Gimme your Strategies

Fate/Grand Order
#1

I’ve been playing for years, I’ve got a nice, strong roster, and I really only play events or story anymore. But I’d love to get back into the game a bit more, get more of my less-used roster leveled up, snag some of those bonus quests, that kind of stuff.

Does anyone have any strategies on attempting to level up lots of Servants?

  • What do you focus on first - gaining embers, getting mats, or making sure you have the QP?
  • How do you choose which Servants to level? Do you pick one of each class? Favorites? Easiest to max out? Etc
  • Are things like interlude availability or rank up quests even a factor for you?
  • Do you balance farming embers for prisms against farming embers for XP?
  • Are skills even on your radar?

Any thoughts or additions would be great to see.

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#2

Just save apples and play lottery events to open a hundred boxes. I’ve been in reverse ember and qp hell since December

4 Likes
#3

That doesn’t help anyone outside of those events, though…

1 Like
#4

Mostly embers first since you need leveled up servants to use the mats. Early on I just borrowed a high leveled zerk to power level on hands. Mats come next and I farm them whenever there isn’t an event. I farm based on who I want leveled, what current and upcoming exchange tickets offer and what events are coming soon. QP is mostly an afterthought. Unless you are new and swimming in gold servants QP is rarely an issue.

Anyone that is strong and/or has useful skills. I like to have as many bases covered as I can. Though I make room for favorites if a particular role isn’t too demanding or if I have extra resources lying around.

Only if they give skill/np upgrades. Those that don’t I do later.

If you must farm embers do it for XP. We get events all the time and those often give boat loads of prisms for the shop. Spending 30 AP for around 9 prisms is a waste that could go to gathering skill mats.

They make the best servants what they are so yeah. If that’s what you mean.

But that’s just me. If you got favorites go ahead and level them. FGO can be played however you want at whatever pace you want.

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#5

Mass levelling up is best done in lottery season, the reason for this is that the many wanted mats for levelling are often part of boxes alongside embers, QP, and skill gems of all 3 types. People, or well, the “serious” players (that aren’t rainbow appling) generally save their apples throughout the year to go ham here, and on other farming heavy events, like the Apoc raids that just passed (very good for a earning a variety of mats).

My own strategy towards levelling my roster completely back when I didn’t have everyone levelled was thus:

Get every possible mat from places like event shops, drops via quests, missions, ladders, etc. and just stock up on them while saving my apples, hit the lottos, farm 150+ boxes, level everyone as you open the boxes, make a skill priority order, follow through.

I have a fully levelled roster since Santa Quetz’s event, most servants I get I level immediately unless I feel like saving them for upcoming lotto to motivate me to farm, and I have too much QP.

My priority has shifted to skilling up my whole roster, by which I mean everyone I don’t use much, cause everyone I do is already skilled up to where I want them to be.

But if that’s not the way you wanna do it, I feel like my JP’s approach may be more suited to you, gonna go question-by-question:

Initial embers to level them a little (Asc 1~2)-> Mats, they are your major gate and take the most effort and time to farm → Alternate between embers and QP as and when required.

Granted this applies when you have the roster to reliably go after Free Quest nodes for mats, else, embers → rest.

My criteria:

Favourites → Gameplay interests → Whose mats I have on hand → Class I’m lacking in → rest

Depends on if I need sq or not at that moment. Tbh, you’ll have to do them all eventually, they give out sq at minimum which is always good to have more of. If they are attached to buffs, they should get priority.

If you hit the lottos, do your event stuff, MPs aren’t gonna be something you’ll lack tbh.

But if this is a question: EXP → MPs, unless your roster’s fully raised.

Absolutely. Skills are an integral part of gameplay, they can make or break your run. In fact sometimes skills may take priority over levelling, even putting E-sports aside.

7 Likes
#6

As someone who loves to give attention to everyone in my roster, I find myself most often lacking QP no matter how many apples I spend on lotteries. So on the days when I need to spend energy but don’t have time to play seriously (and there’s no event), my default is always to run the daily QP quest.

But for your question on priority, I’d say this:

  1. Supports first, hands down. Even “minor” ones like CasGil, Helena, Lanling, etc. are going to be useful more often than other types of servants.

  2. AOE Farming servants should be next, to get your roster ready for Setsubun-style tower climb events that most people like.

  3. Strong ST options for each class should be after that. You never know when you need one for a boss raid or CQ.

  4. After all that, you can finally focus on your favorites or just whoever you want.

As far as skills go, you can honestly keep most servants at 6/6/6 (except for charge skills that scale with level; you should always max those) unless they’re a major farmer like Dantes/Zerkerlot.

