Thunderbolt Fantasy Beginner's Guide: First Gacha Pull, Team Building & High Difficulty Tips

Let’s talk about a super relatable situation—no matter if you search for “Thunderbolt Fantasy” today, you’ll mostly end up falling into one of two groups:
First, there are the diehard fans who’ve been following the puppet show/animation all the way to the final chapter, now wanting to catch up on all character backstories, plot details, and also looking for any games to keep immersing themselves in this world;
Second, there are those who got hooked by 3D action scenes on mobile games or short videos, like “Wow, that combat feels insane!” and immediately want to jump in, with a bunch of questions in their head: Who should I pull for in the first gacha? Who’s the strongest? How do I build a team? Should I spend real money?

I. Opening Guide & Game Background Introduction

A. Core Introduction

The core of this guide is actually pretty straightforward:
We’ll tie Thunderbolt Fantasy’s unique charm to the actual gameplay—this isn’t just about the cool visuals, we’ll teach you how to play, level up your characters, build teams, and dominate battles.
I won’t use that stiff textbook tone like “you must pay attention to xx”, instead, I’ll share the mistakes I made while playing:

• Why you get stuck at a certain stage when pushing through chapters
• Why you can’t win even after pulling an S-rank character
• Why you get crushed in the Arena even when your power is similar
• And where the hell you should spend your resources to get the best value, no waste

B. Game Background & IP Introduction

If you’ve never experienced the original, I’ll sum it up in the simplest terms:
Thunderbolt Fantasy = Pili Puppetry’s exquisite puppet art + Gen Urobuchi-style dark writing where “human hearts are sharper than swords” + gorgeous Wuxia world’s epic action scenes.
It’s not the typical Wuxia game where you just grind monsters and level up to clear stages—instead, it’s full of twists like these:

• You think someone’s a proper righteous hero, but they’re actually a vicious character with a hidden knife
• You think someone’s an irredeemable villain, but the thing they protect is more steadfast than anyone else
• You think it’s just simple jianghu grudges, but it actually involves a bunch of complex plots like the demon realm, human realm, royal family, sects, divine weapons, forbidden spells

So whether you’re playing the game or catching up on the original, the best part is:
You’re not just grinding monsters—you’re watching a group of characters who “each have their own agendas but stick to their beliefs” fight with wits and skills.

II. First Gacha Pull Guide & Early Game Recommendations

In this chapter, I’ll be super direct:
The two biggest mistakes new Thunderbolt Fantasy Mobile players make are:
1) “You must grind for a T0-tier character or you can’t progress at all”
2) “Pulling an S-rank character means they’re automatically overpowered”
——Actually, both of these are not entirely true.

A. First Pull Flow & How To Reset Account

The first gacha pull flow is pretty much the same everywhere:

• Go through the new player tutorial → Unlock the gacha function → Use up all the free gacha pulls from the system → Check the result
• If you’re not happy, reset your account

New players, pay extra attention: Some versions of “guest accounts” are actually hard to fully delete.
You might run into this issue: Uninstalling and reinstalling the game still keeps the same guest account data; or you need to use an emulator to switch to a different device environment to re-grind.

Don’t hate life while grinding for your first pull.
Stop when you get a functional team that lets you push stages smoothly—because every day you delay starting, you lose out on resources that you’ll never make up later.

B. Top Character Recommendations For Early Game

A common thing in games like Thunderbolt Fantasy is:
The same character might have different forms/versions/banner spots, so memorizing a list is easy to get outdated.
That’s why I’ll teach you to judge who’s an early game god tier by their roles:

1) Early Game Gods: “Support/Buff” Characters That Make The Whole Team Stronger

You want characters that can:

• Boost your damage output
• Make your skill rotation smoother
• Or directly increase your team’s survival rate

This type of character’s biggest advantage is:

Even if you switch your main carry, they’re still usable—so investing resources in them isn’t a waste.

2. Stage-Clearing Lifesaver: Reliable Sustain Role

New players often hit roadblocks (get stuck on stages).

More often than not, your team isn’t failing because they can’t deal damage—it’s because they can’t survive. If you have a character that can consistently keep your HP up or tank a big burst of damage, your stage-clearing experience will get twice as smooth right away.

