In EDF 4.1 (and its lower sibling, 2025), achieving 100% weapons is the most troublesome, time consuming, difficult and unreliable task by far, far, far (either if you're going for a trophy, just want to have all the weapons or if you're unlucky and the last one is the one you really want). It's very common that to get the last weapon, or even the last few, a farming nightmare is necessary.
So this farming guide is made in a way to optimize that objective, get all weapons. You can still go for the same missions to farm weapons, but be aware that once the guidelines to avoid problems are broken, there's nothing you can do except have a lot of luck.
I do suggest you read this first if you're new to the game:
https://cris3fgametipsandgrumbles.blogspot.com/2023/12/edf-weapons-farming-basics.html
Weapons are largely obtained by a RNG result. I say largely because it's not unusual to have gamers play hundreds of games to get the last weapon, and without any luck. The stubborn ones to show up are usually the same: less likely the Ranger's Lysander Z and UMAZ Grenade Launcher, most certainly the Wing Diver's Hreidmarr, Thunder Bow XD, Gungnir, Thunder Orb or Final Days or the Air Raider's Rule of God, Absolute Bunker and Balam Type-F. Most of them are not even useful for solving missions, but unfortunately you need all for the trophy to pop if that's the case.
Since almost everyone is usually affected by the same pools of weapons and considering that other weapons are as high or with higher levels than the usual culprits and they don't pose any issues by showing up in end game results it's possible that besides the normal RNG there's a pool of weapons that Sandlot has assigned to just drop on specific situations.
Weapons progress is usually good until you just have around 20 left to obtain. Things start to get difficult at this point. When you have below 10, it gets worse. By 5, it gets a lot worse, and by 3 and below it's usually nightmare time. And it's not only because the RNG has a smaller pool of weapons to choose from.
In EDF 4.1 the weapons drop range for Inferno or Hardest missions is huge, around 60. This does not help at all at obtaining weapons.
After spending more than 150 hours just to get one stupid useless weapon for EDF 2025 on the PS3 (Rule of God for the Air Raider, the highest level weapon in the game, level 95), I decided never to have the same dreadful nightmare again. Even thought I enjoy the game, weapons farming is acceptable if it's productive, but a endless stream of games just to not get one stupid weapon is boring and irritating.
When I played the japanese version of EDF 4.1 I decided to find a way to avoid this and it does work. I call it the "reverse weapons farming". Instead of making the normal progress through the game as Sandlot envisioned, I aim to reach the highest mission in inferno, the highest difficulty, ASAP and with as few lower difficulty missions played as possible, with as few weapon crates picked as possible and with as few low level weapons as possible. Missions after 40 on inferno will not yield weapons with a lower level than 30. My reasoning was that if a large pool of unobtained weapons below 30 was still present this would improve a lot the odds of obtaining all the weapons with the highest levels, 80+. And thankfully it does. I've done this 3 times on 4.1 games, and once on EDF 2025 Japanese (EDF 4) and it works. By 150 hours I have the 100% weapons trophy and all inferno done, and all the weapons level 80+ earlier than the 100 hours of gameplay. After this all it remains is moping up the lower difficulties, which yes is boring at this stage, but there's no other way to do it as difficulties don't stack.
If this sounds daunting it's not, specially if you have some experience with the game. If you're not there's the option of farming weapons online. Try to play games with experienced players who can solo high level missions in inferno. If they let you, the rewards are usually awesome and can give you a good head start.
I insist on finishing these games 100% solo, so the way to do that will be explained.
I don't do voice-overs on my videos so I put all relevant information in the video description. If you belong to the TL:DR people, well... tough luck.
I do think it's advisable to read the descriptions in my videos, you might learn something.
By far the easiest classes to tackle this are the Wing Diver and the Air Raider. The Fencer is a difficult class to master, and personally, I hate the damn idiot, although many gamers love him. The Ranger it's a fun class to play and he's the only one that can restore the health of NPCs when he restores his, but his high end weapons are not powerful or problem solvers, so although most end game missions can be done with him they do require a lot more thought, time and care to achieve.
