How to Get Basic Expansion Core in Arknights: Endfield
- What to know
- What you can research after the phase opens (examples from the Basic AIC Plan)
- What the Basic Expansion Core actually unlocks
- Where to get Basic Expansion Core
- How to get the Basic Expansion Core (quest requirement)
- How to unlock the next Basic AIC phase after you have it
- Common issues and quick fixes
- Getting your factory scaling again
What to know
- You’re meant to obtain Basic Expansion Core through main progression (it isn’t treated like a random resource you casually farm early).
- It’s used to unlock a new phase of the Basic AIC Factory Plan (your AIC development tree).
- After unlocking the new phase, you’ll be able to research additional AIC technologies (nodes) like power generation, expansion upgrades, logistics upgrades, and more.
- If you can’t “use” it from the inventory, that’s normal—phase unlocks typically happen inside the AIC Plan interface.
If your base growth slows down, this is one of the key points where the game pushes you back into the AIC Plan to unlock the next tier and keep scaling production.
What you can research after the phase opens (examples from the Basic AIC Plan)
Once you unlock further progression in the Basic AIC Plan, you’ll see nodes that enable or upgrade major base systems. Here are examples of what those nodes can cover:
| AIC node (example) | What it enables |
|---|---|
| Logistics I | Unlocks access to transport belts for moving goods between facilities |
| Belt Splitting / Bridging / Converging | Lets you split, cross, and merge belt lines for cleaner automation |
| Electricity I / Power Relay / Power I | Adds power grid tools and power generation options like Thermal Banks |
| Expansion I / Expansion II | Expands the Core AIC area at the Hub and enables logistics bus elements |
| Defense nodes (e.g., Defense I) | Adds powered defensive towers that attack enemies in range |
| Field mobility nodes | Adds zipline pylons/towers for faster traversal |
What the Basic Expansion Core actually unlocks
The AIC Factory Plan is presented as a technology/development tree where each node is an AIC technology. The Basic AIC Factory Plan is divided into phases, and unlocking a new phase requires progressing through the Duty Log and acquiring an Expansion Core.
In other words, the Basic Expansion Core is a gate key: it doesn’t directly build anything by itself, but it unlocks a new section of the Basic AIC tech tree so you can start researching the next set of AIC technologies.
Where to get Basic Expansion Core
Most players obtain it while advancing main progression tied to the Duty Log/main quest flow. If you’re following a quest guide video, it’s essentially pointing you to the point in your questline where the Expansion Core reward is granted.
If you don’t see it yet, the practical fix is to keep pushing the story/Duty Log objectives until the game awards the Expansion Core.
How to get the Basic Expansion Core (quest requirement)
Step 1
Open your main quest list and locate the story quest “Paving the Way.”
Step 2
Finish “Paving the Way” completely and claim its completion reward.
Step 3
Confirm the Basic Expansion Core is now in your inventory (or in your reward/claim screen if you haven’t claimed it yet).
How to unlock the next Basic AIC phase after you have it
Step 1
Open the AIC Factory Plan screen (your AIC tech tree).
Step 2
Switch to the Basic AIC Factory Plan and look for the “phase” gate (the UI that indicates a new phase is locked).
Step 3
Trigger the phase unlock requirement (this is where the Expansion Core is checked/consumed by the system).
Step 4
After the new phase opens, review newly available nodes and prioritize what your base currently lacks (usually power, logistics, or expansion-related nodes depending on your bottleneck).
Common issues and quick fixes
If you have the Expansion Core but nothing seems to change, you’re probably looking in the wrong place—go to the AIC Plan interface and find the phase lock there rather than expecting an inventory “use” button.
If the phase still won’t unlock, it usually means the Duty Log objective that grants the Expansion Core hasn’t been completed/claimed yet, or you’re not on the correct Basic plan tab.
Getting your factory scaling again
Once you obtain the Basic Expansion Core through progression, head back to the Basic AIC Factory Plan and unlock the next phase so you can keep expanding power, logistics, and automation.
