Crafting Guide

Complete crafting guide for Arc Raiders covering station upgrade order, what to craft first, and material management.

Category: Strategy · Updated 2026-04-05

Crafting is the backbone of progression in Arc Raiders. Every upgrade to your Speranza stations unlocks better weapons, armor, and gadgets. Here is the optimal path from fresh Raider to endgame powerhouse.

Station Upgrade Priority

Your Speranza base has six stations: Workbench, Gunsmith, Gear Bench, Medical Station, Gadget Lab, and Recycling Station. Each goes from Lv.1 to Lv.3.

Phase 1 (First 10 hours): Workbench Lv.2 (costs 15 Metal Parts, 10 Plastic Parts, 8 Screws and Bolts). This unlocks the Venator, which is a massive upgrade over the starter Ferro. Follow with Medical Station Lv.2 for Advanced Medkits.

Phase 2 (10 to 30 hours): Gear Bench Lv.2 (15 Metal Parts, 15 Fabric, 8 Adhesive, 6 Rubber Parts). Unlocks Reinforced Armor. Then Gadget Lab Lv.2 for Firecrackers and Gas Mines.

Phase 3 (30+ hours): Gunsmith Lv.2 (20 Metal Parts, 10 Springs, 10 Screws and Bolts, 5 Wiring). Start working toward Lv.3 upgrades across the board. Gunsmith Lv.3 requires ARC Alloy, Circuitry, Power Cables, and ARC Circuitry.

Phase 4 (Endgame): All stations to Lv.3. Workbench Lv.3 needs 8 ARC Alloy. Gunsmith Lv.3 needs 12 ARC Alloy and 3 ARC Circuitry. Gear Bench Lv.3 needs 10 ARC Alloy and 2 ARC Alloys. These are serious material investments that require farming Spaceport, Blue Gate, and Stella Montis.

What to Craft First

Once your Workbench hits Lv.2, craft a Venator immediately. This single weapon carries you through mid-game. Next priority is Advanced Medkits from Medical Station Lv.2.

Craft Reinforced Helmet and Reinforced Vest from Gear Bench Lv.2 next. The protection jump from Basic to Reinforced is enormous.

For gadgets, craft Firecrackers first. Information about enemy positions is more valuable than any grenade.

Material Management

Keep a stockpile buffer. Before crafting any expensive item, make sure you have enough materials left over for at least 2 more basic loadouts (Ferro + Basic Vest + Bandages). Going bankrupt on materials means you have to do naked runs on Dam Battlegrounds to rebuild.

Recycle before crafting. After every raid, run your loot through the Recycling Station first to maximize available materials.

Crafting Cost Awareness

Always check the full recipe before committing. Some high-tier items like the Vulcano require materials from multiple sources: ARC Alloy from machine kills, Metal Parts from general looting, and Springs that are sometimes in short supply. Plan your raids around what materials you need.