Aether Gazer is an action RPG published by Yostar, the same publisher responsible for other well-renowned gacha titles: Azur Lane and Arknights. Most compare Aether Gazer's action RPG gameplay to Honkai Impact 3rd and Punishing: Gray Raven (PGR), which are also considered some of the best gacha games on Android.
After going hands-on with the most beta and previewing the global release, Aether Gazer is a wonderful medium between Honkai Impact 3rd and PGR. Yostar's latest ARPG entry is more polished than the somewhat aged Honkai Impact 3rd, while it still manages to adopt a casual-friendly entry point compared to Kuro Game's challenging PGR. As a wonderfully polished title, Aether Gazer is a fantastic download for any top-tier Android gaming phone.
But similar to other gacha titles, it is easy to get lost in the details of the (game's) grind. So, to help everyone gain a strong start, we've built a beginner's guide detailing the combat, team-building essentials, and upgrade systems you'll encounter in Aether Gazer.
How Aether Gazer's combat system works
If you're familiar with mobile action RPGs, the mechanics within Aether Gazer are similar to competing titles; you tap on your skills to perform your attack and time your dodges to combo your attacks against the enemies on the field. Perfect dodges place the enemy in a vulnerability phase, leaving you open to combo your most powerful attacks.
You can free roam around the field, but you can only control one character (the one you set as your leader before the mission) at a time while the AI controls the rest. However, you can manually tap on your teammates' ultimates to activate them while controlling your character.
You can perform normal and charge attacks (tap and hold) and trigger skills. Once you've used a skill, it goes on a cooldown. Some skills require SP, meaning you'll have to manage your SP usage if you want to keep activating your skills.
Characters excel fighting in melee or range; it'll take some experimenting to find the most comfortable playstyle that suits you. Your character may have gimmicks and combos to get the most out of their kit, so we recommend visiting the tutorial practice under the Skills menu for every unit.
Build the best team in Aether Gazer
Gathering a bunch of unique units that offer specialized skill sets and weaponry is the most rewarding part of any gacha action RPG. But it doesn't mean you can always play favorites; Aether Gazer incentivizes team synergy by bringing in a distinctive combo system where only specific characters pair well together. We've broken down how you acquire more characters, the conditions for ultimate skillchains (the combo system), and how to build your team around your Gen-zones.
How to get more characters
Once you've unlocked the Scan menu (available as you level up your Administration level during Chapter 1), you can perform a single or ten scans. These are equivalent to summons or pulls on a gacha banner. You'll earn characters or Functors with this method.
To summon on banners, you must consume Modifier Scan Vouchers; if you don't have enough, you can spend Shifted Stars instead. You're guaranteed A-rank characters for every ten scans and an S-rank within 70 scans. It would be best if you spent your vouchers to put together a team before dipping into the Functor Scan banner.
Note: You will earn free starting characters by completing the story missions!
Ultimate skillchains
In battle, if you have the right party members, you can perform an ultimate skillchain. You check out which characters you need by navigating to Modifier > Skills > Ultimate Skillchains on any of your units.
Skillchains are your team-based ultimate attack moves; they are powerful to use once you've fulfilled the right conditions.
Gen-zones
Another factor for team synergy is Gen-zones. You activate Gen-zone effects when two characters have the same Gen-zone typing, giving a modified mode bonus. Having three characters with the same typing will activate the combat bonus buff.
So it's a good idea to try out teams with the same Gen-zone typing for an extra boost in your offensive power! The icon next to your unit indicates which Gen-zone they belong.
Is it worth re-rolling in Aether Gazer?
Aether Gazer depends on controlling one unit at a time with an AI controlling your teammates. The plus side of this means you only have to worry about the mechanics of your on-field character, but the downside is that if your star unit is a supportive/backline unit — you'd have to pass the wheel to the AI to deal damage.
Most new players opt to play a character with the most impact on the frontline, so you can time your dodges and prioritize the most threatening target. It doesn't mean rolling for supportive units isn't important (it becomes crucial to synergize your team with top-tier supports), but it's best to be in the shoes to call the shots as you get a handle on the mechanics in the early game. Eventually, the AI-controlled supports will carry their weight as you start investing in a full team.
