BlazBlue Entropy Effect is a 2D action roguelite from 91Act, and it is not a fighting game, which is the first thing most people get wrong about it. It borrows the BlazBlue cast but plays as a side-scrolling run-based action game: Early Access opened on 15 August 2023 and version 1.0 landed on 14 February 2024, with the Steam page listing sixteen playable characters. A run is called Mind Training and moves through five fixed stages: Night City, the Laboratory, the Ruins, Sakura City, and Space Omega.
Starting BlazBlue Entropy Effect can feel overwhelming. This guide tells you exactly what to focus on during your first hours so you don't waste time on things that don't matter yet. For the full progression path, see our walkthrough.
What Kind of Game Is This?
BlazBlue Entropy Effect is a roguelike game built around Mind Training stage order and Tactic Codex slots. The core loop involves mastering these systems to progress through increasingly challenging content.
What to expect: Time investment in learning mechanics, experimentation, and gradual mastery. The game rewards patience and knowledge.
Choosing Your First Build
| Build | Beginner Rating | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Ragna the Bloodedge | Excellent for beginners | Balanced approach |
| Hakumen | Excellent for beginners | Balanced approach |
| Noel Vermillion | Excellent for beginners | Balanced approach |
| Es | Excellent for beginners | Balanced approach |
| Taokaka | Excellent for beginners | Balanced approach |
Our recommendation: Start with Hakumen. It offers the most forgiving experience while teaching core mechanics.
Avoid Taokaka as your first pick. It requires deep knowledge of game systems to use effectively. Once you're ready, check our classes guide for all options.
First Session Step-by-Step
Step 1: Learn Mind Training stage order
Official patch notes describe Mind Training as five phases in a fixed order: Night City, Laboratory, Ruins, Sakura City, and Space Omega. Each stage rolls one of two possible bosses, so the route is fixed but the fights are not.
This is the foundation. Spend your first 15-30 minutes getting comfortable with how Mind Training stage order works before worrying about anything else. Our combat guide breaks this down further.
Step 2: Head to Night City
The first phase of Mind Training. Community wikis list the Watcher and the Sweeper as the two possible bosses here, and the stage rolls one of them at random.
Clear the main content here before moving on. Everything teaches fundamentals you'll need later. See our maps guide for all locations.
Step 3: Get Your First Upgrade
Look for Skill tactics: it's the most accessible early upgrade. Upgrades to special moves and their cooldowns. Stronger for ranged Prototypes and for boss fights where windows are short and you need one big cooldown to land.
Step 4: Understand Tactic Codex slots
Upgrades slot into the Tactic Codex, and community guides describe five families: attack, skill, dodge, legacy, and summon. Once a slot commits to a family you only receive upgrades for that family, which is what turns a run into a build rather than a pile of buffs.
This is the system most new players overlook. Invest time here early. It pays off throughout the entire game.
Step 5: Push to Laboratory
The second phase in the fixed order given by official patch notes. Community listings put the Sand Serpent and the Tree of Origin as the stage's boss pair.
Essential Mechanics Explained
Mind Training stage order
Official patch notes describe Mind Training as five phases in a fixed order: Night City, Laboratory, Ruins, Sakura City, and Space Omega. Each stage rolls one of two possible bosses, so the route is fixed but the fights are not.
Tactic Codex slots
Upgrades slot into the Tactic Codex, and community guides describe five families: attack, skill, dodge, legacy, and summon. Once a slot commits to a family you only receive upgrades for that family, which is what turns a run into a build rather than a pile of buffs.
Evotype abilities
Each playable Prototype has an Evotype Ability plus an unlockable Evotype Talent that reshapes how their kit works. Talents such as bonus damage for attacking from behind change your positioning goals for the whole run.
Prototype Analyzers
New characters are unlocked with Prototype Analyzers rather than by random drop. You earn them from Training Objectives, and CL-1's shop sells them for 5000 AP each, so a bad run still moves you toward a new character.
Legacy skills between runs
Progress carries between runs through character legacy skills, which is why the game rewards rotating the roster instead of mastering one Prototype. Patch notes have also added run modifiers such as Black Market and Event rooms.
Common Beginner Mistakes
1. Buying it expecting a BlazBlue versus fighting game
This is a common trap that costs new players significant time.
