You can complete ARC Raiders Trials solo. The trick is to plan around the weekly objective, not around a fixed loadout or a perfect run. Pick one task, take the equipment it requires, choose a route with a realistic exit, and extract with a score worth keeping. Once you have three stars, decide whether improving your personal best is worth another attempt.
This solo strategy covers those decisions for Frozen Trials Season 6 in the Frozen Trail era. The season runs from October 8, 2026, to January 12, 2027, as confirmed in Embark’s Season 6 announcement. Weekly tasks rotate, so use the current in-game Trials screen for the exact objective and its scoring conditions.
Key Takeaways for Solo Trials
- Start with the task, not the map. Check the exact target, required weapon or item, and possible locations before you equip anything.
- Build a short route to an exit. A good solo route includes an objective area, a safe fallback, and an extraction option; it does not depend on clearing the entire map.
- Bank three stars first. Current reward thresholds are 1,000, 2,000, and 3,000 points in a successfully extracted raid. A higher score can still matter for your leaderboard position.
- Your personal best is the number to beat. The game keeps your highest extracted score for each of the five weekly Trials, not the sum of every attempt.
- Night Raids are not a Trials scoring shortcut. Major Map Conditions stopped giving a universal 2x Trials bonus in Season 4.
- Bring a way out. Spare healing, a suitable shield, route awareness, and an early exit decision often matter more than carrying one extra offensive item.
Solo Trials Rules That Change Your Strategy
Trials unlock at level 15 and offer five challenges per weekly rotation. Actions earn points during a raid, but you must extract successfully for that raid’s score to count. If you fail an attempt, you lose that run’s score, not an earlier personal best. These are the rules to remember before attempting a long solo farm.
| Goal | Current rule | What it means for a solo run |
|---|---|---|
| First star | 1,000 points | Take the safe exit if the objective is costly and you need a first recorded result. |
| Second star | 2,000 points | Reassess health, ammunition, enemies and the remaining extraction route before pushing on. |
| Third star | 3,000 points | Extract to secure the full star milestones; another push is optional for leaderboard improvement. |
| Leaderboard result | Best extracted score for each of the five Trials | Improve the weakest useful personal best rather than assuming repeated smaller runs add together. |
Three stars and a high leaderboard placement are different goals. Reaching 3,000 can finish a challenge’s star milestones, but it does not guarantee promotion in a competitive division. For the full system, see our ARC Raiders Trials Explained guide; this page focuses on making solo attempts count.
Old guides recommend waiting for Night Raids or storms to double Trials progress. That is outdated. Embark removed the general 2x Major Map Condition bonus in Season 4. Play a condition because its map, visibility and threats suit your objective, not because you expect an automatic score multiplier.
A Five-Step Plan for Every Solo Trial
- Read the exact objective. Is it damage with a named weapon, opening a specified container, destroying a particular ARC, or using a gadget? A similar action may not score if it is not the required one.
- Set your target. If you only need a reward milestone, plan for 1,000, 2,000 or 3,000. If you already have three stars, look at your saved best score and current division position before deciding to farm beyond it.
- Pack for the bottleneck. A Stiletto task needs the Stiletto and compatible ammunition. A container task needs route knowledge and enough protection to escape. Avoid carrying expensive equipment that does nothing for the objective.
- Mark a primary and backup exit. You do not control every spawn or threat. Choose a likely objective area, learn the usable extraction options, and have a second path when your first route is contested.
- Decide what makes you leave. Set a score target and an emergency trigger, such as low healing, damaged armor, depleted task ammunition, a hostile player fight, or a blocked exit. Recheck that decision during the raid.
Once you have identified the weekly challenge and whether you want a three-star completion or a higher rank, you can decide between running the route yourself and checking the supported Trials service options.
Choose How to Complete This Week's Trial
Once you know the active objective and your target score, decide whether to handle the solo route yourself or compare the available assisted Trials formats.
Which Weekly Trials Work Best for Solo Play?
