You can finish Arc Raiders’ Broken Monument in 7 minutes with this hidden Field Depot route

Why Broken Monument and Field Depot Are Worth Mastering

After spending a couple of evenings getting repeatedly wiped in Dam Battlegrounds, I finally hammered out a route that lets me clear Broken Monument and loot the hidden Field Depot area in about 7 minutes solo. The breakthrough came when I stopped wandering the Scrap Yard randomly and treated it like a tight loop: hit three specific yellow boxes in order, then bee-line to the Water Treatment elevator.

This guide walks through the exact path I use now: precise landmarks in the Scrap Yard, the safest way to grab the Compass, Video Tape, and Old Field Rations, and how to fold the nearby secret rooms into a farm loop without overstaying and getting farmed by Leapers.

What You Should Have Before Dropping In

You can technically do Broken Monument fresh, but after a bunch of runs I’ve found this setup makes it much smoother and less stressful.

• Recommended Raider level: ~10+. You just need enough health and damage to handle small ARC patrols and the occasional Leaper.
• Free inventory slots: 3 empty slots minimum. If your inventory is full, the yellow boxes won’t give you the quest items at all. I lost two runs to this before I realized what was happening.
• Optional keys/mods:
  • Raider Hatch key: for the locked secret room near the Scrap Yard entrance (big profit, but optional for the quest).
  • Safety Pocket mod: put meds or high-value loot here so death at extract doesn’t feel as bad.
• Loadout that’s worked best for me:
  • Mid-range rifle (e.g., Arpetual with a compensator if you have it).
  • At least 200 rounds of ammo.
  • 2× medkits.
  • A grenade or two helps if a Leaper pins you near the elevator.
• Controls to remember:
  • Open map: Tab (PC) / touchpad or menu (console).
  • Interact/search: E (PC) / Square / X (console).
  • Flashlight: F (PC).

Once you load into Dam Battlegrounds, open the map and look to the southwest of the Testing Annex. You’re aiming for the Scrap Yard: a mess of wrecked trucks, piles of tires, and a big spherical tank. If you can choose your spawn, prioritize anything to the southeast so you can beam straight there in 30-40 seconds.

The 7-Minute Route: Broken Monument Step-by-Step

Step 1 – Enter the Scrap Yard and Trigger the Quest

The quest step is “Reach the hallowed grounds by the Scrap Yard.” In practice, that just means stepping into the right part of the zone.

• From spawn, run to the south edge of the Scrap Yard.
• Look for a cluster of piled tires, several ruined vehicles, and a very noticeable large spherical tank.
• As soon as you move into that area, the objective will tick over automatically.

Using pseudo-coordinates, this south edge sits roughly around (-150, -200) relative to the dam’s center. Once you’re there, face north toward the dense cluster of trucks.

Common problem I hit: Leapers love the northwest corner of this entry lane, especially after the spawn-rate bump in the late 2025 patch. Before you commit, raise your binos (Right Mouse / LT) and scan for movement. If you see one, crouch-beam in (start holding crouch just before you crest any ridge) so you’re harder to pounce on.

Assuming things are clear, you’re ready for the first item: the Compass.

Step 2 – Grab the Compass (Hidden Between Trucks)

This is the quickest item to miss if you don’t know where to look. I spent three raids circling the wrong truck rows before I got this nailed down.

• From the tire pile / spherical tank, move straight north into the heart of the wrecks.
• Look for a narrow gap between two parallel rows of trucks almost right in front of you.
• Hop over or weave through until you’re in the middle of that gap.
• On the ground between the trucks is a yellow search box. Interact with it (E / Square).
• After the search completes, the Compass appears on top of the box with a faint yellow glow. You must pick it up manually.

Rough pseudo-coordinates here are about (-140, -190), more or less centered in the southern truck cluster and just to the east of the spherical tank.

Don’t make my mistake of assuming the item auto-loots. The first time I did this, I searched the box and immediately moved on, then wondered why the quest didn’t update. Always look down and grab the item yourself.

If the box won’t interact or the Compass won’t pick up:

• Open your inventory and free at least three slots. Drop scrap or low-value junk.
• Try holding the interact button for a full 2 seconds instead of tapping. Some controllers register it better as a hold.

Once the Compass is secured, stay in motion. This area sometimes spawns ARC patrols, but you’re only a few seconds from the next item.

Step 3 – Collect the Video Tape by the Cylindrical Tanks

From the Compass spot, the Video Tape is basically a short jog uphill.

• Head northeast about 15–20 meters from the Compass.
• You’ll pass more wrecked fuel trucks and start to see a group of rusted cylindrical containers/tanks up and to the left.
• Near these tubes, in a small patch of open debris, is another yellow box.
• Search the box, then manually pick up the Video Tape that appears.

This box sits roughly around (-135, -185). The main visual cue is those horizontal tube stacks – if you don’t see them, you’ve drifted too far west or south.

Visibility tip: the box can be half-hidden in vehicle shadows depending on time of day. I run a quick 5–10 meter circle around the base of the containers if I don’t immediately spot the yellow paint.

This area also overlaps a rare ARC Drone spawn. If you hear the whine, I recommend backing up toward the tire pile you just came from and using the wrecks for cover. With a decent rifle and compensator, you can shred them quickly and possibly pick up extra mods without losing much time.

Step 4 – Old Field Rations in the Hidden Field Depot Trailer

The last quest item sits inside what I think of as the “fake” Field Depot: a Raider trailer that looks like a stripped-down version of the normal depot structure.

