Black Myth Wukong Best Skills

These are the absolutely essential skills to unlock first

The player in Black Myth: Wukong runs towards the camera in a snowy landscape, with numerous decoys following behind. - 1

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Game Science

Ollie Toms avatar - 2

Which are the best Skills to unlock first in Black Myth: Wukong? There’s no shortage of Skills and ability unlocks in Black Myth: Wukong , Game Science’s new soulslike take on the myriad Chinese folklore tales of Journey To The West. Throughout your journey as the simian Destined One, you’ll gain access to a splendid selection of powers by using ability points called " Sparks “.

Unlike most soulslikes, you can upgrade your Skills at any time in Black Myth: Wukong without needing to rest at a Keeper’s Shrine (Black Myth’s equivalent of Bonfires). All you need to do is open the Self-Advance screen from the pause menu, and as long as you have “Sparks” to spend, you can upgrade your Skills as much as you like.

You can also use the “Reignite The Sparks” option while resting at a Shrine to completely respec your character at any time for free. So the game really encourages you to experiment with different Skill unlocks and combinations, as you try to craft the perfect build. To help you get started, we’ve put together the below guide which outlines 15 of the very best, most essential Skills to unlock first in Black Myth: Wukong.

In this guide:

  • Best Skills in Black Myth: Wukong
  • Essential game-changing Skills
  • Best general Skills

Best Skills in Black Myth Wukong

We’ll go over each of these skills in far greater detail below, but at a glance here are the best Black Myth Wukong skills that you’ll want to level up first:

Skill NameSkill TreeDescription
Pillar StancePillar StanceUnlocks Pillar Stance (requires Level 5)
Thrust StanceThrust StanceUnlocks Thrust Stance (requires Level 20)
ComposureStaminaDodging no longer interrupts Light Attack Combo
Mobile SpinMartial ArtsCan move while Staff Spinning to deflect projectiles
Offense In DefenseThrust StanceFollow Light with Heavy while in Thrust Stance to perform Tactical Retreat
Thunder StrikeCloud StepWhen in Cloud Step, Unveiling Strike can be performed with charged Heavy
Peace From PerilSmash StanceWhen charging, Perfect Dodges retain built-up Focus
Robust ConstitutionSurvivalIncreases Health
Rampant VigorSurvivalIncreases Stamina
Wrathful EscalationSurvivalIncreases Crit Chance
Wrathful MightSurvivalIncreases Crit Damage
Surging MomentumSurvivalIncreases damage
Quick HandStaff StancesIncreases charging speed of all stances
Swift EngageMartial ArtsIncreases engage distance of Light Attack Starter
Ferocious FormTransformationsIncreases damage while Transformed

How to level up Skills: You can level up Skills in the Self-Advance menu as long as you have Sparks to spend. You earn one Spark every time you level up, and you also earn one Spark each time you interact with a Meditation Spot for the first time.

Essential game-changing Skills

I’ve grouped the Skills listed in this guide into two categories. First, let’s go over the absolutely essential Skills which fundamentally change your abilities throughout Black Myth: Wukong. These are the Skills to prioritise above all others.

The player in Black Myth: Wukong unleashes a long-ranged attack on an enemy in the Forest Of Wolves using the Thrust Stance. - 3

You should unlock the Pillar and Thrust Stances as soon as you possibly can in any playthrough of Black Myth: Wukong. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Game Science

Pillar Stance and Thrust Stance

The single most game-changing thing you can do with a Spark is to unlock a new Stance. Early on in Black Myth: Wukong, you have access to just the Smash Stance. But once you hit Level 5 you can unlock the Pillar Stance, and once you unlock Level 20 you can unlock the Thrust Stance. It won’t take you long to reach Level 20 by the way; I managed it shortly after starting Chapter 2.

In my playthrough I didn’t find much point in upgrading Pillar Stance further, but just having the Stance unlocked is incredibly useful. With this Stance equipped, you can hop atop your staff and raise yourself out of reach of melee attacks. Enemies can still hit your staff, but it essentially damages your Stamina instead of your Health. It’s a phenomenal ability that gives you a huge amount of utility during difficult fights.

Thrust Stance is my favourite, though, particularly once you’ve unlocked Offense In Defense (more on this below). The whole point of Thrust Stance is that you can charge up a powerful strike that reaches well beyond the range of most enemies, allowing you to very easily and effectively interrupt dangerous enemy attacks. Once you hit Level 5 and Level 20, your next Spark(s) should always go into unlocking the next Stance.

