Kael is the best first champion for most new players, while Deacon Armstrong, Apothecary, Warmaiden, and High Khatun form the strongest early-game support core. Build Kael to 6 stars first, then add a Speed champion, an AoE Decrease DEF champion, and a healer or turn-meter booster. This lineup clears Brutal Campaign, starts Dungeon progression, and gives free-to-play accounts a practical route into Clan Boss and Arena.
This ranking is aimed at the first several weeks, before legendary champions, advanced blessings, and specialized endgame builds take over. Champion availability matters as much as raw power, so farmable rares and guaranteed login rewards receive extra weight. For current champion updates and official announcements, check the official Raid: Shadow Legends website and Plarium’s game page.
Best Early Game Champions Ranked
The following tier list prioritizes campaign farming, dungeon utility, Clan Boss contribution, and how easily a new account can obtain and book each champion.
S-Tier: Kael
Kael is the best all-purpose starter because he does three jobs at once: clears waves with Acid Rain, applies four-turn Poison debuffs through Disintegrate, and farms Campaign efficiently. His A3 attacks four random enemies and places two 5% Poison debuffs for two turns when the skill is fully upgraded. That Poison damage is especially valuable against the Dragon and Demon Lord, where enemy health pools make debuffs outperform basic attack damage.
Choose Kael as your starter if you have not selected a champion yet. His recommended first milestone is 6 stars, level 60, with Lifesteal gear from the early progression rewards. Prioritize 100% Critical Rate for reliable wave damage, then Attack, Speed, and Accuracy. Around 100 Accuracy is a useful early target for landing Poison in Campaign and low-to-mid Dungeon stages. Kael’s Dark Bolt can also place a 2.5% Poison when fully booked, making his basic rotation useful rather than disposable.
S-Tier: Deacon Armstrong
Deacon Armstrong is arguably the strongest early account champion if you pull him from a shard. His Lordly Legion attacks all enemies, fills his own Turn Meter by 25%, and places a 60% Decrease DEF debuff for two turns. His Righteous Charge also decreases enemy Turn Meter while filling the team’s Turn Meter, creating the core of a fast Arena or Dungeon opener. His 19% Speed Aura works in all battles.
Deacon should lead teams that need to move first: Deacon opens with Lordly Legion, Warmaiden or another damage dealer follows with AoE attacks, and Kael cleans up weakened targets. Build him with Speed, Accuracy, and enough survivability to take a second turn. Do not spend your first six-star resources on him instead of Kael unless Kael is already finished; Deacon amplifies a developed damage dealer but does not replace a campaign farmer.
S-Tier: Apothecary
Apothecary is the best early rare healer and speed champion. Boost increases all allies’ Turn Meter by 15% and places a 30% Increase SPD buff for two turns. Lay on Hands heals one ally and can critically heal for more, while his triple-hit A1 is useful for breaking Fire Knight shields later. His 21% Speed Aura in Dungeons remains relevant long after the early game.
Use Apothecary when your team dies before it can cycle abilities. A beginner build should focus on Speed first, then HP, Defense, and some Resistance. He does not need high Attack because his purpose is to accelerate, heal, and survive. In a typical five-man team, Apothecary’s Boost should occur before Kael’s Acid Rain, allowing Kael to take an extra turn while enemy waves are still controlled.
A-Tier: Warmaiden
Warmaiden is the most important farmable early damage-support champion. Her Crushing Rend attacks all enemies and places a 60% Decrease DEF debuff for two turns. You can obtain copies from Campaign Stage 9, The Deadlands, making her skill books effectively farmable: feed duplicate Warmaidens to upgrade the ability instead of using rare books.
Her job is simple. Build enough Speed and Accuracy to act before Kael, cast Crushing Rend, and let Kael or your second damage dealer hit debuffed targets. Aim for roughly 100 Accuracy in early dungeons and 140 or more as you approach Dragon 20. Warmaiden is not a replacement for Deacon in every team, but she is far easier to acquire and still provides the key 60% defense reduction that makes early wave clearing dramatically faster.
A-Tier: High Khatun
High Khatun arrives through the day-30 login reward and gives every account a dependable Speed lead. Her 19% Speed Aura applies in all battles, while High Spirits places a 30% Increase SPD buff on allies and fills their Turn Meters. Shout decreases enemy Turn Meter, helping control waves and early Arena opponents.
High Khatun is the correct replacement for Apothecary when you need speed but have not pulled the rare healer. She can also work alongside Apothecary in a turn-meter-heavy team. Build her fast, with Accuracy if you want Shout to land, but avoid treating her as a primary damage dealer. Her value comes from turn order: she should move first, Warmaiden or Deacon should reduce Defense, and Kael should deliver the main hit.
Starter Champions and Farmable Replacements
Your starter choice has long-term consequences for the first month, but none of the four starter champions is unusable. Elhain is the best alternative for players who want immediate multi-target damage. Lightning Arrow attacks one enemy and then a second target, while Valley of Death hits all enemies twice. She is excellent in Campaign and Arena, but lacks Kael’s Poison utility against Dragon and Clan Boss.
