As an avid Arknights Endfield player, I know firsthand how crucial upgrade material farming is for building your dream team. After spending countless hours exploring every corner of the game world and optimizing my factory setup, I’m here to share everything you need to know about efficiently farming materials for operator promotions, weapon upgrades, and skill enhancements in June 2026.
Quick Reference: Material Types & Primary Farming Locations
| Material Type | Used For | Primary Farming Location |
|---|---|---|
| Combat Records | Operator Leveling (1-60) | Valley Pass Sub-PAC (Difficulty 4) |
| Cognitive Carriers | Operator Leveling (60+) | Manufacturing Cabin |
| Protodisks/Protoset | Operator Promotion | Core AIC Area |
| Arms Items | Weapon Leveling EXP | Various Locations |
| Cast Die Items | Weapon Tuning | Originium Byproduct Processing Center |
| Protoprism/Protohedron | Skill Leveling | Core AIC Area |
| D96 Steel Sample 4 | High-Tier Upgrades | Mines Cable Car Station |
Understanding the Material Farming Ecosystem
Before diving into specific farming locations, let me explain how the material system works in Arknights Endfield. Unlike many gacha games that lock progression behind energy systems, Endfield offers unlimited farming potential through its innovative factory automation system. This means you can continuously produce materials as long as you optimize your factory efficiently.
The game divides materials into several categories, each serving specific purposes in your operator development journey. What I love most about this system is its transparency – no random drops or frustrating RNG when it comes to knowing exactly what materials you need and where to find them.
Operator Leveling Experience Materials
Combat Records & Cognitive Carriers
When you’re starting out, you’ll quickly discover that operator leveling requires two main experience materials: Combat Records and Cognitive Carriers. From my experience, Combat Records are your bread and butter for leveling operators from levels 1-60, while Cognitive Carriers take over for the 60+ promotion tiers.
Pro Tip: The rarity of these cards directly impacts how much EXP your operators receive per use. While you can farm these manually at various locations, I highly recommend setting up your Manufacturing Cabin in the OMV Dijiang for passive production. It’s slower initially, but trust me, the sustainable income becomes invaluable as your roster grows.
For active farming, head to the Valley Pass Sub-PAC and tackle Difficulty 4. This location offers the best mix of both material types, making it perfect for when you’re actively raising multiple operators simultaneously.
Operator Promotion Materials
Protodisks & Protoset
Every 20 levels, your operators will need promotion materials to break through level caps. This is where Protodisks and Protoset come into play. You’ll need Protodisks for your first promotion (level 20-40 range) and the higher-rarity Protoset for subsequent promotions.
The Core AIC Area serves as your primary farming location for both materials. Different difficulties at this spot offer varying ratios of these items, so I recommend starting with lower difficulties when you’re beginning and gradually working your way up as your team strength improves.
My Strategy: I always maintain a stockpile of at least 50 promotion materials for each tier. This prevents getting stuck when multiple operators hit promotion thresholds simultaneously, which happens more often than you’d expect!
Weapon Leveling & Enhancement
Arms Items for Weapon Experience
Weapon progression follows a different but equally important path. Arms items come in three rarities, and unlike operator materials, any rarity can provide EXP for weapons at any stage – as long as there’s room for growth and the weapon is properly tuned.
What’s great about weapon materials is their flexibility. You don’t need to worry about matching specific rarities to weapon tiers, which simplifies inventory management significantly.
Cast Die Items for Weapon Tuning
Every 20 levels, your weapons require tuning to unlock the next progression bracket. Cast Die items are essential for this process, and you’ll find both varieties near the Originium Byproduct Processing Center.
Important Note: Make sure to tune your weapons before attempting to level them past the 20-level brackets. I learned this the hard way when I wasted valuable materials trying to level an untuned weapon!
Skill Leveling Materials
Protoprism & Protohedron
Skill development requires Protoprism and Protohedron materials. These are crucial for taking your operators’ skills from level 1 to 9. You’ll find both materials at a farming spot very close to the Core AIC Area, making it convenient to gather these alongside your promotion materials.
Strategy Tip: I recommend farming skill materials in batches. Since most operators follow similar skill progression patterns, gathering enough materials for 3-4 operators at once saves significant travel time.
