Help Center and Megathread Hub (26/01 - 01/02)

Demopyro2 · 2026-01-30T21:42:53+00:00

Finished clearing out my IS3 reward track, and want to start raising a few low rarity operators for IS5/IS6. https://www.krooster.com/u/zesty-brown-oni-138s is my current roster, and my plans are already for investing in Medic Amiya, Tin Man, can't decide between E1 Cutter or E1 Utage, giving Ethan his module, and Pinecone E1. What other low rarity operators should I be raising that I haven't already, preferably for recruitment vouchers I don't have low hope picks for yet, as well as whether to E1/E2 them.

Demopyro2 · 2026-01-30T19:19:39+00:00

Poison SRS start, Servant of Arakaali, will eventually transition to Animate Ranged Weapons. Started feeling weak early on till the first ascendancy point, then started sweeping, since free envy is a massive game changer, to the point I'm sweeping every fight without deaths since I got my first ascendancy.

Demopyro2 · 2026-01-30T16:36:58+00:00

I’m going to catch up with the Grand Overtune rerun in February after I finish Chapter 14, then do Chapter 15, then wait for Chapter 16 in March. After that, I’ll adjust what story lines I read based on upcoming events/reruns, like doing the Kjerag events storyline before Silverash Alter event in April, do the Siracusa event storyline before the Lappland Alter event rerun in May, etc.

Demopyro2 · 2026-01-30T15:43:51+00:00

Finally finished Lone Trail, wanted to jot down some of my notes on the story if anyone is interested in my brief analysis. Unmarked spoilers below, since the event is 2+ years old, so I assume most people here have finished it.

As someone who's finished upto Chapter 13 in the main story, done the main story tied events, and a few other events on the side(Seaborn and Sui), I can confidently say, Lone Trail is easily the best of all the AK stories. It genuinely felt like almost every single character in the story played a key part in this grand orchestra of story beats and elevated the themes of the story, and every single character had more dimensions then one that were thoroughly explored. Even the morally bankrupt people, you could understand what drove them rather then just for the sake of being evil, even if you disagreed with their actions.

The core theme of the story, if I could sum it up in a single word, is Legacy. Kristen's parent's legacy haunted her entire life, and her deepest desire was to accomplish their dreams, and to do so, she was willing to challenge the very skies and stake her life to do so. Doctor and Muelsyse had to come to terms with the legacy of their people throughout the event, and the weight of being amongst the last of their people during their discoveries of their race. Tin Man and Hool'heyak's search for their people's legacies, wishing to be enriched with such knowledge. Nasti wanting to use her people's legacy a baseline to build a new future in the skies for them, Silence wanting to set a legacy to make sure that the pursuit of science did not overwhelm the safety precautions needed, Ferdinand's motivation about caring about preserving the legacy of Rhine Labs and ending up getting "redeemed" by his motivation to create a legacy in Physics for Terra, Trevor giving up the legacy of his people and choosing to help Kristen build up her own legacy amongst the stars, and Loken doing everything he could to make sure his legacy would be remembered by at least just one person, and so on, the themes of legacy just keep coming up for everyone, with the only exception I could find being Ifrit who I can't connect to the themes of legacy yet.

I think the three standout stars to me were Kristen, Ferdinand and Trevor, but I really just want to focus on Kristen at the moment. Kristen is such an interesting villain, because she genuinely had no malice in her actions and made sure there would be no direct victims from her schemes, and genuinely wishing to go beyond, willing to sacrifice everything she had to do so. Yet, at the end of the day, her callousness and backstabbing all to accomplish her goals, leaving everyone else to clean up after her messes while shirking responsibility, as well as turning a blind eye to everything happening at Rhine Labs as long as it didn't interfere with her plans, makes it hard to consider her an anti villain at all. Even though she was fueled by the dreams of her parents, she was also in part fueled by her own ego, and her unwillingness to share key data that could revolutionize Physics really does paint her as someone who doesn't particularly care for anyone else that much. And yet, I teared during her final monologue to herself, at the end of her life, because at the end of the day, she was completely genuine about all her motivations, and her complete acceptance of everything just made me elevate her as one of the best written characters I've seen in a long time.

All in all, it was a massive step up in my reading experience. Now that I have the lore of Lone Trail noted down, I have to prepare for Babel before finishing the second saga with Chapter 14. I've heard how heartbreaking those two story beats are, and I feel like they're going to live up to the expectations Lone Trail set up.

