The Arc Raiders PvE skill tree build is for players who loot, avoid Raiders and leave with full bags.
Frozen Trail made capstones expensive, so this build spends them on Security Breach and nothing else.
Here is every point, why it is there, what to skip, and how it fits standard raids and Embark’s upcoming PvE test.
Table of Contents
The PvE Build at a Glance
| Branch | Points | Gate pick | Capstone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conditioning | 31 | Mule’s Gallop | Security Breach |
| Mobility | 26 | Vault Spring | None |
| Survival | 19 | Quick Roll | None |
The total is 76 points, the level 75 cap.
This build comes from our walkthrough of the reworked tree, checked against the Arc Raiders wiki. We also ran the other modes, which we compare in our best skill tree build hub.
Conditioning: 31 Points
Conditioning is the biggest branch because it decides what you can carry.
- Used to the Weight 1
- Three Deep Breaths 5
- Vigorous Vaulter 1
- Stubborn Mule 2
- Vault ‘N’ Carry 1
- Mule’s Gallop (10-point gate)
- Loaded Arms 1
- Broad Shoulders 5
- Downed But Determined 5
- Crawl Before You Walk 5
- Speedy Mule 3 (or Proficient Pryer)
- Security Breach (capstone)
Three details matter most:
- Loaded Arms plus Broad Shoulders. Loaded Arms halves equipped weapon weight, so the Hullcracker went from 7 lb to 3.5 lb. Broad Shoulders raised the cap from 60 to 70 lb.
- Mule’s Gallop plus Speedy Mule. When we were badly over-encumbered, walking was faster than sprinting. These two skills fix that.
- Downed But Determined plus Crawl Before You Walk. We crawled about 40 m without them and about 80 m with them, using half the health bar.
Patch 2.0 also raised Stubborn Mule by roughly 33 percent per level, per Embark’s patch notes.
Mobility: 26 Points
Mobility is the stamina engine. It has no capstone in this build.
- Youthful Lungs 1
- Nimble Climber 5
- Fight or Flight 4
- Vault Spring (10-point gate)
- Marathon Runner 5
- Swift Start 5
- Effortless Roll 5
Fight or Flight got a buff of roughly 25 percent more stamina per level in the same patch, so the fourth rank is worth taking early.
We chose Vault Spring over Vaults On Vaults On Vaults, because the latter still drained a little stamina in our test.
Survival: 19 Points
Survival is where the loot comes from.
- In-Round Crafting 1
- Looter’s Instinct 5
- Silent Scavenger 4
- Quick Roll (10-point gate)
- Traveling Tinkerer 1
- Looter’s Luck 5
- Gentle Pressure 1
- A Little Extra 1
Quick Roll mainly cuts the stamina cost of small rolls, which makes it better than Minesweeper for almost everyone.
Point Order: The First 10 Points of Each Branch
Each branch asks for a gate pick after 10 points spent in that branch, so the opening 10 points are fixed for this build.
- Conditioning: Used to the Weight 1, Three Deep Breaths 5, Vigorous Vaulter 1, Stubborn Mule 2 and Vault ‘N’ Carry 1, then Mule’s Gallop.
- Mobility: Youthful Lungs 1, Nimble Climber 5 and Fight or Flight 4, then Vault Spring.
- Survival: In-Round Crafting 1, Looter’s Instinct 5 and Silent Scavenger 4, then Quick Roll.
Gate and capstone picks are permanent until a full reset, which costs 2,000 Coins per spent point per the wiki.
Why Security Breach Is the Only Capstone
A capstone costs 30 points spent in the branch, then 1 more point. Security Breach therefore needs 31 Conditioning, which this build reaches exactly.
The other two Conditioning capstones were weak in our tests:
- Weapon Bash did negligible damage, and using it on a Skulker was dangerous.
- Bull Rush did no damage. It only interrupts looting or extraction and uses a lot of stamina.
Security Breach is the only one that pays you back in loot.
Skills the PvE Build Skips
- Sprinting on Fumes, Wall Run and In The Flow. These are Mobility capstones and need points the build spends on carry weight.
- Sure-Footed Scrambler. Maxed, it was only about +2 seconds in our test.
- Nomadic Crafting. It only adds ammo, a zipline and a grappling hook.
- Road Warrior. It needs a full Survival capstone, which this split cannot afford.
- Field Repair. The Expedition repair bonus did not apply in a raid, and Embark lists a known issue where it can be unavailable after unlock until restart.
For weapon choices that match this weight setup, use our best loadout guide.
