In the vast, dangerous world of ARC Raiders, survival isn’t just about sharp shooting and quick reflexes—it’s about resource management. As you progress through the game, you’ll quickly discover that certain crafting materials vanish from your inventory faster than you can say “ARC attack.” Based on extensive research and community insights, we’ve identified the five most critical materials that become surprisingly scarce as you advance through the game.
Whether you’re a seasoned Raider or just starting your journey on X-Isle, understanding these material bottlenecks will save you countless hours of backtracking and frustration. Let’s dive into the resources you should be hoarding from day one.
The Hidden Resource Crisis in ARC Raiders
Before we reveal the specific materials, it’s important to understand the scale of the resource challenge. According to comprehensive loot analysis, players need to collect a staggering 1,195 individual items across 62 unique material types just to complete all upgrades, quests, and the Expedition Project. With a maximum stash size of only 280, you’re already fighting an uphill battle against inventory management.
What makes this particularly challenging is that certain materials—ones you might take for granted in the early game—become incredibly scarce as you progress. The demand for these resources skyrockets while their availability plummets, creating perfect storms of frustration that can halt your progression dead in its tracks.
1. Sensors: The Invisible Lifeline You’ll Desperately Need
Why Sensors Become Your Worst Nightmare
Sensors might seem abundant during your first few raids, especially in Technological, Industrial, and Commercial hotspots, but don’t let this early abundance fool you. These unassuming components become critically scarce as you progress, primarily because they’re essential for crafting some of the most important late-game items.
The Scarcity Trigger: Sensors become incredibly rare once players start developing advanced technologies, weapons, and gear—especially the Raider’s Hatch Key. In dangerous late-game zones like Blue Gate or Stella Montis, finding sensors becomes increasingly difficult, yet you’ll need them more than ever.
Critical Usage Points:
- Raider’s Hatch Key (essential for high-level safe pockets)
- Advanced weapon attachments and modifications
- Expeditions Project Stage 3 (requires 20 Sensors)
- High-tier utility gadgets and tools
Farming Strategy: The most effective method for gathering sensors is breaching control rooms in the Dam Battlegrounds map. However, since these areas are heavily contested, you’ll want to move quickly and extract with at least 5 stacks maximum. Alternatively, you can purchase Sensors from Celeste using Assorted Seeds, but this should be reserved for emergencies since seeds are valuable for other trades.
Pro Tip: Always break apart ARC Probes and loot Snitches whenever possible. These enemies consistently drop sensors or ARC components that can be disassembled into sensors. Make sensor collection a priority in every raid, even if you think you have enough—you don’t.
2. Durable Cloth: The Healing Material That Disappears
When Medical Supplies Become Luxury Items
If there’s one material that catches players off guard, it’s Durable Cloth. This seemingly common medical component becomes frustratingly scarce precisely when you need it most: during late-game healing item production. Without Durable Cloth, there are essentially no effective healing items in the late-game, making it a literal lifesaver you can’t afford to run out of.
The Scarcity Trigger: Durable Cloth spawns randomly across maps but becomes increasingly rare as you progress. The game doesn’t scale its spawn rate with your increased need for medical supplies, creating a dangerous imbalance in the mid-to-late game.
Critical Usage Points:
- Herbal Bandages (essential healing items)
- Sterilized Bandages (the best healing items in ARC Raiders)
- Expedition Project (requires 35 Durable Cloth)
- Advanced medical lab upgrades
Farming Strategy: The best location for farming Durable Cloth is the Dam Battlegrounds, specifically in the Hydroponic Dome Complex’s main building. You can find multiple spawns here, but be mindful of weight—each Durable Cloth weighs 0.25, so carrying too many will leave you overencumbered and vulnerable.
Pro Tip: Don’t wait until you need healing items to start collecting Durable Cloth. Make it a habit to grab every piece you see, even in the early game. The Medical Lab upgrades that require this material are crucial for survival, and you’ll kick yourself when you’re desperately searching for cloth while under heavy fire.
