Paladins is Hi-Rez Studios' free-to-play team hero shooter, out of beta since May 2018, and it is no longer being developed. Hi-Rez halted active work on Paladins and the original SMITE on 6 February 2025 during a restructuring that cut a large share of its staff, and the game has been in maintenance mode since. Servers are still up: Steam concurrents in August 2026 average roughly 900 over a rolling 30 days with 24-hour peaks near 1,500, against an all-time high of 60,712. Balance is frozen, so any tier list from 2025 onward is still accurate.
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 weapons | Biggest damage increase per resource spent |
| 2 | Core build gear | Enables your role's key combinations |
| 3 | Defensive upgrades | Survivability for boss fights |
| 4 | Secondary weapons | Situational options for specific content |
| 5 | Consumables | Temporary boosts for hard content |
Resource Farming by Area
Frog Isle
Key resources: Balanced flank routes, clear high ground, short payload path Farming efficiency: Low value per run, but safe and consistent
Focus on gathering materials for Viktor's Assault Rifle upgrades here. See our maps guide for detailed area layouts.
Stone Keep
Key resources: Long sightlines, strong poke angles, punishing open capture point Farming efficiency: Good early-game farming spot
Focus on gathering materials for Viktor's Assault Rifle upgrades here. See our maps guide for detailed area layouts.
Jaguar Falls
Key resources: Vertical flank routes, elevated healing positions, tight payload chokes Farming efficiency: Best mid-game farming, worth revisiting
Focus on gathering materials for Viktor's Assault Rifle upgrades here. See our maps guide for detailed area layouts.
Timber Mill
Key resources: Close-quarters engagements, strong shield chokes, short rotation times Farming efficiency: High-value materials for late-game upgrades
This is where you farm materials for Cassie's Crossbow max upgrades. See our maps guide for detailed area layouts.
Magistrate's Archives
Key resources: Fast respawns, continuous fighting, low rotation punishment Farming efficiency: Best resources in the game, requires strong build
This is where you farm materials for Cassie's Crossbow max upgrades. See our maps guide for detailed area layouts.
Upgrade Path
Early Game (Frog Isle to Stone Keep)
- Upgrade your starting weapons to functional level
- Craft basic defensive gear
- Save specialty materials, since you'll need them later
- Focus on Viktor's Assault Rifle once accessible
Mid Game (Jaguar Falls)
- Push Viktor's Assault Rifle to mid-level upgrades
- Start collecting materials for Cassie's Crossbow
- Craft situational consumables for boss fights
- Upgrade build-specific gear pieces
Late Game (Timber Mill to Magistrate's Archives)
- Max out Cassie's Crossbow. This is your top priority
- Complete your build's core gear set
- Craft endgame consumables
- Optional: upgrade secondary weapons for variety
Crafting Mistakes to Avoid
- Spreading upgrades across multiple weapons: 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 Jaguar Falls 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
- Buy Cauterize by the second team fight in every single match. Anti-healing is the item that decides whether your damage sticks, and a team that skips it will out-damage the enemy all game and still lose the point.
- Farm Jaguar Falls 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 Paladins Guides
- Paladins Paladins Overview
- Paladins Best Builds
- Paladins Tier List
- Paladins Walkthrough
- Paladins Beginner's Guide
- Paladins Tips & Tricks
- Paladins Weapons Guide
- Paladins Combat Guide
- Paladins Boss Guide
- Paladins Maps & Locations
- Paladins Classes & Characters
Similar Games
If you enjoy Paladins, check out these related guides:
- Counter-Strike 2 Crafting Guide: fps game with similar mechanics
- Apex Legends Crafting Guide: fps game with similar mechanics
- Rainbow Six Siege Crafting Guide: fps game with similar mechanics
