The Search Lockers Trial is easy to underestimate. You drop into Dam Battlegrounds, spot a few lockers, and assume the score will take care of itself. It usually does not. The players who finish with strong totals are not just searching faster; they are making better decisions between each locker, each fight, and each extraction. A compact route, a bit of patience, and a clear idea of when to leave can make a bigger difference than rushing across the whole map. You might also come across useful ARC Raiders BluePrints during these runs, which gives the trial some extra value beyond the score itself.

Build a Route That Keeps Moving

The best approach is to treat the trial like a short loop rather than a full tour of Dam Battlegrounds. Start near an area with several lockers, then move through nearby buildings and covered paths before circling back towards an extraction option. You want enough targets to keep the score climbing, but not so many that you spend half the match crossing open ground. Long rotations are where runs often fall apart. They expose you to ARC patrols, rival players, and awkward fights that do nothing for your objective.

Before opening the first locker, take a few seconds to look at the surrounding area. Check likely doorways, listen for movement, and note where you could retreat if another squad appears. A good route should give you choices. If one building feels unsafe, you should be able to shift to the next cluster without running through a wide, exposed section of the map. The route does not need to be clever on paper. It needs to be repeatable when the match becomes noisy and you are carrying valuable gear.

Use Keys With a Bit of Discipline

Locker keys can disappear quickly when the trial gets busy, especially if you open every container simply because it is nearby. That is rarely the best use of them. Save your keys for lockers that fit naturally into your route and can be searched without forcing you into a dangerous position. If a locker sits in a room with only one exit, or close to obvious enemy traffic, it may be better to leave it alone and keep moving. A missed locker is less painful than losing an entire loadout.

It also helps to avoid backtracking for a single container. Players often remember one locker they skipped and then turn around, even though the detour takes them away from the safer part of the route. That extra movement costs time and creates more chances for an ambush. If you have a spare key and the area is quiet, take the opportunity. If not, mark it mentally and continue. The trial rewards steady progress, not perfect completion of every locker on the map.

Know What Is Worth Carrying

Searching lockers is only half the job. You still need to decide what deserves space in your backpack. Rare components, useful equipment, and crafting materials should usually take priority over common items that can be replaced easily. This sounds obvious, but the pressure of a timed run makes people grab whatever is closest. A few minutes later, they are forced to drop something valuable because the bag is full of low-grade loot.

Try to make quick decisions as soon as a locker opens. If the contents are poor, move on rather than standing in the doorway comparing small upgrades. If you find something genuinely useful, secure it and adjust your route around getting out safely. You do not need to win every fight or search every corner to have a profitable deployment. A clean run with a decent score and a handful of valuable items is often better than a greedy run that ends with everything left on the ground.

Extract Before the Run Turns Bad

Reaching the required score changes the purpose of the raid. Once the trial is complete, you are no longer trying to prove anything. You are deciding whether the next locker is worth the risk. Check your ammunition, healing supplies, backpack space, and the level of activity around your position. If enemies are moving into the area or your escape route has become exposed, leave while you still have control of the situation.

Extraction does not have to be immediate every time. You may have a quiet route to one final locker, or you may be close to a particularly useful container. The important thing is to set a limit before greed takes over. One extra search can become two, then a firefight, then a long scramble with a damaged kit. Good trial runs usually end with a deliberate decision, not a desperate sprint. Getting out safely also lets you repeat the route sooner, which matters more than squeezing a few extra points from one match.

Final Thoughts

The Search Lockers Trial works best when you stop treating it as a race from one objective to the next. Plan a compact loop, keep moving through cover, and use locker keys where they offer the most value. Keep an eye on your backpack so useful loot does not get buried under common materials, and do not hang around after the score is secure just because another locker is nearby. Over several deployments, this approach creates a reliable flow of Trial progress, equipment, and resources. Selling or reinvesting spare finds, including useful ARC Raiders Materials for sale, can then help you prepare for the next run without draining your reserves.