😱 NEWBIE MISTAKE #1: WASTING 5 POINTS ON CALMING STROLL – YOUR RAIDER WALKS LIKE A GRANDMA & DIES TO FROSTBITE! ❄️💀 ARC Raiders Cold Snap pros expose 7 TRAP SKILLS turning noobs into ARC FOOD… Slide for NOTHING? RNG LOOT GARBAGE? Shield-broken ONLY buffs? Sweats LAUGHING at your bricked tree – DON’T BE THAT GUY! Resets exist but WHY SUFFER? Steal this AVOID list before your first wipe… Who’s bricked already? 🔥
As ARC Raiders explodes past 4 million sales since its October 30, 2025 launch, droves of new players are diving into the Rust Belt – only to brick their Skill Trees with worthless investments. Patch 1.7.0’s Cold Snap update, live since December 16, introduced skill resets for 2,000 coins per point, ADS toggle for Calming Stroll, and buffs like reduced Effortless Roll stamina costs. But even with respecs, early mistakes waste raids, Cred, and time in blizzards where exposure kills faster than Shredders.
Veterans on Reddit, X, and guides agree: The tree’s vague tooltips and pathing force a meta path – Mobility for stamina, Survival for loot, Conditioning last. Newbies, chasing shiny nodes, dump points into duds. Here’s the definitive list of seven skills to NEVER take first – ranked by regret factor – with why they suck, alternatives, and Cold Snap impacts.
1. Calming Stroll (Mobility) – The Walking Dead Trap Regens stamina while walking slowly. Pre-1.7, it required deliberate “walk” input, useless in ADS or sprints – maxed yields negligible regen over exhausted jogs. Post-buff: Works ADS, but still demands tortoise pace amid Snowfall’s 90-second frostbite timer. Newbies waste 5 points pathing here, dying outdoors.
Alternative: Marathon Runner (5/5) – Cuts move stamina 50%+, chaining sprints to shelter. Pair with Youthful Lungs (+max stamina). Solo godsend; squads rotate faster.
2. Sturdy Ankles (Mobility) – Fall for It Reduces minor fall damage ~10%. “Barely a bandage’s worth,” per Reddit tests – maxed saves 5-10 HP from knee-high drops you dodge anyway. Cold Snap frozen lakes crack deadlier; this won’t save you.
Alternative: Effortless Roll (4-5/5) – Extra rolls mid-fight, now buffed cheaper. 1.7 slide stamina nerf makes rolls king for evasion.
3. Slip and Slide (Mobility) – Diminishing Slides +Slide distance/speed. Maxed: “2 feet further, no real speed,” datamined as pitiful. Cooldowns kill chaining; post-nerf stamina cost exposes you.
Alternative: Heroic Leap (1/1) – Boosts sprint-roll distance for LoS breaks. Farms Stella Montis BPs without sweat tech.
4. Unburdened Roll (Conditioning) – Shield-Broken Loser Free first roll post-shield break. Situational trash – shields regen fast; you’re dead before it procs. Dexerto calls it “one of the worst.”
Alternative: Used to the Weight (5/5) – Negates shield slowdown. Loaded Arms follows for gun encumbrance.
5. Looter’s Luck (Survival) – RNG Hell Chance for double loot reveal (~1/4 odds). Inconsistent; Cold Snap dynamic lockers/BP floods make it redundant – you’re swimming in rares already.
Alternative: Looter’s Instinct (5/5) – Faster reveals, consistent. Proficient Pryer shaves breach time 3s.
6. Carry the Momentum (Mobility) – Cooldown Curse Free sprint post-roll (brief, IC). “Unreliable,” per GAM3S – procs miss in chaos. Late-game only, post-50.
Alternative: Vaults on Vaults (Mobility) – Free vaults. Vertical god in Buried City puzzles.
7. Crawl Before You Walk (Mobility) – Downed Dud Faster downed crawl. Solos never need it; squads revive quicker with meds. B-tier at best, prevention > cure.
Alternative: Downed but Determined (squads) or Fight or Flight (solos) – Auto-stamina at low HP.
Skill
Tree
Why Avoid (Newbies)
Impact Rating (1-10)
Alt Priority
Calming Stroll
Mobility
Slow-walk only; buffed but meh
2
Marathon Runner (10)
Sturdy Ankles
Mobility
10% fall dmg; irrelevant
1
Effortless Roll (9)
Slip & Slide
Mobility
Tiny distance; stamina nerfed
3
Heroic Leap (8)
Unburdened Roll
Conditioning
Post-shield only
2
Used to Weight (10)
Looter’s Luck
Survival
RNG trash
4
Looter’s Instinct (9)
Carry Momentum
Mobility
Unreliable CD
3
Vaults on Vaults (9)
Crawl Before Walk
Mobility
Downed niche
4
Fight or Flight (10)
The Meta Path: Levels 1-50 Blueprint 1-15: Mobility core (Marathon 5/5, Youthful Lungs 5/5, Slip 1 if desperate – skip!). 16-30: Conditioning basics (Used 5/5, Loaded 1/1). 31-50: Survival (In-Round Crafting 1/1, Instincts 5/5, Broad Shoulders 5/5). Hits 5M Cred goal pre-Expedition (Dec 17-22).
Cold Snap amps urgency: Blizzards force indoor rotates; frostbite demands stamina efficiency over gimmicks. BP floods (6+ rares/run) ease crafts, but wrong tree leaves you light-looting to survive.
Community Rage & Respec Savior Pre-1.7, no respec meant Expedition wipes for bricks – “toxic,” per X’s Gigabeef. Reddit rants: “85% worthless,” mobility “useless tree.” Now, 2K/point resets (hub vendor) forgive errors – but why grind coins on trash?
Tier lists echo: S-tier stamina/loot (Fight or Flight, Broad Shoulders); F-near downed/RNG. Streamers like Taxi2g push Mobility-Survival hybrids for Cold Snap farms.
Pro Tips for Fresh Raiders
Path Smart: Trees unlock capstones at 36 points – skip for balance.
Playstyle Pivot: Solos: Stealth (Silent Scavenger). Squads: Revive (Turtle Crawl).
Cold Snap Synergy: Stamina trees counter exposure; craft fires for warmth.
Expedition Timing: Farm BPs pre-Dec 22 reset for buffs (stash +12 slots).
Embark’s iteration shines – 1.7 QoL like Cred cap (800), dynamic lockers – but tree vagueness lingers. Newbies: Heed this, extract fat, or become Speranza’s popsicle. Raiders topside: Adapt or perish.
