ARC Raiders Beginner's Guide

ARC Raiders Beginner's Guide

Whether you are dropping into ARC Raiders for the first time or returning after a long hiatus, this guide walks you through the essentials: outfitting your hangar, completing early contracts, and surviving those tense first extractions.

1. Prepare the Hangar

Choose Your Squad Composition

• Trio recommended: The game is tuned around three Raiders. Organise a balanced team of Recon (intel + marksman), Assault (frontline DPS), and Support (utility + healing).
• Cross-play enabled: Invite friends from console or PC through the in-game ARC ID. Squads can form in the hangar before matchmaking.

Unlock Core Facilities

1. Fabrication Bay: Craft consumables, repair kits, and deployable cover. Prioritise recipes that increase survivability such as Trauma Foam and Power Cells.
2. Intel Suite: Spend recovered data to reveal high-value drop sites, meteor showers, and ARC convoy routes before launching.
3. Armory Lockers: Expand weapon storage so you can prepare multiple loadouts for different contract types.

Daily Contracts & Season Tasks

• Season Progress: Accept the Season Card from the ARC Resistance Liaison. Completing listed objectives grants reputation, credits, and unique cosmetics.
• Personal Contracts: Each Raider archetype has personalised goals (e.g., deal stagger damage, spot ARC drones) that reward skill points when completed.

2. Loadout Fundamentals

Primary Weapons

• Auto Rifles (e.g. Tempest AR): Reliable all-rounder with controllable recoil. Ideal for new players.
• Marksman Cannons: High damage against ARC warforms but limited ammo. Pair with Support carrying ammo resupply.
• Heavy Launchers: Use sparingly for breaching ARC bunkers or disabling Titans; rockets are rare.

Gadgets & Support Gear

Mod Chips

• Stability Matrix: Reduces recoil, letting you stay on target during prolonged fights.
• Shield Breaker Coils: Adds bonus damage to ARC shields; essential in higher danger zones.
• Efficiency Suite: Lowers gadget cooldowns for Support players.

3. First Deployment Checklist

Drop Preparation

• Contract Briefing: Open the Tactical Map to see available zones. For the tutorial run, choose Canyon Extraction Zone; it has generous cover and predictable patrols.
• Insertion Loadout: Bring one ranged weapon, one close-quarters backup (shotgun or sidearm), two stacks of ammo, one health kit, and a gadget. Keep your inventory at 70% capacity to leave space for salvage.

Landing & Recon

1. Ping Points of Interest: Recon should deploy a sensor dart immediately to expose nearby ARC patrols.
2. Secure Meteor Drops: Salvage meteors contain crafting schematics. Claim them early before rival squads arrive.
3. Avoid Alarm Towers: Destroy or hack ARC relay towers; if they activate, expect reinforcements within 45 seconds.

Combat Priorities

• ARC Scouts: Lightly armoured, but alert other units. Take them out silently when possible.
• Warforms: Heavily shielded elites. Coordinate stagger (Shock grenades, heavy weapons) before pushing damage.
• Rival Raiders: You will hear distant firefights. Use the comms wheel to call disengage or engage depending on your squad’s condition.

4. Extraction Strategy

Selecting a Window

• Dynamic Extraction Points: Extraction pads rotate every deployment. Use the Signal Booster to reveal active pads and reduce wait time.
• Staggered Departures: If burdened by salvage, send two Raiders to secure the pad while the third flanks to delay pursuers.

Holding the Landing Zone

• Deploy Cover: Place deployable shields or barricades to create firing lines.
• Arc EMP: Save an EMP charge to disable ARC reinforcements during the 20-second extraction countdown.
• Loot Prioritisation: If overwhelmed, abandon low-value scrap to maintain mobility. The losses are cheaper than a full squad wipe.

Post-Extraction

• Debrief: Review squad performance metrics in the hangar to identify damage sources and accuracy trends.
• Salvage Allocation: Decide which Raider receives mod chips or materials to prevent bottlenecks in future deployments.

5. Progression Tips

• Upgrade Mobility: Unlock the Grappler Boots schematic early. Verticality is vital across Calyx battlefields.
• Invest in Utility: Support Raiders should aim for the Arc Surge Beacon unlock by week two—it offers an emergency overshield.
• Weekly Simulations: Visit the Training Simulator to test weapons against ARC archetypes without risking gear.

6. Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Greed: Overfilling packs slows you down. Extract with what you have rather than getting pinned by ARC reinforcements.
• Silent Comms: Mark enemy positions and call out health status. The ping wheel is fast and supports quick-context commands.
• Ignoring Meteor Storms: Meteor events are risky but reward arc cores required for late-game upgrades. Tackle them with a prepared squad rather than skipping entirely.

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Next Steps: After clearing a few successful drops, dive into the Combat Fundamentals guide to master stagger chains and squad synergy, then plan your first high-intensity raid with the Extraction Playbook.