The 91-Point PvE Build
The wiki gives up to five bonus points per completed Expedition, and some guides cite 15 in total (see our Expedition 5 guide). We spend them like this:
- Proficient Pryer +5 (we measured about 30 percent quicker breach times at max rank)
- Speedy Mule +2
- Fight or Flight +1
- Slip and Slide +4
- Stubborn Mule +3
The split becomes 41 Conditioning, 31 Mobility and 19 Survival. Nothing is added to Survival.
Two Conditioning capstones cost 41 points in total, so the extra points also make a second Conditioning capstone possible. We did not pick one.
Does This Work in the PvE Test Mode?
Embark’s PvE toggle test runs October 13 to 20, 2026, and our PvE toggle guide covers the rules in full. It has no player-to-player damage and lower loot. Night Raids, Hidden Bunker, Locked Gate and Frigate are excluded.
This build suits it, because it never relies on duels. ARC can still re-acquire downed players who crawl, but ignore those who stay still, so the crawl skills keep their value.
Embark says the test is not a promise of a permanent mode. Plan for standard raids too, and compare with our PvPvE skill tree build.
New to the tree? Read our Frozen Trail skill tree explainer first, then our leveling guide for faster points. If you also fight other Raiders, compare the PvP skill tree, and see our best skills tested article for the numbers behind each pick.
Key Takeaways
- Split 31 Conditioning, 26 Mobility, 19 Survival.
- Security Breach is the only capstone.
- Loaded Arms and Broad Shoulders cut weight and raise the cap to 70 lb.
- Mule’s Gallop fixes over-encumbrance.
- Skip Weapon Bash, Bull Rush and Nomadic Crafting.
- The 91-point version reaches 41 / 31 / 19.
FAQ
What is the best PvE skill tree build in Arc Raiders?
The best PvE build is 31 Conditioning, 26 Mobility and 19 Survival with Security Breach as the only capstone.
It maximises carry weight, stamina and looting speed.
It skips every combat skill.
Is there a real PvE mode in Arc Raiders?
Only as a test. Embark runs a PvE matchmaking toggle from October 13 to 20, 2026, with zero player-to-player damage and lower loot.
Embark says it is not a promise of a permanent mode.
The build also suits standard raids where you avoid other Raiders.
Why take Security Breach over Weapon Bash or Bull Rush?
Security Breach is the only Conditioning capstone that helps you loot.
In our tests Weapon Bash did negligible damage and Bull Rush did no damage.
Bull Rush only interrupts looting or extraction, and it burns a lot of stamina.
Should I take Mule’s Gallop or Back On Your Feet?
Take Mule’s Gallop if you carry heavy loot or loot guns.
When we were badly over-encumbered, walking was faster than sprinting until Mule’s Gallop and Speedy Mule fixed it.
Back On Your Feet only suits players who expect to be downed often.
Is Speedy Mule or Proficient Pryer better?
Speedy Mule is the default, because it gives up to a 40 percent bonus at max rank and fixes slow movement under load.
Proficient Pryer suits players who want faster breaching.
The 76-point build gives either option 3 points, and the 91-point build raises Proficient Pryer to 5.
How do I spend 15 Expedition points on the PvE build?
We add Proficient Pryer +5, Speedy Mule +2, Fight or Flight +1, Slip and Slide +4 and Stubborn Mule +3.
That moves the split to 41 Conditioning, 31 Mobility and 19 Survival.
Embark has not confirmed a 15-point total, so treat it as the ceiling.
Is Loaded Arms worth a point in PvE?
Yes. It halves the weight an equipped weapon adds, so a 7 lb Hullcracker counts as 3.5 lb.
Paired with Broad Shoulders, which lifts the carry cap from 60 to 70 lb, it frees real inventory space.
At 1 rank for a large weight saving, it is among the cheapest skills in the build.
Can I take Road Warrior on a PvE build?
Not on this split. Road Warrior is a Survival capstone and needs 30 points spent in Survival, plus 1 to buy it.
This build stops at 19 Survival, so it would need a different build entirely.
We measured it as strong on launcher and energy ammo ARC, so it suits a Survival-first build.
Is Field Repair worth it in PvE?
Probably not. In our test the Expedition repair bonus did not apply inside a raid.
Embark also lists a known issue where Field Repair may be unavailable after unlock until you restart the game.
Spend the point on Looter’s Luck or Gentle Pressure instead.
Does the PvE build work in solo, duo and trio?
Yes. The build is about carrying and looting rather than squad roles.
Duo and trio players can swap Looter’s Luck ranks for Stylish Landing and Turtle Crawl if teammates revive often.
Embark’s PvE test pools all three queue sizes together, so the build also fits there.
