,250 points in a single run by throwing 177 snowballs at Rocketeers as a lone Raider! This is enough to significantly improve my leaderboard ranking and make the effort worthwhile. In this guide, I’ll share exactly how I did it, including the safest spots to aim from, and two different strategies – one for players with the Showstoppers perk, and one for those without.

If you want points, efficiency, and fewer deaths to rockets, this is the way to do it.

How the Snowball Trial Actually Works

This challenge only shows up when it’s extremely cold, during a Cold Snap event. While you can technically throw snowballs even without the Cold Snap actively happening, getting a double-score bonus, like from the Locked Gate event, is essential to make it worth your time. The enemies, called Rocketeers, are tough, noisy, and draw attention from other enemies, so the idea is to safely disable one and throw as many snowballs at it as you can before someone interferes.

The secret is preparation. This is not something you want to wing in your scoring run.

Snowball Farming Setup (Do This First)

You can tackle this challenge in one of two ways. The first, using Showstoppers, is quicker but carries more risk. The second is slower, but only needs an Anvil or Renegade and some patience. Both methods require the same initial setup.

It’s best to spend an entire raid focused on collecting snowballs. Gathering them can be slow, particularly if you only have access to one snow pile. You’ll collect one snowball about every six seconds, so filling a full MK2 loot bag with around 100 snowballs will take about ten minutes. Considering the time spent freezing and thawing, you should plan for roughly fifteen minutes in total.

Gathering snowballs is much faster if you can run between several snow piles that are near each other, but it’s still a repetitive task. Because of this, it’s best not to collect snowballs during the same attempt where you’re trying to achieve your best score.

Here’s a helpful tip for improving your gameplay: snowdrifts that build up under roof overhangs let you gather resources without getting frostbite. Ruby Residence on Dam Battlegrounds definitely has one of these safe spots, and Pale Apartments likely does too. You can stay there indefinitely and fill your inventory without worrying about thawing out, which saves a lot of time and effort.

Once your bag is full, extract, reset, and then go for your scoring run.

Best Map to Do This On

While you can do this on most Cold Snap maps, it’s best to avoid Buried City. It has fewer enemies that drop the item you need, and the ones that do appear are often quickly eliminated by other players before you can get enough.

Blue Gate is the strongest choice overall. You can usually find three or four players using jetpacks there, plus plenty of cover and escape routes. Dam Battlegrounds is also a great spot, particularly if you use the safe strategy I’ll describe later.

Equipment You’ll Want

If you’re using Showstoppers, it’s best to bring extra. It often takes several attempts to fully take down a Rocketeer, and throws can easily miss or only partially hit their target.

If you don’t have Showstoppers, make sure to bring a powerful weapon. The Anvil is the best choice, but the Renegade is also effective. Both can disable Rocketeer thrusters without completely destroying the unit.

You absolutely need healing items. Even if you play cautiously, you’ll likely take some damage during the early stages of the game.

Walkthrough: The Showstopper Method

As soon as you start the game, quickly go to where the Rocketeers patrol and find a safe spot to hide. This will give you time to get ready, avoid being seen, and prevent getting hit by a rocket while you’re still vulnerable.

First, eliminate any enemies around you. Then, get the Rocketeer’s attention and draw it closer. Stay protected behind cover until it’s near, and then begin using your Showstoppers. If you time it right, the Rocketeer will flip, land upside down, and be completely immobilized.

This is the best-case scenario, but it has some serious drawbacks. It can’t move or adjust its position, and it attracts enemy fire like crazy. Just remember to stay behind it – it can still launch rockets from the front.

Once you’ve knocked it down, throw all your snowballs at it. If you can attack while hiding behind something, that’s ideal, as you won’t have to stop to get warm.

Okay, so here’s the deal: speed is super important! If you leave a Rocketeer stunned for too long, another Raider will likely come along and wreck it. Seriously, don’t hesitate – just throw those snowballs as quickly as you can!

Once you’ve used up your snowballs, gather more nearby and head towards your next Rocketeer. The houses in Blue Gate village are a great place to do this. Be aware that Rocketeers are patrolling the area, but there’s also a Raider hatch nearby that you can use to escape if things get too dangerous.

Walkthrough: No Showstoppers Required

If you’re not playing the Showstoppers stage, your objective is straightforward: destroy just the two thrusters located on the front of the Rocketeer.

An Anvil requires two energy cylinders per thruster, while a Renegade needs one or two magazines. Destroying both thrusters will cause the Rocketeer to fall and become disabled, just as it does when hit by Showstoppers.

Avoid damaging it too much. If the Rocketeer gets heavily damaged anywhere except the thrusters, it will explode on impact and your game will end immediately.

Once you’ve taken it down, the rest of the fight will proceed as normal. Move to either the side or behind it and use any remaining snowballs you have. Stick near the Raider’s escape hatch so you can quickly leave without losing points at the end.

Okay, so if you’re trying to take down the Rocketeer without cheesing, here’s what I’ve found works best. Find a small building with two doorways. The idea is to get his attention from a distance to create a little opening, then quickly move between those two exits. Basically, you peek out, shoot his thruster pack, duck back inside, rotate to the other door, and repeat. He’ll shoot every time you show your face, so you have to be patient and time it right. It’s a bit of a dance, but it works!

Without both thrusters, it’s completely defenseless. You could even destroy it with a pickaxe if necessary.

The Dam Battlegrounds Building Method

In Dam Battlegrounds, there’s a building by the swamp that makes completing the snowball challenge much easier. It has a snow pile right by the door, letting you quickly collect 5-7 snowballs, go inside to warm up, and then repeat the process without ever getting too cold.

Rocketeers frequently guard the swamp nearby. If you spot one far away, a single shot will usually make it fly directly toward you. The building has holes in the roof, allowing you to safely shoot at any Rocketeers flying above from within.

A nearby resource point lets you quickly complete the trial and exit. Just watch out for other players in the area, as it’s quite busy. I recommend staying hidden and avoiding fights until you’ve taken down the Rocketeer.

Extra Tips That Matter

When using Showstoppers to disable a Rocketeer, aim for its front two thrusters. This significantly improves your chances of successfully disabling it.

The competition is really tough this week. You pretty much need over 300,000 points to get a double-XP boost, and as always, teams and highly skilled players are dominating the top spots. It would be much more enjoyable if there was a separate leaderboard just for solo players.

The Cold Snap weather event changes locations, so you might have to switch to a different map to find it. Luckily, when it appears on Dam Battlegrounds or Blue Gate, it tends to last longer than on other maps. I’ve even had runs last almost two hours, giving you ample time to get everything prepared.

Wrap-Up

This challenge seems silly and frustrating at first, but it’s actually a surprisingly effective way to earn points this week if you use the right strategy. Focus on collecting snowballs during one attempt, make sure you’re well-prepared, quickly deal with the Rocketeers, and maximize your score before other players arrive.

If you master the technique, your score will increase dramatically as you return to Speranza, questioning why pelting military equipment with snowballs is the most enjoyable part of ARC Raiders.

If this guide helped you finish the trial or save your sanity, you already know you did it right.

2026-01-01 19:08