Arsenal Meta: Strategic Weapon Analysis

Combat in Arknights: Endfield runs on three things: elemental reactions, stagger mechanics, and the match between weapon and operator. Your Arsenal is not just a stat boost. It is the backbone of your squad, and it decides whether you clear high-level fights or wipe.

This guide covers all five weapon types. We break down SS-tier picks like Forgeborn Scathe and Thermite Cutter, walk through tuning costs, and show how the Essence and Artificing systems separate a working roster from an optimized one.

TL;DR - Key Points

Passive Uptime > Rarity — A well-synergized 5-star weapon (Thunderberge, Chimeric Justice) frequently outperforms mismatched 6-star options in end-game content like Umbral Monument Floor 5+
Main Attribute Priority — Main Attribute contributes 0.5% ATK per point vs Secondary at 0.2%. Thermite Cutter on Arclight (Will Main) outperforms universal-stat 6-star swords by 8-12%
SS-Tier Sword Lock — Thermite Cutter dominates Vanguard/Guard slots; Forgeborn Scathe is non-negotiable for Laevatain burst phases
Khravengger SS for Cryo — Scales Cryo damage on Infliction stacks; paired with Last Rite + Snowshine, it skips difficult boss mechanics entirely
Essence 3/3 Match Gate — Only Flawless (gold) essences with stat-channel alignment reach terminal weapon performance; Pure (purple) essences are sufficient for support operators
Artificing Patience — Ultimate Gain Efficiency gloves via Artificing are the highest-impact upgrade for hypercarry operators; success rate follows primary > secondary > special effect hierarchy

Foundational Mechanics of the Talos-II Arsenal

The weapon system has five classes: Sword, Greatsword, Polearm, Handcannon, and Arts Unit. Each one has its own attack animation, stagger value, and scaling priority.

Rarity is not the only thing that matters. The Endfield meta runs on passive uptime and elemental alignment. A 5-star weapon that fits its user can beat a mismatched 6-star. This matters most for resource-limited admins, who still need a roster that can handle Physical, Heat, Electric, Cryo, and Nature damage.

Attribute Scaling and Damage Math

A weapon’s power comes from three things: the Main Attribute boost, the Special Stat bonus, and the Unique Passive Effect. These do not work in isolation. They feed into one combined damage formula.

Every operator has a Main Attribute and a Secondary Attribute. The Main contributes 0.5% to total Attack (ATK) per point. The Secondary contributes 0.2%. The rule is simple: a weapon that boosts your operator’s Main Attribute is far more impactful than one that boosts a secondary stat.

Beyond raw offensive power, the four primary attributes provide essential defensive and utility scaling:

Attribute	Primary Bonus	Scaling Value	Defensive/Utility Correlation
Strength	Max HP Increase	0.5% ATK (if Main)	Enhanced Physical Survivability
Agility	Physical DMG Reduction	0.5% ATK (if Main)	Critical Hit Resistance / Burst Avoidance
Intellect	Arts DMG Reduction	0.5% ATK (if Main)	Resistance to Elemental Bursts
Will	Treatment Received	0.5% ATK (if Main)	Healing Syphon / Sustain Efficiency

For a Defender like Ember, picking Strength is not just about the HP pool. It also gives the survivability you need during heavy stagger windows.

Some high-rarity weapons carry a “Main Stat” bonus that adapts to whichever Main Attribute its wielder uses. This universal boost is slightly weaker in pure math than a targeted boost. But it lets you rotate one 6-star weapon between different operators as the mission demands.

Tuning and Leveling Trajectory

Arsenal progression runs through the “Tuning” system. Tuning lifts a weapon’s level cap and improves its stats. Max level is 80, with Tuning milestones at levels 20, 40, 60, and 70.

Each Tuning phase costs specific materials — usually refined ores and AIC-produced components. Tuning improves the base and max levels of the first two ability slots.

The resource requirements for bringing a weapon to its peak performance are substantial:

Level Range	XP Required	T-Credit Cost	Cumulative T-Credits
1 → 20	33,000	2,870	2,870
20 → 40	277,000	27,700	30,570
40 → 60	480,000	47,550	78,120
60 → 70	292,000	35,800	113,920
70 → 80	333,400	61,870	175,790

Total XP: 1,415,400 | Total T-Credits: 175,790

The cost forces a clear order of priority. Invest in your squad’s Main Carry first. Only then should you spend resources on support operators.

