Anime Vanguards Beginner Guide: Level Up Fast in 2026

New to Anime Vanguards? This beginner guide covers the best starter units, XP farming loops, and how to get Madara fast in the 2026 summer update.

Why You Need This Anime Vanguards Beginner Guide

Jumping into Anime Vanguards for the first time can feel overwhelming. With constant updates, evolving units, and a flood of events, it's easy to waste hours grinding inefficiently. Whether you're a brand new player or returning after a break, this anime vanguards beginner guide will show you exactly what to do from the moment you spawn in.

The 2026 summer update just dropped, bringing overpowered units and fresh events that completely change the early-game meta. By following this guide, you'll skip the confusion and build a team capable of clearing endgame content in just a few days.

Your First 30 Minutes: Starter Units and Immediate Upgrades

When you first load into the game, you'll complete a short tutorial. After that, you receive two powerful starter units: Nami and Zoro. Both come unevolved and without traits, but they form the backbone of your early team.

Evolve Zoro Instantly

Zoro's first evolution is incredibly simple. You receive a hat item during the tutorial — use it immediately to evolve him. This gives you a solid damage dealer that costs only $600 to place. According to player experience from the community, this unit remains useful well into the mid-game.

Start Nami's Evolution Path

Nami takes a bit more work. You'll need essence stones from story mode to evolve her. However, active Anime Vanguards codes often provide free essence stones. One recent code gave five rainbow essence stones, which is a huge head start. Always check for new codes before grinding manually.

UnitCost to PlaceEvolution DifficultyEarly-Game Value
Zoro$600Very Easy (free hat)High
Nami$400Medium (essence stones)Very High (best farmer)
Madara$5000Hard (summon or event)Extremely High

The Fastest XP and Resource Loop

Once you have your starter units, the next step is building levels and resources. The most efficient method is the leveling loop — short, repeatable stage runs that maximize rewards per minute.

How the Leveling Loop Works

  1. Enter a stage with short waves (story mode works well).
  2. Place a single carry unit (your evolved Zoro or Nami).
  3. Upgrade it a few times.
  4. Restart after wave 10.

This loop works because the game rewards completion, not duration. You get XP, gold, gems, and equipment every time you finish a run. Fast resets mean faster progress.

Run TypeWavesApprox TimeXP per MinuteBest For
Story Wave 10 Reset102-3 minHighEarly levels, gold
Spring Event Panel50 tiers5-6 hoursVery HighRerolls, mythic units
Odyssey Manual FarmVariable30-60 minExtremely HighRerolls, memoria shards

Spring Event: The Best Early-Game Farm

The spring event (still accessible in the lobby) is a goldmine for beginners. You'll find it in the back of the main area. Use the loadout: Treasury, Treasury, Make It Rain, Setup. Start the event, skip five waves, then restart. Claim your tier rewards from the spring panel.

According to community reports, this method yields:

  • 50,000 currency per tier (over 1 million total)
  • One of each spring mythic unit
  • Vanguard memoria at tier 50
  • Hundreds of rerolls

This takes about 5-6 hours of semi-AFK grinding. Most players use auto-clickers or tiny tasks to manage it.

Priority Units: Madara and Gear 5 Luffy

After establishing your resource base, your next goal is acquiring Madara. He's the single most impactful unit for beginners in the current meta.

Why Madara Is Essential

Madara comes with the Ninjutsu ability, which maxes him out instantly upon placement. For a new player without high-level units, this is a game-changer. He can solo carry you through story stages, legend stages, and boss events.

FeatureMadaraGear 5 LuffyIchigo
Cost to Place$5000$4500$3500
Ninjutsu (Instant Max)YesNoNo
Solo Carry PotentialExcellentVery GoodGood
Farm RequiredModerateHighLow
Endgame ViabilityVery HighExtremely HighMedium

How to Get Madara

  1. Complete the spring event panel for currency and rerolls.
  2. Summon using event currency until you pull him.
  3. If unlucky, keep playing the event — he's guaranteed with enough effort.

Gear 5 Luffy: Your Endgame Carry

Once you have Madara, pivot to Gear 5 Luffy. The path is straightforward:

  1. Summon for his mythic base form.
  2. Evolve to Gear 4 using Fire Foot, Skelly King, and Nami Evo.
  3. Complete Gear 5 quest using Madara as your carry.

The Gear 5 quest involves story stages and a boss event. With Madara, you can breeze through both. Player experience suggests you can have both Madara and Gear 5 Luffy within 2-3 days of dedicated play.

Efficient Reroll and Resource Farming

Rerolls are crucial for optimizing your units' traits. The best source in the current patch is Odyssey.

Odyssey Farming

Odyssey stages offer massive reroll rewards. The Magna and Escanor stages are particularly efficient. While Odyssey requires manual play (no reliable AFK method exists), the payoff is worth it. Dedicated players report earning 1,000+ rerolls per day from Odyssey alone.

ResourceBest Farm MethodDaily Yield
Trait RerollsOdyssey500-1000
Memoria ShardsOdyssey, Raids100-200
Essence StonesChallenges, Raid Shop20-40
GoldSpring Event, Leveling Loop500k-1M

Shop Priorities

Don't forget to clear out raid and dungeon shops regularly. The new raid shop offers:

  • 200 trait rerolls
  • 50 rainbow essence stones
  • 100 memoria rerolls
  • 100 regular rerolls

These shops reset periodically, so check back often.

Team Building for Beginners

Your early-game team should focus on synergy and low cost. Here's a recommended lineup:

SlotUnitRoleWhy
1MadaraMain CarryNinjutsu, solo clear
2Nami (Evolved)FarmerBest income generator
3Zoro (Evolved)Secondary DPSLow cost, solid damage
4Gear 5 LuffyBoss KillerHighest single-target DPS
5Fruit EaterSupport/SlowUtility for boss events
6Jiraiya (Unevolved)SlowNinjutsu if evolved, keep unevolved

Important: Do not evolve Jiraiya or Toad Sage — they gain Ninjutsu when evolved, which conflicts with your setup.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best way to start in Anime Vanguards in 2026?

The best anime vanguards beginner guide approach is to evolve your starter Zoro immediately, then focus on the spring event for resources. Summon for Madara next, then work toward Gear 5 Luffy. This path gives you endgame-ready units within days.

How do I get essence stones quickly as a beginner?

Active codes often provide free essence stones. For farming, complete the half-hour challenges — they give 2-4 of each essence stone per run. During 2x weekends, this doubles to 4-8. Combine with daily and weekly quests for steady income.

Is Madara still worth getting in the current update?

Yes. According to community reports, Madara remains the best beginner carry unit. His Ninjutsu ability allows instant max level placement, which is invaluable for new players. He also has a dedicated memoria from the spring event, making him even stronger.

Can I AFK farm in Anime Vanguards?

Some methods work for semi-AFK play. The spring event panel can be automated with auto-clickers. The leveling loop requires minimal input. However, Odyssey and most boss events require active play. For true 24/7 grinding, consider cloud gaming solutions like LDCloud.