[GUIDE] PvE Formations: Maximize Damage on Groundhog & Pangolin (2026 Meta)
Hello again, Rulers! 
Following up on our strategy series based on The SKY Alliance studies, today’s focus is PvE (Player vs Environment). If you want to secure the best rewards in the Pangolin and the Groundhog, your strategy must shift: the goal here is not survival, but total accumulated damage over 8 rounds.
Special thanks again to Crazy Rooster and the entire Sky Alliance team for providing the data and testing for our community.
1. Class: Shooters
Focus: Critical Hits and Extra Attacks
| Tier | Formation (Front / Middle / Back) | Strategy |
|---|---|---|
| S+ (Meta) | Indigo Velvet + Rainbow Chaser + Azure Crazy | The highest-performing unit. Keep Azure in the back for massive crits. |
| S+ (F2P) | Indigo Velvet + Sly Hunter + Azure Crazy | Extremely solid. Sly Hunter triggers Indigo’s “chase damage” frequently. |
| S+ (Luck) | Indigo Velvet + CI + Azure Crazy | High ceiling; if CI copies Azure’s best skills, damage is unmatched. |
| S | Gold Armor + CI + Azure Crazy | Gold Armor’s 20% boss damage bonus makes a huge difference here. |
| A | Sly Hunter + Wise Berserker + Sun Silver | Effective transition unit with consistent damage buffs. |
| B (Starter) | Nimble Tree + Wise Berserker + Sun Silver | Best if you lack Sly Hunter; focuses on increasing attack frequency. |
Pro Tip: Position matters! Always place your highest damage dealer in the backline to receive all buffs from the front and middle rows.
2. Class: Guardians
Focus: The Giant Jaw Dominance
Guardian PvE relies almost entirely on Giant Jaw, a “broken” ant that can outdamage 7-star ants even at 0 stars.
| Tier | Formation (Front / Middle / Back) | Strategy |
|---|---|---|
| S+ (Meta) | White Crystal + Iron Elephant + Giant Jaw | Consistently shows the highest damage potential in testing. |
| S | Leaf Devourer + White Crystal + Giant Jaw | Three heavy hitters working together for high consistency. |
| A (Buff) | White Crystal + Gold Armor + Giant Jaw | Strategic use of Gold Armor to boost Giant Jaw’s insane damage. |
| B (Starter) | Leaf Devourer + White Crystal + Hairy Panther | Use this if you lack Giant Jaw or Iron Elephant for a decent score. |
3. Class: Carriers
Focus: Poisons and Negative Effects
The current meta revolves around stacking debuffs to amplify your damage dealers.
| Tier | Formation (Front / Middle / Back) | Strategy |
|---|---|---|
| S+ (Meta) | Mimic Crawler + Honeypot Ant + Rainbow Scarlet | Full synergy: Debuffs and poisons amplify each other’s damage. |
| S+ (Poison) | Golden Crystal + Honeypot Ant + Rainbow Scarlet | Focused on applying poison to trigger Scarlet’s bonus damage. |
| S | LB + Golden Crystal + Rainbow Scarlet | Combines three of the highest raw damage dealers in the class. |
| A | Gold Armor + Golden Crystal + Rainbow Scarlet | Gold Armor’s 20% boss buff helps your two main attackers shine. |
| B (Starter) | Gold Armor + CR + Golden Crystal | A viable option if you lack advanced S5 damage-focused ants. |
Acknowledgments & Credits
This content was adapted from data provided by The SKY Alliance.
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Leader: Crazy Rooster
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Contributors: Diana (SG), Blue Ant (Toraku), Sraku, Zizu, and Spring Nuts.
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