How to re-roll in Aether Gazer
- Launch Aether Gazer.
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Select Tap to Start (login method) > Confirm.
- Accept the Terms of Service.
- Play through the tutorial.
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Tap the Mail icon in the menu, and claim your in-game mail.
- Complete Stage 1-2 in Chapter 1.
- Finish the Scan tutorial and tap on Scan 10 times on the Premium precise Scan banner.
- Tap on your profile at the top left (it contains your in-game name and UID).
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Tap on User Center > Delete Account.
Do not bind your account to your email until you have your account perfectly set. Once you have auto-bound an email to your account, re-rolling becomes much more difficult.
Rinse and repeat the re-rolling process until you've acquired Tsukuyomi (top-tier DPS). If you're re-rolling on the permanent banner first, you can opt for two AoE DPS, Poseidon and Asura. Finally, if you happen to snatch Tsukuyomi and are looking for a strong starting team, Ookuninushi is an excellent choice (she is a supportive unit that synergizes with Tsukuyomi).
Aether Gazer upgrades and what you need to know
You can upgrade your units through the Modifier menu; you can view the base stats, unit types (melee or ranged), Gen-zones, and skills. You also perform upgrades and power-ups for all your units within this menu. We've outlined essential upgrade systems you'll need to consider when strengthening your team.
Leveling up
Your units will naturally receive levels once they've joined your combat team. However, you will own too many characters to balance who gets to participate in battle effectively; even some missions force you to play as units you don't own! You'll have to level up your units in between operations to get by this issue.
- Navigate to the Modifier menu, and tap on any character you own.
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Tap Level Up and choose the number of EXP chips you want to use, then select Level Up (again).
Levels increase your base stats, which determine survivability during missions. If you feel underpowered, return to the menu and level up your units.
Raising your skills
Action RPGs tend to make you button-mash your way to the top, or at least until you've toppled all the enemies on screen. Aether Gazer isn't any different; you need to effectively combo your skills and play to your character's gimmick. But you shouldn't be hitting like a wet noodle once you've performed the right combo, which is why you shouldn't neglect to level up your skills.
- Navigate to the Modifier menu, and tap on any character you own.
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Select Skills and choose one of the skills you wish to level; tap Level Up.
Gearing up
You can upgrade your Access Keys, equivalent to weapons, and your sigils, which are your artifact slots or supporting equipment. You can equip a Functor on your Access Keys, giving you passives to boost your primary stats and adding special effects (at higher rarities). Sigils will also have passive bonuses activated once you've equipped a complete set; in the meantime, you should level up your Access Keys and sigils to ensure your characters receive a boost in stats.
How to enhance your Access Keys
- Navigate to the Modifier menu, and tap on any character you own.
- Scroll and select Access Keys, then tap Enhance.
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Choose materials to consume; these will bring experience points to level up your weapon.
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Tap Level Up after selecting your materials; your base attack will increase once your weapon levels up.
How to level up your sigils
- Navigate to the Modifier menu, and tap on any character you own.
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Tap on Sigil, and place your sigils on your empty slots by tapping on Change. If you are unsure which sigils to equip, tap Recommended Sigils for additional help.
- Choose a sigil and tap on Cultivate.
- Select materials to level up your sigil. Please note you can use other sigils as level-up material, which we highly recommend not to do until you've fully equipped all your units.
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After selecting materials, tap Level Up.
Aether Gazer brings casual action RPG gaming to mobile
Aether Gazer is finally out and even brings new English voiceover support to boot. Of course, the game is still young so the game's monetization can still change, but at the very least, the gacha title feels very smooth to play. Yostar has further hinted that Aether Gazer will continue to see more optimizations and may expand to other platforms in the future (it is heading to PC). So for right now, if you're already looking for an action RPG within the same veins as Honkai Impact 3rd and Punishing: Gray Raven on Android, we invite you to put the pedal to the metal by downloading the game below.