Creative Assembly explain Total War: Warhammer 40,000’s factions - the Eldar “play totally differently to anything we’ve ever done”

Marines are tactical, Guard are plentiful, Orks are Orks

Image credit:Sega

Creative Assembly have taken us a little deeper into the biomechanical contours of Total War: Warhammer 40,000 ’s faction design, with a new development roundtable video featuring principal creative director Ian Roxburgh, lead designer Simon Mann and product owner for battles David Petry.

The short version: the starting faction balance is a question of both asymmetry and calculated familiarity. The Imperial Guard are for Total War traditionalists, with a straightforward emphasis on production and attrition. The Orks are comparably numerous, but they need to keep fighting or they’ll turn on each other, and have some unique capabilities based on repurposed tech. The Space Marines are all about precise usage of very small numbers of fanatical killing machines, with less capacity to build up an economy. And the Eldar are stealthy glass cannons operating out of remote Craftworld bases, who spend a lot of time trying to avert galactic calamities rather than just wrecking the other species.

None of this will especially surprise a 40K enthusiast, I think, but it feels like a sturdy selection of playstyles, with other factions (including Chaos Space Marines) to follow presumably via either DLC or in the form of a sequel. The devs also spoke about the game’s overall campaign view/battlemap interplay, which is split across planets and hinges on reinforcement mechanics.

Here’s the key line from Mann about dem Spesh Meringues. “There’s not lots of them, so when you’re playing as them, you’re not fielding tens of thousands of troops, you’re fielding maybe a hundred, two hundred troops, but each one of those is worth a hundred of the enemies.” He added later: “You’ve got to make sure you’re measuring your losses, because you’re not building infrastructure, right? You’re not able to build new constructions in the same way as the other factions.”

The Imperial Guard/Astra Militarum (delete as per your hatred of Games Workshop’s current naming conventions) are the Total Warriest of the quartet, according to Mann. “There are lots of them, they are massed forces, regiments, there is artillery, there is front lines. It’s something you’d see as a very military faction, even down to their industrial complex, where they’re building industry on planets and developing them in order to fuel the machine and fund the development of more tanks and infantry.”

Image credit:Sega

The Orks, meanwhile, are “a massed green tide of chaos and energy that’s charging across the battlefield, armed with metal sticks and axes and whatever they can jerry-rig together," as Mann explained. “Rocket launchers on sticks! But also vehicles that they’ve repurposed from imperial scrap.”

Petry interjected that there are parallels between the Orks and the Astra Militarum. “There are loads of them, they are building up resources, but they are are much more about building up momentum, and continuing to fight. It’s krumping with the lads, you know, it’s continuing to fight, and continuing to push forward a frontline, and making sure the boys don’t get bored and start fighting each other.” So yes, Ork waaagh mechanics are in.

Finally, there are the Aeldari/Eldar (delete as per etc etc etc). “They play totally differently to anything we’ve ever done in the past, I don’t think we’ve ever done anything quite like this,” Mann said. “They aren’t a faction that is built for massed combat. It’s not big armies fighting one another. Every loss for the Aeldari doesn’t get returned – their souls are getting taken away by the Chaos gods.”

Rather than forming frontlines, Eldar generals will use stealth, Webway gates and other exotic technologies to achieve objectives that go beyond conquest. “Your goals may actually be just, don’t allow this awful thing to happen,” Mann said. “Stop this calamity that could be occurring to the galaxy. Everyone else is still trying to kill you while you’re trying to do that, but you know what your mission is, and what you need to achieve, and you approach it with kind of grim determination.”

The Eldar have access to a Craftworld, which serves as “a kind of off-map setup piece, which is actually where you’re recruiting all your units,” Mann added. They’ll set up shrines to get access to more elite units. They’re a bit like the Space Marines, conceptually, and they have some snazzy weaponry, but they are a lot more fragile. “Every soul lost is a soul not returned, so you have to really pick your fights,” Mann cautioned.

Image credit:Sega

The campaign is organised around galactic hotspots called “crusade theatres” in which you’ll vie for possession of several planets. Planets are broken into regions. You’ll have fleets that can ferry troops between worlds, drop reinforcements and bombard the surface. There are also space anomalies to reckon with, but Creative Assembly have yet to reveal much about the Battlefleet Gothic aspect of TwartyK, assuming there’s any naval combat at all. Oh, and you can blow planets up, though Imperium players will need “multiple layers of authorisation” to do this. I imagine Orks are less picky.

Creative Assembly stress that reinforcements are a key mechanic in battles, partly because it strengthens the connection between these clashes and your wider strategy and fleet movements. Again, though, the feel varies by the faction. Space Marines are all about tactical insertions, able to call in drop pods that smash buildings on impact.

The Astra Militarum are less nimble, more about grinding forward. “The Guard have less ways of interjecting directly into the battlefield,” Petry said. “They might have to throw wave after wave of their own men up the battlefield in order to arrive before the last unit that is probably now flagging, maybe running away - to replace them in time and hold that line.” The Ork are comparable, but also have teleporters, and the Aeldari can use their Webway gates for subtler battlefield choreography.

The devs appear comfortable with the relative prominence of shootybangs in the 40K universe, inasmuch as they still think there’s plenty of scope for old-fashioned Total War melee. “It is science fantasy,” said Petry. “So there is so much fantasy wrapped into it. And when you think about the conflicts that go on – yes, there is cover, yes, there is a lot of ranged combat going on, but there’s also loads of punching! So much punching! And loads and loads of krumping that goes on!

“You really have a lot of melee going on in these battles. Lots of forces will mass up and crash into one another. Practically every unit has some combination of a thing they can shoot you with and a thing that they can punch you with. In some cases literally – power fists, right?”

I think all this sounds promising enough, but again, unsurprising. I’m most sold on the Eldar, inasmuch as I’ve always wanted my own Craftworld, I’m keen on having strategic objectives besides obliteration, and I like factions that coax me away from my instinct to amass a shieldwall you can see from orbit. They also have such great hair.

The odds of this happening were low, given the popularity of Spice Maureens, but I’d have liked Creative Assembly to save the Imperium for a sequel or expansion, and taken a risk on an all-xeno line-up. This is partly because Warhammer 40,000 has a tricksy relationship with real-life fascism , and it might be constructive to decentralise the weird theocratic humans. But also, Warhammer 40,000 games always start with Space Marines. Perhaps if the Space Marines showed up late to the party it would alter our understanding of them in an entertaining way?

Total War: Warhammer 40,000

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.

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

Rock Paper Shotgun is better when you sign in

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