ARC Raiders Sizing Things Up is Celeste’s Pendola Pass quest built around the fallen Emperor. You need to photograph one of its legs, investigate another exposed section, then recover an ARC Conductive Coupler from a Buried Harvester Payload at the Emperor’s base and extract with it.
The locations are spread across a large stretch of Pendola Pass, so ARC Raiders Sizing Things Up is easier when you treat it as a route rather than wandering around the Emperor until interaction prompts appear. Bring the Basic Camera Celeste gives you, protect the Coupler in your Safe Pocket once you find it, and turn the item in after extraction.
ARC Raiders Sizing Things Up: all quest objectives
Image credit: Embark Studios
- Accept ARC Raiders Sizing Things Up from Celeste and take the Basic Camera.
- Go to the bridge east of Old Town and photograph the Emperor’s leg.
- Head south of Railroad Junction and analyse the exposed area on another Emperor leg.
- Reach the base of the fallen Emperor near Piazza Della Rupe.
- Search the Buried Harvester Payload in the snow.
- Pick up the ARC Conductive Coupler and place it in your Safe Pocket.
- Extract from Pendola Pass and deliver the Coupler to Celeste.
The quest also has an optional crashed-probe investigation near Almatera Station. Current quest data presents the early investigation section as a choice where you complete two of three objectives, so the route above uses the Emperor-leg analysis instead of making the optional probe mandatory.
Where to photograph the Emperor’s leg
The first ARC Raiders Sizing Things Up objective is by the bridge directly east of Old Town. Stand on the bridge running alongside the Emperor’s southern front leg and equip the Basic Camera.
Aim at the lower section of the leg with enough of the structure in frame for the objective to recognise it. Once the photo registers, you can put the camera away and continue towards Railroad Junction. Celeste gives you a Basic Camera when the quest starts, and replacements can also be obtained if you lose it.
Where to analyse the Emperor leg near Railroad Junction
For the second main investigation, go south of Railroad Junction to the visible base of another Emperor leg. Climb onto the structure and look for the interaction point on the exposed section.
You no longer need the camera for this part of ARC Raiders Sizing Things Up. Move across the top of the leg until the analyse prompt appears, then hold the interaction long enough for the objective to complete.
Do you need to investigate the crashed probe?
The crashed probe near Almatera Station is an optional route through the early investigation objectives. The quest tracker allows two of the three investigation tasks, so photographing the Old Town leg and analysing the Railroad Junction leg is enough to continue without finding the probe.
If you want to complete the optional probe objective, do it before finishing the alternate investigation route. It is not required for the direct ARC Raiders Sizing Things Up walkthrough below, which keeps the path centred on the Emperor and the Coupler.
Where is the Buried Harvester Payload?
Image credit: Embark Studios
After the investigation section, head to the main Emperor corpse on the western side of Pendola Pass. The base objective completes near the front of the body, east of the Fallen Emperor map marker and close to Piazza Della Rupe.
The Buried Harvester Payload is outside the Emperor rather than behind the locked gateway. Look down in the snow and debris in front of the huge circular opening for a long metal container sitting partly buried at an angle.
How to get the ARC Conductive Coupler
Interact with the Buried Harvester Payload and it produces the ARC Conductive Coupler needed for ARC Raiders Sizing Things Up. Make sure you actually pick the item up after opening the payload, because searching the container alone does not put the Coupler in your inventory.
Move the Coupler into your Safe Pocket immediately if you have room. The quest is not complete until you get the component back to Speranza, so protecting it is more important than carrying another normal loot item.
Do you need an Emperor Gateway Conduit Key?
No. The Buried Harvester Payload for ARC Raiders Sizing Things Up is outside the Emperor’s locked interior. You can reach the payload and recover the ARC Conductive Coupler without opening the gateway.
If you arrive at the giant circular opening and start looking for a key door, move back towards the snow in front of the body. The quest container is partially buried outside, not inside the locked Emperor section.
How to finish ARC Raiders Sizing Things Up
Once the Coupler is protected, head to an available extraction point and return to Speranza. Open Celeste’s quest entry and hand over the ARC Conductive Coupler to complete ARC Raiders Sizing Things Up.
The final stretch is a poor time to chase optional containers. Pendola Pass can force a long trip between the Emperor and extraction, and losing the component outside a Safe Pocket can turn a nearly finished quest into another run.
ARC Raiders Sizing Things Up rewards
Completing ARC Raiders Sizing Things Up currently awards 5,000 XP, three Adrenaline Shots, one Exodus Technical Handbook, one Bettina I and 60 Heavy Ammo. The Bettina I is the standout reward because it gives you the weapon directly rather than requiring another crafting step.
| Reward | Amount |
|---|---|
| XP | 5,000 |
| Adrenaline Shot | 3 |
| Exodus Technical Handbook | 1 |
| Bettina I | 1 |
| Heavy Ammo | 60 |
ARC Raiders Sizing Things Up quick route
The quickest ARC Raiders Sizing Things Up route is Old Town bridge for the photo, south of Railroad Junction for the exposed leg, then the Emperor’s base near Piazza Della Rupe for the Buried Harvester Payload. Pick up the Coupler, protect it and extract.
If one objective refuses to register, check that you are at the correct leg rather than another part of the Emperor. The photo needs the bridge east of Old Town, the analysis prompt is south of Railroad Junction, and the payload is at the main body rather than beside either of those legs.
Related Guides
Official source: Embark Studios: Frozen Trail 2.0 Update
