If you’re playing Eslabong for the first time and finding your runs a little rough, don’t worry. The game throws a lot of tactical choices at you, and it can take a few attempts before everything starts making sense.
In this guide, I’ll go over some of the things that helped me understand the game better, from choosing your starting lineup and building your tactics to managing fighters, training, tournaments, injuries, and other parts of your club.
The biggest thing I want to point out is that you don’t need to win everything on your first attempt. Eslabong is built around experimentation, so use your early campaigns to learn what works, try different fighters, and slowly build a strategy that fits your roster.
Eslabong Beginner Guide – Best Lineups, Builds, Club
If this is your first time playing Eslabong, I strongly recommend starting on Normal difficulty rather than immediately jumping into Hard.
You shouldn’t expect to completely understand the game after your first few matches. There are a lot of systems working together, and losing a campaign can actually teach you quite a bit.
Start With Your First Campaign
For your first campaign, choose a starting lineup that looks interesting to you and simply experiment.
Try different tactics and pay attention to how your fighters behave during fights. You’ll quickly start noticing which characters work well together and which strategies don’t fit your roster.
If the campaign doesn’t go well, don’t worry about it.
You’ve still learned something.
Don’t Be Afraid to Restart
If your first campaign goes badly, you can drop it before Season 2 and start again.
For your second campaign, try a different starting lineup and use what you learned during the first run.
You might still struggle, and that’s completely fine. You’re essentially testing another strategy and learning how the game responds to it.
For your third campaign, things will probably start to click.
Pick the lineup you actually want to play and use everything you’ve learned from the previous attempts.
Even then, if your first season isn’t going the way you want, restarting early is perfectly reasonable. You won’t be the first player to do it.
The important thing is not to get annoyed with yourself or the game. Eslabong is supposed to be challenging, and figuring out how to overcome that challenge is part of the fun.
Once Normal difficulty starts feeling comfortable, you’ll probably find yourself wanting to try Hard mode anyway.
How to Pick Your Lineup
Eslabong gives you quite a lot of freedom when building your team.
Your fighters have different personalities, traits, abilities, and tactical options, while you can also customize their individual tactics and starting instructions.
There are a few important things to understand before you start building your perfect lineup.
Your Tactics Are Suggestions
One thing that can be confusing at first is that your fighters don’t blindly follow your tactical instructions.
Your tactics are more like suggestions.
A fighter will try to follow the instructions you’ve given them, but their personality and the situation on the battlefield still influence what they actually do.
So there isn’t a simple on/off switch where setting a tactic guarantees that the fighter will always behave that way.
Your Opponent Has a Gameplan Too
You also aren’t fighting against a passive opponent.
Your opponent has their own strategy and will actively try to disrupt what you’re doing.
That means a tactic that looks perfect on paper might fall apart once the fight actually starts.
Because of this, I recommend building your strategy around the fighters you actually have rather than forcing a particular strategy onto a roster that can’t properly execute it.
Popular Early-Game Lineups
There are plenty of possible combinations, but some setups are easier to use early in the game.
A few reliable examples are:
- 2 Tanks + 2 Healers + 1 Ranged DPS
- 4 Melee + 1 Healer
- 3 Melee + 2 Supports
These lineups generally focus on survivability, control, and consistent damage.
Melee fighters can also have an easier time at lower levels compared with ranged fighters, which makes melee-heavy teams a reasonable starting point.
That doesn’t mean these are the only good lineups. You can build much more aggressive or specialized teams once you understand what your fighters can do.
Melee Fighters
I generally divide melee fighters into three main groups: Tanks, Assassins, and Roamers.
Tanks
Tanks are your frontline survivors.
Their main job is to stay alive and protect the rest of your team.
They can also provide some support and are particularly useful for peeling enemies away from your backline.
Some important things to know about tanks:
- They are extremely durable.
- They can sometimes act as part-time supports.
- They help protect your backline.
- Crowd control is always useful.
- They are often the main reason your team doesn’t get destroyed immediately.
- Two or three tanks can be a safe setup.
- One tank can work, but your other fighters need to provide enough value.
Of all the melee roles, tanks are the one type I wouldn’t recommend completely removing from your team unless you have a very specific strategy.
Assassins
Assassins are almost the opposite of tanks.
They’re fragile but can deal significant burst damage.
Their strengths include:
- High damage potential.
- Strong burst damage.
- High mobility.
- Ability to reach the enemy backline.
- Ability to force the opponent’s frontline to turn around and protect their supports.
I recommend setting assassins to flank and giving them targets that aren’t tanks.
One assassin can work very well.
You can also run two if you want an extremely aggressive setup where the goal is basically to find out whose team melts first.
Roamers
Roamers are mobile melee fighters that move around the battlefield causing problems.
Don’t try to use them as replacements for dedicated tanks. They can survive longer than assassins, but they aren’t designed to simply stand in front and absorb everything.
