The Combat Recon quest in ARC Raiders is one of the first missions players receive from Shani, the Security Trader. It takes place in Buried City and focuses on scouting key locations before dealing with Spotter drones connected to the Bombardier ARC. While the objectives are simple, the quest text can be vague, making it easy to lose time.
What You'll Need Before Starting
To finish Combat Recon, players must complete five objectives. These do not need to be done in a single run.
You need to:
Scope out three cover locations in Buried City
Destroy two Spotters
Extract with a Spotter Relay and deliver it to Shani
Where to Scope Out the Three Locations
After loading into Buried City, focus on completing the scouting objectives first. Each location will display a “Scope Out” prompt when you are in the correct position.
The first location is in the Parking Garage staircases. Head into the parking structure and look for the stairwell area. The prompt appears near the entrance to the stairs.
The second location is near Marano Park, specifically by the buses parked in the area. Move around the buses until the scope-out interaction appears.
The third location is in the attics around Main Street. Look for accessible attic spaces in the Main Street area and move close to the windows or edges until the prompt appears.
Once all three scouting points are completed, the quest shifts toward combat.
Arc Raiders Guide: How to Complete Combat Recon Quest
How to Destroy Spotters and Get the Spotter Relay
Spotters are flying drones linked to the Bombardier, one of the tougher ARC enemies in Buried City. The Bombardier itself can spawn either on top of the Parking Garage or in the center of Marano Park.
An easy way to find Spotters is to look toward the sky around these areas. Spotters usually appear in pairs, which works well since the quest only requires two kills.
Engage the Spotters from cover and avoid staying exposed for too long, as they can alert the Bombardier and trigger mortar attacks. Once two Spotters are destroyed, loot their remains to obtain a Spotter Relay.
Spotter patrol pattern
Extract and Deliver the Spotter Relay
After picking up the Spotter Relay, extraction becomes the priority. If you are eliminated before extracting, the relay can be lost, forcing you to repeat the objective.
Safely extract from Buried City, return to Speranza, and deliver the Spotter Relay to Shani to complete the Combat Recon quest.
Shani quest turn-in screen
Combat Recon Quest Rewards
Completing Combat Recon rewards players with:
Red (Radio Renegade Color) outfit color
5 Firecrackers
1 Fireworks Box
This quest also unlocks the next step in Shani’s questline, which involves taking down the Bombardier directly.
Combat Recon is a short but important introduction to reconnaissance-style objectives in ARC Raiders. By focusing on the three scouting locations first and dealing with Spotters carefully, players can finish the quest quickly and move on to tougher challenges in Buried City.
You'll want to master these fundamentals before tackling more demanding objectives like A Prime Specimen or Movie Night, both of which build on the tactical principles Combat Recon establishes.