TL;DR
- Sizing Things Up is a Frozen Trail quest from Celeste — takes place entirely on Pendola Pass.
- Accept the quest from Celeste and she gives you a free Basic Camera — bring it into the raid.
- There are 4 main objectives plus one optional one you can skip entirely.
- Photograph the Emperor’s leg at the bridge near Old Town (southwestern side of the map).
- Analyze the exposed section of the Emperor’s leg near Railroad Junction.
- Find and search the Buried Harvester Payload at the base of the Emperor near Piazza della Rupe.
- Extract with the ARC Conductive Coupler in your Safe Pocket and deliver it to Celeste.
- Rewards: 1x Bettina I, 60 Heavy Ammo, 3 Adrenaline Shots, 1x Exodus Technical Handbook, 5,000 XP.
What Is the Sizing Things Up Quest in ARC Raiders?
Sizing Things Up is a quest added with the Frozen Trail update and given by Celeste in Speranza. It takes you to the new Pendola Pass map to investigate the remains of a fallen Emperor — the massive ARC machine that now lies dormant across the western side of the map.
Celeste wants a closer look at the structure of this enormous ARC, including photos and a physical analysis of its exposed sections. The quest ends with recovering an ARC component from a buried payload near the Emperor’s base and extracting it safely back to Speranza.
What makes this quest different from others like Clean Hands is that it has an optional objective. You do not need to complete all visible tasks — only specific ones count toward finishing it. We explain exactly which ones to hit and which you can ignore.
For a full overview of all available quests, see our ARC Raiders all quests complete list.
Before You Start – What to Prepare
A couple of things to sort out before you deploy into Pendola Pass:
- Accept the quest from Celeste first. When you do, she hands you a free Basic Camera. You need this for the first objective — do not head into the raid without it. Toss the Camera into your inventory before deploying.
- Bring a Safe Pocket augment. You must extract with the ARC Conductive Coupler. If you die and it is not protected, the quest item stays on your body and you fail the run. A Safe Pocket prevents this.
- Come ready for combat. Pendola Pass has aggressive ARC enemies including the dangerous Bully ARC. You will be crossing large sections of the map, so expect to fight along the way.
- Fastest route: southwest to northeast. Start at the bridge near Old Town for the photo, head north toward Railroad Junction for the analysis, then move west toward the Emperor’s base for the final payload. Plan this before you drop in.
Sizing Things Up – All Objectives
- Take a photo of the Emperor’s leg by the bridge outside Old Town
- Analyze the exposed area on top of the Emperor’s leg near Railroad Junction
- (Optional) Inspect a crashed probe near Almatera Station — can be skipped
- Reach the base of the Emperor
- Search the Buried Harvester Payload and collect the ARC Conductive Coupler
- Extract and deliver the Coupler to Celeste
Step 1 – Take a Photo of the Emperor’s Leg Outside Old Town
Deploy into Pendola Pass and head toward the southwestern side of the map. Old Town sits in this area, and one of the Emperor’s massive legs runs directly alongside a bridge just east of it. This is your first destination.
When you arrive at the bridge, equip the Basic Camera from your gear wheel. Aim at the lower section of the Emperor’s leg beside you and take the photo. You do not need to enter Old Town itself — standing on or near the bridge and framing the leg clearly is enough. The objective updates as soon as the shot registers.
Once the photo is done, swap back to your weapon. The Emperor’s leg is a hard-to-miss landmark — it is enormous and runs right alongside the bridge path.
For general camera mechanics and photo-taking tips in the game, see our ARC Raiders camera guide.
Step 2 – Analyze the Exposed Area on the Emperor’s Leg Near Railroad Junction
After the photo, head north toward Railroad Junction. Look south of the POI — you will find another section of the Emperor’s leg on the ground, with an exposed area that Celeste wants you to inspect.
Climb up onto the exposed section of the leg. When you reach the right spot, you will see an Analyze Part prompt. Interact with it to complete the analysis. You do not need the Camera for this — it is purely an interact objective.
This is the second of the two early Emperor investigation objectives. Once both are done, the quest moves on to the final stage.
Optional Objective – Inspect the Crashed Probe Near Almatera Station
You may notice an optional objective pointing you toward a crashed probe near Almatera Station, asking you to break it open and inspect its circuitry.
You do not need to do this. It is a bonus step for players who want to explore more of the map. Completing either the photo or the analysis objective is enough to unlock the Buried Harvester Payload stage. Skip the probe entirely if you are going for the fastest completion route.
Step 3 – Reach the Base of the Emperor
With the leg investigation done, Celeste directs you toward the main body of the fallen Emperor. This is the dominant landmark on the western side of Pendola Pass — you cannot miss it.
Follow the Emperor’s legs back in the direction of its body and head toward the Fallen Emperor area. The specific zone you are targeting is near the front of the Emperor’s body, around Piazza della Rupe on the eastern edge of the fallen structure.
As you approach the correct zone, a new objective will trigger: Search the Buried Harvester Payload.
Step 4 – Search the Buried Harvester Payload
Once you reach the base of the Emperor, look around the front and center of the structure for a Harvester Payload partially buried in the snow. It sits among other destroyed pieces of machinery in the area — look for a shiny metal container that stands out from the surrounding wreckage.
