Arknights Resource Management & Operator Guide 2025

## Ready to Level Up Your Strategy? Arknights isn't your average **tower defense game**. It's a deep, strategic **gacha game** that blends tactical deployment with compelling story and resource management. Whether you're a new Doctor just starting at Rhodes Island or a veteran looking to optimize, these **strategy tips** will help you master the battlefield and manage your **resources** more efficiently. Let's dive into the **pro tips** that will transform your gameplay.  ## 10 Essential Tips for New and Experienced Doctors Here are the **Arknights** tips you need to know, from fundamental **operator guide** principles to advanced **resource management** tricks. ### 1. Master the Block Count **How to do it:** Pay close attention to the "Block" stat on your Defender and Guard operators. This number indicates how many enemies they can physically stop from passing by at once. **Why it helps:** A common mistake is placing a low-block operator (like a 1-block Guard) in a main lane, only to watch enemies slip past. Use high-block Defenders (2-3 block) for main choke points. Understanding this core **tower defense** mechanic is fundamental to building a solid defense. ### 2. Don't Sleep on Low-Rarity Operators **How to do it:** Invest in and promote 3-star and 4-star operators like Kroos, Melantha, Spot, and Cuora. Their upgrade materials are cheap, and they perform exceptionally well into the mid-game. **Why it helps:** You can't always rely on your 6-star units, especially when starting. These low-rarity operators are the backbone of your squad for most story stages and are crucial for **resource management**, saving your precious LMD and materials for when you really need them. ### 3. The Secret Power of Retreating **How to do it:** Don't be afraid to manually retreat an operator by tapping on them and selecting "Retreat." You get back a significant portion of their Deployment Cost (DP). **Why it helps:** Early in a stage, you might deploy a Vanguard to generate DP. Once your defense is set, retreating them frees up DP and a deployment slot for a stronger, more expensive unit. This dynamic unit cycling is a key **strategy tip** for challenging stages. ### 4. Skill Timing is Everything **How to do it:** Manually activate skills (by tapping the operator's portrait) instead of leaving them on auto. Watch enemy waves and boss patterns. **Why it helps:** Using Melantha's attack boost right before a tough enemy arrives, or popping Exusiai's machine gun skill as a boss enters her range, maximizes damage. Proper skill timing often makes the difference between a 3-star victory and a failed mission.  ### 5. Utilize the Practice Plan System **How to do it:** Before tackling a new or difficult stage, use a "Practice Plan" from the stage selection screen. It costs no Sanity and lets you attempt the stage freely. **Why it helps:** This is your sandbox. Use it to experiment with operator placement, test enemy paths, and refine your strategy without wasting your precious Sanity. It's the best tool for learning **tower defense** layouts. ### 6. Prioritize Your Base Upgrades **How to do it:** Focus your early efforts in the "Rhodes Island" base on upgrading your **Power Plant** facilities first, then your **Trading Post** and **Factory**. Assign operators with relevant base skills to boost production. **Why it helps:** A well-managed base passively generates LMD, Experience Records, and even Originite Prime/Orundum over time. This is the heart of long-term **resource management** in **Arknights**, funding your operator promotions and pulls. ### 7. Farm the Right Stages **How to do it:** Don't just farm the last story stage you unlocked. Use external resources or the in-game "Check" function on upgrade materials to see which stage offers the best drop rate for what you need. **Why it helps:** Efficient farming saves you hundreds of Sanity points over time. For example, stage CE-5 is the most efficient for LMD, while LS-5 is best for Experience Records. Targeting specific stages is a crucial **pro tip** for progression. ### 8. Understand Attack Priorities **How to do it:** Learn the default targeting for different operator types. Snipers and Casters target low-defense enemies first. Most other units target the enemy closest to the exit (or whoever is in range first). **Why it helps:** You can manipulate the battlefield by understanding who your operators will attack. Sometimes, letting a weak, fast enemy through to focus fire on a heavy hitter is the correct **strategy tip**. ### 9. Level Your Operators Smartly **How to do it:** Get your core operators to Elite 1, Level 50-60 before pushing anyone to Elite 2. A wide roster of E1 operators is more valuable than one maxed E2 operator early on. **Why it helps:** Elite 1 unlocks their second, often more powerful skill. Spreading your resources to create a balanced, versatile team will help you tackle more stage variety and event challenges, a cornerstone of smart **resource management**. ### 10. Redeploy is a Strategic Tool **How to do it:** Use Fast-Redeploy specialists like Gravel or Projekt Red. They have very short redeploy timers after retreating. **Why it helps:** These operators are not meant to stay on the field. Use them to bait dangerous enemy attacks, stall a powerful foe for a few critical seconds, or quickly handle a sudden flanking enemy. This advanced tactic adds a huge layer of depth to the **tower defense** gameplay.  ## Pro Tips for Advanced Players Once you've mastered the basics, these advanced **Arknights** strategies will push you further. ### Mastery Over Levels Don't just level skills to Level 7. Investing in **Skill Mastery** (especially Mastery 1 and 3) for your key operators provides a massive power spike—often more impactful than 10-20 extra levels. The reduction in SP cost or increase in duration can completely change how you use an operator. ### The Friend Support System You can borrow one support unit from a friend or a random player per stage. Use this to test a powerful operator you don't own before pulling for them, or to borrow a specific niche operator (like a slow supporter or a true damage dealer) to counter a weekly Annihilation or Challenge stage boss. ## Try These Out! The best way to learn **Arknights** is by doing. Take these **strategy tips** into your next session: - **Next Annihilation Run:** Focus purely on skill timing. Try to manually activate every key skill at the optimal moment. - **Base Management:** Spend 10 minutes reassigning all your operators in the base to maximize the efficiency of your Trading Posts and Factories based on their skills. - **Practice Plan a Tough Stage:** Pick a stage you struggled with and use a Practice Plan *just* to experiment with retreating and redeploying units dynamically. Mastering **Arknights** is a marathon, not a sprint. By applying these **tower defense** and **resource management** principles, you'll build a stronger Rhodes Island, conquer harder content, and get much more enjoyment out of this fantastic **Android gaming** experience. Good luck, Doctor!