Materials Farming Efficiency Guide

Version: 1.1 | Read time: 20 min | Updated: 2026-03-11 Sources: Game8, EndFieldHub, Mobalytics, LDShop

Overview

This guide covers the most efficient methods to farm all materials in Arknights: Endfield, including:

• Character breakthrough materials
• Weapon upgrade materials
• Gear farming
• AIC production efficiency
• Daily/weekly priorities

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Sanity System Basics

Sanity Regeneration

Mechanic	Value
Regen Rate	1 Sanity per 7 min 12 sec
Daily Natural Regen	~200 Sanity
Cap Increase	+5 per Authority Level
Emergency Booster	+40 Sanity
Origeometry Exchange	1 Origeometry = 40 Sanity

⚠️ Important: Sanity does NOT overflow. Once capped, regeneration is wasted.

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Protocol Space (Dungeon) System

Dungeon Tiers & Sanity Costs

Tier	Sanity Cost	Rec. Level	Enemy Level	Drop Quality
Tier I	40	Lv.20	Lv.10	Basic
Tier II	50	Lv.40	Lv.35	Intermediate
Tier III	60	Lv.60	Lv.55	Advanced
Tier IV	70	Lv.80	Lv.70	Rare
Tier V	80	Lv.85	Lv.80	Epic/Legendary

Dungeon Types

Dungeon	Primary Reward	When to Farm
Lumen Harvest	Gold (Lumen)	Always needed
EXP Training	Combat Records (Operator EXP)	Early-mid game
Skill Training	Protoprism / Protohedron (Skill Books)	Skill upgrades
Weapon EXP	Arms INSP Kit	Weapon leveling
Character Breakthrough	Protodisk / Protoset	Ascension
Weapon Breakthrough	Cast Die	Weapon ascension

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Character Breakthrough Materials

Protocol Space by Element

Protocol Space	Element	Primary Drops
Thermal Protocol	🔴 Heat	Heat breakthrough materials
Cryo Protocol	🔵 Cryo	Cryo breakthrough materials
Electric Protocol	🟡 Electric	Electric breakthrough materials
Nature Protocol	🟢 Nature	Nature breakthrough materials
Combat Protocol	⬜ Physical	Physical/Universal materials

Material Tiers

Tier	Name	Source	Usage
T1	Basic	Tier I-II dungeons	Level 1-20
T2	Advanced	Tier II-III dungeons	Level 20-40
T3	Rare	Tier III-IV dungeons	Level 40-60
T4	Epic	Tier IV-V dungeons	Level 60-80
T5	Legendary	Tier V only	Level 80+

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Weapon Materials

Weapon Material Types

Material	Source	Used For
Weapon Essence	Combat Protocol	All weapons
Element Crystal	Element Protocols	Element weapons
Refinement Ore	Mining/AIC	Weapon enhancement
Ascension Core	Weekly Boss	Final ascension

Weekly Boss Materials

Boss	Material Drops	Recommended Team
Colossus	Universal cores	Physical/Heat
Frostbane	Cryo cores	Heat team
Thunderlord	Electric cores	Cryo team

Weekly limit: 3 boss runs per week

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AIC Production vs Manual Farming

Efficiency Comparison

Material Type	AIC Efficiency	Manual Efficiency	Recommendation
T1-T2 Basic	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐	AIC preferred
T3 Advanced	⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐	Either works
T4-T5 Rare	⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	Manual preferred
Refinement Ore	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐	AIC only
Gear Materials	⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	Manual only

AIC Production Setup

Best AIC Lines for Materials

Production Line	Output	Setup Complexity
Battery Line	Power for all lines	⭐⭐
Refinement Line	Weapon ore	⭐⭐⭐
Component Line	Gear components	⭐⭐⭐⭐
Advanced Line	T3 materials	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Production Rate Calculations

Basic Ore: ~120/day (fully optimized)
Refinement Materials: ~40/day
Advanced Components: ~15/day

When to Farm Manually

1. T4-T5 materials: AIC cannot produce these efficiently
2. Gear sets: Only from Protocol Spaces
3. Weekly boss materials: Cannot be produced
4. Event materials: Limited-time only

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Daily Priority Checklist

Sanity Allocation (~200 natural + refreshes)

Priority	Activity	Sanity	Notes
P0	Daily missions	0	Free rewards
P1	Weekly boss (if available)	80	Limited runs
P2	Main DPS materials (Tier IV-V)	70-80	Focus one character
P3	Weapon materials	50-60	If needed
P4	Gear farming	40-50	For set bonuses

Daily To-Do List

□ Collect AIC production
□ Restock AIC batteries
□ Complete daily missions
□ Spend all Sanity (don't overflow!)
□ Check event shops
□ Guild contributions

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Weekly Priority Checklist

Weekly Activities

Activity	Reward	Priority
3x Weekly Boss	Ascension cores	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Weekly missions	Premium currency	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Abyss reset	Rewards refresh	⭐⭐⭐⭐
Guild activities	Guild currency	⭐⭐⭐

Weekly Sanity Budget

Total weekly Sanity: ~1680 (7 days × 240 including refreshes)

Recommended split:
- Character materials: 40% (672)
- Weapon materials: 25% (420)
- Gear farming: 25% (420)
- Flex/events: 10% (168)

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Sanity Efficiency Rankings

Best Value Stages

Stage Type	Sanity Value	Reason
Weekly Boss	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	Unique drops
Event Stages	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	Bonus drops
Tier IV-V Protocol	⭐⭐⭐⭐	Good T4-T5 rate
Tier III Protocol	⭐⭐⭐	T3 materials
Tier I-II Protocol	⭐⭐	Only for early game

Sanity Refresh Value

Source	Sanity	Cost	Efficiency
Natural regen	~200/day	Free	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
First refresh	+60	50 gems	⭐⭐⭐⭐
Second refresh	+60	100 gems	⭐⭐⭐
Third refresh	+60	150 gems	⭐⭐
Further	+60	200+ gems	⭐

Recommendation: Only refresh 1-2 times daily for efficiency

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Material Planning Tools

Character Investment Calculator

Level Range	T1	T2	T3	T4	T5
1→20	20	5	0	0	0
20→40	0	30	10	0	0
40→60	0	0	40	15	0
60→80	0	0	0	50	20
80→90	0	0	0	0	40

Days to Max Character (~200 Sanity/day)

Starting Point	Days Needed	Notes
Level 1→60	~10 days	Early progression
Level 60→80	~14 days	Mid progression
Level 80→90	~18 days	Late progression
Full max	~40 days	Including skills

💡 Tip: Use our Progression Planner to calculate your exact material needs!

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Tips & Tricks

Efficiency Maximizers

1. Never overflow Sanity - Set timers if needed
2. Batch similar materials - Focus one element per day
3. AIC runs 24/7 - Check before sleep and after waking
4. Event shops first - Limited-time efficiency
5. Weekly boss early - Don't miss the reset

Common Mistakes

❌ Farming T1-T2 materials manually (use AIC) ❌ Skipping weekly bosses ❌ Over-refreshing Sanity (diminishing returns) ❌ Spreading across multiple characters early ❌ Ignoring event shops

Long-term Planning

Week 1-2: Focus main DPS to 60
Week 3-4: Main DPS to 80 + sub DPS to 60
Week 5-6: Gear sets for main team
Week 7+: Second team + refinements

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Related Guides

• AIC Factory Guide
• Beginner's Guide
• F2P Team Comps