All Traps in ARC Raiders Ranked
ARC Raiders traps are deployable tools that can control space, punish aggressive pushes, and protect valuable loot, but not all traps are equally effective in real combat situations. Traps in ARC Raiders fall into two main categories, laser-based grenade traps and proximity-triggered mines, each with different strengths, weaknesses, and use cases against both Raiders and ARC enemies. While some traps function mainly as alarms or area denial, others can directly decide fights through crowd control or raw damage. Understanding how these traps work and which ones are actually worth bringing into a raid can make a meaningful difference in both survival and efficiency.
Laser traps vs. mines
Traps in ARC Raiders are divided into two main types: laser-based grenade traps and proximity-triggered mines. While both can be effective in the right situation, mines are generally more reliable and impactful than laser traps in most real gameplay scenarios.
Laser traps use a visible red trip wire that detonates a grenade when something passes through it. This makes them easy to identify, especially in enclosed spaces or darker environments. In addition to the laser itself, these traps emit a distinct beeping sound, which further alerts players to their presence. Because of this, laser traps are rarely triggered by experienced Raiders unless they are distracted, panicked, or intentionally setting them off. The visibility also makes them easier to avoid, disarm, or play around once detected.
Mines, on the other hand, are much more subtle. They sit low to the ground, do not project a visible laser, and are often difficult to notice during active movement or combat. This makes them far more likely to trigger unintentionally, especially during chases, rotations, or tight fights around cover. Mines also tend to provide more immediate value by dealing damage, stunning, knocking back, or heavily disrupting movement, rather than simply revealing a player’s position.
Another advantage of mines is flexibility. They can be placed quickly, even while sliding or retreating, and can be picked back up if repositioning is needed. Mines also do not interfere with the user’s own movement in the same way gas or smoke-based laser traps can, which reduces the risk of self-inflicted disadvantages during a fight.
Because of their lower visibility, stronger effects, and ease of use, mines are generally the superior choice for area control, ambush setups, and defensive play. Laser traps still have niche uses as alarms or utility tools, but when ranking overall effectiveness, mines consistently outperform laser-based traps.
All Traps in ARC Raiders Ranked1. Gas Grenade Trap (Worst)
The Gas Grenade Trap is the weakest trap in ARC Raiders and is generally not worth crafting or relying on. It uses a visible laser trip wire and emits a beeping sound, which makes it easy to spot and avoid. On top of that, it requires extra crafting materials, since it consumes both a gas grenade and a wire, making it more expensive than its effectiveness justifies.
When triggered, the trap releases a gas cloud that rapidly drains stamina. While this can function as basic area denial or a warning system, it rarely leads to a meaningful combat advantage. Players caught in the gas are not immobilized and can simply move out of the cloud with little consequence. The gas is also thinner than a standard smoke grenade, which means targets inside it can still be shot with relative ease.
Compared to the Gas Mine, this version is strictly worse. It is louder, more obvious, more costly to craft, and easier to play around. The only real use case is as a low-pressure alarm if you happen to find one in the field, but even then, there are better and cheaper alternatives. As a result, the Gas Grenade Trap sits firmly at the bottom of the rankings.
2. Gas Mine
The Gas Mine is a clear step up from the Gas Grenade Trap, but it still ranks near the bottom due to its limited impact in combat. Unlike laser-based traps, it does not project a visible trip wire or emit a loud warning sound, making it much harder to notice, especially in bright outdoor areas. This gives it some value as a subtle alarm rather than a true offensive tool.
When triggered, the Gas Mine releases a stamina-draining gas cloud similar to the grenade version. The effect activates quickly, but players can still escape the cloud without being immobilized. The smoke is not dense enough to fully obscure vision, which means opponents can often disengage safely or even return fire while retreating. As a result, it rarely leads to a confirmed kill or decisive advantage.
The Gas Mine works best as a low-cost warning system to cover your back while looting or holding a position. However, its usefulness drops sharply in direct PvP situations, where pushing through your own gas can be just as punishing as it is for the enemy. It has situational value, but compared to higher-tier traps, its influence on fights is minimal, placing it near the bottom of the rankings.