The Potential System

Tuning does not touch the third-slot passive ability. That power scales through the Potential system, which eats duplicate weapons to level up.

This is why a maxed-Potential 5-star can outperform a fresh 6-star. It is especially true for roles that lean on debuff percentages or team utility rather than raw ATK.

The Essence and Artificing Ecosystem

The real endgame layer is Essence and Artificing. This is where weapon optimization peaks. It bridges static weapon stats with the changing demands of each fight.

Essence Engraving and RNG Management

Essences come from Energy Alluvium Sites and cost Sanity to run. Each Essence rolls up to three stats that line up with the weapon’s native slots. A “perfect” 3/3 match unlocks the weapon’s full level 9 potential.

For example, the Khravengger Greatsword uses a “Detonate” passive. To max it out, you want an Essence with Strength, Attack, and Detonate.

Engraving is the one big RNG step in building an operator. The higher the current Essence level, the more likely the next upgrade fails. You need to plan around it. Use “fodder” essences to feed the pity counter, then push for a critical success on your high-tier gear.

Essence Tickets arrived in Version 1.2. They let you pre-engrave specific stats, which cuts down on luck but spikes the demand for Wuling Stock Bills.

Artificing: The Limit-Break Paradigm

Artificing boosts substats on your gear. On high-end armor, it can even grant brand-new effects like Ultimate Gain Efficiency.

You feed a sacrifice piece and a Catalyst into the system to upgrade one stat on the main equipment. Success rates go in this order:

Primary Stats — Most likely to succeed
Secondary Stats — Moderate success rate
Special Effects — Lowest success rate

To pay for all this, players use the AIC to produce 5-star gear en masse. A solid factory earns millions of Wuling Stock Bills per day. Your base directly funds your operators’ power growth.

A solid Artificing build for Laevatain prioritizes Intellect (0.5% ATK per point) and Ultimate Efficiency. The goal: keep her transformational kit up as much as possible during boss fights.

Sword Tier List: Tactical Fluidity and Energy Economy

Swords are the most common weapon in Arknights: Endfield. Vanguards and Guards rely on them. Their style: fast attacks, smooth combos, and steady SP generation.

In the current meta, the best-in-slot (BiS) sword usually offers either team-wide utility or huge burst scaling after an Ultimate.

SS-Tier Swords: Meta-Defining Armaments

Weapon	Rarity	Main Scaling	Key Passive	Tier
Forgeborn Scathe	6★	Intellect/Will	After Ult: +120% Basic ATK DMG	SS
Thermite Cutter	6★	Will/Universal	Team ATK Buff on SP Recovery	SS
Eminent Repute	6★	Agility/Main	+43.33% Scaling on Vulnerability	SS
Never Rest	6★	Willpower	Physical DMG Scaling on SP	S
Umbral Torch	6★	Intellect	Heat/Electric DMG against Combustion	S
Rapid Ascent	6★	Agility	Burst DMG on Staggered Targets	S
White Night Nova	6★	Arts Intensity	+33.6% Arts DMG Bonus	S

Forgeborn Scathe is the signature for Laevatain. It gives a +120% boost to Basic Attack damage for 20 seconds after her Ultimate. This is the engine of her burst phase. With it, she becomes a Heat juggernaut that melts elite resistances.

Thermite Cutter plays a different but equally vital role. It is universal support: a flat +28% ATK to the wielder and a stackable +14% team ATK buff on SP recovery or Link application. Near-permanent uptime makes it the gold standard for Vanguards like Arclight and Akekuri.

S-Tier and A-Tier Swords: Strategic Specialization

Eminent Repute is key for Physical-heavy teams, especially those with Pogranichnik. It gives a multiplicative ATK buff based on “Vulnerable” stacks consumed, and shares half of that buff with the rest of the squad. In Physical-Stagger compositions, it raises the ceiling.

