Operator Skill Levels & Masteries Explained — Arknights Guide

Leverage Arknights skill levels and masteries to unlock operator potential. Enhance individual skills and transform units into exceptional combat assets.

Understanding and optimizing your Operators' skills is paramount to success in Arknights. Beyond simply leveling up an Operator, their individual skills can be enhanced through two distinct systems: Skill Levels and Skill Masteries. Mastering these systems will unlock your Operators' full potential, turning good units into exceptional ones, capable of tackling the game's most challenging content. This comprehensive guide will walk you through every aspect of skill progression, from basic leveling to advanced masteries, ensuring you make the most efficient use of your valuable resources.

Skill Levels (SL)

Every Operator in Arknights possesses one or more skills that can be leveled up. These are distinct from the Operator's overall level and Promotion Tier (E0, E1, E2). Skill Levels range from 1 to 7, with each level typically increasing the skill's effectiveness (e.g., damage, healing, duration), reducing its SP cost, or improving its duration/cooldown. Reaching Skill Level 7 is a prerequisite for Skill Mastery, making it a crucial foundational step in an Operator's development.

How to Level Up Skills: A Step-by-Step Walkthrough

Upgrading an Operator's skill level is a straightforward process, but it requires specific materials and LMD. Follow these steps:

1. Access the Operator Profile: From the main menu, tap on "Operators" (bottom left) or "Squads" (bottom right) and then select the specific Operator you wish to upgrade.
2. Navigate to the Skills Tab: Within the Operator's detailed profile, you will see several tabs (e.g., "Stats," "Skills," "Trust," "Modules"). Tap on the "Skills" tab.
3. Select the Target Skill: Each Operator typically has 1-3 skills. An Operator's first skill is available from E0. Their second skill unlocks upon Promotion to Elite 1 (E1), and their third skill (if applicable) unlocks upon Promotion to Elite 2 (E2). Select the specific skill you wish to upgrade by tapping on it.
4. Review Material Requirements: On the skill detail screen, you will see the current skill level and the required materials and LMD for the next level. The game clearly displays what you have and what you need.
5. Gather Materials: This is often the most time-consuming part. Skill Leveling requires several types of resources:
   • Skill Summaries: These are the primary "experience" items for skills, available in different tiers:
     • Skill Summary - I (Green): Used for lower skill levels (SL1-SL3).
     • Skill Summary - II (Blue): Used for mid-tier skill levels (SL4-SL6).
     • Skill Summary - III (Purple): Used for higher skill levels (SL7) and Masteries.

     Farming Location: Primarily farmed from the Tactical Drill stages under the Operations menu. Specifically, the Skill Summary Supply stages (LS-1 through LS-6). Higher LS stages yield better tiers of Skill Summaries. For example, LS-5 and LS-6 are highly recommended for farming Skill Summary - II and III efficiently. LS-6 offers the best sanity-to-summary ratio for Skill Summary - III.

   • Battle Records: While primarily used for Operator level-up, some early skill levels (SL1-SL3) might require a small amount of Battle Records. These are farmed from Tactical Drill: Battle Record Supply (CE-1 to CE-6).
   • LMD (Lungmen Dollars): The universal currency for almost all upgrades in Arknights. LMD costs increase significantly with higher skill levels.

     Farming Location: Best farmed from Tactical Drill: LMD Supply (LS-1 to LS-6). LS-6 offers the highest LMD per sanity.

   • Specific Materials: Higher skill levels (especially from SL4 onwards) will demand specific materials that vary by skill and Operator. These include common items like Sugar, Oriron, Polyester, Keton Colloid, Grindstone, Manganese Ore, and their refined versions (e.g., Sugar Pack, Oriron Cluster).

     Farming Location: These are primarily farmed from Resource Search stages within Operations. Each material has dedicated stages (e.g., AP-1 through AP-5 for Oriron, CE-1 through CE-5 for Sugar, etc.). Always check the in-game material drop locations by tapping on the material icon. Alternatively, many materials can be obtained through the Workshop in your Base by combining lower-tier materials into higher-tier ones (e.g., 3x Sugar + LMD = 1x Sugar Pack). Event shops and event stages are also excellent sources for specific materials, often offering better drop rates or fixed quantities for event currency.

6. Initiate Upgrade: Once you have all the required materials and LMD, the "Upgrade" button will become active. Tap it to instantly level up the skill.

