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Overview

Team building in Neverness to Everness revolves around the Esper Cycle system and elemental reactions. Each party consists of four characters who swap in and out of combat, chaining normal attacks, skills, and ultimates. The key to building a strong team is selecting characters whose elements, roles, and Esper Cycle Passives complement each other.

Unlike many action RPGs where teams are built purely around damage output, NTE's reaction system means that element coverage and passive synergies matter just as much as raw stats. A well-built team triggers reactions consistently, buffs allies through off-field passives, and has the survivability to sustain extended fights.

Core Principles

1. Element Coverage

The six elements (Cosmos, Anima, Incantation, Chaos, Psyche, Lakshana) form a ring where only adjacent pairs trigger duo reactions. When selecting your four characters, prioritize covering at least two adjacent element pairs. Three adjacent elements unlock a trio reaction, which is the most powerful combination available.

Avoid spreading elements across non-adjacent positions on the ring. Having one Cosmos character and one Chaos character, for example, produces no elemental reactions because Cosmos and Chaos are not adjacent.

2. Esper Cycle Passives

Every character's Esper Cycle Passive stays active even while off-field. This is the single most important team-building consideration. A character you never swap to can still dramatically boost your team's damage through their passive alone. When evaluating a character for your team, check their passive first.

3. Role Balance

While NTE does not use a formal role classification system, characters naturally fall into distinct roles based on their skill kits. A balanced team typically includes at least one character focused on dealing damage and one character providing utility (healing, shielding, crowd control, or damage amplification).

Lane-Based Team Building Philosophy

The most effective way to think about team building in NTE is through the concept of lanes. A lane is a group of two or three adjacent elements on the Esper Cycle wheel that naturally chain into each other. Rather than picking four individually strong characters, you want to build along a lane first and then use the remaining slot to address whatever that lane is missing.

The six elements form a wheel in this order: Cosmos, Anima, Incantation, Chaos, Psyche, Lakshana, and back to Cosmos. Only adjacent pairs on this wheel can trigger Duo reactions. Three adjacent elements can trigger the more powerful Trio reactions. Elements on opposite sides of the wheel, such as Cosmos and Chaos, produce no reactions when paired together.

When building a team, pick your lane first. For example, choosing the Incantation/Chaos/Psyche lane gives you access to two Duo reactions (Scorch and Nova) and one Trio reaction (Discord). Your fourth character slot is then free to solve a problem: add a healer if you need sustain, a second DPS if the content is a damage check, or a shielder if you keep dying to specific attacks.

The Two Main Lanes

NTE's element wheel creates two primary trio lanes, each with a distinct playstyle:

You do not always need a full trio lane. Some of the strongest teams run two separate Duo reaction pairs instead, layering different effects for flexibility. For instance, pairing a Cosmos/Anima core (Blossom) with a Psyche/Lakshana flex (Stain) gives you both autonomous damage and a 50% vulnerability debuff.

Duo and Trio Reaction Reference

Understanding what each reaction does is essential for making informed team building decisions. The table below lists every elemental reaction in the game, its trigger elements, and its combat effect.

Duo Reactions

Trio Reactions

Full Element Coverage Strategy

With four character slots and six elements, you cannot cover everything. The goal is not to bring every element; instead, focus on covering a lane of two or three adjacent elements and then use the fourth slot strategically. Here is how to think about coverage:

1. Pick your trio lane. Choose either the Charge lane (Cosmos/Anima/Lakshana) or the Discord lane (Incantation/Chaos/Psyche) as your foundation. This gives you two Duo reactions and one Trio reaction from three characters.

2. Evaluate what the lane lacks. Charge lanes tend to have strong sustained damage and energy generation but may lack break power. Discord lanes break bosses quickly but may struggle with sustained healing or crowd control.

3. Fill the gap with the fourth slot. Use the remaining slot for a character whose element may not react with your lane but whose kit solves a specific problem. A healer, a shielder, or an additional DPS can each be correct depending on the content.

4. Consider off-field passives. Even if the fourth character's element does not create reactions with your lane, their Esper Cycle Passive still applies. A character like Fadia provides damage redirection from her passive regardless of whether Psyche reacts with your other elements.

Fourth Slot Flexibility

The fourth slot is the most flexible position on any team and should change based on the content you are facing. Think of it as a tool slot rather than a fixed roster position.

Do not lock yourself into a permanent fourth slot. Swapping one character between fights is the easiest way to handle different challenges without rebuilding your entire team from scratch.