For burst-damage builds, Grand Vision is the pick. It grants a massive Physical DMG bonus to the next Skill or Ultimate after Originium Crystals or Solidification land. That fits the Endministrator, whose kit thrives on opportunistic strikes after status triggers.

Greatsword Tier List: Stagger Dominance and Heavy Impact

Greatswords trade speed for high base ATK and heavy stagger pressure. They are the go-to pick for Strikers and Defenders who need to break “Stagger Nodes” on bosses and open damage windows.

SS-Tier and S-Tier Greatswords: The Heavy Hitters

Weapon	Rarity	Main Scaling	Primary Combat Utility	Tier
Sundered Prince	6★	Strength/Main	Final Strike / Stagger Enhancement	SS
Khravengger	6★	Strength	Cryo Infliction Scaling	SS
Exemplar	6★	Strength/Main	Stacking Physical DMG on Hit	A
Thunderberge	5★	Strength	Shield Generation on Heal	A
Ancient Canal	5★	Strength	Vulnerability Consumption Scaling	A
Seeker of Dark Lung	5★	Strength	Arts Burst Stacking	A
OBJ Heavy Burden	5★	Strength	Stagger-based DMG Buff	B

Sundered Prince is the go-to pick for any player-controlled Greatsword operator. It gives massive ATK bonuses after a “Final Strike” and boosts stagger damage while you actively pilot the operator. That makes it the answer to the high HP pools of elite enemies in Umbral Monument floors 5 and above.

For Cryo teams, Khravengger is a powerhouse. It scales Cryo damage based on “Infliction” stacks on the target, which makes it a perfect fit for Last Rite. Pair it with Snowshine to keep freezes up, and you get burst phases that skip boss mechanics outright.

A-Tier Greatswords: Versatile Alternatives

Exemplar is more consistent than Khravengger. It stacks a Physical DMG buff with every Battle Skill or Ultimate hit, making it ideal for sustained damage dealers like Da Pan.

Thunderberge is a hidden gem for Ember. Its passive generates shields whenever the team is healed. The result: a Defender that doubles as a mobile fortress and a Heat applicator.

Polearm Tier List: Range, Status, and Utility

Polearms have long reach and scale on Agility. They are at their best when applying status effects from a safe distance. Many of their passives reward you for stacking Physical Susceptibility or electrification.

SS-Tier Polearms: Elite Utility

Weapon	Rarity	Main Scaling	Unique Passive Mechanic	Tier
Mountain Bearer	6★	Agility/Main	Vulnerability Shred / Attribute Buff	SS
JET	6★	Main Stat	Arts DMG Uptime on Skill Cast	S
Valiant	6★	Agility	Physical DoT on Status Application	S
Chimeric Justice	5★	Strength	ATK Buff on First Vulnerability	A
OBJ Razorhorn	5★	Agility	Crit/Status Synergy	A
Cohesive Traction	5★	Willpower	Electric/Combo Skill Synergy	A

Mountain Bearer sits at the top of the polearm meta. It is the all-rounder pick. It gives big attribute buffs and bonus damage against “Vulnerable” enemies. That makes it the go-to for Lifeng, whose kit lives on shredding enemy defenses to open up the squad.

Valiant is another top option in Physical comps. It triggers a Physical DoT whenever the wielder applies a Physical status, which double-dips on the operator’s offense. That turns it into a burst-enabler for any operator who quickly applies Lifted or Knock Down.

S-Tier and A-Tier Polearms: Elemental Support

For Electric squads, JET Polearm is a must-have. It pairs high ATK scaling with a 15-second Arts DMG buff that triggers on Battle Skills and Combo Skills alike. That fits Avywenna, letting her sit between Striker and Supporter — steady damage on top of her utility.

Handcannon Tier List: Ranged Reactions and Arts Hybridization

Handcannons changed completely in Version 1.1. They went from niche picks to a core part of the Cryo-Arts hybrid meta. Their edge: triggering Arts Reactions from range. They scale on a mix of Agility and Intellect for max elemental damage.

