First Wave Caches in ARC Raiders – Blueprints, Locations and BEST Farming Tips

First Wave Caches in ARC Raiders are special loot containers that only spawn during the Hurricane map condition, introduced with the Shrouded Sky update. These caches contain some of the best loot in the game right now, including rare weapon blueprints like the Tempest, Bobcat, and Vulcano – blueprints that used to be locked behind specific map conditions like the Hidden Bunker and Locked Gate. We’ve been farming these non-stop since the update dropped, and the drop rates are insane. In this guide we’ll cover where to find First Wave Caches, how to identify them, and the best strategies to farm them before the loot gets nerfed.

What Are First Wave Caches in ARC Raiders?

First Wave Caches are upgraded versions of regular Raider Caches that only appear when a Hurricane is active on the map. The Hurricane rotates across Dam Battlegrounds, Buried City, Blue Gate, and Spaceport – basically every map except Stella Montis (since it’s indoors). These caches are visually bigger than normal Raider Caches and hold significantly more loot – often three full rows of items. The loot pool includes Epic weapon blueprints, high-tier weapons like Renegade 4, Anvil 4, and even Tempest 4, plus premium healing items like Vitashots and Sterilized Bandages.

Based on community data, roughly 60% of First Wave Caches contain at least one blueprint. The blueprint pool includes Tempest, Bobcat, Vulcano, and Bettina among others, and while the drop rates seem completely random, the Bobcat Blueprint does seem to drop a bit more often than say Tempest or Volcano. It’s also possible to pull multiple rare blueprints in a single raid if you hit enough caches, so the more you open per run, the better your odds.

Where Do First Wave Caches in ARC Raiders Spawn?

First Wave Caches in ARC Raiders use the same spawn locations as regular Raider Caches, so you can use our Interactive Maps to see where the potential spawns are. Enable both the Raider Cache and Hurricane Cache filters on the map to get the full picture. The community has already started mapping out confirmed First Wave Cache spots specifically, so keep an eye on those markers as more data comes in.

Keep in mind that not every Raider Cache marker will have a First Wave Cache in any given raid. The spawns are random, and roughly 1 in every 5-10 markers will actually have one. They also seem to be spread out across the map rather than clustered together, though some players have reported finding two caches within 100 meters of each other – so don’t skip checking nearby markers just because you found one.

The best maps for farming based on cache density are:

• Dam Battlegrounds: Highest Raider Cache density in the game. Open terrain makes it fast to move between markers, and the Testing Annex area is a hot spot with multiple nearby spawns.
• Buried City: Very high cache density with vertical gameplay. Plenty of spawns within short distances of each other.
• Blue Gate and Spaceport: Lower density but still viable, especially if you spawn close to known cache clusters.

How to Identify First Wave Caches in ARC Raiders by Sound

The most reliable way to find First Wave Caches is by listening for their unique sound. They don’t make the usual mechanical ticking sound that regular Raider Caches have – instead, First Wave Caches emit a rhythmic electric hum that has a repeating pattern to it. Once you hear it a few times, you’ll recognize it instantly.

The Hurricane event is loud, so here’s how to make it easier on yourself: go into your Audio Settings and turn on Night Mode. This compresses the dynamic range and makes the cache hum stand out against the wind noise. When you think you hear something, stop moving completely and listen. If the sound keeps repeating in a pattern, that’s a First Wave Cache. Turn side to side slightly to figure out which direction it’s coming from, and follow the sound. This audio method is way faster than visually checking every single Raider Cache marker on the map.

Best Strategies for Farming First Wave Caches in ARC Raiders

1. Naked Run: This is our favorite strategy and probably the most efficient way to farm blueprints right now. Load into the raid with nothing but Adrenaline Shots – no augment, no weapon. You still get a Safe Pocket, which is all you need if you find a valuable blueprint. Plus, First Wave Caches spawn high-tier weapons like Renegade 4 and Anvil 4, so you’ll have something to fight with if you need it. The beauty of naked runs is that if you spawn into an old raid where the caches are probably already looted, you just surrender and go again with zero loss. Found a blueprint? Pocket it, surrender and deploy into the next raid. No need to spend time extracting.