2. Spreading tactic slots across every family and ending with a run that does nothing well
This is a common trap that costs new players significant time.
3. Hoarding AP instead of buying a 5000 AP Prototype Analyzer
This is a common trap that costs new players significant time.
4. Rushing to Susano'o in Space Omega without clearing Elite Enemies first
This is a common trap that costs new players significant time.
5. Sticking to one character and missing the legacy skill progression entirely
This is a common trap that costs new players significant time.
First 5 Hours Checklist
- Understand Mind Training stage order and Tactic Codex slots
- Choose Hakumen as starting build
- Clear Night City main content
- Acquire Skill tactics or equivalent upgrade
- Reach Laboratory
- Understand what you bought: this is a run-based action roguelite from 91Act, not a versus fighting game. The BlazBlue cast is here, but there is no traditional matchmaking ladder or fighting-game training mode.
- Tactic Codex slots lock to a family once filled. Deciding early whether a slot is attack, skill, dodge, legacy, or summon is more important than any single upgrade you pick up.
Tips for New Players
- Understand what you bought: this is a run-based action roguelite from 91Act, not a versus fighting game. The BlazBlue cast is here, but there is no traditional matchmaking ladder or fighting-game training mode.
- Tactic Codex slots lock to a family once filled. Deciding early whether a slot is attack, skill, dodge, legacy, or summon is more important than any single upgrade you pick up.
- Hakumen is the community's standard first unlock because of his parry and super armor, which forgive the reaction errors that end early runs.
- Prototype Analyzers come from Training Objectives and from CL-1's shop at 5000 AP each. A failed run still earns AP, so treat unlocks as guaranteed progress rather than luck.
- In Space Omega, hunt the Elite Enemies before heading to Susano'o. Each one you beat applies an effect that weakens him, and the labyrinth layout is random so sweep it deliberately.
- Legacy skills carry between runs and are tied to playing multiple Prototypes, so rotating characters is progress rather than a detour from mastering one.
- Each stage rolls one of two bosses, which means you will not see every fight in a single run. Losing to an unfamiliar boss is normal on your first encounter with it.
- Evotype Talents change positioning goals. A talent that pays out for hitting enemies from behind rewires how you approach every fight, so read it before assuming your usual pattern still applies.
- Later patches added Black Market and Event room types to runs. If you have an older guide open, its room list is out of date.
- The game shipped guest characters, including ICEY and The Prisoner from Dead Cells, alongside the BlazBlue roster. If a guide names a character you cannot find, check whether it is DLC or from a later version.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this a BlazBlue fighting game?
No. It is a 2D action roguelite. It uses the BlazBlue cast and borrows fighting-game combo structure, but the game is built around procedurally varied runs, upgrades, and boss fights, not versus matches.
How many characters are there?
The Steam page lists sixteen playable characters. Coverage from launch described thirteen Prototypes in the base roster, with guests and later additions on top, including ICEY and The Prisoner from Dead Cells.
How do I unlock new characters?
With Prototype Analyzers. You get them from Training Objectives and can buy them from CL-1 for 5000 AP each. Paid DLC characters are the exception and are bought separately.
What is the run structure?
Mind Training runs through five fixed phases: Night City, Laboratory, Ruins, Sakura City, and Space Omega. Each phase rolls one of two possible bosses, and Space Omega ends at Susano'o.
Do I need to know BlazBlue lore?
No. The characters are reconstructions inside a simulation rather than the fighting games' continuity, so the story stands on its own. Series fans will recognize names such as Ragna, Hakumen, and Arakune without needing the earlier games.
More BlazBlue Entropy Effect Guides
- BlazBlue Entropy Effect BlazBlue Entropy Effect Overview
- BlazBlue Entropy Effect Best Builds
- BlazBlue Entropy Effect Tier List
- BlazBlue Entropy Effect Walkthrough
- BlazBlue Entropy Effect Tips & Tricks
- BlazBlue Entropy Effect Weapons Guide
- BlazBlue Entropy Effect Combat Guide
- BlazBlue Entropy Effect Boss Guide
- BlazBlue Entropy Effect Maps & Locations
- BlazBlue Entropy Effect Crafting Guide
- BlazBlue Entropy Effect Classes & Characters
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