3. Max Fun: Burst Damage Dealers

Burst damage characters are super satisfying to use, but they often run into these issues:

• Without a good support, their damage isn’t enough to take on tough enemies

• They lack survival skills and get one-shot before they can unleash their burst

• Resource shortages slow down their progression a lot

So my priority will always be:
Pick up utility/support characters first, then think about getting burst damage dealers.

C. Newbie Quest Optimization Guide

ARPG mobile games usually give out these newbie bonuses:

• Daily login rewards

• Newbie-exclusive quests

• Level-up rewards

• Newbie shop exchange items

What you need to do is treat your newbie phase like a “progression accelerator”—focus on 3 key things:

1. Get your guaranteed resources first: e.g., newbie character select chest, guaranteed S-rank character, free 10-pull summon

2. Build a core team first: Don’t switch between characters every day—avoid spreading your resources too thin

3. Consistently clear daily material dungeons: Almost all future character progression needs resources from these dungeons

Here’s what I recommend doing:

• Day 1: Push the main story as hard as you can; if you get stuck, go back and level up/upgrade your characters or team setup

• Day 2: Unlock daily stages, material dungeons, and weekly events—build your daily play routine

• Day 3–7: Start optimizing your team composition and progression order, get ready to take on the Arena or hard-mode events

III. Character System & Strength Analysis

A. All-Character Tier List Guide

Players always ask: Who’s T0? Who’s a must-pull?
I’m curious too, but first let’s clarify:
In games like this, a character’s strength usually depends on the team they’re paired with.

So I’ll categorize characters into 4 groups in a more practical way:

1. Universal T0: Works in any team

Traits:

• Versatile buffs, reliable sustain, or key defense-piercing effects

• Doesn’t require a specific team setup

• You’ll never regret leveling them up

2. Context-Specific T0: Amazing in certain scenarios

Examples:

• First-turn control characters in the Arena

• Key characters for clearing hard-mode dungeons

• Characters that counter specific Boss mechanics

3. Best Cost-Performance: Strong even with low investment

These characters usually:

• Don’t need high limit breaks to be effective

• Have simple skill sets and are easy to master

• Are perfect as main or support for F2P/P2W-light players

4. Late-Game Powerhouse: Strong when fully leveled, might be mediocre early on

Common examples:

• High burst damage dealers

• Characters that rely on advanced combos or high skill ceiling

• Characters that need specific teammates to shine

If you view your pulled characters through these 4 categories, you won’t feel confused anymore.

B. Character Counter & Attribute Mechanics

Common attribute/role counters in ARPG mobile games are roughly divided into:

Position-based counters

So if you get totally wiped even when your power level is way higher than the enemy’s, check these three things first:

C. Original Character Background Analysis

I’m gonna break down the original character backstories from a player’s perspective.

V. Gameplay & Battle System

A. 3D ARPG Battle Mechanics

I'll break down this battle system into 3 core mechanics in super simple terms:

Don't rush for burst damage first. Focus on practicing your positioning, and you'll find that many previously stuck stages become way easier.

B. Dungeons & Game Modes

The game's dungeons and main modes include these types:

My recommended priority order for modes is always:
Push the main story first, master material dungeon clears, then join time-limited events and hit weekly goals, finally take on hardcore dungeons or PvP.

C. New Player Guide

The most comfortable way for new players to practice:

You don't have to force yourself to play like a pro from the start—it's totally unnecessary.

VI. Character Development & Progression

A. Leveling & Progression System

I've seen way too many newbies make this mistake: they spread resources across every character. All characters end up level 40, every piece of gear +3, every skill level 1—they look busy all day, but no team actually has real combat power.
The right approach:
Max out a main team that can handle daily content consistently before thinking about a second team.

B. Character Development Priority

 

B. New Player Rewards to Claim

New players miss way more than just gift codes—these are the big ones:

My top tip: do this first thing every time you log in:
Tap every single red dot in the game to claim everything!
It sounds like such a basic tip, but if you stick to it for a week, the resource gap between you and players who skip this will be huge.

