Friend echelons or support echelons are echelons that are deployed on a map upon the start of a mission. Once Deployed they will do one of three available choices: wait, capture and eliminate.

[F02]How do friend echelons work

Once the battle battle begins

Click on an open helipad/HQ (must be claimed)
Click the tab “support echelon”
You can now see you friend’s echelons that can be used
Click the strongest one or whichever is suitable for the mission and deploy it

Support echelons have three options to be used, this can be changed by clicking on the unit twice while on the field.
Note that a used support echelon will go on a 3-4(?)h cooldown after it has been deployed

NOTICE- YOU CAN ONLY USE 20 SUPPORT ECHELONS A DAY

NOTICE- you can not use friend echelons during certain events.

Standby/wait – the unit will not move, will stay stationary on the current node. This can be used to protect a node or block enemies from an area.

Eliminate Enemies-The unit will actively chase and hunt down enemy units, note this will not actively aim to go to the HQ but can lead there if enemies are there. Use this to gain some control on the direction you want the echelon to go, in combination of wait and capture, NOTICE they will make a beeline to the NEAREST enemy.

Capture HQ – The unit will actively hunt down the HQ and will be the main function used when abusing friend echelons, they will take the shortest path possible to the HQ so you don’t have to survive as long.

NOTICE – Support echelons will only move one node per turn, and if you want to change their targeting you must double click them and switch it to one of the three options yourself.

Tip, You can speed up the support echelon’s progress somewhat, by moving your squad to a node adjacent to the HQ or Helipad, deploying the friend squad, and then switching places with the support unit.

[F03]Pros n’ Cons of a friend echelon

PROs

Cost no AP to deploy
Cost no AP for them to move
Can be stronger than your echelon
Can be used strategically
Adds more units on field
Can kill enemies for you
No resource consumption/no resupply needed
Can be used to “switch” at no cost of AP
Can be used to capture more nodes faster (for silver medal)

CONs

Does not add AP to be used
Limited uses each day (20 a day)
Can only use the same support every few hours
Any kill done by them does not benefit you
Can harm your chance at S rank if they kill too many enemies

[F04]How to abuse them?

Abusing a support echelon is rather simple. Preferably you’d want to have have two high level friends whose support you would use in two ways. We’ll refer to each friend’s squad as Support/Unit(A) and Support/Unit(B).

At the beginning of turn one, deploy Unit A and set this one to “capture HQ” for the majority of the time. If possible, deploy Unit B in the same turn and set this one to either “Eliminate Enemies” or “standby,” once it is in a good position.

Once everything is set up, your main goal is to have Unit A fight their way to the Enemy HQ, while you and Unit B protect the Allied HQ. Note that the way to protect the Allied HQ changes from map to map, this will require you to use some strategy. Along with this, some missions will require you to fight an enemy before you can deploy a Support unit. When this happens, you MUST be able to handle a fight or two in order to keep the Allied HQ safe.

Keep in mind that your HQ will also be captured if it happens to be surrounded by nodes captured by the enemy. Of course the same goes the other way around as well

There will be a link to a playlist for each normal and emergency stage in [F07]

Little intermission from the toppo

BACK TO THE GUIDE

[F05]Why abuse them?

There are a few reasons as to why you’d abuse friend echelons, of which will be explained in further detail in [F06]

To get to better logistics sooner
Get the story dolls ASAP
To view the story, and have it unlocked for recall through index
To unlock the leveling areas sooner (will link a leveling guide in [F08])

[F06] Description of the rewards

(god someone save my fingers for this next part)

There are specific rewards you receive for completing the missions 2-6, 3-3, 3-6, 4-6 and 7-6. This part of the guide will be explaining the units in detail, followed by bullet points.

