What to know
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Ardelia is a free 6★ from a 14-day login and comes with her weapon, making her one of the safest early investments for F2P.
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Aakuri is a free 4★ that mainly brings team SP restoration and buffs, so you can keep her cheap to build.
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Antl is a standout low-rarity support for Heat/Electric teams thanks to susceptibility and teamwide amp from his ultimate.
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Pogranichnik is a top-tier pick if you’re playing Physical, but he’s a gacha target rather than a guaranteed free unit.
Arknights: Endfield rewards careful early spending, so your best F2P “build” targets are the operators you’ll get for sure plus a couple of low-rarity supports that scale hard with minimal resources.
Top F2P builds in Arknights: Endfield
| Unit | Why you build them | Best fit | F2P notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ardelia (6★) | Healing plus strong damage-boosting utility that fits broadly into teams. | Generalist support/healer | Free from 14-day login, plus her weapon. |
| Aakuri (4★) | Team SP restore on ult/combo and extra buffs; value comes from utility, not damage. | Any team (budget buffer) | Free access; can be kept low-investment by focusing key utility. |
| Antl (4★) | Enables Heat/Electric teams with susceptibility and teamwide amp from ultimate (up to 28% at max level per the reference). | Heat/Electric comps | Excellent power for rarity; prioritize if you’re building those elements. |
| Endministrator (6★) | Always available and forms your baseline early carry while your roster is small. | Early progression | Free by default. |
| Snowshine (5★) | Free tank option (Defender) to stabilize early teams. | Survival/comfort | Free for eligible pre-registration rewards. |
Ardelia is your safest early build
Ardelia is obtainable by logging in for 14 days, and you also receive her weapon through the same reward track, which makes her an unusually efficient F2P investment.

Her biggest value isn’t just healing—it’s her ability to increase damage taken via corrosion/susceptibility-style debuffs that can slot into many team setups.
Aakuri gives cheap account-wide utility
Aakuri is recommended specifically because she restores SP for the team and provides buffs, so she can contribute even when her personal damage is ignored.

Her combo condition (tied to breaking an enemy stagger bar) is broadly achievable in many comps, which is why she’s framed as a universal plug-in option.
Antl is the F2P enabler for Heat and Electric
Antl’s kit applies Heat/Electric susceptibility through his skill and then adding a teamwide Heat/Electric amp via his ultimate (up to 28% at max level in the reference).
If you plan to main a Heat carry (like Laevatain) or an Electric-focused team, this is one of the highest-impact “cheap” investments you can make early.
How to build these units early without wasting resources
Step 1
Lock in your guaranteed core: level Endministrator + Ardelia first so you have stable damage and sustain while you learn encounters.
Step 2
Add Aakuri once you start feeling SP pressure, then focus on the parts of her kit that improve team SP/buffs as emphasized in the reference.
Step 3
Only commit to Antl if you’re actually playing Heat/Electric, because his value spikes specifically in those element teams via susceptibility + amp.
Step 4
Hold expensive upgrades for gacha-only “team anchors” (like Pogranichnik for Physical or Laevatain for Heat) until you’re sure that’s your long-term direction.

Rewards and how to get them
| Reward | How to get it | Why it matters for F2P building |
|---|---|---|
| Ardelia (6★) | Log in for 14 days. | Gives you a high-rarity support/healer without pulling. |
| Ardelia’s weapon | Included with the same 14-day login reward track. | Saves weapon resources and boosts early power. |
| Endministrator | Available for free by default as the protagonist. | Core early unit to carry progression while you save pulls. |
| Snowshine (5★) | Free reward tied to pre-registration milestone eligibility. | Adds a free Defender option for comfort/survivability. |
Get your F2P roster ready for launch day
If you want the smoothest start, plan your first team around Endministrator + Ardelia, then treat Aakuri as your flexible SP/buff slot while you decide which element archetype you’re committing to.
Once you’ve chosen an element direction (Physical vs Heat/Electric), that’s when you prioritize specialized supports like Antl or start saving/pulling for a matching premium carry.
For most F2P players, Ardelia is the must-build because she’s guaranteed and high impact, while Aakuri and Antl cover the “cheap but strong” utility slots that keep teams functioning smoothly.