Physical 
Guard 
Polearm Introduction
Lifeng is a 6-star character in Arknights: Endfield (AKE). Lifeng wields a Polearm and belongs to the Guard class. Lifeng also has access to the Physical element. This guide provides a comprehensive overview of Lifeng's best build, including recommended Weapons, Gear pieces, Stats, and the strongest team compositions and rotations that maximize their potential.
Attributes
Pros & Cons
Pros
- ●Easily applies Physical Susceptibility at the same time as Vulnerability.
- ●Grants Link to the team,
- ●Applies a large amount of Vulnerability through Ultimate.
- ●Gains value from all stats, not just his main and secondary.
- ●Outputs a strong amount of Stagger.
- ●Activates his own combo.
Cons
- ●Cannot consume the Vulnerability stacks he generates, forcing him to play with a character that can.
- ●Can’t activate his damage talent, Subduer of Evil, on every Knock Down without giving up his Physical Susceptibility without potentials.
- ●Battle Skill has a long animation, which can leave Lifeng vulnerable.
- ●Timing Combo Skill to apply Link to the right ability takes planning and proper execution to do well.
Lore
"I came to Endfield to learn. But ... there's way too much to take in. Gotta work even harder!" Lifeng, born in Wuling City, now interns at the Specialist Tech Division of Endfield Industries. Back in Wuling, Lifeng's mind and personalities made him popular with his peers and elders. Years of guidance from Da Pan have honed his spear fighting skills, arming him for his pursuit of justice. Few would guess from his cheerful demeanor the shadow he carries — an accident that shattered his once-happy family and cost him an arm. Yet hardship has never dimmed his fire. He continues to grow with sincerity and passion, yearning for the day he can take on greater responsibilities. Someday, he will stand tall on his own and return to protect the home that waits for him.
Skill Priority
Off Field: Battle Skill > Ultimate >= Basic Attack = Combo Skill
Skills
Ruination
BASIC ATTACK:An attack with up to 4 sequences that deals Physical DMG. As the controlled operator, Final Strike also deals 19 Stagger.DIVE ATTACK:Basic attack performed in mid-air becomes a dive attack that deals Physical DMG to nearby enemies.FINISHER:Basic attack performed near a Staggered enemy becomes a finisher that deals massive Physical DMG and recovers some SP.
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| BATK SEQ 1 Multiplier | 55% |
| BATK SEQ 2 Multiplier | 65% |
| BATK SEQ 3 Multiplier | 79% |
| BATK SEQ 4 Multiplier | 152% |
| Finisher ATK Multiplier | 900% |
| Dive ATK Multiplier | 180% |
Turbid Avatar
Swings the polearm multiple times to deal 2 hits of Physical DMG, then slams the ground to deal Physical DMG and Knock Down to all enemies in the area of effect.If the enemy struck by the last hit of this skill has no Vulnerability stacks, apply Physical Susceptibility to the said enemy instead.
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| SEQ 1 DMG Multiplier | 86% |
| SEQ 2 DMG Multiplier | 86% |
| SEQ 3 DMG Multiplier | 268% |
| SEQ 3 Stagger | 10 |
| Physical Susceptibility | 12% |
| Physical Susceptibility Duration (s) | 12 |
Aspect of Wrath
Unleashes an aspect that performs a spear thrust to deal Physical DMG and grants Link.
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| SEQ 1 DMG Multiplier | 105% |
| SEQ 2 DMG Multiplier | 375% |
| SEQ 2 Stagger | 10 |
| Combo Duration (s) | 20 |
Heart of the Unmoving
Unleashes an aspect that slams an Immovable Vajra to deal Physical DMG and Knock Down to all enemies in a large area of effect, then enemies are drawn toward the center of the area. After a while, enemies still within the vajra slam area of effect will suffer another massive Physical DMG and Knock Down.If the skill consumes a Link, it deals additional massive Physical DMG.
| Stat | Value |
|---|---|
| Cooldown | 15 |
| SEQ 1 DMG Multiplier | 400% |
| SEQ 1 Stagger | 5 |
| SEQ 2 DMG Multiplier | 400% |
| SEQ 2 Stagger | 5 |
| Additional ATK DMG Multiplier | 600% |
| Additional ATK Stagger | 5 |
Talents
Assign to Control Nexus to grant all operators' Mood Regen +12/16%.
Assign to Reception Room to grant operators a small Clue 3/Clue 3 Rate-UP: HAS (activates upon assignment; effects of the same type cannot stack)
Every point of Intellect and Will further grants ATK +0.10/0.15%.
Applying Knock Down also deals 50/100% ATK of Physical DMG.
Potentials
Battle skill Turbid Avatar improved: Physical Susceptibility +5%; also triggers this additional effect to enemies with no more than 2 Vulnerability stack(s).