One of the main advantages of the game is that you can play solo on split screen with 2 different classes, leaving one idle in the beginning and using your main to almost finish the whole mission. Then near the end, when it's safe, revive your teammate if necessary and pick the weapon crates with him. Offline, weapons crates only provide weapons for the player that picked them. Online, all weapon crates will be shared by all players, so all will get the same amount given by the sum of all that the present players at the successful end of the mission picked.
The Air Raider is by far the class that can make your end game solo farming needs more easy. There's no other class that can master and easily beat the necessary missions for this and that can easily stay alive idle while you pick weapons with the second class that you want to farm weapons for.
This is a "easy" solo roadmap to get to the final missions in inferno. Missions are unlocked in sequence, once you finish one mission you'll unlock the possibility of playing the next in any difficulty you want.
Missions not mentioned here should be played in the highest difficulty you can. Up to level 60 ish, the WD is the easiest and most advantageous class to use for this. Try to play the next mission on inferno or hardest. If you're not able to, play it on hard or normal, but AVOID at all costs to pick any weapon crates in these difficulties. All weapons you'll pick in these are useless and you'll be lowering the RNG pool for all the weapons.
The NPCs are the biggest difference between EDF 2025 and 4.1. They changed the game so much that it's a completely different one. They were seldom present in 2025 missions and were mostly useful as bait because they were too dumb and inefficient to provide any other usefulness. In 4.1 they're a essential part of your tactics, and either used as bait or help they're essential to the outcome of most missions. If I don't mention anything they're to be ignored or used as bait.
Sadly, EDF 4.1 and 2025 missions have a HUGE range of weapon levels they will drop.
Mission 1 - Reconvene, WD can do it it level 0 weapons
Weapon levels 0-50
The first mission can be done straight in inferno with the WD with basic armor (150). All you need is the Rapier level 0 and a lot of patience. Fly left from start and from the 2 tallest buildings there's a up passageway going to the park. The last building to left of this passageway before reaching the park is the one you want. Just hide in the columns of this building near the building just next to it and ants can't hit you, since they just bite on the first mission. It's easier if you're on the side opposite the park. This is a excellent farming spot, it will be used again in later missions.
You'll need a lot of patience, takes around 45 minutes to kill all inferno ants with the Rapier 0. When there's just one alive, dodge it by going away, she'll follow you and then return to pick the loot. With some luck you'll get a better rapier and this will be easier. You can get weapons up to level 50ish, which is nice. Once you get decent weapons proceed ASAP to the next farming mission.
Air Raider and Ranger can sort of do the same but it will be an even bigger bore, expect this to last around 2 hours for them. It will depend on your patience.
Wing Diver video showing how to do it, not complete but it's the same bore for 45 minutes:
Although there are other missions you could play onwards, do proceed to the next mission immediately, as the difference in ease, weapons grade and number of weapons to previous ones are huge.
Mission 44 - Natural Calamity, all classes can do it with hard class weapons
Weapon levels 14-74
This one is a piece of cake with any class, but again the WD excels here with her weapons and ease of weapons pick-up.
You can do it with the Wing Diver with stock armor (although you'll probably have around 250 just by reaching mission 44), and a weapon as basic as the Thunder Bow 15s. This weapon is a measly level 18 one, which you can get by finishing mission 1 on hard. If you can't finish mission 1 on hard with the level 0 weapons after playing a few missions, don't even try to play the rest of the game.
Just dual equip your best Thunder Bow or Idunn, just fly left and a little below to a building that has a flowerbed on the corner, climb to the flowerbed and aim the weapon just above the EDF soldiers and shoot. You don't even need to bother to switch weapons, but you can. Alternatively, you can take one of these and a destructive weapon to destroy buildings and help with crates pickup at the end. There's an orbs wave, then a flying vehicles wave, then a final flying vehicles wave.
