If you're new to the Rust Belt, getting started can feel overwhelming. Between hostile machines, other raiders, and a constantly shrinking stash, it's easy to make costly mistakes early on. The good news? With a bit of planning and smarter decision-making, you can stabilize your economy, improve your loadouts, and survive more raids.



This guide covers the essentials: looting, resource management, loadouts, augments, ammo, shields, skills, and how to approach both PvE and PvP.



1. Looting & Resource Management: Track Everything with ARC Raiders BluePrints



Your first priority is tracking the resources you actually need.



Open any crafting station or item and use 'Track Resources.”



Tracked items get a small eye icon in-raid, reminding you to pick them up.



Hover over a crafting recipe to see where specific loot spawns (commercial, residential, tech, Ark locations, etc.).



Open the map and you'll see exactly what kind of loot each area can drop.



This prevents wasted runs and keeps your stash focused on progress, not clutter.



Stash Space & Money



You can expand your stash by 24 slots for 5,000 coins (next upgrade is 10,000).



Early game, money is tight—so craft as much as possible instead of buying.



Ammo is the real money sink. A full stack can cost around 3,600 coins, while many 'rare” items only sell for 1–2k.



Pro tip: Always extract with as much ammo as you can carry. It's often more valuable than blue-tier loot.



Quality of Life Tips



Ctrl + Left Click to select multiple items and sell or recycle them quickly.



Recycling is only available topside (for now).



Salvage enemy shields:



A light shield gives 1 Arc Alloy.



You only need 2 Arc Alloys + 4 Plastic Parts to craft a new one.



Use the 'Unload Backpack” option after raids to save time getting back out.



2. Early Game Loadouts: Double Carry Is Worth It



Don't cheap out on your kit if you can avoid it.



A strong early combo:



Feroh (heavy ammo, single-shot) to break shields



Stitcher (or similar) to finish enemies off



Yes, it's an extra 2–3k coin investment, but it can easily save your life against both Arcs and players.



Repair Your Gear



After every raid:



Repair weapons, armor, and augments



Low durability gear gets you killed fast. Players running around with sub-50 durability armor are basically free loot.



3. Augments: Pick Based on Your Goal



Before each raid, decide what you're going in to do.



Combat Augment



16 inventory slots



4 tactical slots



1 safe pocket



Allows medium armor



Best for fighting and still extracting loot



Looting Augment



18 inventory slots



+5 carry weight



4 tactical slots



1 safe pocket



Only light armor



Great early-game choice if you don't have good medium armor yet



Tactical Augment



15 inventory slots



5 tactical slots



1 safe pocket



Allows medium armor



Smaller bag, more utility



Rarity matters: Higher rarity augments give more bonuses (for example, extra safe pockets).



4. Ammo Types: Bring the Right Tool



Light Ammo: Best vs unarmored targets or broken shields



Medium Ammo: Balanced, decent vs players and Arcs



Heavy Ammo:



Best for breaking shields and penetrating armor



Highest damage



Usually single-shot weapons



Smart play:



Open with heavy ammo to break armor/shields, then swap to medium or light to finish the job.



If you're going into Arc-heavy areas, bring heavy + an SMG.



If you're on a chill loot run, a medium-ammo weapon might be enough.



5. Shields: Mobility vs Protection



Light Shield:



40 charge, ~40% damage reduction



No movement penalty



Medium Shield:



70 charge, ~42.5% damage reduction



-5% movement speed



Heavy Shield (based on testing/estimates):



Highest charge and damage reduction



-15% movement speed



Likely slightly weaker than earlier tests, but still the best for raw tankiness



Choose based on whether you value mobility or survivability more.



6. Skill Trees: Where to Spend Your Points



You earn skill points as you level and can invest in three trees:



Conditioning (Survivability)



Free dodge roll when shield breaks



Faster stamina regen when critically hurt



Limited health regen at low HP



Mobility (Movement & Stamina)



Faster climbing/vaulting



More max stamina



Lower stamina costs



Better dodges and wall-leaps later on



Survival (Stealth & Efficiency)



Faster, quieter looting



Craft in-raid



Chance for extra loot



Increased carry weight



Minor skills can be leveled up to 5 times



Major skills unlock after investing enough points in a tree



7. Fighting Arcs: Don't Underestimate Them



Arcs can end your run fast, especially solo—and while you're fighting them, other players might roll in to third-party you.



Key Tips



If possible, fight inside buildings, not just behind cover (they can fly or flank).



When extracting, clear nearby Wasps and Hornets first. Otherwise, you risk getting swarmed in the elevator.



Know weak spots:



Wasps & Hornets: Rotors (rear rotors on Hornets are safer to target)



Leapers: Joints/legs to reduce mobility



Bigger Arcs are scary, but the loot is usually worth it.



Fun fact: If you get knocked after the elevator starts going down, it still counts as a successful extraction.



8. PvP: Play It Slow and Smart



No magic trick here—just good habits:



Always heal and recharge shields when you can



Don't rush every fight



Let enemies get distracted by Arcs, then reposition and strike



Prioritize health over shields



Shields are damage reduction, not extra HP. If your health is low, you can get knocked even with shield charge left.



And remember: you don't always have to fight. Use voice chat. Sometimes cooperation gets everyone out alive.



Final Thoughts with ARC Raiders Bp for sale



Surviving in ARC Raiders is all about preparation, smart looting, and choosing the right fights. Track what you need, manage your money, keep your gear repaired, and don't underestimate either Arcs or other players.



See you topside—and good luck out there, raider.