ARC Raiders Expedition Day Progression Guide
Expedition Day, especially on a wipe, is where efficient planning separates steady progression from wasted runs. This guide outlines a proven, experience-based approach to quickly reaching level 20, upgrading core workstations, stabilizing your economy, and setting up long-term XP farming in ARC Raiders. This is not theorycrafting-this is a practical roadmap based on what has already worked and continues to work.
Step One: Manipulate Matchmaking for Passive Lobbies
Your first objective is safety. While the exact mechanics of aggression-based matchmaking are not fully transparent, Embark has confirmed that player behavior is tracked. In practice, non-aggressive behavior consistently results in less hostile lobbies. During your first four to five raids, run free kits, approach players, and do not fight back if attacked. Let them eliminate you. Once these initial runs are complete, stop engaging players entirely. This method reliably produces low-aggression lobbies, allowing uninterrupted looting and farming during the critical early phase.
Step Two: Secure Early Capital Without Overfarming
Early ARC Raiders coins money is necessary, but overcommitting is inefficient due to low carry weight and limited augments. Focus on acquiring foundational materials-metal parts, fabric, and arc cells-rather than raw credits. Stella Montis is ideal for this stage. Prioritize Assembly Workshops, Medical Research, and the Cafeteria loop. Fill your bag, extract quickly, and avoid breaching doors early on. If you encounter a Bastion near Loading Bay, exploit exposed batteries and cores for easy additional profit.
Step Three: Rush Gear Bench and Refiner Upgrades
The two most important workstations are the Gear Bench and the Refiner. Gear Bench Level Two unlocks Looting Mark II, a transformative upgrade. It increases pocket capacity, adds safe slots, grants additional augment slots, and boosts carry weight by 10 kg, effectively eliminating early weight restrictions.
To unlock it, farm hornet drivers, power cables, and electrical components. Robotic Sandbox A and B control rooms are particularly efficient. Pair this with early Refiner upgrades to convert basic materials into electrical and mechanical components. Refiner Level Two further unlocks advanced materials essential for all future station upgrades.
Step Four: Upgrade Scrappy Efficiently
Scrappy is a major quality-of-life upgrade and should not be delayed. Residential loot spawns provide most required items, but the most efficient location is the Red Tower in Buried City near Plaza Rosa. This location reliably yields dog collars, beds, and pillows. For fruit requirements, wait for a Lush Bloom event. Use an interactive map to route basket spawns and complete nearly all fruit requirements in a single run.
Step Five: XP Farming and Skill Tree Priorities
Your main XP goal is unlocking Broad Shoulders (5/5). Each point increases carry weight by 2kg per augment, scaling exponentially with better gear. Efficient XP comes from combining search XP with ARC combat. Search every container-even empty ones-for burst XP.
Bastions are the premier XP target. They are predictable, easy to farm, and extremely rewarding. Use a fast-firing weapon to destroy leg joints, stun the Bastion, then safely expose and destroy the battery and core. Impact grenades dramatically speed this process. A single run can yield 20-30k XP and 80-100k credits in under ten minutes.
Step Six: Finish Workstations and Prepare for Endgame
With Bastion farming established, remaining workstation upgrades become trivial. Bastion cells unlock Gear Bench Level Three, while industrial batteries and motors are easily farmed in warehouse and checkpoint zones. Refiner Level Three requires bombarder cells and arc circuitry, both obtainable through ARC combat or refining.
Medical and utility stations should be upgraded through high-value medical locations such as Medical Research on Stella Montis or hospitals in Buried City. Surveyor cores and firing cores can be looted directly from ARC enemies without vault access.
Final Notes on Blueprints and Long-Term Progression
Blueprints are a low priority early on. They are significantly more common post-1.7 and can be transferred between players who did not reset. Focus first on progression efficiency, XP scaling, and economic stability. Once Broad Shoulders is unlocked and stations are online, blueprint farming becomes trivial.
From here, the path forward is simple: continue Bastion farming, finish Scrappy Level Five, complete remaining quests for key grenade blueprints, and push steadily toward level 75 with minimal risk.
This approach maximizes efficiency, minimizes downtime, and ensures every raid moves your account forward.
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