Welcome to the unforgiving world of Arc Raiders, where every expedition topside could be your last. This post-apocalyptic extraction shooter demands careful preparation, tactical awareness, and smart decision-making. Whether you're crafting your first loadout in Spironza or facing down mechanical arcs in the wasteland, understanding the core systems will determine if you extract with valuable loot or lose everything.
Understanding Arc Raiders' Core Gameplay Loop
Arc Raiders revolves around a compelling risk-reward cycle that keeps you constantly engaged. You'll spend 30-40 minutes per expedition preparing in Spironza, venturing topside to scavenge, and attempting extraction with your hard-earned loot.
Your progression hinges on successful extractions. Every material you bring back fuels your advancement through workstation upgrades, skill tree progression, and equipment crafting. The key is balancing aggressive looting with smart survival tactics.
Arc Raiders Ultimate Beginner's Guide
The Spironza Hub: Your Safe Haven
Spironza serves as your operational base where critical preparation happens. Here you'll:
- Craft and purchase equipment through seven specialized workstations
- Configure loadouts for upcoming expeditions
- Accept quests that provide focused objectives topside
- Invest skill points in three distinct progression trees
- Trade materials with vendors like Celeste for essential supplies
Tip
Always plan your next expedition goals before leaving Spironza. Random scavenging leads to wasted time and missed opportunities.
Mastering the Five Launch Maps
Each map presents unique challenges and rewards through dynamic modifiers. Night Raid demonstrates this system well. Darkness covers the landscape, extraction points become limited, and ARC activity intensifies, but the higher-quality loot makes the added risk worthwhile.
Map Layout Fundamentals
Understanding terrain gives you tactical advantages:
Yellow outlined areas contain medium-value loot, while red outlined areas house the premium materials you need for progression. Each location carries tags like mechanical, technological, or electrical that hint at specific loot types.
Arc Raiders Ultimate Beginner's Guide
Extraction Methods and Raider Hatches
You have multiple extraction options, each with distinct advantages:
Raider Hatches provide silent extraction using special keys (purchasable once daily from Shaunie or craftable). These avoid the attention-drawing alarms of standard extractions.
Standard extractions (elevator, metro station, air shaft) trigger loud alarms that alert nearby players. You must survive the countdown while exposed, but even knocked-down teammates can extract successfully.
Warning
Extraction alarms broadcast your location to every player in the vicinity. Always clear the area before activating standard extractions.
Arc Encounters: When to Fight and When to Flee
The mechanical arcs patrolling each map pose constant threats that require careful consideration. These intelligent enemies call reinforcements and alert other players to your position when engaged.
Arc Engagement Rules
Avoid combat unless:
- The arc has detected your squad
- You need specific arc components for crafting
- The arc blocks your only escape route
Combat tactics when necessary:
- Target weak spots exclusively to conserve ammunition
- Use cover extensively - arcs are deadly accurate
- Prepare for reinforcements and extended fights
Important
Arc battles often attract enemy raiders who will ambush you during the fight. Always maintain situational awareness.
Loadout Strategy: Custom vs Free Options
Your loadout choice dramatically impacts expedition success and risk management.
Free Loadouts
Perfect for low-risk scavenging when you want to preserve valuable equipment. You receive randomized gear including a weapon, but carry capacity is severely limited. Successfully extracted free loadout items can be upgraded at Lance's clinic for better baseline augments.
Custom Loadouts
Offer complete control over your expedition setup:
Augment Selection:
- Determines carry capacity and weight limits
- Controls shield compatibility and quick-use slots
- Provides safe pockets for guaranteed item retention
- Advanced augments include unique perks and extra equipment slots
Essential Loadout Components:
- Shield: Higher protection reduces movement speed
- Weapons: Two slots for any combination
- Quick-use items: Grenades, healing, consumable buffs
- Backpack: Primarily ammunition and materials
- Safe pockets: Items that survive death (no weapons allowed)
Arc Raiders Ultimate Beginner's Guide
Pro Tip: Always fill safe pockets with high-value blueprints, treasures, or rare materials. These guarantee progression even if you die.
Progression Systems: Skills and Workstations
Skill Tree Optimization
Three branching paths offer distinct advantages:
Mobility Tree (Recommended Priority):
- Marathon Runner: Reduces stamina cost for movement
- Youthful Lungs: Increases maximum stamina
- Calming Stroll: Regenerates stamina while walking
- Effortless Roll: Cheaper dodge roll stamina cost
- Vault on Vaults: Removes vaulting stamina cost
Conditioning Tree:
- Used to the Weight: Reduces heavy shield speed penalties
- Survivor Stamina: Faster stamina recovery when critically hurt
Survival Tree:
- Agile Croucher: Increased crouched movement speed
- In-Round Crafting: Field craft items during expeditions
- Broad Shoulders: Enhanced carry capacity
- Looter's Luck: Reveals double items from containers
Workstation Priority Guide
Focus your limited resources on these essential upgrades:
Critical Upgrade Materials:
- Dog Collar: Scrappy level 2 upgrade
- Lemons/Apricots: Scrappy level 3 (farm during Lush Blooms modifier)
- Toasters: Refiner level 2 upgrade
- Wasp Drivers/Rusted Tools: Gunsmith level 2
Arc Raiders Skill Tree Revealed ...
Topside Survival Tactics
Sound Management
Arc Raiders features exceptional directional audio where every action broadcasts information to enemies:
High-Risk Sounds:
- Opening crates and breaching doors
- Sprinting inside buildings
- Weapon reloading and pinging locations
- Even emotes can be detected
Sound Discipline:
- Crouch when enemies might be nearby
- Sprint only in open areas or emergencies
- Walk to regenerate stamina quietly
- Listen constantly for enemy movement
Combat Fundamentals
Cover vs Concealment:
- Cover (metal walls, crates) stops bullets but may expose body parts
- Concealment (bushes, shadows) hides you but provides no protection
Third-Person Advantages:
- Master shoulder swapping to minimize exposure
- Hold corners and peek systematically
- Use camera angles to scout before exposing yourself
Health Management:
- Never engage with low health, even with full shields
- Some damage penetrates shields to health
- Prioritize healing before re-engaging fights
- Duck behind cover to recover safely
[IMAGE: beginner combat positioning guide]
Efficient Looting Strategies
Experience Optimization
Opening containers grants experience regardless of whether you take items. Always open every container and raider corpse for maximum skill point generation, even with a full backpack.
Material Management
Salvaging vs Recycling:
- Field salvaging provides basic materials immediately
- Recycling in Spironza yields higher material returns
- Save recycling for non-essential items back at base
Targeted Scavenging: Plan expeditions around specific material needs. Check location tags (mechanical, electrical, etc.) to find the components your workstation upgrades require.
Advanced Tip: Celeste now trades assorted seas (common topside items) for basic crafting materials plus limited uncommon/rare materials on timers. This supplements scavenging without spending precious coins.
Your Path Forward
Arc Raiders rewards preparation, patience, and tactical thinking over pure aggression. Focus on understanding the core systems before pursuing advanced strategies. Master your loadout choices, respect the arc threats, and always plan your extraction before you need it.
Remember: knowledge is more valuable than loot. Every expedition teaches lessons that improve your next run. Start conservative, learn the maps, and gradually increase your risk tolerance as your skills and equipment improve.
The wasteland is unforgiving, but with proper preparation and smart tactics, you'll transform from struggling survivor to efficient raider. Spironza awaits your return - make sure you have something valuable to show for your efforts topside.
For more Arc Raiders, check out our Best PC Settings guide.