SS-Tier Handcannons: The Reaction Engines

Weapon	Rarity	Main Scaling	Elemental Synergy	Tier
Clannibal	6★	Main Stat	Arts Reaction / Vulnerability	SS
Artzy Tyrannical	6★	Intellect	Cryo Crit / Stacking DMG	SS
Wedge	6★	Main Stat	Arts DMG Amplification	S
Brigand’s Calling	6★	Agility	Cryo Infliction / Arts Susceptibility	S
Navigator	6★	Intellect	Cryo/Nature Buff on Reaction	S
Rational Farewell	5★	Agility	Physical/Arts Hybrid Support	A

Clannibal is arguably the strongest support handcannon in the game. After any Arts Reaction triggers, it slaps a heavy Arts DMG vulnerability debuff on enemies. The amplification is multiplicative. That makes it a must-have for teams that chain reactions through Wulfgard or Yvonne.

Artzy Tyrannical delivers the raw offense Cryo carries need. It stacks Critical Rate and a Cryo DMG bonus that triggers on crits. With it, Yvonne can hit the critical thresholds needed to shred endgame bosses.

S-Tier Handcannons: Specialized Performance

Wedge is one of the most flexible handcannons in the game. It shines on operators like Fluorite who trigger Arts Reactions on demand. Its skill-driven Arts Damage amplification keeps it relevant across many team types.

Brigand’s Calling is tailored for the Cryo-Striker role. Its passive does two things at once: it boosts Cryo damage when an infliction lands, and it raises Arts damage on enemies with Arts Susceptibility. That makes it the top pick for Tangtang, whose kit thrives on constant elemental debuff pressure.

Arts Unit Tier List: Tactical Hubs and Team Amplifiers

Arts Units stand apart. They are the engine for team-wide buffs, healing, and debuffs. They scale on Intellect and Willpower, and they lean on “Treatment Efficiency” and “Ultimate Gain Efficiency” to keep your tactical skills available.

SS-Tier Arts Units: High-Impact Supports

Weapon	Rarity	Main Scaling	Tactical Role	Tier
Lone Barge	6★	Will/Main	Electric Striker / Reaction Consumer	SS
Detonation Unit	6★	Intellect/Main	Team-wide Arts Vulnerability	SS
Dreams of the Starry Beach	6★	Intellect	Sustained Arts DMG Support	A
Delivery Guaranteed	6★	Willpower	Nature/Lift Synergy Support	A
Oblivion	6★	Intellect	Crit/Arts DMG after Ultimate	A
Wild Wanderer	6★	Intellect	Electric/Physical Team Buffer	A
Chivalric Virtues	6★	Willpower	Healing-triggered ATK Buff	A

Lone Barge arrived in Version 1.2 as the signature weapon for Zhuang Fangyi. It sets the current ceiling for Arts Unit performance. Its “Suppression: Streaming Blitz” passive increases Electric DMG dealt. When the wielder consumes Arts Reactions, the weapon stacks a Battle Skill damage bonus, which is amplified again after an Ultimate.

This design fits Zhuang Fangyi perfectly. She is an Electric Striker who consumes “Electrification” stacks to fire off high-damage “Thunder Strikes”.

Detonation Unit is another core tool, especially for Perlica or Xaihi. It plants a long-lasting Arts vulnerability debuff on an “Arts Burst”, dropping the resistance of whole enemy groups for the squad to exploit.

A-Tier Arts Units: Specialized Utility

Dreams of the Starry Beach is the pick for Ardelia and other sustained Arts damage dealers. It steadily raises the Arts damage taken by enemies, so long-duration field effects deal their full damage over time.

For nature teams or “Lifted” comps, Delivery Guaranteed is irreplaceable. It is a support enabler for Gilberta. Whenever an enemy is Lifted, the entire team gets an Arts DMG buff that scales with the number of enemies affected. A crowd-control action becomes a major offensive window.

Strategic Synergies and Team Rotations

A tier list is only as useful as the squad you build around it. In Arknights: Endfield, two team flows define the meta: the “Physical-Stagger Loop” and the “Arts-Reaction Burst”.

The Physical-Stagger Loop

This strategy relies on operators like Chen Qianyu, the Endministrator, and Pogranichnik. The goal is to stack “Vulnerable” through control effects like Lift and Knockdown.