You can't recruit ANY EDF Wing Divers or Fencers. If you do you'll probably die as they will be all over you and you just shoot yourself or get thrown out of your safe spot. Between waves, there's enough time to pick crates but don't take many chances. Flying vehicles can zap 500 armor in a snap so don't risk. Go pick the crates when there are just 2 or 3 left. You can recruit the remaining EDF people at the end of the third wave, this way they'll annoy and destroy the last flying vehicles while you pick what you need. One of the advantages is that almost all crates will be spread in a very small area. Check roofs, a few there probably. You can expect to get between 3 and 8 weapon crates usually.
Other classes just split screen, let it die, revive it when there are just 2 or 3 flying vehicles of the 3rd wave and pick crates. There will be plenty of life crates. Use the interval between the 2nd and 3rd wave to scout crate locations with the WD. Bring an explosive to level down the two buildings near your starting point in case some weapon crates are on their top.
However other classes can do the mission easily too.
This is so easy that to die you have to be unlucky in the orbs wave or make a serious error picking the crates while there's still flying vehicles. As easy as level 11 was on 2025, but a much later mission. ?
Wing Diver Inferno run with level 18 weapon and 500 armor:
Ranger Inferno run with level 20s weapon and 500 armor:
Fencer Inferno run with level 20s weapon and 500 armor:
Air Raider Inferno run with level 30s weapon and 500 armor:
Mission 60 - Ill Omen, Wing Diver
Weapon levels 23-83
Another masterfully easy mission thanks to the same exploit as in mission 1. Hiding under the same building, but this time facing the park, will make this mission very easy with the WD. Explained on the video.
Wing Diver run with level 50 weapons:
Mission 75 - Death Queen, Wing Diver with hard class weapons
Weapon levels 32-92
A easy cave mission, as enemies show up in waves and you can bottleneck them. Cave missions are in the dark in 4.1, so they can only be easy if you played 2025, as the maps are the same but there they were played with lighted caves. If you need to know the maps they're more difficult. This mission is an absolute joke if you have the Thunder Sniper 40 (can be done with 6 but takes a long time). You can do the mission without almost going near the enemies as the Thunder Sniper shots go through the tunnels for a very long range and reflect on the walls. Just avoid being greedy with the last 2 queens, you can regret that, and the mission still usually provides good loot until you kill them. Avoid mission 70, Den of Thieves, a cave mission with tons of spiders along with 2 giant ones that is always recommended for farming. Not only you can die easily, but worst the rewards are usually very bad.
Thunder Bows can do the same job, but are not dead easy as the Thunder Sniper.
Although both Gungnir and Thunder Bow XD, the 2 level 92 weapons for the Wing Diver, are within the range of the possible drops in this mission, in all missions the highest level you can get is VERY unusual to drop. However, the awesome Idunn-FF is easy to get here, and the very good Hreidmarr too, both level 90 weapons.
Wing Diver run with Thunder Sniper 6 and Thunder Bow 20 (level 40 weapons):
Wing Diver run with Thunder Sniper 40:
Mission 78 - Labyrinth of Light, Wing Diver with hard class weapons
Weapon levels 33-93
This one isn't a piece of cake, but can be done with some training with WD. The rewards are usually good, and it's really easy to farm for other classes too using split screen and reviving them at the end for crates pickup.
Air Raider can do it too, but does not excel like Wing Diver.
Wing Diver run with hard class weapons:
Air Raider run:
The end game missions
Your ultimate goal is to reach missions 81+. These are the only ones that can provide level 95 weapons, and although there's only one level 95 weapon, there are several in the 88-92 in 3 classes and these will drop faster and easier on these missions too.
The idea is to get ALL 80+ (or even better 70+) weapons or all classes before going for the last lower grade ones.
You should start with Air Raider, because he has the highest level weapons, one level 95. Then Wing Diver and Ranger both stopping at level 92. And Fencer for last since his highest level weapon is 87.
