SS13 Farming And Drops
Judge SS13 Afterlight farming after Compass, priceless gear, limited legendary, Moon, Hunt, and Afterlight gameplay drop gate changes.
This site focuses on system understanding and decision support; for season, build, or budget-sensitive advice, check the page date and current version context.
Separate progression from profit
Do not start SS13 farming by asking which route has the highest profit. First decide whether you are still pushing difficulty, repairing the build, or already speed-farming a target difficulty. Legendary Compasses start in Deep Space, rare Compasses start at Moment 8, and priceless gear starts at Moment 8-1. Those gates mean many low-difficulty routes are only transition routes, not long-term farming answers.
Low difficulty is better for skill levels, gear bases, tickets, and starter capital. Serious route comparison usually starts around K8-1, U8, or Deep Space. Before that, route value is often overwhelmed by progression speed and death count.
Key gates
| Target | Gate |
|---|---|
| Legendary Compasses | Deep Space and above |
| Rare Compasses | Moment 8 and above |
| Priceless gear | Moment 8-1 and above |
| Timeless Abyss | Deep Space and above |
| Crimson Gash | Afterlight gameplay at Moment 8 and above |
| Cicada Shell | Afterlight gameplay in Deep Space and above |
| Dancer's Twin Fingers / Silent Monologue | Hunt of the God of Hunting in Deep Space and above |
The table only tells you when a route becomes eligible. It does not prove the route is worth farming for a long time. Real route value still depends on build stability, map time, death cost, Pactspirit level, and Trade House price.
Do not rush Afterlight as the main farm
Afterlight gameplay is the season mechanic, so its drops usually should not be bad. That does not mean it is good to main-farm it from low difficulty onward. Before K7, Afterlight gameplay may slow leveling and its drops may not be exciting yet. Treat it as rule learning and side value first, then decide whether to invest after your difficulty and build are ready.
When you start treating Afterlight as a route, filter it with these checks:
- Whether Wraith monster waves add too much map time.
- Whether your build handles dense waves or escort-style positioning better.
- Whether Drop Pactspirit bonuses for Afterlight gameplay are already part of your setup.
- Whether the exclusive drop has reached its Moment 8 or Deep Space gate.
- Whether the same time would be more stable in U8 generic farming, Compasses, or other materials.
If two or more checks are unstable, treat Afterlight as progression and side value first instead of forcing it as the main farm.
Re-reading Compass routes
Zodiac Plate rewards are reduced in several places: normal Zodiac Plate and Vast Zodiac Plate give less Compass quantity, and the Hunt Compass boss extra magic Compass chance drops from 50% to 25%. At the same time, Moon Compasses and high-tier Hunt Compasses are added.
The conclusion is not "do not farm Compasses." It is "do not use the old stack-Compass-quantity model blindly." Community discussion is already worried about Boss rush and Compass route nerfs, so do not assume that "fast before means profitable now." Check:
- Whether this difficulty can drop the target.
- Whether extra monster life slows the route too much.
- Whether the high-tier mechanic payoff is stable for your build.
- Whether Moon or Hunt routes fit better than older routes.
Do not read only the big numbers on Moon and Hunt
Moon gets new Chaos Cards, talent clusters, and several Moon Compasses. It may become an important SS13 farming branch, but do not judge only by large numbers like +100% drop quantity. Check monster life, statue pacing, the 11-concerto condition, chests, and tablets.
Hunt adds the high-difficulty "Roaming Hunt" branch, plus new Hunt Compasses. Boss count, final boss reward scaling, and extra life stacks all change route speed. Strong builds may treat it as a high-value route. Weaker builds may be slowed down by monster durability and end up with worse reward per time despite the higher-looking route.
Nerfed routes need fresh judgement
The patch clearly reduces or adjusts several older rewards:
- Doll Club drops are reduced, with member service value changes.
- Wanted drops are reduced.
- Inverse Image drop chance is greatly reduced.
- Voyager and Watcher chests drop fewer Zodiac Plates.
- Several Netherrealm Echo talent rewards are reduced.
These routes are not dead by default. They just cannot be evaluated by old season memory. With Dream Interpretation and Dream Talking drops removed, Boss rush changed, and Compass gates pushed higher, returning players should run a small sample first before committing pets and strategy points.
Practical route judgement
Before choosing a route, ask:
- Have you reached the target drop gate?
- Is this route for gear, Compasses, limited legendaries, Memory Fluorescence, or currency?
- Can your build handle extra life, roaming Hunt bosses, Moon statues, or Afterlight mechanics?
- Does map time get worse because monsters are tanky, mechanics are slow, or deaths increase?
- Is the target item valuable enough in the current market?
More direct route notes:
- K8-1 can be a build-completion stop, especially while adding survival and core pieces.
- Do not default to long-term K8-2 farming. If your build is strong enough, prepare for U8 instead.
- Once U8 is stable, compare reward per time and Pactspirit level seriously.
- Deep Space is not automatically profitable just because you can enter it. Without enough efficiency and Drop Pactspirit support, it may be worse than U8, or even lose value.
For early progression, read SS13 League Start. For the version overview, return to SS13 Afterlight.