ARC Raiders Workshop Upgrade Guide

Upgrade smarter, not slower. This guide explains the pros and cons of every bench, the best order to follow, and how to keep materials stocked.

•Updated: October 18, 2025•12 min read

Workshop system overview

Speranza hides four benches: weapon, equipment, med, and basic. Upgrading them unlocks better blueprints, cheaper repairs, and higher stash capacity. Every upgrade consumes scarce materials, so you need a plan.

  • Weapon Bench: rifles, shotguns, mods, and advanced ammo.
  • Equipment Bench: shields, augments, armor gadgets.
  • Med Station: stims, shield rechargers, detox items.
  • Basic Bench: grenades, ammo packs, utility craftables.

Weapon Bench upgrades

Rush Weapon Bench Tier 2 for mid-tier rifles, then Tier 3 for Ferro/Jupiter unlocks. Bring metal parts, plastics, and electronics every raid.

  • Tier 2: unlocks Osprey/Tempest builds plus basic weapon mods.
  • Tier 3: legendary snipers, burst rifles, advanced mod kit.
  • Tip: craft duplicates while the bench is idle so wipe losses do not hurt.
Weapon Bench
LevelMaterials requiredUnlocks
2
  • Metal Parts: 50
  • Plastic Parts: 30
  • Schematic: Weapon Bench Tier 2: 1
  • Osprey Sniper Rifle — weapons • Weapon Bench • Lv. 2
  • Tempest Rifle — weapons • Weapon Bench • Lv. 2
  • Basic Weapon Mod Kit — mods • Weapon Bench • Lv. 2
3
  • Metal Parts: 100
  • Plastic Parts: 75
  • Electronic Components: 25
  • Schematic: Weapon Bench Tier 3: 1
  • Ferro Sniper Rifle — weapons • Weapon Bench • Lv. 3
  • Jupiter Sniper Rifle — weapons • Weapon Bench • Lv. 3
  • Advanced Weapon Mod Kit — mods • Weapon Bench • Lv. 3

Equipment Bench upgrades

Equipment Bench powers shields and augments. Prioritize survivability so every loadout feels consistent.

  • Tier 2: medium shields, Tier 2 augments, basic armor inserts.
  • Tier 3: heavy shields, advanced augment sets, rare cores.
  • Tip: rotate augment sets across loadouts to minimize re-craft time.
Equipment Bench
LevelMaterials requiredUnlocks
2
  • Fabric: 40
  • Plastic Parts: 25
  • Schematic: Equipment Bench Tier 2: 1
  • Standard Shield — equipment • Equipment Bench • Lv. 2
  • Tier 2 Augment Set — equipment • Equipment Bench • Lv. 2
3
  • Fabric: 80
  • Plastic Parts: 60
  • Rare Cores: 5
  • Schematic: Equipment Bench Tier 3: 1
  • Heavy Shield — equipment • Equipment Bench • Lv. 3
  • Tier 3 Augment Set — equipment • Equipment Bench • Lv. 3

Med Station upgrades

Med Station upgrades win attrition wars. Stockpile chemicals and plastics so you can mass-produce heal kits.

  • Tier 2: medkits, shield rechargers, detox sprays.
  • Tier 3: adrenaline shots, advanced medkits, raid buffs.
  • Tip: craft consumables in batches (20+ bandages, 10 shield rechargers).
Med Station
LevelMaterials requiredUnlocks
2
  • Chemicals: 35
  • Plastic Parts: 20
  • Schematic: Med Station Tier 2: 1
  • Medkit — consumables • Med Station • Lv. 2
  • Shield Recharger — consumables • Med Station • Lv. 2
3
  • Chemicals: 70
  • Plastic Parts: 45
  • Rare Cores: 3
  • Schematic: Med Station Tier 3: 1
  • Adrenaline Shot — consumables • Med Station • Lv. 3
  • Advanced Medkit — consumables • Med Station • Lv. 3

Basic Bench upgrades

Basic Bench handles grenades, ammo packs, and early utility. Upgrade it last, but do not ignore the quality-of-life unlocks.

  • Tier 2: advanced ammo, starter grenades.
  • Tier 3: special ammo, improved explosive kits.
  • Tip: keep a stash of explosives for Power Plant pushes.
Basic Bench
LevelMaterials requiredUnlocks
2
  • Metal Parts: 30
  • Plastic Parts: 30
  • Advanced Ammo Pack — consumables • Basic Bench • Lv. 2
  • Grenade Crafting Kit — consumables • Basic Bench • Lv. 2
3
  • Metal Parts: 60
  • Plastic Parts: 60
  • Chemicals: 30
  • Special Ammo Pack — consumables • Basic Bench • Lv. 3
  • Advanced Explosive Kit — consumables • Basic Bench • Lv. 3

Upgrade priority guide

  1. Weapon Bench Tier 2: unlocks reliable DPS for every build.
  2. Med Station Tier 2: ensures heal/shield stocks for squad mates.
  3. Equipment Bench Tier 2: provides consistent shields.
  4. Weapon Bench Tier 3: legendary guns pay for themselves.
  5. Med + Equipment Tier 3: sustain plus advanced augments.
  6. Basic Bench upgrades: finish when core benches feel comfortable.

Rule of thumb

Never upgrade two benches at once unless you already have material surplus.

Material farming tips

  • Metal parts: farm Power Plant and rail yards.
  • Plastics/fabric: apartment loot loops and swamp shacks.
  • Electronics: ARC uplinks, research center drones.
  • Chemicals: med labs, water control tunnels.
  • Rare cores: bosses, uplink events, hidden bunkers.

Track material usage inside a spreadsheet or stash tab. If a resource drops below 30 units, dedicate a raid to refilling it before attempting another upgrade.

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