All attributes +15.
Talent Illumination improved: Every point in the attributes of Intellect and Will grants Lifeng an additional ATK +0.05%.
Ultimate Heart of the Unmoving improved: Ultimate Energy cost -15%.
Talent Subduer of Evil improved: Every 15s, the next effect triggered deals another 250% ATK of Physical DMG and 5 Stagger.
Recommended Weapons
The percentages show the performance of the weapon based on calculations, but in some cases, some Weapons might provide additional QOL that can't be quantified and it would push that weapon ahead of others in the priority (and in those cases, we would put that weapon higher).The solo percentage shows how the weapon impacts Lifeng performance if you look at their damage in the vacuum, while the team percentage shows the impact of the weapon when taking into account full team, including buffs etc.
Stat 1 Boost - 9/9Agility: +156Stat 2 Boost - 9/9Physical DMG Bonus: +43.30%Passive Boost - 4/9Against Vulnerability enemies, the wielder gains DMG dealt +32%. When the wielder's Battle Skill applies Vulnerability, the wielder gains All Attributes +12.8% for 15s. When the wielder's Battle Skill applies Physical Susceptibility, the wielder gains all attributes +12.8% for 15s. Max stacks for effects of the same name: 2. Duration of each stack is counted separately. Effect only triggers once every 0.1s.
Lifeng's signature is his best-in-slot option, but not by an overwhelming margin; there are other competitive 6-star options. It has a strong but not a perfect combination of passive stats, although one of them isn't completely passive, as it requires enemies to be Vulnerable to be in effect (which won't always be the case). Fortunately, to make up for these small quirks, its Weapon Effect is very powerful and grants Lifeng an all-attribute increase when using his Battle Skill to apply Susceptibility and Vulnerability, which scales strongly with his Talent that allows all his stats to be converted into Attribute ATK%.
Stat 1 Boost - 9/9Agility: +156Stat 2 Boost - 9/9Physical DMG Bonus: +43.30%Passive Boost - 4/9Attack: +16.00%When the wielder applies Physical Statuses, the wielder also deals another hit of Physical DMG equal to 192% of the wielder's ATK.
Lifeng's other viable 6-star option, which only falls slightly behind his Signature in performance in most battle scenarios. It has a more optimal combination of passives than Mountain Bearer, all of which are fully passive. The ATK% (normal, not attribute) on this weapon specifically is a stat Lifeng lacks on his optimal Gear and his kit. Its Weapon Effect is also not bad for Lifeng and grants him an additional multiplier whenever he properly inflicts Knock Down, that is, when using his Battle Skill or Ultimate against already Vulnerable enemies.
Stat 1 Boost - 9/9Agility: +93Stat 2 Boost - 9/9Attack: +23.40%Passive Boost - 9/9When the wielder's HP is above 80%, ATK +42%.
Last resort option if you're lacking any of the choices above. It has the correct passive stats, but all at much lower base values, setting it significantly behind all other choices.
Stat 1 Boost - 9/9Strength: +124Stat 2 Boost - 9/9Ultimate Gain Eff.: +37.10%Passive Boost - 9/9Critical Rate: +8.40%After the wielder applies Vulnerability to an enemy with no Vulnerability stacks, ATK +42% for 15s. Effects of the same name cannot stack.
A 5-star option that has very low damage potential for Lifeng, even falling below his best 4 star option, but which has Ultimate Gain, making it a niche option with potential for some optimized teams that value the Vulnerability from Lifeng's Ultimate more than his damage. This weapon is only recommended for players who know exactly what Ultimate breakpoint they'll be able to hit with this polearm.
Gear Sets
The solo percentage shows how the set and gear impact Lifeng performance if you look at their damage in the vacuum, while the team percentage shows the impact when taking into account full team, including buffs etc.Between the pre-release version of Endfield and 1.0, there was some major balance adjustments. The two major ones that have affected some of the %'s on a few of our build guides are the major buff to Physical Status effects (namely Breach and Crush), and the the nerf to Bonus DMG% vs Staggered gear pieces. All other character buffs/nerfs have also now been factored in but they have minimal impact on %'s. Note - no recommendations have changed as a result of this update, only the relative differences between weapons, sets and pieces was affected.
Stagger Efficiency Bonus +20%. When the wearer applies a Physical Status, the wearer also performs 1 hit that deals 250% ATK of Physical DMG and 10 Stagger. Effect trigger cooldown: 15s.
