ARC Raiders gives you three skill trees and dozens of perks to play with, but it can be hard to know which combinations actually work in real raids. Instead of spreading your points everywhere, these five ARC Raiders best builds show you exactly which skills to level, how many ranks to take in each, and what kind of playstyle each setup supports.
All of them are built around the three core trees — Conditioning, Mobility, and Survival — and focus on stamina efficiency, traversal, looting speed, and staying alive long enough to extract with your haul.
1. How ARC Raiders Builds & Skill Trees Work
The skill system in ARC Raiders is split into three branches: Conditioning, Mobility, and Survival. Each build on this list leans into a different mix of these trees, depending on whether you want to move faster, loot more, or tank more damage.
- Conditioning focuses on stamina capacity, recovery, weight capacity, and resistance to hazards like explosions or fall damage.
- Mobility enhances movement, vaulting, climbing, dodge rolls, and stamina efficiency during movement-heavy fights and traversals.
- Survival emphasizes stealth, looting efficiency, crafting in the field, and inventory capacity, making it ideal when you want to avoid loud fights and come home heavy with loot.
You earn skill points as you level and can spread them across all three trees. Each node has a rank like 1/5 or 3/5 (for multi-rank skills) or 1/1 for single-point unlocks. The builds below tell you exactly how many ranks to take in each skill and explain how that combination behaves in real raids.
2. ARC Raiders Versatile Starter Build – Best All-Round Skill Tree for Any Raid
The Versatile starter build is for players who want a smooth mix of movement, stamina control, and looting efficiency without over-specializing in one direction. It enhances the core loop of running, looting, breaching, and surviving so you’re never completely out of stamina, stuck in a slow crawl, or missing basic survival tools.
Versatile Starter Build
2.1 Versatile Starter Skill Distribution
This setup uses all three trees and spreads points to keep your Raider flexible.
Conditioning – 7 Points
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- Used to the Weight – 1/5
- Gentle Pressure – 1/5
- Proficient Pryer – 5/5
Mobility – 17 Points
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- Nimble Climber – 1/5
- Slip and Slide – 3/5
- Marathon Runner – 5/5
- Youthful Lungs – 5/5
- Sturdy Ankles – 1/5
- Carry the Momentum – 1/1
- Calming Stroll – 1/1
Survival – 24 Points
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- Agile Croucher – 3/5
- Revitalizing Squat – 5/5
- Looter’s Instincts – 1/5
- In-Round Crafting – 1/1
- Silent Scavenger – 5/5
- Suffer in Silence – 1/1
- Good As New – 1/1
- Traveling Tinkerer – 1/1
- Broad Shoulders – 5/5
- Looters Luck — 1/1
2.2 How the Versatile Starter Build Plays
This build plays like a flexible generalist that works in every raid. Instead of relying on a single gimmick, it blends quiet looting, consistent stamina recovery, and steady mobility so you can rotate between POIs, breach containers, and stay safe while gathering resources.
Survival Perks: Quiet Looting & Efficient Crouch Movement
The Survival tree is the backbone of this build, giving you stealth, crafting options, and big improvements to your looting tempo:
- Silent Scavenger keeps your looting noise low so you can clear rooms without attracting nearby raiders.
- Looter’s Instincts and Looter’s Luck help you spot containers faster and occasionally increase loot value.
- Broad Shoulders increases what you can carry without instantly becoming slowed.
- Agile Croucher and Revitalizing Squat make crouched movement both fast and stamina-friendly.
- Suffer in Silence and Good As New support low-profile play and mid-raid recovery.
- In-Round Crafting and Traveling Tinkerer let you convert scrap into useful tools while topside.
Together, these perks allow you to move quietly through buildings, recover stamina safely while crouched, and loot quickly without becoming over-encumbered.
Mobility Perks: Smooth Stamina Flow & Traversal
The Mobility side keeps your stamina stable during rotations and general traversal. It ensures you can reach POIs quickly and reposition without getting drained.
