Story Stages (Main Campaign)

Master Arknights Story Stages and conquer the main campaign. Learn efficient strategies to earn LMD and Operator promotion materials for smoother progression.

The main campaign in Arknights is where the core narrative unfolds, and it's also your primary source for early-game resources, LMD, and crucial materials for Operator promotion. While the game emphasizes strategy over raw stats, understanding how to approach these stages efficiently will significantly smooth your progression. Mastering these stages is key to unlocking new Operators, facilities, and advancing your Doctor's journey through Terra.

Early Game Progression (Chapters 0-3)

In the initial chapters, your focus should be on building a foundational squad and understanding core mechanics. Don't be afraid to invest in 3-star Operators; they are incredibly cost-effective and many remain viable even into later content. Operators like Fang (Vanguard), Kroos (Sniper), Lava (Caster), Hibiscus (Medic), and especially Melantha (Guard) are excellent choices for early promotion to Elite 1 (E1). These Operators can carry you through the first few chapters with minimal investment.

• Squad Composition: Aim for a balanced team. A typical early-game setup includes:
  • 2 Vanguards (DP generation, e.g., Fang, Vanilla)
  • 2 Medics (healing, e.g., Hibiscus, Ansel)
  • 2 Snipers (anti-air, ranged damage, e.g., Kroos, Jessica)
  • 2 Casters (AoE or single-target Arts damage, e.g., Lava, Amiya)
  • 2 Guards (melee damage, blocking, e.g., Melantha, Matoimaru)
  • 1 Defender (heavy blocking, e.g., Cuora, Beagle)
  • 1 Supporter/Specialist (utility, crowd control, e.g., Orchid, Shaw)

  This composition provides a good mix of roles to handle various early-game threats, from flying drones to armored ground units.

• Resource Management: Early on, LMD and Battle Records are scarce. Prioritize promoting your core 3-star Operators to E1 Level 55. This provides a significant power spike for minimal investment. For example, promoting Melantha to E1 unlocks her talent, greatly increasing her attack, making her a formidable duelist against high-priority targets. Focus on stages like 0-11 (LMD) and 0-12 (Battle Records) for initial farming.
• Understanding Enemy Types: Pay attention to the enemy descriptions before deploying. Some stages feature heavily armored enemies (requiring Arts damage from Casters or certain Guards), while others have fast-moving drones (requiring Snipers). For instance, in 1-7, you'll encounter armored units, making your Casters crucial. In 2-4, flying drones become a primary threat, demanding strong Snipers.
• Deployment Order & Timing: In early stages, learn the fundamental deployment order: Vanguards first for DP, then Snipers for air defense, Casters for Arts damage, Medics for healing, Guards for ground defense, and finally Defenders for holding choke points. Experiment with skill activation timing to maximize their impact.

Mid-Game Transition (Chapters 4-6)

As you progress, the difficulty ramps up, and you'll start acquiring more 4-star and 5-star Operators. This is where the "switch" from 3-star to higher rarity Operators often begins, but it's not an immediate replacement. Many 3-stars still hold their own. Chapters 4-6 introduce more complex enemy types, environmental hazards, and tighter DP economies.

• Strategic Promotion: When you acquire strong 4-star or 5-star Operators (e.g., from the Top Operator Transfer Permit or Senior Operator Transfer Permit), evaluate their synergy with your existing team.
  • Consider promoting them to E1 to unlock their first skill and talent. For example, promoting Myrtle (4-star Vanguard) to E1 unlocks her Flagbearer skill, dramatically improving DP generation, making her a top-tier choice even over many 6-star Vanguards.
  • For 6-star Operators like Blaze, Exusiai, SilverAsh, Mountain, or Thorns (if you use a Top Operator Transfer Permit on them), prioritize their promotion to Elite 2 (E2) when resources allow, as their E2 talents and skills are often game-changing. The Senior Training Invitation can be invaluable here. For instance, SilverAsh's E2 unlocks "Truesilver Slash," a skill that can clear entire waves of enemies.
• Skill Levels: Don't neglect skill levels. Even a well-leveled Operator can underperform if their skills are low. Aim for Skill Level 4-7 on your most used Operators. This is where the true power of an Operator often lies.
  • Skill Leveling Process:
    1. Initial Unlock (Skill Level 1): All Operators start with their skills at Level 1.
    2. Skill Level 2-3: Requires Battle Records and LMD. These are relatively cheap and provide minor boosts.
    3. Skill Level 4: Requires specific materials (e.g., Grindstone, Sugar) in addition to Battle Records and LMD. This is often a good stopping point for less frequently used Operators or those whose skill scaling isn't critical.
    4. Skill Level 5-6: Requires higher-tier materials (e.g., Integrated Device, Manganese Ore). These levels provide noticeable improvements in skill duration, cooldown, or effect. Aim for this range for your core team.
    5. Skill Level 7 (Mastery 0): Requires T3 materials (e.g., Polyester Pack, Orirock Cluster). This is a significant milestone, often providing a substantial boost and preparing the skill for Mastery training. Many Operators reach their optimal performance at Skill Level 7.
    6. Mastery Training (M1, M2, M3): This is unlocked at Elite 2 and requires specialized materials (e.g., D32 Steel, Keton Colloid) and a significant amount of LMD. Mastery training provides the largest power spikes for skills, often reducing cooldowns, increasing damage multipliers, or adding new effects. Prioritize M3 for your most powerful and frequently used skills (e.g., SilverAsh's Truesilver Slash, Exusiai's Overload Mode).
  • Farming Skill Materials: You'll primarily farm skill materials from the Resource Search stages (e.g., AP-5 for Polyester Pack, CE-5 for LMD, LS-5 for Battle Records) and later from specific story stages that have favorable drop rates for T3 materials. Always check the in-game material drop locations.
• Base Management: Optimize your Base for LMD and EXP production. A well-managed Base provides a steady stream of resources to fuel your Operator promotions and skill leveling. Prioritize upgrading your Trading Post (for LMD) and Reception Room (for Clue exchange) first, then your Factories (for Battle Records and Gold Bars).
• Practice Mode: Before committing Sanity to a difficult stage, use Practice Mode to test different Operator placements and skill timings. This saves valuable Sanity and allows you to refine your strategy without penalty. This is especially useful for stages like 4-4 with its challenging boss, Patriot's First Form, or the complex layouts of 5-10.
• Introduction to Elite Enemies: Chapters 4-6 introduce more formidable elite enemies with unique abilities, such as Defense Crushers (high defense, Arts weakness) and Originium Slugs (explode on death). Adapt your team to counter these threats.

Advanced Strategies (Chapters 7+)

Later chapters introduce more complex mechanics, elite enemies, and boss encounters. Your understanding of Operator roles and strategic deployment becomes paramount. These stages often require E2 Operators and well-leveled skills to clear efficiently.