Where to find the Pillar Stance and Thrust Stance Skills: You’ll find both these Skills at the very top of their respective Stance trees within the Staff Stances upgrade screen.

Composure

Composure is one of the most important Skills in Black Myth: Wukong, and I’d advise unlocking it as soon as possible - by Level 8 at the latest. This game-changer of a Skill allows you to Dodge attacks while in the middle of a Light Attack Combo, and doing so will no longer interrupt the combo.

The outcome is that you can get to that final high-damage slam attack at the end of the combo so much more easily and consistently, without taking any unnecessary damage while you’re at it. It’s a simple Skill, but once you’ve got it you’ll wonder how you ever lived without it.

Where to find the Composure Skill: Composure is found halfway down the Stamina Skill Tree in the Foundation upgrade screen.

Mobile Spin

Ranged attacks are extremely irritating in Black Myth: Wukong, as they can easily interrupt your all-important combos. You begin the game with a Staff Spin ability that blocks ranged attacks, but you’re immobile while doing it. Mobile Spin is an early-game Skill unlock that allows you to move (albeit slowly) while you’re Staff Spinning.

This makes it much, much easier to deal with ranged attackers by closing the distance between you and them while also blocking their projectiles. Once you have this Skill unlocked, most ranged enemies become trivial to deal with.

Where to find the Mobile Spin Skill: The Mobile Spin Skill is found at the very top of the Martial Arts tree in the centre of the Foundation upgrade screen.

The player in Black Myth: Wukong deflects a projectile attack from an enemy using the Staff Spin ability. - 4

Mobile Spin greatly enhances the usefulness of your innate projectile-deflecting Staff Spin ability. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Game Science

Offense In Defense

Offense In Defense is a marvellous Skill which upgrades the Thrust Stance, allowing you to make use of it much more reliably and often in battle. Here’s how it works: do a Light Attack, then immediately follow it up with a Heavy Attack, and you’ll quickly backstep out of harm’s way. This move is called Tactical Retreat.

That’s amazingly useful in itself, because it allows you to dance in and out of enemies’ attack ranges. But if you follow Tactical Retreat immediately with another Heavy Attack, then (as long as you have at least one Focus Point stored) you’ll launch forwards after the backstep and deliver a powerful thrust. This move is called Forceful Thrust, and the utility provided by the combo of Tactical Retreat and Forceful Thrust makes the Thrust Stance one of the most versatile and powerful Stances in the game.

Where to find the Offense In Defense Skill: The Offense In Defense Skill is on the right in the second layer of the Thrust Stance tree, under Staff Stances.

Thunder Strike

Thunder Strike is the single most useful Skill you can unlock for the Cloud Step Spell. Cloud Step allows you to assume an invisible ghostly form while leaving behind a decoy that attracts enemies’ attention. Attack an enemy while in Cloud Step form and you’ll deal extra damage - but with the Thunder Strike Skill, you can turn that Unveiling Strike into a full-blown charged Heavy Attack, catapulting the damage output so much further than before.

Cloud Step is an amazingly useful Skill regardless, but its Skill tree offers some very hefty benefits. The downside is that Thunder Strike is quite far down the Skill tree, but the upside is that those prior Skill unlocks like Concealed Observation and Converging Clouds synergise wonderfully with Thunder Strike, turning Cloud Step into one of your most powerful damage-dealing Skills.

Where to find the Thunder Strike Skill: Thunder Strike is the second-to-last Skill in the Cloud Step tree, in the Alteration upgrade screen.

Peace From Peril

I waxed lyrical about the power of the Composure Skill earlier on, allowing you to Dodge without it resetting your Light Attack Combo chain. Well, Peace From Peril does the same thing but for charging up your Smash Stance’s Heavy Attack.

This attack is the single most damaging charge attack in Black Myth: Wukong, but it’s a high risk attack because you can easily be interrupted by any attack that you have to Dodge. But with Peace From Peril, if you time your Dodge to make it a Perfect Dodge, then you will continue charging up your Heavy Attack without any interruption.

Where to find the Peace From Peril Skill: Peace From Peril is the very lowest Skill in the Smash Stance Skill tree in the Staff Stances upgrade screen.

Best general Skills

Now that we’ve gone over the essential game-changing one-off Skills in Black Myth: Wukong, here are some more general (but still extremely valuable) Skills which are always handy to upgrade. Generally, you should spend your Sparks on these Skills anytime you aren’t working towards a specific essential Skill.

