Ultimate Guide to Upgrading Every Workshop Station

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Looting in ARC Raiders might seem endless with all the items to find, but the real purpose is to use them. That’s where your workbenches play a key role. While you can buy many items from traders, many others can only be obtained through workbenches and crafting blueprints.

Every workbench, except for Scrappy and the basic Workbench that can’t be upgraded, requires certain materials to get started. It’s best to focus on gathering these materials early on before selling or breaking down other items. Luckily, the game has an item tracker you can turn on for each workbench in your inventory, so you can keep track of quest items, upgrades, and craftable gear during raids.

What Materials Are Needed to Upgrade Scrappy?

Scrappy, the rooster, helps you gather materials and provides small loot for each upgrade. Checking in with him regularly between raids is helpful, since upgrading Scrappy costs minimal resources initially but offers benefits that grow over time, making crafting easier.

Upgrade Level	Materials Needed	Loot Category
Level 1	None	None
Level 2	Dog Collar	Residential
Level 3	3 Lemons	Nature
	3 Apricots	Nature
Level 4	3 Prickly Pears	Nature
	6 Olives	Nature
	Cat Bed	Residential, Commercial
Level 5	12 Mushrooms	Nature
	6 Apricots	Nature
	Comfortable Pillows	Residential, Commercial

Most plants needed for Scrappy upgrades aren’t common unless you specifically search for them. They often require gathering fruit and vegetables from various maps, so it’s smart to check out guides on where to find these resources.

Upgrading the Gunsmith

The Gunsmith allows you to craft powerful weapons and attachments. Upgrading it is especially useful for facing tough enemies, like the large ARC robots, Bastions, or Sentinels. Start focusing on upgrading early for the best advantage.

Upgrade Level	Materials Needed	Loot Category
Level 1	20 Metal Parts	Basic Materials
	30 Rubber Parts	Basic Materials
Level 2	3 Rusted Tools	Mechanical/Industrial
	5 Mechanical Components	Mechanical
	8 Wasp Drivers	ARC
Level 3	3 Rusted Gears	Industrial
	5 Advanced Mechanical Components	Mechanical
	3 Sentinel Firing Cores	ARC

Getting the materials for the Gunsmith isn’t too hard — Wasp enemies and Sentinels are relatively weaker ARC foes. Rusted Gears can be tricky, but playing at night on maps like Blue Gate often increases your chances of finding more industrial loot.

Medical Lab Upgrades

The Medical Lab is your vital station for healing items that restore large health amounts or provide instant HP recovery. Upgrading it takes specific resources, many of which are found in designated spots on the map or in hidden pharmacies that are safer and less contested.

Upgrade Level	Materials Needed	Loot Category
Level 1	50 Fabric, 6 ARC Alloy	Medical
Level 2	2 Cracked Bioscanner, 5 Durable Cloth, 8 Tick Pods	Medical
Level 3	5 Rusted Shut Medical Kits, 10 Antiseptic, 3 Bastion Parts	Medical

Most materials can be found in marked locations, but some special items, like certain medicines, are tucked away in harder-to-spot areas. Completing quests, especially those from Lance, can also help supplement your supplies.

Upgrading the Gear Bench

The Gear Bench lets you craft shields and utility items like access cards and cloaks, which can significantly improve your survivability. While some materials are common, the final upgrades require rare enemies like Bison Drivers, which are heavily armored versions of Leapers.

Upgrade Level	Materials Needed	Loot Category
Level 1	25 Plastic Parts, 30 Fabric	Basic Materials
Level 2	3 Power Cables, 5 Electrical Components, 5 Hornet Drivers	Electrical/ARC
Level 3	3 Motors, 10 ARC Circuitry, 6 Bombardier Cells	ARC

Bison Drivers are dangerous enemies usually found in armored patrols. Using cover and powerful weapons to target their thrusters or utilizing gadgets like Grenades helps defeat them. Their armor can be tough, so teamwork is recommended.

Explosives Station

Upgrading your Explosives Station makes handling ARC enemies easier, providing grenades that bypass armor or distract enemies. The key challenge is acquiring Synthesized Fuel, which is very rare from looting. Instead, you can buy it or break down Wolfpack grenades for extra fuel.

Upgrade Level	Materials Needed	Loot Category
Level 1	6 ARC Allow, 50 Chemicals	ARC, Basic Materials
Level 2	3 Synthesized Fuel, 5 Crude Explosives, 5 Pop Triggers	Exodus, Security, Industrial
Level 3	3 Laboratory Reagents, 5 Explosive Compounds, 3 Rocketeer Drivers	Medical, ARC

Beware of Rocketeers—they are among the toughest enemies. Use cover, gadgets, and aim for their thrusters to bring them down faster.

Refinery and Utility Station

The Refinery isn’t flashy but is crucial for crafting components needed elsewhere. Finding rare items like Toasters and Fireball Burners takes patience, but playing during night maps and looting specific areas increases your chances.

The Utility Station might seem simple but unlocks powerful tools, including grenades that can lure enemies or cloaking devices that render you invisible — though the cloak makes a beeping noise, alerting enemies to your position.

Upgrade Level	Materials Needed	Loot Category
Level 1	50 Plastic Parts, 6 ARC Alloy	ARC
Level 2	2 Damaged Heat Sinks, 5 Electrical Components, 6 Snitch Scanners	Technological
Level 3	5 Fried Motherboards, 3 Advanced Electrical Components, 3 Bison Drivers	Technological

Certain enemies like the Bison Driver are very dangerous; team up or use gadgets to defeat them efficiently.

Overall, upgrading your workbenches unlocks a serious advantage in ARC Raiders. While some materials are easier to find, others will challenge your skills and patience. As you gather more blueprints and craft stronger gear, your chances of survival increase dramatically, making the fight against the ARC and Raiders more manageable over time.