There is no permanent easiest Trial. Collection tasks usually demand less direct fighting, while specific-weapon or ARC-damage tasks can need more equipment and longer exposure. Your real advantage is being able to change objectives and extract without waiting for teammates.
| Objective type | Solo approach | When to stop or change plans |
|---|---|---|
| Search cabinets or containers | Visit a compact group of eligible containers, finish the interaction, then move toward an exit. Learn a second building or zone before deploying. | The location is looted, another team controls it, or your next containers are far from a safe exit. |
| Destroy small ARC with a required weapon | Carry the exact weapon and ammo, find manageable targets, fire from cover, and avoid triggering more threats than needed. | Task ammo runs low, enemies are pulling you into the open, or you have reached your score. |
| Deal damage with a gadget or throwable | Confirm you possess the required item and can use it against valid targets before risking an attempt. | You cannot replace the required gadget or a fight becomes too dangerous to finish. |
| High-health ARC damage | Choose cover, sufficient ammo and an escape path. Damage the target while you can safely disengage rather than trying to finish every enemy. | You lose your firing angle, the target moves, or other Raiders enter the fight. |
For a solo player, two objectives in one raid make sense only when their location, gear and exit route overlap. Do not turn a good three-star attempt into a long detour just because the weekly board contains five tasks.
How to Plan a Solo Route Without Relying on a Fixed Spawn
Think in three points: entry, objective and exit. You may start farther from your preferred area than expected, and the best-looking path can be occupied. Build a plan that works after a change of direction.
- Before deployment: select the appropriate map if the weekly task names a location, and identify the objective area and possible exits from the map information you have.
- At spawn: check your actual starting position. Pick the least exposed approach from where you are, not the route you imagined in the menu.
- Near the target: stop to listen and observe. An already-looted building or an active firefight is a reason to try the fallback area, not to force the first plan.
- While scoring: stay aware of the distance back to extraction. Prefer a tight loop of valid targets to repeated crossings of open ground.
- After the score: take the exit that is actually usable and safer in that raid. If an area is held by players or ARC, switch to the backup rather than waiting in plain sight.
Example: when the board asks you to open containers in Old Town, the relevant area is on Pendola Pass. Plan a compact Old Town search, stop if containers are already empty or the streets become contested, and use a route that leaves time to reach extraction. That does not mean every Old Town building will be safe or every container will count on a future rotation.
For map-by-map loot zones and basic exits, use our ARC Raiders Map Guide. A dedicated escape-route guide owns deeper extraction mechanics; the solo Trials plan here is about choosing a route that protects your recorded score.
Solo Trials Loadouts: Bring the Required Item and a Way Out
Do not copy a full squad kit into a solo raid. Bring the smallest useful set of tools for your chosen challenge, then make sure you can survive the return journey. Different tasks call for different weapons and supplies.
For a weapon-specific Trial
If a current Trial names the Stiletto, bring that rifle and Light Ammo; it is not a melee weapon. If it names the Rascal, remember that the Rascal uses Launcher Ammo. Check the task wording and item details before investing ammunition in an attempt. A powerful but incorrect weapon cannot substitute for the required one.
For scavenging and interaction Trials
Prioritize space for useful loot, dependable healing, and an exit plan. A Light Shield offers mobility; heavier shields offer more protection but can limit movement and Augment choices. Do not assume a Heavy Shield is automatically best for a route with long sprints between containers.
For damage and gadget Trials
Bring sufficient ammunition or the actual task item, a shield compatible with your Augment, and a practical tool for breaking line of sight. The Bully Fragmenter is a throwable item, not a gun; carrying a normal firearm does not satisfy an objective that explicitly demands Fragmenter damage. Some objectives are better attempted after you have already sourced their required equipment.
For specific weapon, ammunition, shield, Augment and utility combinations, see Trials Loadout Optimization. This page deliberately keeps gear selection tied to the decisions that differ when you play alone.
If the obstacle is obtaining a required weapon or recipe rather than deciding how to play it, compare the existing blueprint product catalog with the DIY blueprint reference before spending another raid searching at random.
Find Your Required Weapon or Blueprint
An item-specific Trial is hard to complete without the named equipment. If sourcing the weapon or blueprint is your bottleneck, choose a catalog route or research the recipe yourself.
Season 6 Solo Examples: Turn Task Wording Into a Run
Frozen Trials introduced objectives involving Skulker and Bully technology, Pendola Pass and the new weapons. The cases below are examples of how to plan, not a promise that these challenges are active every week. Use the current Trials menu to decide which case applies.