The player in Black Myth: Wukong faces off against an undead sword-wielding enemy in a snowy landscape. - 5

It’s always important to keep your general attributes such as Health, Stamina, Attack, and Defense high, either by upgrading Skills or finding/crafting Celestial Pills. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Game Science

Robust Constitution and Rampant Vigor

These Skills may sound dull, but when all’s said and done they’re among the best Skills for upping your overall power and survivability in Black Myth: Wukong. Robust Constitution and Rampant Vigor can both be upgraded up to 6 times, with each upgrade enhancing the effect. Robust Constitution increases your maximum Health, while Rampant Vigor increases your maximum Stamina.

There’s little more to be said here, except that you shouldn’t neglect these Skills just because they’re boring. You need the extra Health and Stamina in order to survive long enough to pull off the really cool Skills you’ll be unlocking elsewhere.

Where to find the Robust Constitution and Rampant Vigor Skills: Both these Skills are located at the very top of the Survival tree on the right-hand side of the Foundation upgrade screen.

Wrathful Escalation and Wrathful Might

Wrathful Escalation and Wrathful Might are two more attribute-increasing Skills, but with a more specific purpose. Wrathful Escalation increases your Critical Hit Chance, while Wrathful Might increases your Critical Hit Damage. You may not generally care about Crits in games like these, but in Black Myth: Wukong your bread-and-butter attack is the Light Attack Combo, which hits enemies multiple times in quick succession.

Invest some points into these two Skills, and you’ll massively increase your general damage output - and that’s not even taking into consideration the Crit capabilities of your Cloud Step spell.

Where to find the Wrathful Escalation and Wrathful Might Skills: Wrathful Escalation is found on the second layer of the Survival tree, while Wrathful Might is the final Skill in the circle at the bottom of the Survival tree. Both can be found in the Foundation upgrade screen.

Surging Momentum

I promise, this is the final boring Skill in this list. Surging Momentum is yet another six-slot attribute-increasing Skill, this time increasing your overall attack damage by a slight amount with each level. The importance is obvious. More damage means you take out enemies faster, so they have less time to deal damage to you. It’s the perfect Skill to dump Sparks into when you’re not sure what else to do.

Where to find the Surging Momentum Skill: The Surging Momentum Skill is located at the very bottom of the Survival tree, in the Foundation upgrade screen.

The player in Black Myth: Wukong uses Pillar Stance to hoist themselves into the air with their staff. - 6

Charged Heavy Attacks change based on the Stance you have selected, but all are incredibly useful in pretty much any situation. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Game Science

Quick Hand

The Quick Hand Skill requires you to spend at least 10 Sparks in the Staff Stances trees, but you’ll be doing that anyway as you level up. This unassuming, easily-forgotten Skill increases the charging speed of all your Heavy Attacks across all three Stances.

That’s a pretty stellar upgrade for any build or playstyle. Charged Heavy Attacks are among the most powerful tools in your repertoire, and you should aim to use them as often as possible. Quick Hand just makes it easier to unleash those potent attacks on your enemies.

Where to find the Quick Hand Skill: The Quick Hand Skill can be found halfway down the left-hand side of the Staff Stances upgrade screen, just below the dividing line jutting out from the Focused Attack III Skill.

Swift Engage

Swift Engage is always one of the first Skills I max out in a Black Myth: Wukong playthrough. This three-slot Skill massively increases the engage distance of your Light Attack Starter. What this means is that you can begin your regular Light Attack from much further away, and your character will just zip straight to melee distance with the enemy.

Staying mobile and light on your feet is very important in Black Myth, and Swift Engage is one of the best early Skills to help facilitate this. So pick it up sooner rather than later, I beg you.

Where to find the Swift Engage Skill: Swift Engage is the left-hand Skill at the very top of the Martial Arts tree, found in the centre of the Foundation upgrade screen.

Ferocious Form

I don’t particularly rate any of the Skills in the Transformations tree much higher than any of the others; they’re all universally useful, because Transformations in general are phenomenally powerful. But if I had to pick one Skill to prioritise in this tree, I’d pick Ferocious Form, which increases your Attack Damage while Transformed.

No matter what form you Transform into, what you’re essentially doing is giving yourself a free (short-lived) extra life where you can just be as aggressive as possible without consequences. That’s because when your Health hits zero while Transformed, you simply de-transform into your regular body, at the same Health you were at when you Transformed. The aim is to deal as much damage as possible in a short space of time. And what better Skill to help with this strategy than a simple flat increase to the damage you deal with each attack?

Where to find the Ferocious Form Skill: The Ferocious Form Skill is found in the Transformations upgrade scren; it’s the fourth Skill along at the bottom.

