ARC Raiders: 10 Early-Game Habits to Boost Your Survival…

In ARC Raiders, survival is the top priority; no matter what, players need to always prioritize arriving at the extraction points and taking back home that hard-earned loot. There are some easy-to-pick habits that will keep players alive for longer, without the need to turn into experts in PvP or PvE combat.

From basic tips to be the fastest gun on the Topside, to in-depth inventory management, and unwritten rules that will keep players agile and ready for combat at all time. This list summarizes ten Early-Game Habits that will boost players' survival rate in ARC Raiders.

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10 Always Keep Your Gun Ready Inside Buildings

Raiders Found Looting And Unarmed Are Cooked

There are few habits as useful as being fast with your gun in ARC Raiders, but the drawing action takes far too long for comfort, and not being able to aim and shoot first in a close-up encounter means the end of the round for unprepared Raiders. So, when players explore the inside of POIs and Buildings, they should always have their gun ready, even if they're trying to breach containers.

Those precious seconds that take to draw out the gun in a critical situation are the thin line between life and death for the Raiders. Those who enter a building with the intention to kill whoever is looting will not think twice before shooting, so aim first, shoot, and ask questions later. On the contrary, those Raiders who prefer to avoid conflict will avoid going into a building that shows signs of being looted (or being currently occupied by a fellow Raider). No one with good intentions comes inside the buildings with their weapons drawn. Take that into consideration.

9 Group Roles Are Like This: One Person Loots, The Rest Of The Squad Keeps Watch

Trust Is Everything. Spotters Protect The Looter, And The Looter Shares The Spoils

Here's a simple Early-Game rule/habit that teams of friends playing together should pick immediately: Pre-arrange what type of loot they're aiming for, then designate a Looter. The rest of the squad will prevent other teams from jumping on them unguarded by keeping watch in every direction.

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Positioning themselves in a sort of protective triangle formation, where one player covers their six and the other covers their back, while the looter is in charge of checking containers and then sharing their loot according to what every member of the team was looking for. This is the simplest, fairest role distribution in ARC Raiders: Learn it, and keep the team alive. Of course, this doesn't work with random matchmaking unless there's cooperation from the start.

8 Flashlights Are Not Needed, Unless Players Are Delving Really Deep Inside A Facility

Nothing Says 'Hey, Here I Am' Like An Active Flashlight

If the Raiders reading this haven't noticed already, the Flashlight in the game is the most compromising item to carry around actively. It will reveal their position faster than a gunshot, and warn all other players observing through the scope of an Osprey (or Binoculars) of the movements of the poor Raider, unaware of its surroundings.

Flashlights are a last-resort sort of item, since most of the containers have a looting prompt, and players don't need to have them active to open them and check what's inside. So, learn to trust your other senses, turn surround sound on, and, if needed, adjust brightness up a notch to stop using that Flashlight that turns Raiders into human targets.

7 Avoid Fighting ARC Enemies Unless It's Extremely Necessary

There Are Only Two Cases When Fighting ARC Enemies Is OK

There's nothing more annoying than hearing the noise of a Wasp (or Hornet, Snitch) detecting Raiders while they're looting. The chirpy sound of failure for every Raider that likes to survive in the Topside, or more precisely: An alarm to warn all potential hostile Raiders of the position of the player.

Every time players fail to check the skies and dodge that conical blue light of the ARC Enemy Sensors, it's an unnecessary risk waiting to turn into a failed extraction. So: Avoid Fighting ARC Enemies just because, and only kill Snitches, Hornets, and other PvE threats if it's needed for Mats or a Quest. If players are cornered, they should fight back, but putting themselves at risk in open spaces is asking for a Ferro bullet to the head.

6 Invest In Looting, Stealth, and Survival Skills First. They're Your Best Friends

Some Skills Are Worth Unlocking ASAP, Others Can Wait

ARC Raiders have many skills for players to pick from, and among them, there are two distinctive categories that are not particularly named, but are indispensable for survival: Stealth and Looting. For example, from the Conditioning branch, players have Gentle Pressure and Proficient Pryer, which increase the speed to open containers, as well as diminish the noise they make when breaching.

