Arc Raiders Sturdy Ankles Skill Comparison, Worth it

In ARC Raiders, Sturdy Ankles is a minor skill in the Mobility tree designed to reduce the damage you take from non-lethal falls. Effect: It lowers the amount of health lost when falling from heights that would typically cause damage but aren't high enough to be instantly fatal.

Arc Raiders Sturdy Ankles Skill Stats & Perk

Limitation: It does not increase the maximum height you can fall from before dying; lethal thresholds remain the same regardless of your skill level.

Is it Worth It?

The consensus among players is that Sturdy Ankles is a low-tier skill.

• Minimal Benefit: Testing shows the reduction in damage is very slight—often less than the health provided by a single small bandage.
• Skill-Based Alternative: Players can negate fall damage from moderate heights by pressing crouch or dodge just before landing to perform a parkour roll, rendering the passive perk largely unnecessary for skilled players.
• Build Advice: Most guides recommend putting only 1 point into it as a "filler" to reach more powerful major skills like Calming Stroll (which allows stamina regeneration while walking).

Skill Comparison

• Sturdy Ankles: This skill's primary function is to reduce fall damage when falling from heights that are not instantly lethal. However, the reduction is minor, reportedly around 10% at max level, and does not increase the maximum height from which you can survive a fall. Many players feel its impact is too small to be a priority investment.
• Ready to Roll: Found deeper in the skill tree, this skill is often considered a more effective alternative or complement. It increases the timing window for performing a manual recovery roll (by pressing the dodge button just before landing) which completely negates fall damage up to a certain height. This manual roll is a core mechanic that skilled players can leverage without any points, making the Ready to Roll skill a good investment if you struggle with the timing.
• Marathon Runner and Youthful Lungs are highly recommended, as they reduce stamina consumption and increase max stamina, allowing for longer sprints and more frequent dodging.
• Slip and Slide increases slide distance/speed, which some players find very useful for fast movement and evasion.

In summary, Sturdy Ankles provides a passive, minor reduction to fall damage, while the manual recovery roll mechanic (potentially enhanced by Ready to Roll) or broader stamina skills like Marathon Runner and Youthful Lungs are generally considered more impactful for overall gameplay and survivability.

Expert and User Testing Results

Testing and expert opinions from various sources indicate that the skill's impact on gameplay is quite limited compared to other skills in the Mobility or Survival trees.

• Minimal Fall Damage Reduction: The primary issue highlighted by players testing the skill is the low percentage of damage reduction it offers. At maximum level, it reportedly offers only about a 10% reduction in fall damage, which many find negligible in practice.
• Alternative Mechanics Exist: Many players point out that you can negate fall damage entirely from a significant height by performing a parkour/recovery roll just before landing (by pressing crouch while moving forward). This makes the passive damage reduction from Sturdy Ankles less valuable.
• Better Mobility Options: Guides often recommend prioritizing other Mobility skills like Marathon Runner (less sprint stamina usage) and Youthful Lungs (increased max stamina) first, as they offer much more consistent and impactful benefits for general map traversal and combat.
• Skill Point Efficiency: Due to its weak effect, many players suggest the skill points are better spent in other trees, such as the Survival tree for features like in-round crafting or the ability to breach locked containers, which provide more significant gameplay advantages.
• Quality of Life: Some sources suggest putting just one or two points into it early as a minor quality-of-life improvement for clumsy players, but not maxing it out.

In summary, community and expert testing largely concludes that Sturdy Ankles has a minimal, nearly placebo-level effect and is generally not considered an optimal skill choice for most builds.