- Marathon Runner and Youthful Lungs reduce the stamina cost of long-distance movement.
- Calming Stroll regenerates stamina while walking, letting you recover mid-travel instead of stopping.
- Carry the Momentum and Slip and Slide help maintain speed while sliding and chaining movement actions.
- Nimble Climber improves vertical movement so climbs don’t halt your momentum.
- Sturdy Ankles protects you from stamina loss on hard landings.
This makes the build feel comfortable and consistent when navigating rooftops, clearing compounds, or rotating between events.
Conditioning Perks: Faster Breaching & Reduced Encumbrance
The small Conditioning investment enhances general comfort and efficiency rather than raw durability.
- Proficient Pryer 5/5 significantly speeds up breaching containers and locked doors.
- Used to the Weight reduces stamina penalties from wearing gear or carrying items.
- Gentle Pressure stabilizes stamina usage during long movements.
These perks ensure you don’t fall behind in breaching speed and don’t feel sluggish when carrying moderate loot weight.
Playstyle Summary
The Versatile Starter Build plays like an adaptable, steady operator who is rarely caught unprepared. You loot fast, move quietly, craft what you need on the fly, and travel efficiently between objectives.
2.3 How to Level the Versatile Starter Build (Step-by-Step)
To actually build this setup, you don’t want to grab everything at random. Follow this order so your Raider always feels playable while you’re climbing towards the full version.
Early Game
Survival → (Revitalizing Squat, Agile Croucher, Looter’s Instincts, Silent Scavenger, In-Round Crafting). Then Mobility → (Marathon Runner, Youthful Lungs)
Mid Game
Finish Survival core → (Silent Scavenger 5/5, Revitalizing Squat 5/5, Broad Shoulders). Then Mobility core → (Marathon Runner 5/5, Youthful Lungs 5/5, Carry the Momentum, Calming Stroll)
Late Game
Finish Survival utility → (Looter’s Luck, Good As New, Traveling Tinkerer, Suffer in Silence). Finish Conditioning → (Proficient Pryer 5/5, Used to the Weight, Gentle Pressure)
2.4 When to Use the Versatile Starter Build
Pick this build if you:
- Want a single character that feels good in every raid type – solo or with a squad.
- Like to loot thoroughly but still need enough mobility to rotate between zones and events.
- Prefer a forgiving playstyle that gives you crafting options, stealth tools, and stamina safety nets rather than extreme specialization.
3. High-Mobility Skirmisher Build – Stamina-Focused Combat Setup
The High mobility skrimisher build is built for players who constantly find themselves out of stamina right when a fight starts. It prioritizes stamina efficiency, dodge cost reduction, and staying dangerous while under pressure. If you love pushing fights, sliding into cover, and repositioning aggressively, this setup is aimed at you.
High Mobility Skrimisher Build
3.1 High Mobility Skirmisher Skill Distribution
Conditioning – 17 Points
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- Used to the Weight – 5/5
- Blast-Born – 1/5
- Gentle Pressure – 1/5
- Proficient Pryer – 3/5
- Fight or Flight – 5/5
- Survivor’s Stamina – 1/1
- Downed But Determined – 1/5
Mobility – 24 Points
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- Nimble Climber – 4/5
- Slip and Slide – 4/5
- Marathon Runner – 5/5
- Sturdy Ankles – 1/5
- Youthful Lungs – 5/5
- Carry the Momentum – 1/1
- Calming Stroll – 1/1
- Crawl Before You Walk – 3/5
Survival – 7 Points
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- Agile Croucher – 1/5
- Revitalizing Squat – 5/5
- In-Round Crafting – 1/1
3.2 How the High Mobility Skirmisher Build Plays
This build revolves around nonstop movement. Instead of trading hits or anchoring positions, you rely on stamina-efficient sprinting, sliding, and dodge chains to stay evasive and unpredictable.
Mobility Perks: Keeping You in Constant Motion
The core of the build focuses on reducing stamina usage and rewarding fluid movement.
