Anime Expeditions
Anime Expeditions Tier List Guide
Anime Expeditions tier list ranking the best DPS, support, and farm units for Story, Raid, and Infinite modes, with trait recommendations and beginner picks.
Overview
Stats Table
| Category | Best Pick | Why It Wins |
|---|---|---|
| Best Overall DPS | 8th Sword (Berserker) | Highest raw damage and full AoE scaling |
| Best Support | Shadow (Divine) | Magic buff + unkillable summon + crowd control |
| Best Beginner DPS | Cursed Student (True Love) | Strong passive, accessible evolution, scales well |
| Best Farm Unit | Ramen Guy | +50% Yen from kills accelerates upgrades |
How to Obtain
Prioritize one Mythic or Secret DPS before investing in supports.
- • Summon for Cursed Student, Elf Mage, Lady Giant, or Puppet early.
- • Evolve your carry before building secondary damage dealers.
- • Save Trait Crystals for your carry's best trait.
Pair your carry with units that amplify its damage type.
- • Use The Hero with physical carries.
- • Use Forbidden Teacher with magical carries like Shadow or Elf Mage.
- • Add Salmon Sorcerer or String Demon for crowd control.
Guide Details
Overview
This Anime Expeditions tier list is most useful when treated as a roster-building tool rather than a popularity chart. A unit's value depends on whether you have the materials to evolve it, the trait to roll on it, and the map to farm its exclusive equipment. The rankings below account for raw power, accessibility, and how well each unit fits into a balanced team.
Verified by Sophia Reed on July 17, 2026 at 11:30 UTC: I cross-referenced multiple community tier lists, in-game passive descriptions, and trait scaling notes to produce role-based rankings that reflect the public launch meta.
Ranking Method
Units are scored on four criteria:
- Damage output — Single-target burst, AoE coverage, and scaling with traits.
- Utility — Buffs, debuffs, crowd control, and summon pressure.
- Accessibility — Banner availability, evolution cost, and material difficulty.
- Mode flexibility — Performance across Story, Raid, and Infinite modes.
A unit can rank high in one role but low in another. Shadow, for example, is a top-tier support even though it also deals high damage.
Role-Based Tier List
The tier list below is split by combat role rather than flattened into one list. A unit can be S-tier in one role and B-tier in another, so match the role to your team need.
DPS Tier List
| Tier | Units |
|---|---|
| S+ | 8th Sword (Berserker) |
| S | Shadow (Divine), Cursed Student (True Love), Puppet (Telekinetic) |
| A | Elf Mage (Unleashed), Soul Reaper (Released), String Demon (Awakened), Toy Maker |
| B | Flame Emperor (Reincarnate), Hollow (Blaze) |
| C | True Saint (Holy) |
S+ Tier Notes
8th Sword (Berserker) is the highest raw DPS unit in the game. After 25 takedowns it enters Berserk mode, boosting damage, SPA, and range. Combine with Unbound for endgame clear speeds.
S Tier Notes
- Shadow (Divine) combines summoner DPS with a magic buffing domain and crowd control. The Divine Spirit summon cannot be killed or despawned.
- Cursed Student (True Love) scales with Bleed stacks and performs follow-up attacks every third swing. Unbound pushes its damage to top-tier levels.
- Puppet (Telekinetic) mixes high DPS with a damage amplification mark and a rewind effect that resets enemy positions.
A Tier Notes
- Elf Mage (Unleashed) builds Arcane charges into follow-up spells and rewards consistent attack uptime.
- Soul Reaper (Released) is a critical-based DPS unit that self-buffs with permanent damage and crit increases.
- String Demon (Awakened) deals lower raw damage but provides excellent CC and team-wide follow-up triggers.
- Toy Maker is normally limited by one placement, but Unbound makes her one of the highest-scaling damage units in the game.
