Which Shipments to Unlock First in ROB RUN
Unlock the cheap shipments that make every robbery pay first: the Lockpick, a bag, light armour and the KL-545 rifle cost $40,000 between them. After that, follow the path for how you play. A full heist kit costs $375,000 of research, a basic lab $205,000, a basic grow room $180,000, and all three police badges $730,000.
How shipments work
Shipments unlock new weapons, vehicles, furniture and other goods. Once a shipment is unlocked, its item goes on sale on the Black Market. You pay for research with dirty cash, the same cash you spend on the Black Market. Each shipment has three things to check:
- Research cost: the cash price of the unlock.
- Prerequisite: most shipments need the one before them in the tree.
- District level and jail time: districts come in three levels, and the top shipments are kept for the top districts. A few shipments also need a minimum jail sentence.
Researching a shipment does not give you the item. You still buy it on the Black Market afterwards, so the prices below are research only. Our Shipments planner shows the whole tree of 172 shipments, adds up any plan you click together, and shows the Black Market prices as well. Researching everything costs $36,182,000.
Heister path
For robbing buildings, cracking safes and carrying the haul out. None of these steps needs jail time.
| Order | Shipment | Research | Needs | District level | Running total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lockpick | $5,000 | Nothing | Any | $5,000 |
| 2 | Cargo Workbench | $5,000 | Nothing | I | $10,000 |
| 3 | Light Body Armor | $5,000 | Nothing | Any | $15,000 |
| 4 | Sports Bag | $5,000 | Nothing | Any | $20,000 |
| 5 | KL-545 Mk1 | $25,000 | Nothing | I | $45,000 |
| 6 | Medium Body Armor | $15,000 | Light Body Armor | I | $60,000 |
| 7 | Action Camera | $5,000 | Nothing | Any | $65,000 |
| 8 | Code Tablet | $25,000 | Action Camera | II | $90,000 |
| 9 | Mini Drill | $100,000 | Lockpick | II | $190,000 |
| 10 | Sports Bag (bigger) | $35,000 | Sports Bag | II | $225,000 |
| 11 | USB Hacking Tool | $50,000 | Code Tablet | II | $275,000 |
| 12 | Deposit Box Keys | $100,000 | USB Hacking Tool | III | $375,000 |
Why this order:
- The Lockpick opens doors and containers without setting off the alarm, and it can open other players' trunks.
- The Cargo Workbench lets you open stolen cargo at home instead of selling it as it is.
- The KL-545 Mk1 is the best cheap gun: it knocks down an unarmoured target in 0.60 s at 20 m and 0.70 s at 50 m. Check it against anything else in the compare tool.
- The Action Camera, Code Tablet, USB Hacking Tool and Deposit Box Keys fill up as you commit crimes, crack safes, hack computers in locked rooms and crack deposit boxes. Full ones sell well or can be bartered.
- A full set of Deposit Box Keys trades for the ID Card to the Bank's gold vault.
- The Mini Drill cracks safe locks. Our map has 33 safes across 17 buildings that take it. Browse every safe on the map.
Grower path
A Grow Room and one Grow Table are enough to start growing. The Fan, Water Pump and UV Lamp go on the Grow Table and speed up growth.
| Order | Shipment | Research | Needs | District level | Running total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grow Room | $150,000 | Nothing | I | $150,000 |
| 2 | Grow Table | $30,000 | Grow Room | I | $180,000 |
| 3 | Fan | $100,000 | Grow Table | I | $280,000 |
| 4 | Water Pump | $200,000 | Fan | II | $480,000 |
| 5 | UV Lamp | $500,000 | Water Pump | III | $980,000 |
The UV Lamp alone is half the cost, and it needs a level III district. Our grow room guide covers harvests and sale prices.
Lab path
Making crystals takes three steps: the Chemical Reactor turns reagents into a liquid, the Industrial Freezer turns that into crystals, and the Lab Table crushes the finished crystals. So you need all four of the first shipments before you can cook anything.
| Order | Shipment | Research | Needs | District level | Running total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chemical Laboratory | $160,000 | Nothing | I | $160,000 |
| 2 | Chemical Reactor | $20,000 | Chemical Laboratory | I | $180,000 |
| 3 | Industrial Freezer | $15,000 | Chemical Reactor | I | $195,000 |
| 4 | Lab Table | $10,000 | Chemical Laboratory | I | $205,000 |
| 5 | Industrial Engine | $10,000 | Chemical Reactor | I | $215,000 |
| 6 | Chemical Reactor (second level) | $150,000 | Chemical Reactor | II | $365,000 |
The Industrial Engine slightly raises the chance of higher-quality crystals for only $10,000. The second-level reactor produces more, faster. Skip the Laboratory Scales early: it needs 335 years of jail time. Our laboratory guide covers the full process and sale prices.
Police path
On duty you cannot use personal items, and the department gives you your gear. So the only shipments that change a Police shift are the badges, which unlock better equipment.
| Order | Shipment | Research | Needs | District level | Running total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sergeant's Badge | $30,000 | Nothing | I | $30,000 |
| 2 | Lieutenant's Badge | $200,000 | Sergeant's Badge | II | $230,000 |
| 3 | Captain's Badge | $500,000 | Lieutenant's Badge | III | $730,000 |
Badges are single-use, so after the research you still pay $8,000, $40,000 or $100,000 for each one on the Black Market. You can also find them around the city. Police pay goes into your bank account, and research needs dirty cash, so withdraw what you need at an ATM or from a bank employee.
One cheap pick for everyone
The Banknote Counter costs $10,000, needs nothing else, and sits on the Laundering Desk to speed up laundering, which every playstyle uses. See how to make money in ROB RUN for how laundering works.
More ROB RUN guides: the best weapons, playing Police and the solo money route.