2. Check the Wind Direction: As soon as you spawn, check which way the wind is blowing and plan your route around it. You want to run with the wind or at an angle as much as possible – running into a headwind is painfully slow and burns your stamina. Other Raiders who move with the wind will reach the caches before you, so pick a route that flows with the gale and hits as many Raider Cache hot spots as possible.

3. Sprint to the Closest Hot Spot First: Don’t waste time planning some perfect route across the entire map. Pull up the MetaForge Map, find the closest cluster of Raider Cache markers from your spawn, and sprint there. If you spend too long planning, Raiders who spawned on the other side of the map will have already opened caches you were trying to reach. The name of the game is volume – run as many raids as you can and hit the closest hot spots each time.

4. Consider Solo vs. Squad Lobbies: In friendly solo lobbies, everyone is just running caches right now, so the competition for loot is high. You might actually have better luck in solo vs. squad lobbies – squads tend to be busy with other objectives, and you can slip through and hit unopened caches without much trouble.

5. Turn Off Your Shield: During the Hurricane, debris constantly hits your shield, making it spark and glow – which makes you extremely visible to other Raiders. Going shieldless keeps you stealthy in the storm and lets you move around without drawing attention. Since you’re running naked anyway, stealth is your best friend.

What Can Drop from First Wave Caches in ARC Raiders?

The loot inside First Wave Caches in ARC Raiders is significantly better than anything you’ll find in regular Raider Caches. Here’s what we’ve seen drop so far:

Epic Weapon Blueprints
Tempest Blueprint
Bobcat Blueprint
Vulcano Blueprint
Bettina Blueprint
Vita Spray Blueprint
Explosive Mine Blueprint and more!

High-Tier Weapons
Renegade 4
Anvil 4
Tempest 4
Venator 4
Torrente 3

Healing and Consumables
Vita Shot
Sterilized Bandage
Herbal Bandage

Miscellaneous Items
Exodus Module
Magnetic Accelerator
Snap Blast Grenade
Seeker Grenade and more!

The big deal here is the blueprints. Tempest, Bobcat, and Vulcano blueprints used to be locked behind the Hidden Bunker and Locked Gate conditions, making them extremely hard to farm. Now they’re dropping from First Wave Caches at a much higher rate. We don’t know if Embark will nerf the drop rates in the future – maybe this is their way of making rare blueprints more accessible since everything resets with each Expedition. Either way, now is the time to farm them.

Extra Tips

1. Always Use Your Safe Pocket: The moment you find a valuable blueprint, put it in your Safe Pocket immediately. If you die or surrender, whatever is in your Safe Pocket stays with you. Don’t risk losing a Tempest Blueprint because you forgot to pocket it.

2. Give Blueprints to a Friend Before Expedition: If you’re planning to reset your character for the next Expedition, consider handing your rare blueprints to a friend for safekeeping. Blueprints reset with Expeditions, and we don’t know if the current drop rates will last – so stockpile now while you can.

3. Use Headphones: This one makes a huge difference. The Hurricane is loud, and the First Wave Cache hum can be hard to hear with speakers. Good headphones with proper stereo separation will let you pinpoint cache locations much faster.

4. Don’t Ignore the Weapons: Even if you’re only hunting blueprints, the high-tier weapons that drop from these caches are worth grabbing. An Anvil 4 or Tempest 4 is great to use on the spot or to extract and sell for a solid amount of coins.

5. Watch the Raid Timer: You can tell a lot from the timer. If you load in and the raid is already 10+ minutes in, there’s a good chance most caches have been looted. In that case, just surrender and requeue for a fresh raid instead of running around an empty map.

More ARC Raiders Resources

Use our Interactive Maps with the Raider Cache and Hurricane Cache filters enabled to plan your farming routes. Keep track of Hurricane rotations with our Event Timers so you never miss a window. For a full breakdown of how the Hurricane condition works, check out our Shrouded Sky Hurricane Guide. Browse all weapon and item stats in our Item Database, and join our Discord to share your best First Wave Cache finds or discuss farming strategies with other Raiders!