In Horizon Walker, resource planning directly determines your gaming experience three months down the line. I've tested this across five accounts, and the paths for self-made accounts versus starter accounts are completely different. The pitfalls I've encountered could fill a textbook. Many players go hard on gacha at the start, only to get stuck at level 52 later due to XP shortages - that's the classic newbie trap. This article lays out box opening timing, shop purchase order, stage farming priority, and character recruitment list. Just copy the homework, don't ask why. Follow this guide and you'll have smooth resource flow before level 60 with a competitive roster.

1. Resource Box Opening Timing

XP boxes must be saved until Basket level 56 to open - this is an iron rule. Opening before level 56 is a pure loss, cutting your gains in half. Weapon boxes are more flexible since only EX weapons are worth enhancing currently; other qualities are just transitional.

Before opening weapon boxes, you must confirm one thing: can your current Basket output farm the stone quality you need? Stage drops ≠ Basket output, and many people get stuck here. The purple stones from Warden stage can only be stably produced by Basket at level 53 - I've stepped in this pit three times.

2. Shop Purchase Priority

Don't buy any boxes from the shop; their value gets trampled by resource stages.

Whether to buy gift boxes depends on character affinity. If any character's affinity isn't maxed, buy purple gift boxes weekly. Purple gift boxes are only for Crowns, which directly give +100 affinity - currently the most valuable gift in the version.

For blue/green gift selection, check character needs and prioritize blue. For specific gifts each character wants, directly check the character affinity table - don't guess. B, A, S tickets will definitely be lacking later; buy them weekly if economically possible. B tickets are key resources for gambling mini-cart traits.

3. Farming Route Planning

Self-made accounts and starter accounts have completely different routes - this is crucial.

1. Self-made accounts must farm gold stages early. Because self-made accounts start with zero resources, weapons, skills, and relics all require gold draws. The gold deficit is terrifying. Without farming gold stages, you can't even build a basic roster.

2. Starter accounts should farm XP stages directly. Starter accounts come with massive gold, and XP stage gains far exceed gold stages. Later character leveling consumes astronomical XP - leveling from 56 to 57 requires 8000 XP. Don't farm early and you'll get stuck.

Gold can last starter accounts half a year if allocated reasonably. Stop buying gift boxes when all character affinities are maxed; spend the saved currency on tickets instead.

4. Gift & Ticket Management

Ticket priority: B > A > S. B tickets are used to gamble mini-cart general traits. The mini-cart is a F2P god-tier unit. Getting traits of Dodge + Crit + Attack Speed means instant graduation. Don't care whose cart it is; lock it if the traits are right.

B-rank mini-carts can be trained, but don't buy fragments for ascension. The improvement is pitifully small; use spare carts for fodder ascension instead.

5. Gacha Pool Strategy

Regular gacha uses normal tickets, which drop everywhere in stages. Event pool uses event tickets. Don't panic if you draw but lack gold to exchange; the pool leaves a one-week exchange period after ending, which is absolutely enough time.

Limited pool uses pink tickets, obtained through official welfare, event check-ins, and dopamine missions. Pull for both new and rerun characters. Currently, Dark Skin has the worst cost-performance ratio, nerfed by the developer; everything else is worth getting to 0+1.

6. Relic Farming Guide

Stages 1-2 relic stages can be farmed casually, just complete daily missions. Don't enhance them and waste gold. Stage 1 farms Wandering sets for tanks/supports as过渡; Stage 2 is Queen's graduation set.

Basket level 50 unlocks all EX relics. Except for those used for X, everything needs farming:

1. First set for melee DPS

2. Second set (4 pieces) is support/tank's graduation set

3. Third set for archers

4. Fourth set (3 pieces) for Fire Girl, Ice Girl, Zelda

Newbies should farm them first and use them. Prioritize sub-stats for DPS positions, then support later. Remember sub-stat maximums: Magic ATK max 5%, Crit DMG 10%. Don't farm the wrong ones.

7. Character Recruitment & Training

Brief mention of push team composition; details see team analysis posts.

Four A-rank must-haves: Tank, Defense Break Goddess, One-Shot Sister, Mini Wind Girl. For S-rank, get these four: promising 8-cost warrior, dodge goddess, high-value tank. SS-rank only has Dark Skin exchangeable, but its strength was nerfed.

For non-EX weapons, only exchange mini-cart, Flash Sister, and Nun weapons. Don't touch other A, S, SS weapons. Mini-cart must be trained; traits of Dodge + Crit + Attack Speed mean instant graduation.

8. Trait Transfer & Ascension

All recommended characters must be transferred 3 times - this is the baseline. B-rank character traits rely on scissors transfer. Scissors cost 300 butterflies each; only cut traits for main DPS and main support. Characters with negative traits like Red Secretary should be washed with stones.

If you draw duplicate EX characters, exchange them with gold even without tickets - ascension and weapons provide huge improvements. Currently, all EX characters are worth 0+1 except Platinum. Elysium is fine at 0+1; others should be pushed further if possible.

Don't upgrade skills randomly. Weak skills go to +3, core skills stop at +6. Skill materials become scarce later; gold must be spent wisely. This game has many pitfalls but transparent mechanics. Follow this guide, and you won't fall behind before level 60.