Chapter 1: The First Step

Chapter 1: The First Step

Welcome, Sensei, to your first foray into the world of Kivotos! This guide will walk you through the very first mission, Mission 1-1: First Encounter, ensuring you start your journey with confidence and a solid understanding of Blue Archive's core mechanics. Even though this mission is designed as a tutorial, mastering its basics will set you up for success in more challenging encounters.

Mission 1-1: First Encounter - Walkthrough & Strategy

Objective: Eliminate all enemies.

Recommended Level: Level 1+

Enemy Type: Light Armor (Red Icon)

Upon starting Mission 1-1, you'll be introduced to the combat interface. Don't be overwhelmed; we'll break down each element you need to know for this initial battle.

1. Deployment and Initial Movement:

   Your students will automatically deploy and move towards the first group of enemies. In this mission, movement is largely automated, allowing you to focus on skill usage. Observe how your students take cover behind environmental objects – this is a crucial defensive mechanic in Blue Archive.

2. Identifying Enemy Armor Types:

   Before engaging, it's vital to identify the enemy's armor type. In Blue Archive, armor types follow a rock-paper-scissors system with corresponding damage types. For Mission 1-1, all enemies are Light Armor. You can identify this by the red shield icon displayed above their health bar. This icon is a universal indicator for Light Armor enemies throughout the game.

3. Selecting the Right Damage Type (Explosive):

   Since the enemies are Light Armor, you'll want to use students with Explosive (Red) damage types. Explosive damage is highly effective against Light Armor, dealing increased damage. While your starting students might have varied damage types, students like Serika (if you acquired her) or Hoshino (a fantastic early game tank with Explosive damage on her EX Skill) are excellent choices for this mission. Even without specific Explosive attackers, your default students will suffice for this introductory mission, but understanding this mechanic early is key.

4. Understanding and Using EX Skills:

   EX Skills are your students' most powerful abilities, requiring EX Skill Cost points to activate. These points accumulate over time during battle. For Mission 1-1, you'll want to use your EX Skills to clear groups of enemies quickly. Here's a brief breakdown:

   • What is an EX Skill? Each student has one unique, powerful ability called an EX Skill. These skills often have significant effects, such as dealing high damage, healing allies, or applying crowd control.
   • How to Use: When you have enough EX Skill Cost points (displayed as a blue bar at the bottom of the screen), the EX Skill icon for an available student will light up. Simply tap the student's portrait, then tap their EX Skill icon, and finally, tap on the target area or enemy if the skill requires targeting.
   • Effective Use in Mission 1-1: In this mission, your students' EX Skills will likely be area-of-effect (AoE) attacks or single-target bursts. Use them when multiple enemies are clustered together to maximize their impact, or to quickly eliminate a tougher enemy if one appears. Don't hoard your EX Skill points; use them as they become available to keep the pressure on the enemy.
5. Engaging Enemy Waves:

   The mission consists of a few waves of basic Light Armor enemies. Your students will automatically engage with their basic attacks. Your primary role is to strategically deploy EX Skills. Keep an eye on your students' health bars; while unlikely to be an issue in this first mission, it's good practice to monitor their survivability.

6. Victory Condition:

   The mission concludes once all enemy waves have been defeated. You'll then proceed to the results screen.

Recommended Student Composition for Mission 1-1

While any combination of your initial students will clear this mission, understanding team composition early is beneficial.

• Tank: A student with high HP and DEF, like Hoshino, to draw enemy fire.
• DPS (Damage Per Second): Students focused on dealing damage. If you have an Explosive type like Serika, she'll shine here.
• Healer/Support: A student who can heal or buff allies.

For Mission 1-1, focus on bringing your highest-level students. The game will likely provide you with a balanced starting team that can handle this mission without specific optimization.

Common Pitfalls & Tips for New Players

• Ignoring Armor Types: The biggest mistake new players make is not matching damage types to enemy armor types. Always check the enemy's shield icon!
• Hoarding EX Skills: While strategic use is important, don't save EX Skills indefinitely. Use them to clear waves efficiently and maintain momentum.
• Underleveled Students: Ensure your students are at least Level 1. While obvious for the first mission, remember to level up your students regularly as you progress.
• Forgetting Auto-Battle: Once you're comfortable, you can use the auto-battle feature to let the AI handle skill usage, but for learning, manual control is best.

Mission Rewards

Completing Mission 1-1 will grant you essential resources to kickstart your journey. These rewards are crucial for student growth and progression.

Congratulations, Sensei! You've completed your very first mission and taken the first step into the vibrant world of Blue Archive. Continue to explore, learn, and guide your students to victory!