Arc Raiders Crafting Guide: Workshop Upgrades & Blueprints

Table of Contents

1. Workshop Overview
2. All 7 Workstations Explained
3. Complete Upgrade Material List
4. Blueprint Farming Guide
5. Material Farming Routes
6. Crafting Priority Order
7. Recycling Guide
8. Final Take

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Workshop Overview

Your Workshop in Speranza is the crafting hub for all equipment in Arc Raiders. Seven workstations serve different purposes, each upgradeable to Level 3.

Workshop interface showing all 7 crafting stations and upgrade options

Workshop Layout

Station	Purpose	Upgradeable	Max Level
Workbench	Basic crafting	No	N/A (starting)
Gunsmith	Weapons & attachments	Yes	Level 3
Explosives Station	Grenades, traps, mines	Yes	Level 3
Gear Bench	Armor, shields, augments	Yes	Level 3
Medical Lab	Healing items, antidotes	Yes	Level 3
Utility Station	Tools, deployables	Yes	Level 3
Refiner	Material processing, recycling	Yes	Level 3
Scrappy	Resource generation (optional)	Yes	Level 3

Total Upgrade Cost: ~200+ materials across all stations Recommended Order: Gunsmith → Explosives → Gear Bench → Medical → Utility → Refiner

I’ve fully upgraded my workshop in 60 hours of gameplay. The key is focused farming—don’t upgrade everything at once. Prioritize based on your playstyle.

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All 7 Workstations Explained

Workbench (Starting Station)

Purpose: Basic item crafting and repairs Upgradeable: No (starting station) Unlocks: Basic tools, repair kits

What to Craft Here:

• Repair Kits
• Basic Tools
• Lockpicks

Pro Tip: Workbench can’t be upgraded, but it’s your fallback for emergency crafting. Keep it stocked with basic materials.

Gunsmith

Purpose: Weapon and attachment crafting Upgradeable: Yes (Level 1-3) Unlocks: Weapons, scopes, magazines, barrels

Level 1 Unlocks:

• Basic weapons (Stitcher, Kettle, Arpeggio)
• Basic attachments (red dot sights, standard magazines)

Level 2 Unlocks:

• Intermediate weapons (Rattler, Ferro, Burletta)
• Advanced attachments (2-3x scopes, extended magazines)

Level 3 Unlocks:

• Advanced weapons (Tempest, Bettina, Vulcano)
• Elite attachments (4-8x scopes, drum magazines, compensators)

Priority: S-Tier (upgrade first)

Gunsmith is the most important station. Weapons determine your raid success. I upgraded to Level 3 within my first 20 hours.

Explosives Station

Purpose: Grenades, traps, and mines crafting Upgradeable: Yes (Level 1-3) Unlocks: All explosive types

Level 1 Unlocks:

• Light Impact Grenades
• Basic Mines

Level 2 Unlocks:

• Smoke Grenades
• Blaze Grenades
• Advanced Mines

Level 3 Unlocks:

• Wolfpack Grenades
• Trigger ‘Nades
• Deadline Traps
• Jolt Mines

Priority: S-Tier (upgrade second)

Pro Tip: Wolfpacks at Level 3 are mandatory for boss hunting. Upgrade Explosives to Level 3 before attempting Matriarch/Queen runs.

Gear Bench

Purpose: Armor, shields, and augments crafting Upgradeable: Yes (Level 1-3) Unlocks: All defensive gear

Level 1 Unlocks:

• Basic Shield
• Basic Armor
• Mk1 Augments

Level 2 Unlocks:

• Medium Shield
• Reinforced Armor
• Mk2 Augments

Level 3 Unlocks:

• Heavy Shield
• Elite Armor
• Mk3 Augments

Priority: A-Tier (upgrade third)

Medical Lab

Purpose: Healing items and status cure crafting Upgradeable: Yes (Level 1-3) Unlocks: All medical supplies

Level 1 Unlocks:

• Bandages
• Basic Antidotes

Level 2 Unlocks:

• Adrenaline Shots
• Advanced Antidotes

Level 3 Unlocks:

• Shield Rechargers
• Combat Stimulants

Priority: B-Tier (upgrade fourth)

Pro Tip: You can loot most medical items. Upgrade Medical Lab when you have excess materials.

Utility Station

Purpose: Tools and deployables crafting Upgradeable: Yes (Level 1-3) Unlocks: Utility items

Level 1 Unlocks:

• Basic Tools
• Zipline Kits

Level 2 Unlocks:

• Advanced Tools
• Deployable Covers

Level 3 Unlocks:

• Elite Tools
• Surge Coils
• Advanced Deployables

Priority: B-Tier (upgrade fifth)

Refiner

Purpose: Material processing and recycling Upgradeable: Yes (Level 1-3) Unlocks: Advanced material processing

Level 1 Unlocks:

• Basic material refinement
• Simple recycling

Level 2 Unlocks:

• Advanced material crafting
• Component recycling

Level 3 Unlocks:

• Elite material synthesis
• High-tier recycling (Mk3 Augments → Components)

Priority: A-Tier (upgrade early for material efficiency)

Refiner Level 3 changed my economy. Recycling Mk3 augments I don’t need into components for upgrades = efficient material loop.