- Marathon Runner and Youthful Lungs cut the stamina cost of sprinting, helping you move across open zones without gassing out.
- Slip and Slide and Carry the Momentum let you chain slides and dodges together to maintain momentum and become harder to hit.
- Calming Stroll regenerates stamina while walking, letting you reset between engagements without stopping.
- Nimble Climber improves vertical transitions for rooftops or terrain jumps.
Conditioning Perks: Recovering Stamina Under Pressure
When things get rough, your Conditioning perks keep your stamina from collapsing.
- Fight or Flight restores stamina after taking damage, helping you disengage quickly.
- Survivor’s Stamina gives an emergency stamina burst when critically low.
- Downed But Determined extends your downed duration so allies have more time to revive you.
- Used to the Weight and Gentle Pressure keep movement penalties manageable.
Survival Utilities: Tools for Long Fights
The build includes just enough Survival tools to stay functional in extended skirmishes.
- Revitalizing Squat and Agile Croucher make crouched repositioning quick and stamina-neutral.
- In-Round Crafting supports mid-fight crafting when you need consumables fast.
Playstyle Summary
The High Mobility Skirmisher build plays like an evasive duelist. You’re always moving, sliding, and repositioning, recovering stamina naturally and getting bursts of it back when hit. You’re difficult to pin down, fast to re-engage, and always in control of your spacing during combat.
3.3 How to Level the High Mobility Skirmisher Build (Step-by-Step)
To make this combat-focused setup feel smooth from the moment you enter raids, you need to unlock stamina flow first, then your dodge/slide chain, and finally your defensive Conditioning tools.
Early Game
Mobility → (Marathon Runner, Youthful Lungs, Slip and Slide). Then Conditioning → (Fight or Flight, Used to the Weight). Then Survival → (Revitalizing Squat 1–2/5, Agile Croucher 1/5, In-Round Crafting).
Mid Game
Finish Mobility core → (Marathon Runner 5/5, Youthful Lungs 5/5, Slip and Slide 4/5, Nimble Climber 2–4/5, Carry the Momentum, Calming Stroll). Then add Survival sustain → (Revitalizing Squat 5/5).
Late Game
Finish Conditioning → (Fight or Flight 5/5, Used to the Weight 5/5, Proficient Pryer 3/5, Gentle Pressure, Blast-Born, Survivor’s Stamina, Downed But Determined). Then finalize utility → (Crawl Before You Walk, Sturdy Ankles, Nimble Climber 4/5).
3.4 When to Use the High Mobility Skirmisher Build
Choose this build if you:
- Play aggressively and constantly re-peek, flank, or chase enemies.
- Hate running out of stamina in the middle of a firefight and want strong stamina safety nets.
- Still want some utility from breaching and crafting, but care more about tempo and survivability in combat.
4. ARC Raiders Heavy Hauler Loot Build – Max Carry Weight & Silent Scavenging
The Heavy hauler loot build is designed for “loot goblin” runs where your main goal is to open as many containers as possible, carry a massive haul, and process materials efficiently. It sacrifices direct combat power in favor of looting speed, bag space, and crafting flexibility, making it perfect for calmer raids focused on progression and resource farming.
Heavy Hauler Loot Build
4.1 Heavy Hauler Loot Skill Distribution
Conditioning – 7 Points
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- Used to the Weight – 1/5
- Gentle Pressure – 1/5
- Proficient Pryer – 5/5
Mobility – 4 Points
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- Nimble Climber – 1/5
- Marathon Runner – 1/5
- Youthful Lungs – 2/5
Survival – 37 Points
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- Agile Croucher – 5/5
- Revitalizing Squat – 5/5
- Looter’s Instincts – 5/5
- In-Round Crafting – 1/1
- Silent Scavenger – 5/5
- Suffer in Silence – 1/1
- Good As New – 1/1
- Traveling Tinkerer – 1/1
- Broad Shoulders – 5/5
- Stubborn Mule – 5/5
- Looter’s Luck – 1/1
- One Raider’s Scraps – 1/5
- Security Breach – 1/1
4.2 How the Heavy Hauler Loot Build Plays
This build plays like a specialized looting operator. Instead of fighting aggressively, you move quietly, open containers efficiently, and carry far more than other Raiders.
