Mode team guide

Partially verified

Best Units for Story in Anime Expeditions

Story progression needs consistent early damage first, then control, economy, and evolutions as maps become longer or split lanes.

Updated 2026-07-28 · Verified 2026-07-28 · Game UPD 0.5 source refresh

Editorial team: Anime Expeditions Wiki · Independently reviewed against the sources listed below

Sources: Pro Game Guides mode and progression guide, Destructoid UPD 0.5 tier-list snapshot, MrGuider Update 0.5 tier-list snapshot

Recommended Units

Elf Mage

Mythic · Scaling magical AoE DPS

Overall tier: S

Best modes: Story, Challenge, Tournament

Editorial verdict (UPD 0.5 source refresh): a top pilot Mythic for follow-up AoE scaling, especially when a stage lasts long enough to cycle charges.

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Cursed Student

Mythic · Physical DPS / copy carry

Overall tier: S

Best modes: Story, Raid, Challenge

Editorial verdict (UPD 0.5 source refresh): one of the safest Mythic damage investments when placement supports Cursed Mimicry.

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Shadow

Secret · Magical DPS / team support

Overall tier: S

Best modes: Raid, Expedition, Challenge

Editorial verdict (July 20 launch snapshot): the most complete published carry, especially for Magical teams and boss waves.

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Flame Emperor

Mythic · Magical Burn DPS

Overall tier: A

Best modes: Story, Challenge, Expedition

Editorial verdict (UPD 0.5 source refresh): still the key Burn enabler, but current editorial snapshots treat it as more team-dependent than top universal carries.

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Lady Giant (Envy)

Mythic · Physical DPS / lane control

Overall tier: A

Best modes: Expedition, Story, Raid

Editorial verdict (UPD 0.5 source refresh): a flexible carry that adds useful blockers, though its burst form trades away attack speed.

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Salmon Sorcerer

Mythic · Crowd-control support

Overall tier: S

Best modes: Challenge, Raid, Expedition

Editorial verdict (UPD 0.5 source refresh): a strong control support whose Slow and entry Stagger create more attack time for nearby carries.

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Premium picks

Elf Mage

A strong Story carry when waves are long enough for Arcane Spell cycles and Overcharge to matter.

Cursed Student

Reliable Mythic investment when placed beside the strongest available carry for Cursed Mimicry.

Shadow

Excellent if obtained early, though its Secret acquisition path makes it unrealistic for most new accounts.

Budget and fallback picks

Flame Emperor

A practical wave-clear and Burn enabler even after UPD 0.5 sources cooled on its standalone ranking.

Lady Giant (Envy)

Useful for Story lanes because Stone Walls add delay while the unit contributes physical damage.

Team roles

Opening carry

Pick one Unit to receive upgrades first instead of spreading Yen across every slot.

Control

Add Slow, Stagger, Stun, walls, or rewind when stages start leaking.

Evolution target

Evolve one long-term Unit before splitting rare materials across temporary picks.

Starter reality check

Secret Units are strong, but Story planning should still work without them.

Trait priorities

Unbound: Best default for a long-term carry you expect to keep through later modes.
Draconic: Good on Flame Emperor or Hollow-style Burn/DoT plans.
Investor: Save for economy units; do not put it on the first carry.

Compare broader reroll guidance in the Traits guide.

Avoid these mistakes

Do not spend scarce rerolls on a temporary starter before choosing a long-term carry.
Do not build Story plans around Secret Units unless the account already owns them.
Avoid evolving many Units at once; finish one useful recipe first.

Source confidence

This guide combines current public mode guidance with the published Unit pilot. Treat banner pools, drop odds, mode rotations, and reward cards as live-game facts that should be checked before spending limited resources.