Drones & Base Facilities

Manage your Arknights Base Facilities and Drones for continuous growth. This guide details drone usage and base layout optimization in Arknights.

Mastering your Base Facilities and efficient Drone usage is paramount for sustainable growth and resource generation in Arknights. This comprehensive guide will walk you through optimizing your base layout, managing your operators, and strategically deploying Drones to maximize your productivity, ensuring you always have the resources needed to conquer the challenges of Terra.

Understanding Drones: Your Base's Workforce

Drones are a critical, time-gated resource used to instantly complete facility upgrades, accelerate production in Factories, and speed up trading in the Trading Post. Effective Drone management is the single most important factor in accelerating your early-to-mid game progression and maintaining a healthy resource flow in the late game.

Acquiring Drones

Drones are a finite resource that regenerates over time, with additional sources available:

• Passive Generation: Drones generate automatically up to a maximum cap. Both the cap and generation rate are directly tied to your Command Center level. Upgrading this facility is a top priority.
• Missions:
  • Daily Missions: Completing daily objectives (e.g., clearing stages, consuming Sanity) consistently rewards Drones.
  • Weekly Missions: More extensive tasks (e.g., accumulating LMD, promoting Operators) provide substantial Drone rewards.
• Events: Limited-time events frequently offer Drones as part of their reward structure, often in event shops or as milestone rewards.
• Operator Skills: Certain Operators, when assigned to the Control Center, possess base skills that directly increase Drone generation rate or maximum Drone capacity (e.g., Mayer, Scene, Ptilopsis, Kal'tsit).

Strategic Drone Usage: Prioritizing Your Boosts

Prioritize Drone usage based on your current needs and long-term goals. Misusing Drones can significantly slow down your progress. Here's a breakdown of optimal usage:

1. Facility Upgrades (Highest Priority):

   Always use Drones to instantly complete critical facility upgrades. This is the most impactful use of Drones, as it unlocks new capabilities and boosts passive generation.

   • Command Center: Prioritize upgrading this facility above all else. Each level increases your maximum Drone capacity and generation rate, and unlocks new facility slots.
   • Power Plant: Use Drones to complete Power Plant upgrades to ensure you have sufficient power for all your facilities. Insufficient power halts production.
   • Dormitory: While not as critical as the Command Center or Power Plant, using Drones to speed up Dormitory upgrades (especially to Level 5) is beneficial for faster Morale recovery, which directly impacts Operator efficiency.
   • Workshop/Training Room/Office/Reception Room: Use Drones for these facilities only if you have a surplus and an urgent need (e.g., needing to craft specific materials immediately, or wanting to unlock a new recruitment slot faster).
2. Factory Production (High Priority, Contextual):
   • Early Game (EXP Focus): Your primary bottleneck will be Operator levels. Focus Drones on accelerating Battle Records production to quickly level up Operators, allowing you to clear more challenging stages.
   • Mid-to-Late Game (LMD & Materials Focus): As Operator levels stabilize, shift Drone focus to Gold Bar production to fuel Trading Posts for LMD. Alternatively, if bottlenecked on crucial upgrade materials for Elite promotions or skill upgrades, use Drones to speed up their production.
   • Event Preparation: During limited-time events requiring specific materials, use Drones to speed up their production in advance to maximize event shop purchases.
   • Operator Skills for Factories: Assign Operators like Click, Pudding, Kafka, or Shamare for Battle Record buffs; Indra, Bison, or Jessica for Gold Bar buffs.
3. Trading Post Acceleration (Situational Priority):
   • Gold Bar Conversion: Use Drones to speed up the conversion of Gold Bars into LMD. This is crucial for maintaining LMD income, especially for multiple promotions or skill upgrades.
   • Expedited Orders: If you have an urgent need for LMD (e.g., for an immediate promotion or skill upgrade that will enable you to clear a difficult stage), accelerating Trading Post orders with Drones is the fastest way to acquire it. However, this is generally less efficient than accelerating Factory production of Gold Bars, as it only speeds up the conversion, not the raw material generation.
   • Operator Skills for Trading Posts: Operators like Exusiai, Texas, Provence, and Courier have excellent skills for speeding up order acquisition and increasing LMD output.

The key is to always assess your current resource needs. If you're short on LMD, prioritize Gold Bar production and then Trading Post conversion. If you need EXP, prioritize Battle Record production. If you're building a new facility, Drones go there first.

Base Facilities: Your Resource Engine

Your base is composed of various facilities, each serving a unique purpose. Optimizing their layout and staffing with the right Operators is crucial for a thriving economy.

