The best ARC Raiders skill tree after Frozen Trail 2.0 depends on whether you extract alone, fight with a coordinated squad, or farm Security Lockers. Mobility remains a strong early investment for most Raiders, but it is no longer correct to follow the old 15-point opener or the 38/38 and 39/37 builds built around outdated capstones. The October 8, 2026 rework moved several key skills between branches, removed others entirely, and introduced exclusive choices at 10, 30, and 40 points. As of the November 5 Hotfix 2.4.1, these reworked rules remain the basis for current live builds.
You receive 76 base Skill Points by reaching level 75, with up to 15 additional permanent bonus points earned through Expeditions. Those limits make each branch choice matter. A solo Raider usually benefits from Mobility and Survival, a squad anchor wants Conditioning, and a dedicated Security Locker farmer now needs substantial Conditioning investment rather than Survival alone.
Quick answer: For a 76-point solo setup, start with 40 Mobility / 36 Survival; for a combat-focused squad anchor, use 40 Conditioning / 36 Mobility; for locked-loot routes, choose 40 Conditioning / 36 Survival. At 10 points in a branch you select one of two skills, while the end choices unlock at 30 and 40 points and allow at most two of three skills.
ARC Raiders Skill Tree After Frozen Trail 2.0
The current tree has three branches: Mobility for traversal and stamina, Conditioning for shield handling, carrying, breaching and downed-state support, and Survival for stealth, searching, crafting and field maintenance. Frozen Trail rebuilt all three, so a build from July or August 2026 cannot be copied node for node.
| Branch | Core strengths | Best use | Important 30/40-point skills |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mobility | Stamina, sprinting, rolling, climbing and vaulting | Solo escapes, fast rotations, PvP flanking | Sprinting On Fumes, Wall Run, In The Flow |
| Conditioning | Shields, carry weight, breaching, combat utility and downed support | Squad anchors, heavy kits, Security Lockers | Security Breach, Weapon Bash, Bull Rush |
| Survival | Quiet looting, field crafting, recycling and repairs | Solo scavenging, long raids, material farming | Road Warrior, Nomadic Crafting, Field Repair |
Embark described the branch overhaul in its official Frozen Trail 2.0 update. The old 15-point middle and 36-point capstone gates are gone. Subsequent live patches have changed individual animations and equipment values without replacing this choice-node system.
How the 10, 30 and 40-Point Skill Choices Work
The biggest change is that investing far into a branch no longer lets you take everything on its path. Each branch has a middle choice and an end group. The points must be invested in that same branch, and you still need to unlock the connected preceding nodes.
- 10 points: Unlock the middle large node and pick only one of its two abilities. The other remains unavailable until you reset the tree.
- 30 points: Unlock the first choice from the three abilities at the end of that branch.
- 40 points: Unlock a second choice from those three end abilities. You cannot take all three in one branch.
- 76 base points: You can develop two branches substantially, but 40 points in both would require at least four Expedition bonus points.
The middle choices are Vault Spring versus Vaults On Vaults On Vaults in Mobility, Back On Your Feet versus Mule's Gallop in Conditioning, and Quick Roll versus Minesweeper in Survival. You cannot equip both options from one pair, even with 91 total points. Likewise, the 30/40 unlocks are choices from one shared group, not two unrestricted capstones.
The Best Early Skill Order for New Raiders
Do not try to reproduce the old Nimble Climber–Marathon Runner–Youthful Lungs 15-point sequence. Youthful Lungs is now Mobility's one-point starting skill, and Marathon Runner sits farther along the reworked route. Choose the nodes you can actually reach while building toward the 10-point decision.
- Take Youthful Lungs (1/1). The maximum-stamina bonus unlocks Mobility and helps in every fight and escape.
- Improve Nimble Climber. Faster climbing and vaulting shorten the moments when you are exposed and cannot return fire effectively.
- Add Ready To Roll or Fight Or Flight where the connected route allows. The former makes landing recovery rolls more forgiving; the latter restores some stamina after combat damage.
