The best Arc Raiders skill tree build depends on one choice: which capstones you can afford.
Frozen Trail capped what 76 points can buy, so a looter build and a duel build now look different.
This guide gives the best build for each mode and shows how much they overlap.
Table of Contents
Quick Answer: Which Build Fits Which Mode
Pick PvE if you avoid fights and farm. Pick PvP if you hunt Raiders. Pick PvPvE if you play standard raids and take whatever comes.
The builds below come from our full walkthrough of the reworked tree, checked against the wiki and Embark’s patch notes, which we break down in our Frozen Trail update guide. We tested most key skills in raids before choosing them.
| Build | Conditioning | Mobility | Survival | Capstones | 10-point gates |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PvE | 31 | 26 | 19 | Security Breach | Mule’s Gallop, Vault Spring, Quick Roll |
| PvP (solo) | 27 | 32 | 17 | Sprinting on Fumes | Mule’s Gallop, Vault Spring, Quick Roll |
| PvPvE | 31 | 31 | 14 | Security Breach, Sprinting on Fumes | Mule’s Gallop, Vault Spring, Quick Roll |
Each row adds up to 76 points.
Full point-by-point lists are in our PvE skill tree, PvP skill tree and PvPvE skill tree guides.
The 63 Points Every Build Shares
The three builds overlap by 63 of 76 points. Only 13 points decide your mode.
That shared core is where you start, whatever you play:
- Mobility: Youthful Lungs 1, Nimble Climber 5, Fight or Flight 4, Vault Spring, Marathon Runner 5, Swift Start 5, Effortless Roll 5
- Conditioning: Used to the Weight 1, Three Deep Breaths 5, Vigorous Vaulter 1, Stubborn Mule 2, Mule’s Gallop, Loaded Arms 1, Broad Shoulders 5, Downed But Determined 5, Crawl Before You Walk 5
- Survival: In-Round Crafting 1, Looter’s Instinct 5, Silent Scavenger 1, Quick Roll, Traveling Tinkerer 1, Looter’s Luck 2
Two reasons we call these essential:
- Loaded Arms and Broad Shoulders. Loaded Arms halves the weight an equipped weapon adds, and Broad Shoulders adds 10 lb of capacity at max. Our loadout dropped by almost 10 lb and capacity went from 60 to 70 lb.
- Downed But Determined and Crawl Before You Walk. In our test, a downed Raider crawled about 40 m without them and about 80 m with them, using half the health bar.
Details on each are in our best skills tested guide.
How Capstone Math Works
A capstone unlocks at 30 points spent in its branch, and the second unlocks at 40. The capstone itself then costs one point.
So the real totals are:
- One capstone: 31 points in that branch
- Two capstones: 41 points in that branch
With 76 points you can afford two capstones in different branches (31 + 31 = 62), which leaves 14 points. Two in one branch plus one elsewhere (41 + 31 = 72) leaves only 4.
The wiki lists the 10, 30 and 40 point thresholds. The point cost per capstone follows our builds and the branch totals in other published builds.
Best PvE Build
Branch split: 31 Conditioning, 26 Mobility, 19 Survival. Capstone: Security Breach.
This is the carry build. It takes every weight and stamina skill, adds Security Breach for lockers, and keeps looting skills in Survival.
It skips Sprinting on Fumes, Wall Run and every combat capstone.
Read the full PvE point list for every rank.
Best PvP Build
Branch split: 27 Conditioning, 32 Mobility, 17 Survival. Capstone: Sprinting on Fumes.
This is the mobility build. The 76-point version skips Slip and Slide, and the 91-point version adds all 5 ranks. It already takes Effortless Roll, Right Back At It and Off the Wall.
It skips Security Breach entirely. Solo players keep Looter’s Luck, and squad players swap it for Turtle Crawl.
Read the full PvP point list for the solo and squad swaps.
Best PvPvE Build
Branch split: 31 Conditioning, 31 Mobility, 14 Survival. Capstones: Security Breach and Sprinting on Fumes.
This is the standard-raid build. It pairs the PvE carry run with the PvP movement run, and expedition points add Wall Run as a second Mobility capstone.
Read the full PvPvE point list for the trade-offs.
The 91-Point Upgrade Path
The wiki says each completed Expedition gives up to five skill points, and some guides cite 15 in total (see our Expedition 5 guide for the catch-up rules). That gives a 91-point ceiling.
Where we put the 15 points:
- PvE: Proficient Pryer +5, Speedy Mule +2, Fight or Flight +1, Slip and Slide +4, Stubborn Mule +3. Totals become 41 Conditioning, 31 Mobility, 19 Survival.