Core Facilities & Their Functions

Understanding each facility's role is the first step to effective base management:

• Command Center (Control Center):
  • Function: The absolute heart of your base. It dictates your maximum Drone capacity, Drone generation rate, and the total number of facility slots available. It also houses Operators whose skills often affect the entire base or Drone generation.
  • Upgrade Priority: Highest. Always aim to upgrade your Command Center as soon as possible to unlock more facilities and boost Drone income.
  • Staffing: Operators like Mayer, Scene, Ptilopsis, Kal'tsit, and Amiya (after E1) have skills that boost Drone generation, reduce Morale consumption across the base, or increase efficiency in other facilities when placed here. For example, Mayer's "Drone Master" skill at E1 increases Drone recovery rate by 10% when assigned to the Control Center. Kal'tsit's "Mon3tr" skill (E2) increases Drone recovery rate by 15% and reduces Morale consumption of all Operators in the Control Center by 0.1 per hour.
• Power Plant:
  • Function: Provides power to all other facilities. Each facility consumes a certain amount of power. If your total power consumption exceeds your total power generation, facilities will cease to function, halting all production.
  • Upgrade Priority: High. Build and upgrade these as needed to support your growing base. A common early-to-mid game goal is to have 3 Power Plants to support a 2-4-3 (2 Trading Posts, 4 Factories, 3 Power Plants) or 3-3-3 layout.
  • Staffing: Operators like Lancet-2, Castle-3, and Durin have skills that increase power generation or reduce power consumption. For instance, Lancet-2's "Power Generation β" skill increases power generation by 10% when assigned to a Power Plant. Durin's "Power Saving β" reduces power consumption of the Power Plant by 5%.
• Factory:
  • Function: Produces Battle Records (EXP), Gold Bars (for LMD), or various upgrade materials (e.g., device, sugar, oriron). You choose what each Factory produces.
  • Upgrade Priority: Medium-High. Upgrade to increase production speed and capacity.
  • Staffing: Assign Operators with production buffs relevant to what the Factory is producing. Examples: Click ("Battle Record Expert β" at E1, increases Battle Record production by 25%), Pudding ("Battle Record Expert α" at E1, increases Battle Record production by 20%), Kafka ("Battle Record Expert γ" at E2, increases Battle Record production by 30%) for Battle Records; Indra ("Gold Production Expert β" at E1, increases Gold Bar production by 25%), Bison ("Gold Production Expert α" at E1, increases Gold Bar production by 20%), Jessica ("Gold Production Expert γ" at E2, increases Gold Bar production by 30%) for Gold Bars; Meteorite ("Material Production Expert β" at E1, increases material production by 25%), Shirayuki ("Material Production Expert α" at E1, increases material production by 20%) for specific materials.
• Trading Post:
  • Function: Converts Gold Bars (produced in Factories) into LMD (Lungmen Dollars), which is essential for promotions, skill upgrades, and buying items.
  • Upgrade Priority: Medium-High. Upgrade to increase order slots and LMD conversion speed.
  • Staffing: Assign Operators with order acquisition buffs to speed up the process and increase LMD output. Examples: Exusiai ("Order Acquisition β" at E1, increases order acquisition rate by 25%), Texas ("Order Acquisition α" at E1, increases order acquisition rate by 20%), Provence ("Order Acquisition γ" at E2, increases order acquisition rate by 30%), Courier ("Order Acquisition β" at E1, increases order acquisition rate by 25%), Platinum ("Order Acquisition β" at E1, increases order acquisition rate by 25%).
• Reception Room:
  • Function: Used for clue exchange with friends and for searching for clues to complete clue sets. Completing a clue set grants rewards and allows you to visit a friend's base.
  • Upgrade Priority: Low-Medium. Upgrade to increase clue search speed and clue storage.
  • Staffing: Assign Operators with clue search buffs to find clues faster. Examples: Silence ("Clue Search α" at E1, increases clue search speed by 20%), Deepcolor ("Clue Search β" at E1, increases clue search speed by 25%), Sussurro ("Clue Search α" at E1, increases clue search speed by 20%), Gitano ("Clue Search β" at E1, increases clue search speed by 25%).
• Workshop:
  • Function: Crafts various materials needed for Operator Elite promotions, skill upgrades, and module upgrades. Also used to craft Battle Records and Gold Bars from lower-tier materials.
  • Upgrade Priority: Medium. Upgrade to unlock higher-tier crafting recipes and increase crafting speed.
  • Staffing: Operators like Gavial ("Material Crafting Expert β" at E1, increases material crafting speed by 25%), Scene ("Material Crafting Expert α" at E1, increases material crafting speed by 20%), Ptilopsis ("Material Crafting Expert γ" at E2, increases material crafting speed by 30%) are excellent for speeding up crafting. Some Operators also reduce the material cost for specific crafting recipes (e.g., Sussurro for skill books).
• Training Room:
  • Function: Allows Operators to train and level up their skills. Higher-level skills significantly boost an Operator's combat effectiveness.
  • Upgrade Priority: Medium. Upgrade to unlock higher skill levels for training and reduce training time.
  • Staffing: Assign Operators with training buffs to reduce training time or increase training efficiency. Examples: Saria ("Skill Training Expert β" at E1, reduces training time by 25%), Ch'en ("Skill Training Expert α" at E1, reduces training time by 20%), Kal'tsit ("Skill Training Expert γ" at E2, reduces training time by 30%). Some Operators also specialize in specific skill types (e.g., Skadi for Guard skills, Ifrit for Caster skills).
• Office:
  • Function: Increases the rate at which new recruitment slots appear and improves the chances of obtaining higher rarity Operators from recruitment.
  • Upgrade Priority: Low-Medium. Upgrade to increase recruitment tag refresh speed and maximum recruitment slots.
  • Staffing: Operators like Projekt Red ("Recruitment Expert β" at E1, increases recruitment slot refresh rate by 25%), Indra ("Recruitment Expert α" at E1, increases recruitment slot refresh rate by 20%), SilverAsh ("Recruitment Expert γ" at E2, increases recruitment slot refresh rate by 30%) are ideal for this facility.
• Dormitory:
  • Function: Recovers the Morale of Operators assigned to it. Operators consume Morale when working in other facilities; low Morale reduces their efficiency.
  • Upgrade Priority: Medium. Upgrade to increase Morale recovery rate and accommodate more Operators. Aim for at least one Level 5 Dormitory early on.
  • Staffing: Operators with Morale recovery buffs are best placed here. Examples: Gavial ("Morale Recovery Expert β" at E1, increases Morale recovery rate by 25%), Perfumer ("Morale Recovery Expert α" at E1, increases Morale recovery rate by 20%), Warfarin ("Morale Recovery Expert γ" at E2, increases Morale recovery rate by 30%). Some Operators also affect the Morale recovery of specific Operator types.

