[ARC Raiders]Complete strategy guide for Celeste's journal | Thorough explanation of the location, rewards, and tips for the Dam Battlefield South Swamp Base & Northern Outpost (Raider's East Base)[Ark Raiders]

1. Overview of Celeste's Journal Quest and importance of strategy

ARC Raiders is a cooperative PvPvE survival shooter developed by Embark Studios. Players descend from the underground shelter “Speranza” to the surface and collect resources while fighting the mysterious enemy “ARC”. The appeal of this game is that the story progresses through tense round-based raids and quests from traders.

“Celeste's Journal” is an important mid-game quest that you can receive from a trader named Celeste. Celeste is a former raider who left behind her diary from the ARC war on the Dam battlefield, and by retrieving it in this quest, her backstory will be revealed. Clearing quests increases your trust level and unlocks new trade items and quests, making them essential for progressing in the game. In particular, the reward “Magnetic Accelerator” will be useful in the second half of the game as a powerful augment.

This quest has a high difficulty level and requires you to traverse the vast map of Dam Battlefield within one round (approximately 30 minutes) and bring back the two journals safely. If you fail, you risk losing your items and are threatened by raids from other players and ARCs. However, with proper preparation and route selection, it is possible to clear the challenge even solo. This guide provides detailed strategies for everyone from beginners to advanced players.

2. Quest occurrence conditions and flow until release

“Celeste's Journal” is positioned as a quest chain exclusively for Celeste. First, talk to Celeste in the trader area of ​​Speranza and build trust by completing the initial quests “Bad Premonition'' and “In Search of Moisture.'' This brings Celeste's questline into full swing.

The direct condition for this to occur is to clear Celeste's quest “Symbol of Unity.” In “Symbol of Unity”, find the flag at the Formikai Outpost on the Dam Battlefield and raise it on a small platform overlooking the Red Pond. If you complete this quest, you will automatically be able to order “Celeste's Journal” from Celeste. Check your quest board and tap the Celeste icon to officially begin.

As for the overall flow up to release, it is efficient to proceed with the Celeste Line while proceeding with Shani and Tian Wen's quests in parallel after the tutorial at the beginning of the game. This is the first time the Dam Battlefield will appear, so let's get familiar with the map and take on the challenge. After clearing it, the next Celeste quest “Echoes of Victory Ridge'' and “Return to the Surface'' from Tian Wen will be unlocked, accelerating the story.

3. Preparation: How to choose essential equipment, augments, and consumables

Preparation is the key to dramatically increasing the success rate of this quest. Inventory management and movement speed are the keys to collecting two journals and escaping in one round. Recommended equipment is listed below.

Augments

• Looting MK2: Required. Two additional safety pockets ensure you can take home two journals. As an alternative, Loot MK1 is also possible, but it is riskier.
• Tactical MK1 or Combat MK1: Increases movement speed and shield recovery. Extends dash time with adrenaline effect.

weapons and ammunition

• Main Weapon: Anvil III. A large gun can effectively defeat heavily armored ARCs (Wasp, Hornet). Carry at least 40 rounds of large ammunition.
• Sub-weapon: Rattler III. Suitable for close combat with medium-sized ammunition. We recommend 80 shots.
• Grenades: 2x smoke grenades, 1x lure grenade. Used to attract enemies and block visibility.

consumables and tools

• Raider Hatch Key x1: Use hidden escape points such as pump station hatches. This is useful if the elevator is likely to be camped.
• Adrenaline injection x3: Increases movement speed by 20%. The distance will be shortened by 1km from north to south.
• Resuscitation device x 2, Vita spray x 1: Measures in case of a knockdown.
• Zipline x 2: Shortcut on the dam battlefield with height differences.

For armor, choose a medium shield or higher, and use a helmet to increase headshot resistance. Keep the total weight light to reduce stamina consumption. If you are solo, please strictly adhere to the above. If you have a duo or more, you can increase safety by dividing the roles (one person is the decoy and the other is the retriever).

4. Detailed location guide and recovery method for the base in the southern swamp

The South Swamp Base, located in the swamp area southwest of the Dam Battlefield, is easily accessible from the spawn point near the start of the quest. There is a marker on the map at the south end of the swamp, southwest of the Power Generation Complex. The exterior looks like a collapsed hut, and the entrance is a raider hatch.

After entering, go straight to the bedroom inside. Celeste's Journal will appear as a glowing interaction point on or next to your bed. You can find it by pressing the research button. It takes less than 10 seconds. Small ARCs such as snitches are likely to appear around you, so please clear the stage in advance.

This base has low enemy density and is ideal for initial recovery. If you pick it up, put it in your safe pocket immediately to avoid combat.

5. Detailed location guide and recovery method for the northern outpost (Raider's east base)

The northern outpost is located “overlooking Red Pond” and is the “Raider's East Base” in the northeast of the map. It is located northeast of the power generation complex, on high ground overlooking Red Lakes. The distance from the southern base is approximately 1km in a straight line, and the actual travel time may take approximately 1.2km depending on the terrain.

The exterior looks like a raider camp-style hut. A second journal is similarly placed on the internal bed. After finding it, store it in your pocket like in the south base. The surrounding area is prone to Hornets and players, so cover it with smoke.

You can pick up the items in any order, but south to north is recommended. If you start from the north, the swamp passage will be longer.

6. Complete strategy: step-by-step detailed guide

1. Start raid: Select Dumb Battlefield. Start by praying for a spawn closer to the south. Open the map and mark both locations.
2. Move to the south swamp base: Go south through the swamp. If you encounter an ARC, avoid it with a lure grenade. Open the entrance hatch and go inside.
3. Collection of 1st book: Bed investigation → Found → Place in safety pocket 1. It takes 5 seconds.
4. Fast travel north: use adrenaline injection. Choose the swamp->highland route and take a shortcut on the zipline. When a wasp appears on the way, headshot it with the anvil.
5. Raider arrives at east base: Open hatch and rush inside. Collect the second book on the bed and put it in Pocket 2.
6. Immediate escape preparation: Prioritize combat avoidance. Make sure you have at least 10 minutes remaining.

Estimated time required is 15 minutes for solo and 12 minutes for duo. Please change your route when enemies are crowded.

7. Escape strategy, precautions and troubleshooting on high difficulty levels

Escape is the biggest challenge. The standard elevator is easily camped, so use the pump station hatch (southeast of the map) with the raider hatch key. The location is a hidden door near the water treatment facility.

The strategy is as follows.

• Solo: Approach with a series of smokes, then dash away with an injection.
• Group: 1 person as decoy, 2 people as escort.
• Risk: With 8 minutes left, move from ARC horde to hatch immediately. If you fail, collect only one book and keep it in the next round (no quest progress).

Common mistakes are:

• Insufficient Pocket: Dropped by forgetting MK2.
• Time over: Fighting in vain.
• Solution: Always monitor the timer and set the combat to 0 targets.

This is advantageous when the weather worsens as visibility decreases.

8. How to use rewards, next quest and strategy summary

The reward details are as follows.

• Magnetic accelerator x 1: Weapon acceleration augment. It increases the firing speed by 30% and is useful in boss battles.
• Large gun parts x 3: Anvil reinforcement material.
• Exodus module x 1: Craft luxury item.

After clearing the stage, Celeste's trust will increase and “Victory Ridge Echoes” will be released. Tian Wen's “Return to the Surface” can also be progressed at the same time. Craft your rewards now and upgrade your next raid.

If you follow this guide, your first time clear rate will be over 90%. Master the Dam battlefield and make Speranza prosperous.