ARC Raiders Workshop Guide: How to Upgrade Stations & Unlock Gear
ARC Raiders Workshop Upgrade Guide: Unlock Every Crafting Station
Your Workshop is where “random loot” turns into real power. Every successful extraction feeds your crafting loop: you bring parts back to Speranza, upgrade stations, unlock blueprints, and steadily move from basic survival gear to high-end tools and weapon mods.
This guide breaks down all seven Workshop stations, the best upgrade order, and the fastest way to farm what you need—without wasting hours on the wrong materials. (The Workshop includes a basic Workbench and Scrappy, plus specialized stations.)
Quick TL;DR (Best Upgrade Order)
If you want the smoothest progression, this order usually feels the best:
- Gunsmith → Level 2 (stronger weapons = safer raids)
- Scrappy → Level 2 (free materials over time)
- Gear Bench → Level 2 (bigger shields = more survivability)
- Then specialize:
- Aggressive: Gunsmith + Medical Lab
- Stealth/Mobility: Utility Station + Gear Bench
- Farming/Progression: Refiner + Scrappy
How Workshop Upgrades Work
Each specialized station upgrades from Level 1 → Level 3. Every upgrade tier unlocks new craft options and makes your loadouts more consistent. The loop is simple:
- Raid Topside → loot materials → extract
- Go back to your Workshop → select a station → pay materials → unlock crafts immediately
Important: If you fail to extract, you lose what you carried. Treat rare upgrade items like gold—safe pockets first.
Station 1: Gunsmith (Weapons & Attachments)
The Gunsmith is the “snowball” station. Better guns help you win fights faster, survive more raids, and extract more often—meaning more materials for everything else.
Gunsmith Upgrades (Materials + Key Unlocks)
Level | Required Materials | Key Unlocks
1 | 20x Metal Parts, 30x Rubber Parts | Basic weapon access
2 | 3x Rusted Tools, 5x Mechanical Components, 8x Wasp Driver | Expanded roster + better attachments
3 | 3x Rusted Gear, 5x Adv. Mechanical Components, 4x Sentinel Firing Core
| | Elite weapons + tier-3 mods
Farming notes (practical):
- Wasp Drivers: farm Wasp units when you specifically need them (repeatable, predictable targets).
- Sentinel Firing Cores: you’ll earn these naturally once you’re strong enough to deal with tougher turret encounters.
Why it’s worth rushing: Level 3 puts you in the “endgame weapon” lane—like the Jupiter (a hard-hitting energy sniper) which is known for massive punch and strong armor penetration.
Station 2: Gear Bench (Shields & Augments)
This station decides how many mistakes you can survive. If you feel like you’re constantly getting deleted, your Gear Bench is probably behind.
Gear Bench Progression
Level | Required Materials | Shield / Augment Highlights
1 | 25x Plastic Parts, 30x Fabric | Light/Medium Shields, basic augments
2 | 3x Power Cable, 5x Electrical Components, 5x Hornet Driver | Heavy Shield, Mk.2 augments
3 | 3x Industrial Battery, 5x Adv. Electrical Components, 6x Bastion Cell
| | Looting Mk.3 (Cautious) + advanced augments
Build tip: Looting-focused augments are incredible for material runs—just be honest about the tradeoff if they reduce combat effectiveness.
Station 3: Medical Lab (Healing & Sustain)
The Medical Lab is underrated until you start taking harder fights. Higher tiers usually mean faster, stronger healing, which is basically “more uptime” in raids.
Medical Lab Development
Level | Required Materials | Notable Crafts 1 | 50x Fabric, 6x ARC Alloy | Basic medical access 2 | 2x Cracked Bioscanner, 5x Durable Cloth, 8x Tick Pod | Better healing options 3 | 3x Rusted Shut Medical Kit, 8x Antiseptic, 5x Surveyor Vault | Vita Spray (instant heal)
If you like aggressive play, instant healing-style items can change how you take fights—less downtime, fewer “I have to disengage” moments.
Station 4: Explosives (Grenades & Area Control)
Explosives aren’t just damage—they’re tempo. Good grenades let you control chokepoints, punish pushes, and buy time for extraction.
Explosives Station Capabilities
Level | Required Materials | Grenade Types
1 | 50x Chemicals, 6x ARC Alloy | Gas Grenade, Light Impact Grenade
2 | 3x Synthesized Fuel, 5x Crude Explosives, 5x Pop Trigger | Blaze Grenade (fire damage)
3 | 3x Laboratory Reagents, 5x Explosive Compound, 3x Rocketeer Driver
| | Heavy Fuze Grenade
When to upgrade it: mid-game. It shines once you already have solid weapons + shields.
