If you’re just diving into Persona 5: The Phantom X, one of the first things you’ll want to wrap your head around is stamina. It’s a core system in the game and arguably one of the most noticeable gacha mechanics you’ll run into. Like many mobile RPGs, stamina limits how much you can grind each day, and understanding where to spend it wisely can make or break your early progress.
This guide breaks down everything you need to know about stamina in P5X—from how it works to what you should be farming, what to avoid, and how to avoid wasting your precious refills.
What Is Stamina in P5X?
Stamina is your fuel for progression. You spend it to farm materials, level up your characters, and unlock new systems as you go. Everyone starts with a stamina cap of 240, and it refreshes daily. You’ll unlock the stamina system as you play through the story, somewhere around the first palace, maybe a quarter to halfway through it. Before that, you’ll be guided through a mostly linear tutorial section.
Once stamina becomes available, the real game begins. But here’s the catch: it’s easy to waste. That’s why knowing what to prioritize is essential.
Priority #1: Thief and Weapon Ascension Materials
The first thing you should spend stamina on is thief ascension and weapon ascension materials. Here’s why:
In P5X, your characters hit level caps based on your account level (tied to Wonder, the protagonist). To break through these caps and continue leveling your thieves and their weapons, you’ll need ascension materials.
Why does this matter? Because ascending your thieves and weapons gives you raw stats like HP, attack, and defense. These stats are crucial early on—they directly impact how well your characters survive and dish out damage. More stats = better performance. Simple as that.
Trying to ascend everyone at once, though? Not a great idea. That’s called “horizontal investing,” and it spreads your resources too thin. Focus on building 1 to 2 strong teams instead of trying to power up every unit. While we’re on the topic, check out my colleague’s team-building guide (whether you’re a stickler for the meta or just want a solid team comp).
Priority #2: Weapon and Thief EXP Mats
Next up are your bread-and-butter leveling materials. You’ll want to farm:
- Thief EXP materials
- Weapon EXP materials
While persona EXP materials are technically farmable, they’re not essential in the early game. Stick with leveling up your thieves and their weapons. Getting your main team up to par is more impactful than boosting every little sub-feature early on.
Priority #3: Soul Gems (When You Need Them)
Soul gems are kind of like the universal currency for character growth in P5X. You use them to:
- Level up characters
- Upgrade skills
- Enhance weapons
You don’t need to farm these immediately, though. The game gives you a generous amount just by playing through the story, side quests, events, and even login rewards. Eventually, you will run out and need to farm them, but don’t stress too much in the beginning.
Speaking of generosity, there’s a 30-day login event that showers you with materials to get a few characters up to max right out the gate. Use that wisely.
Priority #4: Personas & Persona Fusion
This is where things get more strategic.
As you progress, you’ll start unlocking higher-ranked personas. Early on, you’ll only have access to 1-star to 3-star personas, but you’ll eventually unlock stronger ones as your account level increases.
Why are personas important?
- They directly influence Wonder’s stats.
- They power Wonder’s skill tree via Insight.
- They provide combat flexibility.
You can equip up to three personas on Wonder at once, each contributing their own strengths. For example:
- Norn = defensive persona
- Daisoujou = buffer
- Carmen = debuffer
Together, they create a flexible toolkit. Wonder is the most versatile unit in the game because he can swap personas mid-combat. That means you can replace a sustain unit like Yukari with a more offensive setup, as long as Wonder picks up the slack with a healing persona.
When you fuse personas, they get added to your companion collection. Each fusion gives you Insight, especially higher-level personas. Insight is used to power up Wonder’s skill tree with bonuses like:
- Extra HP
- Percent-based attack boosts
- Crit rate
This makes persona farming and fusion a core loop for making Wonder stronger.
What NOT to Farm: Revelation Cards (Until Endgame)
Now for the big mistake most new players make: farming Revelation Cards too early.
These are the game’s artifact sets, each with set bonuses (2-piece and 4-piece). They provide stat boosts like:
- Fire attack increase
- Debuff bonuses
- Crit rate, SP recovery, etc.
Sounds great, right? But here’s the catch:
- Completely random main stats and substats
- High stamina cost (40 per run)
- Low drop rates
- Better versions unlock later
At level 35-40 (where most beginners will be), you get purple-grade revelation cards with subpar stats. Meanwhile, gold-grade cards are way more efficient but require higher levels and better drop chances.
So unless you enjoy wasting stamina on RNG slots, hold off until you’re truly in the endgame.
A Word on Stamina Refills (Espressos)
Throughout the game, you’ll earn espressos that refill stamina. You get them from:
- Story rewards
- Events
- Commissions
- Free and premium battle passes
But should you use them right away?
No. Save them for later.
Why? Because high-end farming (e.g. farming top-tier personas like Dionysus or perfect Revelation sets) is stamina-intensive. Example: if Dionysus has an 8-run pity, and each run costs 60 stamina, that’s 480 stamina total just to hit pity. Two days’ worth. Burning through your refills early for low-tier exp or ascension materials will hurt you later when farming actually matters.
Bonus: Skill Level Materials
If you have spare stamina and want to boost your thieves’ abilities, you can farm skill level materials. They’re helpful, but not as game-changing as raw stats from levels and ascension. Use this option sparingly in the early game.
Final Thoughts: TL;DR Farming Priority (for Beginners)
Here’s your stamina spending roadmap:
- Thief Ascension & Weapon Ascension Materials – Break level caps and gain raw stats.
- Weapon and Thief EXP Mats – Level up your core team.
- Soul Gems – Farm only when needed.
- Personas – Farm for fusion and Insight to boost Wonder.
- Skill Materials – Optional, useful in moderation.
- Revelation Cards – Avoid until endgame.
And remember: hoard those espressos. You’ll thank yourself later.
By managing stamina wisely, you’ll set yourself up for a smoother and more rewarding journey through Persona 5: The Phantom X. Whether you’re gearing up for tough boss fights or aiming to fully max out your favorite Phantom Thieves, having a focused approach to stamina use means you’ll get there faster and more efficiently.
As with most gacha-style RPGs, the early game is all about building a strong foundation. Resist the urge to chase every shiny new feature and instead double down on your main team, prioritize long-term returns, and trust the process. That extra care and planning will pay off tenfold when you’re deep into the mid and late game, unlocking higher-tier personas and rolling through content with ease. So take a breath, plan your daily stamina spends, and stay sharp out there. The Metaverse won’t clear itself.
