# Trial of Swordmancy: The 21-Point Trim

> The Trial of Swordmancy '21 dice' trim explained: why the Zenith of the Trials trimmed medal needs ~20-21 Battle Points, Double Data Overflow.

Source: https://endfieldhub.org/blog/trial-of-swordmancy-21-point-medal-trim-zenith-trials
Published: 2026-06-14
Updated: 2026-09-24

## TL;DR - Key Points

* **There are no literal dice.** “21 dice trimming” is community shorthand for the \~20-21 **Battle Points (BP)** total you push to in order to trim the **Zenith of the Trials** medal.
* **Dataplates are the “dice.”** You draw up to five cards worth **1-5 BP each**; their combined value sets both your difficulty and your reward.
* **Stop at 10 BP for farming.** Crossing **10 BP** triggers **Data Overflow** — enemies gain **+30 levels** and rewarded loot drops to **zero**.
* **The base medal needs a clean 10 BP run.** You’ll earn it just by playing normally and respecting the 10 BP ceiling.
* **The trimmed medal needs \~20-21 BP** — a 10 BP run completed _after_ an instance of Data Overflow, which lands you in **Double Data Overflow** with a brutal **180-second timer**.
* **The trim is purely cosmetic.** No materials, no currency — just a holographic medal and bragging rights for completionists.
* **The mode is permanent; the trim has no deadline.** Come back when your roster can survive +30-level enemies inside three minutes.

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If you’ve wandered into the Sword Vault Dale, talked to a suspiciously nostalgic researcher, and walked out drawing glowing cards like you’re at a sci-fi poker table, congratulations — you’ve found **Trial of Swordmancy**. And if you’ve since gone hunting for the mysterious “21 dice trimming” everyone keeps muttering about, you’ve come to the right place.

Here’s the short version before we go deep: there is no literal pile of 21 dice. What people are _really_ talking about is a press-your-luck combat mode where you draw card-like **Dataplates** worth points, and a sneaky little cosmetic medal that forces you to deliberately overshoot a points cap to earn its trimmed version. The number everyone fixates on — somewhere around **20-21 Battle Points** — is the bust line. It’s basically blackjack with greatswords.

We’re going to break down exactly how the mode works, why it rewards you for _not_ being greedy most of the time, and how to flip that logic on its head to flex the **Zenith of the Trials** trimmed medal.

## What Trial of Swordmancy Actually Is

Trial of Swordmancy is a **permanent, daily-repeatable combat mode** that arrived in _Arknights: Endfield_ Version 1.3, “Sketches of Lost Heirlooms.” The update dropped on June 5, 2026, and the mode opened to players on June 12, 2026, at 12:00 server time. This isn’t a datamine rumor — it’s live and it’s permanent.

It’s also the game’s **second** player-driven permanent combat mode, the first being Umbral Monument. Where some modes are about grinding the same fight on a loop, Trial of Swordmancy is built around _choice and chaos_ — you decide how hard your fight will be, and the game rewards (or punishes) you accordingly. If you want the full daily-farming breakdown, our [Dataplate draw strategy for maximum rewards](https://endfieldhub.org/blog/trial-of-swordmancy-dataplate-draw-strategy-max-rewards) covers the efficiency side in depth; this post is about the trim.

The whole thing lives inside a flashy **Trial Arena**, described in-game as “an arena fashioned using digital data and realistic light and shadow rendering effects.” The lore is great: the arena was cobbled together by an NPC researcher who reverse-engineered long-lost Tianshi Bureau tech from Great Yan, because it reminded them of a tabletop “Monster Deck” game they used to play with dormmates after lights-out. That’s the design philosophy in one sentence — it plays like a card game because, in-universe, it literally _is_ one.

So no, you’re not rolling 21 dice. You’re drawing cards in a holographic dojo built by a sentimental scientist.

## How to Unlock the Trial Arena

Before you can chase any medals, you’ve got to flip the lights on. The unlock chain:

1. **Reach the right point in the story.** You’ll need to have completed the main mission “Chapter II Process III: Surging From a Withered Spring.”
2. **Complete the side mission “Deep Vaulted Steel.”** This unlocks the **Sword Vault Dale**, the sub-region of Wuling where the arena lives.
3. **Complete the “Trial of Swordmancy” side mission.** Its final objective — **“Activate the Trial Arena”** — is the switch that turns the mode on.

