Surviving a raid in Arc Raiders hinges on how quickly you can recover health and bring teammates back into the fight. The game splits survivability into three buckets: health healing, shield recharging, and stamina tools. Below is a concise breakdown of health-focused items, how to equip and use them, and what to craft before you head topside.
How healing works in Arc Raiders
Health can be restored either instantly or over time, depending on the item. Shields are separate from health: they soak damage but do not raise your max HP and require their own rechargers. Stamina items exist, but they don’t heal HP.
- Health items: gradual or instant HP recovery.
- Shields: separate pool; recharge with shield-specific items.
- Stamina: recovery/boosts only, no HP.
All Arc Raiders healing items (effects and recipes)
| Item | Health restore | Duration / channel | Use time | Crafting (Tier) | Buy price (Lance) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bandage | 2 HP/s | 10s | 1.5s | 5× Fabric (Med Station I, Basic Bench) | $750 |
| Herbal Bandage | 3.5 HP/s | 10s | 1.5s | 1× Durable Cloth, 1× Great Mullein (Med Station II) | $2700 |
| Sterilized Bandage | 5 HP/s | 10s | 1.5s | 2× Durable Cloth, 1× Antiseptic (Med Station II) | $6000 |
| Vita Shot | 50 HP (instant) | — | 4s | 1× Antiseptic, 1× Syringe (Med Station III) | — |
| Vita Spray | 10 HP/s | Channel | — | 2× Antiseptic, 4× Canister (Med Station III) | — |
| Defibrillator | Revive + 50 HP | — | 1.5s | 3× Plastic Parts, 1× Moss (Med Station II) | $3000 |
| Fabric | 0.4 HP/s | 25s | 1s | — | — |
| Resin | 1 HP/s | 10s | 1s | — | — |
| Mushroom | 15 HP (instant) | — | 1s | — | — |
| Expired Pasta | 15 HP (instant) | — | 1s | — | — |
Related but not health healing:
- Shield Rechargers: restore shields only; they don’t heal HP.
- Adrenaline/Stamina items: restore or boost stamina; no HP restoration.
Heal yourself and others (controls and quick‑use slots)
Healing items must be equipped in a Quick Use slot to activate them during a raid. Before deploying, drag the items you want from your bag to available Quick Use slots; the number of slots depends on your augments and capacity.
- Open the Quick Use wheel with
Q. - Select a healing item, then hold the fire button to heal yourself.
- Hold the alt‑fire button to heal a teammate — you can also heal enemy players if you choose to.
Crafting healing items and Med Station tiers
You can craft medical items at your base’s Med Station or, for a premium in materials, mid‑raid.
- Base crafting: uses standard material costs.
- Mid‑raid crafting: consumes roughly twice as many materials for the same result.
Higher Med Station tiers unlock stronger recipes. Early on, Bandages are your staple. Upgrades open Herbal and Sterilized Bandages at Tier II, and the top‑end Vita Shot and Vita Spray at Tier III. Some basic items (like Bandages or improvised Herbal Bandages) can also be crafted during raids from found materials.
Best healing item in Arc Raiders (current meta)
Vita Shot is the strongest straightforward heal right now: it restores 50 HP instantly and is ideal for clutch survivals and resetting before a push. The trade‑off is its Tier III requirement and a longer use time than a bandage tap, so plan your timing and cover.
The Defibrillator is unique: it revives downed players and returns them with 50 HP, and it can be used on allies or enemy raiders if that suits your strategy. For sustained team recovery, Vita Spray’s channelled healing is the most flexible option when you can afford the Tier III materials.
If you only carry two medical slots, a practical loadout is Vita Shot for emergencies and Sterilized Bandage for sustained recovery. Add a Defibrillator when you expect prolonged squad fights or objective standoffs, and don’t forget a dedicated shield recharger — HP won’t help if your shield is constantly breaking first.
