Come and join us to chat all things Cobalt Core in today’s RPS Game Club liveblog

Starting at 4pm GMT

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Brace Yourself Games

Today’s the day of the RPS Game Club liveblog, where we’ll all pile into a single article to talk, in real-time, about February’s game pick, Cobalt Core . We’ll be kicking off shortly at 4pm GMT today (Thursday February 29th) , so go and grab a cuppa, switch on some appropriate music , and we’ll get this liveblog started.

Our live coverage of this event has finished.

So, here we are folks. Welcome to the RPS Game Club liveblog for Cobalt Core. To kick things off, I’m going to start with a controversial question. Favourite Cobalt Core characters: GO.

(the answer is obviously Soggins)

caff says: Hello all, happy “almost end of the week” :) I will be playing the game alongside being on the liveblog.

Welcome Caff! I approve of this very good use of multi-tasking. How is the run going?

Hello everybody! I am here to Core some Cobalts, and I’m all out of, erm, sorry, what was the question again?

caff says: Favourite character so far (as I haven’t unlocked them all): Riggs. Cutest nose, plus also has the best dialogue.

Very sound reasoning.

bagheera says: I tried out the demo, wasn’t too impressed, than later saw that RPS is hyping the game, gave it another go and NOW I LITERALLY can’t get myself to do anything other than playing CC :0 thanks RPS <3

Our work here is done… flips down shades

I_have_no_nose_but_I_must_sneeze says: I almost completed my first run yesterday before being demolished by the Core which had two bars of health left. It was my first time reaching that point. That was dispiriting, but I can still count it as a win, right? Anyone? That brought me back to beating Hades to within an inch of his life before he sent me back into the underworld. Humbling. I never defeated him either.

Oooo, so close, I_have_no_nose_but_I_must_sneeze! I’ve also had several moments like this. Always gutting, but I think there’s still a good sense of accomplishment to be gained from it at the same time.

Greetings, fellow Cobaltians! I hope everyone’s cat.exes are online and ready!

I_have_no_nose_but_I_must_sneeze says: I almost completed my first run yesterday before being demolished by the Core which had two bars of health left. It was my first time reaching that point. That was dispiriting, but I can still count it as a win, right? Anyone? That brought me back to beating Hades to within an inch of his life before he sent me back into the underworld. Humbling. I never defeated him either.

I wonder who would win in a fight… Hades or the Core?

Lazersaurus says: Riggs is my favorite character, but her cards are in that “necessary-but-kinda-dull” category. Movement is absolutely key, but it’s not nearly as exciting to me as watching Big Number Explosions like I get with, say, Drake.

Yeah, I think it was my first run without Riggs that I realised just how vital she can be to surviving those later stages. I missed her a lot in those moments!

Something I’ve only just picked up on is the nice little designs of the cards themselves. Lookit:

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Brace Yourself Games

That middle one is really great. And not too distracting either, which is a tough balance to find.

caff says: I love everything about the graphics, but I’ve lost so many runs due to me missing some small detail -like a flashing icon on the enemy. I hanker for an undo button, but acknowledge that is probably cheating.

I was actually just about to bring up that point, caff! I wish an undo button did exist.

caff says: I love everything about the graphics, but I’ve lost so many runs due to me missing some small detail -like a flashing icon on the enemy. I hanker for an undo button, but acknowledge that is probably cheating.

I have definitely mis-clicked/pressed the wrong button when playing on Steam Deck a few times. Undo buttons are an interesting dilemma. I like them, but I do also like having to simply commit to an action and seeing what happens. In this case, though, I think it stings a bit more as actions happen immediately, rather than all at the end of a turn. Perhaps it needs a ‘Confirm’ option to doubly make sure that’s the card you want to play?

Yeah. I like their approach, but I do think there ought to maybe be a plain-text option in the settings for people who want it, where it just tells you what it does in words.

Lazersaurus says: Into the Breach handled undos pretty elegantly, where you could try out infinite combinations of positioning but you had to commit to the move once you started doing damage. Something like that might work here.

Very true! I feel Into The Breach needed this as there were so many more strategic possibilities you could commit to there. Cobalt Core is a bit simpler in this respect, as you’re limited by what cards you have, but yeah, a ‘Confirm’ button would be a nice option all the same, I think.

Apart from accidental mis-clicks, how did folks find the game’s overall difficulty? Incident Electron wrote last week:

“What I loved most about this game is the perfectly pitched difficulty. Even on the harder modes it’s quite manageable if you know what you’re doing. I’ve always found Slay the Spire oppressively difficult after the first Act, and there’s none of that here.

I actually somehow beat the Core on my very first run. No idea how that happened.

I guess it disappointed me a little? Even though that’s not exactly fair, because I probably just got very lucky with my cards and artifacts, and I rather dislike when roguelites are just impossible to win without pumping some points into the metaprogression system first. I guess I just like feeling like a game has a challenge that I can slowly overcome over several runs. A bit like a soulslike boss, in a way.

Lazersaurus says: Cobalt Core skews easy for me, a person who is generally very bad at these types of games, but that’s really really not a bad thing, here. The difficulty meshes well with the art style and music to create a pretty relaxing reoguelike cardbattling experience, which is a feat I think should be celebrated.

Hear hear.

Jonny Crawley-Page says: I often saw Cobalt Core described as Slay the Spire meets FTL, but I think it’s far more similar to Into the Breach. Seeing what the enemy’s about to do turns every turn into a puzzle to solve, which is great. Though it equally has the same problem of meaning you have to see the your doom spelled out in front of you before you hit end turn

Yeah, it’s definitely the bones of Into The Breach hidden inside an FTL trench coat. Which is great! I love FTL (possibly more than ITB), but I think Into The Breach’s genius (seeing what the enemy’s about to do) is easier to successfully replicate in other games.

pete says: One day I will be on time for these, sorry

You are welcome any time, pete!

Jonny Crawley-Page says: I found the difficulty pretty well balanced - I’m awful at deck builders but this seems approachable on Normal, and a good challenge on Hard. I haven’t been brave enough to try anything above that though I wouldn’t normally dare experimenting with risky builds, but Normal seems forgiving enough that you can afford a few mistakes

I’m with you on this. I’ve tried a couple of Hard runs, but failed them every time. Definitely need to up my game at this level!

Has anyone got to the end credits of Cobalt Core? Eulrich said last week:

I have to say it’s a charming game, but I’m not sure I’ll finish the narrative at any point.

Personally, I think this is a totally acceptable stance. I’m not sure I’ll ever be good enough to finish it completely and do all the character combos, but there’s still a lot of enjoyment to be had from doing those different runs in the mean time, I think.

Lazersaurus says: Winning 18 times in a row admittedly eventually became kind of a slog, especially having to win win, say, Isaac, who is hugely RNG-based. But by that time, I was too invested in the story to not keep going.

Big congrats! I, too, hope to achieve this level of mastery one day…

caff says: Have Katherine or any of the team or commenters played Sunshine Heavy Industries? Myself and others were interested in knowing what it’s like.

I have! I wrote about it for supporters earlier in the month.

caff says: Oh yeah so you did, I need to go and re-read your thoughts! Memory of a sieve…

Haha, no worries!

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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