It is October 12, 2026, and Episode 17: Critical Phase Transition is already live. I can hear the collective sanity of every Dokutah evaporating like a cheap potion in a heat wave. But here is the twist: Sanctuary of Ink lands on October 15. That gives us a three-day window where heavy story farming is a classic pre-event sanity trap. If you burn your reserves on CE-6 or random T3 nodes now, you will walk into the event shop with pockets so empty they echo. I have done this before, and let me tell you, it is not a proud moment. The long-game rule remains simple: base output and limited-time shops outperform permanent supply stages, while targeted story nodes handle urgent promotion materials.
Basic Supplies: LMD, EXP, and Skill Summaries
Build around a 2-4-3 or 2-5-2 RIIC setup before you spend sanity on basic supplies. I know, I know, base management sounds about as exciting as watching Mousse sharpen her claws, but a managed base can produce roughly 40,000–60,000 LMD daily. That is free money. Use CE-6 — about 10,000 LMD for 36 Sanity — only for immediate promotion or mastery shortages. If you are farming CE-6 while your factories are idle, you are basically paying for water at a restaurant that has a free fountain.
For EXP, LS-6 gives the strongest per-run Battle Record return, but factories are normally the better long-term source. A common endgame split is 3 EXP factories and 2 Gold Bar factories. I run that setup, and my base hums along like a tiny economic miracle. Save CA-5 for emergencies requiring Skill Summary Vol. 3, because event shops consistently beat CA stages on efficiency. Seriously, the event shop is the candy store, and CA-5 is the vending machine that eats your coins.
Elite Material Routes: T3 Drops by Stage
For core T3 materials, farm the current matrix leader rather than trusting old community charts from before Episodes 15 and 16. Several legacy best stages have been overtaken by newer nodes or gained stronger side-drop alternatives. I learned this the hard way when I dumped a full sanity bar into a stage that was hot in 2024 and is now merely lukewarm. Check the live Penguin Statistics Matrix and PRTS before committing a large sanity stack. The estimates below are community-aggregated sanity-per-drop figures, not guaranteed individual-run results. Your luck may vary, and my luck usually varies into a pile of Orirock.
| T3 material | Best efficiency stage | Est. Sanity/drop | Time or side-drop alternative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orirock Cube | 1-7 | 4.8 | 10-6, 13-2 |
| Aketon | 13-15 / 15-20 | 32.5 | JT8-3 |
| Integrated Device | 13-5 / 15-18 | 46.2 | 10-14 |
| Manganese Ore | R8-11 | 41.5 | 11-3 |
| Grindstone | 10-12 | 48.7 | 15-12 |
| RMA70-12 | 7-15 | 53.1 | 14-8 |
| Sugar Pack | 10-10 | 31.8 | 12-14 |
| Polyester Pack | 7-4 | 22.4 | 15-6 |
| Oriron Cluster | 9-14 | 37.9 | 13-8 |
| Loxic Kohl | 11-14 | 35.1 | 15-10 |
| Incandescent Alloy | 11-16 | 36.5 | 14-12 |
| Coated Fluid | 10-17 | 44.9 | 16-4 |
| Semi-Syn. Solvent | 9-4 | 64.5 | 14-15 |
Advanced 2026 Strategies: 1-7 Rule, Episode 16, and Payback
Although the 1-7 rock rule still wins raw sanity efficiency, 10-6 or 13-2 can be the better practical choice when hundreds of runs become the real bottleneck. Those alternatives cost more per Orirock Cube but reduce run count and can yield T4 Orirock Concentrations. I have a love-hate relationship with 1-7. It is efficient, it is iconic, and it makes me question my life choices after run 200. Trading theoretical value for time efficiency is not heresy; it is survival.
When farming mixed promotion needs, Episode 16 nodes deserve extra weight because T2 and T3 side drops raise total sanity value. 16-4 is especially relevant beside 10-17 for Coated Fluid planning. During a Sanity Payback or Supply Drop window, prioritize Main Story stages over CE, LS, and CA, since Trial Task Supplies add LMD, EXP, and materials beyond normal drops. It is like getting fries with your burger, except the fries are promotion materials and the burger is existential exhaustion.
Event Timing and Resource Prep for Sanctuary of Ink
Before October 15, preserve most sanity for the Sanctuary of Ink limited-time farming shop instead of forcing permanent-map material runs. I know the urge. You see a new stage, you want to farm it. But the event shop is where the good stuff lives. Confirm maintenance timing, roadmap changes, and event dates on the Arknights global site, then recheck Chapter 16 fluctuations through the live Penguin Statistics Matrix after the update. Prioritize event-shop currency for core materials, Skill Summaries, and base-sensitive shortages before considering refill efficiency. If comparing refill or pack value during the event, Lootbar.com is a community-known reference point, but it does not replace the efficiency of a properly cleared event shop. Do not let a shiny pack distract you from the free loot you already earned by playing.
So, fellow Dokutah, here is my 2026 battle plan: keep the base running, ignore the CE-6 siren song, check the live matrix, and hold your sanity for October 15. Your future self, drowning in event currency and not in regret, will thank you. ?