Character Roles

Based on skill analysis from publicly available character data, the roster can be grouped into the following functional roles. Note that the game itself does not formally label characters with roles.

Team Archetypes

The following archetypes are built around the game's two trio reactions and most impactful duo reactions. Each archetype maximizes a specific combat strategy.

Charge Team (Cosmos + Anima + Lakshana)

The Charge archetype focuses on triggering the Charge trio reaction to rapidly generate ultimate energy. This lets the team cycle through powerful ultimate abilities more frequently, resulting in higher overall damage in sustained encounters.

Charge teams trigger two duo reactions as stepping stones: Blossom (Cosmos + Anima) spawns a projectile, and Remora (Lakshana + Cosmos) slows the target. When the Blossom projectile strikes a Remora-affected target, Charge activates and generates ultimate energy with each hit.

Key passive: Mint's Blossom Enhancement splits the projectile into 2, doubling Charge's energy generation. If you have Mint, she is almost always worth including in a Charge team even as a bench character for her passive alone.

Discord Team (Incantation + Chaos + Psyche)

The Discord archetype focuses on triggering the Discord trio reaction to deplete enemy break meters. This is the premier team type for boss encounters where staggering the enemy is the primary objective.

Discord requires both Scorch (Incantation + Chaos) and Nova (Chaos + Psyche) to be active on the target simultaneously. Apply Scorch first (15-second duration) then trigger Nova (5-second mark) within the Scorch window.

Key passive: Lacrimosa's "Tomato Banquet" reduces the target's Break capacity by 10% per Discord trigger (stacks to 30% over 60 seconds). This makes each subsequent Discord more effective and is essential for breaking tough bosses.

Stain Burst Team (Psyche + Lakshana Core)

The Stain Burst archetype revolves around applying the Stain debuff (Psyche + Lakshana), which increases the target's vulnerability to Psyche and Lakshana damage by 50% for 12 seconds. During this window, the team unloads burst damage from Psyche and Lakshana characters.

This is a straightforward but effective archetype. Apply Stain, then let your strongest Lakshana or Psyche DPS character attack during the 12-second window. Hathor is the ideal main DPS for this archetype due to her hyper-mobile Lakshana damage output.

Key synergy: Skia's Fang Thrust reduces enemy Lakshana Resistance, stacking with Stain's 50% vulnerability bonus for exceptionally high Lakshana damage during the burst window.

Scorch Sustained Team (Incantation + Chaos Core)

The Scorch Sustained archetype leverages the 15-second Scorch DoT to deal consistent damage over time. This team works well against groups of enemies and in content where sustained, hands-off damage is more valuable than burst windows.

Adler's "Temperance" passive transfers Scorch from defeated enemies to nearby targets, allowing the burn to chain through entire waves. Sakiri's passive adds random debuffs when Scorch triggers, further weakening enemies.

Remora Control Team (Lakshana + Cosmos Core)

The Remora Control archetype uses the Remora slow to control the pace of combat. Slowed enemies are easier to combo, dodge, and position against. This archetype trades raw damage for safety and consistency, making it well-suited for players who prefer a measured, controlled playstyle.

Remora teams naturally lead into the Charge trio reaction when a third element (Anima) is added, making the Remora Control archetype a stepping stone to a full Charge team.

Building Around the ETD-4

The ETD-4 is a group of four characters (Baicang, Skia, Fadia, Lacrimosa) who have explicit team synergies built into their kits. Baicang's "Moderate Working" passive activates unique effects when paired with specific ETD-4 members:

• Skia gains access to stealth abilities

• Fadia triggers emergency heals

• Lacrimosa's bat-form enables super jumps

The ETD-4 covers four elements (Incantation, Chaos, Psyche, Lakshana), enabling both the Scorch and Nova duo reactions plus the Discord trio reaction. This is a ready-made Discord team with built-in synergies.

Example Team Compositions

Below are specific ready-to-use team compositions organized by strategy. Each lists the recommended characters and a budget alternative for players who do not have every S-Rank unit.

Nanally Charge Team (Beginner Friendly)

This is the most popular starting team for new players because it combines Nanally's strong on-field DPS with the Charge trio reaction for rapid ultimate cycling.

Budget alternative: Replace Hotori with Edgar (A-Rank Cosmos) and Hathor with Skia (A-Rank Lakshana). The trio reaction still triggers with the same elements regardless of character rarity.

Daffodil Discord Team (Boss Breaker)

Built around Daffodil's unmatched break damage, this team uses the Discord trio reaction to chew through boss stagger bars as fast as possible.

