Best skills in Star Wars Outlaws to unlock first

Here are the best skills to unlock first in Star Wars Outlaws

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Ubisoft

Looking for the best skills in Star Wars Outlaws? As with other Ubisoft games, Star Wars Outlaws offers a host of skills to unlock as you progress through the game. These skills vary from slicing (hacking) to Speeder skills for traversal, gunslinging and more.

These skills are divided between different ’ Experts ‘. Individuals you must track down across the galaxy and convince to teach you. Below, we’ve gathered a list of the best skills we’ve encountered so far and a rundown of how to unlock them for yourself.

Best skills in Star Wars Outlaws

The best skills in Star Wars Outlaws are the following , (be sure to click the ones that take your fancy or scroll down to see an in-depth tour of them all).

• I Know Someone
• Speed Boost
• Smoke Bomb
• Lightfooted
• Sneaky Trap

I Know Someone

The ‘I Know Someone’ perk allows you to fulfil the personal requests of certain merchants. What this essentially means is that you can trade materials for unique clothing items. This is handy if you’re low on Credits but have a surplus of common materials like Coarseweave and Robuma Leather.

Nix’s outfits are exceptionally cute but require more specialised items that you can get by asking Nix to dig for you at treasure spots. There is one such spot within the housing quarter just outside of Mirogana City.

If you want more fashion items for Nix, look to the merchant ‘Personal Requests’. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Ubisoft

As for the Kay outfits, these range in special perks. A few good items to pick up quickly are the Begamor Ruffian Pants, provided by the Treasure Trader in the Mirogana Market. These allow Kay to reduce incoming damage when running.

How to unlock the ‘I Know Someone’ skill

The ‘I Know Someone’ skill is part of ’ The Bartender ’ Expert’s group of skills. As you’re introduced to this Expert and these skills almost straight away in Star Wars Outlaws , you simply have to follow these requirements to unlock the skill:

• Meet different merchants x6: This should be easy enough once you follow the main questline and get to Mirogana City on Toshara.
• Spend Credits at merchants x1,000: Complete quests and contracts to earn Credits. You can also bet on Fathier races and play Sabbac. See our full guide to making Credits fast for more tips.

Speed Boost

The Speed Boost skill is one of the many things that makes Nix happy. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Ubisoft

As you can imagine from the name, the ‘Speed Boost’ skill allows you to accelerate for a limited time when riding the Speeder. It’s a simple yet effective skill that can save time when travelling across planets to quest destinations.

Additionally, in a pinch it can help you evade syndicate thugs and pirates. Also, Nix enjoys the boost and anything that puts a smile on their cute little face is worth unlocking.

How to unlock the ‘Speed Boost’ skill

You’ll unlock the ‘Speed Boost’ skill as soon as you recruit ’ The Mechanic ’ Expert. To do so, pick up Danka’s tip and speak to the bartender at the cantina at Jaunta’s Hope on Toshara. You’ll get this option once you complete the ’ New Tricks ’ main quest.

As part of this quest, you’ll naturally unlock the Speed Boost perk on completion and will have access to the unlock requirements for the other Mechanic perks.

Smoke Bomb

You’ll have to complete a mini-dungeon to get the Smoke Compressor part for this skill. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Ubisoft

Star Wars Outlaws does not shy away from stealth. In fact, some quests have non-negotiable stealth sections that will instantly fail if you’re spotted. For this reason, the Smoke Bombs are an essential unlock pretty early on in-game.

Unsurprisingly, this skill allows you to drop smoke bombs, covering an area with smoke and allowing you to sneak through the fog undetected by enemies. This can be a real saver if you get pigeonholed between enemies and need more time to get to safety.

How to unlock the ‘Smoke Bomb’ skill

As per the above perk, the ‘Smoke Bomb’ skill is part of ’ The Mechanic ’ Expert group of skills. The Smoke Bomb requires the following materials to unlock:

• Smoke Bomb Compressor: This is a special part that can only be obtained from the northern Boulder Forest region on Toshara. The part is within a canyon and you’ll have to use the shock setting on your blaster against various power nodes to open doors and evade the strong winds of the region.
• Polycarbonate: This is a fairly common material that can be purchased from general goods merchants or picked up from either syndicate or imperial bases.
• Mg-2 Power Exceeder: For specialised Speeder parts that are less common like these, see the special ‘Faction Stock’ of merchants around Mirogana. To shop from this inventory you’ll need a ‘good’ rep with whichever syndicate they are affiliated with. Pick up contracts to gain a reputation with each group.