Of the missions 81+ several are not interesting for farming. Mission 81, Fallen Flagship, was a major farming mission in EDF 2025, but it's a lot more difficult in 4.1, especially the mission end, as flying vehicles can make your life miserable. It's still easy with the AR and the right gear, but crates are too spread and it's ultimately a PITA to do and not very productive. 83, Encircling is a fun mission to do with any class, but it's not that easy, also with fewer rewards and very spread. 84, Divine, is an unreliable mission as the giant dragon can kill you in a snap, it's luck-dependent and rewards are always miserable for the effort. 85, The Threat, is moderately difficult, rewards are extremely spread and a PITA to pick. 87, Massive Mobilization, is by far the most difficult mission in the game, so farming this one is not a good option. 89, Star Eaters, is not that difficult, and yes here the Ranger excels, as you can do the mission with the Hercules and the Reverse Shooter X (to improve your chances of survival at mission start) with 1000-ish armor. The problem is that it takes close to 1 hour to finish and there will be crates all over the map. So lousy for farming.
As it stands 3 really good end game missions standout to farm all the highest weapons. They only work thanks to the combination of a really competent NPC help which will handle most smaller enemies while you concentrate on the big stuff they can't kill, the ability of the Air Raider to support them and the power of the Epsilon tank to take down huge stuff that the NPCs can't handle. No other class can do this, so they will have a lot more difficulty in farming any of these missions.
This combination will not work on many early missions precisely because the 3 conditions aren't met, so don't think this loadout is a panacea to solve a ton of missions. It's not.
I'm going to list the missions from worse to best. Air Raider rocks in all of them, as he's the best and easiest class to use by a gazillion miles. The best gear for the 3 is the same:
- level 84 Epsilon Blast Railgun E
- level 77 Life Vendor ZD
- level 64 Guard Post M3 (yes this one is better than higher level Zone Protector ZM, less range but more protection power)
These 3 missions can be done with similar lower specs weapons, it will be just more unreliable and difficult. If using the lower level 69 Epsilon Blast Railgun, you can exchange the Live Vendor or Guard Post for the level 66 Power Assist Gun or the 84 Power Post ZM.
All these 3 missions can be done with low armor for the AR. You're mostly inside the tank, you'll be very unlucky if you die on the few occasions you're out of it.
Mission 86 - Battle to the Death
Weapon levels 38-98
An easy task for the Air Raider, where the power of the Epsilon shines.
Summon the tank, roll right to capture the rangers and then left to capture the fencers. Don't go for the WDs too difficult. Return to tank, head right and into the beach, station near the Naegling there. Install life vendor and guard post, and use them again when necessary. Life vendors are not rechargeable, guard and power posts are.
Shoot hectors, keeping an eye on the left. When the 2 large transports show up, destroy immediately the left one, then the right one. The left one drops ants they will destroy your left tanks in a snap, that's why it must go away quickly. Destroy all hectors. When they're all finished, start to shoot Argonaut. After a few shots, another 2 large transports will spawn. Be ready and destroy immediately the right one, this one will drop yellow ants. Destroy the argo, leaving the left transport dropping flying vehicles. Revive your other class if necessary, pick crates.
Be careful if friendly tanks survived after you killed the Argo ship you must destroy them ASAP or they will bring down the last transport and you won't be able to pick up the crates. Be careful picking crates in the water, flying vehicles are dangerous in inferno. Although this can be done with really lower armor for the AR be careful picking crates with him or other classes if you have really low armor, as any flying vehicle attack can kill with ease.
Remember to keep spawning new tanks when you can do that, and installing new protection beams when the others run out.
The main issue is that weapons crates will be all over the map, and likely many will be on the water and tricky to get. Also, the Argo can go to the sand area and massacre all NPCs in a snap.
Air Raider run with level 60ish weapons:
Air Raider run:
Mission 82 - Heaven's Army
Weapon levels 36-96
The easiest and quicker one.