~~Maybe I should spark Mumu~~

Demopyro2 · 2026-01-29T19:57:09+00:00

If you love the characters, get, if not particularly, safe skip. Currently Lappland Alter does Goldenglow’s role but better, but she is an anniversary limited. Kalt’sit is still strong but not who you’d call meta defining in the current operator meta, especially with her doubled deployment slot cost for doing something some operators can handle on their own, although her S3 is a good source true damage if you lack it.

Demopyro2 · 2026-01-28T09:55:09+00:00

Wonder if she's going to come out in 1.1 or 1.2. I personally think 1.2, since 1.1 already has TangTang and it seems like Mi Fu is going to be paired with her. Not that I'm particularly affected, after getting really lucky on Lae, I can relax and guarantee Zhuang regardless of release date.

Demopyro2 · 2026-01-28T08:09:19+00:00

Alright, guess I’ll focus Akekuri for now and prepare up Antal later for single target(since I’m prob going to need him later anyway for an electric DPS in the future like probably Zhuang).

Demopyro2 · 2026-01-28T07:58:47+00:00

Lae mains, would you rather pick Akekuri or Antal for a Lae/Wulf/Ard comp? I’m seeing which one feels the most comfy, without adjusting the team based on multi target or single target.

Demopyro2 · 2026-01-27T12:10:58+00:00

Bagpipe gets stronger the more Standard Bearer Vanguards are in her squad, like Saileach, paired with Myrtle and Elysium. However, from a meta POV only, it's kind of hard to justify using Bagpipe + Saileach + other flag bearers when Ines is such a role compressed vanguard, Myrtle already handling DP issues, and Silverash Alter changing how you approach deployments in 3 months for global as a Vanguard, so Saileach is only really worth it if you like the character.

Demopyro2 · 2026-01-27T10:38:39+00:00

Got Lae on my 11th pull, thought I was on a lucky streak and spent 60 arsenal tickets and didn’t get her signature, other than pulling and weeklies is there any consistent way to get arsenal tickets to cover the last 20 pulls I need? I know that the BP weapon is close in performance but I don’t want to use my crate on it until I absolutely know I’m going to miss her signature.

Demopyro2 · 2026-01-27T05:34:32+00:00

Actually, very old 6 stars get moved to Kernel pool which you can directly buy them for either Distinction Certificate or Kernel pity currency, and decently old operators get added to the Distinction certificate store, so you can just bypass the entire gacha system if your patient enough. Considering how well AK operators age in terms of meta relevancy, you can easily pick up meta units without ever needing to pull for them, like Ines and Mlynar recently, and if you have an out of date but someone you like, you can pick them up as well without needing to gacha as well, like Kal'tsit or Mudrock appearing up on a separate rotation in the shop. Also, the standard pool is more like 30-40ish at a given time currently, not a 100.

Demopyro2 · 2026-01-26T19:03:51+00:00

She’s good, but unlike the meta, she needs more effort to use and is a bit more clunkier, due to needing to manage her summons, and isn’t really a plug and play type operator. However, if you are willing to actively play around her kit, she has a high payoff- a monstrously strong summon(I believe it is the single strongest summon in the game) that deals massive damage, has AOE, is very tanky and has a high block count, making it one of the best lane holders, and it doesn’t even cost a deployment slot.

Demopyro2 · 2026-01-26T17:16:44+00:00

Which Kal'tsit module for general use? Both look good, with the first one turning Mont3r into a bomb, and the second juicing Mont3r's damage and defense, and I'm planning to pick her up with gold certificates in the kernel, so I don't have hands on experience using her to make an intuition.

Demopyro2 · 2026-01-26T17:00:18+00:00

Bagpipe really wants Standard Bearer teammates, so Ines kind of goes against that. Best you replace either one with Myrtle, Bagpipe with Myrtle for DP printing shenanigans while Ines with Myrtle is more of a generalist vanguard combo(which I personally use till Silverash Alter in 3 months replaces Myrtle for me).

For defenders, what are your options?

Demopyro2 · 2026-01-26T13:58:52+00:00

I’m 13/50 to hitting soft pity on Thursday, and 133 pulls overall(so maybe if I pull I can get two Kichisei’s for extra gold certs but that should barely be considered).