Lightfooted

This is the perfect skill for those of us impatient and unwilling to crouch walk everywhere. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Ubisoft

The most irritating thing about a sneak mission in Star Wars Outlaws is having a near-perfect run and then getting caught by something as simple as an ill-timed run. With the ‘Lightfooted’ skill, you can run and walk with reduced noise. Additionally, the enemy detection distance is halved, meaning you can walk closer to enemies without them being alerted by your presence.

This is an extremely simple skill but one that you will use again and again given the number of stealth sequences in Star Wars Outlaws.

How to unlock the ‘Lightfooted’ skill

The ‘Lightfooted’ skill belongs to ’ The Slicer ’ group. Once you complete the ‘New Tricks’ main mission, Danka will give you the first clue as to The Slicer’s whereabouts. Complete their mission and then do the following to get this skill:

• Complete a smuggler contract: Contracts are available once you complete the ‘False Flag’ main mission. You can access contract brokers through the computer terminal on the Trailblazer. Smuggler contracts involve you moving goods from one crate to another (sometimes within an allotted time limit).
• Perform a Takedown on an Imperial Officer: Imperial Officers tend to wear grey uniforms. You can usually encounter one or more at Imperial Outposts and Terminal stations.
• Lockpick different locks x3: Using your data spike you can access locked chests. Simply interact with the puzzle at the same time as the lights flash. Make sure you observe the rhythm of the lights as these change from lock to lock.

Sneaky Trap

No more alarms for the unwitting soul that presses this button. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Ubisoft

The ‘Sneaky Trap’ skill is another handy perk to have in your back pocket when infiltrating bases in Star Wars Outlaws. This skill allows Nix to sabotage alarms, making them spark off and take down any enemies that trigger them.

If you haven’t been doing so, you can already sabotage alarms to prevent them from going off. This is an advanced form of this mechanic and can help you thin the number of enemies if you are spotted.

How to unlock the ‘Sneaky Trap’ skill

The ‘Sneaky Trap’ is another skill within ’ The Slicer ’ group. Recruit The Slicer by following Danka’s hint after completing the ‘New Tricks’ main quest. Complete the following to get the ‘Sneaky Trap’ skill:

• Command Nix to perform different actions x7: Nix can distract people, steal from them, sabotage alarms, sabotage cameras, fetch items, open doors, press buttons and more.
• Slice devices in 3 attempts or fewer x3: There are plenty of terminals around imperial and syndicate posts to practise on. Try using your Slicing Kit to hack into areas both with and without terminals.

That rounds up our guide on the best skills in Star Wars Outlaws. For more Star Wars Outlaws tips and tricks, check out our guides to the best Trailblazer upgrades and best Speeder upgrades to smooth out your traversal both on and off-world. If you’re short on cash, also see our list of tips for making Credits fast or our guide to unlocking the black market in Mirogana.

Star Wars Outlaws

PS5 , Xbox Series X/S , PC

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All 75 Arc Raiders Blueprints and where to get them

These areas have the highest chance of giving you Blueprints

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Looking for more Arc Raiders Blueprints? It’s a special day when you find a Blueprint, as they’re among the most valuable items in Arc Raiders. If you find a Blueprint that you haven’t already found, then you must make sure you hold onto it at all costs, because Blueprints are the key to one of the most important and powerful systems of meta-progression in the game.

This guide aims to be the very best guide on Blueprints you can find, starting with a primer on what exactly they are and how they work in Arc Raiders, before delving into exactly where to get Blueprints and the very best farming spots for you to take in your search.

We’ll also go over how to get Blueprints from other unlikely activities, such as destroying Surveyors and completing specific quests. And you’ll also find the full list of all 75 Blueprints in Arc Raiders on this page (including the newest Blueprints added with the Cold Snap update , such as the Deadline Blueprint and Firework Box Blueprint), giving you all the information you need to expand your own crafting repertoire.

In this guide:

• What are Blueprints in Arc Raiders?
• Full Blueprint list: All crafting recipes
• Where to find Blueprints in Arc Raiders Blueprints obtained from quests Blueprints obtained from Trials Best Blueprint farming locations

What are Blueprints in Arc Raiders?

Blueprints in Arc Raiders are special items which, if you manage to extract with them, you can expend to permanently unlock a new crafting recipe in your Workshop. If you manage to extract from a raid with an Anvil Blueprint, for example, you can unlock the ability to craft your very own Anvil Pistol, as many times as you like (as long as you have the crafting materials).