3. Mechanical Components: The Foundation That Crumbles
When Your Weapon Crafting Hits a Wall
Mechanical Components are the backbone of ARC Raiders’ crafting system, yet they become surprisingly scarce as you progress. These components are needed for everything from basic weapon repairs to advanced gear crafting, making them a constant bottleneck in your progression.
The Scarcity Trigger: The real scarcity begins when you start crafting Advanced Mechanical Components. For every two Mechanical Components (and two Steel Springs), you craft one Advanced Mechanical Component. This 2:1 ratio means your basic Mechanical Component stash depletes at an alarming rate once you reach end-game crafting.
Critical Usage Points:
- Crafting most Tier 2 weapons and their attachments
- Advanced Mechanical Component production
- Workshop upgrades across multiple workbenches
- Weapon repair and maintenance
Farming Strategy: Mechanical Components are most commonly found in Mechanical areas, but can also be obtained by recycling certain items and looting ARC machines. The Refiner workbench becomes your best friend here—you can convert 5 Metal Parts into 1 Mechanical Component, though this should be used strategically rather than as your primary source.
Pro Tip: Don’t make the mistake of using all your Mechanical Components for immediate crafting needs. Always maintain a reserve of at least 50-100 components for emergency repairs and unexpected blueprint discoveries. The most successful Raiders treat Mechanical Components like currency—valuable and not to be spent frivolously.
4. Electrical Components: The Power Behind Your Progress
When Your Tech Upgrades Go Dark
Electrical Components might not seem as critical as other materials at first glance, but they become a major bottleneck as you progress through the workbench upgrade system. These components are required for everything from basic weapon attachments to advanced gadgets and utility items.
The Scarcity Trigger: Electrical Components become scarce because they’re needed across multiple workbench upgrade paths simultaneously. As you upgrade your Gunsmith, Utility Bench, and Gear Bench, you’ll find yourself competing for the same limited resource pool.
Critical Usage Points:
- Uncommon Tier 2 Weapon Attachments
- Advanced Gadgets and tools
- Grenades and Mines
- Gear Bench and Utility Station upgrades
- Expeditions Project (requires 30 Electrical Components)
Farming Strategy: Electrical hotspots and Industrial POIs are your best bet for finding these components. However, experienced Raiders know that Rare and Epic-grade Recyclables also yield substantial amounts. For consistent farming, focus on areas with high concentrations of electronic equipment and machinery.
Pro Tip: Certain ARC enemy parts are goldmines for Electrical Components. Specifically, recycle Wasp Drivers, Hornet Drivers, and Snitch Scanners whenever you find them. These parts consistently yield high quantities of Electrical Components and should be prioritized in your looting strategy.
5. Advanced Mechanical Components: The End-Game Bottleneck
When Elite Crafting Becomes Impossible
Advanced Mechanical Components represent the final frontier of crafting scarcity in ARC Raiders. These high-tier materials are essential for end-game gear and weapons, yet they’re incredibly difficult to obtain in large quantities.
The Scarcity Trigger: The scarcity of Advanced Mechanical Components is built into the game’s economy. With a 2:1 conversion rate from basic Mechanical Components, and the fact that you need hundreds of basic components for other crafting purposes, Advanced Mechanical Components naturally become the rarest and most valuable crafting material in the late game.
Critical Usage Points:
- Advanced Weapons and Gear crafting
- Elite weapon modifications
- High-tier utility items
- End-game workbench upgrades
Farming Strategy: There’s no direct farming method for Advanced Mechanical Components—they must be crafted at the Refiner workbench. This means your strategy should focus on maximizing basic Mechanical Component collection and being extremely selective about when to convert them to advanced versions.
Pro Tip: The Refiner workbench should be one of your first priority upgrades. Investing in this workbench early will pay dividends throughout your playthrough, allowing you to convert abundant basic materials into scarce advanced ones. Always maintain a healthy stockpile of basic Mechanical Components before converting them to advanced versions—you never know when you’ll need them for emergency repairs or unexpected crafting opportunities.