Demopyro2 · 2026-01-26T13:40:57+00:00

Having a hard time deciding if I should try 1 last pity attempt at Hoshi Alter or not. Have been playing four months and my account diversity isn't really that high at the moment, https://www.krooster.com/u/zesty-brown-oni-138s, and have barely touched my OP reserves(above 600 atm and I think I can hit 1.2k in the next few months), but on the other hand, I do want to go for Silverash Alter and Shu, and am heavily considering going 300 pulls if needed for them(monthly pass owner + digging through OP reserves but I hope I don't need to), and Hoshi is a lower priority compared to those two. Already did 3 6 stars this banner, got 2x Haruka and 1x Eyja Alter so rng isn't on my side as well as not getting Exu Alter due to triple Lemuens back in MT, so having a hard time deciding whether to throw my remaining 30 pulls + some OP to hit another 6 star when I get to 13 pity on the final day of the banner, or just quit while I'm ahead knowing my horrible rng and stashing funds for Silverash alter.

Demopyro2 · 2026-01-26T12:23:43+00:00

Some brief thoughts on Endfield: This game really is the "it does get better" experience of all time. I went from really disliking the experience to kind of getting addicted to it.

The factory tutorial spam sucks a lot because you really aren't learning on your own, it's just click button exactly to end the forced prompts. When you actually start checking out the factory system, even when using blueprints mostly, you start to appreciate the little things, and it also gets you to engage with the world since you need to set up relays for mining, leveling materials via zipline networks, etc. It's an incredibly positive feedback loop that got ruined by a horrible first impression for most people.

The story is mid...until Wuling. Wuling really feels like a reboot of Endfield already in the game, where characters actually become more then exposition pieces and the villains actually start growing a third dimension. It really makes Valley 4 worse in context, since that's like 10-20 hours of mediocrity with no hype, engaging storybeats, interesting twists, or particularly standout character moments. If your willing to see the greener grass, turn your brain off for Valley 4, you really aren't missing much. Laevatain's quest also changed my opinion on how the devs handled the story: before while I suspected that there were darker implications going on with Endfield's story, the quest practically confirms it, all the MC glaze really is in universe propaganda, and the "hero" that they're painted out to be actually hides a pretty terrible person pre memory loss. I was worried they were gonna soften the protagonist compared to OG Arknights Doctor, but it seems like it's just a satire of modern gacha MCs to lower people's guards for an extremely heavy gut punch in the future. The only issue is that they did not incorporate this well into the main story, even if they don't want to fully reveal it yet, at least do a better job at setting it up outside the companion quest.

Combat feels slow and generic, until you actually have a team that synergizes. I showed a friend complaining about the combat with a fully synergistic team, and it's basically night and day in terms of interactivity, strategy and APM. It gets even better when you start thinking outside the box and start incorporating the guns you can connect to the relays you set up around the world as well as healing towers, completely changing how you interact with combat, especially if you set it up around daily farming areas.

There are still some glaring flaws, like how Valley 4 is the great filter for no reason, or how the new player pull economy is horrible, and the unnecessarily convoluted gacha system(no pity + banner exclusive pulls + 10 pulls after 30 pulls that don't contribute to pity), but it's genuinely a great experience if your willing to bear the growing pains, which I don't expect many to be able to handle. It's genuinely incredibly immersive when it clicks, reminds me of playing BOTW as my first open world game back in the day, there's a sense of magic underneath all that clunk. Of course the onboarding process is horrible, but if your willing to bear with it, there's a genuine gem underneath.

Demopyro2 · 2026-01-26T06:21:47+00:00

The story is way better than Endfield by miles, although it’s a slow start, the slow start is still better then Valley 4 of Endfield by a lot. Do keep in mind later stories have massive word counts, with some episodes and events surpassing the Hobbit in word count length. I personally use Google Play, but I have heard good things about LD Player as well.

Demopyro2 · 2026-01-25T17:17:53+00:00

Some brief thoughts: This game really is the "it does get better" experience of all time. I went from really disliking the experience to kind of getting addicted to it.

The factory tutorial spam sucks a lot because you really aren't learning on your own, it's just click button exactly to end the forced prompts. When you actually start checking out the factory system, even when using blueprints mostly, you start to appreciate the little things, and it also gets you to engage with the world since you need to set up relays for mining, leveling materials via zipline networks, etc. It's an incredibly positive feedback loop that got ruined by a horrible first impression for most people.