Rotation: Pogranichnik (with Thermite Cutter) triggers the SP buff → Chen Qianyu (with Rapid Ascent) applies Vulnerable and Lift → Endministrator (with Grand Vision) cashes out the stacks with a high-damage Breach finisher.

Weapon Impact: The use of Mountain Bearer on Lifeng in this team can significantly increase the damage taken by bosses, allowing the squad to “cycle” through stagger nodes with minimal downtime.

The Arts-Reaction Burst

This strategy has been revitalized by the release of Zhuang Fangyi and the strengthening of Electric and Cryo interactions.

Rotation: Perlica (with Detonation Unit) applies Electrification → Gilberta (with Delivery Guaranteed) Lifts the enemy to trigger the Arts DMG buff → Zhuang Fangyi (with Lone Barge) consumes the elemental attachments for a massive Electric burst.

Weapon Impact: The Clannibal handcannon on a secondary Striker can ensure that the enemy’s Arts resistance is permanently lowered, allowing the elemental damage to bypass traditional defense scaling.

Operational Efficiency in the Umbral Monument

The Umbral Monument is the final test of your arsenal. High-floor success comes down to “Stagger Node” management.

Greatswords like the Sundered Prince are mandatory here. They force enemies into vulnerable states quickly. On floors 5 and above, stagger is not just a damage window. It is a defensive necessity that interrupts lethal boss telegraphs.

Key takeaways for Umbral Monument preparation:

Invest in Greatsword Stagger — Sundered Prince and Khravengger are non-negotiable for Floor 5+
Stack Arts Vulnerability — Clannibal + Detonation Unit combination lowers enemy resistance across the board
Build for Stamina — Long encounters require weapons with near-permanent uptime (Thermite Cutter, JET Polearm)
Essence alignment matters — 3/3 Flawless essence on your primary Greatsword can mean the difference between clearing and wiping

Economic Analysis of the Arsenal Issue

The “Arsenal Issue” is the primary method for acquiring 6-star weapons, featuring a structured pity system that administrators must navigate with precision.

Pity Mechanics and Selection Optimization

The gacha system for weapons is noticeably more deterministic than the operator banners:

6-star weapon guaranteed within 40 pulls
Featured weapon guaranteed within 80 pulls
At the 100-pull milestone, players receive a selection box allowing them to choose an off-banner 6-star weapon

Strategic Recommendation: F2P players should spend selection crates on universal utility weapons like Thermite Cutter or Detonation Unit. They slot into multiple operators across team types. Signature weapons like Khravengger or Lone Barge should only follow if you already have the matching 6-star operator.

The Automated Industry Complex (AIC) as a Support Pillar

The AIC is not just a base-building mini-game. It is the industrial heart of weapon progression.

Material Production: Higher-level Tuning needs alloys like Cuprium and refined ores like Cryston. These only drop in the Wuling region and later stages.

Blueprint System: Unlock AIC blueprints early through tutorials and map exploration to automate production. An efficient AIC layout produces over a million Wuling Stock Bills daily. That currency buys “Essence Tickets” and funds the heavy cost of Artificing.

Conclusion: The Future of the Talos-II Meta

The Endfield weapon meta has depth, and it does not treat rarity as the only thing that matters. In Version 1.2, the meta is shaped by high-speed Electric and Cryo-Arts teams. Weapons like Lone Barge and Clannibal sit at the center of those teams, carrying you through the steep difficulty curve of the Wuling expansion.

For serious players, the path forward has three priorities:

Stat alignment — match Main Attributes to weapon scaling for max ATK efficiency
Passive synergy — pick weapons like Thermite Cutter that buff the whole team, not just the wielder
Industrial integration — run the AIC Factory to fund Artificing and Essence at endgame scale

New operators and regions will keep arriving. But the stagger gauge and elemental reactions are not going anywhere. Weapons that manipulate those systems — like Sundered Prince and Detonation Unit — should hold their SS-tier status for the foreseeable future.

Talos-II is unforgiving. But with a tuned arsenal and a solid grasp of the mechanics, even the most hazardous “Alluvium Sites” become manageable.

ARSENAL META: STRATEGIC WEAPON ANALYSIS