With that, we conclude this guide to the very best Skills available in Black Myth: Wukong. Hopefully you’ve discovered a few Skills that you perhaps didn’t realise the true potential of beforehand. You can also prepare yourself for the upcoming fights with our Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 bosses guides. Alternatively, you can head to our guide which rounds up all Black Myth Wukong bosses and their locations . We’ve also got other guides which walk you through how to absorb Spirits and the game’s PC requirements .

Ollie Toms avatar - 7 Black Myth Wukong Best Skills - 8

Black Myth: Wukong

PS5 , PC

Rock Paper Shotgun is better when you sign in

Sign in and join us on our journey to discover strange and compelling PC games.

A line drawing of a cartoon planet with a smiley face, surrounded by a couple of stars and a ring. - 9

All 75 Arc Raiders Blueprints and where to get them

These areas have the highest chance of giving you Blueprints

An establishing shot of the Blue Gate map in Arc Raiders, with a blueprint grid and a Vulcano shotgun superimposed over the centre of the screenshot. - 10

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Ollie Toms avatar - 11

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
Cover image for YouTube video - 12

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:

BlueprintTypeRecipeCrafted At
BettinaWeapon3x Advanced Mechanical Components 3x Heavy Gun Parts 3x CanisterGunsmith 3
Blue Light StickQuick Use3x ChemicalsUtility Station 1
AphelionWeapon3x Magnetic Accelerator 3x Complex Gun Parts 1x Matriarch ReactorGunsmith 3
Combat Mk. 3 (Flanking)Augment2x Advanced Electrical Components 3x ProcessorGear Bench 3
Combat Mk. 3 (Aggressive)Augment2x Advanced Electrical Components 3x ProcessorGear Bench 3
Complex Gun PartsMaterial2x Light Gun Parts 2x Medium Gun Parts 2x Heavy Gun PartsRefiner 3
Fireworks BoxQuick Use1x Explosive Compound 3x Pop TriggerExplosives Station 2
Gas MineMine4x Chemicals 2x Rubber PartsExplosives Station 1
Green Light StickQuick Use3x ChemicalsUtility Station 1
Pulse MineMine1x Crude Explosives 1x WiresExplosives Station 1
Seeker GrenadeGrenade1x Crude Explosives 2x ARC AlloyExplosives Station 1
Looting Mk. 3 (Survivor)Augment2x Advanced Electrical Components 3x ProcessorGear Bench 3
Angled Grip IIMod2x Mechanical Components 3x Duct TapeGunsmith 2
Angled Grip IIIMod2x Mod Components 5x Duct TapeGunsmith 3
HullcrackerWeapon1x Magnetic Accelerator 3x Heavy Gun Parts 1x Exodus ModulesGunsmith 3
Launcher AmmoAmmo5x Metal Parts 1x Crude ExplosivesWorkbench 1
AnvilWeapon5x Mechanical Components 5x Simple Gun PartsGunsmith 2
Anvil SplitterMod2x Mod Components 3x ProcessorGunsmith 3
????????????
Barricade KitQuick Use1x Mechanical ComponentsUtility Station 2
Blaze GrenadeGrenade1x Explosive Compound 2x OilExplosives Station 3
BobcatWeapon3x Advanced Mechanical Components 3x Light Gun PartsGunsmith 3
OspreyWeapon2x Advanced Mechanical Components 3x Medium Gun Parts 7x WiresGunsmith 3
BurlettaWeapon3x Mechanical Components 3x Simple Gun PartsGunsmith 1
Compensator IIMod2x Mechanical Components 4x WiresGunsmith 2
Compensator IIIMod2x Mod Components 8x WiresGunsmith 3
DefibrillatorQuick Use9x Plastic Parts 1x MossMedical Lab 2
????????????
EqualizerWeapon3x Magnetic Accelerator 3x Complex Gun Parts 1x Queen ReactorGunsmith 3
Extended BarrelMod2x Mod Components 8x WiresGunsmith 3
Extended Light Mag IIMod2x Mechanical Components 3x Steel SpringGunsmith 2
Extended Light Mag IIIMod2x Mod Components 5x Steel SpringGunsmith 3
Extended Medium Mag IIMod2x Mechanical Components 3x Steel SpringGunsmith 2
Extended Medium Mag IIIMod2x Mod Components 5x Steel SpringGunsmith 3
Extended Shotgun Mag IIMod2x Mechanical Components 3x Steel SpringGunsmith 2
Extended Shotgun Mag IIIMod2x Mod Components 5x Steel SpringGunsmith 3