Roamers can:
- Move around the battlefield.
- Cause chaos.
- Damage multiple enemies.
- Provide crowd control.
- Survive longer than assassins.
You need to be careful about friendly fire, depending on their abilities.
A good setup is to pair them with dedicated tanks.
One or two roamers can work with two tanks, but remember that team slots are limited, so every fighter needs to provide meaningful value.
Ranged DPS Fighters
Ranged DPS can generally be divided into Shooters, Ability Casters, and CC Casters.
Shooters
Shooters are fairly straightforward.
They focus on attacking enemies from range, while their abilities generally improve their ability to deal damage.
They’re reportedly weaker than some other DPS options, but they can still fit into plenty of teams.
They can usually bring at least one useful crowd-control ability.
I’d generally recommend using one or two rather than filling your entire lineup with them.
Ability Casters
Ability Casters are what I think of when someone says ranged DPS.
Their kits focus heavily on powerful abilities that can have a big impact on the battlefield.
If you can keep them alive, they can become some of the highest-damage fighters on your team.
They can also have access to an AoE crowd-control ability and usually have at least one defensive option.
That defensive ability can be worth taking, especially if keeping your caster alive is an important part of your strategy.
One or two Ability Casters is a safe setup.
Three can work, but you’ll probably need two strong tanks to protect them while they deal damage.
CC Casters
CC Casters are similar to Ability Casters but focus more heavily on crowd control.
Their damage output is generally lower, but their ability to disrupt groups of enemies can be extremely valuable.
The more strong AoE CC abilities you can bring, the more useful this type of fighter can become.
They can also have access to a defensive ability, although it may not be as useful as the defensive options available to DPS-focused casters.
I’d generally use one CC Caster at most.
Running two can be difficult to justify unless you have a very aggressive and unusual team composition.
Support Fighters
Supports can also be divided into three groups: Healers, Disruptors, and Specials.
Healers
Healers are exactly what you’d expect.
They keep your team alive through healing and shields.
Some can even revive fallen fighters.
Depending on your strategy, you can also give them defensive abilities or crowd control if those options are available.
A team with one or two healers is usually very comfortable, but you don’t necessarily need one if your team has enough survivability and damage to finish fights quickly.
Disruptors
Disruptors are focused on making your opponent’s life miserable.
If enemy supports constantly annoy you, this is the type of fighter you want to look at.
Their main strength is crowd control, although some can also heal or buff your team.
Their defensive option is often another form of crowd control, which can make it particularly valuable.
One or two Disruptors can work well.
I wouldn’t normally recommend three because you’ll have to sacrifice too much damage or frontline protection.
Specials
Specials are the unusual support fighters that don’t neatly fit into the healer or disruptor categories.
They can have abilities that don’t clearly fall under healing or crowd control.
Depending on the fighter, they may still be able to:
- Heal.
- Crowd control enemies.
- Buff allies.
- Provide defensive utility.
I’d generally recommend using one.
Two can work if you really want to build around them, but taking more than that is likely to leave your team lacking in other important areas.
How to Build Your Club
There are a lot of small things to learn when managing your club, so I’ll focus on the tips that I think are most useful during the early game.
Use Assist Targeting
Assist is one of the best targeting types you can get.
It can help your fighters work together more effectively instead of everyone independently choosing targets.
If you have a fighter that you specifically want to start fights, setting them as the Initiator can also be useful.
Likewise, putting tanks on Intercepting can help them perform their frontline role.
These settings aren’t magic solutions, but they’re worth experimenting with.
Don’t Overcomplicate Personal Tactics
Personal tactics matter, but you don’t need to fill every available option with instructions.
Use the tactics that actually support your gameplan.
If your strategy depends on a fighter doing something specific, make sure their personal tactics support that job.
Otherwise, keep things simple.
Don’t Get Too Attached to Your Starting Fighters
Your starting fighters aren’t necessarily going to be your final roster.
In fact, you may find that two of your starting three fighters are gone by the middle of the season.
That’s normal.
Instead of trying to force weak starting fighters into your long-term strategy, keep an eye out for better replacements.
Buy Several Promising Fighters Early
On your first day, I’d rather buy three or four promising fighters than spend everything on a single fighter.
This gives you more options and lets you see which fighters develop into useful members of your roster.
You can always sell fighters later if they don’t work out.
Build Around Your Fighters
One of the biggest mistakes you can make is deciding on a tactic first and then desperately trying to find fighters capable of using it.
Instead, look at your roster and ask yourself:
What strategy can these fighters actually execute?
Then build your tactics around that.
Use F1-F4
Don’t forget about the F1-F4 controls.
They can be particularly useful for influencing what’s happening on the battlefield, especially in FFA Arena.
If you’re struggling in a fight, don’t just watch the battle play out. Use the available controls to influence the situation.
