ARC Raiders Crafting System Explained — Materials, Blueprints & Upgrades

Crafting System Quick Reference

How the Crafting System Works

Crafting in ARC Raiders is the primary engine of gear progression. Rather than relying entirely on finding weapons and armor in the world, you gather raw materials from raids and convert them into purpose-built equipment at crafting stations in Stella Montis. This system means that consistent, efficient looting translates directly into better gear — the more methodically you farm specific materials, the faster you advance through gear tiers.

The crafting workflow has three stages: blueprint acquisition, material gathering, and assembly. You need the blueprint for an item before you can craft it, the correct materials in the required quantities, and access to the appropriate crafting station. Higher-tier items require higher-tier crafting stations, which are either unlocked through progression or already available at Stella Montis depending on the item category.

Crafted items are generally superior to found loot of the same tier because they have consistent stat distributions and can be further upgraded at the workshop. A mid-tier crafted armor piece will often outperform a higher-tier found piece because its stats are optimized for your playstyle and it starts with full durability, unlike degraded field-found gear.

Material Tier Breakdown

• Common Scrap: Metal fragments, wire scraps, basic rubber components — found in most containers across all map zones; used for early-tier crafting
• Processed Components: Pre-manufactured parts like circuit boards and precision gears — found more often in industrial zones and military caches; used for mid-tier crafting
• Rare Parts: High-specification components, refined alloys, specialized electronics — found in guarded locations, high-risk industrial areas, and military structures
• Advanced Materials: Cutting-edge or alien-influenced components — rare finds in the most dangerous zones; required for endgame weapon and armor crafting
• Consumable Ingredients: Food, chemical compounds, organic materials — primarily residential loot; used for crafting medkits, stims, and utility items

Industrial vs Residential Loot Tables

Understanding which map zones produce which material types is the foundation of efficient farming. Industrial areas — factories, warehouses, vehicle maintenance bays, power generation facilities — produce the mechanical and electronic components used in weapon and armor crafting. If your crafting queue needs metal brackets, circuit boards, or precision springs, you need to route through industrial zones. These areas tend to have heavier ARC presence and attract other Raiders, but the material density justifies the risk.

Residential areas — apartment blocks, neighborhoods, shops — produce a completely different loot table. Residential containers yield food items, basic chemicals, wire scraps, simple tools, and consumable components. These materials are essential for crafting medkits, utility items, and basic equipment, but less valuable for high-tier weapon crafting. Residential zones are generally safer than industrial zones with lighter ARC patrol presence, making them ideal for fast, low-risk farming runs when you specifically need consumable ingredients.

Military structures — armories, guard posts, ARC-controlled facilities — have the most valuable but most dangerous loot. High-grade components, weapons, ammo, and specialized materials drop here at rates not found elsewhere. Treat military structure farming as an advanced activity requiring solid gear and good map knowledge. Early-game players should prioritize industrial and residential until their loadout can handle sustained combat.

Blueprint Acquisition & Unlocking

Blueprints define what you can craft. Some blueprints are available from the start through Stella Montis traders or your initial loadout options. Others are locked behind progression milestones — reaching a certain level, completing specific quests, or achieving trader reputation thresholds. A portion of blueprints can only be found by looting them from the surface world, making raid exploration a dual purpose: gather materials and discover new blueprints.

Prioritize blueprint acquisition early. Knowing what you can craft shapes your material farming priorities — there's no point stockpiling rare parts if you don't yet have the blueprints to use them efficiently. Check trader inventories for blueprint availability with each stock reset. Some high-value blueprints appear in limited quantities at specialized vendors, requiring Seeds currency rather than standard Credits.

Crafting Progression Path

1. Start with crafting basic consumables — medkits, utility items — as they have low material requirements and immediate value
2. Craft your first full basic armor set before attempting weapon crafting; survivability gates your farming efficiency
3. Unlock and craft a primary weapon appropriate to your playstyle (SMG or AR for beginners)
4. Begin gathering Processed Components from industrial zones to unlock mid-tier crafting options
5. Craft mid-tier chest armor first — highest protection value per material investment
6. Transition to crafting your primary weapon at mid-tier quality; this is your biggest damage upgrade
7. Accumulate Rare Parts for high-tier armor and weapon crafting while building up a material buffer
8. Upgrade crafted items at the workshop for stat bonuses before moving to the next full tier

Optimizing Your Crafting Queue

The crafting station can queue multiple items, but materials are consumed immediately when you start a craft. Manage your queue by prioritizing the most impactful gear upgrades rather than crafting everything available. If you need a weapon upgrade and a consumable refill, craft the weapon first since it pays off across more raids. Consumables are quicker to craft and can often be bought from traders as a stop-gap.

Track which materials are your bottlenecks. Open your crafting menu and look at what's blocking your most important recipes. Those bottleneck materials define your next farming target. Efficient players always know exactly what three to five materials they are farming for and route their raids accordingly rather than grabbing everything indiscriminately.