To use a Blueprint, simply open your Inventory while in the lobby, then right-click on the Blueprint and click “Learn And Consume” . This will permanently unlock the recipe for that item in your Workshop. As of the Stella Montis update, there are allegedly 75 different Blueprints to unlock - although only 68 are confirmed to be in the game so far. You can see all the Blueprints you’ve found and unlocked by going to the Workshop menu, and hitting “R” to bring up the Blueprint screen.

It’s possible to find duplicates of past Blueprints you’ve already unlocked. If you find these, then you can either sell them, or - if you like to play with friends - you can take it into a match and gift it to your friend so they can unlock that recipe for themselves. Another option is to keep hold of them until the time comes to donate them to the Expedition.

Full Blueprint list: All crafting recipes

Below is the full list of all the Blueprints that are currently available to find in Arc Raiders, and the crafting recipe required for each item:

Note: The missing Blueprints in this list likely have not actually been added to the game at the time of writing, because none of the playerbase has managed to find any of them. As they are added to the game, I will update this page with the most relevant information so you know exactly how to get all 75 Arc Raiders Blueprints.

Where to find Blueprints in Arc Raiders

Below is a list of all containers, modifiers, and events which maximise your chances of finding Blueprints:

• Certain quests reward you with specific Blueprints .
• Completing Trials has a high chance of offering Blueprints as rewards.
• Surveyors have a decent chance of dropping Blueprints on death.
• High loot value areas tend to have a greater chance of spawning Blueprints.
• Night Raids and Storms may increase rare Blueprint spawn chances in containers.
• Containers with higher numbers of items may have a higher tendency to spawn Blueprints. As a result, Blue Gate (which has many “large” containers containing multiple items) may give you a higher chance of spawning Blueprints.
• Raider containers (Raider Caches, Weapon Boxes, Medical Bags, Grenade Tubes) have increased Blueprint drop rates. As a result, the Uncovered Caches event gives you a high chance of finding Blueprints.
• Security Lockers have a higher than average chance of containing Blueprints.
• Certain Blueprints only seem to spawn under specific circumstances: Tempest Blueprint only spawns during Night Raid events. Vulcano Blueprint only spawns during Hidden Bunker events. Jupiter and Equaliser Blueprints only spawn during Harvester events.

Raider Caches, Weapon Boxes, and other raider-oriented container types have a good chance of offering Blueprints. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Blueprints have a very low chance of spawning in any container in Arc Raiders, around 1-2% on average. However, there is a higher chance of finding Blueprints in particular container types. Specifically, you can find more Blueprints in Raider containers and security lockers.

Beyond this, if you’re looking for Blueprints you should focus on regions of the map which are marked as having particularly high-value loot. Areas such as the Control Tower in Dam Battlegrounds, the Arrival and Departure Buildings in Spaceport, and Pilgrim’s Peak in Blue Gate all have a better-than-average chance of spawning Blueprints somewhere amongst all their containers. Night Raids and Electromagnetic Storm events also increase the drop chances of certain Blueprints .

In addition to these containers, you can often loot Blueprints from destroyed Surveyors - the largest of the rolling ball ARC. Surveyors are more commonly found on the later maps - Spaceport and Blue Gate - and if one spawns in your match, you’ll likely see it by the blue laser beam that it casts into the sky while “surveying”.

Surveyors are quite well-armoured and will very speedily run away from you once it notices you, but if you can take one down then make sure you loot all its parts for a chance of obtaining certain unusual Blueprints.

Blueprints obtained from quests

One way in which you can get Blueprints is by completing certain quests for the vendors in Speranza. Some quests will reward you with a specific item Blueprint upon completion, so as long as you work through all the quests in Arc Raiders, you are guaranteed those Blueprints.

Here is the full list of all Blueprints you can get from quest rewards:

• Trigger Nade Blueprint: Rewarded after completing “Sparks Fly”.
• Lure Grenade Blueprint: Rewarded after completing “Greasing Her Palms”.
• Burletta Blueprint: Rewarded after completing “Industrial Espionage”.
• Hullcracker Blueprint (and Launcher Ammo Blueprint): Rewarded after completing “The Major’s Footlocker”.

