Building a winning team in Anime Expeditions comes down to four roles working together rather than stacking damage. The release meta rewards one hard carry, one damage amplifier, one crowd control unit, and one farmer that gets your board online early. Get those slots right and Story, Raid, and Infinite runs stop leaking.
Quick answer: Run 8th Sword (Berserk) or Shadow (Divine) as your carry, add Puppet (Telekinetic) for damage amp, slot Salmon Sorcerer (Grade 1) or String Demon (Awakened) for crowd control, and place Ramen Guy for +50% Yen. Evolve and trait the carry first before filling the other three roles.
Best meta units in Anime Expeditions
The top of the roster is small right now, and it is mostly Mythic and Secret units. These carry runs on their own or make everything around them noticeably stronger. Focus your evolution materials here.
| Unit | Role | Why it is meta |
|---|---|---|
| 8th Sword (Berserk) | DPS | Highest raw damage. After 25 takedowns, Berserk adds 20% Damage, lower SPA, and Dismembered on hit for 15 seconds. |
| Shadow (Divine) | DPS / Support | Shadow Realm rewinds enemies and gives every Magical unit 25% more Damage for 30 seconds. Its Divine Spirit summon cannot be killed. |
| Puppet (Telekinetic) | DPS / Support | Puppet Mark makes the strongest enemy take 20% more incoming damage, plus a 2-second Rewind on a 30-second cooldown. |
| Cursed Student (True Love) | DPS | Cursed Mimicry copies the closest ally’s attack every third swing, so it scales with both its build and your best carry. |
| Crimson (Brother) | DPS | Piercing Crimson deals 75% Damage per second for 10 seconds down a lane, plus delayed explosions and ground DoT. |
| Toy Maker | Support | Continuously throws blockers onto every path in range, buying huge extra uptime. Scales to the top with Unbound. |
| Salmon Sorcerer (Grade 1) | Support | Applies Slow at every upgrade and Staggers enemies for 2 seconds entering inner range, giving two CC layers. |
| Flame Emperor (Reincarnate) | DPS | Wildfire spreads Burn to four enemies per application and enables Burn-dependent units like Hollow. |
| Ramen Guy | Farm | +50% Yen from kills gets carries online several waves earlier. The best economy unit available. |
The core four-role team comp
Do not run five DPS units. A balanced board clears far faster because crowd control extends how long enemies sit inside your carry’s range, and the farm unit funds upgrades sooner. Build in this order.
Tip: Match your support to your carry’s damage type. Use The Hero with physical carries like 8th Sword, and Forbidden Teacher with magical carries like Shadow or Elf Mage. Shadow’s own domain already buffs Magical units by 25%.
Best traits for your top units
Traits change where a unit lands in the meta. Save Trait Crystals for your main carry first, then roll on supports. Toy Maker in particular only reaches its top-tier DPS with Unbound because she is limited to a single placement.
| Unit | Best trait | Alternative |
|---|---|---|
| 8th Sword (Berserk) | Unbound | Primordial |
| Shadow (Divine) | Unbound | Primordial |
| Cursed Student (True Love) | Unbound | Draconic |
| Puppet (Telekinetic) | Unbound | — |
| Elf Mage (Unleashed) | Forsaken | Primordial |
| Lady Giant (Envy) | Primordial | — |
| Soul Reaper (Released) | Forsaken | — |
| Salmon Sorcerer (Grade 1) | Primordial | — |
| Toy Maker | Unbound | — |
Team picks by game mode
The same four-role plan holds, but the ideal carry and support shift depending on enemy density and run length. Use these pairings as a starting point.
| Mode | Carry | Support |
|---|---|---|
| Story | Cursed Student, Elf Mage | The Hero / Forbidden Teacher |
| Raid | 8th Sword, Shadow | Salmon Sorcerer, String Demon |
| Infinite | Puppet, Lady Giant | Shadow, Salmon Sorcerer |
| Tournament | 8th Sword, Cursed Student | Puppet, String Demon |
Beginner team before you own Secrets
You do not need Secret units to progress. Start with the Time Chamber unit, then build a budget version of the same four roles. Cursed Student (True Love) is the best beginner-friendly Mythic because its evolution is strong and its materials are reasonable.
- DPS: Ban/Greed, Riyo, Cursed Student, or Elf Mage.
- Support: The Hero for physical teams, Forbidden Teacher for magical teams.
- Crowd control: Ice Mage until you unlock Salmon Sorcerer.
- Farm: Ramen Guy, or Stone Alchemist as a temporary stand-in.
True Saint (Holy) is an easy early pickup that applies a mark to raise enemy damage taken, but its numbers fall off in the late game, so avoid over-investing.
Mistakes that slow your progress
- Chasing Secret units before you have a reliable Mythic core evolved.
- Spending evolution materials on starter units you will replace within a week.
- Running five DPS units with no support or crowd control.
- Wasting Trait Crystals on temporary units instead of your carry.
- Skipping exclusive equipment farming after you evolve a carry.
Every unit here can climb higher with the right trait, equipment, and evolution, so prioritize that grind on one carry at a time. Nail the four-role structure early, and you will clear the toughest content long before your roster is complete.