Then, from the Survival branch, Looter's Instinct and Silent Scavenger will greatly enhance the capabilities of players to loot fast and get out before it's too late. Mobility Skills can wait. As long as players don't get around with their fingers stuck in the shift button, stamina management is possible.

5 Don't Go Into The Long Grass!

Crouching In Bushes Doesn't Hide You From ARC Sensors, Nor From Enemy Raiders

As tempting as the big bushes that grow around the Extraction Points are, they don't keep the Raiders any safer from the blue gaze of the annoying ARC enemies, or from the watchful eyes of Elevator Campers. Needless to say, it doesn't stop bullets from taking them down either.

The only vegetation that offers decent coverage is trees, and even though they don't hide players from ARC Scanners, they will stop a bullet for them in a pinch. Still, nothing better to offer coverage than the many buildings, rocks, crevices, abandoned vehicles, and pieces of junk scrap scattered around the extraction points, or even better, a Portable Barrier.

4 Use In Round Crafting All The Time

Travel To The Topside Light, Come Back Loaded And Alive

There's a skill that is greatly underestimated in ARC Raiders, and that is In-Round Crafting, a skill from the Survival Branch that can be unlocked early, and will greatly enhance the capabilities for players to survive the merciless Topside.

This ability unlocks useful crafting recipes that they can use in every match (especially the Shield Recharge and Healing Items) and will aid with the inventory management and resource replenishing as players loot across the maps. Its upgrade: Traveling Tinkerer, unlocks the ability to craft Raider's Hatch Keys and Traps, which are essential for late-game survival tactics. So, unlock this ASAP, and use it every time to turn those ARC Cells into Shield Rechargers.

3 In Solo Mode, Always Use The Don't Shoot Emote Without Revealing Your Position

Many Treacherous Raiders Will Feign Peace, Then Shoot The Second You Turn Your Back

The presence of non-allied Raiders can be felt by following the track of breached and looted containers all across the Topside maps, and when an encounter is unavoidable, there's always the resource of calling the 'Don't Shoot' rule, by opening the Emote menu (G in PC, Holding Up in Controller), and selecting the hands-up icon.

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Unfortunately, more and more Raiders are ignoring this unspoken rule and are shooting everyone on sight, even if those Raiders are just there to complete a mission and are in no mood for a firefight. Peace talks can wait, players should use the Don't Shoot emote from a safe position (behind cover) before entering a building or passing by a potential Enemy Raider. Treat every Raider who has their gun unholstered as a potential threat, and dodge confrontations in open spaces to survive longer. Also, if players see a Raider in an open space, looking at them from afar, they're not waiting to say hello: They're taking aim, so get behind cover.

2 Don't Start Looting With Rival Raiders Around

A Habit That Will Save Your Life More Than Once

Following the aforementioned 'Don't Shoot' exchange, everyone walks away unhurt, and things seem like they might be good in that round. However, don't (and I repeat, don't) start looting just yet. Wait until the rival Raider is out of range, then resume looting.

Many players commit the mistake of thinking the 'Don't Shoot' Rule is an absolute in the Topside, and the second the other Raider shows signs of being mildly civilized, they start breaching a box right in front of them. These are the mistakes that end up as poorly as readers imagine: Breaching a container in front of a potential enemy is like wagging a shoelace in front of a kitten. The second the looting interface blinds them, the other party will start firing, preferably to the head. So, don't start looting with Rival Raiders around. Trust no one.

1 Learn About Encumbrance And Inventory Economy

It will Save Your Life On More Than One Occasion

So, the Encumbrance stat in the game does something logical, and that is reducing the player's base movement speed by 1.25 % (approximately) for every 5 KG of weight they carry in their inventory. That means the more players can carry with their Augments, the less encumbered they'll be, and logically, the faster they'll move.

Carrying just enough to the topside, using the crafting Perks, and knowing when to prioritize one piece of loot over the other is a hard lesson not many Raiders learn on time. So, be sure to pick up the habit of Salvaging, breaking down into smaller pieces, crafting when necessary, and above all: Pick the weapons found in the Topside Carefully, check their durability and Enhancement Levels to see if it's worth carrying that extra weight back to Speranza.

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