ARC Raiders Damaged Snitch Scanner: What It Is and Whether You Should Keep It

LunaWolf

If you've spent any time farming ARC enemies in ARC Raiders, you've probably come across the Damaged Snitch Scanner. New players often wonder whether it's worth keeping, selling, or simply recycling. The answer depends on where you are in your progression, but in most cases, the item is more useful than it first appears.

What Is a Damaged Snitch Scanner?

A Damaged Snitch Scanner is the burned-out version of a Snitch Scanner. An intact Snitch Scanner can be looted from destroyed Snitch drones and used to summon hostile ARC units, particularly Wasps. Once activated and consumed, the scanner becomes damaged and can no longer be used to trigger enemy spawns.

Think of it as a spent electronic device. The scanner has already done its job, and what's left is essentially scrap that can be processed into useful crafting resources.

For example, a player farming ARC Alloy may deliberately activate several Snitch Scanners during a raid. After defeating the spawned enemies, the used scanners become Damaged Snitch Scanners that can be extracted and recycled later.

How to Get Damaged Snitch Scanners

There are two common methods:

1. Use an Intact Snitch Scanner

This is the most reliable source.

A standard Snitch Scanner can be obtained from defeated Snitches. After throwing and activating it, the device calls in ARC reinforcements. Once the event finishes, the scanner becomes damaged.

Many experienced players use this method while farming combat materials because it creates two rewards from one item:

Additional ARC enemy loot

A Damaged Snitch Scanner for recycling

2. Find Them During Scavenging

Damaged versions occasionally appear as world loot in technology-focused locations and ARC-related areas. However, these drops are much less consistent than creating them yourself.

If you're specifically looking for Damaged Snitch Scanners, using intact scanners is usually the faster approach.

What Is the Damaged Snitch Scanner Used For?

The primary purpose of a Damaged Snitch Scanner is recycling.

Unlike intact scanners, it cannot:

Summon enemies

Be repaired

Be thrown again

Be used as equipment

Instead, it serves as a recyclable material that contributes to crafting progression.

Early in the game, many players underestimate how valuable recycled materials become. A few extra ARC Alloy pieces may not seem important at first, but station upgrades and projects quickly start demanding larger quantities of components.

As an example, a player upgrading multiple workshop stations might need dozens of recycled materials over several sessions. Saving Damaged Snitch Scanners instead of selling them can reduce later farming time significantly.

Is It Worth Keeping?

For most players, yes.

Let's compare two scenarios:

Player A Sells Everything

Extracts 10 Damaged Snitch Scanners

Sells them immediately

Gains short-term currency

Player B Recycles Them

Extracts the same 10 scanners

Recycles them into crafting resources

Saves future farming runs

Player A gains instant money, but Player B often progresses through upgrades faster because the required materials are already available.

Unless you're desperately short on credits, recycling tends to provide better long-term value.

Efficient Farming Strategy

If your goal is to generate Damaged Snitch Scanners efficiently, follow a simple cycle:

Hunt Snitches.

Collect intact Snitch Scanners.

Activate them in safe areas.

Defeat the summoned Wasps.

Extract both the combat loot and the damaged scanners.

In a successful raid, one scanner can generate additional ARC materials while also producing a Damaged Snitch Scanner. This makes the item part of a broader resource-farming loop rather than just another piece of junk.

Many veteran players treat scanners as investments rather than consumables.

Crafting and Progression Tips

Resource management becomes increasingly important as workshop requirements grow.

A good rule is to maintain a reserve of recyclable components. Keeping 10 to 20 Damaged Snitch Scanners in storage can provide flexibility when a new project suddenly requires ARC Alloy or other machine-derived materials.

During one upgrade push, a player might burn through several stacks of recycled resources in a single evening. Having a stockpile prevents unnecessary farming sessions.

Some players looking for faster progression also watch the market and community discussions for blueprint opportunities. You'll occasionally see references such as U4N, arc raiders crafting blueprints discount when players compare different ways of obtaining crafting-related resources and equipment. Regardless of the approach, recycled materials remain one of the foundations of long-term progression.

The Damaged Snitch Scanner is not a rare treasure, but it's far from useless. It represents the final stage of the Snitch Scanner lifecycle and serves as a recyclable resource that supports crafting and workshop progression.

If you're a new player, avoid treating it as vendor trash. A single scanner may not seem valuable, but dozens collected over time can save hours of farming later.

In most situations, the best strategy is simple: extract it, store it, and recycle it when you need crafting materials.