Recommended Free Tools
iTechGuides is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Learn more
Surviving a Bantam encounter is less about memorizing a damage number and more about controlling distance, cover, stamina, noise, and your route to extraction. Bantam is a weapon added to ARC Raiders, not an ARC machine or named enemy. The advice below covers both readings of the question: fighting another Raider who carries Bantam and deciding how to use Bantam yourself.
The weapon’s current behavior should be checked against the live build. The only weapon-specific handling description available here comes from the third-party guide GAMES.GG, while the broader survival advice comes from official ARC Raiders and Epic Games Store guidance. The Frozen Trail 2.0 announcement is dated October 8, 2026, so later hotfixes may change the weapon or its surrounding systems.
What Bantam is—and what an encounter means
Embark’s Frozen Trail 2.0 announcement lists Bantam as a new weapon. That distinction matters: “an encounter with Bantam” means a gunfight involving a player carrying the weapon, not a fight against a new ARC creature called Bantam.
ARC Raiders is a multiplayer extraction adventure set on a dangerous future Earth. Players scavenge topside while dealing with two kinds of pressure: ARC machines and other Raiders. You can leave with resources, but only if you reach an extraction point alive. A technically successful exchange of shots is still a failed run if it leaves you exposed, out of stamina, injured, or unable to reach an exit.
#1 Best Overall
- Powerful Turbo Fan:CAGIWIRU Electric Air Duster have reached speed up to 130000RPM,Can efficient remove dust and debris.With LED light and Three Adjustable Speed to meet with different cleaning tasks.
- With Attached USB C Fasting Charging cable.Charing 3 hours,Enjoy up to 240 minutes of use on the lowest setting, For third speed can use for 25mins.with four charging options to meet with your needs.
- Wide Application: attached 5 different nozzles,making it suitable for a variety of scenes, such as car,pet, pc, keyboards, and other electronic devices. It also serves for office and home clean duster.
- Handy Design & Portable:Cordless air duster electric nozzle is Light weight and small size, design and comfortable to hold and space saving, convenient to carry around. You can put it in your room or inside the car without taking up space.
- Economical &Reusable: Built durable materials with a long-lasting battery,our CAGIWIRU air duster it's a sustainable alternative to disposable air cans.
The practical objective is therefore conditional:
- If you are carrying Bantam: create a controlled close-range opportunity, take the shot only when you have cover and a retreat path, then disengage before a second threat turns the fight into a resource trap.
- If another Raider is carrying Bantam: deny the conditions that favor a close-range hand cannon, keep cover between you and the shooter, and avoid committing to a duel when extraction is the better outcome.
- If ARC machines are present: treat the encounter as a three-way danger. A player fight can alert or attract machines, and a machine can force both Raiders out of position.
No consulted source publishes verified Bantam damage, time-to-kill, falloff, pellet behavior, or a distance threshold. Do not build a plan around an unverified breakpoint.
Prepare before deployment
Match ammunition to both weapons
The official beginner guidance says you can equip up to two weapons and should prepare the ammunition those weapons use. Check the ammo you actually have before deploying; carrying a gun without a usable reserve turns a promising encounter into a forced retreat.
- Choose the primary weapon you expect to use for most of the run.
- Choose the second weapon for a different situation, such as a safer engagement distance or a backup after the first weapon runs dry.
- Confirm that your inventory contains the correct ammunition for both weapons.
- Leave enough inventory space for resources so that a short fight does not become an excuse to search noisily for supplies in an exposed area.
If the purpose of the run is learning routes or gathering low-value materials, consider a Free Loadout. It reduces the cost of a mistake and lets you practice movement, extraction timing, and encounter decisions without risking your preferred equipment.
Choose an extraction plan before danger appears
Epic’s guidance recommends learning extraction locations and conserving stamina so you are never left without a way to run. Before you open your first container, identify at least one extraction option and notice the cover, choke points, and open ground along the likely route. A second possible exit is useful when the first becomes unsafe, but do not assume every map situation offers an equally convenient alternative.
Your plan should answer three questions:
- Which extraction location is closest to the area you intend to loot?
- Which route reaches it while keeping hard cover or concealment nearby?