IX. Common Newbie Questions (FAQ)

A. Reroll & Early Summon Questions

Q1: Do I *have* to reroll for a starting account?
A: It’s not mandatory, but if you’re a free-to-play (F2P) player who wants a smooth ride, rerolling for a start with a "clear role identity" makes the game way easier and saves tons of time later on.

Q2: What should I target when rerolling?
A: Don’t go for the flashiest or rarest characters—focus on the most useful ones. If you have at least two of Support, Survival, and Break Defense, you’ll breeze through early stages without getting stuck all the time.

B. Characters & Team Building

Q3: I pulled a high-rarity character but their damage is super low—why?
A: Most likely you’re missing Break Defense or buffs, or their level, gear, and skills aren’t upgraded enough. This is an action game—pulling a good character isn’t enough; you have to train them and build a team around them.

Q4: I keep getting one-shot by monsters—what do I do?
A: Fill out your team’s survival roles fast, practice dodging and positioning to boost your team’s survivability. New players, don’t force high-difficulty stages early on—you’ll just get frustrated and waste time.

C. Progress & Training Questions

Q5: I have limited resources—who should I train first?
A: Prioritize the team that lets you "consistently earn more resources every day": train your main damage dealer first → then Support/Break Defense roles → finally Survivability roles. That way, you’ll progress way faster.

Q6: Is it bad to train all characters evenly?
A: It’s really bad. Training evenly leaves you stuck in that awkward "every character is just a little underpowered" state—you won’t do enough damage or take enough hits, and your efficiency will be garbage.

D. Technical & Download Issues

Q7: I can’t find the game or have the wrong version—what do I do?
A: First, figure out if you’re looking for a "Dongli IP series game" or a specific "Dongli mobile game", and check if it’s still running and has regional restrictions. If you have the wrong version, guides will be totally useless—like reading a parallel universe.

X. Deep Dive: Story & Character Backstories

I’ll explain this like I’m chatting with a friend, but I’ll keep the whole story’s plot clear so you won’t get confused.

A. Original Story Background

The best part of the Dongli world is:
It’s not just a simple "Human Realm"—it weaves together elements like the "Demon Realm, monsters, royal power struggles, sect feuds, divine weapons, and forbidden techniques".
Every sword, mark, and hero title you see in the game ties back to centuries of complicated grudges, and every little detail hides a fun surprise.

If you got into the game from the anime, you’ll notice the game’s world is way bigger than the anime’s plot. Every detail connects, so you’ll never get bored—you’ll actually enjoy digging deeper the more you play.

On some level, everyone’s playing a chess game with no pre-written moves.
But some people are forced into being disposable pieces, while others secretly control the whole game—they’re the ones setting the moves.

B. Main Character Backstories

I won’t dump every character’s backstory on you like a stiff encyclopedia entry—instead, I’ll share my personal "vibe" with each of these characters:

 

What I love most about Thunderbolt Fantasy is that it never turns characters into cold, lifeless tools. Instead, you feel like these characters truly exist in that jianghu world, with their own joys, sorrows, and fate paths.

C. Analysis of Factions: Dragon Tribe, Human Tribe, Demon Tribe

Many people when first experiencing Thunderbolt Fantasy can’t help but ask: Who’s the real hero? I’d say Thunderbolt Fantasy is more like a "stance-based wuxia" work.

So when you’re watching the show or playing the game, the most thrilling experience isn’t about "picking sides between good and evil"—it’s watching how characters from different stances scheme against each other, help each other, or even destroy each other.

XI. Version Updates & Meta Analysis

Let me put it this way: The Meta shifts with version updates, but the underlying core logic barely changes much.

A. Info About the Latest Version

There are many works under the Thunderbolt Fantasy IP, and the mobile game might have various phased adjustments and updates as operations continue. So before you check any "latest info", make sure:

Otherwise, you’ll hit the most awkward situation: You follow someone else’s Meta team-building advice, but that character or corresponding system mechanic doesn’t exist in your game environment at all.

B. Current Version Meta Gameplay

You don’t need to memorize tons of ranking data. Just look at these three things to figure out the current Meta direction:

The answers to these three questions will tell you which characters and resources you should prioritize investing in to progress through the game smoothly.

C. Long-Term Development Prediction & Planning

No matter how versions change, the most "safe" (value-preserving) characters are always these three types:

If your resources are limited, it’s best to prioritize these three types of characters—they give the biggest returns.

