Choose a primary engine
- Identify the synergy with the clearest early progress or conductor support.
- Read every listed threshold and decide which one is realistic with the remaining slots.
- Reserve enough space to reach that threshold before adding a secondary theme.
- Use support only when it improves acquisition, scaling, or consistency for that engine.
Use official balance notes as evidence
The developer regularly explains why synergies are raised or lowered. Recent official notes discuss win rate, raw scaling, artifact access, Supplies, and the gap between partial and completed synergy levels.
That makes static tier lists fragile. Read the latest announcement date, then translate the change into a question about your current run instead of copying an old ranking.
Avoid the partial-synergy trap
- Do not count a visible synergy icon as proof that it deserves more train slots.
- Compare the next threshold with the opportunity cost of replacing a productive carriage.
- Keep a secondary synergy only when it shares resources or triggers with the main engine.
- If a patch changes a threshold, reevaluate the whole slot plan rather than one carriage.