- Reach 10 points in Mobility. Pick Vaults On Vaults On Vaults for stamina-free vaulting or Vault Spring for a jump after a vault. This is an exclusive choice.
- Work toward Marathon Runner and Effortless Roll. Reduced movement or dodge-roll stamina cost improves your ability to reposition without exhausting yourself.
- Choose the second branch based on your raids. Solo scavengers can start Survival with In-Round Crafting; shield-heavy teammates can start Conditioning with Used To The Weight.
You do not need to max every five-rank node immediately. The right opening depends on the available route and whether you urgently need faster loot searches or better combat mobility. If you are still progressing toward level 75, keep the eventual point budget in mind; the ARC Raiders leveling options cover a separate progression goal, while this guide focuses on how to allocate the points you earn.
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Best ARC Raiders Skills to Prioritize
These are high-value picks in the current tree, but none makes every Raider stronger in every situation. A perk that improves extraction consistency may do more for your stash than a flashy combat ability you rarely activate.
Universal and High-Value Skills
Use the table to judge the actual payoff before investing in a branch. Some skills that used to be recommended together are now mutually exclusive or sit on different paths.
| Skill | Branch | Main benefit | Tradeoff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Youthful Lungs | Mobility | Raises maximum stamina at the starting node | Does not prevent exhaustion |
| Nimble Climber | Mobility | Speeds up climbing and vaulting | Must follow the connected node route |
| Marathon Runner | Mobility | Reduces stamina cost while moving | Sits farther into Mobility than the starter node |
| Effortless Roll | Mobility | Lowers dodge-roll stamina cost | More valuable when regularly dodging danger |
| Looter's Instincts | Survival | Reveals container contents faster | Does not improve drop quality |
| Silent Scavenger | Survival | Reduces looting noise | Does not silence combat or movement |
| Loaded Arms | Conditioning | Reduces equipped-weapon weight impact | Requires investment in Conditioning |
| Broad Shoulders | Conditioning | Adds carry capacity, up to 10 weight at full ranks | No longer belongs to Survival |
Best Skills for Solo Raiders
Without someone covering a doorway or sharing supplies, quiet searching and field utility are worth more than perks that depend on a teammate reviving you.
- In-Round Crafting: Survival's starting node unlocks basic field crafting, including useful healing and shield-support items.
- Looter's Instincts and Silent Scavenger: Shorten your time at containers and reduce the sound that gives away your position.
- Agile Croucher: Helps you move faster while staying crouched around contested rooms.
- Traveling Tinkerer: Adds field-crafting options, including grenade traps and a Raider Hatch Key.
- Looter's Luck: Can reveal two items during one container-search animation; it is faster searching, not guaranteed extra loot.
- Field Repair: A 30/40-point Survival option that lets you repair qualifying equipment in-round up to 30% durability.
Best Skills for Squads and PvP
A squad can use a slower, tougher anchor because another Raider can hold an angle or cover a revive. These skills support that role rather than replacing proper positioning.
- Used To The Weight: Conditioning's starting node makes a shield less restrictive.
- Fight Or Flight: Now in Mobility, this restores a fixed amount of stamina after taking combat damage, subject to its cooldown.
- Downed But Determined and Crawl Before You Walk: Extend the time to collapse and improve crawling while downed, making revives easier for coordinated teammates.
- Back On Your Feet: One of Conditioning's exclusive 10-point choices, allowing limited health regeneration when critically hurt.
- Stubborn Mule and Broad Shoulders: Both are in Conditioning now, useful when a heavy kit or full bag would otherwise make extraction awkward.
- Bull Rush: A 30/40-point Conditioning choice that lets you knock back Raiders or ARC by sprinting with your weapon stowed.
Remember that Turtle Crawl is in Survival, not Conditioning. Do not put points into the wrong branch hoping to reach it. The ARC Raiders PvP guide covers sound, angles and disengagement, which remain more decisive than any single perk.
