Arknights Endfield AIC Base-Building Beginner’s Guide – Layouts and Early Upgrades

The AIC base in Arknights: Endfield is a fully automated factory that powers your gear, materials, outposts, and exploration tools, so getting a simple, clean layout running early is critical for smooth progression. Beginners should focus on a compact loop around the PAC, basic mining→smelting→crafting chains, and early AIC Plan upgrades in Resourcing, Logistics, Processing, and Power.

AIC Basics: PAC, Power, and Production Flow

The AIC is built around the PAC (Protocol Anchor Core), your main base hub that supplies power and acts as the heart of production.​

• Power:
  • Main base uses the PAC, outposts use Sub-PACs, and power spreads via Relay Towers and Electric Pylons.​
  • Relay Towers form wired “lines” up to a set distance, then pylons wirelessly power all nearby facilities.
• Production loop:
  • Mining Rigs collect raw ore.
  • Smelters/Refineries turn ore into bars or processed materials.
  • Factories convert processed materials into gear parts, construction materials, and consumables.
  • Depots/PAC storage hold outputs; Outpost Orders then consume them over time.

Icy‑Veins stresses that once the AIC is running, it continues producing while you explore or log out, and ignoring it will later choke your gear and upgrade progression.

Recommended Early Layouts (Phase I–II)

Early on, you do not need complex blueprints—just a compact, efficient loop.

• Phase I compact loop:
  • Place the PAC, then connect 1–2 Mining I rigs directly powered by nearby pylons.
  • Feed their outputs via short conveyor belts into a single Smelter/Refiner.
  • From the Smelter, send bars into one Factory that produces your most needed materials (early construction and gear resources), then into a Depot.
• Layout tips:
  • Keep everything close to the PAC at first to minimize Relay Towers and belt length, reducing power strain and build cost.
  • Aim for clear, closed loops where every building has both an input and an output, avoiding dead‑end stockpiles.

Mumu and Lungmen Dragons both describe this “tight loop around PAC → Mining → Smelt → Factory → Depot” as the safest beginner layout before you expand to large grids.

Early Upgrade Priorities in the AIC Plan

The AIC Plan is a tech tree that unlocks new facilities, efficiency bonuses, and exploration tools.

• Priority categories (Tier I–II):
  • Resourcing: better mining yields and more node types.​
  • Logistics: conveyor/belt and storage efficiency, smoother item flow.​
  • Processing: faster/cheaper crafting in Smelters and Factories.​
  • Power: stronger PAC/Sub-PAC output, better Relay/Pylon networks.
• Deprioritize early:
  • Combat and Exploration upgrades (gun towers, grenades, advanced ziplines) are useful but not essential until midgame zones; guides recommend grabbing them later.
  • Niche nodes with very specific benefits can be skipped until you see a concrete need.​

You advance the Plan by completing Duty Log tasks and spending Expansion Cores, so simply playing and expanding your base naturally unlocks further upgrades.

Outposts, Orders, and Why Automation Matters

As you explore, you unlock Outposts that expand base capacity and auto‑consume your production.

• Outpost Orders:
  • Each outpost issues timed supply orders that fill automatically as your AIC produces goods, rewarding resources like upgrade mats, gacha pulls, and trust Gifts.
  • A well‑tuned production line ensures these orders are always filling in the background, making them a reliable income stream.
• Sub-PAC layouts:
  • Treat each outpost like a mini‑PAC: small, local loops dedicated to whatever that region needs (specific ore, plant goods, or support items).

Base guides consistently call AIC automation “the backbone” of long‑term progression; the more smoothly orders fill, the easier it is to sustain operator leveling, gear crafting, and exploration.

Beginner Mistakes to Avoid

Common pitfalls are easy to sidestep if you know them.

• Overbuilding too early: sprawling belts and too many low‑tier machines waste power and materials; stay compact until Tier II.
• Ignoring power lines: badly placed Relay Towers or pylons lead to “dead” sections; always check that every facility is powered before leaving.
• Producing everything at once: pick a few priority products (construction mats, basic gear resources) instead of running every recipe and clogging depots.
• Skipping AIC upgrades: leaving Resourcing/Processing low makes later gear and material bottlenecks much worse.

If you keep a simple PAC‑centered loop, upgrade core automation (Resourcing/Logistics/Processing/Power), and let outposts passively consume what you produce, your AIC will quietly carry your account while you focus on combat and story.