F2P DPS PROGRESSION: WEAPONS & GEAR | ENDFIELD BLOG

The optimal Free-to-Play progression path for main DPS operators in Arknights: Endfield hinges on committing to deterministic systems — industrial crafting and guaranteed milestone rewards — instead of chasing gacha variance. This guide maps out the complete equipment and resource pathway from early-game baseline to endgame optimization, covering attribute scaling mechanics, weapon progression tiers, gear set selection, and the industrial crafting pipeline.

TL;DR — Key Points

• Main Attribute gives 5% ATK per point — Secondary Attribute gives 2% ATK per point. Attribute bonuses multiply after ATK%, making them increasingly valuable at high gear levels
• Skip heavy investment in 3/4-star weapons — Use them as temporary fillers until 5-star OBJ series or 6-star selectors are acquired
• 3-piece set bonus is mandatory — Every gear piece has fixed stats; activating set bonuses is non-negotiable for high-end performance
• Gold (T4) gear requires Level 45+ — Industrial crafting tiers gate gear rarity: Grey (Amethyst) → Blue (Ferrium) → Purple (Cryston) → Gold (Cuprium from Wuling)
• Battle Pass refund is essential — Save 29 Origeometry for the Protocol Pass. Completing it refunds 32 Origeometry plus a 6-star weapon selector
• Arsenal Tickets beat gacha — Avoid weapon pulls entirely. Accumulate tickets from character banners (2000 per 6-star) to buy specific 6-star weapons from the rotating shop

Attribute Scaling Fundamentals

Attack power for main DPS operators is driven by focused attribute stacking rather than raw character levels. Understanding the damage formula is the foundation of efficient resource allocation.

Primary vs Secondary Scaling

The Tactical Focus stat on weapons should always align with the operator’s primary scaling attribute (Strength, Agility, Intellect, or Will) to maximize weapon damage multipliers. This alignment compounds across all gear pieces and essences.

Why Attributes Scale Better Than ATK%:

Since attribute bonuses are applied as a separate multiplier after ATK% from gear, they avoid the diminishing returns that afflict percentage-based stats. At high gear levels, each point of Primary Attribute provides more damage increase than additional ATK%.

Weapon Progression Pathway

F2P players should minimize investment in 3-star and 4-star weapons, treating them as temporary fillers until 5-star “OBJ” series or 6-star selectors become available.

Progression Timeline

The key principle is deferred investment: use the cheapest viable weapon at each stage and save resources for the jump to 6-star signatures. The Arsenal Exchange provides deterministic access to specific weapons, making it infinitely superior to the weapon gacha for F2P accounts.

Gear Set Optimization by Archetype

Gear stats are fully deterministic — every piece of a specific set has identical base stats. Activating a 3-piece set bonus is mandatory for high-end content.

Physical DPS (Endministrator, Lifeng)

• Swordmancer — Standard for general consistency and Stagger Efficiency
• Bonekrusha — Preferred for burst/nuke windows against staggered bosses

Cryo DPS (Last Rite, Yvonne)

• Tide Surge — Essential set providing +35% Arts DMG after applying multiple Arts Inflictions

Heat DPS (Laevatain)

• Hot Work — Maximizes combustion damage with a +50% Heat DMG bonus

Electric Hypercarry (Zhuang Fangyi)

• Xiranflow — Premier choice introduced in Version 1.2. Stacks damage bonuses when Electrification is consumed

For off-piece optimization, see our Equipment Meta: Xiranflow & Qingbo Analysis and the Attribute Scaling & Artificing guide.

Industrial Crafting (AIC) Progression

Gear rarity is gated by industrial capacity and regional exploration. Each tier requires specific materials from distinct regions:

Gold (T4) gear is the critical milestone. It requires Cuprium, which is exclusively mined in the Wuling region using water-powered Hydro Mining Rigs. Players should prioritize unlocking Wuling industrial infrastructure as soon as possible.

For detailed AIC management strategies, see our Industrialist’s Handbook and the Wuling Factory Optimization guide.

F2P Economy Optimization

Battle Pass Refund Loop

Save all 29 Origeometry earned from story completion and events to purchase the middle-tier Protocol Pass. Completing the pass rewards 32 Origeometry (a net +3 profit) plus a 6-star weapon selector. This is the single most efficient Origeometry conversion in the game.

Arsenal Ticket Strategy

Never pull on the weapon banner. Arsenal Tickets are earned passively from character pulls at a rate of 2000 per 6-star character obtained. These tickets exchange directly for specific 6-star weapons in the rotating Arsenal shop.

The exchange cost for signature weapons is 2480 Tickets, meaning a single 6-star character pull funds one weapon purchase. Plan your ticket accumulation around your main DPS operator’s signature weapon.

Essence Optimization

Only artifice Gold T4 gear. For essences, follow this priority order:

1. Match the Skill Tag of the weapon (e.g., “Detonate” for Khravengger)
2. Optimize the primary attribute (Strength/Agility/Intellect/Will)
3. Refine the secondary stat last

See our Weapon Essence Etching guide for advanced etching mathematics and success rate analysis.

Conclusion

The F2P progression path rewards patience and deterministic planning. By focusing on attribute-aligned builds, deferring weapon investment until OBJ/6-star tiers are available, committing to 3-piece gear set bonuses, and accumulating Arsenal Tickets instead of gacha currency, F2P players can build competitive main DPS operators without spending real money.

The key insight: deterministic systems always beat stochastic ones for F2P. Industrial crafting, milestone rewards, and ticket exchange provide guaranteed power. Gacha provides variance. Choose guaranteed.

Want more depth on related systems? Check out our Operator Progression & Resource Allocation guide for sanity investment strategy, or the Efficient Gear Priority guide for the complete equipment progression ladder.