Raid: Shadow Legends is filled with various game modes and swathes of different champions, all with their own unique strengths and weaknesses. Beginner players can often find themselves overwhelmed by how much choice there is to just about every aspect of the game.
When beginning the game, players will be given a choice on which starter champion they want to begin with; a bit like choosing a Pokemon starter. There are a few different choices, all with unique abilities that match up to playstyles. All starter champions possess high damage and low AoE cooldown, meaning they are all suitable for the campaign mode which will help players get to grips with Raid: Shadow Legends as they are first starting out. Mobile games nowadays can be quite overwhelming, so using community resources and guides is crucial for succeeding at Raid.
4 Elhain: The High Elf Archer
Elhain is a High Elf archer character that boasts high AoE damage potential while also being versatile enough to take on single targets. Belonging to the High Elves faction, Elhain is a Magic affinity Rare champion that packs a punch while also being able to defend herself.
She is highly capable of being built as an all-rounder, with attack and defence developed equally. Players should avoid focusing on Accuracy, as Elhain has no use for it. In most situations, Elhain benefits the most from the Warmaster Mastery Skill.
Elhain is considered the worst starter champion out of the four offered, due to her failing to offer any strong debuffs against enemies. However, players who enjoy fighting in ranged combat will have a good time with this character. Her attacks include:
- KeenShot - Single-target attack that repeats if Elhain deals critical damage, which is subject to RNG.
- LightningArrow - Single-target attack that repeats as an AoE attack. If Elhain kills the initial target, she gains a Crit Rate bonus that lasts 3 turns.
- Valley of Death - AoE ability that targets all enemies twice.
Her Aura increases Ally HP by 15 % in all battles, which can be useful for sustaining in difficult dungeons during the early game.
3 Galek: The Sword-Wielding Orc
Galek is a popular choice, owing to being the poster boy in Raid: Shadow Legends promotional material. He is an Attack champion belonging to the Orcs faction, and he is the best choice for the early game. It is no wonder that players often pick Galek, but beginners should be aware that Galek doesn't scale as well as Kael or Elhain during the late game, which could put players at a disadvantage later on. However, for pretending the player is in a Lord of the Rings game, Galek works great.
Galek has almost an even split of single-target and AoE attacks, and he consistently inflicts increased damage due to the debuffs he puts on enemies. The mighty Orc's abilities are:
- Cross Slash - Single-target ability that repeats a second time.
- Hellraiser - AoE attack that targets all enemies, then buffs Galek's Speed for two turns.
- Cursed Blade - Semi-AoE attack that targets four enemies and has a chance (RNG-based) to decrease their Defense. If any of the targets hit suffer more than two debuffs, they have an additional Defense debuff.
His Aura increases all Ally HP by 15 %, which is great for sustain while battling a difficult dungeon.
2 Athel: The Telerian Paladin
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Athel is often overlooked out of the four starter champions, but she can be a great choice for more patient players, or those who want to play as a paladin. An Attack champion belonging to the Telerian faction, she is the only hero who has a self-buff, which makes her highly sustainable during the early game.
Her damage is lower than the other three starter champions, so players may struggle in the beginning even with the sustain she offers via her self-buff. Athel's abilities are:
- Strike Down - Single-target triple attack that can weaken the target enemy for two turns.
- Higher Blessing - Self-buff that increases Attack, Defense, and offers an extra turn if Athel is below 50 % health.
- Divine Blades - AoE attack that targets all enemies.
Her Aura increases all Ally HP by 15 % in battles, which is great for sustain and offsetting the fact that she isn't a beginner friendly champion.
1 Kael: Dark Elf Mage
Kael is considered the best starter champion out of all four by a lot of Raid: Shadow Legends players, and it's not hard to see why. Kael belongs to the Dark Elf faction, and is an Attack champion with MagicAffinity. He joins a long list of video game mages, but feels distinct enough to stand out.
Strong in all stages of the game, and especially at late-game, Kael combines AoE and single-target attacks to be a beast to not only mobs in dungeons but even the toughest bosses. His abilities are:
- Dark Bolt - Single-target attack that has a chance (RNG based) to poison the target enemy for two turns.
- Acid Rain - AoE attack that damages all enemies. Kael gains 25 % turn meter refill for every opponent killed.
- Disintegrate - Semi-AoE attack that targets four random opponents and can poison them for two turns.
His Aura increases Ally HP by 15 % in all battles, which adds a lot of sustain.