XII. Advanced Players & High-End Gameplay Guide

A. High-End Combat Techniques

The core quality of top players isn’t necessarily super fast hand speed, but that they clearly judge several key moments:

 

• Elemental (attribute) counters

• Mechanic-based counters

  1. Check the stage hints: What elemental weakness does the Boss have? What control effects work on them?

  2. What’s your team missing? Breakthrough damage? Sustain (healing/shield)? Crowd control?

  3. Are your main damage dealers being countered? Damage gets absurdly low when elements are countered.

• Let’s keep it real—no stuffy academic talk:

  • Some characters are just like cunning old foxes from the wuxia underworld: You can never tell if they’re gonna help you out or stab you in the back next move.

  • Some characters are ruthless but have their own moral code: They act tough and do harsh things, but you can always spot their unshakable beliefs in small details.

  • Some characters are total "script-level charismatic villains": Even if their actions are super annoying, you have to admit they’re designed so well.

  Characters in *Dong Li* are definitely not those one-note "stock character" archetypes. The plot always builds up slowly so you understand why a character becomes who they are, instead of just slapping the label "they’re just evil" on them.

  IV. Team Composition & Synergy

  A. Deep Dive into Team Mechanics

  A lot of 3D stage-based ARPGs nowadays design team compositions like this:

  • You can assemble multiple characters in your team at once

  • You can only control one character directly during battles

  • Other characters contribute via switching, QTE combos, linked skills, or off-field support

  So the core of team building isn’t just "stuff three strongest characters in", it’s:
  You need the three characters to form a battle loop that works consistently.

  Here’s a useful line I always tell my friends:

  A good team must have three core things: a reliable start, burst damage, and survivability.

  B. Classic Team Comps to Try

  1) Essential "All-Rounder for Story Progress" Team for New Players

  • 1 Main DPS

  • 1 Support (damage boost/CC)

  • 1 Tank/Survivor (damage absorption/Healing)

  The core idea of this team is simple:
  Play steadily, win steadily. It doesn’t aim for the fastest clear, but new players will barely hit a wall with this.

  2) High-Speed Resource Farming Team for Event Reruns

  • 1 Burst DPS

  • 1 Breakdown/AoE Pull Support

  • 1 Damage Boost Support

  The core goal here is crystal clear:
  Maximize resources per minute. During event weeks, you need to farm resources fast, and this team’s efficiency will make you super happy.

  3) High-Difficulty Boss "Survival Focus" Team

  • 1 Consistent DPS

  • 1 Survival Core Character

  • 1 Mechanic Counter Character (counters Boss mechanics)

  For high-difficulty Bosses, the key is:
  You’re not racing for a one-shot kill, you’re racing to NOT wipe. Those Bosses hit super hard, so you need to stay alive first before finding a weak point to counter.

  C. Team Building Tips & Tricks

  1. Don’t make all three characters rely on the same resource
     For example, if all three need the same energy pool to use skills, or can only stay on-field to deal damage with no switch option, or all need the same Buff to function, they’ll easily clash in battle rhythm and instead become…

   

• Clear Roles Division For Your Battle Team
  You gotta figure this out first: which character will be your main one in combat?
  Don't get greedy trying to control all of them—you'll end up messing up every character's performance and can't build a solid battle rotation.

• Character Switches Are Never Random
  Switching characters isn't for showing off. Every swap needs a clear purpose:

  • Dodge the Boss's deadly attacks

  • Trigger QTE-linked damage

  • Chain light attacks to boost your damage output

  • Apply Buffs, shields, or heal your team

  • Seize the Boss's weak point for burst damage

  1. Light Attack Combos Are Your Battle Foundation
     Newbies make this mistake all the time: they just wait for skills to cooldown, standing still and taking Boss hits.
     In most ARPGs, light attacks or their variants are how you build energy, keep steady damage, and trigger all sorts of effects—you can't sleep on this.

  2. Skills & Ultimate Abilities Are Your Burst Damage
     It's not just about pressing the button when you see it—it's about pressing it at the RIGHT time.
     For example: use skills when the Boss is staggered (weak) or right after you stack all your damage-increasing Buffs—that's the perfect window.

