Summary
Still spending an entire weekend trying to unlock every Level 3 Workbench and fully upgrade Scrappy? There is a much faster way. By following a planned route instead of randomly farming maps, it's possible to finish the entire base progression in just 4 hours and 38 minutes. The biggest difference isn't better aim—it's understanding where key crafting materials and valuable ARC Raiders Items spawn, then collecting everything in the most efficient order.
1. Prepare Before Your First Expedition
Most players waste valuable time before they even realize it. Start by filling Scrappy's Fruit Mix queue before heading out. This keeps production running while you're away and rewards extra basic materials when you return.
The Expedition Vault is another huge advantage. Bringing a Jupiter alongside the Safekeeper augment makes dealing with large ARC enemies much easier later in the run. Don't skip the tutorial either. It provides enough loot to sell for early cash, allowing you to buy Looting Mark II immediately. The extra inventory space saves countless trips throughout the grind.
2. Follow the Right Map Order
Instead of jumping between maps, assign each location a specific goal.
Begin in Riven Tides, where you'll gather Rusted Tools, Rusted Gears, Industrial Batteries, Power Cables, and most of the materials needed for the first workbench upgrades. Industrial containers and breachable crates here also have excellent loot value.
Next, move to Stellar, which is the best place to collect Fried Motherboards, Damaged Heat Sinks, Electrical Components, Tick Pods, Fireballs, and Pops in a single expedition.
Once those materials are complete, switch your focus to hunting larger ARC enemies. Bastions, Bombardiers, Leapers, Rocketeers, and Surveyors provide nearly everything required for the final upgrades.
3. Small Decisions Save Massive Time
One of the biggest mistakes players make is crafting equipment too early. Upgrade your workbenches first and recycle unnecessary items into basic materials whenever possible.
Harvester events are also worth prioritizing because they provide free Energy Ammo, reducing crafting costs. Hotel rooms, industrial containers, and high-value storage locations often reward rare upgrade materials, making them much more efficient than farming random enemies.
Collect fruit while passing through maps instead of making dedicated farming trips. Stellar covers most fruit, Bluegate provides Olives, and Red Tower is ideal for comfortable pillows and other Scrappy materials.
4. Don't Ignore Weekly Traders
The Nomadic Merchant can dramatically speed up progression. Weekly trades often include Mushrooms, Rusted Gears, and Advanced Mechanicals in exchange for ARC Parts or spare weapons. Make the most of these weekly trades first, and if you're still short on essential materials, you can buy ARC Raiders Items to complete your base upgrades much faster while avoiding unnecessary grinding.
By the time your Level 3 Workbenches are complete, only a few Sentinel Cores and Scrappy materials should remain. At that point, finishing your base becomes much faster than repeatedly farming every resource manually.
This route is especially valuable for solo players, new seasonal starts, and anyone looking to unlock blueprint farming as quickly as possible. Smart planning consistently beats endless grinding.
Pro Tips
Never skip the tutorial—it provides valuable early resources and enough credits to buy Looting Mark II immediately.
Keep Scrappy producing Fruit Mix before every expedition for extra passive materials.
Save your Jupiter and Safekeeper setup for large ARC hunts instead of regular enemies.
Always check the Nomadic Merchant before farming rare materials—you may be able to skip hours of grinding.
Pick up fruits and Scrappy upgrade items while traveling between objectives to avoid unnecessary farming runs later.
Why This Route Benefits Every Type of Player
1.New Players: Reach Level 3 Workbenches much faster without wasting resources or following inefficient farming routes.
2.Solo Players: Spend less time repeating expeditions and more time progressing with consistent, reliable resource farming.
3.Competitive Players: Unlock blueprint farming earlier, giving you quicker access to stronger gear and better loadouts.
4.Long-Term Players: Build a fully upgraded base efficiently so you can focus on endgame activities, high-value loot, and future seasonal content instead of basic progression.