- PvP: Off the Wall +2, Slip and Slide +5, Sure-Footed Scrambler +1, Wall Run. That is 9 points, with 6 spare for squad survival skills or breaching speed.
- PvPvE: Off the Wall +3, Slip and Slide +5, Sure-Footed Scrambler +1, Wall Run, then Looter’s Luck +3 and Speedy Mule +2. Totals become 33 Conditioning, 41 Mobility, 17 Survival.
We count six points to spare for PvP, and the arithmetic matches only if the solo build’s last point goes into Off the Wall, as shown in our PvP guide.
Which Modes Exist Right Now
Today’s mode is standard PvPvE matchmaking, with Solo, Duo and Trio queues. Embark’s matchmaking tracks aggression separately per squad size.
Two changes matter for builds:
- Solo vs. Squads was removed in the Frozen Trail patch, per Embark’s patch notes.
- A PvE toggle test runs October 13 to 20, 2026. Embark’s announcement says PvE sessions have zero player-to-player damage and lower loot. Night Raids, Hidden Bunker, Locked Gate and Frigate are excluded. Our PvE toggle test breakdown has the full rules.
Embark says the toggle is removed when the test ends and is not a promise of a permanent PvE mode.
Start with our Frozen Trail skill tree explainer if you need the full gate rules.
Common Mistakes
- Counting 30 points for a capstone. It is 31.
- Taking Weapon Bash. Our hits barely damaged a Wasp, and a Skulker punched back hard enough to nearly kill us.
- Skipping Mule’s Gallop while carrying heavy loot. When badly over-encumbered, we found walking faster than sprinting.
- Splitting points across all three branches. None of the builds here fills every branch.
- Pairing a build with the wrong gear. Match weapon weight to your encumbrance skills with our best loadout guide.
New players can reach the first gates faster with our leveling guide.
Key Takeaways
- The three builds share 63 of 76 points.
- A capstone needs 30 points spent, then costs 1 more: 31 per capstone branch.
- PvE: 31 / 26 / 19 with Security Breach.
- PvP: 27 / 32 / 17 with Sprinting on Fumes.
- PvPvE: 31 / 31 / 14 with both.
- Expedition points add Wall Run or deeper carry skills.
- Switching builds needs a full reset.
FAQ
What is the best skill tree build in Arc Raiders?
There is no single best build, because Frozen Trail forces capstone choices.
For standard raids, the PvPvE split of 31 Conditioning, 31 Mobility and 14 Survival is the safest all-rounder.
It takes Security Breach and Sprinting on Fumes.
How many skill points does a capstone really cost?
A capstone needs 30 points spent in its branch and then costs 1 more point.
One capstone means 31 points in a branch, and two mean 41.
Counting the unlock threshold alone undercounts by one point per capstone.
Which branch should I fill first?
Mobility. Youthful Lungs, Nimble Climber and Fight or Flight reach the first gate in 10 points.
Every build in this guide opens with those.
After that, follow your mode.
Is there a free skill respec in Frozen Trail?
Several guides report that all points were refunded when Frozen Trail launched.
Embark’s patch notes do not mention it, so check the reset prompt before you spend.
After that, the wiki lists 2,000 Coins per spent point.
How many expedition points can I add?
The wiki says up to five skill points per completed Expedition.
Some guides cite 15 in total, which is why each build has a 76-point and a 91-point version.
The 15-point total is not confirmed by Embark.
Can I switch builds between modes?
Only by resetting the whole tree.
Embark’s notes say you can remake gate choices after a reset, and the wiki lists no per-branch reset.
Plan around the mode you play most.
Is Solo vs Squads still in the game?
No. Embark removed Solo vs. Squads from matchmaking options in the Frozen Trail patch while it re-evaluates the mode.
Solo, duo and trio queues remain.
Is there a PvE mode in Arc Raiders?
Only as a test. Embark runs a PvE matchmaking toggle from October 13 to 20, 2026.
It has no player-to-player damage and lower loot.
Embark says it is not a promise of a permanent mode.
Which skills should I never take?
Weapon Bash and Sure-Footed Scrambler are the weakest per point in the footage this guide is based on.
Nomadic Crafting only adds ammo, a zipline and a grappling hook.
Minesweeper loses to Quick Roll for almost everyone.
Do these builds change if I have done Expeditions?
Slightly. Field Repair loses value, because the Expedition repair bonus did not apply inside a raid in our test.
The core of each build does not change.
