How to Play Arknights in English: A Gamer's Survival Guide

Okay,明日 let's be real – you downloaded Arknights because the anime aesthetic slapped, the tower defense gameplay looked fresh, and let's face it, Doctoris a way cooler title than "Player 1". But now you're staring at a menu full of English terms that might as well be Ancient Sankta scripture. Don't panic. I've been there, accidentally deploying Medics facing the wrong way and confusing "DP" with "HP" during my first week. Here's the stuff the tutorial doesn'ttell you.

Core Mechanics You Can't Afford to Misunderstand

Arknights runs on some very specific jargon. Get these wrong and you'll be that guy asking "why does my Eyjafjalla keep dying?" in global chat.

• DP (Deployment Points):The purple number that determines when/if you can place operators. Not to be confused with:
• HP (Hit Points):Your operator's health bar. When this hits zero, they retreat faster than a Catastrophe Messenger spotting a meteor.
• SP (Skill Points):The yellow bar under your operator's portrait that charges their abilities. Some generate automatically, others need attacks.

Operator Classes Decoded (No PhD Required)

The game loves fancy names like "Caster" and "Guard" that don't mean what you think. Here's the translation:

Vanguards

Your early-game DP printers. Texas isn't just there to look cool with her sword – she's funding your later operators. Deploy them first or suffer economic collapse.

Snipers

Ranged physical damage dealers. Yes, even the ones holding crossbows or throwing javelins count. If it flies, snipe it. If it doesn't, maybe still snipe it.

Medics

Healers. Pro tip: Their range is a 3x3 squarecentered on themselves, not a straight line. Took me three failed Annihilation runs to figure that out.

Battle UI: What Actually Matters

That cluster of icons during combat isn't just for decoration. Here's what to monitor like a Rhodes Island strategist:

• Enemy Pathing:Red arrows show where creeps are heading. Blue tiles are your blocking points.
• Skill Activation:The glowing white outline means "use me now or regret it". Manual skills >auto skills for clutch moments.
• Deployment Limit:That tiny number in the top right? It's your operator cap. Yes, I've tried deploying 13 when it said 8. It didn't work.

Gacha Without Going Broke

Headhunting (the gacha system) uses two currencies:

• Orundum:Premium currency from weekly missions/events
• Originite Prime:Paid currency that converts to Orundum

Pity system kicks in at 50 pulls without a 6-star. Don'tconvert all your Originite to skins unless you enjoy the sound of empty wallets.

Daily Grind Made Efficient

Your sanity (the stamina system) is precious. Prioritize:

Base setup matters too. Right now my trading posts are manned by operators who failed their accounting exams, but the LMD still trickles in.

Community Lingo You'll Encounter

Global chat and forums have their own dialect:

• "M3"= Mastery Level 3 (maxed skill upgrade)
• "E2"= Elite 2 promotion
• "AFK"= Annihilation farming while pretending to work

And if someone says "just borrow a Surtr", they've forgotten what it's like to only have 3-star operators. We've all been there.

The learning curve's steep, but suddenly it'll click – maybe during that one stage where your perfectly timed Gravel deployment saves your last defender. Or when you finally understand why everyone simps for Bagpipe. Then you'll be the one writing overly detailed guides at 2AM while your operators auto-battle in the background.