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Progression Roadmap — What to Build First

A timeline guide for new players (especially F2P) covering what to prioritize and when. Arcana Historia has many systems competing for your resources — this guide tells you the optimal order.

Resource Priority (Golden Rule)

When deciding where to spend limited resources, follow this order:

Pet Passives > Gems > Cards > Affixes

Priority System Why
1 pet Pet Passives Permanent team-wide multipliers. Each level buffs your entire party. Expensive at higher levels — budget gold early.
2 gem Gems Largest direct stat increase per resource. A single gem level-up affects every fight. Exponential scaling (3:1 combining).
3 card Cards Card passives define your build. A ★4 card is a larger DPS jump than any other single upgrade.
4 equip Affixes Important at endgame, but RNG-heavy and expensive to re-roll early. Wait until you have orange-tier equipment.

Day 1–3: Getting Started

Goals

  • Learn basic combat and auto-battle
  • Equip any card you get from early rewards

Your Team

You always have all three heroes — Warrior, Archer, and Mage. There's no choosing one class; you build all three. The question is which hero to funnel DPS resources into first.

Role Hero Recommended Build
Tank Warrior Howl Warrior (Taunt path). Keep alive, pull aggro.
DPS Archer Poison Archer (Poison Arrow path). Best F2P DPS scaling.
Support Mage Healer Mage (Heal path). Keep the team alive.

See Team Compositions for full build details.

Day 1–3 Checklist

  • abyss Complete the tutorial and push to Abyss depth 5+
  • card Equip whatever card you receive from beginner rewards (quality doesn't matter yet)
  • skills Read the skill trees for each hero — don't spend skill points randomly (Stones of Forgetting can reset them later)

Do NOT spend diamonds on anything yet. Save for your first 10x card pull (1,800 diamonds) when a good banner appears.

Week 1: First Gems (Depth 25)

Goals

  • Reach Abyss depth 25 (unlocks Lv1 gem drops)
  • Get a ★2 or ★3 card on your Poison Archer
  • Place bench pets and start upgrading their passives

Abyss Depth 25 — Why It Matters

Depth 25 is the first major milestone. Lv1 gems start dropping here. Even Lv1 gems in every slot are a significant power increase over empty sockets. Every 25 depths unlocks the next gem level.

What to Focus On

Priority Action Notes
1 Push Abyss to depth 25 Unlocks Lv1 gem drops
2 Fill every gem socket with Lv1 gems Any gem beats an empty socket
3 Get a ★2–★3 card from gacha or events Even a mediocre ★3 outperforms a good ★2
4 Buy from the gold shop daily Gems, pet materials, diamonds — see Daily Routine

Gem Priority at This Stage

Don't worry about optimal gem types yet. Fill sockets with whatever you have:

  • Weapon/Ring: Any offensive gem (Ruby, Jadeite, whatever drops)
  • Armor/Amulet: Emerald (HP) if you have them, otherwise anything

Pet Bench Setup

Bench Slot Pet Passive
1 raptor Raptor Swift: +25–55% ATK Speed — universally useful
2 lava raptor Lava Raptor Deadly: +10–50% Crit Rate — benefits any DPS build

Upgrade these passives with gold whenever you can afford it. Pet passives are team-wide multipliers — they're your best long-term investment.

Week 1 Checklist

  • abyss Reach Abyss depth 25 (Lv1 gem drops)
  • gem Fill all gem sockets on your Archer with Lv1 gems
  • card Equip a ★2+ card on your Poison Archer
  • pet Raptor and Lava Raptor on bench, start upgrading passives
  • shop Buying from gold shop every day (gems, pet materials, diamonds)

Week 2–3: Building Your Foundation (Depth 50)

Goals

  • Reach Abyss depth 50 (Lv2 gem drops)
  • Commit to your DPS build path
  • Get Ladybug card (★3) for your Poison Archer

Choosing Your DPS Path

By now you've seen how the game plays. Time to commit to a build direction.

