Blue Archive Guide – The Ultimate 2025 Player Handbook for Beginners, Team Building, and Farming

If you’ve just stumbled into Blue Archive, welcome to Kivotos — where adorable students carry military-grade weapons and chaos somehow equals charm. Whether you’re here for the story, the characters, or the tactical gameplay, this Blue Archive guide will walk you through everything from the basics to advanced farming and meta team builds.

I. Introduction to Blue Archive Guide

A. Guide Purpose

This guide covers the entire player journey — from new Sensei onboarding to long-term optimization.

B. Target Audience

It’s perfect for new and returning players who want to understand team synergy, farming efficiency, and gacha priorities.

C. Structure Overview

We’ll go through:

1. Getting started

2. Team building and combat

3. Farming, leveling, and meta tips

D. Navigation Tips

If you’re a complete beginner, stick to Sections II–IV. Veterans can skip ahead to team composition and farming sections.

E. Resource Organization

Each section includes actionable advice — not just definitions.

II. Getting Started and Beginner Guide

A. Installation

Download Blue Archive from Google Play, App Store, or PC via emulators. The game is light, but animations are stunning — don’t skip them.

B. Account Creation

Link your account through Nexon or Yostar (depending on region). Always bind your account early to avoid progress loss.

C. Initial Setup

The tutorial introduces you to the combat UI, cover system, and EX Skills. You’ll also meet key characters like Shiroko and Arona, your AI assistant.

D. First Steps

• Finish Episode 1 to unlock your dorm and café.

• Start doing daily commissions ASAP.

• Claim pre-registration or event rewards if available.

E. Early Progression Tips

• Focus on clearing Main Story Normal first.

• Don’t over-upgrade random students. Save resources for top-tier units like Iori, Hibiki, or Serina.

III. New Player Strategy Guide

A. Overview

The first week sets the tone for your long-term progress.

B. Starting Strategy

Your goal early on is to unlock as many content features as possible:

• Campaign

• Raids

• Commissions

• Lessons (for bond growth)

C. Resource Allocation

1. Credits (Gold) → Don’t waste on low-tier gear.

2. Reports → Focus on core DPS or healer units.

3. Eligma currency → Save for limited characters.

D. Early Game Progression

Progress through Normal → Hard stages, then move into Total Assault (raid). Farming early materials in Hard mode helps long-term.

E. Quick Start Recommendations

• Reroll for Iori or Haruna — they carry your early DPS.

• Always clear dailies; stamina is your most valuable resource.

IV. Tips and Tricks Overview

A. Essential Tips

• Skip animations during farming to save time.

• Level Café early for passive stamina recovery.

• Use auto-combat for farming but manual control for boss fights.

B. Beginner Tricks

• Don’t fuse every piece of gear immediately — wait for event shop discounts.

• Equip matching armor-type counters to handle difficult stages.

C. Quick Wins

• Bond up with key characters through Lessons for extra stat boosts.

• Stack stamina bottles — future events drain energy fast.

D. Efficiency Tips

Focus on clearing 3-star runs in campaign; they give skip tickets for future farming.

E. Common Mistakes

• Upgrading every student.

• Ignoring defense types.

• Forgetting to upgrade Tactical Challenge units.

V. Character and Student Guide

A. Overview

Students are your units — each with their own weapon type, armor, and EX Skill.

B. Student Introduction

They belong to different academies (Abydos, Gehenna, Millennium, etc.) and have unique personalities tied to story chapters.

C. Character Selection

Focus on DPS + Support + Healer balance. Every team needs sustain and damage coverage.

D. Student Roles

1. Striker – Frontline or DPS.

2. Special – Supports or Healers.

E. Collection Strategy

Prioritize meta units from limited banners. Event reruns often bring top-tier students back.

VI. Team Building and Formation

A. Overview

Blue Archive is a tactical RPG — positioning and synergy matter as much as stats.

B. Team Mechanics

A full squad = 4 Strikers + 2 Specials.

C. Formation Strategy

Pair offensive Strikers with supportive Specials.
Example: Iori + Hibiki (burst) + Serina (heal) + Karin (sniper).

D. Positioning

Use frontline tanks to protect your backline.
Tsubaki remains the best defensive wall even in 2025.

E. Synergy

Combining students from the same academy (e.g., Abydos team) grants small synergy buffs in certain modes.

VII. Formation Guide and Positioning

A. Formation Types

• Frontline-heavy for survivability.

• Backline-heavy for burst output.

B. Position Mechanics

Students auto-adjust based on range. Tanks stay close; snipers stay back.

C. Placement Strategy

Don’t stack similar ranges — they’ll bunch up and die to AoEs.

D. Optimization

Check terrain bonuses: some maps buff Explosive, Piercing, or Mystic attacks.

E. Tactical Positioning

Use manual skill timing to avoid overkill. Trigger EX Skills during enemy cast animations for interruption.

