Anime Expeditions Beginner’s Guide – Banners, Modes & More

Start by redeeming all active codes, completing the Beginner's Path for free rewards and Beginner Tickets, then spend those tickets on the Beginner's Banner for guaranteed higher-tier units. Progress Story Mode on Normal before Hard to claim two separate sets of first-clear rewards. Save every Trait Reroll for Secret or high-value Mythic units. Spending them on early units you will replace within hours is the single most common beginner mistake. For more Beginner Tips, check out our Beginner's Guide.

Anime Expeditions drops you into a tower defense game with six game modes, multiple currencies, banners, trait systems, and equipment all visible from the start. It is easy to scatter resources across every system at once and end up with a weak roster and nothing left to spend. So, to help you get the best start, this beginner's guide covers exactly what to prioritize at each stage.

What Should You Do First in Anime Expeditions?

Before touching anything else, redeem all available active codes. They provide you with tons of free Gems, Trait Crystals, and other resources that give you a solid head start. After that, your first destination should be the Beginner's Path questline in the Events tab.

Completing it gives you Beginner Tickets for the Beginner's Banner and also shows you through every major game mechanic through its objectives rather than forcing you to figure them out alone. Complete the first two chapters of the Beginner's Path thoroughly.

The rewards there are the best early-game freebies available. Later chapters slow down in value, but the opening sections alone give you Gold, Gems, Stat Rerolls, Grey Sprites, and starter equipment that otherwise take hours to farm.

TIP: If you want to know the current active codes for Anime Expeditions, check out our guide.

Which Banner Is Best for Beginners in Anime Expeditions?

The Beginner's Banner is your highest priority once you have Beginner Tickets from the Beginner's Path. It drops guaranteed higher-tier units at significantly lower pity values than any other banner in the game. No other banner gives the same unit-for-resource value for new accounts.

Once Beginner Tickets are exhausted, the choice shifts between the Standard and Mini Banners. For beginners, the Standard Banner is the better first pick because it gives access to Secret units and multiple Mythics, which is what you need to build a functional early team. Save the Mini Banner for later when you are specifically chasing one featured unit.

NOTE: Do not spend Gems the moment you receive them. Save them for Mythic and Secret unit banners rather than spreading pulls across every available option.

What Are the Best Units for Beginners in Anime Expeditions?

The unit priority order for new players is Secrets first, DPS Mythics second, and supports last. Secrets are dramatically stronger than Mythics and worth saving rerolls for rather than spending them on units you will replace quickly. So, below, we've provided all the best ones you should know about:

Best DPS Mythics to Target

Unit	Why Use Them
Cursed Student	Best overall DPS Mythic and stays relevant longer than most alternatives
Gowther	Strong damage output with support utility, works well at multiple stages
Lady Giant/Elf Mage	Good early-game options that are affordable to evolve, though they fall off in the late game
Salmon Sorcerer	Strong support that does no damage but is a near-mandatory late-game pick for Challenges and Raids
String Demon	Good support but outclassed by other options at the same slot

RELATED: Check out our complete Anime Expeditions Tier List to get a better idea about the top units!

Stone Alchemist (Epic) and the Ramen Guy (Legendary) are the two permanent farming units you will use throughout the entire game. Keep them regardless of other pulls.

TIP: If you pull duplicate Mythics, do not sell them. Ascend them using Sprites to increase their damage and range. It is more valuable than the Gold from selling.

How Do You Progress in Anime Expeditions?

Story Mode is your primary objective for the first portion of the game and should be completed before investing time in Raids, Challenges, or Expeditions. Each stage has entirely separate first-clear rewards for Normal and Hard difficulty.

Complete everything on Normal first, then run through Hard to claim both reward sets. Three-star clears on both versions also reward 3 Trait Crystals per stage, so maximizing stars is worth the effort.

Every 30 minutes during your Story farming sessions, return to Regular Challenge #1 for its roughly 1,000 Gem payout. It is one of the highest rewards from any repeatable activity and should never be skipped when the reset is available.

What Are All the Game Modes in Anime Expeditions?

Anime Expeditions has six game modes split into two categories. Here's all of them and what they're best for:

Game Mode	Type	Level Requirement	Best For
Story	Progressive	None	Gems, Trait Crystals, evolution materials, map unlocks
Challenge	Progressive	None	Evolution materials (farm daily)
Raid	Progressive	Level 25	Endgame drops, Raid Shop rerolls
Expedition	Progressive	Level 20	Passive Gold, Resources, Endgame drops
Tournament	Competitive	None	TBA
Global Tournament	Competitive	None	TBA

How Do You Build Units in Anime Expeditions?

There are quite a few mechanics you need to keep in mind when building units in Anime Expeditions. Here's a complete breakdown of each mechanic and what you need to do in them:

Unit Stats

Each unit's base stats are slightly randomized when you first acquire them, which means you are not guaranteed an ideal stat line on pull. Stat Rerolls let you re-randomize stats for a better baseline, and Stat Locks preserve specific stats you want to keep while rerolling others.

Traits

Traits are passive abilities applied to units through Trait Rerolls. They are randomly assigned and organized by rarity. The strongest traits like Unbound, Primordial, Forsaken, and Draconic have very low drop rates but dramatically change a unit's performance. A pity system guarantees rare traits after a set number of rerolls.

Equipment

Equipment provides stat improvements and passive effects that become increasingly important as you push harder content. It splits into two types: general equipment available to any evolved unit, and unit-specific exclusive equipment that only that unit's evolved form can equip. General endgame equipment comes primarily from Expeditions and can be forged through the Armory once unlocked. Check the Equipment Index for a full list of available pieces.

Evolution

Evolution is the single largest power spike any unit can receive, unlocking stronger abilities, higher stats, and access to exclusive unit equipment. Evolution requires colored Sprites, primarily crafted from Grey Sprites, Gold, and special trial items. Farm Grey Sprites at King's Tomb Mastery alongside your Gem farming and craft whichever colors you need.

NOTE: If you don't know where to get the resources to build your units, check out our complete Farming guide to get started.

What Is the Expedition Mode in Anime Expeditions?

Expedition Mode unlocks at Player Level 20 and is the foundation of late-game passive resource generation. The Expedition Room contains several upgradeable structures; here are all of them:

Structure	Function
Gold Mine	Generates passive Gold when fueled
Resource Drill	Produces Geodess containers with rerolls, gems, and materials
Training Grounds	Levels up your units
Expedition Center	Houses the full Expedition skill tree and Armory for crafting endgame equipment
Expedition Shop	Provides weekly reroll and resource purchases

Expeditions itself is a payload-style game mode. The stage difficulty determines which materials you earn, primarily Dirt for upgrading Expedition structures and Timber for crafting. You can modify your route between stages to target whichever resource you need.

The mode gets progressively harder but is also infinite, letting you push as far as your team allows. The endgame in Anime Expeditions centers around Expedition Mode and leveling its structures, farming Expedition quests, and using the Armory to craft the best equipment in the game.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

For more on Anime Expeditions, check out All Secret Units in Anime Expeditions & How to Get Them or Anime Expeditions Tier List – Best Meta Units on Pro Game Guides!