  3. Dodging & Positioning Are Keys To Survival
     No matter how strong your character is, standing in the red zone will kill you fast. Don't underestimate this.

  • Main Story Stages

  • Material Farming Dungeons

  • Time-Limited Event Stages

  • Hardcore Challenge Dungeons

  • PvP & Leaderboards

  • Build a "general-purpose story-clearing team" to get used to the game's rhythm

  • Focus on 3 key skills: dodge timing, character switching, and burst window control

  • When joining events, pick a difficulty you can consistently clear for weekly runs

  • Later, try "fast weekly run teams" and "Boss-specific counter teams"

  1. Prioritize Maxing Your Main Carry (DPS): You need a core damage dealer that can actually take down enemies, right?

  2. Fill Out Support & Breaker Characters: This makes your damage actually land, so you don't get stuck on enemy defense thresholds

  3. Add Survival-Focused Characters: This boosts your team's survivability so you don't get one-shot all the time

• Finally, invest in scenario-specific characters only: Save them for countering in competitive matches or high-difficulty dungeons

   

  In a nutshell:

  You need to master the ability to farm resources consistently before you can even think about leveling up the characters you love.

  C. Resource Management & Growth

  Here are the three things I absolutely recommend doing daily:

  • Clear daily material dungeons

  • Prioritize redeeming everything available in the event shop

  • Invest your Stamina and resources into boosting your main team’s power in the most direct ways
    For example, leveling up your main DPS, enhancing core gear, and upgrading key skills

  If you stick with this for a week, you’ll notice a huge jump in your power curve.

  VII. Gacha Mechanics & Spending Guide

  A. Banners & Gacha Mechanics

  When it comes to pulling gacha characters, I have one super practical tip:

  Never pull like crazy just because you’re scared of missing out (FOMO).

  Games like this, which are IP-based, often use these to hook you into pulling:

  • Limited-time characters

  • Skins/Outfits

  • Collaboration content

  Before you hit that pull button, ask yourself three things:

  • Do I need a new character right now? Or do I need resources to level up characters I already have?

  • Once I pull this character, do I have enough resources to actually level them up?

  • Am I pulling this character to progress through the story/dungeons or compete in PvP, or do I just want them because they look cool?

  Once you work through those three questions, you’ll be way more rational about pulling.

  B. First Recharge & Pack Recommendations

  The packs you’ll almost never regret buying are:

  • Long-term return packs

  • Efficiency-boosting packs

  • Gap-filling packs

  The packs you’ll most likely regret buying are:

  • They look like they have a lot, but most of it is junk

  • They only give short-term fun, and barely help your long-term power at all

  C. Resource Allocation Tips for F2P & Spenders

  • F2P (Free-to-Play) Players: Lock in on one team to prioritize leveling, farm every free resource from events, only pull on the most essential banners—don’t waste your Gems on random shiny stuff.

  • Low-to-Mid Spenders: Paying to boost your daily resource-farming speed makes such a big difference in how fun the game is, you’ll barely feel stuck at all.

  • High Spenders (Whales): Sure, you can go for every character and max them out—but only if you understand the team-building logic and character growth rules. Otherwise, throwing money at the game just leaves you with “high-rarity characters sitting in your inventory that you can’t even use to beat stages” big regret.

  VIII. Promo Codes & Redemption System

  A. Promo Code Redemption List

  Tons of DMs ask me to just give them a full “all promo codes” list, but here’s the thing—those super convenient lazy packs are full of traps:

  • Redemption period expired, so entering them does nothing

  • Only works on specific servers, useless on cross-server

  • Exclusive to certain platforms, won’t work if you switch channels

  • Even fake codes made up by someone, wasting your time typing them in

  That’s why I’m going with a more solid approach this time:
  I’ll teach you how to find codes, verify if they’re real, and organize the ones you save—so you never waste precious time on expired codes again.

  My Own Promo Code Verification Process

  1. Only follow official announcements, official social media, or collaboration events officially acknowledged by the game team

   

• For new gift codes, jot down their release date, supported servers, and redemption deadline.