If you’re not on 1.3 content yet, that’s your homework. The arena waits for those who do the reading.

## The Dataplate Draw: Endfield’s “Dice” That Aren’t Dice

Here’s where the “dice” nickname comes from. Before each Trial, you draw up to **five Dataplates** from a curated deck. Each Dataplate does two things at once:

* It tells you **which enemies** (and how many) you’ll be fighting.
* It carries a **Battle Points (BP) value between 1 and 5.**

That 1-to-5 range is exactly why people started calling them dice. Each draw is a small randomized number, and you’re stacking them toward a target — same energy as rolling dice, same tension as flipping the next card in blackjack.

The clever, slightly cruel twist: **the total Battle Points decides both your difficulty AND your reward at the same time.** Want bigger loot? You have to draw into bigger, nastier enemies. The deck won’t let you have a fat reward and an easy fight. Pick one — or get greedy and lose both.

A panel on the right side shows you **what’s still left in the deck**, so you can make informed decisions instead of praying. And the **deck resets every three server days**, shuffling both its size and which enemies are bolted onto each Dataplate. Don’t love your draw? You can **forfeit** — your first three forfeits each day are free; after that, every forfeit eats into your daily rewarded attempts.

## The Golden Rule: Stop at 10 Battle Points

This is the single most important sentence in this guide: **for normal farming, stop at exactly 10 Battle Points.**

Why? Because the reward curve has a cliff, and the cliff has a name. Here’s the full threshold map:

| BP Total     | State                    | Enemy Levels | Rewards                  | Timer           |
| ------------ | ------------------------ | ------------ | ------------------------ | --------------- |
| 1-10         | Normal                   | Base         | Full (scales with BP)    | Standard        |
| 10 (exactly) | Normal — base medal line | Base         | Full                     | Standard        |
| 11-20        | **Data Overflow**        | **+30**      | **Zero** (rewarded mode) | Standard        |
| 21+          | **Double Data Overflow** | **+30**      | **Zero**                 | **180 seconds** |

### Data Overflow (the 10+ BP trap)

The moment your total Battle Points climbs **above 10**, you trigger **Data Overflow**, and it is not your friend:

* It bumps **every Dataplate enemy up by 30 levels.** Yes, thirty.
* In Rewarded Trial Mode, it **slashes your rewards to zero.**

You don’t get _reduced_ rewards for overshooting — you get _nothing_. The fight gets dramatically harder and the payout vanishes. That’s why 10 BP is the magic ceiling for anyone farming currency.

### Double Data Overflow (the 20+ BP nuke)

If your total climbs **above 20 Battle Points**, you unlock **Double Data Overflow**, which keeps all the previous penalties — +30 enemy levels, zero rewards — _and_ throws in a kicker: your **Trial timer drops to just 180 seconds.**

Now you’re fighting wildly over-leveled enemies, for no loot, against a three-minute clock. Sounds miserable? It is — unless you’re chasing one very specific shiny prize.

## The “21” Mystery, Solved: Trimming Zenith of the Trials

Endfield’s achievement system is called **Path of Glory**, and certain medals can be **Trimmed** — given a holographic glow-up — by completing a harder version of their base requirement. It’s pure cosmetic bragging rights, and completionists adore it. Our broader [medal trimming and prestige systems guide](https://endfieldhub.org/blog/mastering-endfield-medal-trimming-guide) walks through how trims work across the whole game; here we’re zeroed in on the Swordmancy medal.

Trial of Swordmancy’s medal is **Zenith of the Trials**, and it comes in two flavors:

| Medal Version | Requirement                                                                        | Reward                                    |
| ------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------- |
| Base          | Complete one Trial at a total of **10 Battle Points**                              | Standard medal + Path of Glory progress   |
| Trimmed       | Complete a 10 BP run _after_ triggering Data Overflow — roughly **20-21 BP** total | Holographic trimmed medal (cosmetic only) |

Per community guides, the trimmed version requires you to complete a Trial with a total of 10 Battle Points _after_ triggering an instance of Data Overflow — which, when you do the math, lands you at roughly **20-21 Battle Points**. Game8’s guide sums it up cleanly: “completing a trial of at least 20 Battle Points is required to trim the medal.”