Galek offers strong wave damage through Hellraiser, which grants Increase ATK and Increase SPD, but his debuff package is less dependable than Kael’s. Athel is a respectable option because Higher Blessing provides Increase ATK and her A1 can place Weaken, yet she is generally slower to use as a first campaign farmer. If you already selected Elhain, Athel, or Galek, continue with that champion rather than restarting unless your account is only a few minutes old.
Farm Spirithost from Campaign Stage 4, Durham Forest when you need a basic Increase ATK buffer and debuff removal. Farm Diabolist from Stage 12, Brimstone Path for Turn Meter manipulation. These champions are useful before better pulls arrive, but neither deserves your first six-star promotion over Kael.
Early Game Team Compositions That Work
Balanced progression team
Run High Khatun, Warmaiden, Kael, Apothecary, and a flex champion. High Khatun opens with Increase SPD and Turn Meter fill, Warmaiden uses Crushing Rend, Kael casts Acid Rain, and Apothecary boosts the team again or heals the lowest-health champion. The fifth slot can be a second damage dealer, a cleanser such as Spirithost, or a defensive champion with Ally Protection.
Deacon speed team
Use Deacon Armstrong, Kael, Apothecary, Warmaiden, and a durable flex slot. Deacon should have the highest Speed and enough Accuracy to land Lordly Legion. If Warmaiden follows immediately, her Decrease DEF may be redundant; use the slot for another damage dealer or a champion who applies Ally Protection, Increase DEF, or healing. This setup is particularly effective in Dragon and early Arena.
Clan Boss transition team
For the Demon Lord, combine Kael, Apothecary, Warmaiden or Deacon, Frozen Banshee, and a sustain champion. Frozen Banshee’s Poison Sensitivity increases the damage of Poison debuffs, making her a powerful rare once Clan Boss becomes a priority. Clan Boss requires a stable speed tune, so do not blindly stack Turn Meter boosters: extra fills can desynchronize cooldowns and make champions take turns in the wrong order.
For broader progression planning, Steamoz’s team composition guide explains the same core principle: assign every slot a clear job rather than filling a roster with five damage dealers.
Gear, Stats, and Skill Book Priorities
Use the free Lifesteal set on Kael until he can clear Campaign Stage 12-3 on Brutal. Pair it with Offense or Speed pieces only when the main stats are strong. Kael’s preferred chest is Attack% early, his boots should be Speed until he comfortably clears waves, and his banner should provide Accuracy once accessories become available. Do not chase perfect substats before reaching level 60.
For support champions, Speed boots are the default. Apothecary wants HP% or Defense% on his chest, while Warmaiden wants Accuracy on her chest until she reaches the requirement for the content being farmed. Deacon wants Speed boots, Accuracy, and survivability. A simple early benchmark is 170-190 Speed for supports, 100-140 Accuracy for early dungeons, and 100% Critical Rate on Kael. These are progression targets, not rigid endgame requirements.
Upgrade Kael’s key abilities with rare Skill Tomes before investing heavily in secondary champions. Kael benefits from reduced cooldowns on Acid Rain and Disintegrate. Warmaiden’s Crushing Rend should be fully booked through duplicate copies. Apothecary’s Boost and Lay on Hands are worth books, but avoid using rare books on farmable champions when duplicate copies can do the job.
For a wider performance-focused mobile setup, see Steamoz’s mobile storage guide; Raid itself does not need maximum graphics settings to run effectively, and lower effects can make combat animations easier to read.
Who to Six-Star and Who to Avoid
Promote Kael to 6 stars first. The level-60 stat increase, final mastery tier, and access to six-star gear matter more than spreading resources across four level-50 champions. Your second six-star should normally be Deacon, Apothecary, or Warmaiden depending on what the account pulled and where it is failing. Choose Deacon for speed and debuffs, Apothecary for survival, and Warmaiden for reliable wave damage amplification.
Do not feed rare champions into the Tavern just because their ratings look modest. Keep one copy of every rare until you understand faction requirements and fusion materials. In particular, preserve Frozen Banshee, Reliquary Tender, Pain Keeper, and Coldheart if they appear; their value rises in specific dungeons and Clan Boss teams.
Early B-Tier options include Warpriest, Valerie, Shaman, and Diabolist. Warpriest can heal through the first Campaign chapters, Valerie extends buffs and removes debuffs, and Diabolist offers turn-meter utility, but each should be replaced when Apothecary, Deacon, or High Khatun becomes available. Shaman is usually not worth major investment unless your roster has no better reviver.
Final Early Game Ranking
The short version is clear: Kael is the best first investment; Deacon Armstrong is the best early pull; Apothecary is the safest rare support; Warmaiden is the best farmable debuffer; and High Khatun is the most dependable login reward. Elhain, Athel, and Galek remain viable starters, but Kael’s Poison package gives him the broadest value across Campaign, Dragon, Clan Boss, and early Arena.
Build around turn order rather than rarity. One fast champion should set the pace, one champion should apply 60% Decrease DEF, and Kael should deal the main damage. Add healing or defensive utility only after those roles are covered. That structure will carry a new account much farther than an unbalanced lineup of legendary-looking damage dealers, and it gives every early gear upgrade a measurable purpose.
Once your account reaches harder content, replace individual pieces instead of rebuilding everything. The same fundamentals apply to other progression RPGs, including the role-based approach outlined in Steamoz’s solo class guide and endgame build guide: establish a reliable core first, then specialize around the next boss or mode.