Arknights’ Integrated Strategies #6, called Sui’s Garden of Grotesqueries, is the 6th major update of the IS game mode. In IS6 you have to do challenging tasks like navigate branching operations, manage resources carefully, recruit and promote Operators strategically, and ultimately reach high difficulty levels and unlock multiple unique endings. If you are a beginner then all of this might be too confusing at first. In this guide you will understand the basic mechanics of IS6, and also learn about the progression milestones, key systems like vouchers and coins, and what strategies you should use for each ending.
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Core Mechanics
Getting Started
The first thing you have to do in IS6 is unlock and build Raidian, who is the welfare Operator of this theme. Raidian is great in combat but also offers you some unique benefits that help in your progression in later milestones. You can unlock Raidian by entering IS6 and completing a few stages. She is the first reward in the mode’s Reward Track. As you earn track levels, you also receive Raidian’s potential increases upto Level 50.
Conserving Vouchers
One of the main mechanics introduced in IS6 is Conserving Vouchers. During recruitment screens (except the initial squad selection), you will have the option to save your recruitment vouchers in the form of conserving vouchers. You can use these vouchers in special Pathfinder nodes later. In these nodes you can recruit or promote Operators for a reduced Hope cost (-2 Hope), and those Operators will become Candleguests. Candleguests are important in IS6 because they are the only Operators that can participate in combat within Sui’s Remnant Consciousness.
Sui’s Remnant Consciousness
This is probably the most important mechanic in the new theme. If you have played previous IS themes then you will feel like it is very similar to Bosky. This mechanic has a web-like layout that you have to navigate using Candle. Candleguests travel this web to acquire rewards and participate in combat or special events that can drastically shift the course of a run.
When you enter a Remnant Consciousness node from the main map, you will get a fixed number of Candles based on the floor reached (eg 3 on Floor 1, 5 on Floor 2, etc). You can then move between nodes using Candles. You can also use one Candle to recruit one of the previously conserved vouchers. There is a special feature here called Doubts Nodes which are basically gates but you need to fulfil some unlock conditions. If you complete these then you can get powerful relics as rewards.
Tongbao Management
IS6 also introduces the Coin Coffer system where you have to collect Tongbao (coins) that have various effects when you draw them at the start of a floor. At the beginning of each floor 3 random coins from your coffer will be picked and their effects will be applied. There are 3 types of coins:
- Flower (Pink) - Mainly provides utility or resource gains and sometimes combat buffs.
- Balance (Blue) - Provides combat buffs, especially interacting with temporary map tiles.
- Risk (Red) - Provides strong combat rewards but has significant risks.
If you are a beginner then try to prioritize Pink and Blue coins and avoid taking powerful Red coins until you fully understand their mechanics. Some Red coins like those that significantly reduce skill costs or increase dodge can be worth the risk, but you have to manage them properly.
Progression Milestones & Ending Strategies
Milestone 1: Clearing Difficulty 2+
The first major milestone is to reach and clear Difficulty Level 2. You will have to complete this to unlock Raidian’s Elite 2 promotion. At this stage you will have limited upgrades available so you have to learn basic pathways and squad building. Try to focus on completing two combat nodes on Floor 1 and aim for early engagements that build your resources forward.
During this phase you should also learn about the Bosky Shield Farm strategy where you have to enter Sui’s Remnant Consciousness at least 3 times to collect Life Points (LP) and shields. When you face your first few boss encounters then these resources become very valuable.
Achieving Ending 1
Ending 1 is the basic default ending in IS6 that you will face when you reach a boss fight at Floor 5. If you simply clear the boss then this ending will be successful. This is the easiest ending but you will still need proper management of resources, units and combat.
Milestone 2: Reaching Difficulty 6+ & Ending 2
Once you reach Difficulty 6 you will unlock all Raidian’s Proficiencies. These will give you many advantages like improving Radian’s kit and reducing her Hope costs. You will definitely need Raidian’s Proficiencies if you want to be successful in later content and ending conditions. At this stage you will have to strategically build your squad and use high-impact Operators like Exusiai the New Covenant or Tragodia.
To complete Ending 2 you have to convert 6 Operators into Candleguests. For this you will need to conserve vouchers and explore Remnant Consciousness efficiently. You have to target specific encounters in Remnant Consciousness that will give you the items necessary for triggering this ending. Make sure to reserve enough ingots or resources to guarantee success rather than relying on random chances.
Clearing Difficulty 10 & Ending 3
Difficulty 10 is the highest level in IS6. Once you reach this difficulty you will unlock a 3rd ending. But before that you will need to complete many prerequisite stages and defeat the boss under more challenging conditions. To complete Ending 3 you will have to master mechanics like maximizing Raidian’s summons and balancing your squad composition so that you can stay alive longer in boss fights. Once you have completed Ending 3 you will automatically go up to the advanced player base section because by then you will have mastered most of the game mechanics.
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Conclusion
IS6 will become easy once you start practicing. Start slow, learn mechanics like vouchers and coins, and aim for each milestone one by one. With time you will clear all the endings.