Station 5: Utility Station (Gadgets, Mobility, Stealth)
Utility is where your raid “options” explode—recon, movement, escapes, clever fights.
Utility Station Options
Level | Required Materials | Gadget Highlights
1 | 50x Plastic Parts, 6x ARC Alloy | Binoculars, Door Blocker, Smoke Grenade
2 | 2x Damaged Heat Sink, 5x Electrical Components, 6x Snitch Scanner| Lure Grenade, Zipline
3 | 3x Fried Motherboard, 5x Adv. Electrical Components, 4x Leaper Pulse Unit
| | Photoelectric Cloak, Snap Hook, Tagging Grenade
Why Utility Level 3 is huge: the Photoelectric Cloak enables temporary concealment and is a real playmaker for risky looting or clean repositioning.
Small pro habit: Ziplines staying in the world can help you “build” safe routes on repeat raids—especially early when you’re still learning maps.
Station 6: Refiner (Turn Common Loot Into Rare Components)
The Refiner is your anti-bottleneck station. When you start needing “advanced” components everywhere, the Refiner keeps you moving.
Refiner Station Mechanics
Level | Required Materials | Conversion / Outputs 1 | 60x Metal Parts, 5x ARC Powercell | Electrical/Mechanical Components, Crude Explosives 2 | 3x Toaster, 5x ARC Motion Core, 8x Fireball Burner | Advanced components, ARC Circuitry, gun parts 3 | 3x Motor, 10x ARC Circuitry, 6x Bombardier Cell | Magnetic Accelerator, Mod Components, Power Rod
Best timing: Once 2–3 stations are approaching Level 3 requirements, Refiner Level 2 often becomes the difference between “stuck” and “steady upgrades.”
Station 7: Scrappy the Rooster (Passive Materials While You Play)
Scrappy is the quiet MVP. He brings in materials passively while you’re topside, reducing grind over time. The Workshop includes Scrappy as a passive material source.
Scrappy Upgrades (Items + Output)
Level | Required Items | Material Output 1 | None | Metal Parts, Fabric, Plastic Parts 2 | 1x Dog Collar | Faster deliveries 3 | 3x Lemon, 3x Apricot | Adds Chemicals, Rubber Parts 4 | 6x Prickly Pear, 6x Olives, 1x Cat Bed | Higher-quality materials 5 | 12x Mushroom, 12x Apricot, 3x Very Comfortable Pillow | Premium components
Farming tip (safe + efficient): Scrappy items are easiest to collect on calmer runs where you’re not trying to force PvP.
Blueprints: How to Unlock the Best Crafts Faster
Blueprints are simple but brutal:
- You must extract with them for them to count
- If you die, they’re gone
- Put them in safe pockets the moment you find them
- You “learn” them after extraction in the Workshop
Blueprint priorities by playstyle:
- Aggressive: Gunsmith + Medical Lab
- Stealth: Utility gadgets + mobility
- Farming: Gear augments + Refiner conversions
Rare blueprints (like top-tier weapons or stealth gadgets) tend to show up in more contested areas—plan your route like you expect company.
What About the Basic Workbench?
The Basic Workbench (starter bench) is your always-useful utility bench for early essentials like ammo and baseline consumables. It’s part of the Workshop setup alongside Scrappy.
You’ll keep using it for “daily needs,” while the specialized stations handle the power upgrades.
Material Farming Routes (Easy Planning)
Use targeted raids instead of “random wandering”:
- Spaceport: electrical/tech-focused loot (good for Gear Bench + Utility + Refiner needs)
- Dam Battlegrounds: mechanical/industrial loot (great for Gunsmith + Refiner)
- Marano Park: fabric/chemicals + fruits (perfect for Medical + Scrappy item runs)
- Abandoned Facilities: mixed loot + consistent ARC unit spawns for driver-type drops
Rule of thumb: pick one station goal, then run the zone that best supports it for 2–3 raids in a row.
Common Upgrade Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them)
1) Skipping Scrappy
You don’t feel it today… then you realize you’ve missed a mountain of free materials.
2) Leveling everything evenly
Two stations at Level 3 usually beat seven stations at Level 1.
3) Not protecting rare items
If it’s rare, it goes in safe pockets immediately—no exceptions.
4) Ignoring the Refiner
Once “advanced components” start appearing in multiple upgrade lists, Refiner becomes your best friend.
Want to Skip the Grind? (misti.services)
If you’d rather focus on the fun parts (builds, fights, exploring) and avoid repetitive farming, misti.services can help you progress faster with safe, manual services—so your Workshop upgrades don’t stall out.