Important Considerations and Strategy for Skill Levels:

• Promotion Tiers and Skill Unlocks: Remember that an Operator must be at least E1 to unlock their second skill and E2 to unlock their third skill (if applicable). You cannot level a skill that is not yet unlocked. Plan your promotions accordingly if a specific skill is crucial for an Operator.
• Cost Escalation: The LMD and material costs increase significantly with each skill level, particularly from SL4 to SL7. Prioritize skills that offer the most impact for your core Operators. For instance, leveling a core DPS skill to SL7 will often yield more immediate benefits than leveling a niche utility skill for an Operator you rarely deploy.
• Early Game Strategy (SL4 and SL7 Breakpoints): For new players, focusing on getting core Operator skills to SL4 or SL7 is a good initial goal.
  • SL4: Often provides a noticeable boost in effectiveness and is relatively cheap to achieve, making it a good stopping point for many utility skills or less frequently used Operators.
  • SL7: This is a major breakpoint for many skills, offering substantial improvements (e.g., significantly reduced SP cost, increased damage multiplier, longer duration) without the heavy investment of Mastery. Many skills are perfectly viable and powerful at SL7 for a wide range of content, including most endgame stages. Aim for SL7 on your primary damage dealers, healers, and key crowd control Operators.
• Material Efficiency: Always check the required materials before farming. Use tools like the Arknights Toolbox (Penguin Statistics) to determine the most sanity-efficient stages for specific material drops. Sometimes, it's more efficient to farm a higher-tier stage for a chance at direct drops of desired materials, while other times crafting in the Workshop is better if you have an abundance of lower-tier components. For example, if you need Oriron Clusters, farming AP-5 directly might be better than farming AP-4 for Oriron and then crafting.
• Skill Prioritization: Not all skills are created equal. Focus on skills that define an Operator's role or provide critical utility. For example, SilverAsh's Truesilver Slash, Eyjafjalla's Volcano, or Saria's S2/S3 are prime candidates for SL7 due to their immense impact.

Skill Masteries (M1, M2, M3)

Once an Operator's skill reaches Skill Level 7, it can be further enhanced through Skill Mastery. This system unlocks even greater potential, often providing significant stat boosts, further reduced SP costs, increased skill duration, or unique additional effects that fundamentally change how a skill performs. Skill Masteries are divided into three tiers: Mastery 1 (M1), Mastery 2 (M2), and Mastery 3 (M3). This is where your Operators truly begin to shine and tackle the most challenging content Arknights has to offer.

Prerequisites for Skill Mastery:

Before you can even consider mastering a skill, two critical conditions must be met:

• Operator Promotion: The Operator must be Promoted to Elite 2 (E2). Mastery training is an E2-exclusive feature, as it represents the pinnacle of an Operator's training.
• Skill Level 7: The specific skill you wish to master must already be at Skill Level 7. You cannot master a skill below SL7.

How to Achieve Skill Mastery: A Detailed Guide

Skill Mastery is a time-consuming and resource-intensive process that takes place in your Base's Training Room. Here's a step-by-step breakdown:

1. Access the Training Room: Navigate to your Base (from the main menu, tap "Base" on the bottom right). Within your Base, locate and tap on the Training Room facility. Ensure your Training Room is upgraded to at least Level 2 for M1, Level 3 for M2, and Level 4 for M3.
2. Initiate Training: Inside the Training Room, select the "Training" option. This will open a menu where you can configure your mastery session.
3. Assign an Operator and Skill:
   • First, select the E2 Operator whose skill you wish to master. Only E2 Operators will appear in this list.
   • Next, select the specific SL7 skill you want to train. Only skills at SL7 will be available for mastery.
   • Choose the desired Mastery level (M1, M2, or M3). The game will display the requirements for the selected level.
4. Assign a Trainer (Optional but Highly Recommended): You can assign another Operator to act as a trainer. The trainer's Base Skill related to the training room will significantly affect the training duration.
   • General Training Speed Boosters: Operators like Silence (E2, "Medical Expert α"), Pramanix (E2, "Training Assistant"), Liskarm (E2, "Training Assistant"), Saria (E2, "Training Assistant"), and Warfarin (E2, "Medical Expert β") often have beneficial Base Skills for accelerating training speed for all skill types.
   • Skill Type Specific Boosters: Some Operators provide bonus training speed for specific skill types (e.g., Caster skills, Defender skills). For example, Eyjafjalla (E2, "Caster Expert") significantly boosts Caster skill training speed. Placing a trainer with a matching skill type bonus can further boost efficiency. Always check the trainer's Base Skills for optimal pairing.

   Example: If you are mastering Eyjafjalla's S3 (Volcano), assigning another Caster like Ifrit (E2, "Caster Expert") as a trainer will reduce the training time significantly due to Ifrit's Base Skill.

5. Gather Materials: Each Mastery level (M1, M2, M3) requires a substantial amount of specific, often rare, materials, in addition to Skill Summary - III and LMD.
   • Advanced Skill Summaries: Skill Summary - III (Purple) is consumed in large quantities for all mastery levels.

     Farming Location: Best farmed from Tactical Drill: Skill Summary Supply (LS-6).

   • High-Tier Materials: Expect to need rare and often difficult-to-farm T4 (Tier 4) and T5 (Tier 5) materials. These include items like D32 Steel, Polymerization Preparation, Optimized Device, Incandescent Alloy Block, Grindstone Pentahydrate, Coagulating Gel, RMA70-24, Orirock Concentration, and many others.

     Farming Location: These are primarily farmed from the highest difficulty Resource Search stages (e.g., AP-5, CE-5, etc., or their event counterparts which often have better drop rates). T5 materials (like D32 Steel) are almost exclusively crafted in the Workshop from T4 materials and other components. Event shops and specific event stages are often the most efficient sources for these rare materials, so always prioritize farming event currency to buy them.

