SANITY OPTIMIZATION

Protocol Space Efficiency Tables - Maximize Every Point of Sanity

Last updated: 2026-03-07 | Source: Data Compilation v1.0.17

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* TL;DR - Quick Answers

* Stage 5-A is optimal for EXP (4.71 sanity/10k), materials (2.35/material), and T-Creds
* A-path beats B-path for efficiency - only use B-path if you need EXP+material combo
* Essences are different - higher tiers are MORE efficient (opposite of other resources)
* 200 sanity/day regenerates naturally (1 per 7m 12s)
* Never let sanity cap at 1000 - even suboptimal runs beat wasted regen

Sanity System Basics

Regeneration Rate

1 Sanity per 7 minutes 12 seconds

Daily Regeneration

200 Sanity

Maximum Cap

1000 Sanity

F2P Refills

Not Recommended

Sanity efficiency matters most for F2P players who can't refill. Every point of Sanity should be spent at the optimal stage level.

This guide provides exact sanity efficiency metrics for all Protocol Space stages in Arknights: Endfield. The data shows Stage 5-A offers 50% better returns than Stage 1 for EXP and materials, making stage progression the single most important factor for F2P players. Essence farming behaves differently - higher tiers become more efficient, unlike other resources.

Stage Efficiency Summary

Stage	EXP	Materials	T-Creds	When to Use
1	Poor	Poor	Poor	Early game only, transition ASAP
2	Fair	Fair	Fair	Until you unlock Stage 3
3-A	Good	Good	Good	Mid-game sweet spot
3-B	Poor	Poor	N/A	Only for EXP+material combo
4-A	Very Good	Very Good	Very Good	Late game efficient farming
4-B	Fair	Poor	N/A	Avoid if possible
5-A	Best	Best	Best	Endgame optimal farming
5-B	Good	Fair	N/A	Only for specific needs

EXP Farming Efficiency

Operator EXP stages - lower 'Sanity per 10k EXP' is better. Stage 5-A (170k EXP) is the most efficient at 4.71 sanity per 10k EXP.

Stage	Total EXP	Sanity	Sanity/10k EXP	Efficiency Δ
1	42,600	40	9.39	9.39
2	69,800	50	7.16	5.73
3-A	99,800	60	6.01	4.01
4-A	137,400	70	5.09	2.91
5-A	170,000	80	4.71	2.35
3-B	40,000	60	15	10
4-B	55,000	70	12.73	7.27
5-B	68,000	80	11.76	5.88

Stage 5-A is 50% more efficient than Stage 1 (4.71 vs 9.39 sanity/10k EXP)

Material Farming Efficiency

Promotion and skill materials - lower 'Sanity per Material' is better. Stage 5-A drops 34 materials for 80 sanity (2.35 sanity/material).

Stage	Materials	Sanity	Sanity/Material	Efficiency Δ
1	8	40	5	5
2	14	50	3.57	3.52
3-A	20	60	3	2.95
4-A	27	70	2.59	2.55
5-A	34	80	2.35	2.32
3-B	8	60	7.5	7.19
4-B	11	70	6.36	6.12
5-B	14	80	5.71	5.51

A-Path vs B-Path

A-path stages (3-A, 4-A, 5-A) are more efficient for pure material farming. B-path stages provide more EXP secondary drops but at lower material efficiency. Only use B-path if you need both resources simultaneously.

T-Credits Farming Efficiency

Currency farming for upgrades and shop purchases. Stage 5 gives 34,000 T-Creds for 80 sanity (2.35 sanity per 1k T-Creds).

Stage	T-Creds	Sanity	Sanity/1k T-Creds	Efficiency Δ
1	8,500	40	4.71	4.71
2	13,500	50	3.7	2.96
3	19,500	60	3.08	2.05
4	27,500	70	2.55	1.45
5	34,000	80	2.35	1.18

Stage 5 is 2x as efficient as Stage 1 (2.35 vs 4.71 sanity/1k T-Creds)

Essence & Crisis Drill Efficiency

Unlike EXP and materials, essence farming gets MORE efficient at higher tiers. Crisis Drills give 6 essences for 80 sanity (13.33 sanity/essence).

Stage	Essences	Sanity	Sanity/Essence	Efficiency Δ
4	1	50	50	40
5	1.5	60	40	26.67
6	2.5	70	28	16
7	3	80	26.67	13.33

Essences Are Different

Unlike EXP and materials, essence farming becomes MORE efficient at higher tiers. Stage 7 costs only 26.67 sanity per essence vs Stage 4 at 50 sanity per essence. Always farm essences at the highest tier you can access.

Key Insights

EXP Efficiency Plateaus

Stage 5-A is 50% more efficient than Stage 1 (4.71 vs 9.39 sanity per 10k EXP). The jump from Stage 4-A to 5-A is minimal, so don't stress about reaching Stage 5 immediately.

Material Path Choice

A-path stages are more efficient than B-path for materials (2.35 vs 5.71 sanity/material at Stage 5). Only use B-path if you specifically need the EXP secondary drops.

T-Creds Linear Scaling

T-Creds efficiency improves linearly with stage level. Stage 5 is 2x as efficient as Stage 1. If you need currency, always run the highest stage you can clear.

Essence Exception

Essence farming is the opposite of other resources - higher tiers are MORE efficient. Stage 7 essences cost 26.67 sanity each vs Stage 4 at 50 sanity each.