ARC Raiders rewards not only good Aims, but above all your resource management. You go topside, loot containers, dismantle machines – and turn all the scrap down in Speranza into better weapons, shields and augments. In this resource & crafting guide, I’ll show you which materials are important, how the workshop system works and in which zones you can farm efficiently so that you don’t leave your progress to chance.
Resources & workshop – the heart of your progress
After each round, you return to Speranza and can upgrade your stations in the workshop: Gunsmith, Gear Bench, Medical Lab, Explosives Station, Utility Station, Refiner and more. Each station has up to three levels and unlocks new blueprints, better versions of items and special equipment as you level them up.
The loop is always the same:
- Topside: Loot materials and items
- Extract alive (or lose everything that is not in the safe pocket)
- At the bottom of the Raider Den: invest resources in workshop upgrades and crafting
- Topside again with better gear – and play the next round more efficiently
The sooner you understand which materials are important for which station, the quicker your runs will become stable – and the less you’ll feel like a poor junk rider.
Important materials in ARC Raiders & what you need them for
There are a lot of resources in the game, but you’ll see a few names over and over again. Here is a compact overview of key materials and their typical use:
| Material | Typical origin | Main use |
|---|---|---|
| Metal Parts | General loot from containers, scrap, recycling of simple items | Basic resource for many workshop upgrades and crafting recipes (especially Gunsmith / Refiner) |
| Rubber Parts | Scrap yards, vehicle skeletons, recycling | Important ingredient for the refiner and early upgrades |
| Plastic Parts | Boxes in living & storage areas | Gear bench upgrades and basic shields/augments |
| Fabric | Marano Park, blocks of flats, cupboards & clothes containers | Medical Lab (bandages, medical supplies) and Gear |
| Electrical Components | Tech and industrial areas (e.g. Spaceport, Blue Gate hotspots) | Upgrades for Gear Bench, Utility Station and high-tech gadgets |
| Mechanical Components | Crafting in the refiner or recycling rare weapons/mods | Gunsmith upgrades (e.g. towards Gunsmith II) and weapon refinement |
| Rusted Tools | Rare finds in mechanical/industrial interiors (workshops, scrapyards) | Key material for early Gunsmith upgrades – keep rather than recycle |
| ARC Alloy / Chemicals | More dangerous zones, high-value containers | Advanced upgrades in the Medical Lab, Explosives Station & Co. |
Above all, remember: Metal Parts, Fabric and Plastic Parts are almost always needed – they are your “white” bread-and-butter loot. Keep rarer materials such as Rusted Tools or Mechanical Components and don’t use them in your first, best crafting experiment.
Workshop & Crafting: The most important stations
Your workshop consists of several specialized stations that you unlock and upgrade step by step. Each of them focuses on one part of your kit:
- Gunsmith – Weapons and mods (attachments, more powerful variants of your guns)
- Gear Bench – Shields & Augments (Combat, Looting, Tactical Builds)
- Medical Lab – Healing: Bandages, Shield Recharger, stronger med items
- Explosives Station – Grenades & Special Explosives
- Utility Station – Tactical Gadgets (e.g. Cloak, Movement Tools, Recon)
- Refiner – Refines simple materials into advanced components
- Scrappy – Your workshop tap that passively brings you materials when you upgrade it
Each station can be upgraded up to level 3. With each level, you unlock more powerful blueprints – from better weapons and stronger shields to high-end gadgets. Upgrades always cost certain combinations of materials, e.g. Metal Parts + Rubber Parts at the beginning, and rarer special drops from ARC units later on.
Practical tip: Concentrate on Gunsmith (more firepower) and Gear Bench (more stable shields/augments) at the beginning. Medical Lab and Utility will become important later when you manage regular extractions and have more rare resources to spare.
Refiner & recycling – turning scrap into high-end parts
One of the most powerful steps in the resource loop is the refiner. Instead of hoping forever for rare drops, you can simply produce certain components.
You shouldn’t reflexively dismantle Rusted Tools either: They are among the rare Recycle Mats, but are particularly important for getting your Gunsmith to a higher level. Once you’ve used them up, you’ll have to farm them in special hotspots.
Remember: Dismantling normal loot is okay – check rare components first, then decide. If they are needed for workshop upgrades, they are practically gold bars.
Best zones for resource farming
ARC Raiders has several large maps such as Dam Battlegrounds, Spaceport, Blue Gate and Marano Park. Each map has sectors where certain types of material are more common. If you internalize these spots, you will farm much more efficiently.
