Nimble Neuron's Eternal Return left early access on July 20, 2023 after three years, and it drops eight teams of three onto Lumia Island for 24 players a match. It plays like a MOBA folded into a battle royale: you level skills, farm wild animals for materials, and craft gear from recipes instead of buying it from a shop. There is no shrinking ring, only restricted areas that go red on a timer, and eliminations buy that timer back.
Resource management and crafting determine how quickly your power scales. This guide covers what to prioritize, where to farm, and how to avoid wasting resources on the wrong upgrades.
Crafting Priority List
The order you should invest resources:
| Priority | Target | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Primary equipment | Biggest damage increase per resource spent |
| 2 | Core build gear | Enables your build's key combinations |
| 3 | Defensive upgrades | Survivability for boss fights |
| 4 | Secondary equipment | Situational options for specific content |
| 5 | Consumables | Temporary boosts for hard content |
Resource Farming by Area
Forest
Key resources: Wild animal kills, early crafting components, mastery experience Farming efficiency: Low value per run, but safe and consistent
Focus on gathering materials for Rapier upgrades here. See our maps guide for detailed area layouts.
Uptown
Key resources: Component boxes, contested early fights, mastery experience Farming efficiency: Good early-game farming spot
Focus on gathering materials for Rapier upgrades here. See our maps guide for detailed area layouts.
Hospital
Key resources: Crafting components, close quarters engagements Farming efficiency: Best mid-game farming, worth revisiting
Focus on gathering materials for Rapier upgrades here. See our maps guide for detailed area layouts.
Beach
Key resources: Coastal components, safe early farming, open ground duels Farming efficiency: High-value materials for late-game upgrades
This is where you farm materials for Two-handed Sword max upgrades. See our maps guide for detailed area layouts.
Research Center
Key resources: Wickeline materials, Legendary and Mythic crafting inputs, permanent boss buffs Farming efficiency: Best resources in the game, requires strong build
This is where you farm materials for Two-handed Sword max upgrades. See our maps guide for detailed area layouts.
Upgrade Path
Early Game (Forest to Uptown)
- Upgrade your starting equipment to functional level
- Craft basic defensive gear
- Save specialty materials, since you'll need them later
- Focus on Rapier once accessible
Mid Game (Hospital)
- Push Rapier to mid-level upgrades
- Start collecting materials for Two-handed Sword
- Craft situational consumables for boss fights
- Upgrade build-specific gear pieces
Late Game (Beach to Research Center)
- Max out Two-handed Sword. This is your top priority
- Complete your build's core gear set
- Craft endgame consumables
- Optional: upgrade secondary equipment for variety
Crafting Mistakes to Avoid
- Spreading upgrades across multiple equipment: Focus one weapon to max before diversifying.
- Hoarding materials: Use them. The game provides enough if you farm efficiently.
- Upgrading the wrong gear: Check our builds guide before investing.
- Ignoring Hospital farming: This area has the best resource-to-time ratio in mid-game.
- Crafting consumables too early: Save specialty materials for late-game recipes.
Resource Efficiency Tips
- Pick a route before the match starts rather than improvising. A route fixes which areas you visit and in what order, which decides your weapon tier, your armour and who you run into, and improvising usually means arriving at a fight one tier behind.
- Farm Hospital during mid-game for the best return on time
- Check the walkthrough to know when each resource becomes available
- Match your farming route to your build. Some classes farm faster in certain areas
More Eternal Return Guides
- Eternal Return Eternal Return Overview
- Eternal Return Best Builds
- Eternal Return Tier List
- Eternal Return Walkthrough
- Eternal Return Beginner's Guide
- Eternal Return Tips & Tricks
- Eternal Return Weapons Guide
- Eternal Return Combat Guide
- Eternal Return Boss Guide
- Eternal Return Maps & Locations
- Eternal Return Classes & Characters
Similar Games
If you enjoy Eternal Return, check out these related guides:
- Dota 2 Crafting Guide: moba game with similar mechanics
- SMITE 2 Crafting Guide: moba game with similar mechanics
- SMITE Crafting Guide: moba game with similar mechanics
