Early-Game Team Building

In this article, I’ll share some strategies on early-game team formation in Etheria: Restart. Since character strength is subject to balancing, it’s better to focus on team roles rather than fixating on specific characters.

This guide covers:

• Basic mechanics (roles and attributes)
• Early-game dungeon tips
• Recommended characters and team compositions

Let’s dive in!

Character Roles

Each character in Etheria: Restart has unique skills and base stats that define their role. The four core roles are:

• DPS: High damage dealers. Examples: Lian, Massiah, Xiada Must-have for efficient clears.
• Support: Buff allies and debuff enemies. Example: Lily Some supports can reduce skill cooldowns—key for maximizing team output.
• Turn Meter Control: Manipulate SPD and Turn Meter. Example: Chiaki the Echo Includes effects like Turn Meter boost/reduction, SPD buff/debuff, and extra turns.
• Shield/Healer: Keep your team alive with healing, shields, or damage reduction.Examples: Helkid, Lingluo, Dorothy, Valerian

Pro Tip: Roles can change based on builds. For example, Tiamat can be geared as a DPS or a shield provider depending on equipment. Some characters, like Kloss and Rahu, can even fulfill multiple roles.

• Early game: Mix attributes to avoid getting hard-countered by enemy affinities.
• Late game: Attribute weaknesses become more punishing—especially in Threshold dungeons.
• EtherNet Rally: requires multiple attribute-aligned teams, but don’t stress too much early on.

You’ll farm these four dungeons early and often:

Dungeon Breakdown:

• Investigation / GP Outpost: No strict attribute requirements.
• Grim Pursuit: Mixed-attribute enemies—balance your team accordingly.
• Threshold: High difficulty and strict attribute matchups.

Key Threshold Dungeons:

• Terrormaton (Hollow)
• DokiDoki (Odd)
• Aurora (Reason– unlocked later)

Prioritize Terrormaton and DokiDoki early for Onslaught and SPD Modules.

Light/Shadow characters are neutral to attribute weaknesses—great stability for PvE.

Lian (Fire DPS) and Xiada (Water DPS) are standout early picks.

This guide focuses on PvE team-building to help you clear early content efficiently.

Core Question #1: What do I need?

Aim to build around these roles:

• DPS: 2 of different attributes or 1 Light/Shadow
• Support: 1–2
• Turn Meter: 1–2
• Shield/Healer: 1–2

Minimum investment: 4 characters

Optimal range: 5–8 characters for flexibility

Core Question #2: What do I want?

Build with these characters in mind:

• DPS:
  Lian – Easy to obtain via events, great in Terrormaton
  Xiada – Scales well in longer PvE battles
  Tiamat, Massiah – Good alternatives
  Victor – Insane stats, worth it if you have him
• Support:
  Lily – Turn Meter boost + CD reduction = S-tier
  Kloss – Versatile, with buffs and Turn Meter steal
• Turn Meter:
  Chiaki the Echo – Strong and easy to build SR
  DokiDoki – Great for extended battles
  Lily, Kloss – Also offer Turn Meter utility
• Shield/Healer:
  Helkid – Very effective Shields
  Valerian, Sania – Budget but effective
  Lingluo – Free SSR from login bonus

• Event Access: Lian is tied to beginner events—don’t miss her.
• PvE Priority: Even PvP-focused players benefit from early PvE strength.
• Attributes: Focus on characters strong against Hollow (Terrormaton) and Odd (DokiDoki) dungeons.
• Practical Access: Use what you have—substitute in your strongest available units.

Example Starter Team:

Lian (DPS), Dorothy (Healer), Gray (Support), Cachi (Turn Meter+)

Swap them out as you get stronger characters (e.g., Chiaki for Cachi, Sania for Dorothy).

Character Growth Order

1. DPS: Level up and gear with offensive Shells/Modules
2. Turn Meter specialists: Boost SPD ASAP
3. Shield/Healers: Secure survivability

What to Upgrade

• Level: Prioritize for DPS and Healers (ATK/HP scale)
• Shells & Modules: Big impact on performance
• Skill Levels (Prowess):
  SR skills are easier to max
  Save SSR skill mats for core units only

Focus on team balance over chasing meta units. Build toward PvE efficiency, use free or event-based characters early, and gradually expand your roster with attribute diversity and utility in mind.

Stay flexible, adapt to what you pull, and grow your team smartly. Good luck in Etheria: Restart!