Walk up to it and interact to search it. The ARC Conductive Coupler drops from the payload. Pick it up immediately.
Do not walk away without grabbing the Coupler. Finding the payload alone does not complete this step — you need to pick up the item it contains.
Move the ARC Conductive Coupler into your Safe Pocket right away. This is what you are extracting with, and losing it to another raider or a bad fight ending your run would be frustrating at this stage. Safe Pocket it and head for extraction.
For more on how Safe Pockets work and what to protect, see our Safe Pockets guide.
Step 5 – Extract and Deliver the ARC Conductive Coupler to Celeste
With the Coupler secured, all your Pendola Pass objectives are done. Head to any available extraction point — the Gondola is the main option on Pendola Pass — and get out of the map.
A few things to keep in mind on your way to extraction:
- Avoid unnecessary fights. You have the item you need. Getting into a long fight with an ARC patrol or another raider is just a risk to the run. Move with purpose toward extraction.
- Keep the Coupler in your Safe Pocket the entire time. Even if you die, a Safe Pocketed item extracts with you automatically.
- Any extraction point works. You do not need a specific one — go to whichever is closest or safest given your current position on the map.
Once back in Speranza, open the Quests menu, find Celeste, and turn in the ARC Conductive Coupler to complete the quest.
Need help with extracting safely? Our extraction guide covers all your options.
Sizing Things Up – Rewards
Turning in the quest to Celeste gives you:
- 5,000 XP
- 1x Bettina I (pistol)
- 60x Heavy Ammo
- 3x Adrenaline Shots
- 1x Exodus Technical Handbook
The Bettina I is a solid sidearm for early and mid-game raiders. The Adrenaline Shots are always useful as emergency consumables, and the Exodus Technical Handbook may have crafting or research value — check your workshop before selling it.
For weapon upgrade tips, check out our Gunsmith weapon upgrade guide.
Tips for Completing Sizing Things Up
- Pick up the Camera before deploying. This sounds obvious, but it is the most common reason players restart the quest. Celeste gives it to you for free when you accept — just do not forget to bring it.
- Skip the optional probe. There is nothing stopping you from doing it, but if you are after a clean, fast completion, go photo at Old Town → analysis at Railroad Junction → payload at Emperor base → extract. That is the whole quest.
- The Buried Harvester Payload is not always easy to spot. Look for shiny metal partially sticking out of the snow among scattered debris near the Emperor’s front. Take a moment to scan the area rather than running past it.
- Loot the area while you are at the Emperor’s base. You are already in a late-game zone with good loot density. Grab what fits and Safe Pocket the Coupler — do not loot over it or displace it from protection.
- Watch for Bully ARCs on the way between objectives. The stretch between the Emperor and the extraction can have dangerous ARC patrols. Our Bully ARC enemy guide covers how to deal with them efficiently.
Related ARC Raiders Guides
Working through the Frozen Trail quest content on Pendola Pass? These guides cover the quests and systems around it:
- Clean Hands Quest – Complete Walkthrough
- Home to Roost Quest – Complete Walkthrough
- Frozen Trail New Quests Guide
- Ascending the Mountain Project – All 4 Stages
- Pendola Pass Map Guide
- All ARC Raiders Quests and Missions
- ARC Raiders Camera Guide
- ARC Raiders Best Tips and Tricks
ARC Raiders is available on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who gives the Sizing Things Up quest in ARC Raiders?
Sizing Things Up is given by Celeste in Speranza. It is part of the Frozen Trail update’s questline and takes place on the Pendola Pass map.
Do you need a camera for Sizing Things Up?
Yes — you need a camera for the first objective, which requires you to photograph the Emperor’s leg at the bridge near Old Town. Celeste gives you a free Basic Camera when you accept the quest. Bring it into the raid.
Where is the Emperor’s leg in ARC Raiders Sizing Things Up?
There are two locations. The first leg is at the bridge just east of Old Town on the southwestern side of Pendola Pass — photograph it here. The second leg section requiring analysis is south of Railroad Junction — climb it and interact with the exposed section.
Do you have to complete the optional crashed probe objective?
No. The crashed probe near Almatera Station is optional. Completing the photo and the Emperor leg analysis is enough to unlock the Buried Harvester Payload stage. Skip it if you want the fastest completion.
Where is the Buried Harvester Payload in ARC Raiders?
The Buried Harvester Payload is near the base of the fallen Emperor on the western side of Pendola Pass, around Piazza della Rupe. Look for a shiny metal container partially buried in the snow among scattered machine debris.
What happens if you lose the ARC Conductive Coupler before extracting?
If the Coupler is not in a Safe Pocket and you die, it stays on your body and you lose it. You would need to retrieve it or restart the quest in a new raid. Always move the Coupler into your Safe Pocket immediately after picking it up.
What are the rewards for Sizing Things Up?
Completing the quest gives you 5,000 XP, 1x Bettina I, 60x Heavy Ammo, 3x Adrenaline Shots, and 1x Exodus Technical Handbook.
Where is Old Town on Pendola Pass?
Old Town is on the southwestern side of Pendola Pass. The bridge where you take the Emperor’s leg photo is directly east of the Old Town area. Do not confuse Old Town with Old Hamlet — they are separate locations on the map.