- Where will you stop searching and start moving if another Raider appears?
Preserve stamina as an escape resource
Stamina gradually restores while you stand, walk, or crouch. That means sprinting continuously through an area can leave you unable to cross the final exposed section to extraction. Use normal movement when you are not under immediate pressure, and save a full sprint for crossing danger, breaking line of sight, or reaching a known piece of cover.
Recognize the encounter before choosing to fight
Sound and timing are information
Searching most containers takes several seconds and creates noise. Treat every search as a commitment: you are temporarily less ready to react, and nearby players may hear the activity. Stop searching when you hear movement, unexplained impacts, or machine activity. Move to cover first, then decide whether the contact is worth investigating.
Noise also changes the machine situation. The official guide notes that ARC can alert other machines after spotting a player. A loud or prolonged exchange can therefore remove the quiet route you intended to use, even if neither Raider is eliminated.
Windows Errors? Fix Them Before They Spread
Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallCrashes, No Sound, or Screen Glitches?
Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteRank #2
- Screen Cleaner is Your Screen’s New Bestfriend! - EVEO is proud to present a screen cleaner that’s perfectly suited for your TV. Meet your new screen cleaner, computer screen cleaner, laptop cleaner, iPad cleaner, Macbook,tv cleaner or any other electronic device. Our screen cleaner spray and wipe along with the included plush microfiber cloth, easily removes dust, fingerprints & other smudges on the screen’s surface. Clean effectively for a streak-free screen
- Gentle on your Screens - Our screen cleaner spray and wipes is compatible to be used even for the most sensitive LCD, LED, CRT, and OLED screens in proper use. Be at ease knowing that this product is compatible with all the major brands: LG, SONY, Samsung, Sharp, iPad, iPhone, Android screens, Kindle, PC monitors - we’ve got you covered! Can be used as LCD screen cleaner, tv cleaner, smart tv screen cleaner, and more
- Premium Super Soft Plush Microfiber Cloth - Included in this efficient screen cleaning kit. This screen cleaner spray and wipe has our signature plush microfiber cloth specially designed to comply with screens and monitors and leave them streak-free. Has been shown to effectively absorbs stubborn stains, zero streaks, and no fiber shedding. Always use this together with our screen cleaner for the best results
- Easy-to-Use Screen Cleaner Kit + microfiber cleaning cloth - The EVEO Screen Cleaning Kit will easily be your new favorite tool when it comes to taking care of the things you love most, quick and easy solution for a streak-free screen. Simply screw on the sprayer gun on the screen cleaner bottle. Spray the cleaning liquid onto the microfiber cloth, then wipe the screen until desired cleanliness & shine is achieved.
- Quality Screen Care Kit Worth Purchasing - Enjoy a convenient Screen Cleaner anytime, anywhere you need it. Your satisfaction is our top priority. We stand behind the quality of our products and that’s why, you shouldn’t be worrying at all. We manufacture the Best Screen Cleaner. and can be used for laptop cleaning kit, laptop screen cleaner, tv screen cleaner for smart tv. MacBook screen cleaner, monitor cleaner or screen cleaner spray for electronic devices with microfiber cleaning cloth
Use a simple decision branch
- Do you have cover and an exit? If not, move before firing. An open-ground duel is a poor place to discover that your stamina is empty.
- Do you know whether the contact is alone? If not, assume a second Raider or an ARC machine could arrive and shorten your exposure.
- Is the objective the player or the extraction? If your pack is already valuable, leaving may be the correct win condition.
- Can you disengage without crossing the same noisy area? If not, reposition before looting or reloading.
If you are using Bantam
What the available handling description says
GAMES.GG characterizes Bantam as a close-range hand cannon and describes its accuracy as limited, its recoil as difficult to control, and its attachment support as absent. Those are the guide’s judgments, not developer-published performance statistics. Check the current patch before treating them as definitive.
The implication is not that Bantam is useless. It is that the weapon asks you to choose engagements carefully. A close-range role can make sense when you have cover, a corner, or a route that forces a short exposure. It is a weak basis for a long sightline or a fight in which you must repeatedly correct recoil while standing in the open.
