ROB RUN reagents are very valuable blue-colored canisters. They’re cargo items that you can either sell or process into crystals at the Chemical Laboratory. The challenging part is actually finding the darn things, especially the higher-quality versions of them.
Find Reagent Canisters (Uncommon tier) and Quality Reagents (Epic tier) while looting convenience stores, gas stations, and shop backrooms around Looty Bay. They’re good places to check, but keep in mind there are no guaranteed spawn points or fixed locations to find reagents.
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Where to Find Reagents in ROB RUN
Reagents spawn as large cargo items all across the map. Unlike smaller items, you have to literally carry them out of buildings and take them directly to your car’s trunk or your base. If looking to trade, you can also immediately sell the reagents, assuming you’ve already found a buyer.
Best Places to Search for Reagents
These aren’t specific buildings marked on the map. They’re types of locations scattered throughout Looty Bay, so don’t waste time looking for an exact map marker. Instead, check these places and search the areas mentioned in the table:
| Location | Exact Spot |
|---|---|
| Convenience stores | Backrooms, storage areas, corners |
| Gas stations | Inside shops and storage areas |
| Restaurants and bars | Corners and secondary rooms |
| Hotels and other buildings | Side rooms and storage spaces |
| Locked rooms | Restricted storage areas |
I usually found reagent canisters in pairs. Essentially, they look like blue jerry cans. As for quality reagents, I found them behind locked rooms. I’m not saying they only spawn behind locked rooms (they might), but I only found them in those restricted storage rooms, the ones that are locked. In order to open these locked rooms, you must have the Room Key for it.
How to Carry and Transport Reagents
Get a car. Seriously, you must rely on your car trunk to move these heavy canisters from place to place. Reagents don’t go into your inventory, because they count as cargo. Don’t forget reagents count as contraband, so if the cops see you carrying out these large blue cans around, they’re gonna want to have a talk with ya. You should also keep an eye out for ROB RUN contraband cargo while you’re exploring.
Also, remember that you have to be careful with your weapons while hauling reagents. Pulling out a weapon drops the cargo you’re carrying. At that point, either other players will try to steal your cargo or the police will confiscate it.
Reagent Canisters vs. Quality Reagents
There are two tiers of reagents. Each has different stats and uses:
| Reagent | Rarity | Level 1 Smuggler Value | Main Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reagent Canisters | Uncommon | $20,000 | Producing crystals |
| Quality Reagents | Epic | $30,000 | Producing higher-quality crystals |
Naturally, quality reagents are more sought after because they improve your chances of creating crystals with higher quality.
Reagent Canisters can produce crystals, sure, but the final rarity is random. If you use Quality Reagents instead, know that they don’t guarantee a Legendary tier outcome. And if you’re still saving for a lab, you can sell the canisters to get some cash. Reagents won’t be of use to you if you haven’t got a lab. If your Chemical Laboratory is ready, keeping them for production is the better option as crystalline powder (the final product) is more valuable.
How to Use Reagents in ROB RUN
If you want to use them instead of selling them, reagents should be processed in a chem lab. You can build a chem lab on your property. The laboratory uses three main workstations: a Chemical Reactor, an Industrial Freezer, and a Lab Table.
Chemical Laboratory Requirements and Costs
If you have a plot, first build a house on it. You need one in order to be able to then build a Chemical Laboratory. You also need to research the laboratory through Larry’s Tree > Production. Get the structure using the Trade Laptop, and place it somewhere nice at your base. You can also research the Reactor and Lab Table after you build the laboratory. The Freezer becomes available after the Reactor.
| Equipment | Research Cost | Purchase Price | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chemical Laboratory | $160,000 | $110,000 | Houses the production equipment |
| Chemical Reactor | $20,000 | $40,000 | Turns reagents into concentrate |
| Industrial Freezer | $15,000 | $20,000 | Freezes concentrate into crystals |
| Lab Table | $10,000 | $15,000 | Crushes crystals into powder |
How to Turn Reagents Into Crystals
It takes three steps to use reagents and create crystals. The production takes place within the Chem Lab and the sale happens outside:
First, bring your Reagent Canisters or Quality Reagents into the laboratory and go toward the Chemical Reactor. Use the Drain Reagents interaction to begin processing the reagents into crystals. The reactor consumes the reagent and creates Crystalline Concentrate. This appears as cargo trays that you can collect for the next stage. If you have improved (higher-tier) reactors, they can complete more production cycles in less time. The exact yield depends on the equipment. The Crystalline Concentrate can be produced in different tiers, including Uncommon, Epic, and Legendary.