3. Lure Grenade Trap
The Lure Grenade Trap occupies the lower end of the rankings because its effect is highly situational and generally outclassed by its throwable counterpart. Like other laser-based traps, it relies on a visible red trip wire and an audible warning, which makes it difficult to trigger against experienced players without deliberate setup or luck. It also requires a lure grenade and a wire to craft, increasing its cost for limited payoff.
When activated, the trap detonates a lure grenade that redirects nearby ARC units toward the trigger point. This can be useful for protecting your back while looting or distracting ARC enemies away from your position. However, against players, its impact is minimal. Raiders can easily avoid the trigger or step back once it activates, and it does nothing to directly slow, damage, or control them.
In most cases, the regular throwable lure grenade is the better option. It is cheaper, more flexible, and can be placed exactly where you need it in the moment, rather than relying on an opponent to walk into a trap. Because the trap version is harder to use effectively and offers little advantage over existing alternatives, it earns a low ranking despite having a narrow utility role.
4. Pulse Mine
The Pulse Mine is the first trap on this list that begins to offer real combat value, though it still falls short of being consistently fight-deciding. When triggered, it knocks targets back and briefly forces them into a downed or recovery animation. This disruption can create an opening, but the effect is short and requires you to be nearby to fully capitalize on it.
One of the Pulse Mine’s strengths is its subtlety. It lacks a visible laser and is relatively easy to miss, making it more reliable than most grenade traps. It also produces a loud activation sound, clearly signaling that someone has triggered it. In certain setups, such as near ledges, ziplines, or elevated platforms, the knockback can force enemies into bad positions or even cause them to fall, which gives the mine situational upside.
That said, the Pulse Mine has limitations. The knockback can shift enemy hitboxes in awkward ways, often making clean headshots harder to land. It can also affect the user if placed too close, and if you are not in position when it triggers, the advantage is quickly lost. As a result, it functions best as a disruptive alarm with some combat utility rather than a reliable kill tool, keeping it in the lower-middle tier of traps.
5. Smoke Grenade Trap
The Smoke Grenade Trap sits in the middle of the rankings because it functions well as an alarm and utility tool, but rarely as a direct combat winner. Like all laser-based traps, it suffers from high visibility due to the red trip wire and audible beeping, which makes it difficult to trigger unintentionally against aware players. However, when it does activate, its effect is immediately obvious and disruptive.
Once triggered, the trap releases a large smoke cloud that lasts a long time. This makes it effective at revealing enemy movement, forcing hesitation, and temporarily blocking sightlines. In many cases, players will instinctively back away from the smoke, which can buy you time to reposition, reload, or disengage. The long duration also makes it a reliable early warning system when protecting your back during looting.
That said, it is still more expensive and less flexible than a standard smoke grenade, since it requires a wire to craft and has a trigger delay. While you can intentionally set it off yourself for emergency cover, it is slower and less reliable than throwing a smoke directly. The Smoke Grenade Trap is useful when found and can serve multiple purposes, but its visibility and cost prevent it from ranking higher.
6. Explosive Mine
The Explosive Mine is where traps in ARC Raiders start to have a clear and reliable impact on fights. When triggered, it pops up and detonates, dealing a solid burst of damage in an area. While the raw damage is not high enough to instantly down a healthy Raider on its own, it is more than enough to swing an engagement by putting the target at a health disadvantage.
One of the Explosive Mine’s biggest strengths is consistency. Even if you are not close enough to immediately capitalize on the trigger, the mine still delivers value through guaranteed damage and a loud, unmistakable explosion that tells you exactly where contact occurred. This makes it effective as both a damage source and an alarm, unlike traps that rely purely on crowd control or visibility disruption.
The Explosive Mine also works against both Raiders and ARC enemies, which gives it broader utility than many lower-ranked traps. While it lacks the hard crowd control of higher-tier options, the combination of damage, reliability, and low visibility makes it a strong all-purpose choice. It does not usually decide fights on its own, but it consistently puts you in a better position when engagements begin.
7. Blaze Grenade Trap
The Blaze Grenade Trap ranks high because of how punishing it is when it actually triggers. When activated, it detonates a Blaze Grenade, spreading fire that deals sustained damage to both health and shields. This ticking damage immediately puts pressure on the target and makes it difficult for them to stay in the fight without disengaging.
