ARC RAIDERS · PATCH 1.21

FIRST PRINCIPLES FARMING

Kill Your Gear Fear. Know More Than Just Your Loadout Cost In Coins. Learn What Materials You Need to Multiply Your Stash In One Raid.
LOADOUT BUILDER 0 ITEMS
BACKPACK
QUICK USE
WEIGHT
0.0 / 30.0 kg
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SEEDS
↓ expand breakdown
COINS
↓ expand breakdown
MATERIALS
unique to farm
// CELESTE SEED TRADE BREAKDOWN
// COIN PURCHASE BREAKDOWN
LOADOUT BREAK-EVEN FARMING LIST
MATERIALQTYSEEDS
per-item crafting trees · FARM / TRADE controls per material
LOADOUT CRAFTING BREAKDOWN PER ITEM // EXPAND TO EDIT
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QUANTITY
DATA: PATCH 1.21.0 · VERIFIED: MARCH 2026 · 517 ITEMS · 146 RECIPES · 53 UPGRADE CHAINS · SOURCE: ARCRAIDERS.COM

How First Principles Farming Works

Drop your full loadout into the calculator above: augment, weapons (any tier I through IV), shield, meds, ammo, grenades. The tool traces every crafting chain down to base materials, then tells you exactly what to farm. A Renegade IV recipe says "6 Advanced Mechanical Components + 9 Medium Gun Parts + 5 Oil." Each Medium Gun Part is 4 Simple Gun Parts. That's 36 SGP for the gun parts alone. Your loadout becomes a farming list for your next raid.

Two views: Raw Materials (fully decomposed, your actual farming cost) and Top Level Crafting (recipe components you craft at the bench). Toggle individual materials between CRAFT and FARM depending on what's already in your stash. All data verified against official patch notes.

Loadout Crafting Cost Reference

WEAPONTYPEBASE COST (TIER I)TOTAL SGP (TIER IV)SEED COST (TIER IV)
FerroBattle Rifle5 Metal + 2 Rubber2 SGP47
StitcherSMG8 Metal + 4 Rubber2 SGP86
KettleAssault Rifle6 Metal + 8 Rubber2 SGP86
AnvilHand Cannon5 Mech Comp + 6 SGP15 SGP265
Il ToroShotgun5 Mech Comp + 6 SGP15 SGP265
RenegadeBattle Rifle2 Adv Mech + 3 MGP + 5 Oil36 SGP474
VenatorPistol2 Adv Mech + 5 Magnet + 3 MGP36 SGP474
BobcatSMG2 Exodus + 3 LGP + 1 Mag Accel40 SGP646+
TempestAssault Rifle2 Exodus + 1 Mag Accel + 3 MGP40 SGP646+
VulcanoShotgun1 Exodus + 3 HGP + 1 Mag Accel36 SGP494

SGP = Simple Gun Parts equivalent when all gun parts are fully decomposed. A Bobcat IV + Tempest IV loadout requires 80 SGP between two weapons. At 10 per raid, that's 8 successful extracts just to replace your guns. A Ferro IV + Stitcher IV budget kit requires 4 SGP total. One run.

// MORE ABOUT LOADOUT ECONOMICS

Understanding Your Break-Even Target

Your break-even target is the loot value you need to extract with to cover your kit's replacement cost. A Ferro + Stitcher kit costs ~30 base materials. Extract with 60 materials of loot and you've funded your next two loadouts in one raid. Budget loadouts hit this threshold almost every run. Expensive kits rarely do.

The map loot guide compares your needed materials against what's farmable on Dam Battlegrounds, Blue Gate, Stella Montis, Buried City, and Spaceport.

Upgrade Chain Costs

Each weapon tier stacks on top of the Tier I craft cost. The calculator handles full chains automatically. An Anvil IV across all four tiers: 16 Mechanical Components, 7 Simple Gun Parts, 2 Heavy Gun Parts. A Bobcat IV: 10 Light Gun Parts (40 SGP decomposed), 6 Advanced Mechanical Components, 2 Exodus Modules, 1 Magnetic Accelerator. The gap between common and epic weapons is larger than most players assume.

Pair this with the Damage Calculator to evaluate whether a Tier IV upgrade justifies the material cost. Weapon Rankings compare TTK and DPS across all shield types.

Why Budget Loadouts Compound Faster

Ferro + Stitcher costs ~30 base materials to replace. You loot more than that in the first few minutes of any map. One successful extract covers multiple deaths. A Renegade IV + Anvil IV kit requires hundreds of materials and a full key room clear to break even once. Budget kits compound because the break-even line sits below what you'd extract on an average run. Expensive kits require above-average runs every time.

FAQ

How much does it cost to craft a Ferro IV from scratch?

21 Metal Parts, 2 Rubber Parts, 2 Simple Gun Parts, 1 Mechanical Component across all four tiers. ~47 seeds from Celeste or 8,700 coins from Tian Wen. Farmable in a single raid on any map.

What is the cheapest loadout in Arc Raiders?

Ferro I + Stitcher I + Light Shield. ~30 base materials total. Better than free kits: you get a safe pocket, augment flexibility, and one extract covers multiple deaths. Free kits are for players with nothing in stash.

How many Simple Gun Parts does a Bobcat IV need?

40. The recipe shows 10 Light Gun Parts, but each one decomposes to 4 SGP. At 10 SGP per raid, that's 4 successful extracts to replace one weapon. The recipe looks manageable. The decomposed cost tells a different story.

Should I craft weapons or buy them from vendors?

Craft. A Ferro I costs 7 seeds to craft vs 1,425 coins from Tian Wen. An Il Toro I costs ~42 seeds to craft vs 15,000 coins. Vendor buying only makes sense when you have excess coins and need gear immediately.

What does first principles farming mean?

Decomposing your loadout to its fundamental base materials so you know exactly what to farm in raid. "1 Magnetic Accelerator" in a recipe becomes 14 Metal Parts, 6 Rubber Parts, 6 Steel Spring, 16 ARC Alloy. Your loadout becomes a farming list. You land on a map knowing exactly what to pick up.

How do I break even on a raid in Arc Raiders?

Calculate your loadout replacement cost with the tool above, then extract with loot worth at least that amount. Target high RC-per-kg items: trinkets, weapon case recyclables, ARC enemy drops. The map loot guide shows optimal targets per map.

Arc Raiders is a trademark of Embark Studios AB. KillMath is not affiliated with Embark Studios. Item data sourced from RaidTheory (MIT License) and verified against official patch notes.