Stiletto versus Ticks, Pops and Fireballs
The challenge names both the weapon and the ARC targets. Bring the correct rifle and Light Ammo, seek a controlled encounter with the listed small ARC, and avoid drawing a large fight across an open area. Once your target score is reached, moving toward extraction beats chasing an unrelated enemy.
Search kitchen cabinets
A dense cluster of eligible kitchens can be better than a long loot route through multiple landmarks. Search the named container type, verify that your Trial score responds, and leave if the remaining area is already looted. Do not waste time opening unrelated crates solely because they are nearby.
Rascal or Bully Fragmenter damage
These ask for different equipment. A Rascal attempt needs Launcher Ammo and room to use the weapon; Fragmenter damage requires the corresponding throwable. Check availability, valid targets and your ability to survive the engagement before starting. The biggest solo mistake is arriving with general-purpose gear but none of the item that actually earns points.
Pendola Pass location-specific looting
A named Old Town task is not a general invitation to clear Pendola Pass. Work a short route through the named area, stay alert to the map’s ARC and player activity, then leave. The Frozen Trail overview explains the update; this guide concentrates on the solo scoring decision.
When Should You Extract? Stars Versus Personal Best
In solo Trials, the hardest call is often knowing when to stop. A three-star run can already be successful for weekly rewards, while a leaderboard push may require more than 3,000 points. The correct decision depends on your saved best score, remaining resources and the way out.
| Situation | Better solo decision | Why |
|---|---|---|
| You have 2,900 points and a nearby exit, but very little healing | Take the safe extraction if continuing looks dangerous; try again for the last milestone later. | A lost run banks nothing. A safe two-star result is still progress if you had no better score. |
| You pass 3,000 with no personal best recorded | Prioritize extraction unless you have a clear, low-risk continuation. | You can secure all three reward milestones from this run and decide separately whether to push the leaderboard. |
| Your saved best is 4,200 and this attempt is at 3,500 | Consider whether a safe path to beat 4,200 exists; extracting at 3,500 will not improve your leaderboard total. | The highest extracted run for this objective remains your saved 4,200. |
| You beat your old best but see Raiders fighting near extraction | Change exit or wait from cover rather than forcing a direct crossing. | The improved score matters only if you complete the extraction. |
There is no universal ‘always leave at 3,500’ rule. Treat the next action as a choice: bank a result, risk more for a new personal best, or abandon a poor route while you still can. A failed extraction does not erase a personal best already saved from an earlier raid.
Solo Versus Squad Trials: When Does Teaming Up Help?
Solo play is useful when you want full control over the route, equipment and extraction decision. A duo or trio can make difficult ARC fights easier to cover, but teammates also need to agree on the target and when to leave. ARC Raiders does not use a four-person Trials squad format, and there is no supported rule that simply divides every team score by four.
| Your challenge | Solo may suit you when… | A squad may help when… |
|---|---|---|
| Search eligible containers | You know a safe, short loop and can leave without waiting. | You need assistance controlling entrances or recovering from contested loot zones. |
| Use a specified weapon or gadget | You have the required item and can avoid unnecessary fights. | Someone can watch for incoming threats while you complete the scored action. |
| Damage dangerous ARC | You know safe sightlines and have enough supplies to disengage. | Splitting attention and covering retreats makes the encounter more manageable. |
Trial objectives can have different rules for who receives credit. Check the personal score actually recorded in your Trials menu; do not assume a universal squad bonus, penalty or equal split. If you switch to team play, use our Squad Coordination Guide for callouts and retreat decisions rather than trying to run a solo plan as three separate players.
How to Improve Your Solo Leaderboard Score Through the Week
A good weekly plan starts with consistency, not an invented target like ‘18,000 points means promotion.’ Your combined personal bests across five weekly tasks determine your standing, while actual promotion and demotion cutoffs depend on your current rank.
- Get an extracted score on each approachable task. This reveals which objectives are realistic with your current equipment and map knowledge.
- Finish three-star milestones where practical. Stop treating reward completion as the same thing as ranking improvement.
- Identify the weakest useful personal best. A second attempt is worth your time when it can materially increase one of the scores already on your board.
- Repeat only with a changed plan. Change route, item supply, target approach or extraction timing. Running the same failed path without fixing the cause rarely helps.
