Quick Answer
The best early Pals are not only the strongest fighters. Prioritize Pals that solve base jobs: gathering, handiwork, transport, kindling, watering, planting, and mining. Combat power matters after the base can feed and craft for itself.
Early role checklist
| Role | Why it matters | Replace when |
|---|---|---|
| Gathering | Keeps berries and loose materials moving | You have higher-skill gatherers and farms |
| Handiwork | Speeds benches, repairs, and early crafting | Production queues outgrow low-skill workers |
| Transport | Moves drops to storage | Items pile up on the ground |
| Kindling | Enables cooking, ingots, and key stations | Smelting becomes your main bottleneck |
| Watering/planting | Stabilizes food and farming | Food boxes stay full without manual help |
| Early combat | Makes captures and dungeons safer | You start preparing tower bosses or alpha fights |
Capture plan
- Carry more spheres than you think you need; missed captures waste time.
- Capture duplicates early because workers, passives, and base roles matter.
- Keep one flexible combat Pal in your party, but fill the base with job coverage.
- Do not judge early Pals only by rarity; pathing and work traits decide base quality.
Common mistakes
- Ignoring transport, then wondering why production stalls.
- Keeping only cute or high-damage Pals while the base starves.
- Releasing duplicates before checking work suitability and passive traits.
- Entering boss prep before basic food, repairs, and spheres are stable.