**That’s your “21.”** It was never 21 dice. It’s a \~21-Battle-Point total — and the blackjack vibes are _chef’s kiss_ given how the whole mode plays.

To get the trim, you have to do the unthinkable: **bust on purpose.** You intentionally push past the safe cap into Double Data Overflow territory, fight enemies 30 levels above you, earn zero material reward, and clear the whole thing inside 180 seconds. It is a flex and nothing but a flex.

Community runs floating around with titles like “24 points Trial of Swordmancy” and “Trial of Swordmancy 23 points” are players deliberately overshooting into the danger zone. Now you know they weren’t lost — they were hunting the trim.

## How to Actually Win a 20+ Point Run

Going for the trim? Here’s how to not faceplant:

* **Bring burst, and bring a lot of it.** Three minutes is not a lot of time against +30-level enemies. You want a team that deletes health bars, not one that chips away politely.
* **Don’t skimp on sustain.** Over-leveled enemies hit hard. A healer or a tanky bruiser who can eat a few mistakes keeps the run alive long enough to land the kill.
* **Lean into Swordmancy.** The mode’s name isn’t decorative — a strong greatsword or physical-bruiser build fits the theme and the damage check beautifully.
* **Use the deck panel.** Plan your draws so you land _just_ over 20, not at 30+. The lower into overflow you hit your target, the more manageable the fight. (Those “24 points” and “23 points” runs were threading exactly that needle.)
* **Use your Combat Facilities.** You can place support facilities on an elevated platform near the arena to lend a hand. Don’t fight naked.

And if you can’t survive a 20+ run yet? Shelve it. The medal is permanent and has zero deadline. Come back when your roster and gear have grown up.

## Rewards, the Daily Loop, and Squeezing Out Value

When you’re _not_ chasing the trim, Trial of Swordmancy is a genuinely solid daily farm. Here’s how the economy shakes out:

* **Rewarded Trial Mode** gives you **Wuling Stock Bills**, the regional currency of Sword Vault Dale. You get **three attempts per day.**
* **Free Trial Mode** kicks in once your rewarded attempts are gone. You can run it unlimited times, but it grants **no Wuling Stock Bills**, and enemy drops shrink hard after a soft cap (which resets at 04:00 server time).
* **Rewards Doubling** is your secret weapon. Before your _third_ Dataplate draw, you can activate it to double a successful run’s rewards. At higher Operations Levels you get **up to two uses per day** — so scout your deck, then drop your doubling on your two best fights.
* **Trial Arena upgrades** let you spend Wuling Stock Bills to raise reward caps, unlock more Rewards Doubling attempts, and even reskin the arena. Reinvest in the machine that feeds you.

### Don’t Sleep on Trial Algorithmics

Launching alongside the mode is a **limited-time event called Trial Algorithmics**, exclusive to the 1.3 version. Complete specific Trial of Swordmancy challenges during the window and you’ll bag bonus goodies including **Oroberyls, Mark of Perseverance, an Advanced Progression Selection Crate I, and an Advanced Cognitive Carrier.**

Crucial detail: while the _mode_ is permanent, these event rewards are **not.** They vanish when the version ends. So even if you’re an “I’ll get to it later” player, get to _this_ one now. If you’re juggling 1.3 priorities, our [Version 1.3 update overview](https://endfieldhub.org/blog/arknights-endfield-1-3-version-update-overview) lays out the full content calendar.

## Common Mistakes to Avoid

The “21” framing trips a lot of players. Here are the traps people fall into:

* **Treating Data Overflow as a “high roll.”** Overshooting 10 BP in rewarded mode zeroes your loot — it is a penalty, not a bonus. The only reason to do it is the trim.
* **Forfeiting carelessly.** Only your first three forfeits per day are free. Burning forfeits hunting a perfect hand quietly eats into your three rewarded attempts.
* **Wasting Rewards Doubling on a small hand.** Doubling must be activated before the third draw — scout the deck panel and save it for your highest-value fights, not your first mediocre one.
* **Attempting the trim under-geared.** A 180-second clock against +30-level enemies is unforgiving. If your team can’t burst, you’ll time out repeatedly and learn nothing.
* **Aiming for 30+ BP “to be safe.”** More overflow doesn’t help — it just makes the fight harder. Land _just_ over 20, around 21-24, not at the top of the deck.
* **Confusing the trim with a loot run.** There is zero material reward at the finish line. If you went in expecting currency, you’ll feel cheated. Go in expecting a medal.

