The Arc Raiders PvP skill tree is a stamina and movement build with just enough carry weight to keep your loot.
Frozen Trail made players choose between capstones, and this build spends its one choice on Sprinting on Fumes.
Below are the full point list, the solo and squad swaps, and the 91-point version.
Table of Contents
The PvP Build at a Glance
| Branch | Points | Gate pick | Capstone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conditioning | 27 | Mule’s Gallop | None |
| Mobility | 32 | Vault Spring | Sprinting on Fumes |
| Survival | 17 | Quick Roll | None |
The total is 76 points.
The build comes from our walkthrough, checked against the Arc Raiders wiki. It shares 63 points with the PvE and PvPvE builds, which our best skill tree build hub compares side by side.
Conditioning: 27 Points
- Used to the Weight 1
- Three Deep Breaths 5
- Vigorous Vaulter 1
- Stubborn Mule 3
- Mule’s Gallop (10-point gate)
- Loaded Arms 1
- Broad Shoulders 5
- Downed But Determined 5
- Crawl Before You Walk 5
PvP still needs the carry skills, because a loot-heavy Raider is a slow target.
Loaded Arms halves equipped weapon weight, and Broad Shoulders takes the cap from 60 to 70 lb.
Downed But Determined and Crawl Before You Walk matter more here than anywhere. We crawled about 80 m with them and only about 40 m without, on half the health bar.
Mobility: 32 Points
- Youthful Lungs 1
- Nimble Climber 5
- Fight or Flight 5
- Vault Spring (10-point gate)
- Marathon Runner 5
- Swift Start 5
- Right Back At It 1
- Effortless Roll 5
- Off the Wall 3
- Sprinting on Fumes (capstone)
Fight or Flight was buffed by roughly 25 percent more stamina per level in Embark’s patch notes, so all five ranks are worth it.
Vault Spring beat Vaults On Vaults On Vaults in our test, because the latter still drained a little stamina.
Survival: 17 Points
- In-Round Crafting 1
- Looter’s Instinct 5
- Silent Scavenger 1
- Sturdy Ankles 3
- Quick Roll (10-point gate)
- Traveling Tinkerer 1
- Looter’s Luck 5
Three ranks of Sturdy Ankles cut fall damage by about 9 percent, which helps when you run from another Raider or ARC.
Quick Roll mainly lowers the stamina cost of small rolls.
Point Order: Start in Mobility
We call Mobility the most important branch for PvP, so we start there.
- Mobility first 10: Youthful Lungs 1, Nimble Climber 5 and Fight or Flight 4, then Vault Spring. Fight or Flight reaches rank 5 after the gate.
- Conditioning first 10: Used to the Weight 1, Three Deep Breaths 5, Vigorous Vaulter 1 and Stubborn Mule 3, then Mule’s Gallop.
- Survival first 10: In-Round Crafting 1, Looter’s Instinct 5, Silent Scavenger 1 and Sturdy Ankles 3, then Quick Roll.
Gate picks are permanent until a full reset, so choose Mule’s Gallop or Back On Your Feet before you reach 10 points in Conditioning.
Solo vs Squad Survival Picks
The last Survival points are the only difference between solo and squad PvP.
- Solo: Traveling Tinkerer 1 and Looter’s Luck 5.
- Squad: Stylish Landing 1 and Turtle Crawl 5.
We play solo, so we take Looter’s Luck. Squad players want Turtle Crawl so teammates have longer to revive them, and Stylish Landing is the prerequisite.
We counted one spare point at this stage of the tree. It is already spent on Off the Wall in the 76-point list above.
Solo players who skip Turtle Crawl can also max Stylish Landing to roll from higher drops, or add points to Stubborn Mule or breaching speed.
Why Sprinting on Fumes Over In The Flow
We skipped In The Flow because it was glitchy before launch. We could not confirm whether it has been fixed, so treat that as a reason to test it yourself.
Sprinting on Fumes lets you keep moving with an empty bar, but we found the recovery afterwards long. An Adrenaline Shot skips it.
KeenGamer’s alternative takes both capstones with 41 Mobility, 24 Conditioning and 11 Survival, plus Back On Your Feet. It leaves almost no Survival, so it fits players who already own their loot kit.
Mule’s Gallop vs Back On Your Feet: we took Mule’s Gallop because we loot guns. Back On Your Feet is stronger now, since Embark raised it from 30 to 40.
