"Arknights: Endfield" launches globally on January 22nd. During the early game, a reasonable team composition can make battles twice as effective and directly determines whether your gaming experience is "torture" or "enjoyable." Based on the experience from the three closed beta tests, LDShop will analyze the most practical team-building strategies for the early game to help you embark smoothly on your exploration journey in Talos-II.
Team Building Foundation: Understanding Combos and Rotations
In "Endfield," relying solely on one character for damage output might suffice in the early stages. However, as the main story progresses, coordination and combo synergy between team members become crucial. An efficient team allows characters to form smooth "Combo" skill chains.
The core principle lies in ensuring that the trigger conditions for each character's Combo Skill complement each other. For example, if Character A's Combo Skill inflicts a "DEF Reduction" (Break) state on an enemy, and Character B's Combo Skill happens to have an additional effect on enemies with "DEF Reduction," you can trigger more combos with fewer Skill Points (SP), maximizing efficiency. If team members act independently with unrelated Combo Skill conditions, it leads to resource waste and weak damage output.
Top Early Game Choice: Physical Team
For the vast majority of players, especially newcomers or light spenders, a Physical team centered around the Endministrator and Chen Qianyu is the safest starting choice. The core characters for this lineup are reliably obtainable, and the physical DEF Reduction system is intuitive and easy to understand.
The core damage strategy of the Physical team revolves around applying "DEF Reduction" stacks and using direct attacks. Use skills from characters like Chen Qianyu to stack "DEF Reduction" layers on enemies, lowering their defense, and finish them off with the Endministrator's or other character’s high-multiplier physical skills.
|
Endministrator |
Chen Qianyu |
Lifeng / Pogranichnik |
Estella |
Meta-Defining Choice: Heat Team
If you are willing to make some investment at launch, then the Heat team, centered around the limited character "Laevatain," is arguably the current version's most comfortable "easy mode" for early game, providing the smoothest map-clearing experience.
Laevatain's skill mechanic requires teammates to stack "Combustion" layers on enemies for her. Her compatible teammates apply "Combustion" very quickly, allowing her to start up rapidly. Her ultimate's damage is a crowd-clearing marvel against groups of enemies.
A highly cost-effective Heat team composition could be: Laevatain (Core), Qiuli (4-star), Antal (4-star). The fourth slot is flexible and can be a survival character (e.g., Estella) or a damage-boosting support (e.g., Wulfgard) depending on the situation.
This lineup is relatively affordable. The core damage dealer is the only 6-star that needs to be pulled, while the key supports are all 4-stars, making them easy to obtain and develop. Laevatain's signature weapon significantly boosts her strength. The launch top-up bonuses and resource planning allow light spenders a chance to achieve a "0+1" setup (character + signature weapon).
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Laevatain |
Akekuli |
Antal |
Estella / Wulfgard |
Team with Potential: Cryo Team
The absolute core of the Cryo team is the 6-star operator "Last Rite." Her damage potential requires time to stack her buffs fully, but once activated, it becomes considerable. Another key character is "Yvonne," who can quickly apply the Cryo state and Cryo infliction to enemies. The grouping effect of her Combo Skill creates an excellent output environment for the team.
A basic Ice team framework could be: Last Rite, Yvonne, Xaihi, Snowshine. The drawback of this lineup is that the core damage dealer, Last Rite, is a standard 6-star, making her acquisition random. She also relies heavily on her signature weapon. If you don't obtain her at the start, the team will take longer to form.
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Last Rite |
Yvonne |
Xaihi |
Snowshine |
No 6-Star Required Choice: Electric Team
If you seek a lineup during the early game that requires no limited 6-stars, is resource-friendly, and can stably handle various challenges, then a team centered on the Electro-Magnetic reaction is a very wise choice.
The team's core damage dealer is the 5-star character "Avywenna." She can deal extremely high burst damage to enemies affected by the " Electric Infliction Infiliction" state (if Avywenna is unavailable, the Endministrator can substitute). Her best partner is the 5-star character "Arclight." Arclight's Combo Skill not only deals area damage but also restores valuable SP to the entire team when enemies are in the " Electric Infliction " state, which is key to smooth rotations.
The team's initiator is the 5-star character "Perlica." Her tactical skill can apply the crucial Electrification state to enemies, which is the starting point for triggering all subsequent combos. The final team member is recommended for a healer, and the 6-star character "Estella" is the perfect candidate. She not only provides reliable healing but the "Corrosion" effect attached to her skills reduces enemy defense, further boosting the team's overall damage output.
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Avywenna |
Arclight |
Perlica |
Estella |
Choosing the right early-game team lays the most solid foundation for your entire journey across Talos-II. Whether you pursue the ultimate comfort of the Heat team, the steady and accessible Physical, or the controlling prowess of the Cryo team, each can lead you to appreciate the unique combat art of this continent. Understand the combos, build your rotations, and your team will be unstoppable.
We hope this early-game team-building guide points you in the right direction. In the future, LDShop will continue to provide the latest character analysis, version guides, and advanced techniques for "Arknights: Endfield." LDShop will also offer discounted top-up services for your upcoming public beta adventure, helping you go further and more steadily on the path of exploring Endfield.
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Henry Smith Experienced Game Editor
Greetings! I’m a veteran game editor and strategy guide creator with over a decade of experience exploring the worlds of action RPGs and gacha adventures. From the elemental battlegrounds of Genshin Impact, to the cosmic journeys of Honkai: Star Rail, and the fast-paced combat of Wuthering Waves, I dive deep into the mechanics, meta, and moments that define each game. What can you expect? In-depth guides, expert commentary, and practical insights to sharpen your gameplay and expand your understanding of the titles you love.