Support Tier List
| Tier | Units |
|---|---|
| S | Shadow (Divine), Salmon Sorcerer (Grade 1), String Demon (Awakened), Puppet (Telekinetic) |
| A | The Hero, Forbidden Teacher, Ice Queen, Water Princess |
| B | Lady Giant (Envy), Crimson (Brother), Flame Emperor (Reincarnate) |
S Tier Support Notes
- Shadow (Divine) buffs all magical units by 25% inside its domain and pushes enemies back.
- Salmon Sorcerer (Grade 1) applies a 20% slow on all upgrades and staggers enemies entering half range.
- String Demon (Awakened) cocoons and stuns enemies every 6 attacks, buying massive time for DPS units.
- Puppet (Telekinetic) amplifies damage taken by marked enemies and rewinds the entire wave on demand.
Farm Tier List
| Tier | Unit | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| S | Ramen Guy | +50% Yen from kills accelerates early upgrades and evolution costs. |
Ramen Guy is the only dedicated economy unit in the current roster. Place him early to compound Yen income, then sell or replace him in late waves once your team is established.
Best Traits by Top Unit
| Unit | Best Trait | Alternative | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8th Sword (Berserker) | Unbound | Primordial | Unbound's +350% damage scales the highest base damage in the game. |
| Shadow (Divine) | Unbound | Primordial | Both traits boost summon and magic damage output. |
| Cursed Student (True Love) | Unbound | Draconic | Unbound scales follow-ups; Draconic boosts bleed bat spirits. |
| Elf Mage (Unleashed) | Forsaken | Primordial | Forsaken amplifies the crit-focused follow-up spells. |
| Lady Giant (Envy) | Primordial | — | Attack speed and range fix her Giant-form slowdown. |
| Soul Reaper (Released) | Forsaken | — | Maximizes his built-in crit scaling. |
| Salmon Sorcerer (Grade 1) | Primordial | — | Range and SPA improve slow and stagger uptime. |
Best Beginner Units
You do not need Secret units to progress. Strong budget picks include:
- DPS: Thunder Shinobi, Reishi Archer, Cursed Student, Elf Mage
- Support: The Hero, Forbidden Teacher
- CC: Ice Mage
- Farm: Ramen Guy
Build one carry, one buffer, one CC, and one economy unit before chasing Secret evolutions.
Mode-Specific Picks
| Mode | Recommended Carry | Recommended 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 |
Common Mistakes That Slow Progress
- Chasing Secret units before building a reliable Mythic core.
- Investing evolution materials in units that will be replaced within a week.
- Running five DPS units with no support or crowd control.
- Wasting Trait Crystals on temporary starter units.
- Ignoring exclusive equipment farming after evolving a carry.
FAQ
What is the best unit in Anime Expeditions right now?
8th Sword (Berserker) is the highest raw DPS unit, while Shadow (Divine) is the most flexible support and secondary damage dealer.
Which unit should beginners aim for first?
Cursed Student (True Love) is the best beginner-friendly Mythic because its evolution is strong, its materials are reasonable, and it scales well with common traits.
Is Shadow better as DPS or support?
Shadow functions as both. Its domain buffs magical allies and pushes enemies, while the Divine Spirit summon deals mirrored damage. In most teams it is the highest-value support slot.
What is the best support unit for physical teams?
The Hero buffs all physical units in range by 5% per upgrade, making it the best budget support for physical carries like 8th Sword.
Should I evolve Toy Maker?
Only if you can roll Unbound on her. Toy Maker is limited to one placement, which makes her weak without Unbound's massive damage multiplier. With Unbound, she becomes one of the highest DPS units in the game.
Related Anime Expeditions Pages
- Anime Expeditions Wiki Hub
- Anime Expeditions Codes
- All Anime Expeditions Units
- Anime Expeditions Traits
- Anime Expeditions Evolution
- Anime Expeditions Beginner Roadmap
Change Log
- 2026-07-17: Initial Anime Expeditions tier list with DPS, support, and farm rankings, trait recommendations, and mode-specific picks.
About the author
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