ARC Raiders: Complete Resources, Materials & Loot Guide

A comprehensive guide to all resources, materials, and loot items in ARC Raiders, including where to find them, how to use them, and their values.


ARC Raiders: Complete Resources, Materials & Loot Guide

This comprehensive guide covers everything you need to know about resources, materials, and loot in ARC Raiders. Whether you're a new player learning the basics or a veteran optimizing your farming routes, this guide has you covered.

Source: Based on community research and gameplay data. For the latest updates, visit the ARC Raiders Wiki.

Understanding the Loot System

ARC Raiders features a complex loot system with multiple categories of items, each serving different purposes:

  • Materials: Used for crafting and upgrading equipment
  • Resources: Consumable items for immediate use
  • Components: Required for workshop projects and quests
  • Schematics: Blueprints for crafting new equipment
  • Salvage: Items that can be recycled or sold

Resource Categories

Common Materials

Common materials are the foundation of your crafting economy. These items are found throughout Calyx and are essential for basic crafting recipes.

Common Materials

Key Common Materials:

  • Scrap Metal: Basic crafting material used in many recipes
  • Wires: Electrical components for gadgets and weapons
  • Batteries: Power sources for various equipment
  • Mechanical Components: Used in weapon and gear crafting
  • Electrical Components: Required for advanced gadgets

Where to Find:

  • Looted from standard ARC units
  • Found in supply containers
  • Scattered throughout maps
  • Available from basic scavenging locations

Rare Materials

Rare materials are harder to find but essential for mid-to-late game crafting and upgrades.

Advanced ARC Powercell

Key Rare Materials:

  • ARC Powercells: Advanced energy sources for high-tier equipment
  • Advanced Mechanical Components: For crafting powerful weapons
  • Advanced Electrical Components: Required for utility items and shield mods
  • Rare Metals: Used in weapon upgrades and modifications

Where to Find:

  • Elite ARC unit drops
  • Supply meteor contents
  • High-value drop sites
  • Hidden caches in dangerous areas

Epic Materials

Epic materials are the rarest and most valuable, typically required for end-game content and top-tier equipment.

ARC Core

Key Epic Materials:

  • ARC Cores: Legendary crafting materials
  • Titan Components: From defeated boss units
  • Master Schematics: Blueprints for best-in-class equipment
  • Ancient Artifacts: Unique quest items

Where to Find:

  • Boss unit drops
  • Special event rewards
  • High-risk, high-reward locations
  • Quest completion rewards

Loot Item Types

Consumables

Items that provide immediate benefits when used:

Medical Supplies

  • Medical Supplies: Bandages, medkits, trauma foam
  • Ammunition: Various ammo types for different weapons
  • Gadgets: Deployable items like barriers, sensors, EMP charges
  • Power Cells: Energy sources for equipment

Crafting Materials

Items used in the Workshop to create new equipment:

  • Base Materials: Scrap, wires, basic components
  • Advanced Materials: Powercells, rare components
  • Special Materials: Cores, schematics, unique items

Quest Items

Items required for specific quests and contracts:

  • Data Fragments: For Intel Suite upgrades
  • ARC Samples: For research projects
  • Contract Items: Specific items requested by NPCs

Sellable Items

Items that can be sold to Traders for credits:

  • High-value salvage: Rare items with good sell prices
  • Excess materials: Materials you don't need for crafting
  • Quest rewards: Items you've already completed quests for

Scavenging Locations

Drop Sites

Marked locations where supply containers have landed. These are high-value targets that attract multiple squads.

Drop Site Location

What to Expect:

  • High-value loot containers
  • Potential PvP encounters
  • ARC patrols protecting the area
  • Multiple squads competing for resources

Strategy:

  • Arrive early to secure loot
  • Use recon to scout the area first
  • Be prepared for combat
  • Coordinate with your squad

Supply Meteors

Meteor shower events that crash down during matches, containing rare materials and schematics.

Supply Meteor Rewards

What to Expect:

  • Rare and epic materials
  • Weapon schematics
  • ARC Powercells
  • High competition from other squads

Strategy:

  • Monitor meteor event timers
  • Arrive quickly but cautiously
  • Expect heavy ARC presence
  • Prepare for PvP encounters

ARC Husk Remains

Destroyed ARC units leave behind lootable remains with various materials.