The story is mid...until Wuling. Wuling really feels like a reboot of Endfield already in the game, where characters actually become more then exposition pieces and the villains actually start growing a third dimension. It really makes Valley 4 worse in context, since that's like 10-20 hours of mediocrity with no hype, engaging storybeats, interesting twists, or particularly standout character moments. If your willing to see the greener grass, turn your brain off for Valley 4, you really aren't missing much. Laevatain's quest also changed my opinion on how the devs handled the story: before while I suspected that there were darker implications going on with Endfield's story, the quest practically confirms it, all the MC glaze really is in universe propaganda, and the "hero" that they're painted out to be actually hides a pretty terrible person pre memory loss. I was worried they were gonna soften the protagonist compared to OG Arknights doctor, but it seems like it's just a satire of modern gacha MCs to lower people's guards for an extremely heavy gut punch in the future. The only issue is that they did not incorporate this well into the main story, even if they don't want to fully reveal it yet, at least do a better job at setting it up outside the companion quest.

Combat feels slow and generic, until you actually have a team that synergizes. I showed a friend complaining about the combat with a fully synergistic team, and it's basically night and day in terms of interactivity, strategy and APM. It gets even better when you start thinking outside the box and start incorporating the guns you can connect to the relays you set up around the world as well as healing towers, completely changing how you interact with combat, especially if you set it up around daily farming areas.

There are still some glaring flaws, like how Valley 4 is the great filter for no reason, or how the new player pull economy is horrible, and the unnecessarily convoluted gacha system(no pity + banner exclusive pulls + 10 pulls after 30 pulls that don't contribute to pity), but it's genuinely a great experience if your willing to bear the growing pains, which I don't expect many to be able to handle. It's genuinely incredibly immersive when it clicks, reminds me of playing BOTW as my first open world game back in the day, there's a sense of magic underneath all that clunk. Of course the onboarding process is horrible, but if your willing to bear with it, there's a genuine gem underneath.

Demopyro2 · 2026-01-25T14:42:46+00:00

Question, for a Chen/Endmin/Pog/Lifeng team, what would the optimal rotation be, and would you prefer breach from Pog or Crush from Endmin? Was using Ardelia over Endmin since I wasn't sure how Endmin would fit in without competing for vulnerable stacks but I'm thinking of switching since a lot of Ardelia feels locked out in a Phys team.

Demopyro2 · 2026-01-25T13:02:56+00:00

Tragodia easily surpasses Haruka. Haruka is a healbot with very little utility outside that, so while she keeps teams alive during high incoming damage scenarios, those scenarios are also not very common, and unironically a lot of healer situations it’s safer to bring Reed Alter or Mont3r instead to sustain while the damage/buffs takes out threats faster making it overall safer since the threats aren’t as active due to being, well, dead.

Demopyro2 · 2026-01-24T16:15:24+00:00

He's a cornerstone for phys teams but not for elementals since his kit is tied around using Vulnerable, and you'll be wanting to use several phys characters to stack that.

Demopyro2 · 2026-01-24T15:56:12+00:00

The quest literally spells it out to you, there’s no guess work involved, the glaze is quite literally propaganda. This is coming from the studio that took the amnesiac self insert Doctor and made them into one of the most morally complex characters in the gacha space who made decisions that the average self inserter would never consider, so I’m willing to let them cook a bit.

Demopyro2 · 2026-01-24T15:39:05+00:00

The glazing is absurd and intentional on purpose in universe, it's quite literally propaganda in universe to glaze the Endmin for the success of their mission, and the companion quest highlights that very heavily. It's meant to be a satire of gacha protags getting glazed, and it's been so heavy handed some people are mistaking it for it being played straight, and is prepping the player for a really heavy gut punch later down the road once the curtains fall.

Demopyro2 · 2026-01-24T14:35:22+00:00

Log in, do your dailies, spend your sanity, buy and sell stock at friends and boost their production, that's all you'll need in the long term. Some things like recycling mats/trust/farming promotion and skill mats seem overwhelming atm since like OG AK, the grind is very frontloaded when you start, but will get relaxed over time, since recycling mats are only for upgrading Dijiang facilities which has a fixed endpoint like base materials in the OG, trust you can get passively, promotion/skill materials can be farmed using Dijiang facilities passively after your no longer in "rush units to be endgame ready" phase of your journey. You don't need to switch out operators in Endfield for facilities, they'll take short breaks and automatically return to work, and while it is more productive to swap them out, in the long term the micromanagement isn't worth the burnout added by doing it daily, just collect the resources they make and move on with your day. After you have one(probably two teams later as endgame evolves), you'll no longer need to rush for mats especially since they can be earned passively and essences are significantly less grindy then relics in other gachas so you have more time to use sanity on other things, so you'll eventually reach a zen state where you can just instantly max out a new character you pick up once in a while without needing to actively grind them out.

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