Build Pros Cons F2P?
poison Poison Archer Best F2P DPS. Jadeite gems are common. Forest Queen (★4) is accessible. Low investment ceiling. Slow ramp. Weaker in PvP. Best F2P choice
volley Volley Archer Excellent burst. Strong in PvP and PvE. Needs Fear of Fear (★4) for full potential. Only if you pull Fear of Fear
ice Ice Cone Mage Strong CC + damage. Silver Knight (★4) is accessible. Needs Cobalt gems specifically. Good second choice
whirlwind Whirlwind Warrior Great AoE. Lightning conversion at Tier 3 is strong. Requires complete gem swap at Tier 3. Plan ahead

Why Poison Archer for F2P?

  1. Jadeite gems drop frequently — you'll always have enough to combine
  2. Forest Queen (★4) is the target card — accessible through gacha and events
  3. Cave Spider bench passive synergizes with poison builds (-15–45% enemy Poison Resist)
  4. Poison damage scales incredibly well with minimal investment (25x element scaling)
  5. Works with the standard Howl Warrior + Healer Mage team comp

Getting Ladybug Card

Ladybug (瓢虫) is a ★3 card — your stepping stone until Forest Queen.

Stars Effect
★1 +20% Auto DMG
★2 +30% Poison DMG
★3 Poison ticks have 15% chance to spread to adjacent enemies

Equip it on your Poison Archer as soon as you get it.

Week 2–3 Checklist

  • abyss Reach Abyss depth 50 (Lv2 gem drops)
  • gem Start combining Lv1 gems → Lv2 (3 Lv1 = 1 Lv2)
  • card Equip Ladybug card on your Poison Archer
  • gem All 12 gem sockets filled on your main DPS
  • gem Tank has 3+ Emerald (HP) gems on armor
  • pet Upgrade bench pet passives toward Lv2

Month 1: Core Build Online (Depth 50–100)

Goals

  • Reach Abyss depth 75–100 (Lv3–4 gem drops)
  • Acquire Forest Queen card (★4)
  • Swap Lava Raptor for Cave Spider on bench
  • Defeat Guttorm (Region 2 boss, depth 55)

Forest Queen Card (森林女王) — ★4

Stars Passive
★1 +25% Poison DMG
★2 Auto-attacks apply Rose Parasite (50% chance): 5% max HP poison/tick for 5s
★3–4 Rose Parasite spreads to 2 adjacent enemies. +30% poison amp on parasitized targets

This is the Poison Archer's best card. Rose Parasite spreading + poison stacking = massive AoE DoT.

Gem Setup at Month 1

Your Poison Archer should look like this:

Equipment Socket 1 Socket 2 Socket 3
Weapon Jadeite Lv3 Jadeite Lv3 Jadeite Lv2–3
Ring Jadeite Lv2–3 Jadeite Lv2 Ruby Lv2
Armor Emerald Lv3 Emerald Lv2–3 Diamond Lv2
Amulet Diamond Lv2 Diamond Lv2 Emerald Lv2

Cave Spider Bench Swap

At this stage, swap Lava Raptor for Cave Spider (洞穴蜘蛛) on your bench. Its Corrosion passive reduces enemy Poison Resist by 15–45%, which is a direct damage multiplier for your Poison Archer.

Bench Slot Pet Passive
1 raptor Raptor Swift: +ATK Speed
2 cave spider Cave Spider Corrosion: -15–45% enemy Poison Resist

Bring Lava Raptor back for PvP. For PvE with poison builds, Cave Spider is strictly better.

Boss: Guttorm (Region 2, Depth 55)

Your first real boss gate. At depth 55, you should have Lv1–2 gems and a ★2+ card. See Guttorm Strategy for full mechanics.