Dam Battlegrounds – Industrieloot & Rusted Tools
Dam Battlegrounds is perfect if you are looking for mechanical parts. In areas such as Scrap Yard, Water Treatment Control and Primary Facility, you’ll find lots of crates, toolboxes and industrial containers. Rusted Tools and other rare components that you need for the first Gunsmith upgrades drop right there.
Play style: Walk systematically through the industrial halls, check tool boxes and stay close to extraction points – you want to get out alive with the rare parts, not have to come back “sometime later”.
Spaceport – Tech Scrap & Electric Components
The Spaceport is more dangerous, but a dream for anyone who needs electrical components and technical loot. Hangars, maintenance hangars and storage areas are full of containers containing electronics and high-tech scrap – ideal fodder for Utility Station and Gear Bench.
Play style: Play in a squad, preferably with a defensive or utility-oriented build. The zones are tighter, the pressure from machines higher – but the payoff is worth it if you come out with a full bag.
Blue Gate & Marano Park – Mischloot & Farm for Fabric/Chemicals
Blue Gate offers a mixture of tech and old world loot – in fortresses, ruins and old facilities you can find everything from electronic components to old world items. Marano Park, on the other hand, is ideal if you want to farm Fabric, Chemicals and special items for your companion Scrappy (fruit and other items for his upgrades).
How to play: Use these maps if you don’t just need one type of resource, but want to replenish your general supply of materials – e.g. before major workshop upgrade waves.
Quick comparison: Zones & resource focus
| Zone | Focus resources | Recommended destination |
|---|---|---|
| Dam Battlegrounds (industrial areas) | Mechanical Components, Rusted Tools, Metal Parts | Secure early Gunsmith upgrades & industry mats |
| Spaceport | Electrical Components, Tech-Parts, ARC Circuitry | Utility/gear upgrades & high-tech gadgets |
| Blue Gate | Mixed tech & old-world loot | All-round farming & blueprint hunting |
| Marano Park | Fabric, chemicals, scrappy materials | Push Medical Lab & Scrappy upgrade |
Don’t use the map “at random”, but deliberately choose a zone that matches your next upgrade target. This way, every round feels like progress – even if the PvP part doesn’t go in your favor.
Resource management: how to waste nothing
Good loot alone is not enough – you also have to manage it properly. Here are some basic rules that you should get used to:
- Safe Pocket always full: Rare materials, blueprints or important quest items go straight into the Safe Pocket. If you die, they remain there.
- Keep an eye on your stash: Your stash in Speranza has limited slots. Use recycling to get more metal/plastic parts from superfluous items.
- Only sell surplus: Traders are good for credits, but raw materials are usually worth more when crafting than when selling.
- Prioritize stations: It is better to bring two stations consistently to level 3 than to raise everything half-heartedly at the same time.
If you pause briefly after each successful extraction, sort your loot and plan exactly one workshop progress (e.g. “Gunsmith on 2”), your account will grow noticeably – instead of everything feeling random.
FAQ: Frequently asked questions about resources & crafting
Do I lose all materials when I die?
You lose everything you have on your body – except for the items in your Safe Pocket. Use these slots consistently for rare materials and blueprints. Free loadouts usually don’t have a safe pocket, so don’t take too many risks with them.
What is the best way to get Mechanical Components?
You can produce them in the Refiner from Metal Parts and Rubber Parts or by recycling certain rare weapons/mods. The Refiner is the more reliable source if you regularly collect scrap.
Where can I find Rusted Tools?
They mainly appear in mechanical and industrial areas – e.g. in workshops, scrapyards and technical interiors on maps such as Dam Battlegrounds and Spaceport. Look especially in red toolboxes and crates in factory buildings.
Which workshop station should I upgrade first?
For most players: Gunsmith first (better weapons = safer fights), then Gear Bench (more stable shields/augments). Medical Lab and Utility Station will follow as soon as you extract regularly and have more rare materials to spare.
Scrappy – is it worth the upgrade?
Yes, Scrappy gradually provides you with passive materials without you having to farm for them. Especially if you don’t play every day, a lot of basic resources will accumulate in the background.
Conclusion
ARC Raiders is not a loot lottery game – it’s a planning game. If you know which materials you need, in which zones you farm them and which workshop stations have priority, every run feels like progress. Use your Safe Pocket, upgrade your Workshop selectively and let Scrappy work for you in the background – then you’ll not only come back from the Topside alive, but also better equipped.
Go out prepared, come back to Speranza with your backpack full – and turn every piece of junk into an upgrade for your next raid.