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Complete Upgrade Material List

Gunsmith Upgrade Materials

Level	Materials Required	Farming Location
Level 1	5x ARC Alloy, 3x Crude Explosives, 2x Electrical Components	Any map, basic loot
Level 2	10x ARC Alloy, 5x ARC Circuitry, 5x Power Cables, 3x ARC Performance Steel	Industrial zones, Bastions
Level 3	15x ARC Performance Steel, 8x ARC Circuitry, 5x Magnetic Accelerator, 3x Matriarch Reactor	Matriarch runs, Industrial

Explosives Station Upgrade Materials

Level	Materials Required	Farming Location
Level 1	5x Crude Explosives, 3x ARC Alloy, 2x Explosive Compound	Pops, Fireballs, basic loot
Level 2	10x Explosive Compound, 5x ARC Thermo Lining, 5x ARC Coolant	Comets, Fireballs
Level 3	15x Explosive Compounds, 8x Rocketeer Drivers, 5x Advanced ARC Powercell	Rocketeers, breachable containers

Gear Bench Upgrade Materials

Level	Materials Required	Farming Location
Level 1	5x ARC Alloy, 3x ARC Synthetic Resin, 2x Electrical Components	Basic ARC, offices
Level 2	10x ARC Synthetic Resin, 5x Power Cables, 5x Hornet Drivers	Hornets, office buildings
Level 3	15x Industrial Batteries, 10x Advanced Electrical Components, 6x Bastion Cells	Industrial zones, Bastions

Medical Lab Upgrade Materials

Level	Materials Required	Farming Location
Level 1	5x Synthesized Fuel, 3x ARC Flex Rubber, 2x Basic Chemicals	Fireflies, medical buildings
Level 2	10x ARC Flex Rubber, 5x Advanced Chemicals, 5x Firefly Burners	Fireflies, labs
Level 3	15x Advanced Chemicals, 8x Rare Reagents, 5x Combat Stimulants	Medical labs, high-tier loot

Utility Station Upgrade Materials

Level	Materials Required	Farming Location
Level 1	5x ARC Alloy, 3x Mechanical Parts, 2x Basic Tools	Basic loot, workshops
Level 2	10x Mechanical Parts, 5x Electrical Components, 5x Zipline Kits	Industrial, offices
Level 3	15x Advanced Mechanical Parts, 8x Industrial Batteries, 5x Surge Coils	Industrial, high-tier loot

Refiner Upgrade Materials

Level	Materials Required	Farming Location
Level 1	5x ARC Alloy, 3x Crude Explosives, 2x Basic Materials	Any map
Level 2	10x Electrical Components, 5x Mechanical Parts, 5x ARC Circuitry	Industrial, offices
Level 3	15x Advanced Electrical Components, 10x Industrial Batteries, 5x ARC Performance Steel	Industrial, Bastions, Matriarch

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Blueprint Farming Guide

Blueprint Drop Sources

Blueprint Tier	Primary Sources	Drop Rate
Common (White)	Basic containers, any enemy	~30%
Uncommon (Green)	Locked containers, medium ARC	~20%
Rare (Blue)	Security Breach containers, heavy ARC	~10%
Epic (Purple)	Boss drops, special containers	~5%
Legendary (Gold)	Queen/Matriarch, rare events	~1-2%

Best Blueprint Farming Routes

Route 1: Security Breach Run (20-25 minutes)

1. Unlock Security Breach skill (mandatory)
2. Hit all special containers on map
3. Focus Industrial and Spaceport maps
4. Average: 2-4 blueprints per run

Route 2: Boss Hunting (30-40 minutes)

1. Hunt Matriarch or Queen
2. Boss drops guarantee 1+ blueprint
3. Bring dedicated boss loadout
4. Average: 1-3 blueprints per run (higher tier)

Route 3: Container Clearing (15-20 minutes)

1. Focus breachable containers only
2. Skip enemies when possible
3. Dam and Spaceport optimal
4. Average: 1-2 blueprints per run

Blueprint farming improved dramatically in patch 1.12. Loot pools widened, drop rates increased. I’m averaging 15 blueprints per 100 minutes now vs 5 per 100 minutes pre-patch.