Alas, that’s only 4 Blueprints out of a total of 75 to unlock, so for the vast majority you will need to find them yourself during a raid. If you’re intent on farming Blueprints, then it’s best to equip yourself with cheap gear in case you lose it, but don’t use a free loadout because then you won’t get a safe pocket to stash any new Blueprint you find. No pain in Arc Raiders is sharper than failing to extract with a new Blueprint you’ve been after for a dozen hours already.

One of the best ways to get Blueprints is by hitting three stars on all five Trials every week. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Blueprints obtained from Trials

One of the very best ways to get Blueprints is as rewards for completing Trials in Arc Raiders. Trials are unlocked from Level 15 onwards, and allow you to earn rewards by focusing on certain tasks over the course of several raids. For example, one Trial might task you with dealing damage to Hornets, while another might challenge you to loot Supply Drops.

Trials refresh on a weekly basis, with a new week bringing five new Trials. Each Trial can offer up to three rewards after passing certain score milestones, and it’s possible to receive very high level loot from these reward crates - including Blueprints. So if you want to unlock as many Blueprints as possible, you should make a point of completing as many Trials as possible each week.

Best Blueprint farming locations

The very best way to get Blueprints is to frequent specific areas of the maps which combine high-tier loot pools with the right types of containers to search. Here are my recommendations for where to find Blueprints on every map, so you can always keep the search going for new crafting recipes to unlock.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Dam Battlegrounds

The best places to farm Blueprints on Dam Battlegrounds are the Control Tower, Power Generation Complex, Ruby Residence, and Pale Apartments . The first two regions, despite only being marked on the map as mid-tier loot, contain a phenomenal number of containers to loot. The Control Tower can also contain a couple of high-tier Security Lockers - though of course, you’ll need to have unlocked the Security Breach skill at the end of the Survival tree.

There’s also a lot of reporting amongst the playerbase that the Residential areas in the top-left of the map - Pale Apartments and Ruby Residence - give you a comparatively strong chance of finding Blueprints. Considering their size, there’s a high density of containers to loot in both locations, and they also have the benefit of being fairly out of the way. So you’re more likely to have all the containers to yourself.

Buried City

The best Blueprint farming locations on Buried City are the Santa Maria Houses, Grandioso Apartments, Town Hall, and the various buildings of the New District . Grandioso Apartments has a lower number of containers than the rest, but a high chance of spawning weapon cases - which have good Blueprint drop rates. The others are high-tier loot areas, with plenty of lootable containers - including Security Lockers.

Spaceport

The best places to find Blueprints on Spaceport are the Arrival and Departure Buildings, as well as Control Tower A6 and the Launch Towers . All these areas are labelled as high-value loot regions, and many of them are also very handily connected to one another by the Spaceport wall, which you can use to quickly run from one area to the next. At the tops of most of these buildings you’ll find at least one Security Locker, so this is an excellent farming route for players looking to find Blueprints.

The downside to looting Blueprints on Spaceport is that all these areas are hotly contested, particularly in Duos and Squads. You’ll need to be very focused and fast in order to complete the full farming route.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Blue Gate

Blue Gate tends to have a good chance of dropping Blueprints, potentially because it generally has a high number of containers which can hold lots of items; so there’s a higher chance of a Blueprint spawning in each container. In my experience, the best Blueprint farming spots on Blue Gate are Pilgrim’s Peak, Raider’s Refuge, the Ancient Fort, and the Underground Complex beneath the Warehouse .

All of these areas contain a wealth of containers to loot. Raider’s Refuge has less to loot, but the majority of the containers in and around the Refuge are raider containers, which have a high chance of containing Blueprints - particularly during major events.

Stella Montis

On the whole, Stella Montis seems to have a very low drop rate for Blueprints (though a high chance of dropping other high-tier loot). If you do want to try farming Blueprints on this map, the best places to find Blueprints in Stella Montis are Medical Research, Assembly Workshop, and the Business Center . These areas have the highest density of containers to loot on the map.

In addition to this, the Western Tunnel has a few different Security Lockers to loot, so while there’s very little to loot elsewhere in this area of the map, it’s worth hitting those Security Lockers if you spawn there at the start of a match.

That wraps up this primer on how to get all the Blueprints in Arc Raiders as quickly as possible. With the Expedition system constantly resetting a large number of players’ Blueprints, it’s more important than ever to have the most up-to-date information on where to find all these Blueprints.

While you’re here, be sure to check out our Arc Raiders best guns tier list , as well as our primers on the best skills to unlock and all the different Field Depot locations on every map.

ARC Raiders

PS5 , Xbox Series X/S , PC

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