ARC Raiders skills tier list — the best upgrades to unlock first
Arc RaidersStart in Mobility, add key Survival perks, then round out Conditioning to build a raider that runs farther, loots faster, and survives longer.
ARC Raiders throws you into a harsh loop: get topside, gather what you can, and make it out alive. The skill tree is your safety net. With 45 skills spread across three branches and a limited pool of points, efficient early choices translate into smoother escapes and fewer lost bags. The headline: invest in stamina and movement first, secure on‑run crafting next, then add clutch survivability.
ARC Raiders is available on the Epic Games Store if you need the base game or plan to play on a new PC: store.epicgames.com/p/arc-raiders.
How the ARC Raiders skill tree works
- Three branches: Conditioning (green), Mobility (yellow), and Survival (red).
- Most skills have multiple upgrade levels; higher‑tier nodes require spending thresholds within that branch.
- There are 45 unique skills; you won’t have enough points to grab everything, so plan around the strongest payoffs.
- Late “capstone” nodes sit behind steep requirements (for example, Security Breach needs 36 points in Survival), so overcommitting to one branch means leaving value on the table elsewhere.
Early stamina is tight, sprinting and dodge rolls drain it quickly, and open ground punishes indecision. That’s why Mobility leads — it makes every other system easier to manage.
Best early ARC Raiders skills to prioritize (levels 1–20)
| Skill | Tree | Priority | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marathon Runner | Mobility | Early (max it) | Reduces stamina cost while moving — more sprint time, safer rotations. |
| Youthful Lungs | Mobility | Early (max it) | Increases max stamina for longer chases, more evasive rolls in firefights. |
| Effortless Roll | Mobility | Early | Lowers the stamina cost of dodge rolls so you can break aim and reposition more often. |
| Calming Stroll | Mobility | Early–Mid | Restores stamina at a standing‑still rate while walking; great between fights and while rotating. |
| Slip and Slide | Mobility | Mid | Faster, farther slides for quick escapes and low-profile peeks with no extra stamina tax. |
| In‑Round Crafting | Survival | Early | Enables field crafting topside. Turn scrap into bandages, ammo, and other lifesavers mid‑run. |
| Looter's Instincts | Survival | Early–Mid | Reveals container contents faster so you spend less time exposed while looting. |
| Broad Shoulders | Survival | Mid | Raises carry weight so you can extract more without tipping into encumbrance. |
| Used to the Weight | Conditioning | Early | Reduces the movement penalty from shields — essential once you equip one routinely. |
| Survivor’s Stamina | Conditioning | Mid | Boosts stamina regeneration when critically hurt, buying time to disengage or reach cover. |
ARC Raiders skills tier list (overall power and reliability)
| Tier | Skills | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| S | In‑Round Crafting; Marathon Runner; Youthful Lungs; Used to the Weight; Looter’s Instincts; Survivor’s Stamina; Back on Your Feet | Cross‑build staples. Directly improve survivability, uptime, and the pace of each raid. |
| A | Effortless Roll; Calming Stroll; Slip and Slide; Broad Shoulders; Professional Pryer; Loaded Arms; Downed but Determined (squad) | High value and easy to integrate. Downed but Determined is excellent in squads, skippable solo. |
| B | Nimble Climber; Sturdy Ankles; Good as New; Traveling Tinkerer; Gentle Pressure; Turtle Crawl | Situational boosts or quality‑of‑life. Great if you lean into their playstyle niche. |
| C | Carry the Momentum; Unburdened Roll; Looter’s Luck; Vigorous Vaulter; Stubborn Mule | Inconsistent or outclassed by better options; take later if at all. |
Solo vs. squad: what changes
- Solo: skip “downed state” investments. Funnel those points into stamina safety nets (Fight or Flight, Calming Stroll) and loot speed (Looter’s Instincts).
- Squad: Downed but Determined and Turtle Crawl both buy precious seconds for safe revives. They’re worth the detour if you regularly play with a team.
A practical first 20 points
This path gets your stamina in order, unlocks field crafting, then adds a few safety valves without stranding you deep in any one branch.
- Marathon Runner (max)
- Youthful Lungs (max)
- Effortless Roll (1–3 points to taste)
- In‑Round Crafting (unlock)
- Looter’s Instincts (2–3 points)
- Used to the Weight (2–5 points depending on shield use)
- Calming Stroll (unlock when you meet the Mobility threshold)
From there, decide between more Survival utility (Broad Shoulders, Traveling Tinkerer) or Conditioning insurance (Survivor’s Stamina, Fight or Flight). If you’re heading for Security Breach later, pace your Survival points so you’re not starving Mobility in the midgame.
Late‑game targets worth the detour
- Broad Shoulders (Survival): carry more without hitting the red. Excellent return as your routes get greedier.
- Traveling Tinkerer (Survival): expands what you can craft topside, making Free Loadouts far less risky.
- Back on Your Feet (Conditioning): restores health when critically injured, reducing how many heals you need to carry.
- Slip and Slide (Mobility): cheap, consistent mobility that scales well with aggressive play.
Only commit to a 36‑point capstone (like Security Breach) if you’re comfortable delaying several of the above. In most builds, a balanced split across the three branches outperforms a single‑branch rush.
Skills to leave for later
- Carry the Momentum: sprinting for free after a roll sounds great, but internal cooldowns make it unreliable when you need it most.
- Unburdened Roll: only triggers after your shield breaks — too narrow to justify early.
- Looter’s Luck: bonus reveals feel good, but consistency beats RNG in high‑risk runs.
- Vigorous Vaulter: redundant if you’re already committing to stronger movement picks later in the tree.
- Stubborn Mule: better to avoid overencumbrance entirely; Broad Shoulders is the safer fix.
Why these picks work together
Mobility turns stamina from a leash into a tool. Survival keeps your economy flowing in the moment, letting you convert scrap into staying power without dropping out. Conditioning covers worst‑case scenarios with burst stamina and health when you’re one mistake from a wipe. Layered together, you rotate faster, spend less time exposed at containers, and extract more often with fewer consumables in your pack.
Treat the first 15–20 points as your foundation, then specialize. If you run heavy weapons, add Loaded Arms earlier. If your routes are loot‑dense and contested, accelerate Looter’s Instincts and Broad Shoulders. If your squad plays for risky revives, budget for Downed but Determined. The tree is generous — just resist the urge to grab every shiny node and you’ll feel the difference in your first extraction window.
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