Following Flashpoint update, two powerful new weapons have been added to ARC Raiders:
- Rare Medium Ammo SMG - Canto
- Legendary Energy shotgun - Dolabra
Not only are they incredibly powerful, but obtaining them is also somewhat challenging. To acquire them, you must first obtain ARC Raiders blueprints.
Below is a detailed explanation of how to obtain the blueprints for both weapons, their crafting methods, upgrade guides, and a practical strength analysis to help you quickly acquire and master these new weapons.
Canto
Canto Blueprint Acquisition Method
Canto is currently the more difficult of the two new weapons to obtain and will likely be the more commonly used and versatile SMG for most players.
Based on current player testing and community feedback, the only reliable way to obtain Canto blueprint is through Hurricane Caches.
Blueprints for these weapons typically spawn in Raider Caches, Weapon Cases, Medical Bags, or Grenade Cases, but there's currently no evidence that Canto can be obtained from these regular containers.
Hurricane Caches themselves have a decent blueprint drop rate, but they drop a wide variety of blueprints, including Tempest, Vulcano, and Vita Spray, making the actual probability of getting a Canto blueprint extremely low. If you want to obtain it quickly, you'll need to spend a significant amount of time farming, and it's heavily reliant on luck.
Hopefully, it will become an additional drop source after the return of Cold Snap and Uncovered Caches events, but currently, Hurricane Caches are the only way to obtain it.
Crafting and Upgrade Guide
Canto is a medium weapon, requiring:
- 2 × Advanced Mechanical Components
- 5 × Magnet
- 3 × Medium Gun Parts
The upgrade path is the same as regular weapons:
- Level 2: 1 Advanced Mechanical Component + 2 Medium Gun Parts
- Level 3: Add 2 more Medium Gun Parts + 1 Advanced Mechanical Component
- Level 4: Add 2 more Medium Gun Parts + 2 Advanced Mechanical Components
As Canto upgrades, its maximum bullet spread decreases, magazine capacity increases, reload speed improves, and durability significantly increases.
In-Game Strength Analysis
Canto is the first SMG in the game with moderate penetration against ARC armor.
Its pure DPS is on par with Stitcher, around 300, but its rate of fire is higher. While Bobcat has a faster rate of fire and higher overall DPS, its single-shot damage is slightly lower. For one-shot kills, Canto is the better choice.
The Canto's base magazine holds only 18 rounds, less than Stitcher's 20; it holds 30 rounds with an additional magazine. It's also the only weapon that requires an upgrade to increase its magazine capacity.
At max level, Canto has the highest total damage per magazine among these three SMGs. While the recoil is slightly noticeable, skilled players will find it very powerful; those with poor recoil control can consider removing Compensator and replacing it with Muzzle Break.
Overall, this is a very good weapon. It's not only versatile but also performs excellently in PvP, outperforming Stitcher against ARC enemies, making it a very worthwhile all-around SMG to acquire.
Dolabra
Dolabra Blueprint Acquisition Method
The blueprint for the legendary weapon Dolabra currently only drops from Assessors under Close Scrutiny major map conditions.
It's worth noting that Close Scrutiny is the first ARC Operation newly added with Flashpoint update. Assessors spawn on the map, and players need to break through them to obtain loot.
Blueprints have a low drop rate, around 10%, requiring multiple runs. Especially after breaking through them, multiple waves of ARC enemies like Rocketeers and new UFOs will spawn, and many players will compete for blueprints, sometimes even engaging in combat, making it extremely dangerous. Therefore, stealth and smoke are crucial.
The environment is very chaotic, so you can follow this strategy for a relatively safe approach:
Equip a Photoelectric Cloak and smoke grenades, and reach Assessors's location before other players. Immediately place the smoke grenade, breakthrough, and hold the breach. After looting, use the Photoelectric Cloak to quietly escape. Then, wait for ARC enemies to lose aggro, and repeat the above steps until you obtain blueprints.
Crafting Method
Dolabra is quite inexpensive to craft, requiring no weapon parts, Queen Reactor, or Matriarch Reactor. Compared to other Legendary weapons, the crafting cost is very low, requiring only:
- 3 × Shredder Gyro
- 3 × Magnetic Accelerator
- 2 × Vaporizer Regulator
In-game Strength Analysis
Dolabra is a dual-mode Legendary weapon that requires Energy Clips because it doesn't use Shotgun Ammo like other weapon types.
When you aim, the beam becomes very focused, like a long-range attack. If you hip fire, it's like a shotgun. So there are two firing modes, and that's how you switch between them.
Overall, this weapon has high penetration against ARC armor, its shotgun mode deals more damage than Il Toro, it can accurately kill Wasps and Rocketeers at long range, and it can easily destroy light, medium, and heavy Shields after hitting a target.
These two weapons can help you kill more ARC enemies and have more fun in the world of ARC Raiders. Don't hesitate, get it in the game!