Don’t Stress About Rare Skills
Rare and legendary skills are obviously powerful, but they aren’t always necessary.
Sometimes a fighter is more valuable because they have one or two less-common skills that fit your strategy perfectly.
Don’t assume that you need a roster filled with the rarest abilities to win.
A well-built fighter with a good role can be much more useful than a high-rarity fighter who doesn’t fit your team.
Experiment With New Fighters
It’s completely fine to buy a fighter simply because you want to see how they develop.
You don’t have to know immediately whether someone will become part of your main roster.
Experimenting is one of the best ways to understand the game’s fighters.
And if someone doesn’t work out, selling them is also fine.
The main thing to remember is that replacing a main roster fighter can hurt because leveling up a new fighter takes time.
Relics Can Make You Money
Selling relics can be a good source of income early in the game.
However, don’t automatically sell every relic you find.
If you have a particularly good relic that could benefit your team, keeping it can be more valuable than the immediate money.
You need to balance your short-term cash needs with your long-term roster.
Winning Fights Matters More Than Facility Levels
It’s easy to get distracted by upgrading facilities.
However, winning fights is generally more important than gaining a few extra facility levels.
If your team is weak, improving your actual fighting lineup should usually take priority.
A strong strategy with decent fighters can take you further than simply having higher facility levels.
Use the Tournament Center
The Tournament Center is worth visiting regularly.
3v3
The 3v3 mode doesn’t provide a huge amount of money, but it gives you plenty of extra experience.
That makes it useful for developing fighters.
1v1
The 1v1 mode can be useful when you want to level up a specific fighter.
It can also provide enough money to make the entry fee worthwhile.
If you have a fighter who needs experience, don’t overlook 1v1.
Use the Iron Gate
Iron Gate can be particularly useful depending on how strong your team is.
If your team is weak after a few weeks, you can enter and try to beat the first two waves.
That can give you a useful boost and help get your run back on track.
If your team is already strong, you have another option.
You can save your free entry until the end of the season and challenge Wave 5, or enter early and pay for another attempt later.
You may still lose to Wave 5, but the rewards can make it worthwhile.
Manage Injuries Carefully
Injuries can cause problems if you aren’t prepared for them.
An injury has to last at least one day, so once you’re dealing with longer injuries, upgrading your injury-related facility becomes more important.
One important tip is that upgrading the facility can affect injuries that your fighters have already suffered.
There was also previously a tip about putting injured fighters into training, but that behavior has since been patched, so I wouldn’t rely on it.
Prioritize Your Barracks
The relationship between the Time Chamber and Barracks has changed with patches, so be careful with older advice.
For the current approach, maxing out the Barracks first is recommended.
A level 3 Barracks also allows you to use intense training, which can be useful for developing your fighters.
Be Careful Buying Champions From the Market
Buying champions from the market is rarely the best option.
Random drops and private offerings can generally provide better opportunities.
Also remember that even if you can’t currently buy a fighter because of a season or renown restriction, you may still encounter them through drops.
Cherish Low-Injury-Risk Fighters
Fighters with low injury risk can be surprisingly valuable.
They’re relatively uncommon, so if you find a good fighter with this trait, don’t be too quick to get rid of them.
Keeping reliable fighters available can save you plenty of problems later.
Level Isn’t Everything
A high-level fighter isn’t automatically better for your team.
A lower-level fighter with good abilities, useful traits, and a role that fits your strategy can provide more value than a level 30+ fighter that doesn’t fit your lineup.
Focus on team composition and strategy, not just the number next to a fighter’s level.
Reroll Skills and Stats When Necessary
Don’t be afraid to reroll a fighter’s skills or stats when the current options aren’t helping your strategy.
It can be expensive, but getting the right combination can make a huge difference.
You can also respec fighters when necessary.
I’d recommend keeping around 1,500 Gold available if you want the option to reroll skills and potentially get one useful choice from a larger selection.
Check the Fighter Codex
Before investing heavily in a fighter, check their Codex.
It can show you what other skills they can potentially obtain.
The Champion’s Codex is particularly useful because it also tells you which skills are guaranteed.
Since guaranteed skills cannot be rerolled, knowing this beforehand can potentially save you around 3,500 Gold by letting you use a random respec instead of paying for a specific one.
Prepare for FFA and Iron Gate
FFA and Iron Gate put a lot of emphasis on survivability.
If your main lineup is extremely aggressive, you may find that it struggles in these modes.
In that situation, consider building a dedicated healer specifically for these activities.
You don’t necessarily need to change your main lineup permanently. Having a few specialized fighters ready for different modes can be enough.
Build Flexible Substitutes
When preparing substitute fighters, don’t feel like you need a perfect one-to-one replacement for every member of your main team.
Different classes can often perform similar jobs.
For example, if your main damage dealer becomes unavailable, you may have several different fighter types that can fill the same general role.
Think about the job you need done rather than finding an identical replacement.