Month 1 Checklist

  • abyss Abyss depth 75–100
  • gem Lv3–4 gems on DPS weapon
  • card Forest Queen equipped, ★1 minimum
  • boss Guttorm defeated (Region 2, depth 55)
  • pet Cave Spider on bench, upgrade passive toward Lv3
  • gem All three heroes have full gem loadouts

Month 2: Optimization Phase (Depth 100–150)

Goals

  • Reach Abyss depth 125–150 (Lv5–6 gem drops)
  • Build-appropriate gems on all equipment
  • Start optimizing affixes on orange-tier equipment
  • Defeat Ifrit (Region 3, depth 101) and Fafnir (Region 4, depth 150)

Gem Targets

Hero Weapon/Ring Armor/Amulet
Poison Archer 5x Jadeite Lv5 + 1x Ruby Lv4 3x Emerald Lv4 + 3x Diamond Lv4
Howl Warrior 3x Holy Crystal Lv4 + 3x Ruby Lv4 3x Emerald Lv4 + 3x Sapphire Lv4
Healer Mage 6x Ruby Lv4 5x Emerald Lv4 + 1x Jade Lv4

Affix Optimization

You'll start seeing orange-tier (legendary) equipment drops. This is when affixes become worth investing in.

Slot Target Affix Priority
Weapon Position 1 Poison DMG flat (for poison builds) High
Weapon Position 2 ATK% High
Armor Position 1 HP flat Medium
Armor Position 2 DEF% or DR% Medium

Do NOT re-roll affixes on purple or lower equipment. The gold cost is wasted when you replace the gear. Wait for orange-tier.

Boss Notes

  • Ifrit (Region 3, depth 101): Use Diamond gems (All Resist) on your tank. No fire-element DPS — Ifrit is immune. See Ifrit Strategy.
  • Fafnir (Region 4, depth 150): Stack Sapphire (DEF) gems on your Howl Warrior. See Fafnir Strategy.

Month 2 Checklist

  • abyss Abyss depth 125–150
  • gem Lv5–6 gems on DPS weapon/ring
  • equip Orange-tier equipment on main DPS with decent affixes
  • boss Ifrit defeated (Region 3, depth 101)
  • boss Fafnir defeated (Region 4, depth 150)
  • pet Pet bench passives at Lv3+
  • card Forest Queen at ★2+

Month 3: Push to Endgame (Depth 150–250)

Goals

  • Reach Abyss depth 200+ (Lv7+ gem drops)
  • Focus on ★3 star upgrade for ★4 cards
  • Min-max affix rolls on all orange equipment
  • Defeat Chimera (Region 5, depth 202) and Grimhild (Region 6, depth 252)

Card Star Upgrades

Star upgrades on ★4 cards provide massive power spikes:

Stars Investment Power Spike
★1 Low (base) Basic passive online
★2 Medium Secondary passive unlocks
★3 High Build-defining mechanic activates
★4 Very High Mechanic enhanced significantly

Prioritize getting your DPS card to ★3 — this is where the build-defining passive kicks in (e.g., Forest Queen's Rose Parasite spreading, Fear of Fear's stacking mechanic).

Boss: Chimera (Region 5, Depth 202)

Chimera's multi-element attacks make Diamond gems (All Resist) essential. You need at least 3 Diamond gems (one per hero's amulet) before attempting.

Start farming Diamond gems by depth 75. Don't arrive at Chimera with zero.

Boss: Grimhild (Region 6, Depth 252) — The Wall

Grimhild is the major difficulty wall. Requirements:

  1. DPS weapon gems must be Lv5+ minimum
  2. ★4 card on DPS at ★2+ (★3 preferred)
  3. Pet bench passives at Lv3+
  4. 35 Poison Resist means poison still works but less effectively — rely on raw poison power

See Grimhild Strategy for detailed mechanics.

Month 3 Checklist

  • abyss Abyss depth 200+
  • gem Lv7+ gems on DPS weapon
  • card ★4 card at ★3+
  • boss Chimera defeated (Region 5, depth 202) — Diamond gems mandatory
  • boss Grimhild defeated (Region 6, depth 252) — the wall
  • equip All affix slots on orange equipment re-rolled to good values
  • diamonds Start saving for ★4 card star-ups

Endgame: Depth 250+

Goals

  • Push Abyss depth 300+ (Lv8+ gems)
  • Max star ★4 cards
  • Pet quality A+ on all pets
  • Defeat Ortiz (Region 7, depth 300) and Prometheus (Region 8, depth 300+)

What Endgame Looks Like

System Target
gem Gems Lv8+ on DPS, Lv7+ on tank/healer
card Cards ★4 card at ★4 on main DPS
pet Pets Quality A+ on active and bench pets. All passives Lv4+.
equip Affixes All orange equipment with optimal affixes. Min-maxed rolls.
Peak Level Unlocked after Ortiz (Region 7). Push hero/pet levels to 100.

