Patch 1.13.0 (Headwinds) is here, and it's not the kind of update that flips your whole loadout on its head. Most of what matters still comes down to the little advantages you can stack before you ever pull a trigger, and that's why I've been chasing the Extended Medium Mag III so hard. If you're the type who plans runs around crafting and consistent upgrades, it's worth keeping an eye on reliable ARC Raiders BluePrint info while you grind, because drops can feel straight-up random when you need one specific piece.
Why the mag actually changes fights
The Extended Medium Mag III is Rare, but it plays like a must-have once you start running medium-ammo guns. Osprey, Renegade, Torrente, Venator—pick your poison. The difference is simple: fewer reloads when the pressure's on. You don't notice it in the calm moments. You notice it when someone swings a doorway and you've got two rounds left. People love talking about recoil patterns and perfect attachments, but in raids it's often just timing. Reload at the wrong second and you're done. This mod buys you breathing room, and that's why it feels "meta" even when the patch notes barely touch the weapon pool.
Getting the blueprint without losing your mind
The annoying part isn't the crafting bench, it's the blueprint. I've had sessions where I loot like a maniac and still come out empty. If you want the best odds, I keep coming back to the Control Tower in Dam Battlegrounds and the Grandioso apartments in Buried City. Those spots tend to reward quick, repeatable routes. If you're confident, Night Raids can be a smart gamble—visibility is awful, sure, but it also means you can move slower and quieter without getting beamed from across the street. Electromagnetic Storms are another story. Lightning can punish you and the ARC units, and it pushes everyone into buildings. That turns into close-range chaos fast, so if you do land the blueprint, stash it immediately and stop sightseeing.
Materials, routes, and one weapon that loves it
Once the blueprint's handled, crafting is the part you can control. You'll need Gunsmith 3, two mod components, and five steel springs. Springs sound scarce until you start recycling on purpose. Advanced Mechanical Components, Cooling Coils, Magnetrons, even junk like Ruined Accordions or Spring Cushions—break that stuff down and you'll stack springs quicker than trying to loot them one-by-one. After that, put the Mag III on a Tempest and you'll feel it right away. The Tempest chews ammo like it's free, so the extra capacity smooths out the whole fight loop. Also, don't sleep on the Bird City event in Buried City. The new ziplines make high-ground routing between Red Tower and Plaza Rosa Pharmacy way faster, which means more blueprint checks per run and less dead time staring at streets.
Make the grind pay off
If you treat this patch like a "fine, I'll optimise" moment, it gets more fun. Run a tight route, hit your blueprint rooms, recycle aggressively, craft the mag, then take it into the kind of fights where reload timing matters. You'll still get unlucky sometimes, that's just the game, but you can cut the randomness down a lot with better loops and a bit of discipline. And when you're planning your next few raids, it helps to keep your blueprint targets straight so you're not second-guessing every container—especially if you're tracking more than one BluePrint at the same time.