How to spend your first 20 skill points in Arc Raiders

The first 20 points matter more than people think. Not because they decide your final build forever, but because they decide whether your early raids feel playable or awkward.

If you are still learning maps, extracts, and when a fight is worth taking, the safest early tree is not the flashiest one. You want stamina first, then a little raid stability, then just enough flexibility to choose a direction later.

The short answer

My recommended first 20 points

Points 1-5: build a movement floor

Start by putting your early points into Mobility. Marathon Runner is the cleanest first target because it helps before combat, during combat, and on the way out.

If your raids already feel breathless, do not overthink this part. More stamina is useful on every map and in every playstyle.

Points 6-10: make stamina reliable

After the first Mobility cluster, keep going with skills that make movement less fragile. Youthful Lungs is usually the next skill I would look at, with Nimble Climber also worth considering if bad climbs keep ruining your pathing.

The point here is simple: beginners lose a lot of raids before the actual fight starts. They arrive late, cross the wrong lane, or reach extraction with no margin left. Early Mobility fixes more of that than a narrow damage-focused pick.

Points 11-15: add just enough Survival

Once moving feels better, start adding Survival. This is where I like a small package around Agile Croucher, Looter's Instincts, or In-Round Crafting, depending on how you play.

You do not need to become a full loot build at 15 points. You just want the tree to stop being one-dimensional. Better looting, quieter movement, or a bit of field utility can turn a decent raid into a profitable one.

Points 16-20: answer the problem you actually have

This is the first point where your route should react to your own raids.

The mistake is picking a fantasy version of your build before you know what is really going wrong.

A good beginner route is supposed to stay boring

New players often want a build that already looks like an endgame setup. I think that is backwards. A beginner route should leave you fewer excuses. It should help you move, recover, and learn the game without forcing a hard respec after a few evenings.

That is why I would not rush a heavy Conditioning route first unless you already know you are queueing for fights. Conditioning becomes much better once you have enough map confidence to choose the fights you are taking.

What I would avoid early

• Going deep into one branch just because a creator build does it at 81 or 86 points
• Copying a PvP route before you know whether most of your failed raids are even PvP problems
• Ignoring loot value completely, then wondering why successful raids still feel weak
• Spending for a niche trick before the basics of movement and extraction feel stable

Where to go after 20 points

After 20, the tree starts asking a more honest question: what kind of Raider are you becoming?

• If you like solo runs and safe extracts, keep building toward Survival.
• If you enjoy pressure and rotations, keep adding Mobility and begin layering Conditioning.
• If you play with a squad and want fewer obvious weaknesses, a balanced route is still perfectly reasonable.

Use the beginner guide if you want the broader route, or open the skill tree builder and save two versions of your next 20 points before you commit in-game.