Beginner’s Guide to Arknights Endfield – Tips and Tricks

What to know

• Early progression is about unlocking systems, not rushing content
• Dailies and account EXP matter more than raw combat grinding
• Exploration tools like ziplines define long-term efficiency
• Resource planning early prevents major bottlenecks later

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Starting Arknights: Endfield can feel overwhelming, firsthand experience. There are multiple currencies, layered progression systems, base management, and open-world exploration all competing for your attention. The good news is that Endfield is forgiving early on, and the game does a solid job guiding you through its core mechanics.

This beginner’s guide focuses on how to start strong without burning out. You don’t need to min-max everything, but understanding what matters early will save you time, stamina, and premium currency later.

Arknights Endfield Beginner’s Checklist

Focus area	Why it matters early
Main story	Unlocks core systems and dailies
Dailies	Most consistent EXP and currency
Account level	Gates story chapters and features
Exploration	Unlocks fast travel and resources
Base & ship	Drives long-term progression
Resource planning	Prevents early-game waste

How to start: what you should do first

Your first priority is to push the main story. The opening hours are designed to unlock systems gradually, and trying to optimize too early only slows you down. Around two hours in, once you cross a major bridge in the story, daily systems become available—and that’s when long-term progression truly begins.

Until then, focus on learning combat basics, movement, and how exploration works. Treat this phase as onboarding rather than a race.

Why dailies are your early-game backbone

Dailies are the most reliable source of premium currency, materials, and—most importantly—account EXP. Account level (often referred to as authorization level) gates:

• Main story chapters
• Character equipment blueprints
• Additional premium currency sources

Even if you log in briefly, completing a few dailies keeps your account progressing. Once unlocked, dailies alone provide a large chunk of your daily EXP, making them far more valuable than random farming.

Understanding account EXP sources

Account EXP is what truly moves your account forward. Early on, it comes from many small sources that add up quickly if you don’t ignore them.

One-time nodes

One-time nodes provide large EXP payouts but are locked behind progression and account level. These are not repeatable, so think of them as milestones rather than farming targets.

Dailies

Dailies provide a steady, repeatable EXP income every day. Over time, this becomes your most important EXP source because it’s guaranteed and fast.

New waypoints

Unlocking new waypoints during exploration grants EXP and expands fast travel options. These are easy to miss if you rush through areas without fully exploring.

SOS puzzles

SOS puzzles are short environmental challenges that reward both EXP and premium currency. They’re low effort and very high value early on.

Chests

Chests grant EXP based on rarity. Opening them while exploring is one of the easiest ways to grow naturally without targeted grinding.

Farming stages

Spending stamina in combat stages also grants account EXP. Early on, this is fine, but it becomes more efficient later when stage rewards improve.

Stamina refill items

Avoid using stamina refills early. Save them for later chapters where drops and EXP efficiency are significantly better.

AIC simulation tutorials are not optional

AIC simulation tutorials are easy to underestimate, but they are some of the best early rewards in the game. Completing them grants:

• Account EXP
• Premium currency
• Blueprints for crafting and progression

These tutorials also teach systems you’ll rely on later, making them worth doing as soon as they’re available.

Gathering spots and why early collecting matters

Gather spots scattered across the world provide small EXP amounts and materials. Individually, they seem insignificant—but over time, they add up fast.

More importantly, time-gated materials for breakthroughs and skills spawn at specific gather spots and respawn every few hours. If you start collecting these early, you’ll avoid frustrating bottlenecks later when multiple characters need the same materials.

The growth chamber can produce these items, but it’s slow and inefficient early on. Manual collection wins early.

Premium currency and how not to waste it

Endfield’s paid premium currency is extremely valuable, even in small amounts. You’ll earn it from exploration, one-time collectibles, and certain activities.

One-time collectibles found in the overworld can be turned in at waypoints for:

• EXP
• Materials
• Premium currency

Don’t ignore these. They’re part of the game’s natural exploration loop.

Battle pass efficiency

The second battle pass lane costs premium currency but returns more than it costs if fully completed. This makes it effectively self-sustaining for consistent players.

What not to spend on

Avoid mindless stamina refreshes early. Premium currency has far better long-term value when used for progression systems rather than short-term convenience.

Early character progression priorities

You don’t need to build everyone. Early on, focus on a small core team.

Cheap early levels

Leveling characters like the Administrator, Chen, and Pearl to around level 20 is inexpensive and provides a big power spike. This helps you:

• Handle mini-bosses
• Open guarded chests
• Access harder exploration areas

Time-gated materials

Breakthroughs and skill upgrades rely on materials that respawn slowly. Start collecting them early, even if you don’t need them yet.

Recycling stations

Recycling stations reset daily and provide materials used to upgrade ship chambers. Upgrading these early improves passive progression and saves time later.

Crafting and farming: what to ignore early

Manual farming of common plants and minerals is almost never worth it early. You’ll naturally accumulate huge amounts just by playing.

Instead, focus on crafting manual rewards that require items not easily produced by the AIC factory system, such as specific meats or glowbox-type items.

Mini-bosses are an exception. They drop valuable purple items, respawn, and can be farmed repeatedly for currency.

Combat tips that beginners overlook

Don’t skip gear tiers

Even early or “bad” gear provides attribute increases and often completes missions that reward premium currency. Higher-tier gear is locked behind progression anyway, so skipping early tiers slows you down.

Team order matters

The order of operators in your team determines combo skill activation order. Poor ordering can waste inflictions or break rotations, while good ordering dramatically improves combat flow.

Consumables are powerful

Craft healing consumables early. They’re cheap, effective, and can carry you through fights you’d otherwise struggle with. Later-tier consumables are also sellable for extra benefits.

Exploration efficiency: ziplines and energy

One of the biggest beginner mistakes is ignoring traversal setup.

Building ziplines and electrical pylons early saves enormous time later. This is especially important for:

• Rare resource nodes
• Recycling stations
• Time-gated material spots

If you set these routes up early, your daily routine becomes minutes instead of hours.

Stock bills and factory planning

Stock bills are a critical currency used for:

• Buying resources
• Purchasing weapons
• Upgrading facilities

Prioritize factory production that aligns with outpost demand. This maximizes returns without extra effort. Adding friends also unlocks stock trading opportunities that can spike your income dramatically.

Meta vs enjoyment: an important reminder

Endfield’s endgame is not brutally demanding. Most teams are viable, and you don’t need to chase the “meta” to succeed.

Pull responsibly, build characters you enjoy, and remember that there will always be future banners and alternatives. Progression is steady even without perfect optimization.

Begin your Endfield beginner journey

Arknights: Endfield rewards consistency, exploration, and smart planning—not rushing. By focusing on dailies, account EXP, early exploration tools, and careful resource use, you set yourself up for smooth progression without stress.

Play at your own pace, enjoy the world, and let the systems unfold naturally. Optimization helps—but fun comes first.