Budget alternative: Replace Sakiri with Adler (A-Rank Incantation) and Fadia with Haniel (A-Rank Psyche). Adler's teamwide shield also helps survivability during boss fights.

Stain Burst Team (Burst Window)

This team applies the Stain debuff (Psyche+Lakshana) to increase vulnerability by 50%, then unloads burst damage during the 12-second window.

ETD-4 Synergy Team (Pre-Built)

The ETD-4 (Baicang, Skia, Fadia, Lacrimosa) is a group of four characters with explicit team synergies built into their kits. Baicang's "Moderate Working" passive activates unique effects when paired with each ETD-4 member: Skia gains stealth abilities, Fadia triggers emergency heals, and Lacrimosa's bat-form enables super jumps. This team covers Incantation, Lakshana, Psyche, and Chaos, enabling the Scorch and Nova Duo reactions plus the Discord Trio reaction out of the box.

Element Coverage Quick Reference

General Tips

• Always check Esper Cycle Passives before finalizing your team. A character's off-field passive can be more impactful than their on-field performance.

• Build toward a trio reaction if possible. Charge and Discord provide unique strategic advantages that duo reactions alone cannot replicate.

• If you cannot build a trio reaction, aim for at least two different duo reactions. Having multiple reaction options keeps your combat versatile.

• The fourth slot in any team is flexible. Use it for a healer (Hotori), a tank (Fadia), a shield support (Adler), or a second DPS depending on the content.

• Consider the content you are facing. Charge teams excel in sustained fights where ultimate uptime matters. Discord teams excel against bosses with large break meters. Stain teams excel at burst damage windows.

• A-Rank characters are viable alternatives when S-Rank characters are unavailable. Mint, Adler, Skia, Edgar, and Haniel all have useful kits and passives.

• Experiment with element overlap. Some team compositions trigger multiple duo reactions naturally, providing layered benefits without needing a strict archetype.

How Reactions Shape Your Priorities

The reaction system in NTE determines not just who you bring to a fight, but how you play during it. Each reaction fills a different tactical role, and knowing those roles helps you make better team building decisions.

• Damage-over-time reactions (Scorch, Blossom) reward teams that maintain constant field presence. If you bring Scorch, you want to keep the burn refreshed with regular Incantation and Chaos applications. Blossom's autonomous projectile handles itself, making it ideal for players who prefer a simpler rotation.

• Burst reactions (Nova, Stain) reward teams that can coordinate their damage into a tight window. Nova detonates after 5 seconds, so you need to be ready to follow up. Stain's 12-second vulnerability window is your cue to unload everything. Teams built around burst reactions tend to be more technical but deal higher peak damage.

• Utility reactions (Remora, Charge) support the team indirectly. Remora's slow gives you breathing room to reposition and combo safely. Charge's energy generation lets you use ultimates more frequently, which is a form of damage increase that compounds over a long fight.

• Break reactions (Discord) are specifically for boss encounters. If you know a fight has a large stagger bar, building toward Discord is usually the best strategy. Once the boss is broken, every character on the team can deal amplified damage during the stagger window.

When in doubt, build toward the reaction that solves the hardest problem in the content you are facing. If bosses are not dying fast enough, try Discord. If your team keeps running out of ultimates, try Charge. If you need more consistent damage without complex rotations, Blossom and Scorch handle that with minimal effort.

Core Building Blocks

Five characters keep showing up across nearly every viable team regardless of the main DPS you build around. Each brings a function the rest of the roster cannot easily replicate, so investment in these five pays dividends across multiple compositions.

Cycle Gauge and Rotation Mechanics

Every Esper Cycle reaction depends on a full Cycle Gauge before you swap. Each character has a 100-point gauge, and the Cycle Rate values listed under basic attack and skill in their stat panel show exactly how much each action contributes. Most characters fill 30 to 60 points from a full basic attack string and another 30 to 70 from a skill use. The fastest enabler in the game is Esper Zero: his skill grants 100 Cycle Rate in a single tap, instantly filling the gauge no matter what.

Ultimates do not contribute to the Cycle Gauge directly; they consume the separate ultimate energy resource, and Charge is the main way to accelerate that resource. The standard rotation pattern is: stay on your main DPS until their gauge fills, swap to an adjacent-element teammate to trigger the reaction, continue building gauge on the new active unit, then repeat the loop.

Two timing details: Hexed applies a 12-second debuff that grants 20% extra Anima and Incantation damage on subsequent hits, so apply it close to the start of your burst window. The Charge trio needs Blossom and Remora active on the same target simultaneously, so fire Remora first and Blossom second before swapping into the main DPS for the energy regen window.