Build the situation, not just the shot
Use the environment to reduce the time you are visible. Approach from cover, keep one retreat direction open, and avoid entering a room or alley that has only one way out unless you already know the contact’s position. If the first shot does not create a clear advantage, move rather than standing still to force a second attempt.
Because the guide says Bantam has no attachment slots, do not plan to solve its stated limitations with an optic, barrel, or recoil attachment. The weapon’s role has to come from your positioning, timing, and the rest of your loadout.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
Pair the weapon with a fallback plan
Carry a second weapon that covers the situation Bantam does not. The sources do not establish a specific best pairing, ammunition quantity, or damage comparison, so choose based on the range and route you expect to face. The important principle is functional separation: do not make both slots dependent on the same close-range opportunity.
After firing, decide immediately whether to finish, reposition, or leave. A near miss can reveal your location without giving you a safe follow-up. If an ARC machine becomes active or another player enters the area, the value of a clean retreat rises sharply.
If you are facing a Raider with Bantam
Deny the close-range conditions
The available guide describes Bantam as close-range and limited in accuracy, but it does not provide a verified distance at which the weapon becomes ineffective. Use that description as a directional principle rather than a measured rule: create more space when the terrain allows it, keep solid cover between you and the shooter, and avoid stepping into a corner where a hand cannon can be used at its preferred distance.
Rank #3
- 【Large size】：Measuring 800 x 300 mm/ 31. 5×12 inches, which is wider and taller than others. Large mouse pad can perfectly fit your keyboard and mouse of any size, and there is also ample space for peripherals such as phones, tablets, etc.
- 【LED backlight mouse pad】：Blade Hawks RGB mouse pad provides 7 static modes and 7 dynamic modes will give you the options you are looking for. Power-off memory function remembers the last lighting mode you selected. The super glow fiber Chroma will give you a colorful gaming setup that you want.
- 【Anti-slip rubber base】：Made from Natural rubber, this gaming mousepad will firmly grip your desktop, allowing you to enjoy the ultimate precision in the games you are most passionate about. It also comes with a texture that enhances this ability even further.
- 【Smooth and waterproof surface】: Micro-textured cloth surface, for extremely precise mouse control and a smooth movement. When liquid splashes on the gaming mouse pad, it forms water droplets and slides down. Will not delay your work or gameplay.
- 【Plug and play】: This mouse and keyboard pad is powered by USB, plug and play, no driver required. One button control light modes. Press one time to change the lighting mode, press twice to change the brightness, press and hold about 3 seconds turn ON/OFF.
Do not sprint blindly into open ground just to increase distance. A route that exposes you to the Raider, an ARC machine, or a second team can be worse than holding cover and rotating behind it. Move from one protected position to the next, preserving enough stamina for the final crossing to extraction.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
Break the opponent’s information
Peek from different positions instead of repeating the same angle. If you must cross, do it decisively between cover points rather than making a slow, predictable walk through the weapon’s likely engagement area. Avoid unnecessary looting while the contact remains nearby; the search animation and noise can give the other player an easy timing cue.
Do not invent a counter-build
No consulted source establishes a Bantam-specific armor choice, damage breakpoint, exact counterweapon, or guaranteed distance threshold. You can use a weapon suited to the space you control, but that is general extraction logic, not a confirmed matchup table. If a later patch publishes numbers, reevaluate the plan against those notes rather than relying on community assumptions.
When ARC machines join the encounter
A Raider fight can become more dangerous when an ARC machine spots a player. The official guidance warns that machines can be alerted after seeing you, so watch for the way your movement and shooting affect the wider area.
- Break line of sight before deciding whether to re-engage the Raider.
- Do not remain in a noisy search animation while a machine is active nearby.
- Use the machine’s pressure as a reason to rotate or extract, not automatically as an invitation to chase the other player.
- Keep enough stamina to move when the machine’s position changes.
If both Raiders are forced out of cover, cooperation may be possible, but it is never guaranteed. A temporary shared escape can be more valuable than trying to finish a weakened opponent in the same danger zone.
Use cover, routes, and stamina as one system
Cover is more than a place to hide
Good cover lets you stop, recover your plan, and choose the next movement. It should protect you from the likely line of fire while leaving at least one route toward safety. A dead-end object can hide you briefly but still trap you if the Bantam user closes the distance.
