Arc Raiders has a boatload of materials for you to loot topside, and while most of them say what they're used for, Rusted Tools certainly do not. They're considered a rare recyclable material, and that's likely what you've done if you've found some already, and now you're frantically searching for more upon the grave realisation that Rusted Tools are actually vital in upgrading your Gunsmith.
The good news is that, at least right now, the Gunsmith II upgrade is the only use for Rusted Tools outside of recycling them for scrap metal, and you'll only need three of them. So, here's where you need to look to find Rusted Tools.
Where to find Rusted Tools in Arc Raiders
Unsurprisingly, you have a higher chance of finding Rusted Tools in Mechanical and Industrial areas, such as in red tool boxes, crates, and other containers.
The best locations are around the cars in Scrap Yard, and in the lower floors of Water Treatment Control, and Primary Facility on Dam Battlegrounds, as it's easy to loot all three areas in a single run, and there are multiple extraction points nearby.
Inside the warehouses at Vehicle Maintenance and Container Storage on Spaceport are also good options as they're right next to each other (and there's Shipping Warehouse in the north), though Spaceport feels much more dangerous than the options on Dam.
Check the following areas thoroughly:
- Dam Battlegrounds: Scrap Yard, Water Treatment Control, and Primary Facility
- Spaceport: Vehicle Maintenance, Container Storage
- Blue Gate: Adorned Wreckage, Warehouse Complex, Checkpoint
Again, while Rusted Tools are technically rare (blue) recyclable items, you'll want to hang onto them until you've upgraded your Gunsmith for the first time. Once you've found some on a run, I recommend putting them in your safe pocket so you'll keep them if you die—you won't have a safe pocket if you're using a free loadout.