ARC Husk

Loot Quality by Unit Type:

  • Standard Units: Common materials
  • Elite Units: Rare materials and components
  • Boss Units: Epic materials and unique schematics

Strategy:

  • Use melee takedowns when possible
  • Some husks require tools to extract
  • Elite and boss husks take longer to loot
  • Be aware of nearby threats while looting

Hidden Caches

Secret locations throughout maps containing valuable loot.

Common Locations:

  • Abandoned buildings
  • Underground bunkers
  • ARC facility ruins
  • Natural formations (caves, rock formations)

Finding Caches:

  • Look for environmental clues
  • Use Recon sensor abilities
  • Some require keys or hacking
  • Check less-traveled areas

Using Your Loot

Workshop Crafting

Materials are primarily used in the Workshop to craft new equipment:

Workshop Interface

  • Workbench 1: Basic weapons and consumables
  • Workbench 2: Advanced weapons and gear
  • Workbench 3: Top-tier equipment and modifications
  • Medical Lab: Healing items and medical equipment
  • Utility Station: Gadgets and utility items

Recycling

Many items can be recycled to obtain materials:

Recycling Interface

  • During Raid: 50% material return
  • In Speranza: 100% material return
  • Recycling Recipes: Check item descriptions for details

Selling to Traders

Items can be sold to Traders for credits:

  • Sell Price: Varies by item rarity and demand
  • Trader Locations: Various NPCs in Speranza
  • Market Prices: Can fluctuate based on game economy

Quest Completion

Some items are required for quests and contracts:

  • Keep Quest Items: Don't sell or recycle quest-required items
  • Check Quest Requirements: Before selling valuable items
  • Workshop Requirements: Some items needed for workshop upgrades

Farming Strategies

Early Game

Focus on common materials and basic resources:

  1. Prioritize low-risk areas with fewer ARC patrols
  2. Collect common materials for initial crafting
  3. Avoid high-contention zones until better equipped
  4. Build basic loadout before tackling harder content

Mid Game

Target rare materials and advanced components:

  1. Hunt Elite ARC units for rare drops
  2. Participate in meteor events for schematics
  3. Explore hidden caches in less-traveled areas
  4. Balance risk vs reward when choosing locations

Late Game

Focus on epic materials and end-game content:

  1. Farm boss units for epic materials
  2. Complete high-value contracts for unique rewards
  3. Optimize farming routes for efficiency
  4. Prepare for end-game crafting projects

Inventory Management

Weight System

Inventory Management

  • Each item has a weight value
  • Exceeding weight limit slows movement
  • Prioritize high-value, low-weight items
  • Some items stack to save space

Stacking

  • Stackable: Materials, ammo, consumables
  • Non-stackable: Weapons, equipment, unique items
  • Manage inventory to maximize efficiency

Extraction Priority

When space is limited, prioritize:

  1. Quest items (if you have active contracts)
  2. Workshop materials (for crafting)
  3. High-value sellable items (for credits)
  4. Rare schematics (for future crafting)

Advanced Tips

Efficient Farming

  • Use Recon abilities to locate loot quickly
  • Study map layouts to find hidden caches
  • Time your farming around ARC patrol routes
  • Coordinate with squad for maximum efficiency

Resource Optimization

  • Recycle strategically - 100% return in Speranza vs 50% in raid
  • Sell excess materials you don't need for crafting
  • Keep quest items until you complete related quests
  • Plan your crafting to avoid material waste

Risk Management

  • Don't overfill inventory - it slows you down
  • Know when to extract with what you have
  • Avoid greed - survival is more important than loot
  • Coordinate with squad for safe extraction

For more detailed information on specific aspects of looting and resource management:

  • Scavenging Guide - Learn advanced scavenging techniques and strategies
  • Recon Guide - Master reconnaissance to find valuable loot locations
  • Loot Database - Complete database of all loot items with detailed stats
  • Workshop Guide - Learn how to use your materials for crafting

Conclusion

Mastering the loot and resource system in ARC Raiders is essential for progression. By understanding where to find materials, how to use them effectively, and managing your inventory wisely, you'll be well-equipped to tackle the challenges of Calyx.

Remember: Survival is more important than loot. Always prioritize extracting safely over collecting more items. A successful extraction with moderate loot is better than a squad wipe with a full inventory.


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