Blue Archive
Blue Archive

Student Skill Upgrades & Materials — Blue Archive Guide

Learn Blue Archive student skill upgrade requirements, including EX, Normal, Passive, and Sub skills, and the materials needed for progression.

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Student Skill Upgrades & Materials

Maximizing your students' potential in Blue Archive is crucial for tackling challenging content, from the Tactical Challenge to high-difficulty raids. A core component of this power progression lies in upgrading their skills. Each student possesses four distinct skills: an EX Skill, a Normal Skill, a Passive Skill, and a Sub Skill. Each of these can be leveled up independently, requiring specific materials and a significant investment of Credits.

Understanding Skill Types and Their Impact

  • EX Skill: This is your student's ultimate ability, manually activated during combat. Upgrading it often reduces its cost, increases its damage multiplier, or enhances its effects significantly. Prioritize EX Skills for your main damage dealers or crowd control units.
  • Normal Skill: Automatically activated at set intervals during combat. These skills provide consistent damage, healing, or utility. Upgrading them improves their effectiveness and often reduces their cooldown.
  • Passive Skill: A constant buff applied to the student or their allies. These skills are always active and provide foundational stat boosts or unique effects. Upgrading them increases the magnitude of these buffs.
  • Sub Skill: An additional passive effect that often synergizes with the student's role or team composition. Like Passive Skills, these are always active and their upgrades enhance their potency.

The Upgrade Process: Step-by-Step

  1. Navigate to the Student Menu: From the main lobby, tap on "Students" to access your roster.
  2. Select a Student: Choose the student whose skills you wish to upgrade.
  3. Access the Skill Tab: Within the student's detailed view, locate and tap the "Skills" tab.
  4. Choose a Skill: Select the specific skill (EX, Normal, Passive, or Sub) you want to enhance.
  5. Initiate Upgrade: Tap the "Upgrade" button. The game will display the required materials and Credits for the next level.
  6. Confirm Upgrade: If you have the necessary resources, confirm the upgrade. The skill's level will increase, and its effects will improve.

Required Materials and Where to Find Them

Skill upgrades demand various materials, which become increasingly rare and numerous as skill levels climb. Understanding where to farm these is key to efficient progression.

I. Skill Books

Skill Books are fundamental for all skill upgrades. They come in three tiers (Basic, Advanced, Superior) and are specific to the student's school.

  • Location:
    • Commissions (Skill Book Dungeons): This is your primary source. Each day, different schools' Skill Book Dungeons are available. Prioritize farming the schools of your most-used students.
    • Event Shops: Limited-time events often feature Skill Books in their exchange shops. These are excellent opportunities to stock up.
    • Total Assault Shop: Exchange Total Assault Coins for various Skill Books.
    • Crafting Chamber: Lower-tier Skill Books can be combined to create higher-tier ones.
  • Strategy: Always check the daily Commission schedule and prioritize farming the highest difficulty you can clear consistently for the best drop rates.
II. Activity Reports

While primarily used for student level-ups, Activity Reports are also consumed for certain skill upgrade tiers, particularly at lower levels. They come in various tiers (Basic, Normal, Advanced, Superior).

  • Location:
    • Commissions (Activity Report Dungeons): Available daily, these are your main source.
    • Lessons: Completing Lessons can yield Activity Reports.
    • Event Shops: Often available during events.
    • Base Defense: Rewards from defending your base.
  • Strategy: Ensure a steady supply by regularly clearing Activity Report Dungeons.
III. Tactical Training Blu-rays

These specialized materials are crucial for upgrading EX Skills, Normal Skills, and Sub Skills, particularly at higher levels. Like Skill Books, they are school-specific and come in Basic, Advanced, and Superior tiers.

  • Location:
    • Commissions (Tactical Training Dungeons): Your main source, with different schools available on specific days.
    • Event Shops: A good source during events.
    • Total Assault Shop: Exchange Total Assault Coins.
    • Crafting Chamber: Combine lower-tier Blu-rays for higher tiers.
  • Strategy: Focus on farming the Blu-rays for your core EX Skill users and students whose Normal/Sub Skills provide significant utility.
IV. Technical Notes

Technical Notes are required for upgrading Passive Skills, especially at higher levels. They are also school-specific and come in Basic, Advanced, and Superior tiers.

  • Location:
    • Commissions (Technical Note Dungeons): Your primary source, with different schools available on specific days.
    • Event Shops: Often available during events.
    • Total Assault Shop: Exchange Total Assault Coins.
    • Crafting Chamber: Combine lower-tier Notes for higher tiers.
  • Strategy: Prioritize Technical Notes for students whose Passive Skills offer crucial stat boosts or unique effects that define their role.
V. Credits

Credits are universally required for all skill upgrades. The cost increases dramatically with each skill level.

  • Location:
    • Bounty Missions: Your most consistent source of large amounts of Credits.
    • Story Missions: Rewards from clearing stages.
    • Commissions: Small amounts from clearing dungeons.
    • Event Shops: Often available for purchase with event currency.
    • Daily/Weekly Missions: Regular rewards.
  • Strategy: Never neglect your daily Bounty Missions. Credits are a constant bottleneck, so farm them diligently.

Prioritization Strategy

Given the scarcity of materials, especially at higher tiers, strategic prioritization is essential:

  1. Core DPS and Healers: Always prioritize the EX Skills of your main damage dealers and the Normal/Passive Skills of your primary healers. These have the most immediate impact on your combat effectiveness.
  2. Key Utility Skills: Skills that provide crucial buffs, debuffs, or crowd control should also be high on your list.
  3. Tactical Challenge & Raid Teams: Focus on the students you frequently use in these competitive and high-reward modes.
  4. Tiered Approach: Instead of maxing one skill immediately, consider bringing all relevant skills for a student to a certain breakpoint (e.g., level 3 or 5) before pushing one to max. This ensures a more balanced power increase across your team.
  5. Resource Management: Always be mindful of your current material stocks and anticipate future needs. The Crafting Chamber can help convert excess lower-tier materials into higher tiers, but it's often more efficient to farm the higher-tier dungeons directly when possible.