ARC Raiders Gear Bench upgrades unlock stronger shields and Combat, Looting and Tactical augments. It has three levels, with a separate materials bill for each upgrade. Building the Gear Bench gives you the first augments and shields, while its final level unlocks specialised Mk.3 gear for particular roles.
ARC Raiders Gear Bench upgrades don’t require the Outpost, but you still need to find and extract the materials for each tier. Some Mk.3 variants also need their own learned blueprints. The tables below show the level costs, all nine final-tier augment choices and the materials you need for crafting.
ARC Raiders Gear Bench upgrades: all Level 1–3 material costs
| Level | Exact materials | What changes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 25 Plastic Parts; 30 Fabric | Build the bench for basic shields and Mk.1 augments |
| 2 | 3 Power Cables; 5 Electrical Components; 5 Hornet Drivers | Mk.2 augments and Heavy Shield |
| 3 | 3 Industrial Batteries; 5 Advanced Electrical Components; 6 Bastion Cells | Specialised Mk.3 augments |
Each of the ARC Raiders Gear Bench upgrades has its own materials bill. Build Level I first, pay for Level II, then collect another set of materials for Level III. The Gear Bench does not have a Level IV upgrade in Frozen Trail; its maximum remains III.
What ARC Raiders Gear Bench upgrades unlock at every level
| Station level | New augments and shields |
|---|---|
| 1 | Combat Mk.1; Looting Mk.1; Tactical Mk.1; Light Shield; Medium Shield |
| 2 | Combat Mk.2; Looting Mk.2; Tactical Mk.2; Heavy Shield |
| 3 | Combat Mk.3 (Aggressive); Combat Mk.3 (Flanking); Looting Mk.3 (Cautious); Looting Mk.3 (Safekeeper); Looting Mk.3 (Survivor); Tactical Mk.3 (Defensive); Tactical Mk.3 (Healing); Tactical Mk.3 (Revival); Tactical Mk.3 (Smoke) |
The Light Shield and Looting Mk.1 are also available at the basic Workbench, so ARC Raiders Gear Bench upgrades aren’t necessary just to craft those two starter items. The stronger shields and specialised variants are what make ARC Raiders Gear Bench upgrades useful beyond basic crafting.
Every Mk.3 augment unlocked by Gear Bench Level 3
| Mk.3 augment | Best reason to use it |
|---|---|
| Combat (Aggressive) | Prioritise offensive combat bonuses |
| Combat (Flanking) | Play around positioning and flanking attacks |
| Looting (Cautious) | More cautious scavenging with an automatic weak Adrenaline Shot after shield break |
| Looting (Safekeeper) | A Safe Pocket that can hold any item type, including equipment normally restricted from regular Safe Pockets |
| Looting (Survivor) | Extra carrying capacity and downed-health regeneration while stationary |
| Tactical (Defensive) | An integrated Shield Recharger, with shield recharging while running |
| Tactical (Healing) | Support-oriented healing abilities |
| Tactical (Revival) | An integrated Defibrillator with a cooldown |
| Tactical (Smoke) | Smoke-focused utility |
At Level III, ARC Raiders Gear Bench upgrades unlock nine Mk.3 augment variants with different shield compatibility, carrying capacity and integrated tools. Don’t buy a blueprint just because the name sounds better than Mk.2: check whether it fits your armour and whether its bonus solves a problem your loadout actually has.
Level 3 augment crafting costs and blueprint requirements
Gear Bench III opens Mk.3 recipes using 2 Advanced Electrical Components and 3 Processors per augment. Where a blueprint is required, you must learn it separately before crafting. For instance, Looting Mk.3 (Safekeeper), Looting Mk.3 (Survivor) and Tactical Mk.3 (Defensive) each have a specific blueprint requirement.
Processors are rare technological loot, commonly found in Computers, Server Racks, Recording Panels and Oscilloscopes. You can also buy limited quantities from Celeste or obtain them as quest rewards. Advanced Electrical Components can be produced at Refiner II, which makes the Refiner a useful companion investment before you begin assembling high-tier gear.
Where to find ARC Raiders Gear Bench upgrade materials
| Item | Where to look |
|---|---|
| Plastic Parts and Fabric | Common residential and commercial items; recycling |
| Power Cables | Electrical and technical storage |
| Electrical Components | Craft in Refiner I or find in electrical loot |
| Hornet Drivers | Defeat Hornets and take their Driver components |
| Industrial Batteries | Industrial and technical containers |
| Advanced Electrical Components | Craft at Refiner II or scavenge advanced technical loot |
| Bastion Cells | Defeat Bastions and recover their cells |
Keep the Hornet Drivers and Bastion Cells you’ll need before recycling extra ARC loot. Both come from specific ARC enemies and have uses beyond one bench, so recycling your entire supply now means hunting more later. Industrial Batteries can also be recycled into components, but save three if you still need Gear Bench III.
How to complete ARC Raiders Gear Bench upgrades
To start ARC Raiders Gear Bench upgrades, return to Speranza, open the Workshop and select the station. Build Level I with Plastic Parts and Fabric. Once it’s available, collect the Level II materials and confirm the upgrade. At Level II, craft your preferred Mk.2 augment or a Heavy Shield while you collect the Bastion Cells and Advanced Electrical Components for Level III.
After reaching Level III, visit the crafting list and select the augment you want. If it says a blueprint is missing, extract with the relevant blueprint or unlock it through the Research Station where supported, then learn it. Pay the crafting materials separately from the materials already spent upgrading the Gear Bench.
Why a Gear Bench augment or shield is still locked
Completing ARC Raiders Gear Bench upgrades doesn’t bypass a missing blueprint. It also doesn’t automatically equip newly crafted armour: move your shield or augment into the appropriate loadout slot before deploying. If a chosen Mk.3 augment limits shield compatibility, swap to a supported shield rather than assuming the crafting station is broken.
A Heavy Shield becomes craftable at Gear Bench II, but don’t forget that your equipped augment can limit which shield classes you can carry. The Tactical Mk.3 (Defensive) works with Light, Medium and Heavy Shields, while the Looting Mk.3 (Cautious) is limited to Light Shield.
Which Gear Bench level is worth upgrading first?
ARC Raiders Gear Bench upgrades are worth prioritising to Level II when you want a Heavy Shield and better augments. For looting-heavy runs, reaching Level III becomes valuable if you have a specific Mk.3 blueprint in mind, especially Safekeeper or Survivor. For difficult ARC encounters, a Combat or Tactical Mk.3 may be more useful than another storage bonus.
If you’re short on Bastion Cells, finish your other workshop upgrades that use common materials first. Keep a clear stash target for the six cells needed here. The Gear Bench is a good long-term investment, but it doesn’t have to be the first station you max out.
Gear Bench upgrades FAQ
Can it reach Level IV? No. Gear Bench stops at Level III in the current version, unlike Gunsmith and Research Station.
Does Level III give all nine Mk.3 blueprints? No. It supports the recipes, but you still need to learn any required blueprint.
Can I craft a Heavy Shield at Level I? No. Upgrade to Level II, then check the shield recipe and materials.
Related Guides
Official game source: Embark Studios Frozen Trail 2.0 update.