Swordmancer is a drop for Lifeng's personal damage due to having less optimal damage gear pieces, but its 3P Set Bonus has a much better supportive effect, which, if you're ok giving up some of Lifeng's personal output, can be worth the trade off. The 3P bonus of Swordmancer grants an on-hit effect that deals 10 Stagger every 15 seconds and increases all Stagger Lifeng outputs by 20%. It's important to keep in mind, though, in order to activate Swordmancer's on-hit effect, Lifeng must apply a Physical Status, which his opening Battle Skill against non-Vulnerable enemies doesnât. This means you'll need to weave in additional Battle Skills while the enemy is already Vulnerable or rely on his Ultimate to trigger it instead.Note: With Swordmancer, our calculations don't reach a new stagger breakpoint, but if they allowed for an additional one over Bonekrusha, its overall team damage would be higher. This will also be the case in your own play; if Swordmancer gets an extra stagger, it can be better, if it doesn't, it can fall behind.
Attack +15%. When the wearer casts a combo skill, gain 1 stack of Bonekrushing Smash that grants DMG +30% to the next battle skill cast. Bonekrushing Smash can stack 2 time(s).
Best 3P damage choice for Lifeng, primarily due to its superior gear pieces allowing him to invest more heavily into DMG Bonus vs Staggered enemies - a very strong stat for Physical Operators, which can push enemies into the Stagger state much more frequently. The passive 15% ATK and active Set Bonus are both notable increases in Lifengâs personal damage.Note: To get the listed results from this set, you'll need to make optimal use of stagger windows to take advantage of both kits having DMG% vs Stagger. If you can't, this set's performance will notably drop.
Gear Pieces
Keep in mind that the gear pieces below are being compared against having nothing equipped on the character at all. This means that in some cases, when you include Weapons, other pieces, outside buffs etc, the values of some pieces may change. For more accurate information, check the section above where we picked the best combination when you look at all pieces equipped.Pieces marked with a star* can perform better than listed - this applies to:Ult gain efficiency pieces, granting new Ultimate breakpoints,Arts Intensity boosting the efficacy of Electrification, Corrosion and Breach, rising overall team output even if personal damage is less impressive.
Armor
Gloves
Kit
Dupes Review
Battle skill Turbid Avatar improved: Physical Susceptibility +5%; also triggers this additional effect to enemies with no more than 2 Vulnerability stack(s).
Allows Lifeng to use his Battle Skill after the enemy already has [Vulnerability] stacks on them and still applies his Physical Susceptibility as long as their [Vulnerability] stacks are 2 or lower. This makes Lifeng far more flexible when using his Battle Skill, as he no longer must use it first in order to function optimally. Instead, he can act after giving the opening attack to another teammate. This Potential also increases his Susceptibility by +5%, bringing it to 17% at max. At worst, this dupe improves Lifeng and the teamâs damage, and at best, improves uptime and application Susceptibility while also allowing for more Subduer of Evil activations. Note: Calculations include additional Subduer of Evil procs over P0.
All attributes +15.
A small boost to all of Lifengâs attributes and attribute attack, but nothing crazy.
Talent Illumination improved: Every point in the attributes of Intellect and Will grants Lifeng an additional ATK +0.05%.
Boosts Lifengâs Illumination talent from 0.15% to 0.20%, making Will and Intellect as strong as his secondary stat Strength to stack. Another small damage increase, but nothing game-changing.
Ultimate Heart of the Unmoving improved: Ultimate Energy cost -15%.
Reduces Lifengâs Ultimate cost by -15%, taking it from 90 to 77. More Ultimates is welcome on Lifeng, but as heâs not an Ultimate-focused character, this potential isnât as transformative as it is on some other operators.
Talent Subduer of Evil improved: Every 15s, the next effect triggered deals another 250% ATK of Physical DMG and 5 Stagger.
Empowers Lifengâs Subduer of Evil talent once every 15s, causing it to deal an additional 250% ATK Physical damage and 5 Stagger, bringing its damage total to 350% while active. This is an ok damage boost for Lifeng and doesnât require you to change up your gameplay in order to take advantage of it. As long as youâre taking advantage of potential 1 and using his Battle Skill against already Vulnerable enemies. This allows another character to apply the initial stack.
DPS Comparison
Calculations
In this section we're showing the team setup used for the above calculations as well as the damage split for Lifeng based on where it comes from. The setup isn't always best in slot for each character and also please keep in mind that with different team members, Weapons, and Gear, the calculations will change.
Team Compositions
Synergies
Overview
Kit Intro
Lifeng is a 6-star, Physical, Polearm support damage dealer with a blend of personal damage and supportive elements within his kit, but notably doesn’t have a way to consume [Vulnerability]. Meaning, he’ll most often want to be played with another character capable of acting as the team's consumer (A [Crush] or [Breach] character). He can also satisfy the requirement of his own Combo Skill without assistance, allowing him to slot easily into most Physical teams.
