Cracking open a freshly downed ARC unit hits different. You're tired, the map's hostile, and the bots never stop hunting, so getting to pull parts out of one feels like the one tiny win you can actually touch. If you're the sort who keeps an eye on ARC Raiders Items between runs, this quest is where that habit pays off, because "A Prime Specimen" is less about hero moments and more about showing up prepared and not flinching when the thing still tries to cook you.

What To Unlock And What To Pack

You've got to clear "The Clean Dream" first, since it sits in the Blue Gate chain and the game won't let you skip the line. After that, expect company. The ARC Deforester only pays out twice per match, so the whole lobby turns into a sprinting contest and a petty little war at the finish line. Bring Adrenaline Shots if you've got them. They buy you seconds, and seconds are the difference between looting and staring at an empty shell. Also, don't turn up with a pea-shooter. People love to third-party here because they know you'll be staring at fire patterns instead of watching your angles.

Finding The Deforester Without Wasting A Run

Before you leave your stash, make sure you've got two ARC Powercells, and honestly, four is safer. One bad roll, one interruption, one panic step, and you'll wish you'd brought backups. Powercells are common enough: pull them off active units when you can, or grab them from the deactivated frames scattered around. Once you're set, load into Blue Gate and head for the Deforester spawns: southwest of the Adorned Wreckage or just east of the Maintenance Bunker. If you're not sure you're in the right place, look for the huge hollow tube throwing off blue sparks like it's shorting out.

The Fire Puzzle And The Loot Timing

Slot the first cell and the machine throws up a ring of fire. Don't back off and reset your nerve. Wait for the skinny gap, then roll through clean and keep moving. Put the second cell in and the pattern changes, splitting into four directions. Now you climb. Use the curve of the wall, jump to the overhead platform, and commit—this is the part where it looks like you're about to get toasted, but the jump works even through the flames if you don't hesitate. The loot is the weird bit: you can only open the container while the fire's actively blasting, so do it fast, grab the mechanical parts and the Patrol Car Key, and get ready to leave before someone decides you're the real prize.

Getting Out With Something To Show For It

Don't hang around to admire the view. Once you've got the key, rotate out like you'd rotate off a noisy chest—wide, cautious, and assuming you're being watched. That key matters later in the Underground complex, and the chain feels way better when you don't lose it to a last-second ambush. If you're struggling to keep up with the crowd or you keep arriving late to a cleared Deforester, it's worth tightening your prep and route planning, and maybe topping up on cheap ARC Raiders Items so you can focus on the execution instead of scraping by on half-measures.