Stepping into Teleria for the first time in Plarium's hit dark-fantasy gacha RPG feels equal parts exhilarating and overwhelming. The flashy summon animations, glowing crystal shards, and a staggering roster of well over 700 champions can paralyze even veteran strategy gamers. When you are just starting out, every resource counts—from your precious Gems and Silver to rare Skill Books and Energy refills. Investing heavily into the wrong hero early on can set your account progress back by several weeks, making campaign stages feel like an impenetrable brick wall.
If you want to breeze through the 12 Campaign chapters on Brutal difficulty, dominate early Dungeon bosses like the Dragon, and secure top-tier chest rewards from the Clan Boss, you need a lean, mean, efficient progression roster. The beauty of Raid is that you do not need to drop real cash or pull elusive Gold-framed Legendaries to excel in the early game. In fact, some of the absolute best champions for beginners are completely free, farmable from story stages, or easily obtainable from humble Ancient Shards. In this comprehensive beginner guide, we will break down exactly which champions you should keep, who you must level to 6-star first, how to gear them, and the critical mistakes to avoid along the way.
1. Choosing Your Starter Champion: Why Kael Reigns Supreme
When you finish the cinematic tutorial, Raid presents you with four starter champions from different factions: Kael (Dark Elves), Elhain (High Elves), Athel (Sacred Order), and Galek (Orcs). While all four starters are capable of clearing the early campaign waves, they are definitely not created equal when looking at long-term account value.
The Starter Breakdown
- Kael (Dark Elves): The undisputed king of beginner starters. Kael’s kit features two devastating Area-of-Effect (AOE) attacks—Acid Rain and Disintegrate—making him an exceptional Campaign farmer. What truly elevates Kael above the rest, however, is his ability to land 2.5% and 5% Poison debuffs. Poison damage scales off enemy maximum HP rather than Kael's own Attack stat, making him an absolute monster against early-to-mid game Clan Boss and Dragon Dungeon encounters.
- Elhain (High Elves): If your sole priority is pure wave-clearing speed, Elhain is a strong contender. She possesses two AOE skills with high damage multipliers and built-in Critical Rate bonuses. However, she offers zero utility or debuffs against bosses, causing her usefulness to drop off sharply once you transition into team-building content.
- Athel (Sacred Order): Athel is a balanced attacker who packs a 3-hit default skill capable of applying a 25% Weakness debuff, alongside a self-buffing ability and an AOE. She performs decently against the Fire Knight dungeon and Clan Boss, but falls slightly behind Kael in damage output and versatility.
- Galek (Orcs): Unfortunately, Galek is widely considered the weakest starter. While he packs multi-hit attacks and speed buffs, his damage scales poorly, and his Decrease DEF debuff is inconsistent compared to farmable alternatives.
If you are starting a fresh account today, pick Kael without hesitation. If you have already picked another starter, do not worry—Elhain and Athel are still completely viable campaign farmers. Just keep an eye out for poisoners like Frozen Banshee in your early shard pulls to fill the boss-killing gap. For gamers balancing multiple mobile titles, check out our guide on best turn-based RPG games for Android to see how Raid compares to other tactical titles on the market.
2. Free Farmable Campaign Champions You Must Get Immediately
One of the best mechanics for free-to-play players in Raid is the ability to farm specific Rare champions directly from Campaign stages. While repeating campaign stages for EXP, you will periodically drop hero tokens. Out of all the farmable options across Teleria, a select few are absolute non-negotiables for your account.
Warmaiden (Durham Forest - Stage 9)
If Kael is the primary blade of your squad, Warmaiden is the whetstone that makes him cut twice as hard. Warmaiden is a Force-affinity Barbarian whose third skill, Crumble, delivers a 100% chance (when booked) to inflict a 60% Decrease DEF debuff on all enemies for 2 turns on a short 3-turn cooldown. Reducing enemy defense by 60% virtually doubles the damage your entire squad deals. You should farm Stage 9 on Hard or Brutal until you drop Warmaiden, and continue farming duplicates to level up her skill levels without using valuable Epic or Rare Skill Books. Keep up with the latest champion balance changes guide to ensure your farmable staples remain top tier.
Diabolist (12th Chapter - Palace of Aravia)
Speed is the most critical statistic in Raid: Shadow Legends. Whoever takes the first turn generally wins the battle. Diabolist is a Magic-affinity Demonspawn who acts as a budget turn-meter manipulation engine. Her skills boost your team's Turn Meter by 15%, apply a 30% Increase Speed buff, and steal Turn Meter from the enemy team. She is exceptionally easy to skill up by farming Chapter 12 while leveling your food units.
Spirithost (Durham Forest - Stage 4)
Before you unlock guaranteed login rewards, Spirithost provides crucial utility. She offers a 50% Increase ATK buff for your nukers, a full-team Debuff Cleanse, a 1-turn Block Debuffs, and a universal 10% Speed Aura in all battles. She is the perfect early-game Arena lead and support hero to pair alongside Warmaiden and Kael.