The supportive portion of Lifeng’s kit revolves around his ability to apply [Vulnerability] or [Physical Susceptibility] with his Battle Skill, a stack of [Link] with his Combo Skill, and further 2 stacks of [Vulnerability] with his Ultimate. All while dishing out a strong amount of Stagger thanks to [Knock Down].
When it comes to DPS, Lifeng may not be able to consume Vulnerability himself, but he still has a lot of damage tools at his disposal. Both of Lifeng’s talents are damage-related, with one boosting his ATK% significantly and the other granting each of his knockdowns an extra damage multiplier. Using Lifeng’s Ultimate to consume Link also causes it to deal almost twice the damage, enabling him to make use of his own [Link] selfishly.
Battle Skill
Lifeng’s Battle Skill is one of his major selling points and a big reason you may consider bringing him to your Physical teams. It deals 2 strikes of Physical DMG on use, while also inflicting [Knock Down]. Also, if the enemy isn’t yet Vulnerable, it applies Physical Susceptibility to them for the next 10 seconds. Using this as your opening attack will net you a strong buff for all your Physical attacks as well as a [Vulnerability] stack, giving you 2 effects for the price of one skill.
This ability is primarily used as the opening attack when building Vulnerability stacks to take, but is still useful after that as well, thanks to one of Lifeng’s talents. This can make using it multiple times back-to-back worth considering.
Talents
Both of Lifeng’s talents are boosts to his personal damage; the first is what makes using his Battle Skill against already Vulnerable enemies viable. The talent Subduer of Evil causes successful Knock Down triggers to also deal an additional hit of 100% ATK Physical damage. It’s important to note that this talent will only trigger when [Knock Down] fully works, and you see the text and damage number. In other words, using [Knock Down] abilities against enemies who don’t have [Vulnerability] stacks won't activate it. Because of this, the only time you’ll be getting this talent is through non-opener Battle Skills and Lifeng’s Ultimate.
Lifeng’s other talent, Illumination, allows him to gain attribute attack from both of his off stats, Intellect and Will, at a rate of 1:0.15%, essentially granting Lifeng another 2 secondary stats, which are only slightly weaker. This talent allows Lifeng to be a little more flexible with gear at best, and at worst, will still grant him some extra attribute attack thanks to his base attributes, boosting his overall damage.
Combo
Lifeng’s Combo Skill becomes available when performing a Final Strike on enemies that have either Physical Susceptibility or [Breach] on them. Something Lifeng himself can accomplish with his Battle Skill. Using his Combo Skill will launch a single Physical hit and grant the team [Link], boosting the next Battle Skill or Ultimates damage significantly. You should time this combo so that the Ultimate or Battle Skill directly following it is one of your team’s most potent. Furthermore, when Lifeng’s Ultimate is ready, or about to be ready, you should aim to ensure [Link] lands on it instead, in order to activate its additional effect.
Ultimate
Lifeng’s Ultimate is a two-part Physical attack that inflicts [Knock Down] on the second hit, and, if [Link] is consumed, when activated, it will also perform an even larger third hit, which applies [Knock Down] again. When taking advantage of [Link], this one ability applies two stacks of [Vulnerability], triggers [Knock Down], and Stagger twice. Assuming it’s used against an enemy that is already Vulnerable, it will also activate Subduer of Evil twice as well.
When taking everything into account, even though this Ultimate seems simple, it offers a lot of value between its damage potential and the stacks it generates for a quick [Crush] or [Breach] from teammates.
Gameplay
Playing Lifeng is simple:
- Use Lifeng’s Battle Skill when starting your combos to establish the first stack of Vulnerability on enemies in order to apply his Physical Susceptibility. Then, either cycle through the rest of your team’s Battle Skills/combos or follow up with more Lifeng skills to accumulate more Vulnerability stacks while triggering Subduer of Evil.
- Time using Lifeng’s combo before your operator’s Ultimates to grant them [Link], but be careful, you don’t wait too long and let his Physical Susceptibility expire. If Lifeng’s own Ultimate is going to be available, prioritize it over others. If no Ultimates are on the horizon, consume it with your team’s strongest Battle Skill instead.
- Lastly, use Lifeng’s [Link] empowered Ultimate to deliver a burst of damage, while accumulating a large amount of [Vulnerable] stacks at once. You can choose to either use Lifeng’s Ultimate during Stagger, in order to boost its damage. Or use it outside of Stagger, in order to take advantage of its higher total Stagger, thanks to it inflicting [Knock Down] twice on top of its own base Stagger.
Depending on the team you’re playing, there will be even more optimizations. To learn more, check out our teams and synergies section.
Detailed Review
Update History
Patch 1.0
January 26th, 2026
Patch 1.0
Striker 
Cryo 
