Surviving the Rust Belt in ARC Raiders is no easy feat, especially if you are a beginner and just starting out. The game can feel rather overwhelming at first, with all the various mechanics that you will need to take note of while going from one container to the next.
Almost everything out there in the world is out to kill you, so you will need to learn some of the most important basics as soon as possible.
So if you are looking to finally start winning some matches, then the guide below will help you out.
How to start winning games in ARC Raiders
Here are some beginner tips and tricks that will help you have a much easier time surviving longer in ARC Raiders:
1) Learn the Map layouts by heart
ARC Raiders has four large maps that you can spawn in. Each has its own unique layouts and resource distributions. So the first thing you will need to do is to familiarize yourself with each of the maps and learn their layouts.
Take note of the landmarks, of the distinctive resources that each of them provides, as well as the loot value.
This comes in handy when it comes to optimizing your route. As you land at a random location on the map, having a firm understanding of your locale will let you bee-line to the most valuable loot and resources before your enemies.
Getting your hands on the right loot and upgrades will let you dominate the PvPvE aspect of the game.
2) Make the most of your Custom Loadout
Once you are familiar with the map, the next thing you will need to do is to make the most of the custom loadout system. Before each match, you will be able to select items and equipment based on the following categories:
| Loadout Category | Description |
|---|---|
| Augments | Augments will let you pick the bonus effects and slots for grenades, healing items, and more. |
| Shield | With a Shield, you gain armor, which will be drained instead of your health when taking damage. |
| Weapons and Ammo | Pick the Weapons that you want to use. You will get slots to equip two weapons on your character. So pick the ones you want, but just make sure to have the correct ammo types in your backpack. |
| Quick Use | The Quick use slot is for all of your throwable and consumable items. |
| Augmented Slots | These are the bonus slots that you get based on the type of Augments that you have selected |
| Safe Pocket | Safe Pocket is where you keep your most important loot. When you are eliminated during a match, you will lose all of your equipment, except the ones that you have in the Safe Pocket. |
Note: If you only want to go for resource gathering ruins, make sure to start a match with a Free Loadout option. This will let you start the game with low-tier items and a bit of ammo, and you do not have to worry about higher-tier loot getting lost upon death.
3) Understanding Inventory Management
While checking every container you come across is a good practice, picking up every single loot is not. As overencumberance is going to be a big problem during exploration, you will need to learn learn to throw the things away that you do not need.
Moreover, your stash in Speranza will only have 64 slots for items by default. While you can purchase additional slots, it’s still important to invest some time in resource management and do away with the stuff that you don’t really need.
When it comes to the items you want to discard, here are a couple of things that you can do:
- Sell them to the vendors in Speranza for money.
- You can also dismantle them during matches to earn spare parts. This will also free up the space that it was occupying.
- You can also go a step further and recycle the items into basic components when you are back at base. This will provide you with many more materials than dismantling.
4) Don’t sleep on your consumables
Consumables are going to be a core part of survival in ARC Raiders. So you will want to make the most of them, especially when you are struggling. Bandages and Shield rechargers are going to be the most important consumables to look out for.
The former helps in restoring health, while the latter will recharge the energy of your shields, restoring your armor and not letting your HP be the first thing that takes a hit when receiving damage.
Another important item is a Defibrillator, which will let you revive a downed Raider on your team and help them get back onto the action.
So don’t just collect these consumables and store them away for a rainy day. Use them as soon as the opportunity presents itself.
5) Pick the right skills
The Perks in ARC Raiders are divided into three distinct skill trees: Conditioning, Mobility, and Survival. While the skills you pick will depend mostly on the type of playstyle that you are going for, there are some perks that are the best in the game if you are just starting out.
So make sure that you are investing points in the right nodes and going for the skills that are allowing you to have an easier time surviving in the Ruist Belt.
6) Stamina Management is key
You will need Stamina for almost everything in ARX Raiders. Sprinting, vaulting, and carrying loot all require stamina in the game. So if you are not managing it properly, you will not have enough stamina to run away from a lose-lose situation.
If you are having trouble with Stamina management, you can always invest some extra points in the Survival skill tree. There are a lot of stamina perks there, which
7) Make sure you are extracting with all your loot
Now, for the final tip, you will want to extract with all of your high-tier loot. You will not be able to keep all the resources and items that you have collected. Now, fortunately, maps have several extraction points that you will be able to use, with the most reliable one being the Raider Hatches.
However, the Raider Hatches are something that can be accessed with a Raider Hatch Key, which is only obtained through crafting or through randomized loot. You can also, at times, purchase them from Shani.
If you don’t get the key during a run, you will then need to use areas like Airshafts, Subway Tunnels, as well as Cargo Elevators. However, these areas are patrolled by ARC drones, and the extraction point will give out a blaring alarm when activated.
This will attract other enemy machines and players to the site, making it considerably harder to extract.
Note: If you are downed near an extraction point, you will still be able to crawl inside and escape with all of your loot.
