Cobalt Core is wonderful because it’s actually Pong

That’s a paddling

Image credit:Brace Yourself Games/Rock Paper Shotgun

I seem to be on a highly irritating “refuse to play games as they were intended to be played” spree lately. A couple of weeks ago, it was “I refuse to leave the prologue area in Skull And Bones” , a decision that has sadly been born out by Ed’s review . Then it was “I refuse to play Helldivers 2 as a co-op shooter” , which again, is a stance I am sticking with, even as I am overrun and sat on by Terminid Chargers. And now it’s “I refuse to play Cobalt Core as a roguelike deck-builder, because it secretly isn’t one”. Come now, squint at the header image so that the text and numbers fade away, and all you can see are coloured shapes. Pay attention to certain underlying rhythms while playing. Need I say any more?

Fine, I guess I’ll show my working. To the uneducated eye, Cobalt Core might appear to be a lush tactics experience with unspeakably suave music in which kitbashed, wide-bottomed spaceships take turns to dodge, shoot or defend using the medium of cards. As in other roguelike deckbuilders, each run sees you acquiring and upgrading these cards, which correspond to ship systems such as beam cannons and shield generators, while moving through a campaign made up of minor or major enemy encounters, resourcing or repairing opportunities, and chapter-ending bossfights.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Brace Yourself Games

In the abstract, it might sound interchangeable with other, ultra-replayable sci-fi card-wranglers such as Breachway , another space sim I’ve been rogueliking lately ( Steam demo here ). But Cobalt Core has an arcade flourish that helps it stand apart: your ship, the enemy’s ship and all projectiles rest on a layout of 2D columns. Play cards that grant you evasion tokens, and you can skip a few columns left or right to avoid telegraphed attacks (or at least, the bulk of them ), ideally while lining up your own cannon with vulnerable parts of the other ship, be it a fragile hull component or a big gun you can paralyse for a turn.

It introduces a joyful element of actual dogfighting to a game that could have “just” been about card attack or defence stats, buffs or debuffs, combos or multipliers and remembering what you have in your deck. The more cards you find or spruce up, the dogfightier it gets, though there’s the option to run a tank build by focussing on cards that raise your shields.

Some cards combine moving with attacking and energising your all-important shield reservoir - a feint card, for example, which launches you a couple of columns to the left, fires off a shot, then skips you back one column right. Whether moves like these are match-winners depends heavily on your choice of vessel. If you have a cannon mounted on your ship’s right half, that particular feint card might not be so helpful, but if you meet certain characters on a run, you can modify or scramble your ship design to support your deck. I haven’t unearthed all the ship-modifying possibilities yet, but it feels like there’s some fun complexity here: you can build gaps into your ship, for example, so that attacks pass straight through.

It was while beholding the scrambled slab of my spaceship during my second run that certain aspects of the presentation and mechanics alchemised behind my eyes, and I came to a Sudden Realisation. Of course: this isn’t a spaceship. It’s a paddle. I am customising a paddle. And by extension, Cobalt Core is not a roguelike deckbuilder. It is, in fact, one of many, very creatively concealed homages to Breakout and Pong.

Image credit:vghchannel

If you have never played Breakout or Pong, I can only assume that you are very young, and I hope you will forgive a foolish old man for taking you on a quick tour of memory lane (mind where the dog’s been). Pong is one of the first videogames ever released, and is basically multiplayer 2D tennis with floating paddles, no net and no air friction. Breakout is a little more recent: it’s Pong, but instead of trying to sneak the ball past an opponent, you’re bouncing the ball off a big wall of coloured, destructible bricks, trying to clear them all away before you run out of Continues.

In both games, there’s an art to not just intercepting the ball but having it touch the right point on your paddle, so as to send it zipping back at a preferred angle. In Pong, you’re trying to drive an opponent to one side during a rally, before vengefully launching the ball back in the opposite direction. In Breakout, you’re trying to ricochet the ball behind the bricks so that it’ll bounce off the backwall and erode the whole mass from the rear, like a Honey Badger smuggled into an outpost in Far Cry 5 .

Cobalt Core isn’t played in real-time and isn’t any kind of direct variation on tennis. Not to instantly negate the previous 800 words, but there’s no ball. Still, it often seems to me that it wants to feel like Pong or Breakout, in that there’s a similar focus on projectiles hitting the desired place on either your or the enemy ship. The feint move described above also makes me think of attempting to apply spin to the ball by swooshing the paddle across the screen. I don’t think this is actually possible in the original Pong, but later variations or derivatives of Pong have, as it were, put their own spin on things, with mildly fancier physics.

The ability to modify your ship layout in Cobalt Core also make me think of paddle power-ups or modifiers in Breakout and its many, many successors - making the paddle wider or narrower, for example. The game’s more arcane cards, including corrosive ammo and a chargeable cannon whose power increases every time it’s played, also put me in mind of the wider “block buster” genre’s various ball power-ups - exploding balls, balls that split in two, balls that set bricks alight, and so on.

Perhaps there is a ball in Cobalt Core. It’s just that rather than being tangible, the ball has been sublimated and multiplied into a set of RPG -style energy transactions between player and enemy. I’m not sure it’s a huge aspect of the game, but there are cards in Cobalt Core that let you turn the other ship’s strength against them or move them around (I’m thinking, admittedly, of a particular enemy self-buff here which you can exploit), much as you’d try to throw off the other player in Pong by making confident use of its simple physics.

If nothing else, it’s wonderful to catch the scent of these classics in Cobalt Core because it helps me resolve and appreciate a game that risks being perceived as a mass of genre tags. That’s not Cobalt Core’s fault: there are just an awful lot of competing fantasy deck-building roguelikes ‘with a twist’ on the shop, and I must confess that I tire myself out trying to explain the key differences to friends. With Cobalt Core, at least, I can just say “It’s the one that’s actually Pong”. And then - as they gaze at me with deepening disgust and horror, as nearby chairs scrape back and we are surrounded by a muttering crowd of people armed with bicycle chains and broken bottles - I will triumphantly add: “And Elden Ring is better played as a walking sim.”

Cobalt Core

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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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