Second, bring that Concentrate to the Industrial Freezer. The freezer will turn those Crystalline Concentrate trays into Hard Crystals. A Tier I Industrial Freezer has four concentrate slots. Higher tiers of the Freezer will increase capacity. The time the freezer will take to deliver those sweet Hard Crystals to you also depends on the level of the Freezer.
Lastly, you get to the fun part: selling the merchandise! You have two options: 1. Sell the product as Hard Crystals to the Smuggler. 2. Take the Hard Crystals to the Lab Table and select Break Into Crystals to turn them into Crystalline Powder. These Crystalline Powders will be inside tiny bags and although it might seem like a mistake to turn the Hard Crystals into the Powder, it really is not. Let me explain why:
Hard Crystals count as cargo items, so carrying them around is very dangerous and difficult. Crystalline Powder, on the other hand, is an inventory item, so you can have it on your person without garnering any police notice. Then you simply sell it to the Fence.
ROB RUN Crystal Prices (Reagent Products)
The prices for Crystals are generally higher than raw Reagent Canisters (with the exception of Quality Reagents which is rarer and logically pricier).
| Product | Uncommon | Epic | Legendary | Buyer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crystalline Concentrate | $10,000 | $15,000 | $25,000 | Smuggler |
| Hard Crystals | $30,000 | $45,000 | $75,000 | Smuggler |
| Crystalline Powder | $1,000 | $2,000 | $4,000 | Fence |
Should You Sell Reagents or Process Them?
If you don’t have the money to build a Chem Lab, sell the Reagents immediately for quick cash. If you have one, or want to build one in the near future, then keep them around. Why? Because processing gives us a much higher earning potential.
For example, an Uncommon Hard Crystal has a value of $30,000. An Epic one is worth $45,000. And even better, a Legendary one reaches $75,000. Since a reagent can produce multiple crystals, laboratory production can be much more rewarding than an immediate raw sale. Just keep in mind that this method’s revenue depends on the number of crystals produced and their rarity.
Best Chemical Lab Upgrades for Reagents
Better laboratory equipment increases things like production capacity, processing speed, and the chance of getting higher-quality products. The Industrial Engine is the one upgrade I highly recommend you get early because it improves your chances of getting more crystals.
| Upgrade | Main Benefit |
|---|---|
| Tier II and III Chemical Reactors | More production cycles and shorter cycles |
| Industrial Engine | Slightly improves the chance of better-quality crystals |
| Industrial Thermometer | Greater improvement to crystal quality chances |
| Chemical Converter | Stronger improvement to crystal quality chances |
| Tier II Industrial Freezer | Increases capacity to six slots |
| Tier III Industrial Freezer | Increases capacity to eight slots |
| Improved Evaporator | Speeds up freezing by 11.7% |
| Quality Refrigerant | Speeds up freezing by 13% |
| Laboratory Scales | Lab Table module for product processing |
Best Way to Farm Reagents
Most importantly, keep a vehicle around. You’ll be needing that trunk for sure. A good reagent run doesn’t mean going through every building in Looty Bay; instead you should be focusing on nearby convenience stores and gas stations. Check storage rooms and corners before leaving. Be extra mindful of backrooms and locked areas; they might have Quality Reagents.
I returned to base when the trunk was full. However, I’m not saying you should ONLY return to base when the trunk is full; the best approach is to keep trips fairly short and not carry a huge load of expensive cargo across the map.
