What did a medieval peasant’s raw, sour breath sound like? Manor Lords’ composers tell us

“Greg’s got a fantastic ear.”

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Hooded Horse

The story of Manor Lords ’ soundtrack begins, as all inspiring tales do, with hunched-over late-night doom scrolling. It was pre-covid, and Pressure Cooker Studios’ composer Daniel Caleb was flicking through reddit posts when a trailer cut through the glare. He’d never heard of Manor Lords before. It looked like a new IP, but already had a huge Reddit following. Caleb loved what he saw. At that point, Pressure Cooker mainly worked on film scores, but both Caleb and fellow composer Elben Schutte had always wanted to eventually move on to bringing their storytelling from cinema to games. Even more so than film, games were the passion. Manor Lords would be perfect for them.

Manor Lords’ creator Greg ‘Slavic Magic’ Styczeń has always been active on Reddit, so it didn’t take Caleb long to find and send the Polish developer a message from his Cape Town studio. He soon joined the official Discord, but Styczeń was getting a lot of messages and being - at that time - a solo dev working out of his flat, he wasn’t exactly flush with resources. However, he did say exactly what kind of music he had in mind for his medieval town builder:

“I’m really looking for something fresh and organic for the sound track, with real instrument players - not just sampling. The textures of the soundtrack need to be unique. Something that hasn’t been done to death,” he told them. Styczeń also wanted jam sessions - improvisational elements to the tracks that authentically captured the folk traditions of the period. The problem was, says Caleb, authentic sounds and real instruments don’t come cheaply, and Styczeń just didn’t have the budget at that point. The game was becoming popular, but nowhere near the level of attention it would later gather.

Composer Daniel Caleb of Pressure Cooker Studios |Image credit:Pressure Cooker/Slavic Magic

Caleb says Pressure Cooker could do the initial stage really cheaply, they already had a whole network for collaboration. “He sent us a bunch of references. He’d already been collecting medieval music, like ancient choral music and instrumentals that he’d just been looping in the background of the game while he was playing,” Caleb tells me. “So he’d already spent a year or two in game with these ancient tunes and folk songs and what not.”

They put together a track named The Peasants . Caleb says that “the magic that really grabbed it for Greg is that we used live winds,” from multi-instrumentalist Simon ‘Fuzzy’ Ratcliffe ( Chivalry 2 , Guild Wars 2 ). That, and a baroque violin. “That was kind of the magic element that made him say: I want to work with you guys.”

“The baroque violin is a renaissance instrument - so technically not medieval - but its strings are made from sheep gut, so it’s got this really ancient sound to it,” says Ben Schutte. “The texture of it really captured the world that [both Styczeń and Pressure Cooker] were envisaging.”

Composer Elben Schutte of Pressure Cooker Studios |Image credit:Pressure Cooker/Slavic Magic

“We’re all Witcher soundtrack fans, even Greg, but we quickly found out the difference between fantasy and medieval,” laughs Caleb. “Fantasy does not work for Manor Lords, we found that out really early on.” Instead, they looked to other games for references. Civilisation 6 and A Plague Tale - “a wonderfully dark, live sort of score.” Burning The Past from film Kingdom Of Heaven, by Metal Gear Solid composer Harry Gregson Williams, was also a big reference point.

Styczeń’s other wishlist item for the soundtrack was period-authentic choral chants. Pressure Cooker ended up using two types: existing, historical choral chants from the 12th to 14th centuries, and their own compositions. Sometimes, they’d mix both together to compliment the game. For the track Kings And Paupers , they looked to a 14th century manuscript named Libre Vermell de Montserrat , which still sits today in Montserrat Abbey, just outside Barcelona. A collection of devotional texts, it was compiled to “have something pious for pilgrims to sing and dance to.”

“The monasteries were worried that pilgrims and the general riff-raff were coming in to these monasteries and mixing pagan music with the religious music. So they desperately wanted to record and notate these religious songs to preserve them,” says Caleb. Authentic as they come then, although as you might imagine, they weren’t the easiest to adapt. “Ancient score looks completely different to modern score,” says Schutte.

