Must-Have Monsters for Efficient Early Progression in Summoners War

To progress efficiently in Summoners War, beginners must resist the urge to build every monster they summon. Success is determined by your ability to clear dungeons—specifically Giants B10—as quickly as possible. The most reliable path to this goal is focusing on a core group of easily obtainable (farmable) monsters that provide essential utility, sustain, and speed. By prioritizing units that offer defense breaks, healing, and turn-cycle manipulation, you can build a stable foundation that allows you to farm high-quality runes, which are the true backbone of any competitive account.

The Essential Utility Trio: Bella, Veromos, and Shannon

Every successful Summoners War account begins with a "core three" that provides everything needed to survive early-game content. These units provide the sustain and debuff management required to beat bosses that would otherwise wipe a team of uncoordinated damage dealers.

• Belladeon (Light Inugami): Often called the "Swiss Army Knife" of the early game. Her kit is perfect: Skill 1 provides a defense break, Skill 2 removes beneficial effects from enemies (crucial for bosses), and Skill 3 is a team-wide heal that increases the attack bar of all allies. You can obtain her through Secret Dungeons on Light Day (Sunday).
• Veromos (Dark Ifrit): As a fusion monster, Veromos is your first major project. His passive removes harmful effects from allies every turn, which is mandatory for surviving the defense-break-heavy mechanics of the Giants dungeon. He also offers reliable crowd control with his stun on Skill 1.
• Shannon (Wind Pixie): Despite being a 2-star monster, Shannon is a top-tier support. Her "Pep Talk" provides both an attack and defense buff, which is the single best way to keep your team alive while simultaneously increasing damage output. Her AoE slow on Skill 3 is also vital for controlling enemy waves.

Building a Reliable Damage Core with Raoq and Bernard

Once you have your utility, you need speed and damage. A common mistake is building too many damage dealers; instead, focus on monsters that manipulate the turn order to maximize the efficiency of your support units.

• Bernard (Wind Griffon): Speed is the most important stat in Summoners War. Bernard’s "Tailwind" increases the attack speed of your entire team and boosts their attack bar. This ensures your support units get their cooldowns back faster and your damage dealers get more turns to attack. He is farmable in the Tamor Desert.
• Raoq (Fire Inugami): Raoq is your early-game "speed farmer." His "Team Up" skill pulls other teammates into the attack, which helps trigger defense breaks and cooldown resets. He is excellent for clearing scenario maps quickly, allowing you to level up your fodder units efficiently.

Strategic Priority: Why You Should Focus on Farmable Units

The biggest trap for new Summoners War players is relying on "luck-based" summons. Natural 4-star and 5-star monsters look impressive, but without proper skill-ups and high-quality runes, they are often less effective than a fully skilled 3-star unit.

Focusing on farmable units removes the RNG barrier. You know exactly where to find them, you can easily obtain duplicates to maximize their skills, and you can awaken them using predictable farming routes.

Development Milestones for Early Units

1. Awakening: Prioritize awakening your utility units first. Awakening often grants a new skill or a massive stat boost that makes the unit viable in higher-difficulty dungeons.
2. Skill-ups: Use duplicates or Devilmons only when absolutely necessary. For farmable units, you should always aim to max out their skills using their own family members (found in Secret Dungeons or the Shop).
3. Rune Thresholds: Do not worry about "perfect" runes. Aim for Swift and Energy sets. For supports, prioritize Speed, HP%, and Accuracy. If your Bella cannot land her defense break, the team will fail regardless of how much damage you have.

Balancing Investment and Future Utility

A frequent point of confusion is whether you should keep investing in "starter" monsters once you reach the mid-game. The answer is a resounding yes.

While you will eventually replace some of these units with specialized ones, the "core trio" mentioned above remains relevant well into the mid-game. For example, Belladeon is still used in many high-level RTA (Real-Time Arena) and Guild War compositions. By investing in them, you aren't wasting resources; you are creating the engine that allows you to farm the runes needed for your end-game monsters.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Spreading Resources Thin: Do not try to 6-star five different monsters at once. Focus on your Giants team until they can clear the dungeon with 95%+ consistency.
• Ignoring Accuracy: A defense break that misses is a wasted turn. Ensure your Bella and Bernard have at least 45% accuracy for Giants B10.
• Neglecting Speed: If your monsters are too slow, the boss will out-cycle you. Use Swift runes on all your supports to ensure they take as many turns as possible.

Final Strategy: The Path to Efficiency

To truly master the start of Summoners War, you must follow a systematic progression:

1. Obtain and awaken your Belladeon, Bernard, and Shannon.
2. Clear the scenario maps to unlock high-tier runes and materials.
3. Farm the fusion materials for Veromos.
4. Once Veromos is fused and leveled, your Giants B10 team is complete.

By following this roadmap, you minimize the "dead time" where you are stuck unable to progress. Remember: Summoners War is a marathon, not a sprint. A stable, slow team that clears a dungeon is infinitely more valuable than a fast team that wipes halfway through the boss fight. Stick to this core, prioritize your rune quality, and you will find yourself transitioning into the mid-game faster than those who chase high-rarity summons without a proper foundation.