ESSENCE FARMING 101: HOW TO GET GOOD BEADS
You have got your gear crafted. Your operators are leveled. But now you are hitting the real wall: Essences (or “beads,” “gems,” whatever you want to call them).
This is where Endfield gets spicy. Unlike deterministic gear crafting, Essences mix factory management, strategy, and RNG. Get it right and your operators become monsters. Get it wrong and you burn thousands of Sanity for trash drops.
Here is everything you need to know to farm smart, not hard.
The Rarity Pyramid: Only One Tier Matters
Essences slot into weapons to boost stats and skill levels. Five tiers exist, but endgame players only care about one.
| Tier | Name | Slots | Upgradeable? | Reality Check |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| T1 | Turbid | 0-1 | No | Vendor trash |
| T2 | Stable | 1 | No | Early game filler |
| T3 | Clean | 2 | No | Mid-game placeholder |
| T4 | Pure | 3 | No | Elite drops, usable but not endgame |
| T5 | Flawless | 3 | Yes (Etchable) | The only goal |
Bottom line: Do not invest in anything below Flawless. Only T5 Essences can be “Etched” (upgraded). Everything else is temporary.
What Makes a “Perfect” Essence
A Flawless Essence has three stat slots. To get that sexy “Signature Glow” on your weapon, all three must match your operator’s requirements.
The Three Slots:
-
Primary Attribute - Strength, Agility, Intellect, etc.
- Main Attribute match = +0.5% ATK per point
- Secondary = +0.2% ATK per point
-
Secondary Combat Stat - Crit Rate, Heat DMG, Ultimate Gain, etc.
-
Skill Stat - The weapon skill tag (Assault, Twilight, Suppression, etc.)
- Critical: Must match your weapon’s skill tag to unlock bonus skill levels
The Glow-up: Hit all three slots correctly and your weapon gets that visual “Signature Glow.” Flex on your friends.
Where to Farm: Severe Energy Alluvium
Essences drop from Severe Energy Alluvium rifts.
- Unlock: Exploration Level 4 (after Chapter I)
- Cost: 80 Sanity per run
- The Golden Rule: Hoard your Sanity Syrups until Exploration Level 7
At Level 7, drops improve massively: usually 3 Flawless + 2 Pure per run. Anything before that is a waste of resources.
Farm Locations by Build
Different rifts drop different stats. Go to the right one for your operator.
| Location | Best For | Drops |
|---|---|---|
| The Hub (Valley IV) | Generalist/Melee | Attack, Inspiring, Flow |
| Wuling City | Casters/Arts | Arts DMG, Electric, Twilight |
| Originium Science Park | Crit builds | Crit Rate, Suppression |
| Power Plateau | Heat damage | Heat DMG, Brutality |
| Origin Lodespring | Physical builds | Phys DMG, Twilight |
Pro Tip: Wuling drops are essential for Laevatain mains. The Hub is your bread and butter for melee weapons like swords and polearms.
The AFK Strategy: Let Turrets Do the Work
These rifts hit hard. Axe Armorbeasts are immune until you break their stagger meter.
The Industrial Solution:
Use your AIC construction tool to drop high-output Turrets around the Rift entrance. Surround the spawn points and let your base defenses shred enemies while you manage stagger and execute finishers.
The Pro Setup:
- Sentry Towers - High-threat single target
- Sonic/Stun Towers - Interrupt elite animations
- Surge/Tesla Towers - AOE clear at entry points
You can literally AFK farm Essences. Set it up right and check your phone while your turrets work.
Pre-Engraving: Beat the RNG
You do not have to pray to RNGesus. Buy Engraving Permits from regional shops (factory currency) to lock in stats before a run.
How It Works:
- Pick 3 Attributes - The drop will be one of these three (33% chance for your target)
- Lock 1 Variable - Choose ONE Secondary Stat OR ONE Skill Stat to guarantee 100%
- Random Slot - The remaining slot is pure RNG
The Math:
If you lock the Secondary Stat and there are 8 possible Skills in the pool, your perfect drop chance is roughly 11% per run.
Sounds low? It is. But that is why you need a massive factory printing Convention Certificates to buy permits. Brute-force the odds with industrial might.
Pro Tip: Check out our complete Essence meta guide for deep dive into triple-slot optimization and character-specific builds.
Factory Requirements: Fuel the Grind
To buy Engraving Permits, you need Convention Certificates. To get Certificates, export goods from your AIC.
Key Factory Tips:
- Belt Cap: 0.5 items/sec max - do not underfeed machines
- Export High-Value: Valley Batteries, Buck Capsules
- Use Depot Buses: Bypass port restrictions to hit that 0.5/s cap
Food Buffs Matter:
You will need Ginseng Meat Stew (+180 ATK) to farm efficiently. Set up fluid pumps and sprinklers to automate:
- Redjade Ginseng
- Tartpepper
Never run out of food buffs again.
Etching: The Upgrade Gamble
Once you have a Flawless Essence, you can “Etch” it to upgrade. Sacrifice a duplicate Flawless to attempt an upgrade.
Success Rates (brace yourself):
| Level Jump | Success Rate | Reality |
|---|---|---|
| 1 → 2 | 60% | Pretty safe |
| 2 → 3 | 24% | Getting spicy |
| 3 → 4 | 10.9% | The “Sweet Spot” |
| 4 → 5 | ~5% | Pain territory |
| 5 → 6 | 2.7% | Whale zone |
Coolant Gel (The Pity System):
When you fail, you get Coolant Gel. Stockpile enough and you can guarantee a success.
Strategy:
Do NOT force Level 5→6 with Gel. It costs 450 Gel. Math says it is better to:
- YOLO the high levels with pure RNG
- Use Gel to guarantee the mid-tier jumps (3→4)
Going for +6 is a flex, not a requirement. Most players stop at +4 or +5.
The Roadmap to “Aura”
That weapon glow is the ultimate status symbol. Here is your checklist:
- Max operator level and gear first - Do not burn Sanity on Essences early
- Save Sanity Syrups for Level 7 - Better drop rates, better value
- Build the factory - Convention Certificates = Engraving Permits
- Target the right rift - Match your weapon archetype
- Pre-Engrave - Lock your most important stat
- Etch smart - Respect the math, do not chase +6 unless you are loaded
Want the full meta breakdown? Read our complete Essence optimization guide for:
- Exact formulas for damage scaling
- Character-specific builds (Perlica, Chen Qianyu, etc.)
- AFK turret placement strategies
- Coolant Gel efficiency calculations
Quick FAQ
What do I do with Gray/Green Essences? Disassemble them. 20-50 Stock Bills each. Cannot be used for Etching.
Should I farm without Engraving Permits? Generally no. RNG is too brutal. Farm promotion materials or skill levels until you can afford permits.
When does the weapon glow activate? Partial glow at 3/3 matching slots. Full animated glow requires 3/3 Essence + max weapon potential nodes.
Is +6 Essence worth it? Mathematically? No. Status symbol? Absolutely. Stop at +4/+5 unless you are swimming in duplicates.
The Essence grind is Endfield’s final boss. It takes time, factory investment, and some luck. But slap a perfect Flawless +4 on your main DPS and watch the damage numbers explode. Good luck, Administrator.