Best Solo Skill Tree Build: Mobility 40 / Survival 36
Recommended for: solo looting, quests, longer raids, field crafting and safer extractions. This 76-point allocation replaces the old Mobility 38 / Survival 38 recommendation because the new branch thresholds reward reaching 40 points in your main branch. The goal is not to win every duel; it is to leave dangerous areas before a fight becomes unavoidable.
Solo Build Priorities
In Mobility, take Youthful Lungs, Nimble Climber, Marathon Runner and the roll or sprint nodes needed along the connected route. At the 10-point choice, Vaults On Vaults On Vaults is a dependable pick for frequent indoor routes; Vault Spring is an alternative if your preferred paths demand post-vault jumps. At 30 and 40 points, select two from In The Flow, Wall Run and Sprinting On Fumes. In The Flow suits chained movement; Wall Run offers new vertical approaches; Sprinting On Fumes helps extended sprinting but imposes recovery after it ends.
In Survival, start with In-Round Crafting and build toward Looter's Instincts, Silent Scavenger, Agile Croucher, Looter's Luck and Traveling Tinkerer. At 10 points, choose Quick Roll for more evasive movement or Minesweeper if traps repeatedly block your routes. At 30 points, take one end skill: Field Repair for longer self-supported raids, Nomadic Crafting for wider field crafting, or Road Warrior for ARC ammunition and recycling value. With 36 points in Survival, you do not get a second end choice.
How to Play the Solo Build
Mobility keeps you moving while Survival reduces how often you must expose yourself to find supplies. Neither makes a contested extract automatically safe.
- Start with an edge route or a less-contested point of interest when the spawn allows it.
- Use Silent Scavenger and crouched movement near combat, but remember that vaulting and gunfire can still reveal you.
- Keep a stamina reserve for the final rotation; do not enter a contested extract exhausted.
- Use your chosen Mobility end skills to reach cover or escape, not to sprint blindly through an exposed sightline.
- Extract after securing quest items, a valuable blueprint or the materials needed for your next Workshop upgrade.
Solo builds are flexible. If repeated runs are lost to traps, Minesweeper can outperform Quick Roll; if you are constantly running out of crafted support items, Nomadic Crafting may be more valuable than Field Repair. Make the choice from your actual raid failures, not an outdated universal tier list.
Best Squad PvP Build: Conditioning 40 / Mobility 36
Recommended for: organized duos and trios, heavy-shield anchors, contested objectives, revives and sustained PvP. This replaces the old Mobility 39 / Conditioning 37 build. By reaching 40 in Conditioning, the anchor gets two end choices while still unlocking one Mobility end option at 30. A dedicated flanker can reverse the split to Mobility 40 / Conditioning 36 if extra movement is more important than two combat utility choices.
Conditioning Targets
Start with Used To The Weight and work toward Loaded Arms, Downed But Determined, Crawl Before You Walk and, for looted heavy kits, Broad Shoulders or Stubborn Mule. At the 10-point fork, Back On Your Feet helps an injured anchor stabilize, while Mule's Gallop allows sprinting when over-encumbered. You must choose one. At 30 and 40 points, choose two from Bull Rush, Weapon Bash and Security Breach; Bull Rush is an active repositioning tool, Weapon Bash supports close combat, and Security Breach is loot access rather than a dueling perk. Live Update 2.3.0 adjusted Bull Rush's hit-camera animation and raised Heavy Shield base charge without moving these nodes.
Mobility Targets
Take Youthful Lungs and the traversal, stamina and rolling skills that fit your connected route. The 10-point choice is still Vault Spring or Vaults On Vaults On Vaults. With 36 Mobility points you get just one end pick at 30, usually In The Flow for active flanking or Sprinting On Fumes for long rotations. Sprinting On Fumes is interrupted by damage or other actions, and its recovery is a real drawback during a firefight.
How to Split Squad Roles
A trio does not need three identical trees. One Conditioning-heavy player can carry a shield and hold the revive lane; one Mobility-heavy player can flank; one teammate can focus on Survival crafting or a Security Breach route. Downed-state perks matter most when someone can actually reach you. For fights against large ARC threats, the ARC Raiders boss and elite enemy guide helps with target selection and pressure management, while the skill tree determines how your team handles movement and recovery around those fights.