• From the Video Tape, keep moving northeast another 25–30 meters.
• Watch for a small Raider camp trailer at the northern edge of the Scrap Yard.
• This one usually has an orange rag or cloth on top, and no big antenna or blue tarp like the standard Field Depot.
• The door faces south. Go inside and hug the left wall.
• You’ll find another yellow search box between shelves. Search it, then grab the Old Field Rations that appear.

Pseudo-coordinates here are roughly (-130, -180). Once you know what the trailer looks like, you’ll spot it quickly every run.

Important: the interior can be surprisingly dark. On my first few runs I walked right past the box. Toggle your flashlight (F on PC) as soon as you step inside and scan the left wall carefully.

While you’re in here, quickly loot the ammo shelves and any crates. This “Field Depot” consistently spits out extra rounds and the occasional ration stack, and it adds maybe 15 seconds to the run.

Step 5 – Fast Extraction via the Water Treatment Elevator

Once you have all three items (Compass, Video Tape, Old Field Rations), the biggest mistake is getting greedy and trying to clear half the map. I used to wander off to check every blip, and that’s exactly when Leapers or other Raiders punished me. Now I extract immediately.

• From the Field Depot trailer, head roughly northwest toward the Water Treatment Elevator.
• It’s only about 40–60 meters away. You’re looking for the elevator shaft and its call panel.
• Call the elevator via the panel (interact), then use the surrounding cover while you wait.
• Once it arrives, step in, hit the control, and ride up to complete the raid.

The elevator area is a popular Leaper patrol path. I usually pre-aim the main angles as I approach and dump a quick burst into any suspicious movement before it gets close. If one does jump you, backpedal and use the elevator housing as a pillar to break line of sight.

If everything goes smoothly, you’re looking at a 5–7 minute total raid from drop to extract. This clean clear rewards you with the quest completion (and its weapon/mod rewards) plus whatever side loot you grabbed along the way.

Secret Loot Rooms and How to Add a Quick Farm Loop

Once I had Broken Monument on farm, I started padding the route with a couple of nearby hidden spots. If you have a bit of time and the Raider Hatch key, you can easily triple your profit per raid.

Raider Hatch Secret Room (Near Scrap Yard Entrance)

On your way in from the south, or on the way back once you know you can handle the enemies, detour slightly to hit the Raider Hatch.

• Location-wise, it’s close to the initial tire pile at the southern edge of the Scrap Yard.
• Look for a locked hatch or door tucked into a pile of vehicles.
• Use the Raider Hatch key to open it.
• Inside are several high-tier crates with a strong chance at blue-rarity loot and valuable crafting parts.

This room usually takes me 2–3 minutes to clear completely. It’s ideal to hit right after picking up the Compass, before heading to the Video Tape, if you know the area is quiet.

Cylindrical Container Cache

Near the Video Tape spot, behind the same cylindrical containers, there’s often a tucked-away cache.

• Circle around the back side of the tube stacks.
• Look for a section of wall or debris that looks just slightly out of place or cracked.
• Hit it with a few melee swings or an explosive to reveal the stash.
• Inside you can find extra mechanical parts and sometimes duplicate quest-area loot.

I usually only bother with this if the zone feels quiet; otherwise I stick to the core route and extract.

Field Depot Extensions

Around the same hidden Field Depot trailer that holds the Old Field Rations, you’ll sometimes see extra sheds or smaller trailers marked with scraps of orange cloth.

• Quickly sweep these outbuildings after grabbing the Rations.
• Look for ammo shelves, ration boxes, and small crates on the floor.
• Be ready for an ARC Heavy or elite spawn near the main trailer door – I’ve had more than one surprise mini-boss here.

Adding all three of these side spots bumps the run to about 10–12 minutes, but the coin and part yield is absolutely worth it once you’re comfortable with the base quest.

Dealing with Leapers and Other Common Problems

Most of my failed runs had nothing to do with getting lost – they were Leaper ambushes or small mechanical issues. Here’s how I handle them now.

• Leaper ambushes in the Scrap Yard: move from cover to cover between each objective, and avoid running in straight lines through open ground. If you know a Leaper is nearby, approach each corner already crouched and pre-aim low.
• Getting wiped at the elevator: don’t call the elevator until you’ve done a quick 360° check. Clear immediate threats first, then hit the button. Use the shaft structure as a shield while you wait.
• Yellow boxes not appearing / not interactable: double-check that you’re in the right landmark spot, then free up inventory slots. If that still fails, backing out of the immediate area and stepping back in can sometimes force a load.
• Quest not updating: you must extract with all three items in the same raid. Dying or leaving midway means you’ll need to redo the pickups.

Putting It All Together

Once I treated Broken Monument like a tight circuit — south Scrap Yard entry, Compass, Video Tape, Field Depot Rations, elevator — it stopped feeling like a frustrating scavenger hunt and became a reliable warm-up raid I can run whenever I log in.

If you stick to this path, keep your inventory clear, and resist the urge to over-loot before extracting, you’ll turn Broken Monument from a stumbling block into a fast, repeatable source of gear and coins. And once you’re comfortable, layering in the Raider Hatch and nearby caches turns Dam Battlegrounds into one of the best early-game farming zones.

If I can turn my early string of failed runs into a 7-minute routine, you can absolutely do the same. Run the route a few times, memorize the landmarks, and Broken Monument plus the hidden Field Depot will be permanently solved for you.