The first time I met a Shredder on Stella Montis, I thought it was just another loud patrol until it lifted off and drifted straight through a doorway like it owned the place. I'd been sorting my stash and comparing ARC Raiders Items with a mate in voice, and then—panic. You don't really "kite" this thing the way you do with walkers. It hovers, it angles, it cuts lines you assumed were safe, and suddenly you're the one being pushed around instead of the other way round.

Why the hover changes everything

The Shredder's worst trick isn't raw damage, it's how it takes space. Indoors, it's a bully. Hallways, stairwells, those little rooms you duck into to reload—yeah, it loves those. Because it's not bound to the floor, it can slide up and over cover, then drop right into your face. You'll notice it trying to herd you too, nudging you away from exits and into corners. A lot of players keep backing up without thinking, and that's how you end up pinned with no clean angle to sprint past it.

Reading the blasts before they delete you

Up close, the 360 shrapnel burst is the "welcome" move, and it hurts even when your kit feels decent. If you're hearing that wind-up and you're still in hugging distance, you're already late. Make distance first, then think about shooting. The other one is the cone blast—bigger, meaner, and it telegraphs just enough to save you if you're paying attention. Watch for the charge, then move sideways hard, not straight back. Straight back usually keeps you in the cone. And don't get cute trying to finish a reload during the animation. People do it all the time. They don't survive it.

How to actually bring it down

You're not aiming "at the Shredder" in general. You're hunting the thrusters. Tagging those weak points can stagger it, and that stagger is where your damage really counts. Burst rifles with punch work well, and anything heavy that hits fast is gold. Grenades aren't just for damage either; they're for forcing it to drift off its ideal line so you can breathe. If you've got traps, set them where it wants to go, not where you're standing now. And if you're with a squad, call targets—two people spraying the body while nobody touches thrusters is just wasted ammo.

Loot, nerves, and why you keep taking the fight

When it finally drops, there's this quiet second where you realise your hands are tense and your mag's basically empty. That's the Shredder tax. Still, the materials and parts are worth the risk, especially if you're trying to push your crafting forward without living in low-threat zones. If you're planning to farm them, go in with a loadout you can afford to lose, keep an exit in mind, and don't be shy about upgrading before you step back in—sometimes grabbing cheap Raiders weapons is the difference between a clean stagger chain and getting sent back to the lobby.