Optimal Base Layouts & Upgrade Paths

There are several common and highly effective base layouts. Your choice depends on your current game stage and resource priorities. Remember, you can always reconfigure your base later, but it costs LMD and Drones.

Early Game (Focus: EXP & LMD for Core Operators)

The primary goal here is to quickly level up your main squad and gather enough LMD for their first Elite promotions (E1).

• Recommended Layout: 2-4-3 (2 Trading Posts, 4 Factories, 3 Power Plants)
  • Why: This layout provides a good balance of LMD and EXP. Two Trading Posts ensure a steady LMD income, while four Factories allow you to dedicate three to Battle Records and one to Gold Bars (or adjust as needed). Three Power Plants are typically sufficient to power this setup.
  • Upgrade Path:
    1. Command Center Level 2: Unlocks more facility slots.
    2. Build 2 Factories, 1 Trading Post, 1 Power Plant.
    3. Command Center Level 3: Unlocks more facility slots.
    4. Build 2 more Factories, 1 more Trading Post, 1 more Power Plant.
    5. Command Center Level 4: Unlocks more facility slots.
    6. Build 1 more Factory, 1 more Power Plant.
    7. Upgrade all Factories to Level 3, Trading Posts to Level 3, Power Plants to Level 3.
    8. Upgrade Dormitories to Level 5: Maximize Morale recovery for sustained operation.
  • Drone Usage: Prioritize Command Center and Power Plant upgrades. Then, use Drones on Battle Record production in Factories.

Mid-to-Late Game (Focus: LMD, Materials & Skill Upgrades)

Once your core Operators are E1 max level, you'll need a massive amount of LMD and materials for E2 promotions and skill mastery.

• Recommended Layout: 2-5-2 (2 Trading Posts, 5 Factories, 2 Power Plants)
  • Why: This layout maximizes Factory output, allowing you to produce more Gold Bars for LMD or specific materials for E2 promotions. Two Power Plants are usually sufficient for this setup if upgraded to max level.
  • Upgrade Path:
    1. Command Center Level 5: Max out your Command Center to unlock all facility slots and maximize Drone generation.
    2. Reconfigure your base: Demolish one Power Plant (if you had 3) and build an additional Factory.
    3. Upgrade all remaining facilities to their maximum level (Level 3 for most, Level 5 for Dormitories).
  • Drone Usage: Shift focus to Gold Bar production in Factories and then Trading Post acceleration for LMD. Use Drones on material production in Factories if you have a specific bottleneck for E2 or skill upgrades.
• Alternative Layout: 3-3-3 (3 Trading Posts, 3 Factories, 3 Power Plants)
  • Why: This layout is for players who find themselves consistently bottlenecked on LMD. Three Trading Posts significantly boost LMD income, but at the cost of some Factory production.
  • Upgrade Path: Similar to the 2-5-2, but prioritize building a third Trading Post instead of a fifth Factory. Ensure your Power Plants can support the increased power consumption.
  • Drone Usage: Heavy emphasis on Gold Bar production and Trading Post acceleration.

