Explosive Compound sits in an awkward spot in ARC Raiders’ economy: it is rare enough that you cannot rely on random drops, but common enough that many early explosives and upgrades quietly demand it. Treat it as a mid‑tier bottleneck resource that bridges basic Crude Explosives and the late‑game explosives you actually want to bring topside.
Explosive Compound basics
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Item type | Refined Material |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Primary use | Crafting explosives and upgrading explosive-related workstations |
| Loot categories | Industrial, Security |
| Stack size | 5 |
| Weight | 0.3 kg |
| Sell price | 1,000 Raider Coins |
In the hideout, Explosive Compound also feeds into higher‑tier recipes. One explicit example is the Heavy Fuze Grenade: at Explosives Station level 3, a single Heavy Fuze Grenade consumes one Explosive Compound plus two Canisters.
Because it is tagged as both Industrial and Security loot, you should not waste time in residential, medical, or agricultural zones if you are specifically chasing this material.
Where Explosive Compound drops
Explosive Compound can appear in any loot container that rolls from the Industrial or Security tables. That includes lockers, tool cases, metal crates, and breachable containers in facilities like power plants, warehouses, and control towers.
From launch, only three maps contain those site types:
| Map | Points of interest with Industrial/Security loot |
|---|---|
| Dam Battlegrounds | Power Generation Complex, Hydroponic Dome Complex, Water Treatment Control, Control Tower, Scrap Yard |
| The Blue Gate | Reinforced Reception, Adorned Wreckage, Warehouse Complex |
| Spaceport | Shipping Warehouse, Rocket Assembly, Container Storage, Vehicle Maintenance, Launch Towers |
Loot is random on each run, and Explosive Compound sits in the rare bracket, so no location can guarantee a drop. The reason players gravitate to specific sites is density: the more containers you open per minute, the more rolls you get at the Industrial/Security table.
Best farming locations for Explosive Compound
Certain sites consistently outperform others because they combine the right loot tags with tight layouts and plenty of containers.
| Priority | Location | Map | Why it is strong for Explosive Compound |
|---|---|---|---|
| Top | Hydroponic Dome Complex | Dam Battlegrounds | Counts as both Industrial and Security; cluster of dome buildings packed with lockers, bins, and breachable containers. |
| High | Control Tower | Dam Battlegrounds | High‑value Industrial/Security site with multiple floors of containers. |
| High | Container Storage | Spaceport | High loot density across stacked containers, quick to sweep if you stay focused. |
| High | Launch Towers | Spaceport | Another high‑value Industrial/Security zone with a large number of searchable spots. |
| Secondary | Vehicle Maintenance | Spaceport | Compact layout and many technical containers; easy in‑and‑out if you are short on time. |
| Secondary | Warehouse Complex | The Blue Gate | Good Industrial/Security loot in a contained footprint; fewer players path here than Dam or Spaceport. |
Hydroponic Dome Complex, in particular, is a standout. It sits in the northeast of Dam Battlegrounds and is built from several dome structures. Each dome hides a dense cluster of lockers and steel crates, and the area carries both Industrial and Security tags, giving Explosive Compound more chances to appear per visit.
There are trade‑offs: density and value also make the Hydroponic Dome Complex a common contest point. Expect other Raiders and ARC machines. Spawning close to it is ideal; if your drop is on the wrong side of the map, pivot to a nearer Industrial/Security site rather than forcing a long, exposed rotation.
Two practical loops that lean into these strengths:
- Dam Battlegrounds loop: Spawn near the northeast, hit Hydroponic Dome Complex, then sweep Control Tower and Power Generation Complex if extraction and threat levels allow.
- Spaceport loop: Rotate through Container Storage, Vehicle Maintenance, and Launch Towers, extracting as soon as you secure one or two Explosive Compounds and any other key materials you are chasing.
Crafting Explosive Compound at the Refiner
You are not limited to drops. Explosive Compound can be created in your hideout once your Refiner reaches level 2.
| Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
| Station | Refiner level 2 |
| Crafting recipe | 2 × Crude Explosives, 2 × Oil → 1 × Explosive Compound |
Reaching Refiner level 2 takes a bit of setup. The Refiner first unlocks at level 1 using basic resources such as Metal Parts and ARC Powercells, then upgrades to level 2 using mid‑game components, including Toasters, ARC Motion Cores, and Fireball Burners. The exact material counts are static, so it is worth planning those out alongside other station upgrades.
Once you have the Refiner at level 2, crafting Explosive Compound becomes a way to smooth out bad loot streaks. Crude Explosives and Oil both appear more frequently than Explosive Compound, and Oil also shows up in mechanical‑themed topside locations and can be bought from the trader Celeste. Converting those into Explosive Compound effectively compresses lower‑tier finds into something you are more likely to run out of.
Because each craft only outputs one Explosive Compound, it is sensible to maintain a small buffer rather than burning all Crude Explosives and Oil the moment you acquire them. Keeping a reserve lets you respond to new blueprints or quest steps that unexpectedly call for these base materials.
Using and recycling Explosive Compound
Explosive Compound links several parts of the crafting tree together.
| Interaction | Input | Output | Station / context |
|---|---|---|---|
| Crafting Explosive Compound | 2 × Crude Explosives, 2 × Oil | 1 × Explosive Compound | Refiner 2 |
| Heavy Fuze Grenade | 1 × Explosive Compound, 2 × Canister | 1 × Heavy Fuze Grenade | Explosives Station 3 |
| Salvaging Explosive Compound | 1 × Explosive Compound | 2 × Crude Explosives | Salvage action |
| Recycling Explosive Compound | 1 × Explosive Compound | 1 × Crude Explosives (plus Raider Coins loss) | Recycle terminal |
Heavy Fuze Grenades are the clearest direct use: they demand Explosive Compound and sit behind Explosives Station level 3, which means you are already investing into an explosives‑focused playstyle by the time they are on your radar.
On the flip side, if you are low on basic explosives and sitting on more Explosive Compound than you need, salvaging is effectively a reverse recipe. Salvage returns two Crude Explosives, while simple recycling returns one plus a significant drop in Raider Coin value. If your goal is more raw explosive material for other recipes, salvaging gives a better return than recycling.
From a currency perspective, Explosive Compound carries a higher nominal sell value (1,000 Raider Coins) than the sum of its recycled contents. Recycling a single unit yields one Crude Explosives valued at 270 coins, meaning you lose purchasing power by pushing it through the recycler. It makes more sense either to sell Explosive Compound outright if you truly do not need it, or to salvage it when you want more Crude Explosives specifically.
Viewed as part of ARC Raiders’ wider economy, Explosive Compound is less a collectible trophy and more a pressure point in the progression curve. Targeted runs through Industrial and Security landmarks keep the drops flowing; a level‑2 Refiner turns common finds into rare ones on demand; and the salvage loop lets you move value back down the chain when you overshoot. Treat it as a resource you manage, not a single missing item you hope to stumble across, and both your explosives and your station upgrades become much easier to plan.