Its main weakness is visibility. As a laser-based trap, it suffers from the same issues as other grenade traps, including the obvious red trip wire and audible beeping. Experienced players can often spot and avoid it, which limits how often it triggers in real PvP scenarios. Because of this, its effectiveness depends heavily on placement and player awareness.
When it does work, however, the payoff is strong. The fire damage is effective against both Raiders and ARC enemies, and the explosion serves as a clear alert that someone has entered the area. While balance changes have reduced how dominant Blaze effects once were, the Blaze Grenade Trap remains one of the most dangerous laser traps available, earning it a high ranking despite its visibility drawbacks.
8. Deadline
The Deadline ranks just below the Jolt Mine due to its incredible power paired with lower reliability. Unlike other mines, Deadline does not trigger on proximity. Instead, it detonates after a fixed six-second timer once placed, which makes it far less consistent against Raiders.
In PvP, Deadline can be used as a bait tool by planting it and retreating, hoping an enemy chases into the blast radius. While this can work, it is situational and dependent on opponent behavior rather than guaranteed activation. As a result, it is not a dependable defensive trap in player-versus-player encounters.
Where Deadline truly shines is against large ARC enemies. Its massive area-of-effect damage can instantly kill or severely weaken high-tier ARC units, making it the best single-use explosive for hunting Bastions and other large threats. Skilled players can safely place Deadlines using vertical movement, ziplines, or snap hooks, often planting one or two without taking self-damage.
Despite its cost and limited availability, Deadline frequently pays for itself when used correctly against ARC enemies. It remains one of the most powerful tools in the game, but because it lacks the reliability and immediate control of the Jolt Mine, it takes second place overall.
9. Jolt Mine (Best Overall Trap)
The Jolt Mine is the most effective and reliable trap in ARC Raiders, especially in PvP situations. When triggered, it emits a loud explosion and applies a strong stun that locks the target in place for roughly two seconds. During this window, the affected Raider cannot move, creating an immediate and often fight-ending opportunity for follow-up damage.
What makes the Jolt Mine stand out is consistency. Unlike laser traps, it is subtle and difficult to spot, and unlike timed explosives, it does not rely on prediction or baiting. If a Raider steps on it, the effect is guaranteed. Even arriving late to the trigger can still result in a kill, since the stun duration is long enough to capitalize on from nearby positions.
The Jolt Mine also excels at area control. Placing one in a doorway, stairwell, or behind you while looting can completely shut down aggressive pushes. Its crowd control has situational value against ARC enemies as well, further increasing its versatility. Because it can directly decide fights with minimal setup or risk, the Jolt Mine earns the top spot.
Conclusion
Traps in ARC Raiders offer a wide range of tactical options, but their effectiveness varies greatly depending on visibility, reliability, and how consistently they influence real combat situations. Mines clearly outperform laser-based traps due to their subtlety and immediate impact, with the Jolt Mine standing out as the most reliable choice for controlling space and deciding PvP engagements. While tools like Deadline excel in specific scenarios, especially against large ARC enemies, most players will benefit more from traps that deliver guaranteed results with minimal setup.
As the game continues to evolve, trap balance may shift, but understanding which options provide real value can save both time and resources. Choosing the right traps can make the difference between securing an extraction and losing everything in a single mistake.
If you are investing serious time into ARC Raiders, running the game on dependable hardware matters. The Acer Store offers a wide selection of gaming laptops and desktops, including the Predator and Nitro series, designed for smooth performance, fast load times, and long play sessions. Whether you are locking down choke points with mines or taking on high-tier ARC threats, upgrading through the Acer Store helps ensure your setup keeps up with every raid.