Best Loot and Security Breach Build: Conditioning 40 / Survival 36
Recommended for: planned Security Locker routes, blueprint searches, workshop resources and squads that can defend a breach. The old Survival 39 / Mobility 37 build cannot deliver Security Breach anymore: Security Breach moved to Conditioning in Frozen Trail 2.0. This new allocation gives two Conditioning end choices and one Survival end choice, but almost no Mobility investment. It works best when your route and teammates compensate for that weakness.
Loot Build Priorities
In Conditioning, take Used To The Weight, Broad Shoulders, Stubborn Mule, Loaded Arms and Proficient Pryer along the reachable route. At 10 points, choose Mule's Gallop for heavy extraction loads or Back On Your Feet for a safer combat recovery option. At 30 points, take Security Breach; the 40-point choice can be Bull Rush or Weapon Bash depending on how your squad deals with interruptions.
In Survival, In-Round Crafting, Looter's Instincts, Silent Scavenger, Looter's Luck and Traveling Tinkerer keep the run productive. Choose Minesweeper at 10 if trapped approaches are common, or Quick Roll if your main problem is escaping ambushes. At 30, take one of Road Warrior, Nomadic Crafting or Field Repair to match your route. A player pursuing ARC Raiders blueprint farming should value safe extraction and fast searches; a skill that unlocks a locker does not guarantee a specific blueprint or a safe way home.
When Security Breach Is Worth the Risk
Security Lockers can be valuable, but their location and the time spent breaching can attract attention. Check the situation before committing.
- Your route reaches the locker without forcing several unnecessary fights.
- Teammates can watch entrances and keep an escape lane open.
- You have ammunition, healing and extraction time left after opening it.
- The map condition and nearby ARC threats leave room to disengage if another squad approaches.
Do not confuse older environmental threats with the new skill layout. The ARC Raiders Flashpoint overview describes earlier ARC and map changes; Frozen Trail's official patch is the authority for the current tree. With at least four Expedition bonus points, a veteran can reach 40 Conditioning / 40 Survival and obtain two end choices in both branches.
Strong but Situational ARC Raiders Skills
These skills are useful when the raid repeatedly puts you in the situation they solve. They are not automatic purchases just because a streamer has them in a build.
| Skill or choice | Take it when | Consider skipping when |
|---|---|---|
| Security Breach | You deliberately farm Security Lockers | You avoid loud, contested rooms |
| Minesweeper | Traps or explosive deployables repeatedly block your route | You prefer Quick Roll for evasive movement |
| Downed But Determined / Crawl Before You Walk | Teammates can cover and complete revives | You almost always queue solo |
| Gentle Pressure / Proficient Pryer | You regularly breach containers or doors | You seldom use breach interactions |
| Sprinting On Fumes | You plan long, uninterrupted travel routes | Frequent combat interruptions make recovery punishing |
| Field Repair / Nomadic Crafting | You stay Topside long enough to need repairs or additional recipes | You make short runs and extract with spare supplies |
| Bull Rush / Weapon Bash | You want active close-range Conditioning utility | Your main Conditioning goal is Security Breach and your second pick is unavailable |
Common ARC Raiders Skill Tree Mistakes
Most wasted points come from following pre-rework diagrams or overlooking the opportunity cost of an exclusive choice. Watch for these mistakes before you spend Coins on another reset.
- Planning around the old 15/36 gates: use 10/30/40 branch investment thresholds instead.
- Trying to take Vault Spring and Vaults On Vaults On Vaults together: the 10-point Mobility choice allows only one.
- Looking for Security Breach, Broad Shoulders or Stubborn Mule in Survival: all three are now in Conditioning.
- Following removed-skill builds: Carry The Momentum, Heroic Leap, Unburdened Roll, Survivor's Stamina, Calming Stroll, Flyswatter, Blast-Born, Suffer In Silence and One Raider's Scraps are among the skills removed in 2.0.
