Search games, articles, guides...CtrlK
Sign InGet Started
Learn how to unlock Nomadic Crafting in ARC Raiders and craft ammo, Grappling Hooks, Ziplines, and Shrapnel Grenades mid-raid.
Written by Larc
Content Writer
See more GAMES.GG guides on Google
Add us as a preferred source and our guides show up first in your results.
ARC Raiders Guide: How to Complete Bait, Fetch, Blast Quest
Destroy a Bully in Pendola Pass, recover the Bully Fragmenter, and deliver it to Apollo for 10,000 XP and a Wolfpack.
ARC Raiders Guide: How to Complete Empathetic Prototypes Quest
Complete the Empathetic Prototypes quest in ARC Raiders. Find the Cargo Crate, disable the Magnetic Lock, and deliver the Empathy Core to Lance.
ARC Raiders Guide: How to Complete Wires Crossed Quest
Complete the Wires Crossed quest in ARC Raiders by attaching ARC components to antennas across three maps. All locations covered.
Survival on the topside in ARC Raiders comes down to resources, and running dry on ammo or mobility tools mid-raid can end a run fast. The Nomadic Crafting skill, added with the Frozen Trail update, solves that problem directly by letting you craft a wide range of field items without ever heading back to base. Here's exactly how to unlock it and what you get.
Nomadic Crafting sits at the top of the Survival section of the ARC Raiders skill tree. The official description is blunt: it "allows you to field craft a much wider range of items." That's underselling it. This skill is the third and final tier of the in-raid crafting progression, building on two earlier skills you need to unlock first.
The full crafting chain in the Survival tree runs like this:
Each skill builds on the last. You can't skip straight to Nomadic Crafting without progressing through the earlier nodes first.
To reach the Nomadic Crafting node, you need to spend at least 30 to 40 skill points in the Survival section of the skill tree. Once you hit that threshold, the final-tier nodes open up automatically, and Nomadic Crafting appears as one of three options to choose from at that level.
Spend a single skill point to lock it in.
ARC Raiders Guide: How to Unlock Nomadic Crafting Skill
The skill point requirement means you can't just beeline here from a fresh account without planning. Check our ARC Raiders skills tier list to figure out the most efficient path through the Survival tree without wasting points on nodes that don't serve your playstyle.
Once you have the skill active, the following items become craftable during a raid:
| Item | Category |
|---|---|
| Light Ammo | Ammunition |
| Medium Ammo | Ammunition |
| Heavy Ammo | Ammunition |
| Shotgun Ammo | Ammunition |
| Grappling Hook | Mobility |
| Zipline | Mobility |
| Shrapnel Grenade | Throwable |
ARC Raiders Guide: How to Unlock Nomadic Crafting Skill
The ammo options alone make this skill worth the investment. Running out of rounds in a contested zone is one of the most common ways raids go sideways, and being able to craft all four ammo types on the fly changes how aggressively you can play.
The Grappling Hook and Zipline are the standout additions for mobility. The Frozen Trail update introduced the Grappling Hook as a new movement tool, and having it craftable in the field rather than relying on looting one means you can plan routes that assume you'll have it available.
Two items players frequently ask about are not craftable even with Nomadic Crafting unlocked: the Camera gadget and Defibrillators. Defibs in particular have been a long-requested addition to in-raid crafting, but as of the Frozen Trail update, they remain off the table. The Camera is also excluded despite being a new addition to the game.
This is worth knowing before you commit your final skill node points. If you were banking on crafting either of those items, Nomadic Crafting won't deliver that.
For most playstyles, yes. The ammo crafting alone justifies the investment on longer raids where you're pushing high-value zones. The mobility items are a bonus that compounds well with aggressive movement builds.
The trade-off is opportunity cost. The final skill node tier offers three choices, and Nomadic Crafting competes with other top-tier options. You can only pick one, so the decision matters. If your playstyle leans heavily on having consistent ammo supply and vertical movement options, Nomadic Crafting is the clear pick at that tier.
For players who want to pair this with a strong gear foundation, the ARC Raiders crafting complete guide covers how to build out your workbenches and materials to support consistent field crafting across raids.
Nomadic Crafting works best when your base loadout already handles the fundamentals. Going into a raid with a reliable primary and enough starting ammo means the field crafting acts as an insurance policy rather than a crutch.
Pairing Nomadic Crafting with strong weapon upgrades also amplifies its value. If you're running a build that burns through ammo fast, having mid-raid crafting available turns a potential weakness into a non-issue. The best ARC Raiders guns modifications guide is worth reading alongside this one to make sure your weapons are optimized before you start relying on crafted ammo to sustain them.
For everything else in the game, the full ARC Raiders guides collection has you covered on maps, quests, and progression systems.
