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Honkai: Nexus Anima Beginner Guide
You play as an Animaster: you bond with Anima, add up to three Eidos to the fight, and place the team before an auto-resolving battle. This beginner guide covers your first session, the RV, habitats, and the early habits worth keeping.
At a glance
- Your role
- Animaster
- Starting town
- Iia, in the Reality Plane
- Bond method
- Win a Nexus Battle against a wild Anima
- Team
- Anima plus up to three Eidos
- Base
- RV, returnable at any time
- Early priority
- One stable team and one habitat
Finish the opening story, set up your RV, and win a few Nexus Battles before you chase side content. Then learn the pre-battle screen, because placement and shared Aspects decide the fight.
What does an Animaster actually do?
An Animaster is the player role. You explore the Planes, meet Anima, win them over in battle, and turn those bonds into a team. The official loop is encounter, bond, grow, and evolve.
You are not collecting creatures for a display case. The bond is the progression system, and the formation is the output.
What should you do in your first hour?
Follow the story until you reach Iia and meet Nanafey. She opens her home to the traveler after they escape captivity, according to the official description, which makes the town your first safe hub.
Then open the RV. It is your rest point and base, and you can return to it at any time. Set it up before you wander, so you always have a reset point.
How does bonding work?
You bond by winning a Nexus Battle against a wild Anima. Some Anima are exceptionally powerful or need preparation before the fight, and the game also seeds bonds through quests, NPC conversations, rare locations, and repeatable challenge content.
Three-star and four-star Anima can be caught and duplicated in the overworld, according to press hands-on reports. Some five-star Anima can be caught once or earned from events, which is why the overworld is worth a second pass [verify].
How do Eidos fit into a team?
Your Anima form the main lineup, and up to three Eidos deploy alongside them and cast timed skills, per press hands-on coverage. Fielding an Eidos with its designated Companion Anima grants that Anima extra effects [verify].
That makes the Eidos slot a support layer, not a replacement for the Anima team.
When should you build a habitat?
As soon as you decide which Anima you are keeping. Habitats are built while exploring and give your creatures a home base. Building one early gives you somewhere to develop the team you actually use.
Do not build for every Anima you meet. The beta roster is still moving, and a habitat spent on a temporary unit is a habitat you cannot move yet [verify].
What should you ignore early?
Ignore tier lists, reroll advice, and any ranking published before launch. The roster, the economy, and the balance are still being tested, and the beta wipes.
Ignore perfect optimization too. A working team you understand beats a copied team you cannot explain.
| Step | Do this | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Finish the opening story and reach Iia | Unlocks the town hub and the first bond flow |
| 2 | Set up the RV | Gives you a return point at any time |
| 3 | Win a few Nexus Battles | Teaches bonding and the pre-battle screen |
| 4 | Add up to three Eidos | Adds timed skills and Companion effects |
| 5 | Build one habitat | Starts the base-building layer on the unit you keep |
| 6 | Note shared Aspects | Prepares you for synergy building |
FAQ
What is an Animaster?
The player role. An Animaster bonds with Anima and leads them in battle.
How do I get my first Anima?
Win a Nexus Battle against a wild Anima. Some bonds also come from quests and events.
What should I do first?
Finish the opening story, set up the RV, win a few battles, and build one habitat.
Should I reroll?
No. The beta wipes and the launch economy is not published, so rerolling now has nothing to protect.
Do habitats matter?
They are the base-building layer for Anima. The exact bonuses are not published yet.