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#7

  • I plan my heavy farming around lotteries and raids so that I rarely ever scramble for QP or embers during the year

  • I never, ever run dailies unless it’s to quickly complete a weekly fragment quest

  • I level all Servants eventually, but favorites would come first if resources were limited, unless I truly needed a particular new Servant right away for farming

  • Interludes and RUQs? They happen when they happen. No bearing on whether I roll unless there is a compelling gameplay reason attached, like a strengthening that will make a favorite character much easier to use

  • I cannot imagine not leveling skills. I didn’t know how to get what I needed when I started the game, but after a few months and some research on GP, I learned the miracle of lottery and general event farming. Nothing less than 10/10/10 is acceptable for favorite and frequently used Servants

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#8

I appreciate that lotteries are the best opportunity when it comes to a lot of different mats and QP.

It is not lottery season. This advice isn’t super helpful at the moment. I am trying to find a way to play the game now, not in December.

Thanks to everyone who has given each question some thought.

3 Likes
#9

Well, for me I usually stock up on stuff and hoard it.

I usually focus on leveling with embers first. Not much use if they’ll die in 1 hit after all.

That said, right now I’m in a drought and short on embers. Right now, none of the shop CEs interest me, so depending on how much I like the character, I might just buy embers with mana prisms. If not wait for events and get them there.

Priority for me goes Favorites > Supports > DPS.
It’s easier to find a support beat stick DPS than a support for me, but I run mainly arts, so that’s on me.
I think it’s best to try and have at least one AOE servant of your own of each class if possible for farming reasons, and general use, then find a single target support DPS for non challenge quest level boss fights if you need one

Only if I like the character, otherwise I’ll ignore them until the anniversary quests makes me do em, or I need the SQ

I burn what I don’t need in lottos for embers then use that to buy stuff.

If I like the character, or it’s a good support skill on someone I’ll use

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#10

I’d encourage you to look at it differently.

We’re all aware that it is not lottery season; the point is that you should plan for it and that your method will change after.

Read up on which materials will be available so that you can spend time farming those that you won’t get tons of. Make sure to save enough apples, etc.

There is no good answer outside of lottery, and that’s why the advice goes in that direction. If you don’t do lottery, you are constantly bottlenecked, especially for skill gems. You already know how to farm the less optimal daily nodes and don’t really need advice for that.

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#11

You’re right, I know how to farm daily nodes, but I’m not asking for advice on “how to farm.”

I’m asking what people prioritize when they look to enhance. If they take the time to bolster multiple Servants, how do they approach it?

The good news is that, in my specific situation, I’ve played so passively over the past few years, that I have tons of gems I just haven’t used. But now I have tons of Servants I don’t use, especially low rarity ones and a few 4/5 stars, that could use the bolstering for various reasons. I’m looking for perspective on how people choose who to prioritize.

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#12

I can see what you mean.

For my part, my mind jumps forward to solutions like “do your best until the September lottery and then stop worrying about skill gems.” That way it’s not necessary to triage them because you will never be short. Ever.

To answer your question more literally, I prioritize skills that have the biggest impact on performance. Researching on GP shows how (or whether) the skill’s benefits scale with levels, and of course CD is a consideration.

Early on, I tried to prioritize Servants I thought would be most useful for farming. Not because farming is the most fun ever, but I enjoy having mats to raise my favorites. Now I have the luxury of raising anything I want outside of Servants who need new mats.

I also farm FQs for mats and bond between events.

4 Likes
#13

If you’d like tips specific to your situation and goals, I’d recommend listing your roster, roll and skill targets.

Once that’s hunky dory I’d figure out how far away you are from unlocking all RUQs/lewds. Embers don’t come in giant piles outside of lotto season unless you’re spamming a HQ, so unlocks just to gain SQ are best left for that season and with spare mats (not locked for future pulls/skills).

Ultimately though being in grind simulator mode can burn away all the fun, I think “how do you have a good relationship with the game?” and “how do you continue to enjoy it?” are more important, and that may sometimes be a case of collecting logins as you wax and wane.

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#14

Based on your questions.

  1. Materials. QP and embers tend to be plentiful due to dailies and events. You’re more likely to be scacre on an essential material and have to go through the slog of farming them

  2. Battery/Card supports and high NP level AoE farmers followed by a ST zerker for general raid/CQ.

  3. Performance upgrades are only done when said servant is being focused on. The SQ is a nice draw for summoning.

  4. Depends on my material:mana prism ratio and shop availibility.

  5. For high performance, skill reliant servants, it’s a must.

3 Likes
#15

At least this upcoming lottery is one of the best ever for key mats I wish I had when I was leveling my roster.

You may think “I JUST SAID IT’S NOT LOTTO SEASON” but I’m pointing this out because you can safely use up all your proofs, gears, bones, and feathers in the coming months without the concern most under-leveled rosters face.

These are very common key ascension and skill mats that can force you to be more frugal about who you decide to focus on raising.