## What Would Change This

A few things are worth keeping an eye on as 1.3 matures:

* **The exact trim threshold.** Community guides settle on “at least 20 BP,” but the precise in-game medal wording hasn’t been officially published. If a patch clarifies it as a flat “20” versus “an overflow instance plus 10,” strategy shifts slightly.
* **The Wuling Stock Bill reward table.** Full per-BP payout figures aren’t officially documented yet and may be tuned in later patches.
* **Deck composition changes.** Because the deck reshuffles every three server days, the _enemies_ attached to each BP value rotate. A future patch could add nastier Dataplates that make hitting a clean 21 harder than it is today.
* **Roster power creep.** As stronger 1.3 and 1.4 operators arrive, the 20+ run gets more survivable. If you’re waiting on gear, the trim only gets easier from here.

## Quick FAQ

**Is Trial of Swordmancy a real mode or a fan thing?**100% real. It’s official, permanent content added in Endfield Version 1.3 and confirmed by Gryphline’s patch notes and the official @AKEndfield account.

**Do I actually roll 21 dice?**Nope. You draw up to five Dataplates worth 1-5 Battle Points each. The “21” is a Battle-Point total tied to the trimmed medal, not a number of dice. The “dice” nickname just comes from the 1-5 random values.

**What’s the difference between the base and trimmed medal?**The base Zenith of the Trials medal needs a 10 BP run. The trimmed (holographic) version needs you to push to roughly 20-21 BP — into Double Data Overflow — and win anyway.

**Why would I ever go over 10 points if it zeroes my rewards?**Only one reason: to trim the medal. For everything else — farming currency, dailies, drops — stop at exactly 10\. Overshooting is a penalty, not a high roll.

**What exactly triggers Double Data Overflow?**Crossing **20 Battle Points**. On top of the +30 enemy levels and zeroed rewards from regular Data Overflow, it drops your Trial timer to 180 seconds.

**Is the trim worth it?**Purely cosmetic, no material reward. If you love completion and flexing a shiny medal, absolutely. If you’re a pure efficiency player, skip it and farm at 10 BP.

**Can I still get the trim later if I’m too weak now?**Yes. The mode is permanent and the trim has no deadline. Come back when your roster and gear can survive a 20+ run inside three minutes.

**What’s a “Cast Die,” then? Isn’t that the dice?**Common mix-up. “Cast Die” is an unrelated weapon-tuning material from Protocol Space: Weapon Tune. It has nothing to do with Trial of Swordmancy.

## Final Read

Trial of Swordmancy is one of those modes that looks intimidating until the lightbulb goes off — and then it’s just _fun._ It’s a card game wearing a combat mode’s clothes, with a risk-reward dial you control entirely. For 95% of your runs, the smart move is delightfully simple: **draw to 10, stop, collect, repeat.** No greed, no heartbreak.

But the mode saves its best wink for the completionists. That “21-point” trim isn’t a grind — it’s a dare. The game is daring you to walk straight into the overflow zone, beat the odds with the clock screaming at you, and earn nothing but a glowing medal and a great story. Keep an eye on the next patch for any tuning to the threshold or reward table — and in the meantime, go shuffle that deck.

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_A note on accuracy: “Trial of Swordmancy” is the real, official mode name. “21 dice trimming” is community shorthand — it blends the Dataplate draw (1-5 points each, dice-like) with the \~20-21 Battle Point threshold needed to trim the Zenith of the Trials medal. Some exact figures, like the full Wuling Stock Bill reward table and the precise in-game medal wording, haven’t been officially published yet and may be adjusted in later patches. The “at least 20 Battle Points” trim requirement comes from community guides such as Game8._