The Surge Coil is one of the more unusual additions to ARC Raiders, functioning as a deployable trap that can shock both enemies and allies alike. This guide walks you through everything you need to know about this electrifying device, from what it does and how to craft it, to where you can grab its blueprint.

What Is the Surge Coil in ARC Raiders?

The Surge Coil is a deployable device that periodically electrifies the area around itself, briefly stunning anything caught within its 10-meter radius. It deals 6 damage per second, stuns ARC units for 1 second, and stuns raiders for 0.5 seconds. Once placed, it remains active until it is either shot and destroyed or it runs out of total zaps and self-destructs. It is classified as a blue (rare) rarity item and is crafted at the explosives workbench.

One important thing to keep in mind: the Surge Coil damages and stuns you too. It does not distinguish between friend and foe, so placement and positioning matter a great deal. Below, we cover the crafting requirements and the best way to get your hands on the blueprint.

Surge Coil Requirements & How To Use It

Crafting Materials

To craft the Surge Coil, you need the following materials:

• 1x Electrical Component

• 1x Sensor

• 1x Hornet Driver

The recipe becomes available at the explosives workbench once you have learned the blueprint.

How the Surge Coil Works Once Deployed

After you place the Surge Coil on the ground, it begins shocking anything that enters its 10-meter radius. Roughly every 10 zaps, it applies a 1-second stun to raiders. You can still move between stuns, but the repeated jolts will slow you down and chip away at your health.

It Won't Kill, But It Will Disrupt

The Surge Coil is not designed to be lethal on its own. It does not deal enough damage to kill a player outright. Instead, it acts as a disruption tool — staggering enemies and buying you time in a fight.

You Can Disarm or Destroy It

If you walk up to a deployed Surge Coil, you can manually disarm it and pick it back up. Alternatively, it can be destroyed with just a few bullets, so it does not have a lot of staying power if an enemy spots it quickly.

Placing Two Coils Together

If you place two Surge Coils right next to each other, they will start zapping each other instead of nearby targets. However, if you space them about 10 meters apart, anyone standing in the middle will get hit by both simultaneously. This double-zap setup is particularly punishing and hard to react to.

Surge Coil and Grenades

The Surge Coil does not stop most traditional grenades like the Snap Blast Grenade. Those will fly right over it without any interference. However, Trigger Grenades — one of the most popular grenades in PvP — interact with it in a notable way. The coil zaps the grenade's circuitry and causes it to detonate prematurely as it passes through the radius, rendering the grenade useless against its intended target.

PvP Use Cases

The Surge Coil shines when placed in enclosed spaces. Sticking one or two behind a locked door can catch players off guard as they push into a room. With two coils spaced correctly, the overlapping shock zones leave very little room to dodge, giving you a significant combat advantage in close-quarters fights.

How ARC Units React to the Surge Coil

ARC enemies treat the Surge Coil as a high-priority threat — even higher than players. They will aggro onto it immediately and focus on destroying it before doing anything else. One Fireball was observed leaving its entire spawn area just to flamethrower a coil and blow itself up in the process.

Exploiting ARC Behavior

If you manage to place the coil somewhere an ARC unit cannot easily shoot it, strange things happen. Vaporizers have been seen freezing in place, unable to process what to do. A Bombardier was observed spinning in circles trying to get an angle on a coil stuck to its core. In some cases, Shredders have completely broken their pathing and run away from the area. The coil essentially functions as a lure device against ARC, though its limited health means tougher enemies like Rocketeers can destroy it in a single hit.

Potential Trial Farming Use

There may be a niche use for the Surge Coil in trial farming. Because the coil does not expire based on a timer — it only breaks after a set number of zaps — placing one near a tick spawn point on the ceiling could potentially destroy them as they appear, earning you points passively. That said, other raiders in the area might just shoot it down.

Surge Coil Blueprint Location & How To Get It

It Drops During Electromagnetic Storms

The Surge Coil blueprint appears to be tied to the Electromagnetic Storm map condition. As of now, there is no confirmed evidence of it dropping during other conditions, though there is a small possibility it could appear in other two-times map conditions. Until proven otherwise, Electromagnetic Storms are your best bet.

What Containers Can Hold It

The blueprint can drop from a variety of container types. It has been found in residential containers, lockers, drawers, and standard loot boxes. There does not seem to be one specific container type that guarantees it — any searchable container during the Electromagnetic Storm has a chance to contain it.

Best Location: Research and Administration Building

The Research and Administration Building (also referred to as the control tower building) in the Hydro Complex area is one of the most reliable spots to search. This building is packed with lockers, drawers, and other loot spawns, giving you many chances per run. It is also the same location where the Snap Hook blueprint frequently appears, making it a high-value destination during Electromagnetic Storms.

Tips for Your Blueprint Run

Show up early and loot fast. The Research and Administration Building is a popular spot, and other players will be heading there too. Prioritize the drawers and lockers on the upper floors and side rooms, as the blueprint has been found in those types of containers. Bring a few Stems with you for healing on the move, and have an extraction plan ready — the Hydro Complex often has Bombardiers and other dangerous ARC units roaming nearby.

Once You Have the Blueprint

After extracting with the blueprint, you need to learn and consume it from your stash. Once learned, the Surge Coil recipe becomes permanently available at the explosives workbench, and you can craft as many as your materials allow.