Rotate instead of repeating a peek
After an exchange, assume the other player has information about your last position. Move to a new angle before reappearing. A short rotation behind cover can also create time for stamina to recover, because standing, walking, and crouching allow gradual restoration.
Rank #4
- 【Softer and More Comfortable】Vaydeer wrist rest has unique diamond pattern, which is the combination of softness and aesthetics. The materials of wrist rest are improved into higher quality memory foam and covered with silky smooth lycra. The computer wrist rest makes you as comfortable and cushiony as like rest your wrists on clouds.
- 【Ergonomic Wrist Saver】The wrist rests for keyboard and mouse comes with a 17.32×3.15×0.83 inch keyboard wrist pad and a 5.94×3.15×0.83 inch mouse wrist support. Based on ergonomic design, the unique concave shape is the perfect fit for your wrist joints. The wrist rest pad fits most computer keyboards and laptops, improve hand and wrist posture, release your wrist and arm stress.
- 【Non-Slip Rubber Bottom】Featuring an anti-skid silicone base on the bottom, this wrist keyboard support stays firmly in place on your desk, preventing the padding from sliding around, ensuring stable and consistent wrist support during extended computer sessions.
- 【Better Experience & Pain Relief】Our keyboard arm rest is beneficial to alleviate the soreness caused by direct contact and friction between your arm and a hard desk surface, reducing the risk of wrist fatigue or carpal tunnel. The soft texture of memory foam can evenly distribute the pressure around your wrists and provide good support with just enough give.
- 【Helpful in Multiple Scenarios】Whether you're working, studying, writing, typing, gaming, this keyboard and mouse rest combo is an essential accessory to add comfort and support to your hands and wrists. It’s also a great gift for men, women, family, friend, coworker, gamer, teacher, etc.
Cross exposed ground on purpose
When no covered route exists, wait for the moment that minimizes total exposure, then sprint through the gap with a destination already chosen. Do not begin a crossing while still deciding where to go. If you reach the next cover with no stamina left, pause there rather than immediately repeating the mistake on the next gap.
Damage control, healing, and revives
Epic’s guide identifies bandages as health-restoring items and shield rechargers as a way to restore shields. Carry and use them according to the state of the fight, but do not start a long recovery in the same exposed position where you were hit. First break line of sight, then heal behind cover or during a safe rotation.
If a teammate is down, the guide describes a quicker revive with a Defibrillator. The item does not remove the need for cover: a faster revive performed in the open can still expose both players to the Raider or an ARC machine. One teammate should watch the approach when the terrain allows it, and the revived player should already know the next cover point.
After a successful recovery, reassess the run. Healing can restore your ability to move, but it does not erase the enemy’s information about your location or the noise already created. If the route to extraction is now more dangerous than the resources are valuable, leave.
Decide whether to cooperate
The official guidance says proximity chat or emotes can sometimes support cooperation with nearby players, while also warning that cooperation can fail. This makes communication a tactical option, not a safety guarantee.
When cooperation can help
- Both parties are being pressured by an ARC machine.
- A narrow route makes fighting costly for everyone.
- You can communicate a temporary separation or shared escape without exposing your exact inventory or destination.
How to limit the risk
- Keep cover and a retreat path while communicating.
- Do not lower your weapon awareness simply because the other player uses an emote or speaks calmly.
- Separate before looting valuable items together unless you have a compelling reason not to.
- Assume the agreement can end immediately and preserve enough stamina to respond.
A failed negotiation is not evidence that every player will betray you, but it is a reason to avoid placing your survival entirely in another Raider’s hands.
Execute the extraction instead of chasing a kill
Extraction is the outcome that converts scavenging into a successful run. Once you have the resources you came for, begin moving before the area becomes crowded or noisy. If a Bantam user disengages, do not automatically pursue. Chasing can pull you away from your planned exit, consume stamina, and create the exact close-range fight you were trying to avoid.
Best Value
- 【No Drill Mounted】Cable management tray can be assembled in as little as 3 minutes or less-simply. Side clips easily clampe the edge of desk, pass through the holes on the sides, and secure excess cables with baskets. Desk cable management supports inward or outward installation to meet your needs in different scenarios, and provides you with great convenience when collecting and organizing wires.
