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The workshop isn’t really important until you understand all the other combat and construction mechanics in the game. What it does is let you build specific parts at a certain level, and thus outfit your machines the way you want to build them.
Parts cost resources and take time to build. The abilities to build uncommon and rare parts must unlocked by building two separate base upgrades.
Parts also can only be built once you have discovered their blueprints. The easiest way to get blueprints is to raid enemy convoys.
Also check: Phantom Brigade General FAQ
Phantom Brigade Workshop Guide
When you select a part to build, you can further select its subtype (if applicable) and its rarity (also if applicable). Some workshop projects give you random results, e.g. building thrusters gives you a random one from the pool you choose, and building weapon / body parts rolls a random perk for them.
Workshop level is the average level of your machines. The average level of a machine, in turn, is the average level of all equipped parts. Once you have unlocked a higher workshop level, it stays at its maximum no matter how you re-equip your machines.
The max workshop level goes beyond 100. Ask me how I know…
Workshop Grind
Since workshop level is the average of your machines’ overall levels plus 1, that means it is possible to increase your level simply by building more equipment.
Now workshop level goes past 100, and your resources max out at 10,000/100/100, so don’t worry about saving up for the level cap. Just build parts as you need new ones, and have fun with them.
But if you really want to level grind, here’s the best way to do it.
Level grinding
DO NOT DO THIS WHILE RESUPPLYING
The key observation is that your machine’s level is the average level of all its equipped parts. That means you do not have to completely furnish it with parts in order to raise its level; you can simply remove every other part and then equip a single high-level one.
Also note that workshop level takes the average level of your machines. This is subject to banker’s rounding, but that means you won’t need to completely equip all your machines in order to raise your workshop level.
So, assuming you have 4 frames:
- DO NOT DO THIS WHILE RESUPPLYING
- Strip every single part off every one of your machines
- Build 4 Elbrus arms (the single cheapest component at 70 supplies)
- Equip 1 arm onto each frame
- Workshop level goes up
- If currently at an even level, build 3 parts (banker’s rounding means level 6.5 will be rounded down to 6, so you need to push it up to 6.75 in order to be rounded up to 7)
- If currently at an odd level, build 2 parts (7.5 will be rounded off to 8)
- Replace lowest-level parts
- Repeat as desired
This costs an average of 2.5 parts per level, or 175, minus the refund you get, which is 82, for a disgustingly cheap 93 supplies per level.
As an exercise, determine why doing this is a bad idea while resupplying.
Workshop Upgrades
Not much to say here. None of the upgrades have any bad side effects. The most important ones to get are Advanced and Experimental Assembly, letting you build uncommon and rare parts respectively. Radio Uplink lets you call in Home Guard reinforcements for a laugh or two.