In the intense world of ARC Raiders, you’ll often find yourself hunting for rare materials that unlock powerful crafting options. One of these key items is the ARC Motion Core, a rare “topside material” that’s essential for high-end crafting and upgrades. Here’s a complete, easy-to-understand guide on how to get ARC Motion Cores, where to find them, and how to use them most efficiently.
The ARC Motion Core is a rare crafting material obtained from high-tier enemies or special loot containers. Once gathered, it can be used to craft advanced components or recycled into a more common material called ARC Alloy.
Important details:
- It stacks up to 5 units in your inventory.
- It weighs around 0.3 kg in game terms and can be traded or sold in some contexts.
- There is a distinction between intact Motion Cores and damaged ones. Only intact ones count for crafting and upgrades.
Where and How to Farm ARC Motion Cores
Here are the most reliable ways to obtain Motion Cores, ranked by efficiency:
- Looting Probe Pods (Prospecting Probes Events)
During certain events, cylindrical probe pods drop onto the map and provide excellent loot. These are among the fastest and most reliable ways to get intact Motion Cores.
Steps:- Enter a map and watch the sky for descending probes or smoke plumes.
- Reach the probe pod quickly and breach the end-cap (be prepared for enemies to be drawn to the noise).
- Loot the pod three times before leaving, as many pods allow multiple loot interactions.
- Once you have enough cores, extract immediately to avoid losing them.
- Large ARC Enemy Kills and Salvage
Another method is by defeating high-tier ARC enemies (boss-type units) or looting their wreckage. Examples include:- Units like the “Surveyor” (a large rolling ARC) that drop valuable components and cores.
- Debris from other elite ARC enemies like “Rocketeers” or “Leapers.”
While this method works, it’s less consistent than probe pods, as drops are random and enemies are tougher.
- Event-Based Drops and Husk Sites
Some timed events spawn husks or special sites where you can open containers and occasionally find intact Motion Cores. However, you’re more likely to find damaged cores in these events, which are less valuable for crafting.
Tip: Focus your farming time on intact cores only, as damaged ones can’t be used for major upgrades.
What You Need Motion Cores For
Once you’ve gathered some Motion Cores, you can use them in several important ways:
- Upgrading the Refiner Station:
Motion Cores are required to upgrade the Refiner (Refiner II and Refiner III) in your base. For example:- Refiner II upgrade requires 5 intact Motion Cores.
- Refiner III upgrade requires 20 intact Motion Cores.
- Crafting Advanced Components:
Motion Cores are part of crafting recipes for advanced materials and equipment. Using them wisely ensures faster progression and access to better gear. - Recycling for ARC Alloy:
If you have excess or damaged cores, you can recycle them into ARC Alloy, a more common but still useful resource. This helps you avoid wasting inventory space while still gaining value from your runs.
Tips and Best Practices
- Check Core Quality: Always verify whether the core you picked up is intact. The crafting system will only accept intact ones for upgrades. Damaged ones should be recycled.
- Prioritize Probe Pods: Probe pods yield the highest “cores per minute” efficiency. Focus on these events whenever they appear to save time and maximize loot.
- Plan Your Extractions: When you’ve gathered enough Motion Cores, extract promptly. Dying before extraction will make you lose all your hard-earned loot.
- Squad Coordination: If you’re playing in a team, designate one player to focus on looting while others cover against enemy waves. This reduces the risk of losing Motion Cores.
- Inventory Management: Motion Cores are rare, but they take up valuable inventory space. Keep a dedicated slot for them so you don’t accidentally leave one behind.
- Recycle Damaged Cores: Convert damaged cores into ARC Alloy instead of hoarding them. This keeps your inventory clean and adds to your material reserves.
- Track Event Timings: Probe pods and husk events happen periodically. Keeping an eye on in-game alerts or patterns can help you plan efficient farming sessions.