Shieldguard & Executioner
For players looking for niche defense-scaling options, Shieldguard (an Uncommon from Sacred Order) and Executioner (a Rare from Hallowed Keep - Stage 11) offer incredible survivability. Shieldguard in particular turns into a lightning-fast campaign farmer when built with 100% Crit Rate and high Defense, as his passive cleanses debuffs and fills his Turn Meter every turn.
3. Game-Changing Rare Champions Worth Booking and Maxing
Mystery and Ancient Shards will flood your inbox as you clear achievements and progress through the reward tracks. While most Rares serve as "food" (champions sacrificed to rank up superior units), several Rares outperform a vast majority of Epics and even some Legendaries. Never feed the following champions!
Apothecary (High Elves)
Recognized universally by the community as a "god-tier Rare," Apothecary is better than 80% of the Epics in the game. His kit is simple yet ridiculously overloaded for a Rare:
- Soothing Chant: A targeted heal that can land as a critical heal, easily restoring 50% to 100% of a target champion's total HP bar.
- Boon of Speed: A 30% Increase Speed buff combined with a 15% Turn Meter boost for all allies on a tiny 3-turn cooldown.
- Scattershot: A 3-hit default attack that scales amazingly against the Fire Knight shield mechanism.
Fully book Apothecary with Rare Skill Books the second you pull him, gear him with as much Speed and HP as possible, and he will carry you through Nightmare Campaign, Clan Boss, and Level 20 Dungeons. You can check out more tactical build concepts over at our Steamoz guides section.
Coldheart (Void - Dark Elves)
Pulled exclusively from purple Void Shards, Coldheart is arguably the most valuable Rare champion in the entire game. Her signature skill, Heartseeker, attacks a single target for massive damage that scales directly off the target's Maximum HP, while fully depleting their Turn Meter and granting a +30% extra Crit Rate chance. Against high-level Dungeon bosses like the Spider's Den and Fire Knight, Coldheart deals millions of damage in a single strike. Store her safely in your vault until you are ready to tackle Dungeon stages 13 and above.
Bellower (Ogryn Tribes) & Fellhound (Demonspawn)
Both of these Rares possess default attacks that hit all enemies (AOE on A1). When equipped with high attack, 100% Crit Rate, and high Crit Damage stats, Bellower or Fellhound can clear Stage 12-3 Brutal campaign in a mind-blowing 6 to 7 seconds, dramatically speeding up your account progression during training events.
Reliquary Tender & Frozen Banshee
If you need cleanse and revive utility, Reliquary Tender provides team-wide debuff removal and continuous healing. If you want to melt the Clan Boss, Frozen Banshee applies Poison Sensitivity and floods the boss debuff bar with 5% poisons better than almost any legendary champion in existence.
4. Easy-to-Get Epics to Carry Your Account
As you log into Raid consistently, Plarium hands out powerful Epic champions completely free of charge. Additionally, fusing epics in the portal or pulling them during 2x boost events will unlock game-changing power spikes.
High Khatun (30-Day Daily Login Reward)
On your 30th day in Teleria, you receive High Khatun for free. She immediately takes over as your permanent speed lead across Arena, Dungeons, and Clan Boss. Her 19% Speed Aura in all battles gives your team the velocity required to loop turns past enemy waves. Combine her with Apothecary for a double-turn meter boost setup that guarantees your nukers attack twice before the enemy even blinks.
Deacon Armstrong & Stag Knight
If you happen to pull Deacon Armstrong or Stag Knight from Epic shards, congratulate yourself—you just unlocked cheat code progression. Deacon combines Speed lead, Turn Meter push/pull, and Decrease Defense all in one package. Stag Knight packs an AOE Decrease Attack and Decrease Defense on a single skill, single-handedly neutralizing high-damage dungeon bosses.
Managing Free Login Epics
Other free login champions like Jizoh (Day 14) and Shaman (Day 7) serve niche purposes early on. Shaman brings a revive skill that helps secure 3-star campaign clears on tricky stages, while Jizoh can act as a tanky counter-attacking sponge for early Minotaur runs. However, avoid spending Epic Skill Books on Shaman or Jizoh—save those ultra-rare books for high-tier epics like High Khatun, Deacon, or dungeon specialists. If you enjoy managing resources and optimizing progress across strategy titles, take a look at our Rise of Kingdoms troop training guide for elite resource allocation tips.
5. How to Gear and Prioritize Your First 6-Star Champion
The biggest psychological trap new players fall into is spreading their champion food evenly across ten different characters, creating a bloated roster full of level 50 units. In Raid: Shadow Legends, a single level 60 champion with a full set of Tier 6 Masteries will completely destroy a team of five level 50 champions.
