The ARC Raiders Workshop Grind: Your Guide to Not Being a Hobo
Welcome to the real game. It's not about your level; it's about your workbench.
So, you've survived a few raids. You've got some junk in your stash. You're probably wondering, "What's next?" This is what's next.
The Workshop is the heart of ARC Raiders. It's your entire progression loop. It's the difference between going in with a rusty pea-shooter and dropping in like a sci-fi Chad. You dump materials in, and you get survival advantages out.
But it's a hell of a grind, and if you don't know what you're doing, you'll be wasting hours. Let's fix that.
The Seven Circles of Crafting
First, the basics. Your Workshop is split into seven stations. That first "Workbench" you start with? It's just for basics like ammo and the entry-level Ferro. You cannot upgrade it, so don't even try.
The real work is in the other six benches, each with a specialty:
Gunsmith: For guns and mods.
Gear Bench: For armor and augments.
Medical Lab: For all your healing shit.
Explosives Station: For things that go boom.
Utility Station: For tactical toys like cloaks and ziplines.
Refiner: For turning your mountains of trash into rare materials.
Each one maxes out at Level 3 , and each level unlocks more powerful blueprints.
First, Feed Your Chicken
Before we get to the big benches, let's talk about Scrappy. He's your pet rooster, and he's your first source of passive income. He just shows up in your Workshop and periodically gives you free materials.
You need to upgrade him. Level 2 just needs a Dog Collar. Level 3 needs 3 Lemons and 3 Apricots. Level 4 wants 6 Prickly Pears, 6 Olives, and a Cat Bed. The final level, "Master Hoarder," costs 12 Mushrooms, 12 Apricots, and 3 Very Comfortable Pillows.
It seems stupid, but do it. It's free stuff that accumulates while you're offline.
My Pro-Tip: The Best Upgrade Path
Don't spread your resources thin. Focus. Here's my personal priority list.
First, get your Gunsmith to Level 2. Better guns mean you survive more raids, which means you get more materials. It unlocks the Arpeggio burst rifle, which is a fantastic workhorse.
Second, get Scrappy to Level 2. It's a cheap upgrade and gets your passive resource farm started early.
Third, get your Gear Bench to Level 2. This unlocks the Heavy Shield, which will dramatically, dramatically increase your survivability. After that, do whatever your playstyle demands.
the workbenches
The Gunsmith: Your Best Friend
This is where you build your killers. Level 1 costs 20 Metal Parts and 30 Rubber Parts. To get to Level 2, you'll need to hunt for 3 Rusted Tools, 5 Mechanical Components, and 8 Wasp Drivers. For the top-tier Level 3, you're farming 3 Rusted Gears, 5 Advanced Mechanical Components, and 4 Sentinel Firing Cores.
The Gear Bench: Your Life Insurance
This is how you stop getting two-tapped. Level 1 costs 25 Plastic Parts and 30 Fabric. Level 2, which gets you that crucial Heavy Shield, needs 3 Power Cables, 5 Electrical Components, and 5 Hornet Drivers. For Level 3, which unlocks insane augments, you'll need 3 Industrial Batteries, 5 Advanced Electrical Components, and 6 Bastion Cells.
The Medical Lab: For Tense Situations
This is for healing. Level 1 costs 50 Fabric and 6 ARC Alloy. Level 2 is 2 Cracked Bioscanners, 5 Durable Cloth, and 8 Tick Pods. Level 3 is the real prize, as it unlocks the instant-healing Vita Spray. For that, you need 3 Rusted Shut Medical Kits, 8 Antiseptic, and 5 Surveyor Vaults.
The Explosives Station: For Loud Solutions
This one's simple: it makes grenades. Level 1 costs 50 Chemicals and 6 ARC Alloy. Level 2 needs 3 Synthesized Fuel, 5 Crude Explosives, and 5 Pop Triggers. Level 3, which gets you the Heavy Fuze Grenade, costs 3 Laboratory Reagents, 5 Explosive Compound, and 3 Rocketeer Drivers.
The Utility Station: For Big Brain Plays
This is my favorite bench. It makes the toys. Level 1 is 50 Plastic Parts and 6 ARC Alloy. Level 2, which unlocks the amazing Lure Grenade, costs 2 Damaged Heat Sinks, 5 Electrical Components, and 6 Snitch Scanners. Level 3 is where you get the Photoelectric Cloak and Snap Hook. It'll cost you 3 Fried Motherboards, 5 Advanced Electrical Components, and 4 Leaper Pulse Units.
The Refiner: The Endgame Grind-Buster
This bench is your long-term investment. It turns cheap, common materials into the rare stuff. Level 1 costs 60 Metal Parts and 5 ARC Powercells. Level 2 is 3 Toasters, 5 ARC Motion Cores, and 8 Fireball Burners. Level 3, which lets you craft the really rare components, needs 3 Motors, 10 ARC Circuitry, and 6 Bombardier Cells. Don't sleep on this; it saves you so much farming later.
A Final, Critical Warning
This isn't Destiny. Blueprints are physical items you find in the world.
If you find a rare blueprint, like for the Jupiter sniper or the Photoelectric Cloak, it is not unlocked until you successfully extract with it. If you die, you lose it.
For the love of god, the second you pick up a blueprint, you put it in your safepocket. Don't get greedy. Just get out.