Thanks to Fate Grand Order, fans of the Fate series can become their own Master and enter contracts with a variety of Servants. Set in 2015, the mysterious Chaldea Security Organization will enlist the player’s help to travel back in time to save Earth from imminent destruction, set to occur in 2016. Aside from Fate’s signature brand of storytelling, Fate Grand Order offers immersive gameplay and merciless gacha to set itself apart from other mobile titles.At first glance, any Fate fan will probably love the idea of being able to “capture” hit Servants such as Artoria Pendragon (Saber) and Gilgamesh (Archer) in their arsenal. However, behind the collection appeal of FGO is a huge gameplay loop that takes time to master. For newcomers to FGO, just what should they do when starting out?
10 Reroll The Starter Pulls
Remember, since there’s an almost 1-percent chance of pulling a 5-Star Servant in any given roll, players need to make do with their other Servants. Thankfully, players can lowkey rig the game in the first Roll to get a powerful Servant to help them in the leveling process.
When players get to the rolling tutorial, the game gives them 10 free pulls with a guaranteed 4-Star. If players don’t like their 4-Star obtained, they can clear the game’s data and repeat the entire progress. Here are some ideal 5-Stars to obtain:
- Heracles (Berserker): Ideal for almost all situations.
- Tamamo Cat (Berserker): Great for farming and Story Quests.
- Carmilla (Assassin): Reliable in terms of both defense and attack.
- Emiya (Archer): Great choice for an offensive Servant.
9 Show Low-Rarity Servants Some Love
Given the existence of ultra-hyped 5-Star Servants, players tend to look at lower-Star Servants with disdain. However, some of the most potent Servants in the game actually hide under the guise of low-Star Servants. When used properly, some of these characters can help farming or even do missions extremely easily. Here are some low-Star Servants that players need to pay attention to:
- Georgios (Rider, 2-Star): His Guardian Knight A+ skill transforms him into a tank that takes on all damage, giving allies extra time to breathe. With a Siegfried (4-Star), Georgios can become a mean buffer.
- David (Archer, 3-Star): He has a Defense-Up self-target skill that boosts his defense and can even grant damage immunity to all Servants for a turn. Likewise, his Attack-Up skill can give allies a much-needed damage boost when facing stronger foes.
- Spartacus (Berserker, 1-Star): His skills incentivize attacking multiple foes at once, making him a nasty foe against any Class. Due to this, he’s a great companion to clear farming quests.
- Paracelsus (Caster, 3-Star): Paracelsus is a great AOE Caster with an impressive array of support abilities. He can get NP (Noble Phantasm) fast, allowing him to unleash his multi-target special attacks. When upgraded, Paracelsus can dish out NPs for two turns, letting him wipe out a lot of enemies.
8 Secure Friends, Followers To Maximize Friendship Benefits
Except in Story Mode that has in-game Guest Servants, players can choose a Guest Servant from other users of the game. After each battle, it is possible to add the Guest Servant's player as a Friend or to Follow them. While it’s always an option not to, players get some benefits when adding or following another player:
- Maximum FPs: Players obtain more FP when using a Guest Servant of a Friend or Following instead of a random stranger.
- Lineup Maximization: Players can choose other Servants from a Friend or Following’s selection, letting them customize their lineup further. If players know another player in real life, they can try coordinating certain farming rotations.
7 Secure Dailies, Weekly Offerings
As with other mobile games, Grand Order has its slate of daily and weekly offerings. Players who engage in them actively can earn a wide variety of rewards, from currency to Saint Quartz or even special items. Here are things to take note of:
- Friendship Summons: Once per day, players can do the Friendship Summons for free. This is a 10-roll freebie that gives players access to basic Servants, Craft Essences, and other materials.
- Master Missions: Players can finish Master Missions that reward them with Saint Quartz and other items. These refresh weekly.
- Daily Login Rewards: Players who log in on consecutive days gain various rewards, such as Saint Quartz.
6 Complete All Quests For Maximum Saint Quartz
Finishing Quests throughout the main storyline is the most efficient way to earn Saint Quartz. In turn, it’s always advisable for players to finish all Quests that pop up in any chapter, regardless of how far away they are from the main story. Despite how tedious the repetitive battles can get, the investment of SQs towards more powerful characters makes this effort worth the while.