- Check the actual division screen before the rotation ends. A solo player cannot control other players’ results, and no fixed weekly score guarantees a specific promotion.
At higher ranks, the cutoffs get tougher, and Cantina Legend concerns the global top 1,000 Hotshot players, not a universal top-30 weekly bracket. See Leaderboard Climbing: Rookie to Hotshot for the full rank-by-rank decision instead of relying on outdated promotion shortcuts.
Solo Trials Mistakes That Waste Good Attempts
- Following a night-only schedule for ‘double points’. The universal Major Map Condition bonus was removed; choose the condition for actual route and encounter safety.
- Bringing the wrong item. A gun does not replace a throwable, and similar-looking weapons may use different ammunition.
- Crossing the map for an extra task. A distant side objective can cost a successful extraction from your first one.
- Assuming that three stars mean a top division finish. Weekly rewards and competitive rank placement are separate targets.
- Chasing a score without checking the old record. A score below your saved personal best will not improve your ranked total.
- Entering a contested exit in a straight line. Leave room to disengage and consider another usable extraction option.
- Copying squad tactics into a solo attempt. With no teammate to cover a retreat, a long exposed fight can erase an otherwise good run.
Solo Trials FAQ
Can I complete every ARC Raiders Trial without a squad?
Trials can be attempted solo. Some combat objectives are harder without support, and a particular week’s required gear may be the real obstacle. Check each task before committing resources.
How many points do I need for three stars in Season 6?
Three stars require 3,000 points in a successfully extracted run for the selected objective. One and two stars are at 1,000 and 2,000. The leaderboard may reward higher scores beyond those milestones.
Do Trials points add up across several solo raids?
No. For each weekly objective, the game keeps your best score from one extracted raid. Improving it requires a better run, not several smaller runs added together.
Will a failed extraction remove my previous personal best?
No. You lose the score from the failed attempt, but a personal best already recorded from an earlier successful extraction remains.
Do Night Raids or EM storms still give double Trials points?
No universal 2x Trials bonus applies to Major Map Conditions. Embark removed it in Season 4. A special condition might still change the risk of a route, but it is not an automatic score multiplier.
Is a Heavy Shield best for solo collection Trials?
Not automatically. Extra protection comes with movement and Augment tradeoffs. A Light Shield or compatible Medium Shield can be a better fit if the route needs fast movement and short exposures.
Do teammates split a solo-equivalent score between themselves?
There is no verified rule that divides every task’s score into equal shares based on team size. Task credit can differ by objective. Trust the score recorded for your own character rather than an invented ‘points divided by squad members’ formula.
Does 3,000 points guarantee a Trials rank promotion?
No. It completes the three-star milestone for that objective, but promotion depends on leaderboard placement and the rules for your rank. The complete rank system belongs in our leaderboard guide.
Can I still select the old Solo vs Squads queue?
No. Embark removed the dedicated Solo vs Squads matchmaking toggle with Frozen Trail Update 2.0. You can still queue as a solo Raider, but do not plan around that retired optional queue or its old bonus.
Is the PvE-only matchmaking toggle permanently available?
As of the October 25, 2026 review, the October 13–20 PvE toggle beta had ended. Embark’s Update 2.2 notes describe the completed test, not a permanent PvE-only option. Do not base your solo strategy on an unconfirmed always-available PvE lobby.
Can I get help with a specific weekly Trial and still play my character?
The LepreStore ARC Raiders Trials service lists selected three-star challenges, rank goals and an optional Selfplay format. Check the current selector and exact order conditions before choosing; the guide makes no guarantee about a future week’s task availability or rank result.
Final Solo Trials Checklist
Before dropping, open the current weekly task, confirm the required gear, pick a primary route and a backup exit, then decide which score you are trying to bank. During the raid, abandon unnecessary fights, track the objective and leave while you can still extract. After the run, compare the recorded score with your old best and change one practical part of the plan before the next attempt.
For related decisions, use Trials Explained for the rules, Trials Loadout Optimization for exact kits, and Leaderboard Climbing for rank cutoffs.
Last reviewed: October 25, 2026 (Frozen Trail / Update 2.2; Frozen Trials Season 6). Weekly objectives, item availability, map conditions and service selectors can change. Always check the active in-game Trials menu.
