The Noob Experiment TD Crafting Guide
Master the crafting system in The Noob Experiment TD - learn about materials, recipes, drop rates, and farming strategies
Crafting System Overview
The crafting system in The Noob Experiment TD allows you to combine basic materials into powerful units and items. Understanding how to craft efficiently can dramatically accelerate your progression and give you access to units that would otherwise require significant time or premium currency to obtain.
This guide covers everything you need to know about crafting, from basic materials to advanced recipes and the best farming strategies.
Crafting Materials
The crafting system relies on various materials that can be obtained through gameplay. Each material has different rarity tiers and drop rates.
Core Crafting Materials
Sword The Sword is one of the most common crafting materials. You’ll accumulate these quickly as you progress through waves. Swords are primarily used in early-tier crafting recipes and serve as a foundation material for more advanced crafts. They drop frequently from basic enemies and can be found in most crate types.
Jetpack Jetpacks provide moderate crafting value and are slightly rarer than swords. They appear more frequently in later waves and higher-difficulty maps. This material is essential for crafting several mid-tier units and is often required in bulk for specific recipes.
Headphones Headphones represent a mid-tier crafting material with decent drop rates in Normal difficulty and above. They have good versatility in recipes and are used across multiple crafting paths. Players often find themselves saving headphones for specific unit crafts.
Rocket Rockets are valuable crafting components that become more common as you tackle harder content. They’re essential for many powerful unit recipes and are worth saving rather than using immediately. Higher wave counts and Extreme difficulty significantly increase rocket drop rates.
Laser Lasers are rarer crafting materials that open up advanced crafting possibilities. They drop less frequently but are crucial for high-end recipes. Focus on farming lasers in Hard and Extreme difficulty maps where drop rates are substantially higher.
Armor Core Armor Cores are valuable defensive materials used in specialized crafting recipes. They provide unique crafting options for tank-oriented units and defensive structures. These materials tend to accumulate slowly, so plan your crafting around available quantities.
Energy Materials
Red Energy Red Energy is a special crafting material obtained primarily from defeating elite enemies and completing challenging content. It’s used in powerful crafting recipes and is essential for creating S-tier and Ultimate units. Red Energy is relatively rare, so prioritize its collection in your farming runs.
Blue Energy Blue Energy complements Red Energy in many advanced recipes. It drops from specific enemy types and map objectives. Like Red Energy, Blue Energy should be hoarded until you have sufficient quantities for high-value crafts.
Drop Rates and Farming
Understanding drop rates is essential for efficient farming. Different materials have different rarity tiers, and your farming strategy should account for these variations.
Base Drop Rates
| Material | Common Rate | Rare Rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sword | 15-20% | 25-30% | Most common material |
| Jetpack | 10-15% | 20-25% | Mid-tier material |
| Headphones | 8-12% | 15-20% | Consistent drops |
| Rocket | 5-10% | 12-18% | Better in later waves |
| Laser | 3-7% | 8-12% | Harder content only |
| Armor Core | 2-5% | 6-10% | Elite enemy drops |
| Red Energy | 1-3% | 4-7% | Endgame farming |
| Blue Energy | 1-3% | 4-7% | Elite content |
Difficulty Multipliers
Playing on higher difficulties significantly increases material drop rates. Consider these multipliers when planning your farming sessions:
Easy Mode: 1.0x base drop rate (baseline) Normal Mode: 1.3x base drop rate Hard Mode: 1.8x base drop rate Extreme Mode: 2.5x base drop rate Endless Mode: 3.0x+ base drop rate (scales with wave number)
Farming Strategies
Efficient Farming Tips
Focus your farming efforts during bonus events when drop rates may be increased. Join co-op sessions with friends to clear content faster while accumulating materials from shared enemy kills. Prioritize maps with shorter paths to maximize wave throughput, and consider using farmer units to maintain economy while grinding for materials.
Map Selection for Farming
For basic materials like Swords and Jetpacks, Easy or Normal maps provide the fastest throughput. When farming rarer materials like Lasers and Armor Cores, Hard and Extreme maps offer substantially better returns despite taking longer per run. Endless mode becomes the most efficient for dedicated farming once your roster can handle extended sessions.
Recipe Examples
Crafting recipes combine multiple materials to create powerful units and upgrades. Here are some common recipe patterns you’ll encounter.
Basic Unit Recipes
Many basic units require a combination of common materials. A typical early-game recipe might require 10 Swords and 5 Jetpacks to craft a basic combat unit. These recipes are designed to consume your overflow of common materials while providing useful units for progression.
Mid-tier recipes often combine Headphones and Rockets with basic materials. Expect to need 15-20 of each component for these crafts. These units bridge the gap between starter units and endgame powerhouses.
Advanced Recipes
Advanced crafting recipes typically require a mix of all material types plus energy materials. These recipes produce S-tier units and powerful upgrades that can dramatically impact your performance.
Ultimate Unit Crafting
Ultimate versions of units require significant investment, often needing:
- 30+ of common materials (Sword, Jetpack)
- 20+ of uncommon materials (Headphones, Rocket)
- 15+ of rare materials (Laser, Armor Core)
- 5-10 units of Red and Blue Energy
Recipe Discovery
Not all recipes are immediately visible. Experimenting with different material combinations can reveal hidden recipes. Keep track of successful crafts and document your discoveries to avoid wasting materials on failed experiments.
Crafting Priority
With limited materials, prioritize your crafting based on current progression needs.
Early Game Priorities
Focus crafting on filling gaps in your roster. If you lack reliable DPS, prioritize combat unit recipes. If economy is holding you back, look for farmer unit recipes that can accelerate your progression. Avoid spending rare materials on cosmetic or situational units early on.
Mid Game Priorities
Mid-game players should focus on crafting upgrades for existing units rather than expanding their roster. Invest materials in upgrading your strongest units to handle harder content. Begin saving rare materials like Red and Blue Energy for endgame recipes.
Late Game Priorities
Endgame players have flexibility to experiment with different builds. Focus on crafting Ultimate versions of your best units. Pursue the most challenging recipes for maximum power gains. Consider crafting multiple copies of top-tier units for different game modes.
Tips for Efficient Crafting
Material Management
Don’t rush to spend materials as soon as you acquire them. Wait until you have enough for a complete recipe rather than partially crafting multiple items. Track your material quantities and plan crafts in advance.
Trading and Economy
Some materials are more valuable for trading than others. Red and Blue Energy are often sought after by other players and can be traded for materials you need more urgently. Consider the trade value of materials before using them in crafts.
Event Crafting
During special events, crafting may offer bonus rewards or reduced material costs. Plan major crafting projects around these events to maximize your returns. Events often introduce limited-time recipes worth prioritizing.
Common Crafting Mistakes to Avoid
Mistake 1: Wasting Rare Materials
Don’t use Red Energy, Blue Energy, or other rare materials on recipes for units you’ll replace quickly. Save these for endgame crafts that will have lasting value.
Mistake 2: Spreading Too Thin
Crafting many low-tier units instead of investing in a few powerful ones weakens your overall roster. Concentrate your materials for maximum impact.
Mistake 3: Ignoring Recipe Requirements
Always verify you have all required materials before starting a craft. Partial crafts often cannot be recovered, wasting your investment.
Mistake 4: Not Backing Up Progress
Before major crafting sessions, ensure your account is properly synced. Lost progress due to disconnections can be devastating when crafting expensive items.
Related Content
- Getting Started Guide - Learn the basics before diving into crafting
- Tier List - Know which units are worth crafting
- Game Mechanics - Understand how your crafted units work
- Codes Page - Get bonus materials from active codes