Golden Rule #1: The Rush to Level 60
Your absolute top priority from Day 1 is taking your starter champion (preferably Kael) to Level 60 as fast as humanly possible. A Level 60 Kael gains access to 6-star artifact scaling, higher base stats, and most importantly, the Warmaster or Giant Slayer tier 6 mastery from the Minotaur Labyrinth. Once Kael hits level 60, he can solo Stage 12-3 Brutal campaign with three weak "food" champions, allowing you to level up your entire secondary roster in a fraction of the time.
Gearing Your Beginner Starter
During your first week, the game rewards you with a set of 4-star and 5-star Lifesteal Set artifacts via beginner login rewards and campaign path missions. Do not sell these! Lifesteal heals the wearer for 30% of the damage they deal. When placed on Kael, his AOE attacks instantly heal him back to full health every single wave.
| Gear Slot | Primary Stat Priority | Sub-Stat Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Weapon / Helm / Shield | Fixed (ATK / HP / DEF) | Speed, Crit Rate %, Accuracy, ATK % |
| Gloves | Crit Rate % (target 85-100%) | Speed, Accuracy, ATK %, HP % |
| Chest | ATK % or HP % | Speed, Accuracy, Crit Rate % |
| Boots | SPEED (Non-negotiable) | Crit Rate %, Accuracy, HP %, ATK % |
Notice a common theme? Speed is king. Never equip primary stat Flat HP, Flat DEF, or Flat ATK gloves, chests, or boots. Always look for percentage-based primary stats on your lower three gear pieces, with Speed as the fixed primary stat on your boots. Furthermore, ensure your debuffers (like Kael for Poisons and Warmaiden for Decrease DEF) have enough Accuracy. A simple rule of thumb for early game: Target Accuracy = Dungeon/Campaign Stage Level x 10 (e.g., Stage 10 requires ~100 Accuracy to land debuffs consistently).
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6. Top Mistakes Beginners Make with Early Champions
Avoiding critical errors in your first 14 days will save you hundreds of hours of grinding down the road. Here is a quick breakdown of what not to do when building your early team roster:
1. Sacrificing Non-Duplicate Void or Rare Champions
Never feed Void Rares (purple frame) or non-duplicate Rare champions as leveling food. Plarium regularly releases Limited-Time Fusion events where specific Rares are required to construct powerful Legendary heroes. If you feed a rare like Reliquary Tender or Renegade, you might regret it for months. Always store at least one copy of every Rare champion in your Vault!
2. Wasting Gems on Single Energy Refills or Shards
As a beginner, save your first 800 Gems! Do not buy ancient shards or silver with them. Spend your first 800 gems to unlock all Tier 6 Masteries for your starter champion (Kael) instantly. Buying Kael's masteries outright provides a massive immediate power spike, enabling him to solo Minotaur 15 and campaign stages effortlessly. Your second gem investment should be fully unlocking the Gem Mine for passive long-term gem generation.
3. Ignoring Speed and Chasing Set Bonuses
Stats over Sets! A very common beginner mistake is forcing a champion into a 4-piece set (like Offense or Crit Rate) even though the pieces have awful flat stats and zero speed. A hero built with broken, mismatched gear pieces that feature high Speed, proper Crit Rate, and percentage stats will drastically outperform a hero wearing a complete set with bad stats.
4. Spreading Skill Books Impatiently
Skill books are hard to come by. Never use Epic Books on Rare champions, and NEVER use Legendary Books on Epics or Rares. Skill books are affinity-bound and color-coded for a reason. Keep your legendary books locked away until you summon a high-impact, tier-S Legendary hero that fundamentally changes your account profile.
Building Your Core 5-Man Progression Team
To summarize your roadmap toward early-game dominance, your ultimate short-term goal is assembling a synergistic 5-man squad capable of clearing Campaign, Dragon 13-16, and Hard Clan Boss. A classic, easily achievable beginner setup looks like this:
- Campaign Nuker / Poisoner: Kael (6-Star, Lifesteal Gear, Full Masteries)
- Debuffer (Decrease DEF): Warmaiden (5-Star or 6-Star, Farmed from Campaign)
- Speed / Turn Meter Booster: High Khatun or Diabolist (High Speed stats)
- Healer / Buffer / Reviver: Apothecary or Spirithost (High HP & Speed)
- Flex Utility / Tank: Shieldguard, Jizoh, or your best pulled Epic
By keeping your investment tight, prioritizing Speed and Accuracy stats, and rushing Kael to level 60, you will slice through early game content with supreme confidence. Dive into the official official Plarium Raid Shadow Legends page to check current promotional campaigns, keep an eye on community strategies via the Raid Shadow Legends Reddit community, and follow the official Raid X account for active promo codes. Explore more free-to-play strategy tips and deep RPG breakdowns over on our free-to-play games hub and explore the broader RPG gaming category on Steamoz today!