For more Arc Raiders tips, guides, and detailed breakdowns, be sure to check out our other articles below:
* How to Level Fast in Arc Raiders: Best EXP Methods
* Arc Raiders Enemy Guide: All ARC Enemies, Weakpoints, Loot, and XP
* Best Skills to Upgrade in Arc Raiders
* Workshop Upgrades and Where to Get Upgrade Items in Arc Raiders
* Top 10 Best Weapons in Arc Raiders
* How to Level Fast in Arc Raiders: Best EXP Methods
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Disable These Built in Windows 11 Functions to Improve Security and Performance
Disabling certain built-in Windows features can improve your security, reduce data collection, and boost overall system performance. Windows 11 includes many background functions that personalise your experience, track activity, and index content, often using more resources than necessary. By turning off the features you do not need, you can keep your device faster, quieter, and more private. This guide explains which settings to review and how each change helps you get more control over your PC.
1. How to reduce Windows 11 telemetry
Windows 11 does not allow you to completely disable telemetry, but you can limit it significantly by adjusting the Diagnostics & feedback settings.
In Settings → Privacy & security → Diagnostics & feedback, turn off the following:
* Under Diagnostic data: Turn Send optional diagnostic data Off to stop Windows from sending extra information such as app usage and enhanced error reports.
* Under Improve inking and typing: Turn Send optional inking and typing diagnostic data Off, which prevents Windows from collecting details about how you type or use a stylus.
* Under View diagnostic data: Turn Diagnostic Data Viewer Off so Windows does not store diagnostic logs locally (this feature can use up to 1GB of storage).
* Delete diagnostic data: Click Delete to remove any diagnostic information your device has already collected.
* Feedback frequency: Set Windows should ask for my feedback to Never so Windows stops prompting you and sending extra contextual data along with those requests.
These settings will help minimize Microsoft’s data collection and reduce background telemetry on your device.
Once you’ve limited the diagnostic data Windows collects, you can take things a step further by turning off the advertising and recommendation features that also rely on your personal usage data.
Disable advertising ID, personalized tips, and product recommendations
* In Settings, go to Privacy & security → Recommendations & offers.
* Turn Off:* Personalized offers
* Allow websites to access my language list
* Improve Start and search results
* Show notification in Settings (required notifications will be shown even if this setting is off)
* Recommendations and offers in Settings
* Advertising ID
Disabling these features helps reduce data collection, prevents personalized tracking, and minimizes distractions from unwanted notifications or suggestions. It’s a quick way to enhance your privacy and streamline your Windows experience.
2. Turn off auto-connect for Wi-Fi networks
Windows 11 will automatically reconnect to Wi-Fi networks you’ve used before, even if they are slow, insecure, or not the one you prefer. Turning off auto-connect helps prevent your device from joining unwanted networks and reduces background data activity.
To disable auto-connect for a specific Wi-Fi network:
* Click the Wi-Fi icon on the taskbar.
* Click the arrow next to your Wi-Fi name to open the full list of available networks.
* Find the network you are currently using and click Properties.
* Turn Connect automatically when in range Off.
This stops Windows from reconnecting to the network without your approval.
To remove auto-connect networks you no longer use:
* In Settings, go to Network & internet → Wi-Fi.
* Click Manage known networks.
* Choose the network you don’t want to auto-join.
* Turn Connect automatically Off, or click Forget to completely remove it.
This prevents Windows from silently reconnecting to old cafés, airports, hotels, or public hotspots.
3. Turn off Network Discovery
Network Discovery allows your computer to be visible to other devices on the same Wi-Fi network. While this is useful at home for printers or file sharing, it is unnecessary on most networks and increases how much information your device broadcasts. Turning it off helps reduce background network chatter and prevents your PC from being discoverable on public or shared Wi-Fi.
To turn off Network Discovery:
* Open Settings by pressing Windows key + I.
* Go to Network & internet → Advanced network settings.
* Under More settings, click Advanced sharing settings.
* Expand Private networks and turn Network discovery Off. This hides your device from other users on your home network unless you specifically need sharing features.
* Expand Public networks and make sure Network discovery is also Off.
This is the most important one — it prevents your laptop from being visible in places like cafés, hotels, airports, and coworking spaces.
Disabling Network Discovery limits how much your computer announces itself to others and reduces unnecessary network traffic. It’s a simple way to improve privacy and lower your exposure on shared or public Wi-Fi.