★4 Cards Worth Targeting

Card Build Why
Fear of Fear (恐惧之眼) Volley Archer +20% auto DMG, stacking ATK speed + crit. Best DPS card in the game.
Rock Dragon (岩龙) Whirlwind Warrior +15% DEF, +10% ATK, self-buff stacking. Highest warrior ceiling.
Boar King (猪王) Healer Mage CDR + resist shred aura. Team-wide DPS amp.

Boss: Prometheus (Region 8) — Final Boss

Prometheus has 55–60 all resist. Only raw physical damage is truly effective at this stage. See Prometheus Strategy.

Endgame Checklist

  • abyss Abyss depth 300+
  • gem Lv8+ gems across all heroes
  • card ★4 card equipped and at ★4
  • equip All orange affixes optimized
  • pet Pet quality A+ with Lv4+ bench passives
  • boss Ortiz defeated (Region 7, depth 300 — unlocks Peak Level)
  • boss Prometheus defeated (final boss)

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Spreading Resources Across All Three Heroes Equally

Wrong: Upgrading all three heroes' gems from Lv3 to Lv4 simultaneously. Right: Get your main DPS to Lv5 first, then catch up the others.

Your DPS carries your progression. A Lv5 DPS + Lv3 tank/healer pushes further than three Lv4 heroes.

2. Ignoring Bench Pet Passives

Wrong: Only upgrading your active pet. Right: Place Raptor and Cave Spider (or Lava Raptor) on bench and invest gold into their passives.

Bench passives are team-wide multipliers. Upgrading them is the best gold investment in the game.

3. Pulling on Every Gacha Banner

Wrong: Spending diamonds on every banner hoping for something good. Right: Save for rate-up banners or guaranteed pity for your build's target card.

Most gacha pulls are wasted. The expected cost for a specific ★4 off-banner is high. Always pull 10x (1,800 diamonds) and wait for rate-ups.

4. Re-rolling Affixes on Low-Tier Equipment

Wrong: Spending gold on purple (epic) equipment affixes. Right: Wait for orange (legendary) equipment.

You will replace purple gear. Every gold piece spent on purple affixes is wasted.

5. Building the Wrong DPS for Your Resources

Wrong: Building Volley Archer without Fear of Fear card. Right: Match your DPS build to the cards you actually have.

Volley Archer without Fear of Fear is mediocre. Poison Archer with Forest Queen (accessible ★4) is excellent. Build around what you have, not what you wish you had.

6. Wasting Gems by Spreading Types

Wrong: 1 Ruby, 1 Jadeite, 1 Topaz, 1 Cobalt on your weapon. Right: 5x Jadeite on weapon (for poison build).

Gems combine 3:1 for the next level. If you split across types, you can never combine them. Focus on one primary gem type per slot.

7. Skipping Diamond Gems Before Chimera

Wrong: Arriving at Chimera (Region 5, depth 202) with zero Diamond gems. Right: Start farming Diamond gems by depth 75.

Chimera's multi-element attacks make Diamond (All Resist) essential. You need at least 3 Diamond gems (one per hero) before attempting.

Timeline Summary

Phase Abyss Depth Gem Level Card Quality Key Milestone
Day 1–3 1–25 None Any Learn basics
Week 1 25+ Lv1 ★2–3 First gems drop, set up bench pets
Week 2–3 25–50 Lv1–2 ★3 ( Ladybug) Choose DPS path, start combining
Month 1 50–100 Lv3–4 ★4 ( Forest Queen) Core build online. Guttorm down.
Month 2 100–150 Lv5–6 ★4 ★2+ Affix optimization. Ifrit + Fafnir down.
Month 3 150–250 Lv6–7 ★4 ★3+ Chimera + Grimhild wall.
Endgame 250–300+ Lv8+ ★4 ★4 Ortiz, Prometheus, min-maxing.

See the Beginner Guide for the first few hours, the Daily Routine for what to do every day, and the F2P Guide for spending priorities.