The Cargo Elevator antenna task looks like a quick interaction, yet it can turn a calm Arc Raiders run into a messy PvP scramble. The device sits above a normal extraction structure, so the real test is spotting the right building, reaching the upper platform, and protecting your exit while your hands are busy. Bring a sensible ARC Raiders Items loadout, then treat each antenna as a raid decision rather than a box to tick.
What the Objective Actually Asks You to Do
Phantom Targets requires three antenna upgrades on Cargo Elevators found across Riven Tides, Spaceport, or Dam Battlegrounds. These aren't separate quest towers. They are the familiar extraction structures, with the antenna mounted above the elevator platform. Searching the ground floor wastes time, and it can leave you exposed while other Raiders assume you're preparing to leave.
Climb the structure, find the interaction point, and hold the prompt until the progress finishes. Starting it isn't enough; damage, movement, or an interrupted input can leave the project counter unchanged. Check the Phantom Targets display after extraction, especially after a tense run where the on-screen feedback was easy to miss.
Pick the Map Around Your Route
Dam Battlegrounds is the best map for players chasing all three upgrades quickly because it offers more chances to encounter a suitable Cargo Elevator during one deployment. Spaceport can work well when an elevator sits near your planned rotation, but its open ground makes every approach more visible. Riven Tides is the slower, steadier option: fewer likely structures, tighter movement, and less pressure to cross a huge exposed area.
| Map | Best Use | Main Risk |
|---|---|---|
| Dam Battlegrounds | Multiple attempts in one run | Busy extraction zones |
| Spaceport | Antenna already on your route | Long open approaches |
| Riven Tides | Controlled solo progress | Fewer useful elevators |
Do This Before You Start the Interaction
Most failed attempts begin before the climb. Stop short of the elevator, listen for footsteps and gunfire, check nearby ARC movement, and identify where you'll retreat if another squad arrives. Don't stand on the roof to sort loot afterward. Finish the upgrade, drop into cover, and create distance before deciding if another objective is realistic.
Approach from cover instead of crossing open ground at full speed.
Keep enough stamina and healing for the climb back out.
Watch the likely player approach while a teammate interacts.
Leave immediately after the progress bar completes.
Confirm the project counter after the deployment.
Solo Runs, Squad Runs, and the Greedy Second Antenna
Solo Raiders should select one convenient elevator and build the rest of the run around survival. A second antenna is a bonus, not a reason to cross the map with low supplies. Squads can send one player to interact while the others cover the main sightlines, but stay close enough to respond; splitting into distant pairs makes every sound harder to read. From what I've seen, the first antenna tells you more than the map does. If it attracts shots or footsteps, switch from objective mode to extraction mode.
The Reward Is Useful, Not Worth a Throwaway Run
Three completed upgrades award Combat Mk. 3 (Aggressive), Heavy Shield, and Vita Spray. Those rewards support future raids, but they don't change the basic math: a completed antenna only matters if you survive the deployment. Phantom Targets later shifts toward ARC parts, specific damage tasks, and strange ARC behavior, so preserve ammunition and healing when possible. Carrying sensible ARC Raiders buy Loot choices can help, but no item replaces patience at a contested elevator.