• Use your notes app to make a quick little sheet with:

  • The gift code itself

  • Which event it came from

  • Redemption deadline

  • Whether you’ve used it already

• Enter no more than 3 gift codes at a time—you don’t wanna keep messing up and losing your mind.

  • Forgetting daily login rewards

  • Skipping beginner story quests before finishing them

  • Not claiming level-up milestones

  • Missing free shop packs entirely

  • Some characters always act carefree and cheerful like a stress-free, joyful sidekick, but deep down they carry a story full of scars that can be revealed with just a tiny nudge.

  • Some characters are quiet and reserved, never initiating conflicts, but when they act, their move is the exact solution that cuts straight to the point, no mess or delays.

  • Some characters seem like they’re always helping you, but in reality they’re testing your limits the whole time, just waiting for the perfect moment to make their move.

  • Some characters walk in the dark, yet with their unshakable beliefs, they become that warm light in everyone’s hearts.

  • The Human Tribe has their own rules and order, following the code of propriety, righteousness, integrity, and shame.

  • The Demon Tribe has their own survival rules, believing in the law of the jungle where the strong prey on the weak.

  • Some beings aren’t bound by human moral standards at all—they have their own unique logic and values for acting.

  • Are you playing the correct version?

  • Is your server the same one mentioned in the info?

  • Does the version update pace match the general community update schedule?

  1. What’s the most common playstyle in the Arena? Burst damage? Crowd control? Or sustain/grind style?

  2. What mechanics do high-difficulty event dungeons hate the most? Shield-breaking? Healing disable? Or multi-hit AOE damage?

  3. Why are you stuck? Can’t deal enough damage? Can’t stay alive? Or getting CC’d to death before you can act?

  1. Full-team buff support characters, who can bring all-around attribute or skill boosts to the entire team.

  2. Reliable survival core characters, who can take massive damage and keep the team alive.

  3. Characters with armor-piercing or counter abilities, who can counter enemy special mechanics and help the team beat tough challenges.

  • When to stay on the field to deal damage or intervene in the situation

  • When to switch characters to adapt to the current situation

• When should you hold back skills for key moments?

• When should you go all in for burst damage to land critical hits?

• When should you prioritize survival to avoid wasting revives or dying?

My Top 3 High-Level Habits to Master

1. Watch the Boss’s Wind-Up Animations: Don’t just stare at the health bar—predict their skill rotation ahead of time.

2. Don’t Waste Skills Casually: Always save them for the Boss or enemy’s weak points to maximize their effect.

3. Switch Characters With a Clear Purpose: Don’t swap for fun—pick a character that fits the current situation perfectly.

B. Counter Guide for Tough Dungeons

1. First, Fix Your Team’s Gaps: If you lack armor-break ability, prioritize leveling characters with armor-break skills. If you need sustain, add characters that heal or shields.

2. Next, Adjust Your Positioning and Play Rhythm: Check if you’re too greedy for damage and not dodging skills, or if your pace is too slow to catch key moments.

3. Finally, Optimize Your Team Composition: Make sure every role is covered so you don’t have gaps that hurt your team’s overall power.

Focus on Development Last: Dump resources on things that will immediately boost your clear rate.

Many stages aren’t too hard because your power is low—they’re hard because your playstyle is wrong.

C. Resource Efficiency & Management

Pros don’t grind much, and the reason is simple:
They only do high-return tasks.

Every day, just do:

• Don’t miss daily materials

• Buy key resources from the event shop

• Invest all resources into your main team

After a week, you’ll be way ahead of people who just mess around.

If you ask me: "Is Thousand Autumns worth starting?"
I’ll say: If you love Wuxia, love characters battling against each other, and that kind of "hidden danger" story vibe—Thousand Autumns will hook you hard.

The most important thing in the game isn’t which rare card you pull—it’s whether you nailed these three things:

1. Judge pull strength by function, not rarity

2. Team comp needs a cycle: opener, burst, survival

3. Focus development on one team first, clear daily cycles first

If you want to be even more precise—drop your current characters/pool, stuck stage type, and playstyle preferences, and I’ll make you a "7-Day Beginner Development Plan + All-Purpose Team + High-Difficulty Counter Guide" so you can skip tons of newbie mistakes and play like a real Thousand Autumns veteran.