4. Turn off Location access
Windows uses your device’s location for apps, advertising, recommendations, and system features like Weather or Find My Device. If you don’t need these services, turning off Location reduces background data sharing and keeps your movements more private.
To turn off Location in Windows 11:
* Open Settings with Windows key + I.
* Go to Privacy & security → Location.
* Turn Location services Off. This stops Windows and most apps from accessing your device’s location. Turning this Off will also turn off Let apps access your location.
* If you decide to keep Location services On. Under Let apps access your location, you can pick and choose to turn Off apps that you don’t want tracking you. This ensures individual apps can’t request or use your location in the background.
* Under Default location, click Set default and choose None (or leave it unset). This prevents Windows from guessing a fallback location.
Turning off Location prevents Windows and apps from tracking where you are or when you move between places. It’s one of the most effective ways to reduce background data collection and improve your overall privacy.
5. Disable Windows Search (optional)
Windows Search constantly indexes your files in the background to make search results appear faster. This feature can be helpful, but it also creates steady disk activity, sends some usage data to Microsoft, and increases overall background processes. Turning it off can reduce telemetry, lower CPU usage, and improve privacy, especially if you do not rely on the search bar often.
To turn off Windows Search indexing:
* Press Windows key + I to open Settings.
* Go to Privacy and security → Search.
* Under Find my files, choose Classic instead of Enhanced. This limits indexing to a few basic folders and stops Windows from scanning your entire PC.
* Scroll down to Exclude folders from enhanced search. Click Add an excluded folder and add any folders you do not want Windows to index.
The more you exclude, the less background indexing occurs.
* To completely disable indexing:* Press Windows key + R, type services.msc, and press Enter.
* Scroll down and find Windows Search.
* Double-click it, set Startup type to Disabled, then click Stop.
This turns off the indexing service and prevents it from starting in the future.
Disabling Windows Search reduces how much your system scans, indexes, and reports usage patterns in the background. If you rarely use Windows Search, this adjustment can noticeably lower background activity and help limit telemetry.
6. Turn off Windows Recall (only available on Copilot+ PCs)
Windows Recall is not available on most Windows 11 devices. It only runs on specific hardware called Copilot+ PCs, which include a powerful neural processing unit and meet strict system requirements. If your device is not a Copilot+ PC, Recall will not appear in your settings and you can skip this section.
If you do have a Copilot+ PC and choose to opt in, Recall takes regular screenshots of your activity and stores them locally on your device. Turning it off prevents new snapshots from being saved and removes any existing ones.
Recall is only available if your computer meets all of these requirements:
* You must be using a Copilot+ PC
* The device must meet the Secured-core standard
* A 40 TOPS NPU
* 16 GB RAM or more
* 8 logical processors
* 256 GB storage (with at least 50 GB free to enable snapshots)
* Windows Hello Enhanced Sign-in Security enabled
* Device Encryption or BitLocker turned on
If any of these are missing, Recall will not appear.
How to turn off Windows Recall
If Recall is enabled on your device, you can turn it off in Settings.
* Press Windows key + I to open Settings.
* Go to Privacy and security → Recall and snapshots.
* Turn Save snapshots Off.
This stops Windows from taking new screenshots of your activity.
* Scroll down to Delete snapshots.
* Select Delete all to remove everything that has already been captured.
* If Recall appears on your taskbar, turn Open Recall Off in taskbar settings to hide the shortcut.
How to completely remove Recall (only on Copilot+ PCs)
If you prefer to disable the feature entirely:
* In the taskbar search box, type Turn Windows features on or off.
* Open the Windows Features window.
* Uncheck Recall.
* Restart your PC.
Any saved snapshots will be deleted automatically.
Turning off Recall prevents Windows from capturing your screen activity, reduces background processing, and ensures no snapshots are stored on your device. This is a strong privacy improvement if you use a Copilot+ PC.
Conclusion
Disabling the built-in Windows features covered in this guide is a simple way to improve both your security and your system’s performance. By reducing unnecessary data collection, limiting background activity, and turning off features you do not actually need, your PC becomes faster, quieter, and more private. These adjustments do not break core Windows functions. Instead, they help you run a cleaner setup that protects your information and keeps your device focused on the tasks that matter most.
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