Through this method, players always have reserve Saint Quartz to use for rolling. This strategy becomes extremely helpful if players want to speed their way through a story in line with upcoming events.
5 Pay Attention To Special Events
As with any mobile game, Grand Order has its own fair share of events for players to enjoy. Most of these events contain their own stories and rewards that people can exchange for various items. Some events are also recurring, allowing newcomers to enjoy some meme-worthy or trope-worthy storylines in the franchise.
Most importantly, all of these events have banners that feature “higher chances” of obtaining certain Servants, which for some players is worth saving month’s worth of SQs. Notable events include:
- Interlude Campaign: These campaigns serve as interlude segments in between events that feature unique banners.
- Gilfest: Also called the Battle of New York, this is a tournament of sorts that gives players a slightly higher chance to obtain Gilgamesh (Archer).
- Anniversary: Grand Order also has an anniversary event dedicated to giving players extra rewards and other unique Servants in their banners.
4 Save The Saint Quartz Until Worthwhile Banners
Despite the temptation of using Saint Quartz to roll and test one’s luck with the RNG Gods, it’s highly inadvisable for most players. Unlike other games, Grand Order doesn’t have a pity system for its gacha. This means players will never get a 5-Star Servant after failing X number of times. Rather, players pull a 5-Star if destiny says so.
In turn, players should save their Saint Quartz as much as possible. That way, they can wait until a banner features a Servant they want and they can try rolling for them. These usually come in the form of special events with limited-time Servants. Even then, a player can have thousands of SQs stored and not roll a Servant they want, so tread carefully.
3 Enjoy The Story Outside The Combat
Perhaps most importantly, players should simply sit back and enjoy the story Grand Order has to offer. With a deep plot and interconnected events, players have hours’ worth of content to enjoy as they slowly level up their Servants in the process. While some people might frown upon players who just skip cutscenes to get into combat, this remains an option for those in a hurry to farm.
Thankfully, players who do skip their cutscenes can always replay them in the Archives. From the bottom menu, players can simply head to My Room and access the story archives there. This gives them a full view of all chapters they’ve unlocked so they can review them at their leisure.
2 Let The Game Teach Over Time
Players who go through the first few hours of Grand Order might immediately feel overwhelmed with the number of things happening around them. After all, not only do they have the option to upgrade Servants, but also their Skills, Craft Essences, and even Ascend them to gain extra Stars and level caps. These elements can make even 4-Star Servants immensely useful tanks and team players in any lineup.
All of these can become tricky to digest all at once. Thankfully, the game does have a natural way of teaching players the ropes throughout their playthrough, even outside the tutorial. Things to take note of:
- EXP, Status Upgrades: Players who notice their Servants dying faster in battle may get motivated to increase their levels through EXP Cards. An alternative here is to increase their stats via Status Up Cards that can boost their ATK and HP, among others.
- Skill, Noble Phantasm Upgrades: Players who want to boost the potency of their Servant’s Skills and Noble Phantasms might want to upgrade them through various resources. Once upgraded, Skills gain better effects while Noble Phantasms can affect enemies in different ways.
1 Lineup Training Takes Experience
At first glance, choosing a buffed 5-Star Servant as a Guest Servant as a third party member should give enemies a run for their money with their powerful attacks. However, players will soon realize that a Guest Servant won’t necessarily be able to carry the party through all battles. It’s in these situations that players will learn how to build their lineup properly, taking into consideration substitutions and Class relationships. Here are things to consider:
- Take note of Class affinities: Classes have inherent weaknesses and strengths against each other. Players need to consider how Servant Classes interact to ensure that their Servants always have the upper hand as much as possible.
- Take note of NP, Skill relationships: Outside levels, players need to take note of how their Servants influence each other’s Skills and Noble Phantasms. For instance, Servants with AOE NPs should be the recipient of NP Gauge boosters and ATK buffs. Likewise, players should keep their healing, immunity, and evasive buffs in reserve.
Fate Grand Order was released in 2015 and is playable on iOS and Android devices.