Survival Perks: Fast, Quiet, Efficient Looting
The bulk of the build is dedicated to loot speed, stealth, and bag capacity.
- Looter’s Instincts speeds up container scanning, while Looter’s Luck improves loot quality.
- Silent Scavenger reduces noise made when looting.
- Broad Shoulders and Stubborn Mule greatly increase carry weight and reduce movement penalties.
- Agile Croucher and Revitalizing Squat support fast, quiet building clearing.
- Suffer in Silence and Good As New help you recover without exposing yourself.
- In-Round Crafting and Traveling Tinkerer let you process junk into useful materials mid-raid.
- One Raider’s Scraps improves scrap yield.
- Security Breach unlocks special loot containers.
Mobility Perks: Enough Stamina to Traverse Loot Routes
You invest lightly in mobility, but it’s enough to stay comfortable while gathering.
- Youthful Lungs and Marathon Runner reduce movement fatigue between POIs.
- Nimble Climber supports vertical building traversal.
Conditioning Perks: Faster Breaches
Conditioning isn’t the focus, but it gives necessary breaching support.
- Proficient Pryer makes opening containers and doors much faster.
- Used to the Weight and Gentle Pressure help when carrying heavy loads.
Playstyle Summary
The Heavy Hauler Loot build is all about efficiency. You clear buildings silently, gather more than anyone else, and convert scrap into valuable resources mid-run. If your goal is to walk out with a full bag every time, this is the strongest setup.
4.3 How to Level the Heavy Hauler Loot Build (Step-by-Step)
Since this build invests heavily into Survival first, then adds small Mobility boosts and minimal Conditioning, the best way to level it is to unlock your looting engine early, secure crouch sustain, and only then build carry weight and crafting depth.
Early Game
Survival → (Looter’s Instincts 1–3/5, Agile Croucher 2/5, Revitalizing Squat 2/5, Silent Scavenger 1/5, In-Round Crafting).
Then Conditioning → (Used to the Weight 1/5, Gentle Pressure 1/5).
Then Mobility → (Youthful Lungs 1–2/5, Marathon Runner 1/5, Nimble Climber 1/5).
Mid Game
Finish Survival core → (Looter’s Instincts 5/5, Silent Scavenger 3/5 → 5/5, Agile Croucher 5/5, Revitalizing Squat 5/5).
Then expand carry capacity → (Broad Shoulders 3–5/5, Stubborn Mule 3/5).
Add basic utility → (Traveling Tinkerer, Good As New, Suffer in Silence).
Late Game
Finish Survival utility → (Stubborn Mule 5/5, Looter’s Luck, Security Breach, One Raider’s Scraps).
Finish Conditioning → (Proficient Pryer 5/5).
Finalize Mobility → (Youthful Lungs 2/5 → full 2/5, Marathon Runner 1/5, Nimble Climber 1/5).
4.4 When to Use the Heavy Hauler Loot Build
Use this build when you:
- Are specifically going on a loot-focused run and don’t plan on seeking fights.
- Want to maximize materials and crafting components for workbench upgrades and long-term progression.
- Are comfortable playing around noise, cover, and stealth while relying on field crafting and big bag space rather than raw combat perks.
5. Tanky Breacher Build – Best Defensive ARC Raiders Build
The Tanky Breacher build is for Raiders who want to endure punishment, stay in the fight under heavy fire, and turn breaching itself into a resource engine. It focuses almost entirely on survival, self-recovery, and breaching synergy, trading away some loot and stamina efficiency in exchange for staying alive longer and dragging your team through tough situations.
