Success in Arena as a New Player is Not Impossible
Stepping into the Arena in RAID: Shadow Legends for the first time can feel intimidating. Opponents have champions you’ve never seen, their teams seem perfectly synchronized, and you’re wondering how you’re supposed to keep up without a fully ascended, six-star roster. But don’t worry — you don’t need legendary champions or massive gear sets to start climbing the ranks. What you do need is a good plan.
This guide walks you through everything you need to know as a beginner to succeed in the Arena. You’ll learn about team composition, speed tuning, AI behavior, gear choices, and how to punch above your weight. Let’s jump in.
What Is the Arena and Why Does It Matter?
The Arena is RAID’s player-vs-player (PvP) mode where you take on other players’ defense teams in turn-based combat. Every victory earns you Arena points and medals that you can spend at the Great Hall, which permanently boosts your champions’ stats across all game modes. That means every win in Arena makes you stronger not just in PvP, but in Campaign, Dungeons, Faction Wars, and Clan Boss too.
The better you do in Arena, the more rewards you unlock — weekly tier rewards, mission progress, and that all-important Great Hall development. If you ignore Arena early on, you’re missing out on long-term stat growth. So, it pays to invest effort here, even as a new player.
Step 1: Build Around a Speed Team
As a new player, the most reliable way to win in Arena is with a speed nuke team. Your goal is simple: take the first turn, buff your team (if necessary), and wipe out the enemy before they can react.
Here’s a basic structure:
- Speed Lead (with Aura)
- Speed Booster / Turn Meter Manipulator
- Debuffer or Buff Remover (optional but helpful)
- Nuker (heavy AoE damage dealer)
Example Starter Speed Team:
- High Khatun – Speed Aura + Turn Meter Boost (free from login rewards)
- Kael – Strong starter nuker with poison and AoE damage
- Warmaiden – Drops enemy defense before the nuke (farmable in Campaign)
- Diabolist – Boosts your team’s speed and turn meter
Even if you don’t have this exact setup, aim for the same roles, not the same champions.
Step 2: Get Your Speed Right
Speed is everything in Arena — especially at the lower tiers. You want your entire team to go before your enemy does.
Prioritize Speed Boots
Equip your booster with Speed boots (main stat) and look for speed substats on other gear pieces. Focus all your gear optimization on making sure your Turn Meter booster goes first.
Basic Speed Order:
- Speed Booster – Goes first to boost everyone’s turn meter.
- Debuffer – Goes second to drop enemy defense or apply debuffs.
- Nuker – Goes last and wipes out the enemy team.
This is called speed tuning, and getting this right is more important than having high-level gear early on.
Step 3: Farm Gear from Campaign and Speed Sets from Dragon
To outfit your Arena team, you don’t need to rely on RNG. You can start with farmable gear from Campaign stages.
- Farm Speed sets from Stage 6 (Durham Forest) to help your booster go first.
- Get Lifesteal sets from Campaign or early dungeons to keep your damage dealer alive.
- Aim for gear with Speed, Accuracy (for debuffers), and Crit Rate substats.
Once you unlock Dragon’s Lair, start farming there for better Speed sets. Even 4-star gear can help as long as the substats line up.
Step 4: Understand Arena AI Behavior
Arena fights are auto-play by default, and the AI doesn’t always make the best decisions. That means you can often win by predicting what the AI will do and building your strategy around it.
For example:
- If your opponent has Spirithost, she’ll likely open with her team buff.
- If they have Kael, he’ll likely use his AoE ability early.
Use this knowledge to counter popular setups. Also, when building your Defense team, assume the enemy will be on auto. That gives you room to trick or stall them with champions who revive, apply crowd control, or absorb damage.
Step 5: Choose Arena Battles Wisely
Your Arena opponents are based on your current Arena tier and win/loss record. Every time you refresh the list of opponents, you get 10 new enemies to choose from.
Here’s what you should look for:
- Low-level accounts – If someone is Level 35 and you’re Level 50, you likely have the advantage.
- Unbalanced teams – If one team has a high-level nuker but weak supports, target it.
- No Speed Booster – If you see no High Khatun, Diabolist, or Apothecary, that team is probably slower.
And remember: you can refresh your opponent list for free every 15 minutes, or spend gems/silver if you’re farming wins.
Step 6: Don’t Neglect the Great Hall
Every time you win Arena fights, you earn Arena Medals. Use these to upgrade your Great Hall, which boosts your champions’ stats.
Start by focusing on Accuracy upgrades for the affinity of your debuffer or crowd control champion. Accuracy helps your debuffs land, which is vital for Defense Down, stuns, provokes, etc.
Later, you can work on:
- Crit Damage for your nuker’s affinity
- Resistance for your Arena defense
- HP or DEF for general survivability
It’s a slow grind, but every little upgrade counts.
Step 7: Level and Ascend Your Core Team
The Arena is not just about gear. Your champions also need to be strong on their own. Here’s what you should aim for:
- Fully ascend your champions (at least 4–5 stars)
- Masteries – Focus on Offense and Support trees for nukers and debuffers
- Books – Prioritize books for cooldown reduction on key Arena skills
Don’t spread yourself too thin. It’s better to have four well-built champions than eight mediocre ones.
Step 8: Understand the Meta (and Avoid Common Traps)
As a new player, you’ll run into many familiar faces in Arena: Kael, Athel, High Khatun, Warmaiden, and Spirithost are everywhere. Knowing how these champions behave helps you plan around them.
Common beginner traps to avoid:
- Building slow nukers – If you go second, your nuker may never get a turn.
- Wasting resources on Arena Defense – You don’t need to win on defense. Focus on farming wins on offense.
- Ignoring Resistance – At higher tiers, it’s useful, but early on, speed > resistance.
Step 9: Manual vs Auto — Take Control When Needed
Arena battles default to auto, but that doesn’t mean you should always use it. Especially when you’re trying to climb or complete missions, manual control can make a big difference.
Manual lets you:
- Choose the right ability (e.g., opening with a debuff instead of a basic attack)
- Target the squishiest or most dangerous enemy first
- Save abilities for when it really counts
Use manual in tight matches or if you’re trying to climb out of Bronze or Silver.
Step 10: Patience Pays Off
Arena is not about brute force. It’s about consistency and smart progression. You won’t win every match, and that’s okay. Losses can teach you what your team lacks — more speed, better accuracy, improved gear, or simply better champion synergy.
Keep at it:
- Use your daily Arena tokens
- Refresh your battle list regularly
- Gear up your team with purpose
- Spend medals wisely in the Great Hall
- Rinse and repeat
Before long, you’ll find yourself dominating Bronze and climbing confidently into Silver and beyond.
Final Thoughts
Succeeding in Arena as a new player isn’t about luck or expensive champions — it’s about building a smart team, understanding the basics of turn order and speed, and making the most out of your gear and resources. Stick with it, keep improving, and you’ll gain an edge over players who brute force their way through without a plan.
One last resource that is really handy as you progress is HellHades Champion Tier List. It’s arguably the most trusted tier list in the RAID community. Includes filters for arena roles, affinity, rarity, etc.
Just remember: every Arena win is a win for your entire account. So sharpen your strategy, tune that speed, and get out there.
Victory is just a few turns away.
For more new player tips, check out: How to Reach Level 50 Fast in RAID: Shadow Legends