High-Tier Materials: The Endgame Grind
Once your operators reach level 80+, you’ll need special high-tier materials for continued progression. These “gold tier” materials are the most valuable resources in the game and require significant preparation to farm efficiently.
Understanding Deep Dives
High-tier materials are acquired through “Deep Dives” – challenging encounters designed for teams of level 80+ operators. Each Deep Dive location provides its main material as a fixed drop, with chances for random drops of two other select high-tier items.
This system is actually quite forgiving compared to other games. If one particular material’s farming spot proves too difficult, you can still obtain it as a random drop from other Deep Dive locations.
Complete High-Tier Material Farming Guide
D96 Steel Sample 4
Location: Mines Cable Car Station (accessed from ground level) Best Approach: I recommend bringing operators with strong AoE capabilities here, as the enemies tend to group up. The terrain offers good defensive positions if you need to fall back.
Metadiastima Photoemission Tube
Location: Power Plateau (approach from Plateau Trunkway, NOT Bonekrusher Warcamp) Common Mistake to Avoid: Many players mistakenly use the Bonekrusher Warcamp teleport point. The actual farming spot is one level below, so always approach from the Plateau Trunkway side.
Quadrant Fitting Formation
Location: Tianshi Bureau Academy in Wuling City (top of the building) Access Tip: Look for stairs on the south side of the building. The climb can be tricky, but the view (and materials) are worth it!
Tachyon Screening Lattice
Location: Jingyu Valley, near Sky King Flats Sub-PAC Strategy: This area features narrow pathways, making it perfect for operators with range and crowd control abilities.
Triphasic Nanoflake
Location: Bureau of Swordmancers in Wuling City (ground level) Easiest Access: Of all high-tier materials, this one is the most straightforward to reach. The south entryway provides direct access to the farming spot.
Factory Automation: The Secret to Sustainable Farming
Setting Up Your Manufacturing Cabin
The factory system is arguably the most innovative feature in Arknights Endfield. Unlike other games where material farming is purely manual labor, Endfield allows you to automate production through your factory setup.
Getting Started:
- Focus on upgrading your Wuling outpost first
- Prioritize stock bill production to remove early bottlenecks
- Unlock specific buildings for Xiranite Component production (needed for golden rarity gear)
Optimization Strategies
From my experience, here’s how to maximize your factory efficiency:
- Balance Production Lines: Don’t focus solely on one material type. Create balanced production lines that support your current progression needs.
- Plan for Future Needs: Always produce slightly more than you immediately need. This buffer becomes crucial when multiple operators hit progression milestones simultaneously.
- Upgrade Strategically: Not all factory upgrades are equal. Focus on those that increase production speed and reduce material costs first.
Gear System Integration
Understanding Gear Artificing
The gear system works hand-in-hand with material farming. Once you craft gear, you can artifice it up to nine times, with three artificing possibilities per stat type.
Success Rate Mechanics:
- Base success rate when sacrificed gear has same stats
- Increased success rate when sacrificed gear has higher stats
- Maximum success rate with optimally statted sacrifice gear
My Recommendation: Always artifice gear that you’re certain you’ll keep long-term. It’s not worth investing resources in gear you might replace later.
Golden Rarity Gear Considerations
When you reach the point of crafting golden rarity gear, you’ll need Xiranite Components alongside stock bills. This is where factory optimization becomes critical – inefficient production here can significantly slow your progression.
Advanced Farming Strategies
Route Optimization
Based on hundreds of hours of gameplay, I’ve developed optimal farming routes that minimize travel time while maximizing material acquisition:
Early Game Route (Levels 1-40):
- Start at Valley Pass Sub-PAC for Combat Records
- Move to Core AIC Area for Protodisks
- Finish at Originium Byproduct Processing Center for Cast Die items
Mid Game Route (Levels 40-70):
- Core AIC Area (mix of Protodisks/Protoset and skill materials)
- Valley Pass Sub-PAC (Difficulty 4 for mixed materials)
- Factory production for passive income
End Game Route (Level 70+):
- Deep Dive rotations based on current material needs
- Supplement with factory automation
- Strategic stockpile management
Resource Management Tips
- Maintain Balanced Stockpiles: Keep 20-30 of each common material, 10-15 of uncommon materials, and 5-10 of rare materials at minimum.