Tanky Breacher Build
5.1 Tanky Breacher Skill Distribution
Conditioning – 37 Points
-
- Used to the Weight – 5/5
- Blast-Born – 1/5
- Gentle Pressure – 5/5
- Proficient Pryer – 5/5
- Fight or Flight – 5/5
- Survivor’s Stamina – 1/1
- Unburdened Roll – 1/1
- Downed But Determined – 2/5
- A Little Extra – 5/5
- Turtle Crawl – 1/1
- Loaded Arms – 5/5
- Back On Your Feet – 1/1
Mobility – 11 Points
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- Nimble Climber – 1/5
- Marathon Runner – 5/5
- Youthful Lungs – 5/5
Survival – 0 Points
5.2 How the Tanky Breacher Build Plays
This build plays like a frontline anchor meant to survive pressure and break open locked areas safely. It leans heavily into conditioning, recovery, and breaching perks that let you stay alive even when pushing into dangerous zones.
Conditioning Perks: Tankiness & Stamina Stability
Conditioning forms the entire backbone of the build, keeping you tough and stable during prolonged engagements.
- Used to the Weight and Gentle Pressure minimize stamina penalties from gear load.
- Fight or Flight provides stamina after being hit, helping you escape danger.
- Survivor’s Stamina restores stamina at critical health.
- Blast-Born offers extra protection against explosions.
- Loaded Arms improves handling when carrying heavy gear.
- Proficient Pryer fully speeds up every breach action.
- A Little Extra gives bonus resources from breaches.
- Unburdened Roll keeps your dodge responsive when breaching under pressure.
- Downed But Determined extends your downed timer.
- Turtle Crawl improves crawl speed.
- Back On Your Feet helps you recover better after being revived.
Mobility Support: Enough to Maneuver Under Load
Mobility isn’t the focus, but the build includes enough stamina support to reposition effectively.
- Marathon Runner and Youthful Lungs keep you from exhausting during retreats or rotations.
Playstyle Summary
The Tanky Breacher build plays like a resilient door-kicker. You survive heavy fire, breach faster than anyone else, and stay dangerous even when downed. Whether pushing high-risk zones or supporting a team, you’re the Raider who holds the line when things go wrong.
5.3 How to Level the Tanky Breacher Build (Step-by-Step)
This build is almost entirely Conditioning-based, so you want to unlock the stamina backbone first, then layer in defensive perks, then finish with all breaching and tank tools that let you push doors safely.
Early Game
Mobility → (Marathon Runner 2–3/5, Youthful Lungs 2–3/5). Then Conditioning → (Used to the Weight 3/5, Gentle Pressure 2/5). Then defense → (Fight or Flight 1–2/5).
Mid Game
Finish mobility stamina → (Marathon Runner 5/5, Youthful Lungs 5/5). Then build tank core → (Used to the Weight 5/5, Gentle Pressure 5/5, Fight or Flight 5/5, Survivor’s Stamina).
Add breaching support → (Proficient Pryer 3/5).
Late Game
Finish all breaching & resource perks → (Proficient Pryer 5/5, A Little Extra 5/5).
Stack downed-state safety → (Downed But Determined, Turtle Crawl, Back On Your Feet).
Complete encumbrance protection → (Loaded Arms 5/5, Unburdened Roll). Then utility → (Blast-Born 1/5, Nimble Climber 1/5).
5.4 When to Use the Tanky Breacher Build
Use this build when you:
- Want to be the frontline Raider who can take hits and keep going.
- Regularly push into high-risk zones and locked areas where breaching is frequent.
- Prefer a playstyle that survives mistakes and over-extensions instead of relying strictly on stealth or long-range engagements.
6. ARC Raiders Peak Agility Runner Build – Parkour Movement & Vertical Mobility
The Peak agility runner build is the ultimate movement-focused setup. It’s built for players who want pure agility, vertical mobility, and low stamina costs, letting you vault obstacles, climb difficult routes, and reach unconventional positions that other players struggle to get to. If you love staying light and constantly on the move, this is the build to aim for.
