The Headwinds update for ARC Raiders introduced two game-changing Epic Augments: Looting Mk.3 (Safekeeper) and Tactical Mk.3 (Revival) — each with unique roles and impactful mechanics that alter gear strategies for both PvE and PvP play. This guide breaks down how they work, where to find them, how to craft them, and how to use them effectively in the current 2026 meta.
🔥 What These Augments Are
📦 Looting Mk.3 — Safekeeper
The Safekeeper augment lets you finally secure weapons and valuable gear you bring into a raid.
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💼 Features a Universal Safe Pocket that can store any item — including weapons.
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🛡️ Works with Light, Medium, and Heavy shields, unlike older Looting augments.
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🧰 Increases inventory with 18 backpack slots and 2 trinket slots.
This is a major change — until now, you couldn’t reliably keep guns you wanted to save if you died. With Looting Mk.3, top-tier weapons and loot can be protected and kept for future runs.
Best for: Solo players, PvE farming, boss hunting, and anyone who hates losing rare gear.
🩹 Tactical Mk.3 — Revival
The Revival augment focuses on survivability and utility:
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💗 Grants passive health regeneration (1 HP every 5 seconds) — though this pauses for 30 seconds after taking damage.
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🧪 Adds a built-in defibrillator with a cooldown (about 4 minutes) that allows reviving yourself or teammates without carrying a separate item.
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⚔️ Only compatible with Light shields.
Best for: Support-oriented squad play or raids where staying alive longer matters more than securing gear.
🧠 How They Compare
| Feature | Safekeeper (Looting Mk.3) | Revival (Tactical Mk.3) |
|---|---|---|
| Main Benefit | Protect any item (even weapons) | Self/team survival utility |
| Safe Pocket | Universal (any item) | Basic or none |
| Inventory Space | 18 slots + trinkets | 16 slots + defib |
| Shield Compatibility | Light / Medium / Heavy | Light only |
| Special | Preserves gear on death | Built-in revive & regen |
| Best Playstyle | Solo farm, bosses, PvE | Squad support, sustained fights |
📍 Where & How to Get the Blueprints
🔎 Blueprint Mechanics
Both augments only drop as blueprints — they do not spawn ready-built. You must find a blueprint during a raid and extract with it to learn it, then craft it at a Level 3 Gear Bench.
🗺 Known High-Priority Spots for Blueprints
Blueprints are rare and RNG-based, but some locations are commonly reported to contain augment blueprints (including Safekeeper & Revival):
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Stella Montis — Lobby, Security Checkpoint, Sandbox augment containers
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Blue Gate (Reinforced Reception) — Augment loot and lockers
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Medical Containers — Across all maps, especially in Buried City Hospital
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General augment containers & cabinets in high-loot areas
⚠ Blueprints are still highly random — no guaranteed spawn points. They’re part of the main augment blueprint pool, which contains many entries, so RNG can be slow.
🧪 Farming Tips
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Loot every container — including augment-specific boxes and medical crates.
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Major Map Conditions (like Night Raids or high loot modes) sometimes increase loot quality and blueprint chances.
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If you find another blueprint first, don’t be discouraged — persistence and frequent extractions help accumulate drops over time.
🛠 Crafting the Augments
Once you extract a blueprint:
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Go to your Raider Den
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Learn the blueprint
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Head to a Gear Bench Level 3
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Craft using rare materials
Typical crafting requirements for Epic augments include:
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2× Advanced Electrical Components
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3× Processors
🧠 When to Use Each Augment
🏆 Safekeeper
Safekeeper is now considered one of the most strategically impactful Epic augments because you can protect a weapon or item no matter what happens. It pairs especially well with:
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Solo loot runs
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Boss or Queen/Matriarch raids
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PvE progression (like Trophy Display farming)
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PvP loot defense
Players have already noted its power for securing high-tier weapons before risky content.
Tip: Shield choice flexibility (Light/Medium/Heavy) means you can tailor your build in many ways around Safekeeper.
🩺 Revival
Revival’s strength lies in sustain and support:
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It heals between fights (passive regen)
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It frees up inventory space by providing a defib internally
However, its Light-shield restriction limits its survivability compared to other builds. It’s appreciated in squads or support roles but often less versatile than Safekeeper in solo or risk-heavy runs.
🧩 Meta Tips from the Community
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Safekeeper is already becoming a popular choice among players looking to bring and keep powerful weapons.
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Revival’s built-in defib is handy but doesn’t replace carrying multiple healing items in long fights.
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Blueprint hunting can be slow — many players collect dozens of augment blueprints before finding the ones they want.
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Community players report finding augment blueprints while looting a variety of containers — there’s no perfect “farm route,” so consistency matters more than location.
🔚 Final Verdict: Which to Get First?
Go for Safekeeper first if you:
✔ Play solo
✔ Farm bosses or ARC packs
✔ Want to protect weapons from loss
✔ Prefer flexibility in loadouts
Choose Revival first if you:
✔ Play in coordinated squads
✔ Want built-in revives and heals
✔ Focus on sustained, careful runs
Both augments deserve a spot in your long-term gear progression, but Safekeeper has the broader strategic impact in today’s meta thanks to universal item protection and shield flexibility.
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