- 【Rubber Pad Protects Desk】Wire organizer under desk built-in soft rubber pads on the clamp protect your desk from scratches, so you will not damage your furniture or office.
- 【Sturdy and Beautiful】Cord management under desk is made of high-quality carbon steel and holds about 15 lbs. The wire basket has 2 holes on each side of the tray to enable your cables to pass freely. Cable baskets are suitable for desk thickness use from 0.4" to 2.4".
- 【Space Saving & Keep Organized】Desk cable management tray holds all your power cords, outlet strips, USB hubs and computer transformers hidden from your feet, and the data cables will not enter the vacuum cleaner to keep your desk clean and tidy. Desk wire organizer is also suitable for use in the kitchen and outdoors.
- 【Reduce Safety Risks】Cable tray under desk keeps all plugs away from your kids, no more worry about tripping. Using 2 holes wire tray saves extra space, helps you easily cabling and wire protection. The mesh design is not easy to accumulate dust, but avoids safety accidents caused by messy wires.
- Confirm the extraction location and the safest available approach.
- Reload and select the weapon suited to the next section of the route, while staying behind cover.
- Move through quiet terrain where possible; avoid opening containers unless the reward justifies the noise and delay.
- Save stamina for the final exposed approach and the extraction interaction.
- If another contact appears, choose the nearest protected route rather than stopping in the open to trade shots.
Your extraction plan should remain flexible. If the first location becomes compromised, rotate to the alternative you identified before deployment rather than improvising after your stamina and health are already depleted.
What Bantam’s role appears to be
GAMES.GG describes Bantam as a budget, close-range option and says it does not replace Anvil as a top hand cannon. That is a third-party evaluation, not an official developer ranking, and it may change with balance updates. Use it to understand the intended trade-off described by the guide: lower commitment to gear cost in exchange for a more demanding engagement profile.
When comparing Bantam with another hand cannon, check the live patch for the following axes instead of relying on a static tier label:
The Tool Desk
Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →- Effective range and how quickly accuracy falls off.
- Recoil control during repeated shots.
- Attachment support.
- Ammunition availability and acquisition cost.
- The role the weapon is intended to fill in your route and squad composition.
The consulted sources do not provide numerical values for those axes, so a precise winner cannot be established from them.
Version and evidence cautions
Frozen Trail 2.0 was announced on October 8, 2026 and includes a new map, new conditions and enemies, Bantam and Stiletto weapons, a revamped skill tree, and other fixes and improvements. That date is the appropriate baseline for this advice. Any balance patch after October 8 may alter handling, ammunition, availability, or the value of a particular tactic.
The official overview and update announcement establish Bantam’s identity and the game’s extraction context. Epic’s beginner guide establishes the practical systems used here: two-weapon preparation, ammunition matching, extraction awareness, stamina recovery, container noise, machine alerts, healing, Defibrillator revives, and the possibility—but not reliability—of cooperation. GAMES.GG supplies the only weapon-specific characterization, so its comments about accuracy, recoil, range, attachments, and role should be checked against the current build.
Beginner checklist for a Bantam run
- Confirm whether Bantam is your close-range tool or the weapon you expect to face.
- Equip up to two weapons and verify the ammunition for each.
- Identify an extraction point and at least one alternate route before looting.
- Keep stamina available for a covered rotation or final sprint.
- Search containers only when the noise and delay are worth the risk.
- Move to cover before healing, reloading, or deciding whether to re-engage.
- If using Bantam, create a close-range opportunity rather than forcing a long sightline.
- If facing Bantam, increase space when safe and deny predictable close approaches.
- Expect ARC machines or additional Raiders to change the fight.
- Use proximity chat or emotes cautiously; cooperation can fail.
- Extract when the resources justify the run, even if the opponent survives.
The reliable Bantam strategy is disciplined uncertainty: use the weapon’s described close-range role only when the terrain supports it, defend against that role with cover and distance, and keep enough stamina and route awareness to leave. In an extraction game, surviving the encounter and banking the haul is a better result than winning a fight that strands you in the open.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesQuick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