Peak Agility Runner Build
6.1 Peak Agility Runner Skill Distribution
Conditioning – 5 Points
-
- Used to the Weight – 5/5
Mobility – 38 Points
-
- Nimble Climber – 1/5
- Agile Croucher – 5/5
- Slip and Slide – 5/5
- Marathon Runner – 5/5
- Sturdy Ankles – 1/5
- Youthful Lungs – 5/5
- Carry the Momentum – 1/1
- Calming Stroll – 1/1
- Effortless Roll – 5/5
- Crawl Before You Walk – 1/5
- Off the Wall – 4/5
- Vigorous Vaulter – 1/1
- Heroic Leap – 1/5
- Vaults on Vaults on Vaults – 1/1
- Vault Spring – 1/1
Survival – 5 Points
-
- Agile Croucher – 5/5
6.2 How the Peak Agility Runner Build Plays
This build focuses on pure movement, vertical traversal, and low-cost stamina actions. It turns the map into a parkour playground, letting you chain slides, vaults, and leaps to stay ahead of threats and reach areas others can’t.
Mobility Perks: Speed, Flow, and Stamina Control
Nearly every Mobility perk pushes your movement efficiency higher.
- Marathon Runner and Youthful Lungs reduce stamina usage during long sprints.
- Slip and Slide and Effortless Roll enable smooth chains of slides and rolls.
- Carry the Momentum extends movement chains for even more speed.
- Calming Stroll regenerates stamina while walking.
- Off the Wall improves wall interactions and vaulting control.
- Vigorous Vaulter and Vault Spring make vaults faster and smoother.
- Vaults on Vaults on Vaults enhances advanced vault routes.
- Heroic Leap increases your jump capabilities.
- Nimble Climber improves climb speed and stamina cost.
Survival Perk: Crouch & Low-Profile Speed
The build maintains stealth even while prioritizing movement.
- Agile Croucher keeps crouched traversal extremely fast and fluid.
Conditioning Perk: Staying Light & Unrestricted
The small Conditioning investment prevents gear weight from interfering with movement.
- Used to the Weight keeps your load from slowing you down.
Playstyle Summary
The Peak Agility Runner is all about freedom of movement. You parkour across rooftops, dodge threats effortlessly, and reach objectives far ahead of other Raiders. If you want a build that never stops moving, this is the strongest choice.
6.3 How to Level the Peak Agility Runner Build (Step-by-Step)
This build invests almost everything into Mobility, so you want to unlock your stamina chain first, then your slide/roll chain, then your vaulting/parkour tools, and finally the small Conditioning + Survival pieces that keep you light and smooth.
Early Game
Mobility → (Marathon Runner 2–3/5, Youthful Lungs 2–3/5, Slip and Slide 1–2/5, Nimble Climber 1/5).
Then core crouch mobility → (Agile Croucher 2–3/5).
Then Conditioning → (Used to the Weight 3/5).
Mid Game
Finish Mobility core → (Marathon Runner 5/5, Youthful Lungs 5/5, Slip and Slide 5/5, Agile Croucher 5/5, Effortless Roll 3–5/5, Sturdy Ankles 1/5).
Add stamina flow & chain movement → (Carry the Momentum, Calming Stroll).
Add parkour scaling → (Off the Wall 2–3/5, Vigorous Vaulter).
Late Game
Finish full movement toolkit → (Off the Wall 4/5, Effortless Roll 5/5, Crawl Before You Walk, Heroic Leap, Vault Spring, Vaults on Vaults on Vaults).
Finish Conditioning → (Used to the Weight 5/5).
Finish Survival → (Agile Croucher already capped 5/5 — no further points needed).
6.4 When to Use the Peak Agility Runner Build
Pick this build when you:
- Play on maps with lots of verticality and obstacles, where mobility is a big advantage.
- Want to beat other Raiders to events, objectives, or high-value loot spots simply by moving faster.
- Prefer a playstyle focused on flanking, scouting, and quick extractions rather than tanking or heavy looting.
