ARC Raiders Outpost Guide: How to Unlock It, Every Room and the Research Station
The Outpost is your own base Topside, added in Frozen Trail. You decorate it, you build it out room by room, and it holds the Research Station, where new blueprints, designs and every Amplified weapon upgrade come from. It is also the gate to the endgame: both level 4 workshop stations need a four-room Outpost
How to unlock the Outpost
Open the Outpost tab at the top of the menu and start the Sheltered Retreat project. It has three stages, and each pays a reward
| Stage | What it needs | Reward |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Research Topside Living Conditions | Take a photo of a farmland house around the Ruined Homestead on The Blue Gate | Advanced Camera Blueprint |
| 2. Gather Building Materials | 3 Planks, 5 Sheet Metal, 10 ARC Alloy and 3 Advanced Electrical Components | Red Light Stick Blueprint |
| 3. Safeguard the Building Site | Deal 800 damage to flying ARC and 300 damage to Bullies | Hotel Chair Design, 15 Planks, 5 Durable Cloth |
Every room and what it costs
Once unlocked, you build the Outpost out one room at a time. Each new room raises the Outpost level, and the level is what the Research Station and the Gunsmith check
| Room | Materials | Opens |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Comes with the unlock | Research Station level 1 |
| 2 | 3 Steel Cable, 20 Sheet Metal and 3 Cable Strippers | Research Station level 2 |
| 3 | 3 Epoxy Buckets, 35 Planks and 3 Hand Drills | Research Station level 3 |
| 4 | 40 Sheet Metal, 3 Laser Levels and 3 Insulation Rolls | Research Station level 4 and Gunsmith level 4 |
Pick the style of each room carefully: a room can't be moved or swapped once it is built. The Outpost isn't walkable in Frozen Trail, but you can decorate it with furniture and Designs
The Research Station
The Research Station is the reason to build. Every level needs that many Outpost rooms, and each one opens its own research projects that you pay for with Research Points
| Level | Materials | Rooms | Opens |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 35 Planks, 5 Battered Paperbacks and 3 Mini Pumps | 1 | 14 blueprints and 20 designs |
| 2 | 3 Calculators, 3 Raider Logbooks and 5 Skulker Targeters | 2 | 31 blueprints and 18 designs |
| 3 | 3 Differential Microphones, 3 Exodus Technical Handbooks and 6 Bully Fragmenters | 3 | 14 blueprints and 14 designs |
| 4 | 3 Thermal Shakers, 3 ARC Data Modules and 1 Frigate Inductor | 4 | The 15 Amplified Researches |
Skulker Targeters and Bully Fragmenters come from the new ARC on Pendola Pass, and the Frigate Inductor from the ARC Frigate. Level 4 is where the Amplified weapon researches live
Research Points
Projects cost Research Points, and you earn them by studying items at the station. The best sources:
| Item | Research Points |
|---|---|
| Frigate Diagnostic Node | 1,000 |
| ARC Data Module | 200 |
| Exodus Technical Handbook | 150 |
| Raider Logbook | 100 |
| Battered Paperback | 50 |
Every Amplified Research costs 5,000 points on top of its in-raid task and ARC parts, so a single Frigate Diagnostic Node is worth a lot more than a stack of books
Why four rooms matter
- Gunsmith level 4 needs the Outpost at level 4. Without it there is no weapon amplification at all
- Research Station level 4 also needs four rooms, and it holds every Amplified Research
- So the full path to an Amplified gun is: unlock the Outpost, build rooms 2 to 4, take both stations to level 4, then find the modules
Frequently asked questions
How do I unlock the Outpost?
Finish the three-stage Sheltered Retreat project in the Outpost tab: a photo on The Blue Gate, a set of building materials, then damage to flying ARC and Bullies
What do Outpost rooms cost?
Room 2: 3 Steel Cable, 20 Sheet Metal, 3 Cable Strippers. Room 3: 3 Epoxy Buckets, 35 Planks, 3 Hand Drills. Room 4: 40 Sheet Metal, 3 Laser Levels, 3 Insulation Rolls
Can I walk around my Outpost?
Not in Frozen Trail. You can build and decorate it, and Embark has hinted it may become walkable later
How do I get Research Points?
Study items at the Research Station. A Frigate Diagnostic Node gives 1,000, an ARC Data Module 200, books and logbooks less
Why do I need four rooms?
Gunsmith level 4 and Research Station level 4 both need the Outpost at level 4, and you need both for Amplified weapons
Can I change a room later?
No. A room can't be moved or swapped once it is built, so choose its style first
Sources: the ARC Raiders Wiki (CC BY-SA 4.0), Embark Studios news and patch notes