Throw the tank towards the Naegling and NPCs WDs to the right. Roll left and go up, capture the 2 fencer squads, come back down and capture the 2 ranger squads then continue to roll right and capture the 2 WD squads and enter the tank. Station tank near Naegling, install life vendor and guard post. Bring down the left or right transports. While the other one is closed, help your team by shooting the red dragons, or going to the side machine guns and help by killing dragons and red bees. Shoot the other transport, you must always leave the center one alive. No more dragons will spawn, just a last batch of red bees. Once they're all gone you should still have most of your NPCs alive, collect the loot. Your NPCs will shoot down the last transport in a while so don't delay the collecting. You'll have a large loot concentrated just around your position.
Wing Diver can do it easily too, but needs Gungnir. You can also try with Monster-S but it will be more unreliable.
Quick mission, and with the vast majority of crates in a small area. Easy to pick if you leave the bees from the last transport alone.
Air Raider run:
Wing Diver run with Gungnir:
Mission 88 - Scorching
Weapon levels 39-99
The best mission in the whole game for high end farming.
Summon tank, capture every NPC, install life vendor and guard post in tank, enter tank, shoot 3 deroys. Help teammates with tank machine guns killing ants and spiders. While they deal with last flying vehicles summon a new tank, and head back on the same road until the map ends with the new tank. Put the tank along the map edge along the edge road, so you can shoot the machine guns easily on one side towards the map center. Install posts when the second wave is coming, and go to the machine gun facing the map center. Help your teammates kill a few dragons, then use the railgun to shoot the 2 giant bees, and the red dragons. The NPC will handle the rest. You can pick crates while the 2 shield bearers are walking around, kill one if you want.
Summon a new tank, and install it in your spawn position. Kill the last shield (can be a pain as he flees). When the new wave starts, kill right and center transports, giant ant and spider, then deroys and red orbs. You should still have around 10 NPCs alive (preferably the WDS and the ranger with the laser gun), they can kill alone all coming waves of ants from the last transport. Install the tank and the NPCs in the open area along the road where you start slightly to the right almost near the transport. Pick crates with second class. or walk around with the tank if it's for the AR. You can have 2 ARs as split-screen classes...
Quick mission, and with the vast majority of crates in a small area, but some far away. Works awesomely in split screen, you can leave the Air Raider with the NPCs killing ants, and pick crates in peace with the second class.
Air Raider run:
Keep doing these 3 missions. Concentrate first on the WD and AR weapons, they're the classes that have more high-level weapons and the ones that usually give problems. Then handle the Ranger and finally deal with Fencer, which has by far the lowest number of high-end weapons and the highest is just level 85. Once you have all weapons level 75+ for all classes you can play the remainder of the game as you want, you'll eventually get all weapons along the way.
Don't leave just one high-end weapon for last, you'll surely regret it dearly.
Don't overplay or farm the 3 missions. I farmed some extensively to test, it's not worth it. There's no need to pick more than 50 weapon crates per game for weapons to show up. When I farmed a level to get 200 or 300 crates in the same mission I did not earn more weapons, so it's a time waste. If the weapon is going to drop, 20 or 30 crates is enough.
Don't play the same mission over and over. Keep rotating these 3 missions. It's more productive and seems to help. And less boring.
One of the things that will seem hocus pocus is that when there are a few weapons to get, you'll notice that sometimes the game is not in a mood to drop any. This behavior is equal among all EDF games. So if you do 5 missions and no weapon drops, just close the game, restart and try again or in another day. Perhaps it's related to the way the RGN is initialized, I don't know but this does happen.
You don't need the DLC. You'll read a lot that the best mission for farming weapons is Golden Darkness, mission 21 in DLC 1. It's not. Not only it's not as easy as it's painted, it's long and the rewards are not that good. The only advantage will be that other classes can do it more easily than they can do the last 3 missions I mentioned, but split screen has its huge advantages. The last missions in the game itself are the best for this. The DLC is great anyway if you like the game, but not useful for this goal.
If you follow these steps you'll surely have a much easier life to get the trophy and / or all the weapons. The strategy works exactly in the same way on EDF 2025 for the PS3, but the missions to accomplish this are different ones.
Have fun,
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