   • LMD: Mastery training is very LMD-intensive. M1 costs tens of thousands, M2 hundreds of thousands, and M3 often costs hundreds of thousands of LMD per skill. This can quickly drain your LMD reserves.
6. Start Training: Once all required materials and LMD are provided, and you've assigned an optional trainer, tap the "Start Training" button. This process takes real-time (e.g., 12-24 hours for M1, 24-36 hours for M2, 36-48 hours for M3, before trainer bonuses). The assigned trainer's Base Skill will significantly accelerate this duration. You can only train one skill at a time in the Training Room, so choose wisely.
7. Claim Mastery: After the training duration is complete, return to the Training Room. You will see a notification that the training is finished. Tap on the skill to claim the Mastery level. The Operator's skill will now display its new Mastery rank (e.g., SL7 M1).

Strategic Advice for Skill Masteries:

Mastery is a significant investment. Thoughtful planning is essential to maximize your resources and accelerate your progression.

• Prioritize Core Operators and Game-Changing Skills: Mastery is a massive investment of time, LMD, and rare materials. Focus on mastering the skills of your most powerful and frequently used 5-star and 6-star Operators, especially those whose skills gain substantial, game-changing benefits from Mastery. Avoid mastering skills of Operators you rarely use or those who perform perfectly fine at SL7.
  • High Priority Examples (M3 often recommended):
    • SilverAsh: Truesilver Slash (S3) - Significant damage and range increase.
    • Eyjafjalla: Volcano (S3) - Massive burst damage, increased duration.
    • Saria: S2 (Healing) or S3 (Crowd Control/Healing) - Enhanced healing or CC.
    • Surtr: Twilight (S3) - Unparalleled burst damage.
    • Thorns: Destreza (S3) - Permanent attack speed and range after initial activation.
  • Mid Priority (M1/M2 often sufficient, M3 if resources allow): Many utility skills, or skills that get a critical SP cost reduction at M1/M2.
  • Low Priority: Skills that see only marginal gains from mastery, or skills on Operators you rarely deploy.
• Research Mastery Breakpoints: Not all skills benefit equally from M1, M2, or M3. Consult community guides, databases (like the Arknights Wiki, GamePress, or Aceship), or theorycrafting resources to identify which Mastery levels provide the most impactful upgrades for specific Operators.
  • Some skills see their biggest jump at M1 (e.g., a crucial SP cost reduction that allows for an extra activation in a typical fight).
  • Others truly shine at M3 (e.g., increased targets, new effects, or significantly higher multipliers that make them viable for high-end content).
  • Some skills might not even be worth mastering beyond M1 or M2 if the M3 upgrade is marginal compared to the resource cost. Always check the specific stat changes for each mastery level.
• Material Farming Strategy: Plan your material farming well in advance. High-tier materials are often scarce, and dedicated farming of Resource Search stages is crucial.
  • Event Stages: Always prioritize farming event stages that drop desired materials. Event stages often have better sanity-to-material ratios than regular Resource Search stages.
  • Event Shops: Purchase rare materials from event shops whenever possible. This is often the most efficient way to acquire T4 and T5 materials.
  • Workshop Crafting: use your Base's Workshop to craft higher-tier materials from lower-tier ones. This requires LMD and time, but it's essential for obtaining T5 materials.
  • Sanity Management: Use your sanity efficiently. Don't farm materials you don't immediately need, unless there's a limited-time event with excellent drop rates.
• Base Optimization for Training: use your Base's Training Room efficiently.
  • Trainer Selection: Always assign an Operator with relevant Base Skills to maximize training speed and minimize downtime. Rotate trainers based on the skill type being mastered (e.g., a Caster trainer for a Caster skill).
  • Training Room Level: Ensure your Training Room is upgraded to its maximum level (Level 4) to unlock all Mastery tiers (M1, M2, M3).
  • Timing: Plan longer training sessions (M2/M3) for when you won't be actively playing for extended periods (e.g., overnight).
• Balance Investment: Don't over-invest in one Operator's skills at the expense of developing a broader roster. A balanced squad with many SL7 skills is often more versatile and capable of handling diverse challenges than a few M3 Operators and many underdeveloped ones. Aim for a strong foundation of SL7s before diving deep into M3s.
• Consider Skill Module Synergy: With the introduction of Skill Modules, some Operators gain additional benefits from their mastered skills. Factor this into your mastery planning for maximum synergy. A module might make an M1 skill perform like an M2, or an M2 like an M3, further enhancing the Operator's capabilities. Always check if an Operator has a module that synergizes with their mastered skill.
• Future-Proofing: While it's impossible to predict all future content, considering an Operator's long-term viability and their role in various game modes (Contingency Contract, Integrated Strategies, Annihilation) can help prioritize mastery investments.

By diligently leveling skills and strategically investing in Masteries, you will significantly enhance your squad's overall power and adaptability, allowing you to tackle even the most challenging operations, Contingency Contracts, and Integrated Strategies runs in Arknights. Remember that thoughtful planning, efficient resource management, and staying informed about community recommendations are key to efficient progression and building an unstoppable team of Operators.