The 91-Point PvP Build
The wiki gives up to five bonus points per Expedition, and some guides cite 15 in total (see our Expedition 5 guide). We add:
- Off the Wall +2 (to 5)
- Slip and Slide 5
- Sure-Footed Scrambler 1
- Wall Run (second Mobility capstone)
That is 9 points. The split becomes 41 Mobility, 27 Conditioning and 17 Survival, with 6 points spare.
Squad players spend the 6 on Stylish Landing 1 and Turtle Crawl 5, giving 23 Survival. Solo players can add Conditioning or breaching speed.
In our test, Wall Run reached about twice the height of the radar, which is its maximum.
Skills the PvP Build Skips
- Weapon Bash. Negligible damage, and dangerous on a Skulker.
- Bull Rush. No damage, and it costs a lot of stamina.
- Security Breach. It needs 31 Conditioning, which would cost the Mobility total.
- Nomadic Crafting. It only adds ammo, a zipline and a grappling hook.
- Sure-Footed Scrambler at max. About +2 seconds.
If you plan to play Embark’s PvE toggle test from October 13 to 20 (our PvE toggle guide has the rules), skip this build, because that test has zero player-to-player damage.
Pick weapons that suit the lighter loadout with our best loadout guide, and see the carry-focused PvE skill tree if you would rather avoid duels. Players who want both modes can use the PvPvE skill tree. For weapons that suit these builds, see our best PvP weapons list.
Learn more about how each skill performed in our best skills tested guide, and read the Frozen Trail skill tree explainer for the gate rules.
Key Takeaways
- Split 27 Conditioning, 32 Mobility, 17 Survival.
- Sprinting on Fumes is the capstone, and an Adrenaline Shot skips its recovery.
- Solo takes Looter’s Luck, squads take Turtle Crawl.
- The 91-point version adds Wall Run for 41 Mobility.
- Solo vs. Squads was removed in Frozen Trail.
FAQ
What is the best PvP skill tree build in Arc Raiders?
The best PvP build is 27 Conditioning, 32 Mobility and 17 Survival, with Sprinting on Fumes as the only capstone.
It keeps the carry skills that save a fight and spends the rest on stamina and movement.
Squad players swap two Survival skills for Turtle Crawl.
Is Sprinting on Fumes worth it?
Yes for PvP, with a catch. It lets you keep running with an empty stamina bar, but the recovery afterwards is long.
In our test an Adrenaline Shot skips that recovery.
Players who skip Adrenaline Shots should expect to wait out that recovery before stamina refills normally.
Why did we skip In The Flow?
We found In The Flow glitchy before launch and picked Sprinting on Fumes instead.
We could not confirm whether it has since been fixed.
If you want it, KeenGamer’s alternative build takes In The Flow and Sprinting on Fumes together.
Mule’s Gallop or Back On Your Feet for PvP?
We picked Mule’s Gallop because we loot guns and weapon weight slows us down.
Back On Your Feet suits players who expect to be knocked down in fights.
Embark’s patch notes raised Back On Your Feet from 30 to 40, so it is stronger than before.
How does the solo PvP build differ from the squad build?
Solo players spend the last Survival points on Traveling Tinkerer and 5 ranks of Looter’s Luck.
Squad players take 1 Stylish Landing and 5 Turtle Crawl instead, so they are not finished off as fast.
Everything else is the same.
Is Wall Run good in PvP?
It is flashy and useful for escapes. In our test it reached about twice the height of the radar, which is its maximum.
It needs a second Mobility capstone, so it only appears in the 91-point build.
We used it to escape a chasing Raider by jumping to a catwalk, which leaves the chaser exposed.
What does the 91-point PvP build add?
Off the Wall +2, Slip and Slide to 5, Sure-Footed Scrambler 1 and Wall Run.
That gives 41 Mobility, 27 Conditioning and 17 Survival.
Six points remain, which squad players spend on Stylish Landing and Turtle Crawl.
The 15-point Expedition total is not confirmed by Embark, so treat this as the ceiling.
Is Solo vs Squads still available?
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, with aggression matchmaking tracked separately for each squad size.
Is Weapon Bash good for PvP?
No. In our test it did negligible damage, and using it on a Skulker was dangerous.
Spend the points on stamina and carry weight instead.
Stamina and carry skills do more for survival than a melee capstone that risks a counterattack.
Does fall damage matter for PvP builds?
A little. Three ranks of Sturdy Ankles cut falling damage by about 9 percent, which helps when escaping Raiders or ARC.
Effortless Roll and Stylish Landing handle the rest.
Squad players who take Stylish Landing add a further layer of fall protection.