Remote Raider FlareQuick Use2x Chemicals 4x Rubber PartsUtility Station 1
Heavy Gun PartsMaterial4x Simple Gun PartsRefiner 2
VenatorWeapon2x Advanced Mechanical Components 3x Medium Gun Parts 5x MagnetGunsmith 3
Il ToroWeapon5x Mechanical Components 6x Simple Gun PartsGunsmith 1
Jolt MineMine1x Electrical Components 1x BatteryExplosives Station 2
Explosive MineMine1x Explosive Compound 1x SensorsExplosives Station 3
JupiterWeapon3x Magnetic Accelerator 3x Complex Gun Parts 1x Queen ReactorGunsmith 3
Light Gun PartsMaterial4x Simple Gun PartsRefiner 2
Lightweight StockMod2x Mod Components 5x Duct TapeGunsmith 3
Lure GrenadeGrenade1x Speaker Component 1x Electrical ComponentsUtility Station 2
Medium Gun PartsMaterial4x Simple Gun PartsRefiner 2
TorrenteWeapon2x Advanced Mechanical Components 3x Medium Gun Parts 6x Steel SpringGunsmith 3
Muzzle Brake IIMod2x Mechanical Components 4x WiresGunsmith 2
Muzzle Brake IIIMod2x Mod Components 8x WiresGunsmith 3
Padded StockMod2x Mod Components 5x Duct TapeGunsmith 3
Shotgun Choke IIMod2x Mechanical Components 4x WiresGunsmith 2
Shotgun Choke IIIMod2x Mod Components 8x WiresGunsmith 3
Shotgun SilencerMod2x Mod Components 8x WiresGunsmith 3
ShowstopperGrenade1x Advanced Electrical Components 1x Voltage ConverterExplosives Station 3
Silencer IMod2x Mechanical Components 4x WiresGunsmith 2
Silencer IIMod2x Mod Components 8x WiresGunsmith 3
Snap HookQuick Use2x Power Rod 3x Rope 1x Exodus ModulesUtility Station 3
Stable Stock IIMod2x Mechanical Components 3x Duct TapeGunsmith 2
Stable Stock IIIMod2x Mod Components 5x Duct TapeGunsmith 3
Tagging GrenadeGrenade1x Electrical Components 1x SensorsUtility Station 3
TempestWeapon3x Advanced Mechanical Components 3x Medium Gun Parts 3x CanisterGunsmith 3
Trigger NadeGrenade2x Crude Explosives 1x ProcessorExplosives Station 2
Vertical Grip IIMod2x Mechanical Components 3x Duct TapeGunsmith 2
Vertical Grip IIIMod2x Mod Components 5x Duct TapeGunsmith 3
Vita ShotQuick Use2x Antiseptic 1x SyringeMedical Lab 3
Vita SprayQuick Use3x Antiseptic 1x CanisterMedical Lab 3
VulcanoWeapon1x Magnetic Accelerator 3x Heavy Gun Parts 1x Exodus ModulesGunsmith 3
WolfpackGrenade2x Explosive Compound 2x SensorsExplosives Station 3
Red Light StickQuick Use3x ChemicalsUtility Station 1
Smoke GrenadeGrenade14x Chemicals 1x CanisterUtility Station 2
DeadlineMine3x Explosive Compound 2x ARC CircuitryExplosives Station 3
TrailblazerGrenade1x Explosive Compound 1x Synthesized FuelExplosives Station 3
Tactical Mk. 3 (Defensive)Augment2x Advanced Electrical Components 3x ProcessorGear Bench 3
Tactical Mk. 3 (Healing)Augment2x Advanced Electrical Components 3x ProcessorGear Bench 3
Yellow Light StickQuick Use3x ChemicalsUtility Station 1

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.
A raider in Arc Raiders kneels down in the grass and opens a grey raider cache container. - 13

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.

The Weekly Trials screen in Arc Raiders, with the five trials of the week shown as having been completed to three-star quality. - 14

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.

An image showing two Raiders from Arc Raiders aiming their weapons and looting. - 15

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.

An establishing shot of the Blue Gate map in Arc Raiders, with grassy hills in the foreground and a large mountain range in the distance. - 16

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.

Ollie Toms avatar - 17 Black Myth Wukong Best Skills - 18

ARC Raiders

PS5 , Xbox Series X/S , PC

Rock Paper Shotgun is better when you sign in

Sign in and join us on our journey to discover strange and compelling PC games.

A line drawing of a cartoon planet with a smiley face, surrounded by a couple of stars and a ring. - 19