VIII. Combat Strategy and Tactics

A. Combat System

Blue Archive battles use semi-auto combat — you control EX Skill timing and unit selection.

B. Mechanics

Each EX Skill costs cost points. Managing skill order is key for victory.

C. Strategy Overview

1. Dodge boss telegraphs.

2. Time burst EX Skills.

3. Save cost for clutch heals.

D. Tactical Gameplay

Use defensive buffs right before major AoE hits.

E. Victory Tips

Always pre-farm materials before attempting Challenge stages; underleveled teams get one-shot easily.

IX. Enemy and Boss Guide

A. Enemy Overview

Each enemy has an armor type: Light, Heavy, or Special — and they counter different damage types (Explosive, Piercing, Mystic).

B. Enemy Types

• Normal mobs – fodder units.

• Mini-bosses – higher HP, single mechanics.

• Raid bosses – complex AoEs and enrage timers.

C. Boss Guide

Each Total Assault boss has unique patterns:

• Perorodzilla: AoE and knockback.

• Binah: Timed summons.

• Kaiten FX: Mobile boss with sweeping attacks.

D. Boss Mechanics

Learn their attack order — skill timing is everything.

E. Defeat Strategies

Bring defense-type counters and support buffs to mitigate burst phases.

X. Raid Guide and Strategy

A. Overview

Raids (Total Assault) test your composition strength.

B. Mechanics

You fight massive bosses with time limits.

C. Team Composition

Typical raid lineup = 3 DPS, 1 Healer, 2 Supports.

D. Strategy

Focus on buff stacking and burst damage windows. Save Karin’s or Hibiki’s EX Skills for boss vulnerabilities.

E. Rewards

Higher ranks grant Pyroxenes, reports, and Eligma, crucial for long-term growth.

XI–XVI. Farming and Progression

A. Farming Overview

Farming drives progression. You’ll grind for materials, XP, and equipment daily.

B. Farming Mechanics

Each stage consumes stamina. Plan routes using Skip Tickets to save time.

C. Equipment and Blueprint Farming

Gear rarity increases drastically after Chapter 10. Hard stages and commissions drop the best blueprints.

D. Optimal Routes

Farm 3–5 Hard stages daily for shards, then use leftover stamina on credit stages.

E. Efficiency Tips

1. Do dailies before reset.

2. Use café stamina boosts.

3. Don’t waste stamina on non-event stages during limited events.

XVII–XIX. Story and Campaign Guide

A. Overview

Blue Archive’s story is unexpectedly emotional — balancing humor with heartfelt arcs.

B. Campaign Progression

Each chapter introduces new students, mechanics, and enemies.

C. Rewards

Clearing missions grants Pyroxenes, skill materials, and café decorations.

D. Narrative Structure

• Abydos → Millennium → Gehenna → Trinity storylines intertwine.

• Watch the cutscenes — they’re worth it.

E. Challenge Missions

Endgame story stages require terrain-specific team builds.

XX–XXII. Gacha, Banners, and Recruitment

A. Gacha Overview

The gacha system uses Pyroxenes for 10-pulls. Limited banners rotate monthly.

B. Mechanics

Each banner has a 3% SSR rate; pity activates at 200 pulls.

C. Strategy

Save for limited banners — they feature top-tier students like Mika or Himari.

D. Recruitment Tips

Use your Eligma wisely — don’t buy duplicates early.

E. Best Summon Times

Banner reruns or half-anniversary events always offer double rewards.

XXIII–XXIV. Character Selection and Student Tiering

A. Selection

Your roster should balance damage, sustain, and cost efficiency.

B. Best Characters (2025 Meta)

C. Tiering

• S = Core meta

• A = Flexible and reliable

• B = Early game focused

D. Strategy

Prioritize supports and healers — they scale across all content.

E. Collection Planning

Don’t chase every banner. Build around your strongest DPS instead.

XXV–XXVI. Leveling and Sensei Progression

A. Leveling Overview

Sensei level caps your team’s growth — you can’t overlevel your students beyond your account level.

B. Progression

Gain EXP by doing daily commissions and lessons.

C. Student Leveling

Use XP reports from missions and events.

D. Milestones

Levels 40, 60, and 80 unlock new gear tiers.

E. Long-Term Strategy

Always level students evenly to handle different enemy armor types.

Blue Archive might look like a cute gacha game at first glance, but it’s one of the most strategic and rewarding mobile titles out there. The combination of tactical combat, emotional storytelling, and endless customization makes it perfect for both casual and competitive players.

If you’re new:

• Focus on story and daily missions first.

• Save Pyroxenes for limited banners.

• Build a core team of DPS + healer + support before experimenting.

If you’re experienced:

• Master raid timing and terrain synergy.

• Optimize farming paths.

• Keep an eye on new academy events — they often redefine the meta.

At the end of the day, Blue Archive isn’t just about numbers — it’s about your bond with the students. Each one tells a story, and every victory feels like a little bit of classroom pride.