- Plan Ahead for Events: Special events often require specific materials. Check upcoming event requirements and adjust your farming accordingly.
- Don’t Neglect Common Materials: Even in endgame, you’ll need surprising amounts of basic materials for new operators and weapons.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Mistake 1: Ignoring Factory Automation
Many players focus solely on manual farming, missing out on the sustainable production that factory automation provides. I made this mistake early on and had to spend weeks catching up.
Mistake 2: Poor Stockpile Management
Don’t use materials immediately after acquiring them. Build buffers to handle multiple operators needing promotions simultaneously.
Mistake 3: Inefficient Route Planning
Plan your farming routes to minimize travel time between locations. Group materials by proximity rather than by type when planning farming sessions.
Mistake 4: Neglecting Gear Artificing
Don’t wait until you “need” better gear to start artificing. Start the process early to gradually improve your equipment.
Platform-Specific Considerations
Mobile vs. PC Gameplay
While the core mechanics remain the same, there are some platform-specific considerations:
Mobile Players:
- Focus on factory automation due to limited play sessions
- Use shorter farming routes that can be completed in 10-15 minutes
- Prioritize materials needed for your current progression tier
PC Players:
- Take advantage of longer farming sessions for Deep Dive rotations
- Implement more complex factory automation setups
- Focus on optimizing multiple production lines simultaneously
Community Resources and Updates
Staying Current with Meta Changes
The Arknights Endfield meta evolves regularly, with new materials and farming methods being introduced. I recommend:
- Following Official Channels: Regular updates often include new material types or farming location changes.
- Community Discussions: Reddit and Discord communities often share efficient farming strategies and route optimizations.
- Regular Guide Updates: Material farming guides like this one are regularly updated to reflect the latest changes and optimizations.
Future-Proofing Your Farming Strategy
Anticipating New Content
Based on current game patterns, we can expect:
- New material types with future operator releases
- Additional Deep Dive locations for high-tier materials
- Enhanced factory automation options
- New gear sets with unique bonuses
Preparation Strategy: Maintain flexible factory setups that can be quickly adapted to new material types. Keep some production capacity unallocated for future needs.
FAQ’s
Q: Where to find Triphasic Nanoflake in Endfield?
A: Triphasic Nanoflake can be found in Wuling City, in the south entryway to the Bureau of Swordmancers. It’s one of the more accessible high-tier materials.
Q: Where to find Tachyon Screening Lattice in Endfield?
A: Tachyon Screening Lattice farming location is found in Wuling’s Jingyu Valley, north-west of the Sub-PAC. Look for the Sky King Flats area.
Q: Where to find Quadrant Fitting Formation in Endfield?
A: Quadrant Fitting Formation can be found on top of a building in the Tianshi Academy Bureau. Follow the stairs on the south side of the building to reach the highest level.
Q: Where to find Metadiastima Photoemission Tube in Endfield?
A: Metadiastima Photoemission Tube is found in Valley IV, on the Power Plateau, in the west part of the Plateau Trunkway. Remember to approach from Plateau Trunkway, not Bonekrusher Warcamp!
Q: Where to find D96 Steel Sample 4 in Endfield?
A: D96 Steel Sample 4 is available at the Mines Cable Car Station in the Originium Lodespring. Access it from ground level for the easiest approach.
Q: How often should I farm materials?
A: I recommend daily farming sessions of 30-45 minutes, supplemented by continuous factory production. This maintains steady progress without burnout.
Q: What’s the most efficient way to farm multiple material types?
A: Plan routes that group nearby farming locations. The Core AIC Area route is particularly efficient as it provides promotion materials, skill materials, and is close to other farming spots.
Q: Should I focus on one operator or build multiple simultaneously?
A: I recommend focusing on 2-3 main operators while maintaining steady progress on 4-5 others. This balanced approach prevents resource bottlenecks.
Conclusion
Mastering material farming in Arknights Endfield is a journey that combines strategic planning, efficient execution, and continuous optimization. By following the strategies and locations outlined in this guide, you’ll be well-equipped to build your dream team without the frustration that often accompanies progression systems in similar games.
Remember, the key to success is balance – between manual farming and factory automation, between immediate needs and long-term planning, and between focused progression and balanced team development.
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