Triple-Element Reactions Setup

Both trio reactions require two preceding duo reactions stacked on the same target. Triggering them is a sequencing problem, but the team has to be capable of producing both prerequisites in time. Apply the slow or burn first, then time the second duo to overlap.

• Charge needs Blossom (Cosmos + Anima) and Remora (Lakshana + Cosmos) on the same target. Apply Remora first to slow the target, then trigger Blossom so the autonomous projectile lands on a slowed enemy. Charge fires per projectile hit, granting 10 ultimate energy each (14 with Chiz's enhancement).

• Discord needs Scorch (Incantation + Chaos) and Nova (Chaos + Psyche) on the same target. Apply Scorch first because its 15-second burn is your safety window. Trigger Nova inside that window and Discord fires, depleting a chunk of the break meter.

The endgame mode Beyond the Rails: Prime Circle requires two distinct teams, so you cannot run the same units in both halves. Plan around a Charge-lane team and a Discord-lane team in parallel.

Detailed Team Compositions

The compositions below cover specific main-DPS choices currently viable in beta builds. Each entry lists the four-unit core, the reactions enabled, and at least one variant for accounts missing key units.

Baicang Hyper-Break Team

Core: Baicang + Sakiri + Jiuyuan + Daffodil. The strongest AoE-clearing team in the current build. Runs two parallel reactions: Hexed for damage amplification and Scorch for sustained burn DoT. Baicang is the on-field DPS; his Cycle Enhancement applies a second instance of Scorch to already-burning targets, doubling DoT pressure alongside Sakiri's Scorch buff.

Rotation: Sakiri skill to group, then ultimate for team Attack. Swap to Jiuyuan for skill plus ultimate to pre-load Vita Buds. Swap to Daffodil, fire skill plus ultimate to apply Scorch. Swap to Baicang and unleash his full kit. As gauges refill, prioritize swapping between Sakiri, Baicang, and Daffodil to keep refreshing Scorch.

Discord variant: Replace Jiuyuan with Haniel. You lose Hexed and doubled Vita Buds, but gain Nova on the Psyche side, which combines with Scorch to fire the Discord trio. Daffodil's enhancement modifies Discord to deplete even more break meter, ideal against single bosses with massive stagger bars.

Simplest variant: Replace Haniel with Adler. Drops Nova and leaves only Scorch, but Adler's enhancement randomly applies Attack reduction, Esper Resistance reduction, or extra break damage per tick, plus he provides a team shield. The downside is Adler scales with Defense.

Chiz Tycoon Squad

Core: Chiz + Hathor + Jiuyuan + Esper Zero. Chiz is the free S-Class unit every account earns through City Tycoon, so this team is accessible without spending pulls. It layers three reactions: Remora (Lakshana + Cosmos), Blossom (Cosmos + Anima), and the Charge trio when both Blossom and Remora are active on the same target. Chiz's Cycle Enhancement adds 4 extra ultimate energy per Charge proc on top of the base 10.

Rotation: Open by swapping to Hathor to trigger Remora. Swap to Jiuyuan, fire skill plus ultimate to drop Vita Buds; the Buds hit the Remora-marked target and fire Charge for ultimate energy. Swap to Esper Zero, use his skill to instantly fill his gauge, then swap to Chiz to trigger Blossom or Remora again as needed. On Chiz, build Grain through basic attacks, dump it via skill at high gauge, and use her ultimate when Charge has refunded enough energy. Repeat the swap loop.

Stain variant: Replace Esper Zero with Haniel. You add Stain (Psyche + Lakshana) reactions, boosting Hathor's damage during the 12-second window. The trade-off is harder Charge consistency without Zero's instant gauge fill, so this variant is more punishing to play.

Hyper Hathor Team

Core: Hathor + Haniel + Esper Zero + Jiuyuan. Drops Chiz and refocuses on Hathor as the on-field DPS. Layers Stain (Psyche + Lakshana), Blossom (Cosmos + Anima), and Remora (Lakshana + Cosmos), with Charge as a stretch goal when Blossom and Remora overlap. Lead with Haniel's skill plus ultimate to layer Attack buffs, then swap to Hathor with a full gauge to fire Stain. Hathor now takes 20% more damage from Psyche and Lakshana, including her own kit. Jiuyuan and Esper Zero rotate in during downtime to refresh Remora, Blossom, and Charge.

