The 2.0 Frozen Trail update wiped the old skill tree in ARC Raiders, which means every Raider has to spend points again from scratch. One of the more debated choices in the Mobility tree sits at the 10 point mark, where you have to pick between Vault Spring and Vaults on Vaults on Vaults. Both perks shape how you move across the map, but you can only take one until you reset the tree. This guide walks through what each perk does, how they feel in play, and which one fits your style.
Vaulting Movement in ARC Raiders
Before getting into the two perks, it helps to be clear on how vaulting itself works. Vaulting in ARC Raiders is the mantle. Walk into a ledge, a barricade, or a low wall and press jump, and your character climbs it. Sideways inputs also trigger the mantle, which is why fights sometimes throw you over a rail you never meant to take. Holding back while you jump cancels the mantle, so you can hop onto a railing instead of going over it.
A vault, specifically, is the version that does not plant you on top of the object. A sign, a barricade, or a tall sign that you clear counts as a vault, and that is what Vault Spring interacts with. A normal vault costs up to about 15 stamina, and an exhausted vault is slower. Conditioning has the early fixes for this: Vigorous Vaulter removes the exhausted slow, and Vault and Carry lets you keep a haul in your hands instead of dropping it. Over in Mobility, Nimble Climber speeds climbs and vaults up to about 15% at full rank. With all that in mind, let's get into the two perks you have to choose between at the 10 Mobility point node.
What Is Vault Spring
Vault Spring lets you jump at the end of a vault that does not land you on the object. In plain terms, after you clear a sign, barricade, or similar obstacle, you can hit jump and launch forward with real distance.
How It Works
The perk kicks in on any vault that does not deposit you directly on top of whatever you went over. Signs, barricades, tall signs, and similar props all qualify. There is one exception: if you come from a low hang, the game will not let you jump after the vault.
What It Opens Up
Vault Spring gives you more capability in PvP and PvE because it adds extra reach to any clear. Instead of locking yourself into just moving to the other side of an obstacle, you can continue the motion with a leap that covers real ground. Combine it with the grappling hook and the movement starts to look pretty flashy.
The Downside
The window to perform the vault jump is tight, and the input can be easy to mess up. Some players feel the extra jump rarely saves them in actual gunfights, so the perk ends up as style points more often than clutch utility.
With Vault Spring covered, here is the other side of the pick.
What Is Vaults on Vaults on Vaults
Vaults on Vaults on Vaults removes the stamina cost from vaulting. The perk description reads: "Vaulting no longer costs stamina." If you chain cover during fights, climb over a lot of debris, or move constantly between obstacles, this one keeps your stamina bar topped off.
How It Works
With the perk active, climbing or vaulting over an object draws no stamina from the vault animation itself. Side by side with a Raider who does not have the perk, you keep your bar fuller after each clear.
What It Opens Up
Because Vault Spring is also affected by this perk, taking Vaults on Vaults on Vaults means your spring jumps become free too (for players who manage to grab both before the rework, which is no longer possible in 1.0 Frozen Trail). On its own in Frozen Trail, the perk lets you chain cover without eating into the stamina you need for sprinting or rolling.
The Known Issue
Players have reported that Vaults on Vaults on Vaults does not seem to fully negate stamina loss. Some stamina still drains very slightly during a vault, which many believe is the base jump stamina being pulled before the vault animation plays. Some users suspect having In the Flow unlocked at the same time causes a conflict, though others without In the Flow still see a tiny drain. In short, the perk works for the vault animation portion but does not appear to zero out every stamina tick.
Now that both perks are on the table, here is how they compare in actual play.
ARC Raiders Vault Spring vs Vaults on Vaults on Vaults, Which One To Use?
Before Frozen Trail, you could get both. Now you have to pick one or reset the tree. The community is split, and the right pick really does come down to how you play.
When To Use Vault Spring
Vault Spring expands your movement range in a way Vaults on Vaults on Vaults simply cannot match. The distance you can cover with a well timed spring is impressive, and the perk pairs well with the grappling hook for advanced routes.
In PvP, that extra jump at the end of a vault can carry you to cover you otherwise could not reach.
Combined with In the Flow (the Mobility capstone that chains mobility moves while sprinting), Vault Spring becomes even stronger because the chain reduces stamina cost and speeds the sequence up.
Many players report that even if they rarely use it, the ability to jump at the end of a vault matters more to them than saving a small slice of stamina on each clear.
When To Pick Vaults on Vaults on Vaults
If you chain cover constantly during fights, free vaults add up over a long raid.
The perk is passive. You do not have to time anything or hit a tight input window. It just works whenever you vault.
Several players argue that Vault Spring is almost pointless without this perk, because both the vault itself and the jump at the end draw stamina, which can leave you flat footed after one combo.
The thumbs up pick for raiders who want their stamina bar for sprinting, rolling, and repositioning rather than clearing obstacles.
Recommendation by Playstyle
If you want flashy movement, PvP reach, and routes that other Raiders cannot take, go Vault Spring. If you want quiet, reliable, no cost traversal and you spend a lot of time hopping cover in gunfights, go Vaults on Vaults on Vaults. Take the free stamina node if you chain cover often. Take the spring if one extra jump clears a gap that the grappling hook was for.
Neither one replaces holding back while you jump when you only wanted to stay in the fight, so remember that mantle cancel no matter which perk you choose. Whichever side of the fence you land on in Frozen Trail, both perks are strong picks, and the choice really is about how you like to move across topside in ARC Raiders.