Strategic Material Management: Beyond Simple Hoarding
The Smart Raider’s Approach to Resource Planning
Understanding which materials become scarce is only half the battle. The most successful Raiders develop sophisticated resource management strategies that ensure they never find themselves completely out of critical components. Here are some advanced strategies that separate the amateurs from the experts:
The 30% Rule: Never use more than 70% of any critical material. Always maintain a 30% buffer for emergencies and unexpected crafting needs. This rule has saved countless Raiders from having to backtrack to early-game zones for basic materials.
Targeted Farming Routes: Instead of randomly exploring maps, develop specific farming routes based on your current material needs. For example, if you need Sensors, focus on Technological hotspots and ARC Probes. If you’re short on Durable Cloth, prioritize Medical areas and the Hydroponic Dome.
Workbench Upgrade Planning: Plan your workbench upgrades across multiple benches simultaneously. This approach ensures you’re not over-investing in one area while neglecting others, which can lead to imbalanced material consumption.
Scrappy Optimization: Don’t neglect your passive resource generator, Scrappy. Upgrade his productivity with items like the Dog Collar and Torn Blanket, and check his contributions regularly. Passive income can make the difference between having enough materials and coming up short.
The Psychology of Material Scarcity: Why It Happens
Understanding the Game’s Resource Economy
The scarcity of certain materials in ARC Raiders isn’t accidental—it’s a carefully designed feature that creates meaningful progression and decision-making. The game’s developers have created an economy where abundance in the early game gives way to scarcity in the late game, forcing players to make strategic choices about resource allocation.
This design philosophy ensures that players remain engaged with the crafting and looting systems throughout their playthrough. Unlike games where resources become meaningless in the end game, ARC Raiders maintains the importance of material management from start to finish.
The limited stash size of 280 items further amplifies this scarcity, forcing players to make difficult decisions about what to keep and what to discard. This creates a constant tension between immediate needs and long-term planning that keeps the gameplay loop engaging and challenging.
Community Insights: What the Pros Do Differently
Learning from the Best Raiders in the Game
The ARC Raiders community has discovered numerous strategies for dealing with material scarcity through trial and error. Here are some of the most effective approaches shared by top players:
Pre-Extraction Inventory Management: Before extracting from a raid, take a moment to review your inventory. Merge stacks, sell unnecessary valuables, and recycle junk items. This simple habit can free up 10-15 inventory slots for critical materials.
The Celeste Trading Strategy: Many experienced Raiders maintain a stockpile of Assorted Seeds specifically for trading with Celeste. When you’re desperate for a specific material, having seeds available can be a lifesaver. Seeds are relatively easy to obtain from Scrappy or through looting, making them an excellent emergency resource.
Blueprint Prioritization: Focus on obtaining blueprints for items you use frequently. Having the ability to craft your own ammunition, healing items, and utility tools reduces your dependence on finding them in the wild, conserving your materials for more critical upgrades.
Cross-Workbench Synergy: Plan your upgrades so that the materials you need for one workbench complement the needs of others. For example, upgrading your Refiner early makes it easier to obtain the Mechanical Components needed for Gunsmith upgrades.
Conclusion: Mastering the Material Game
The crafting materials that become scarce faster than you expect in ARC Raiders—Sensors, Durable Cloth, Mechanical Components, Electrical Components, and Advanced Mechanical Components—represent the biggest bottlenecks in your progression. By understanding their importance and implementing strategic hoarding and farming techniques, you can avoid the frustration of late-game material shortages.
Remember that successful resource management in ARC Raiders is about more than just collecting everything you see. It’s about understanding the game’s economy, planning your upgrades strategically, and making smart decisions about what to keep, what to craft, and what to leave behind.
The most dangerous Raiders aren’t necessarily the best shots—they’re the ones who’ve mastered the art of resource management, ensuring they always have the right materials when they need them most. Start hoarding these critical materials early, and you’ll find yourself well-prepared for whatever challenges X-Isle throws your way.