1. Team Building Principles
A balanced team always outperforms a stack of damage dealers. Every comp needs four roles covered — check the tier list for the best picks in each:
2-3 units, mixed damage types
1 CC unit (slow, stun, freeze)
1 buffer to amplify team DPS
1 Yen generator, deploy first
Cost Curve Rule
Balance your team across deploy costs: 1 cheap early defender (<2,000 Yen), 2-3 mid-game DPS (5,000-15,000), and 1-2 late-game carries (20,000+). If your entire team costs 15K+ to place, you'll leak waves before you can afford anything.
2. Story Mode Team (Progression)
Igros (Elite Knight)
Tanky frontline + AoE
Cha-In (Blade Dancer)
AoE crowd control lockdown
Haruka Rin (Dancer)
Team-wide damage buff
Akazo (Destructive)
Reliable burst damage
Sprintwagon
Quick ROI economy
Flex slot
Best available unit
Why it works: Igros tanks early waves while Cha-In locks down groups. Haruka Rin's buffs multiply the whole team's output. Sprintwagon generates economy so you can upgrade DPS fast. All units are achievable through regular gameplay — no rare gacha luck required.
3. Legend Stage Farming Team
Alocard (Vampire King)
Burst DPS + enemy debuffs
Yehowach (Almighty)
Sustained raw damage
Cha-In (Blade Dancer)
AoE wave lockdown
Haruka Rin (Dancer)
Team damage amplification
Igros (Elite Knight)
Frontline + AoE
Sprintwagon
Economy for upgrades
Why it works: Legend Stages are 15 waves + boss — you need fast, consistent clearing. Alocard's debuffs weaken the entire wave while dealing damage. Yehowach provides sustained DPS. Cha-In locks down packs so nothing leaks. This comp is versatile enough for essence farming across all Legend Stages.
4. Raid / Boss Team
Alocard (Vampire King)
Boss debuffs + burst
Song Jinwu & Igros
Shadows scale over time
Haruka Rin (Dancer)
Team-wide buff
Divalo (Requiem)
Raw single-target boss DPS
Takaroda
High output for long fights
Flex: CC or DPS
Mode-dependent pick
Why it works: Raids favor sustained single-target damage over burst AoE. Song Jinwu's shadow soldiers scale over extended fights, getting stronger the longer the boss lives. Alocard weakens bosses while dealing damage. Use Takaroda over Sprintwagon here — raids are long enough for his higher max output to pay off.
5. Infinite Mode Team
Song Jinwu & Igros
Infinite shadow scaling
Demon Leader (Control)
Chain scaling up to +250%
Alocard (Vampire King)
Debuffs scale with HP
Yehowach (Almighty)
Sustained raw damage
Haruka Rin (Dancer)
Multiplies all DPS
Takaroda
Max economy for late game
Demon Leader (Makima) Placement Tip
Makima chains up to 10 allied units, gaining +20% damage per chain (up to ~250% bonus). Place 10 filler units before placing Makima to maximize her chain scaling. Never place her first.
Why it works: Infinite Mode requires units that scale with time. Song Jinwu's shadows get stronger every wave. Makima's chain mechanic means she can hit 1M+ base damage at max level. Alocard's debuffs become increasingly valuable as enemies get tougher. Check the evolution guide to get these units evolved.
6. Budget / F2P Alternatives
| Premium Unit | F2P Alternative | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Alocard (Vampire King) | Akazo (Destructive) | Lower ceiling but solid DPS |
| Demon Leader (Control) | Chaso (Blood Curse) | DoT-based damage, more accessible |
| Song Jinwu & Igros | Obita (Awakened) | Scaling DPS, easier to evolve |
| Divalo (Requiem) | Bounty Hunter | Single-target specialist |
| Yehowach (Almighty) | Koguro (Unsealed) | Domain effects (freeze, burn) |
7. Common Mistakes
Stacking DPS Without a Buffer
Haruka Rin buffing 5 units provides more total damage than adding a 6th DPS. Always include at least one Support.
Ignoring Cost Curve
If your cheapest unit costs 10K Yen, you'll leak waves 1-10. Always bring one cheap early defender alongside your expensive carries.
Single Damage Type
Running all units of one element gets hard-countered by resistant enemies. Mix damage types across your DPS slots.
Delaying Farm Unit Placement
Deploy Sprintwagon (or Takaroda) first every run and max it ASAP. Delaying your farm unit delays everything else. Pair with Fortune trait for +20% income.