Starter Guide: New & Returning Players
Everything you need to know about Endless Ragnarok - what's changed, best beginner characters, and your first 10 hours.
Welcome to Endless Ragnarok
Endless Ragnarok is the major expansion for Granblue Fantasy: Relink, released July 9, 2026. Whether you're a new player or returning veteran, this guide covers everything you need to know to get started.
New Players: Where to Start
If you're brand new to Granblue Fantasy: Relink, here's your roadmap:
- Complete the Main Story - Play through the base game story first (Chapters 1-8). This unlocks all base characters and core mechanics.
- Reach Player Rank 60 - Do side quests, Elite quests, and farm materials to level up.
- Start Endless Ragnarok - Begin Chapter 9 to access the new content.
- Unlock The Conflux - Complete the unlock requirements at Player Rank 80.
- Build Your Team - Use the tier list and builds guide to optimize.
Returning Players: What's Changed
If you played the base game, here's what's new:
- New Chapter - Chapter 9: Endless Ragnarok continues the story
- 6 New Characters - Beatrix, Eustace, Gallanza, Maglielle, Fraux, Fediel
- The Conflux - New endgame dungeon mode with procedural floors
- Master Traits - New progression system with Insight, Essence, and Crux styles
- Chaos Difficulty - Harder quests requiring optimized builds
- New Summons - Additional summons and updated Primal Burst mechanics
- New Platforms - Now available on Nintendo Switch 2
Best Beginner Characters
For new players, we recommend starting with these characters:
| Character | Role | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Siegfried | DPS | Simple to learn, high damage ceiling. Perfect timing mechanic is forgiving at lower difficulties. |
| Percival | DPS | Consistent damage, team buffs, straightforward combos. |
| Maglielle | Support | Healing makes progression safer. Good for co-op. |
| Fediel | Tank | Damage reflection helps survive tough encounters. |
First character picks: safe choices before you know the roster
If you are brand new to Granblue Fantasy and do not already have a favorite, start with a character that is forgiving under pressure. Every character can clear the game, but beginner comfort matters because your first 10 hours teach the dodge, block, SBA, and Link Time systems.
| Pick | Why it is beginner-friendly | What to learn |
|---|---|---|
| Lancelot | Fast dual-blade combos, strong mobility, and freeze utility that gives your whole party free damage windows. | How to stay close to a boss while dodging through attacks without dropping your combo string. |
| Charlotta | Simple high-tempo DPS, forgiving button-mash flow, and invincibility tools that let new players survive mistakes. | How to keep pressure up safely, then transition into more precise combo timing later. |
| Siegfried | Stable melee rhythm, durable playstyle, and a straightforward upgrade path into ER builds. | Timing-based combo discipline and when to block instead of dodge. |
| Cagliostro | Comfort support with party-wide healing and damage buffs if you struggle to stay alive. | Buff upkeep, party support timing, and safe positioning. |
Use Crewmate Cards carefully. If you want to test a character before committing, turn off auto-save, manually save, unlock the character, try the training dummy, and reload if the playstyle does not click.
Story to post-game: what not to grind
The fastest beginner path is not "clear every side quest". It is: finish the main story, reach Veteran Skyfarer, unlock Extreme difficulty, then start farming. Early side quests and repeatable counter missions pay lower-tier rewards that you will replace quickly.
- Main story first. Push to the first credits roll. This unlocks Veteran Skyfarer and the real post-game ladder.
- Clear first-reward Crewmate Card quests. These are the only side quests worth prioritizing during story progression because they expand your roster.
- Ignore low-tier sigil grinding. You will replace early sigils almost immediately once Transmutation and Extreme farms open.
- Invest in your main character first. Mastery points are shared. Spreading them across your whole roster slows your clears.
- After Extreme unlocks, farm Assault Formation. This becomes your first real XP/MSP/rupie/material node.
- After Maniac unlocks, shift to Slimepede. This is the best raw MSP/XP/rupie farm and remains useful in ER.
For the full deep route, see the Progression Roadmap, Farming Spots, and Auto Farming Guide.
Your First 10 Hours
- Hours 0-2: Start Chapter 9, meet the new characters, unlock the Conflux portal
- Hours 2-4: Clear Conflux floors 1-10, collect Conflux Shards
- Hours 4-6: Unlock Master Traits for your main character, level to Rank 2
- Hours 6-8: Clear Conflux floors 10-20, start farming Chaos Crystals
- Hours 8-10: Push to Floor 25, upgrade traits to Rank 3, start optimizing builds
Progression Roadmap
- Early Game: Story → Elite Quests → Player Rank 80
- Mid Game: Conflux 1-20 → Farm Chaos Crystals → Master Traits Rank 3
- Late Game: Conflux 20+ → Chaos Bosses → Master Traits Rank 5
- Endgame: Conflux 30+ → Legendary Sigils → Full optimization