If you’re just starting out in Persona 5: The Phantom X (P5X), one of the most important things to learn early is how to efficiently use your EXP. Many players make the mistake of upgrading too many characters and artifacts too quickly, leading to serious progress issues down the line—especially for free-to-play (F2P) users. In this guide, we’ll walk you through the best way to spend your EXP, level up characters, and manage artifacts without falling into a resource deficit.
1. Focus on a Core Team of Four Characters
Before doing anything else, decide which four characters you want to invest in early. These will include:
- Your main DPS
- A secondary support or tank
- A Navigator
- Another utility or personal favorite
You don’t need to upgrade Wonder (your main character) outside of weapon enhancements. Your focus should be on three main party members and one Navigator who will actively contribute to your runs. Choose wisely—whether it’s based on meta, personal preference, or aesthetic—because EXP is limited and spreading it across too many characters can backfire.
2. Why Limiting EXP Use Matters
P5X requires stamina to farm EXP materials, and getting stuck in an EXP deficit early can drastically slow your progress. If you upgrade more than four characters in the beginning, you may find yourself unable to afford the EXP needed for tougher stages. F2P players should be especially careful—while spenders can recover by buying stamina, F2Ps don’t have that luxury.
Once your core team reaches around level 60, EXP requirements spike. From 60 to 80, the grind becomes much more intense. Reaching level 60 on your key characters is usually enough to get through most early and mid-game content.
3. Upgrade Priority: Characters Before Weapons & Artifacts
Early on, your primary focus should be character level. Character stats scale directly with level, and these raw stats are far more impactful in combat than artifacts or weapons. After all characters in your core team are at a decent level (around 40–60), then you can start upgrading weapons.
Weapons provide a helpful stat boost and make farming easier, especially if you’re struggling to one-shot enemies. Artifacts come later. While they unlock at player level 35, they should not be your priority.
4. When to Start Building a Second Team
Once your main squad is solid, you’ll eventually hit a wall where further progression slows. This is a good time to start working on a second DPS or a second Navigator, especially since you’ll need multiple teams for future game modes like SOS/Kill Boss.
Avoid investing in additional support/debuffer characters early on—these roles are scarce and not as useful until later. Cap your total upgraded characters at around eight. That’s two complete teams, which is enough to get you through all current content.
5. Artifact Tips: Don’t Rush It
Artifacts may look important, but they’re not worth grinding for early on. At level 35, you unlock artifact sets, but the drop quality is poor, and they consume valuable stamina. The artifact rarity system follows this tier:
- Gray – Lowest quality
- Blue – Common
- Purple – Rare
- Gold – Best, but very hard to get early
Avoid burning through stamina for full sets or gold-grade artifacts. You’ll waste resources and get minimal return. Instead, focus on acquiring basic stat bonuses and wait until you’re level 70–80 to start seriously optimizing artifact sets.
6. Card Upgrades: Use EXP Wisely
You can upgrade cards (skills) in P5X, and you’re free to upgrade gray, blue, and purple cards without too much worry. However, gold cards require significantly more EXP, so be cautious when upgrading them. Only max out a gold card if you’re confident it’s worth the investment.
Always check the stat preview on a card or character to see what kind of build they benefit from. Use the in-game recommendation system—it shows which stats you should aim for based on the character’s role.
7. Final Tips to Avoid EXP Waste
- Plan ahead: Don’t upgrade characters randomly.
- Stop at eight characters: That’s enough for two full teams.
- Avoid early artifact grinding: Wait until at least level 70+.
- Use stamina wisely: Focus on EXP farming for main team first.
- Upgrade wisely: Prioritize character level > weapon > artifacts.
- Gold card upgrades: Only for endgame-ready teams.
Persona 5: The Phantom X rewards players who take a thoughtful and planned approach to upgrading. If you avoid spreading your EXP too thin and focus on building a strong core team, you’ll set yourself up for long-term success. Use this guide to stay efficient, avoid common mistakes, and make your journey through the Metaverse much smoother.