- Expecting two Survival end skills with 36 points: your second selection needs 40 points in Survival.
- Overinvesting in downed perks for solo: they have much less value without a realistic revive.
- Ignoring overload or recovery penalties: a heavy backpack undermines escapes, and Sprinting On Fumes can punish a poorly timed sprint.
- Spending equally across all three branches: spreading thin can keep you from reaching a meaningful 30- or 40-point choice.
When and How to Respec the ARC Raiders Skill Tree
A reset makes sense when you switch from quiet solo farming to a regular PvP squad, start running Security Lockers, or decide your 10-point exclusive choice no longer suits your route. The current community-documented rate is 2,000 Coins per allocated Skill Point; resetting a fully allocated 76-point tree would therefore cost 152,000 Coins. The reset refunds the entire tree, not one branch or individual node. Check the in-game confirmation before paying, since prices may change in later updates. Embark's November 5 Hotfix 2.4.1 did not announce a further skill-tree overhaul.
The separate ARC Raiders Coins farming goal can help you compare an expensive respec with the gear and Workshop upgrades you still need. Do not reset after one unsuccessful raid. Instead, identify whether a poor escape, slow looting, weight penalties or a lack of team support actually caused the loss.
Expedition rewards affect the final point budget. Embark's fifth Expedition announcement states that permanent Expedition bonus Skill Points are capped at 15. That raises the possible total from 76 to 91, although you cannot acquire new Expedition points through a paused departure window. More points unlock additional branch combinations; they never remove the one-of-two or two-of-three choice restrictions.
Best Skill Tree Choice by Playstyle
The three recommended 76-point distributions are starting plans, not one universal tier list. Skill ranks and paths can be adjusted as long as you preserve the thresholds needed for your chosen large nodes.
Solo and safe extraction: Mobility 40 / Survival 36 for stamina, climbing, faster searching, field crafting and one Survival end choice.
Duos and trios focused on fights: Conditioning 40 / Mobility 36 for shield and downed-state support, two Conditioning end choices and one Mobility end choice. Reverse the split for a fast flanker.
Security Lockers and crafting runs: Conditioning 40 / Survival 36 for Security Breach, carrying, searching and one Survival end choice. Accept the weaker traversal or use a squadmate to cover it.
Still leveling: start in Mobility if you need safer rotations, or Survival if field crafting is urgent. Commit to the branch that matches your main activity before chasing a 40-point endpoint.
ARC Raiders Skill Tree FAQ
These answers cover the points that most often cause mistakes when switching from an older skill-tree guide to Frozen Trail's live version.
Can I unlock Vault Spring and Vaults On Vaults On Vaults together?
No. They are the two exclusive options at Mobility's 10-point choice. Resetting the tree lets you switch between them, but you cannot equip both at once.
Where is Security Breach after the 2.0 update?
Security Breach is a Conditioning end choice, available after investing 30 points and unlocking its connected path. It is no longer a Survival capstone.
Can I get two end skills in one branch with 36 points?
No. The first choice unlocks at 30 points, and the second at 40. A 36-point branch can choose only one of the three end skills.
Can Expedition bonus points give me two 40-point branches?
Yes. You need at least 80 points total for a 40/40 split, meaning four or more bonuses beyond the 76 base points. The permanent Expedition bonus is capped at 15.
Can I refund only one skill or branch?
No. The current reset option refunds the whole skill tree. The last documented rate is 2,000 Coins per allocated point; verify the amount displayed in-game before confirming.
Final ARC Raiders Skill Tree Strategy
Build around the choice nodes you can actually reach, not the name of an old capstone. For most solo Raiders, Mobility plus Survival provides the most consistent routes and self-sufficiency. A coordinated squad can justify deeper Conditioning, while Security Breach farming now requires Conditioning by design.
Before committing your last points, check the current node connections and exclusive choices in the client. Future balance updates may change individual picks, but the most reliable build still starts with a clear goal for your next raid.