“This is completely new to Ben and I by the way. We’re not medieval scholars!” adds Caleb.

“Well,” laughs Schutte, “we like to think we might be now.”

Despite working from these long ago-notated arrangements, Pressure Cooker still had space to improvise. Caleb says the lovely thing about these choral pieces is they’re “quite monophonic”, so it’s easy to add modern cinematic flourishes like drones. “We found as soon as soon as we tried to put a clasp around having control around every single bar, note, or beat, it would suck the life out of this sort of organic performance that would have been the case in those days,” Schutte explains. “They didn’t have these kinds of rigid structures we have as modern composers.’ When they approached things from just wanting to make “pretty choral music” things would sound “too modern - too fantasy.” Another thing they’d have to get used to, as modern composers, was Styczeń’s own taste in audio fidelity.

Image credit:Hooded Horse

“Greg’s got a fantastic ear,” says Caleb. “He’s a multi talented guy. But the interesting thing is, as musicians and recorders, we like hearing pristine things. We spend thousands on microphones [and equipment]. But with Greg, he liked a rough, dirty sound that we weren’t used to.” They would put together an “incredible, pristine” recording in the studio, painstakingly mixed until they were happy with it. Then, there’d be the demos - mock-ups they’d slapped together in a bedroom. “Not mic’d up properly. No engineer. And Greg would say ‘no, I prefer that’. That’s something we’d have to get our heads around, because we’re always looking for perfection, right?”

“Greg recorded his hometown choir. There’s little noises and breathing, but there’s an authenticity to it. The music isn’t necessarily Polish, but I think it has a ‘Slavic Magic’ uniqueness to it,” says Caleb. Schutte adds that, “In terms of the pursuit of authenticity, the nature of medieval instruments are quite unpolished.” They weren’t completely bound by this push for authenticity, though. Although the medieval focus was key, Styczeń still wanted “moments of breath” - wider cinematic score pieces like the type Pressure Cooker were used to. This way, Styczeń hoped there’d be a contrast in intensity so that “the medieval music wouldn’t be as a tiring as it is to some people”

As I pondered a little in my review , Manor Lords struck me - despite the name - as more interested in the lives of its peasants than the nobility. Turns out, it wasn’t a coincidence.

“It’s so much about the hardship of the peasant,” Schutte says. “Their relationship to music. That’s why it was important to tackle it twofold - folk and church - because church was such a huge part of their lives, this overarching authority that governed them.” Between composing and playing Manor Lords, both Caleb and Schutte say they often felt a sense of “otherworldliness”. They’d hang on to that feeling and strive to incorporate it, to capture the sense of the average medieval person’s perception of this sacred music. To those peasants, says Schutte, it was a glimpse of “the absolute ultimate state of everything”.

The other side of this church/tavern, choral/folk dichotomy, says Schutte, was them trying to capture the feeling of hardship of everyday life. “We came up with this catchphrase we kept throwing back and forth at each other - ‘the peasant’s breath’. We imagined a peasant, no personal hygiene, struggling in the field, who has this sort of raw, sour kind of breath - and what does that sound like?”

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Hooded Horse

“And death,” says Caleb, “is around the corner all the time. In the early renditions of the game, it was a lot more hardcore than it is now. Before you knew it, your pop was just dwindling.” Before the interview, I’d imagined moodboards full of bucolic summer-scapes and winter snows to inspire composition. Instead, Caleb says, they ended up with screengrabs of “random dead peasants.” That’s often, says Schutte, why they focused so heavily on bowed instruments “A bowed medieval instrument has this raspiness and roughness to it that was really right for this setting.”

Schutte says the success of Manor Lords hasn’t quite sunk in yet, and they both agree that watching it blow up has been “surreal.” They’re excited about what the future brings for Pressure Cooker (they’re “having conversations” about future content) but mostly, they just seem happy for Styczeń. “To know Greg over the last three or four years, to see the success of the game, it’s been amazing,” says Caleb “He’s really poured the best years of his life into doing this game. He’s given everything. It’s amazing to see it paying off.”

Manor Lords’ digital soundtrack is available now from Laced Records .

Manor Lords

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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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