If you've been stuck farming Stella Montis since the November patch, you've probably had that one moment where the Matriarch turns the whole run into a smoke alarm. Rockets curving around cover, gas mortars landing like clockwork, teammates dropping faster than you can ping a revive. People keep talking about gear upgrades and the usual shopping list, but I started seeing clips where folks were spending more time crafting than shooting, even talking about ARC Raiders Coins while they planned their loadouts, because the real trick is budgeting space and supplies, not flexing a meta rifle.

Why Trailblazer suddenly matters

Trailblazer grenades used to be a "nice extra" at best. After the Cold Snap buffs, they're a different beast. The trail runs farther, and the ignition hits way harder. You're not trying to win a clean gunfight. You're trying to make the ground unsafe for her, over and over, until she's forced to sit in damage. It feels a bit goofy the first time you do it. Then you watch her health chunk and you stop laughing.

Setting the fight on your terms

Open terrain is where this plan falls apart. The Matriarch's adds will peel you from the side while you're busy laying trails, and that's how a "smart" solo turns into a messy respawn screen. Tight spaces are your friend: the Spaceport underground, the lanes by the launch towers, anywhere you can funnel her body and keep line-of-sight breaks. The flow is simple: pull her in, drop a trail where she has to walk, back off, then pop the ignition when she commits. Don't rush it. If you panic-ignite, you waste the stack and you'll hate yourself for it.

Damage windows and what you're really aiming for

The face plates are fine for chip damage. You'll see numbers that feel okay, not magical. The real payoff comes after you break a plate and the red core is exposed. That's when chain reactions can spike hard if the timing's right, especially if she's stuck turning or stepping through the same burning line. The tradeoff is time. A sweaty squad can delete her fast with heavy hitters, sure, but a patient solo can get it done without praying for ammo drops. You just have to accept you're running a marathon, not a sprint.

The ugly parts nobody brags about

You'll be carrying a ridiculous amount of grenades, so your bag's basically spoken for until she's down. Meds and loot get squeezed out, and that's the real pressure. Self-damage is also no joke; one sloppy ignite at your feet and you're toast. Bring a straightforward add-clear option and actually use it—save the Trailblazers for the boss, don't get tempted. It's a weird, chaotic playstyle, but if you're tired of the same old shoot-peek-repeat routine, it's refreshing, and it can pay out big if you keep your head, especially if you're trying to stretch your resources and still walk out with Raider Tokens cheap in mind.