NTE hands you a surprising amount of free power. Between the story rewards, the launch codes and the guaranteed early companions, most players can field a genuinely strong team without spending a cent or getting lucky on a banner. The trick is picking characters that react together instead of just hitting hard on their own.
The team: Mint · Esper Zero · Skia · Adler
This is the squad to aim for in your first week:
- Mint — Main DPS. Your on-field carry. She widens the Vita Pistils that the Blossom reaction spawns, so her damage scales with the whole team's setup.
- Esper Zero — Sub-DPS / trigger. The other half of Blossom. His skill procs the reaction instantly, which is why he's in almost every beginner core.
- Skia — Sub-DPS. Reliable AoE and stealth burst, and he pairs with Esper Zero to activate Remora when you want a second reaction online.
- Adler — Support. Team-wide shields plus a damage-over-time layer, with almost no setup. The most universally useful unit in the game right now.
Mint + Esper Zero = Blossom. That single pairing is your bread-and-butter Esper Cycle. Get it running, keep Adler's shield up, and swap Skia in for tougher packs. That's the whole rotation — learn it before you chase anything fancier.
If you pull well: Nanally
If the banner is kind, Nanally is arguably the strongest Main DPS at launch. Her kit fires automatic follow-up attacks whenever teammates land hits, and once her buffs stack she cycles into an ultimate that dumps enormous burst. Slotting her in over Mint turns the same support shell (Esper Zero, Adler) into a top-tier team.
Build one team that reacts, not four characters that hit hard. The launch-week rule
How to build them
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Lock the Blossom core first
Level Mint and Esper Zero to your account cap before anyone else. Everything keys off this pair.
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Give Adler just enough
A support's shield scales off survivability stats, not raw attack. A modest investment keeps the whole team alive — don't overfeed him.
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Keep Skia flexible
He's your swap-in for AoE and the Remora reaction. Level him second, not first.
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Save premium pulls
Hold your Annulith for Nanally (or a future limited DPS) rather than spreading it thin. One built five-star beats three half-built ones.
NTE is a live gacha — tier lists shift with every patch and new banner. Treat this as a launch-window starting point, not gospel. Build the free core, keep your resources flexible, and re-evaluate when the roster grows.
The one-line version
Run Mint + Esper Zero for Blossom, Adler to keep everyone alive, and Skia for the tough fights. Swap Mint for Nanally if you pull her. Save your Annulith. Done.