Staffing Your Base: Operator Skills & Morale Management

The right Operator in the right facility can dramatically boost your base's efficiency. Pay close attention to their base skills.

Key Operator Base Skills to Look For:

• Control Center:
  • Drone Generation: Operators like Mayer, Scene, Ptilopsis, Kal'tsit. These are invaluable for accelerating all base activities.
  • Morale Reduction: Operators who reduce Morale consumption for other Operators in the Control Center or across the base (e.g., Amiya after E1, Kal'tsit). This allows Operators to work longer without needing rest.
• Factories:
  • Battle Record Production: Click, Pudding, Kafka, Shamare. Essential for EXP.
  • Gold Bar Production: Indra, Bison, Jessica, Provence. Crucial for LMD.
  • Material Production: Meteorite, Shirayuki, Sussurro (for specific materials). Use these when you need to craft specific E2 or skill materials.
  • Morale Recovery in Factory: Some Operators recover Morale while working in a Factory (e.g., Mousse). Useful for keeping them working longer.
• Trading Posts:
  • Order Acquisition Rate: Exusiai, Texas, Provence, Courier, Platinum. The faster you get orders, the more LMD you earn.
  • Order Limit Increase: Some Operators increase the maximum number of orders you can hold.
• Dormitories:
  • Morale Recovery Rate: Gavial, Perfumer, Warfarin, Gummy. These are your primary Morale healers.
  • Morale Recovery for Specific Types: Some Operators boost Morale recovery for specific classes (e.g., Vanguards, Medics).
• Workshop:
  • Crafting Speed: Gavial, Scene, Ptilopsis.
  • Material Cost Reduction: Sussurro (Skill Books), Mousse (Chip Packs).
• Reception Room:
  • Clue Search Speed: Silence, Deepcolor, Sussurro, Gitano.
  • Clue Type Generation: Some Operators increase the chance of finding specific clue types (e.g., Jessica for Clue 1, Meteorite for Clue 2).
• Training Room:
  • Training Time Reduction: Saria, Ch'en, Kal'tsit.
  • Specific Skill Type Training: Skadi (Guard), Ifrit (Caster), Shining (Medic).
• Office:
  • Recruitment Slot Refresh: Projekt Red, Indra, SilverAsh.
  • Tag Refresh Speed: Some Operators speed up the refresh of recruitment tags.

Morale Management Strategy:

Operators lose Morale while working. When their Morale gets low, their efficiency drops. You need a rotation system:

1. Assign Operators with high efficiency skills to facilities.
2. Monitor their Morale. When an Operator's Morale drops below 12-15 (or when their efficiency skill deactivates due to low Morale), swap them out.
3. Move the fatigued Operators to a Dormitory. Operators recover Morale faster in higher-level Dormitories and with Morale recovery specialists.
4. Have a "bench" of Operators. Keep a second set of Operators with similar base skills ready to swap in when your primary workers need rest. This ensures continuous production.
5. Prioritize Dormitory upgrades: A Level 5 Dormitory recovers Morale much faster, reducing downtime.

Common Pitfalls & Advanced Tips

• Don't neglect Power Plants: Running out of power will halt all production. Always ensure you have a surplus.
• Don't hoard Drones: Drones are a resource meant to be spent. Letting them sit at max capacity means you're losing out on potential gains. Spend them on high-priority upgrades or production boosts.
• Early game LMD bottleneck: Many new players struggle with LMD. Prioritize Gold Bar production in Factories and efficient Trading Post operation. Don't spend LMD on unnecessary Operator promotions or skill levels for Operators you won't use.
• Material bottleneck: As you progress, specific materials for E2 promotions or Skill Mastery will become scarce. Use your Workshop and Factories to produce these, and use Drones to speed up their production when needed.
• Friend System: Actively exchange clues with friends through the Reception Room. Visiting friends' bases and exchanging clues provides valuable rewards and helps complete clue sets faster.
• Base Skill Synergies: Some Operators have skills that synergize when placed in the same facility or even across different facilities. For example, Amiya (E1) in the Control Center reduces Morale consumption for all Operators in the base. This allows your Factory and Trading Post workers to stay active longer. Explore these synergies to maximize efficiency.
• Event Specific Production: During events, check if any event-specific materials can be crafted in the Workshop or produced in Factories. Sometimes, it's more efficient to produce these in your base than to farm them in event stages.
• Module Materials: Once you unlock Modules, the Workshop becomes even more critical for crafting the necessary materials. Plan your material production accordingly.

By diligently managing your Drones, strategically upgrading your facilities, and carefully assigning your Operators based on their unique base skills, you will build a robust and self-sustaining resource engine that fuels your progress through the challenging world of Arknights. A well-managed base is the foundation of a powerful Doctor!