# Sanity Optimization 2026 - Efficiency Tables > Complete sanity efficiency guide October 2026. Protocol Space farming tables showing optimal stages for EXP, materials, T-Creds, and essences. Maximize your daily returns. Source: https://endfieldhub.org/guides/sanity-optimization Published: 2026-03-07 Updated: 2026-03-07 Protocol Space Efficiency Tables - Maximize Every Point of Sanity Last updated: 2026-03-07 | Source: Data Compilation v1.0.17 ## \*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. ## Daily Farming Recommendations ### \* F2P Players * \*Spend all 200+ daily Sanity on Stage 4-A or 5-A (whichever you can clear) * \*Only farm T-Creds if you're bottlenecked on upgrade costs * \*Save Crisis Drills for after Authority Level 40 for better essence drops * \*Use B-path stages only when you need both EXP and materials ### \* Light Spenders * \*Focus on Stage 5-A for maximum efficiency * \*Consider one daily T-Creds run if building multiple operators * \*Farm essences from Crisis Drills during discount events ## Related Guides [Material Farming](https://endfieldhub.org/guides/farming)[Protocol Spaces](https://endfieldhub.org/guides/protocol-spaces)[Progression Guide](https://endfieldhub.org/guides/progression)[Daily Checklist](https://endfieldhub.org/guides/daily-weekly)