1 Like
#16

Ultimately though being in grind simulator mode can burn away all the fun, I think “how do you have a good relationship with the game?” and “how do you continue to enjoy it?” are more important, and that may sometimes be a case of collecting logins as you wax and wane.

This is where I’m at right now - I really just want to play the game to play the game (especially since I’m on that post-story high), and the only real thing that’s drawing my attention is the number of level 1 servants in my roster. I’ve been secretly grinding embers since I put this thread up using silver apples (I had over 570 when I started) and just vibing at work with that in the background.

#17

I would also consider the following details:

  1. Who do you like/love in your roster?
    Is it because of the character or do they also hold some fairly substantial gameplay value to build a team around?
    Semi-supports like Helena(can spook) or Sei(limited) are really good for this approach and I’ll fight anyone who says otherwise.

  2. Who is a limited servant?
    Who could you possibly get more copies of using Clairvoyance EX?
    Who could spook you at any time?
    Building a roster around a limited NP1 that isn’t Arjuna Alter and then having them get completely overshadowed by a welfare a few months later can be disheartening. Anticipate the possibility of future rolls changing your strategy.

  3. Always consider the worst outcome is possible:
    You could dedicate everything to a meta servant and not get your target.
    Do you have a backup plan?
    Will this strategy break you mentally and ruin your enjoyment of the game?
    Don’t make yourself miserable for 2 years because Japan just got the best new servant ever and then come to find you saved up 1000 SQ to get spooked by Fionn and Regular Orion.

  4. If you’re on Android or an emulator, use FGA to farm key mats until your AP is gone.
    Even if you aren’t playing hands-on at the time, your key mat stockpiles will increase
    Proofs, void dust, fangs, shells for summer servants, feathers and seeds for at least one ascension or skill wall of something like 75% of the 3-stars
    You can do this farming in a matter of minutes when you wake up without paying much attention if you have your own Waver or Skadi. If you don’t, it requires more attention to grab the right DPS or Arash.
    You can get Waver in a few weeks if you don’t have him already.

5 Likes
#18

Even if its not lotto season yet, keep an eye for it. Look at what servants and CEs you will need to have raised for it, what materias are going to be dropped and rewarded in the boxes, and save your apples for that moment. This way you will be ready so when it comes, and farming efficently a lotto its the best way to raise servants en-masse.

Now, once your ready for it and while you wait for the lotto:

Check what materias you need for your servants and do some mat farm with nat AP regen to raise their skills or ascend them if necessary. IMO its best to farm the Mats that arent going to be in the lotto boxes or dropped in the best nodes lotto nodes. Otherwise you may will end with a ton of a few mats and none of the rest.

Play events and History. You will get a good amount of matts and other rewards this way that will save a lot of farming AP and time.

Run QP and Exp dailies when you need it, but keep farming matts once you got what you needed.

Keep an eye for 1/2 AP dailies events, and when they comes, use it to stock exp and QP.

If you can, wait for x2 Super/Great Success rate to level your servants. If you hit the x2 or x3 a few times, it would save you a good amount of shards and QP.

Pay attention to interludes and RUQ that enhance the servants that you use, but dont do the ones that are just story/servants that you never field, unless that you have a particular interest in the story of that servant. Otherwise its just a SQ mine, so go for it when you need SQ.

#19

As it appears that you and may be doing something similar. I honestly just go through my list of level 1’s pick whomever I like the most and simply raise that servant until they’re level and skills are at a point that I’m content before selecting the next server, simply raising them 1 by 1. I rarely focus on the group.

But for how to prioritise for myself favourites followed by everyone else regardless of gameplay value.

What to farm is based on what is needed for individual servant being raised.

I don’t think I have ever burned embers for mp.

Skills are always beneficial so yes I raise as far as I desire at the time.

Unlocking rank ups and interludes are nice for obtaining extra quartz but a rarely considered reason to raise a servant.

My way is fairly slow but this game is definitely not designed to be a sprint.

Best of luck to you and most of all play in a way you find enjoyable.

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#20

Live the lotto life hard, then QP and Embers will last you for a good decent while. (Given that you don’t live in the gacha screen frequently like a maniac that is) As for mats, they’ll never be enough. Bronze mat abyss? Yeah, we live in that hole.

The necessary roles at the start, then who you want when you’re comfortable with your options~

They come, we do them and finish fast~

Err… MP doesn’t dry out. Again, lotto. Just buy your monthly XP pack from the shop too if you have the allowance~

We dream of a fully 9/9/9 - 10/10/10 roster someday. We finish faves first, of course. Also, necessary battery/cooldown milestones on highly setup dependent servants will be maxed. Darn lores for being unfarmable :fgo_gawainupset: ~

Also, not letting AP overfill as much as possible. It doesn’t even take 30 mins. to empty a whole bar on a session. FGA helps too on devices. You can lift some weights, watch vids or whatever while things go on in the background~
:catnoworries:

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