If you're planning to stock up before you queue, grab ARC Raiders Coins early so you're not stuck improvising mid-run when the Trial starts swinging. Trials aren't "just survive" content. They're score attacks dressed up like extraction chaos. One sloppy rotate, one panic revive, one wasted minute looting junk, and your run quietly bleeds points. The jump from 2 stars to 3 isn't about suddenly becoming a cracked aimer. It's about cleaning up the small, boring decisions that add up fast.
The first thing I changed was treating the timer like an enemy. Not in a reckless way, but in a "no dead time" way. Every stop needs a reason. If you're opening boxes, it's because they're on the route and you're fishing for something specific, not because you're anxious and need to feel productive. Clear lanes quickly. Cut detours. Learn what fights are worth taking and what fights are traps. If a squad is dug in and you don't need that area, leave. You're not getting graded on pride. You're getting graded on pace.
Then there's survival, and yeah, it's the biggest silent killer. You can be flying through objectives, but if your team keeps face-planting, your score gets cooked. I started calling simpler plays. Shorter peeks. More crossfires. If someone goes down, don't all dogpile the revive like it's a charity event. Make space first. Smoke, angle, anything. Also, don't let "we can clutch this" become your default personality. Resetting a bad fight is often the fastest way to keep the run alive.
Bonus challenges are the other sneaky lever. They look optional, but they're basically the difference between "nice attempt" and "clean 3-star." If the Trial wants a specific weapon type, build around it instead of forcing your comfort pick and hoping it works out. If it wants headshots or gadget kills, set up moments for it. Tag enemies for your squad. Funnel targets into predictable angles. You don't have to play weird the entire match, but you do need to intentionally farm the bonus when it's safe, not as an afterthought when the clock is dying.
And sometimes the truth is you're not failing the plan, you're failing the gear check, so it's worth lining up your loadout before you drop by getting in-game currency and items through ARC Raiders Coins cheap as a straightforward way to avoid running underpowered. Better meds means fewer panic stalls. Better weapons means faster clears. Better attachments mean fewer "how did that not kill" moments. When your kit is stable, you play calmer, you rotate cleaner, and the whole run stops feeling like a coin flip.
The first thing I changed was treating the timer like an enemy. Not in a reckless way, but in a "no dead time" way. Every stop needs a reason. If you're opening boxes, it's because they're on the route and you're fishing for something specific, not because you're anxious and need to feel productive. Clear lanes quickly. Cut detours. Learn what fights are worth taking and what fights are traps. If a squad is dug in and you don't need that area, leave. You're not getting graded on pride. You're getting graded on pace.
Then there's survival, and yeah, it's the biggest silent killer. You can be flying through objectives, but if your team keeps face-planting, your score gets cooked. I started calling simpler plays. Shorter peeks. More crossfires. If someone goes down, don't all dogpile the revive like it's a charity event. Make space first. Smoke, angle, anything. Also, don't let "we can clutch this" become your default personality. Resetting a bad fight is often the fastest way to keep the run alive.
Bonus challenges are the other sneaky lever. They look optional, but they're basically the difference between "nice attempt" and "clean 3-star." If the Trial wants a specific weapon type, build around it instead of forcing your comfort pick and hoping it works out. If it wants headshots or gadget kills, set up moments for it. Tag enemies for your squad. Funnel targets into predictable angles. You don't have to play weird the entire match, but you do need to intentionally farm the bonus when it's safe, not as an afterthought when the clock is dying.
And sometimes the truth is you're not failing the plan, you're failing the gear check, so it's worth lining up your loadout before you drop by getting in-game currency and items through ARC Raiders Coins cheap as a straightforward way to avoid running underpowered. Better meds means fewer panic stalls. Better weapons means faster clears. Better attachments mean fewer "how did that not kill" moments. When your kit is stable, you play calmer, you rotate cleaner, and the whole run stops feeling like a coin flip.