Aurelia Hyper-DPS Team

Core: Aurelia + Hathor + Jiuyuan + Esper Zero. The Chiz Tycoon Squad with Aurelia replacing Chiz as the on-field DPS. Aurelia rides her jellyfish mount and deals direct damage rather than channeling through a resource. Reactions are identical: Remora, Blossom, and the Charge trio. Hathor is non-negotiable; without her you lose Lakshana entirely and Charge no longer fires. Aurelia's awakenings scale aggressively, so she pulls ahead at high investment.

Nanally Standard Rotation

Core: Nanally + Sakiri + Jiuyuan + Esper Zero. The cleanest comp for Nanally. Layers Blossom (Cosmos + Anima) and Hexed (Anima + Incantation) so Nanally benefits from both autonomous Vita Bud pressure and the Hexed amplification window. Nanally's own enhancement fires Vita Buds faster; combined with Jiuyuan's doubled spawns, Blossom uptime is enormous.

Rotation: Open with Sakiri's skill to group enemies, then ultimate for the team Attack buff. Sakiri's gravity ultimate locks enemies in place for 3 seconds, giving you a clean burst window. Swap to Esper Zero for instant gauge fill, then to Jiuyuan to trigger Hexed and pre-load Blossom. Swap to Nanally and use her skill plus ultimate to start her on-field DPS phase. Stay on her through the full combo because her skill grants a 12-second Crit Damage buff that ends if she swaps out. Refresh Hexed by cycling between Sakiri and Jiuyuan as their gauges refill.

Free-to-play variant: Nanally + Adler + Haniel + Esper Zero. The only setup where the adjacency rule gets bent. Haniel's Psyche element does not chain into Anima or Cosmos here, but her Attack buffing is dense enough to earn her slot anyway. Treat her as a buff battery: skill, ultimate, and best Arc to layer Attack on Nanally, then swap out. Adler covers Incantation for Hexed alongside Nanally and provides a team shield.

Nova Spam Team

Core: Fadia + Haniel + Aurelia + Daffodil. A single-reaction team focused entirely on chaining Nova for repeated delayed-detonation damage. Fadia and Haniel's Cycle Enhancements drain HP and Attack from the target (drained Attack adds to the team's own Attack stat). Aurelia's enhancement causes Nova to fire follow-up hits after the initial detonation, turning each Nova into a multi-hit explosion. The trade-off is single-reaction reliance: no Scorch or Stain layer, so the team lives or dies on Nova frequency. Fadia also scales with Max HP, which limits Haniel's value on her specifically.

Other Viable Teams

• Hyper Mint: Mint + Sakiri + Esper Zero + Jiuyuan. Casual exploration team using the standard Sakiri and Jiuyuan grouping core. Mint's awakenings unlock early through bond level, but her base damage multipliers are mediocre at endgame. Fun for story and overworld combat; not for damage checks.

• Skia Werewolf: Skia + Haniel + Esper Zero + Jiuyuan. Same Esper Cycle skeleton as the Aurelia team, with Skia in the on-field DPS slot. Stacks Stain so Skia's Lakshana damage benefits from the 50% vulnerability bonus. Skia is A-Class so the budget bar is low, but his ceiling is lower than Hathor or Aurelia for the same role. Use when you do not have a built S-Class Lakshana option.

Common Team-Building Mistakes

• Stacking four DPS with no element adjacency. You lose access to reactions, which are the largest damage source in most rotations. Three of your four units should form a chain on the element wheel.

• Forgetting that Hexed lasts only 12 seconds. Apply Hexed close to the start of your burst window, not 8 seconds before it.

• Targeting Charge without all three slots filled. Charge needs Blossom and Remora active on the same target, which requires a Cosmos unit, an Anima unit, and a Lakshana unit. Skipping any one breaks the trio.

• Layering Attack buffs onto Adler. He scales off Defense, so Haniel buffs and the Speedy Hedgehog set bonus are wasted on him. Use Adler for shielding-focused setups, or replace him with Haniel in Attack-scaling teams.

• Running two near-identical teams in Prime Circle. The mode demands two distinct comps; aim for a Charge team and a Discord team rather than two variations of the same lane.

Reaction-to-Roster Quick Reference

Quick lookup for which character pairs in the current roster trigger which reactions. Use this when scanning your account to find what reactions a candidate team can produce.

Pre-Launch Note

Neverness to Everness launches on April 29, 2026. All team building information in this guide is based on data from beta tests (Containment Test and Co-Ex Test). Character stats, abilities, and reaction mechanics may be adjusted before or after the official launch. This guide will be updated as the meta develops after release.