BEGINNER GUIDE

The fastest, no-waste start — the first-hour route, how summons work, and the team every new player should aim for.

BY KEN LEE · UPDATED SEPTEMBER 3, 2026

STAGE 1 — YOUR FIRST HOUR

01Redeem the latest working codes for free Gems, Trait Crystals and rerolls.
02Start the True Saint Beginner Path from the Events menu — it acts as the tutorial and awards resources plus Beginner Banner tickets.
03Spend your free Beginner Banner tickets before touching Gems.
04Build a balanced team instead of chasing rarity immediately.
05Play Story: get first clears and star objectives for rewards.
06Level the core units you use in most teams.
07Check unit quests and evolution recipes before farming random materials.

THE 5-SLOT TEAM

A balanced team beats a squad of high-rarity duplicates. Cover these five roles:

Cheap opener

Handles early waves before your income grows.

Area damage

Clears grouped enemies quickly.

Boss damage

Prevents late-wave timeouts on tanky targets.

Control / support

Slows, staggers, rewinds, debuffs or buffs.

Economy

Generates more battle currency mid-fight.

Placement: cheapest reliable unit first, upgrade your main carry before spreading low-level placements, keep support in range of its carry.

SUMMONS & PITY

Anime Expeditions combines banner summons with wave-based tower defense. Spend free Beginner Banner tickets before any Gems, and open the in-game Rates panel to check the current pool and pity before you pull. Stop summoning once your team covers opening waves, grouped enemies, and bosses.

UPDATE 2.0 ECONOMY — SAND DOLLARS & FISHING

01Sand Dollars are the Summer Siege event currency — earn them from Tidal Siege waves, event quests, log-in rewards, and fishing.
02Spend them in the event shop: Summer Capsules (100 each, 10 for 1,000) hold limited units, and the new units' evolution items cost 10,000 each — budget before you pull.
03Fishing is free side income: catches, Sand Dollars, and milestone rewards for casting in any pool. The Advanced Rod (750 Sand Dollars) is the best first purchase.
04Event-limited: capsules and shop items leave when Summer Siege ends. Buy the evolution items for any unit you plan to build before that happens.

FAQ

How does the summon pity system work?

Anime Expeditions uses a pity system on its banners, but the exact thresholds rotate with each banner. Always open the in-game Rates panel to see the current pool and pity count before spending Gems.

Should I save my Gems or summon early?

Spend free Beginner Banner tickets first. Only spend Gems once you have checked the Rates panel and your team still has a gap. Don't chase rarity before your team can clear opening waves and bosses.

Who should I use my Trait Crystals on?

Save Trait Crystals for a unit likely to stay on your main team long-term. Don't chase a perfect trait on a temporary unit you'll replace.

Next: pick carries from the tier ranking, plan evolutions in the planner, and grab working codes.