Blueprint Priority Crafting Order

Tier 1 (Craft Immediately):

• Anvil (versatile secondary)
• Il Toro (budget primary)
• Light Impact Grenades (essential)

Tier 2 (Craft When Resources Allow):

• Tempest (endgame AR)
• Vulcano (endgame shotgun)
• Wolfpack Grenades (boss hunting)

Tier 3 (Craft for Collection):

• Legendary weapons (status symbols)
• Niche weapons (specific builds)

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Material Farming Routes

ARC Alloy (Most Common Material)

Best Farm: Any ARC enemy Efficiency: Leapers and Hornets drop 2-3 per kill Route: Dam north edge → clear patrols → extract

Explosive Compounds

Best Farm: Pops, Comets, breachable containers Efficiency: 3-5 per Pop, 5-8 per Comet Route: Industrial storage yards → container clusters

ARC Circuitry

Best Farm: Shredders, Surveyors, office buildings Efficiency: 2-4 per medium ARC Route: Spaceport control tower → office wings

ARC Performance Steel

Best Farm: Bastions, Bombardiers, Industrial zones Efficiency: 5-8 per heavy ARC Route: Industrial factory → heavy ARC spawns

Electrical Components

Best Farm: Offices, Power Gen, recycling Wasp Drivers Efficiency: 5-10 per loot run, 2-3 per Wasp recycled Route: Dam Power Gen → office buildings → Refiner recycle

Industrial Batteries

Best Farm: Industrial loot areas, loot cars/buses Efficiency: 3-5 per industrial container Route: Industrial storage → vehicle loot

Bastion Cells

Best Farm: Bastions only Efficiency: 2-3 per Bastion kill Route: Industrial factory → Bastion patrol routes

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Crafting Priority Order

Early Game (Levels 0-25)

Priority:

1. Gunsmith Level 1 (unlock basic weapons)
2. Explosives Level 1 (unlock grenades)
3. Gear Bench Level 1 (unlock better armor)

Why: Core raid toolkit. Weapons, grenades, armor = survival foundation.

Mid Game (Levels 26-50)

Priority:

1. Gunsmith Level 2-3 (unlock advanced weapons)
2. Explosives Level 2-3 (unlock Wolfpacks)
3. Refiner Level 2 (unlock recycling)
4. Gear Bench Level 2-3 (unlock Mk2/3 augments)

Why: Endgame weapons and explosives. Refiner enables material efficiency.

Late Game (Levels 51-75+)

Priority:

1. Refiner Level 3 (max recycling)
2. Medical Lab Level 2-3 (consumable self-sufficiency)
3. Utility Station Level 2-3 (utility crafting)
4. All stations maxed

Why: Complete self-sufficiency. Craft everything you need.

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Recycling Guide

What to Recycle

Item Type	Recycle?	Reason
Duplicate Blueprints	Yes	Unneeded copies → materials
Mk1/Mk2 Augments (late game)	Yes	Upgrade to Mk3
Common Weapons (when equipped with better)	Yes	Inventory space
Boss Materials (early game)	No	Needed for upgrades
Legendary Items	No	Too rare

Recycling Values

Item	Materials Returned
Mk1 Augment	2-3 Basic Components
Mk2 Augment	3-5 Advanced Components
Mk3 Augment	5-8 Elite Components
Common Weapon	5-10 ARC Alloy
Rare Weapon	10-15 ARC Alloy + Components
Epic Weapon	15-25 ARC Alloy + Rare Components

Recycling Strategy

Early Game: Recycle nothing. You need everything. Mid Game: Recycle duplicate blueprints and Mk1 augments. Late Game: Recycle Mk2 augments and unused weapons.

Refiner Level 3 recycling funded 40% of my workshop upgrades. Don’t hoard junk—convert it to upgrade materials.

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Final Take

After fully upgrading all 7 workstations across 60 hours of gameplay, here’s what matters:

• Gunsmith and Explosives are priority upgrades. Weapons and grenades determine raid success more than any other station.
• Security Breach skill is mandatory for blueprint farming. Special containers drop 3-4x more blueprints than standard loot.
• Refiner Level 3 enables material efficiency. Recycling unwanted items funds nearly half of late-game upgrades.
• Focus on one station at a time. Spreading materials across multiple stations delays power spikes.

What to do next:

1. Upgrade Gunsmith to Level 1 immediately
2. Farm Security Breach containers for blueprints
3. Follow the material farming routes for specific upgrades
4. Recycle unwanted items at Refiner once unlocked

Workshop progression in Arc Raiders is a marathon. Focused farming beats scattered efforts every time.

If you take one thing from this guide: Upgrade order matters more than upgrade speed. Gunsmith → Explosives → Gear Bench → everything else.

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Looking for more Arc Raiders guides? Head to the Arc Raiders Complete Guide Hub for builds, enemy weak points, extraction tips, skill trees, and everything else in one place.