Arknights F2P Guide: Build Your First Team Efficiently

## New to Arknights? Here's What You Need to Know Arknights is a **free-to-play strategic tower defense game** that’s way deeper than it looks. You’re the Doctor, a key strategist for Rhodes Island, leading a team of "Operators" to fight a mysterious infection. If you're feeling overwhelmed by the gacha mechanics, complex systems, and sheer number of characters, you're not alone. This **Arknights beginner guide** is designed to cut through the noise and give you a clear, efficient path forward, so you can enjoy the fantastic **strategy** and story without the frustration.  ### The Core Loop: It's Not Just Tower Defense At its heart, Arknights is a **tactical tower defense** game. You place your Operators on tiles to stop enemies from reaching your base. But the genius is in the details: each Operator has a unique class, skills, and deployment cost. Success isn't about having the rarest units; it's about understanding how to build a **balanced team** and deploy them at the right time and place. This guide will show you how to **progress efficiently** from day one. ## Getting Started: Your First Hour in Rhodes Island Your first priority is to follow the tutorial and the early story missions. The game does a decent job of teaching the basics. Don't worry about pulling for new characters immediately. The **beginner guide** path is all about resource management and understanding fundamentals. ### Your First Freebies and What to Do With Them - **Complete the Tutorial Missions**: They give essential rewards and force you to learn the controls. - **Claim Your Pre-Registration/New Player Rewards**: You'll get a bunch of free pulls and resources. Save the premium currency (Originite Prime) for now. - **Do Your First Rolls**: You get a free **beginner's banner** with a guaranteed 6-star Operator within your first ten pulls. This is your first major **team building** decision point. ## Key Concepts: Important Terms Every Doctor Must Know Before you dive deeper into **team building**, let's decode some jargon you'll see everywhere. ### Operator Classes (Your Team's Roles) Your **first team** needs a mix of these core classes. Think of them like roles in an RPG party. | Class | Role | Why They're Important | |-------|------|----------------------| | Vanguard | DP Generator & Early Defender | Deploy first to generate DP (Deployment Points) and hold the line. | | Guard | Melee Damage Dealer | Your primary source of sustained physical damage. | | Defender | Tank/Protector | Soaks damage and blocks multiple enemies. | | Sniper | Ranged Physical Damage | Essential for taking out aerial enemies and ranged threats. | | Caster | Ranged Arts Damage | The only way to deal with high-defense enemies. | | Medic | Healer | Keeps your team alive. Don't leave home without at least one. | | Supporter | Debuffer/Summoner | Provides crowd control or special effects. | | Specialist | Utility/Disruptor | Used for pushing, pulling, or executing unique strategies. | **DP (Deployment Points)**: The resource you spend to place Operators on the field. Managing DP generation is a core **strategy**. ## Your First Steps: Building a Solid Foundation Team Your goal isn't to collect every 6-star. It's to build a **functional team** of 12 Operators that can handle 90% of early content. Here’s how to **build your first team** efficiently. ### The Starter Squad Blueprint Aim for a team composition of: - 2 Vanguards - 2-3 Guards - 2 Defenders - 2-3 Snipers - 2 Casters - 2 Medics You get several strong, free Operators just by playing: - **Texas (Vanguard)**: From the "Beginner's Choice" pack. An excellent starting Vanguard. - **Amiya (Caster)**: Your story companion. She's actually very good and will carry your Arts damage. - **Kroos (Sniper)**: A 3-star who punches way above her weight. Level her without fear. - **Lancet-2 (Medic)**: A free robot Medic from the friend point shop. A great backup healer.  ### Smart Resource Investment: Don't Spread Yourself Thin - **Focus on E1 (Elite 1) Promotion**: Your first big power spike for your core team. Don't try to Elite everyone at once. - **Level Cap is 30-40 for E0**: For your main team, level them to around 30-40 before considering promotion. - **Skill Levels Matter**: Raising an Operator's skill level from 1 to 4 is cheap and provides a significant boost. Do this early. ## Must-Know Features for Efficient Progression Arknights has many systems, but these are the ones you need to engage with daily to **progress efficiently**. ### Base: Your Passive Resource Engine This is your AFK income source. Set it up ASAP. - **Power Plants**: Generate Power to run other facilities. - **Trading Posts & Factories**: Generate LMD (money) and EXP cards. This is your lifeline. - **Dormitories**: Keep your Operators rested to recover morale for base work. A well-run base fuels all your **team building** and upgrading efforts. ### Sanity & How to Spend It Sanity is your stamina. Use it wisely: 1. **Early Game Priority**: Clear the main story (Episode 1 & 2). This unlocks more features and farming stages. 2. **Daily Farming**: Once stuck, farm: - **CE-5** (LMD) and **LS-5** (EXP) when unlocked. These are the most efficient. - **Supply Stages** for upgrade materials. 3. **Don't Let It Cap**: Try to use your Sanity before it fills up completely. ## Mistakes to Avoid: Common New Player Pitfalls Learning what *not* to do is a huge part of this **Arknights beginner guide**. - **Pulling on Every Banner**: This is the fastest way to waste resources. The **beginner's banner** is a great start. After that, save your Orundum (pull currency) for banners featuring meta-defining Operators or ones you really want. - **Ignoring Low-Rarity Operators**: 3-star and 4-star Operators are cheap to raise and incredibly powerful for early and mid-game. Melantha (3-star Guard) is a famous boss-killer. - **Using Originite Prime for Sanity Refills**: Originite Prime is precious. Use it primarily to buy skins or, if you are Free-to-Play, convert it to **Headhunting Permits** for pulls. Refilling Sanity with it is a trap for new players. - **Neglecting Your Base**: It seems complex, but it's free resources. Set it up early.  ## Getting Better: From Beginner to Competent Strategist Once your **first team** is stable at E1, it's time to refine your **strategy**. ### Understanding Damage Types - **Physical Damage**: Reduced by an enemy's DEF. Use Snipers and Guards. - **Arts Damage**: Reduced by an enemy's RES. Use Casters. This is key for killing heavily armored enemies. A balanced team needs both damage types to **progress efficiently** through all stages. ### Mastering Deployment Order The standard opening for most stages: 1. Deploy a **Vanguard** on a high-traffic lane to generate DP and block. 2. Deploy a **Sniper** to cover the Vanguard and handle aerial units. 3. Deploy a **Medic** to heal your front line. 4. Fill in with **Guards, Defenders, Casters** as needed. Learning this flow is fundamental to **team building** success. ## What's Next? Your Mid-Game Roadmap You've built your **first team**, understand the base, and are clearing story stages. Here's where to aim: - **Complete Episode 2**: This unlocks Challenge Modes and more farming options. - **Aim for Your First E2 Promotion**: E2 (Elite 2) is a massive power spike and unlocks an Operator's final skill. Choose a core damage dealer (like Amiya or your first 6-star) as your first E2 target. - **Tackle Annihilation**: A weekly mode that is your primary source of free pull currency (Orundum). Even partial clears are worth it. - **Explore Events**: Limited-time events are the best source of materials and often have great stories. They are designed to be clearable by new players with some effort. Arknights is a marathon, not a sprint. Its depth is what makes it one of the most rewarding **F2P friendly** gacha games. By focusing on a solid **beginner guide** foundation, smart **team building**, and **efficient progression**, you'll be well-equipped to enjoy the strategic depth and compelling world of Rhodes Island for the long haul. Welcome aboard, Doctor.