M4A1 (third best raifu in the game, fight me once more*)

The main protagonist of this story, and the reward for beating 2-6. She has average stats and is a self-buffer for a damage increase of 40% at SL1, and 70% at SL10. On top of that, she is also one of the three ARs (class, not story name) capable of buffing other AR’s. M4A1 buffs their damage by 18% and crit rate by 30%. She is a reliable support DPS unit able to hold her own while giving critically good buffs to other DPS AR’s. She has the normal equip slots for an AR (accessory, ammo, t-doll equipment) her rarity is that of a 4 star. As such, you will need 63 cores to fully link her.

P.s. in the future she gets a cannon, A FUCKING CANNON. Enjoy.

M4A1’s buffing tiles*

M4A1 bullet points

Reward for clearing 2-6
Very good AR buffing unit
DecentDPS
Second lowest base stats in Anti-Rain
Must use cores to link her
Normal equip slots for an AR
Damage self buff
Is a 4 star

M4 SOPMOD 2 (The best raifu in the game fight me)

One of the protagonists of the series, Sopmod is the reward for clearing 3-3. While she is a grenadier AR, her stats are rather decent, 5x damage SL1 to 12x SL10 in a 1.5 unit radius. She buffs SMGs with 12% evasion and 50% accuracy*. She is a surprisingly solid DPS unit given the fact she also uses a nade (often times inferior to a self-buffer in general usage). Her base DPS with equips is about the same as the unit FNC, FNC only really beats SOP after 14 seconds and most battles don’t last that long. In knowledge of this, if you have FNC and she’s above level 50, just stick with FNC. If not, then SOP has better usage later in the game and is just as good DPS wise. While shes not a self buffer she is a grenadier, the third strongest at that, but the best consistent DPS for nades, bar zas if her skill procs the damage self buff.

She is also one of only two dolls that are capable of equipping two accessories, the other being AR-15. Because of this she doesn’t reach her full damage potential till level 80 in which she unlocks ammo, but to counter this, equipping a crit scope (VFL) and a holo scope (EOT) will vastly improve her skill and overall DPS. Her rarity is 4 stars so she also costs 63 cores to fully link.

P.S. In the future she gets a cluster grenade and her overall DPS increases to be the same as Type 97’s ( five star self buffing ar). Also she is toppo and best girl.

SOPMOD’s tile buffs*

M4 SOPMOD 2 bullet points:

Reward for 3-3
Nade unit
Third strongest nade in EN
Best DPS unit out of the naders
highest base stats in Anti-Rain
Must use cores to link her
Unique equip slots
Is a 4 star
Also she is mine, you can’t have her – silver

ST AR-15 (the second best raiful fight me again)

The third protag you will get in the story. You receive her for beating 3-6. She has decent base stats just like everyone else in Anti-Rain, but her skill is a Rate of Fire self-buff, providing a 25% boost at SL1 and 45% at SL10. Her tile buffs are 10% ROF and 12% evasion for SMG’s*. One of the best DPS units in the game, she becomes the second best DPS in EN when she gets her special equip. Just below G11 in terms of damage output. She has the same unique equipment slots as M4 SOPMOD 2, so she doesn’t reach her full potential till level 80, but unlike Sop, AR-15 has a special equip called .300 BLK High Velocity Ammo, which you can obtain in 3-4N, granting her +25 extra damage but -1 accuracy. She is also a 4 star and costs 63 cores to fully link.

P.S. god tier DPS in the future and second best raifu, oh and a second gun so 10 guns :3 (~~tho lore wise its only two guns.)~~

ST AR-15’s tile buffs.

AR-15’s bullet points:

Rate of fire self buffer
2nd best AR DPS unit with her special equip
Second highest base stats in Anti-Rain
Must use cores to link her
Is a 4 star
3-6 clear reward

M16A1(also 3rd best girl, if you dislike this fact, then fight me) (actually best girl in AR team but whatevs) – Ayker (ACCEPTED)-silver ( she is anti rain~ refer to RO635) – silver once again

M16A1, the fourth and second to last story protag you will get. She’s the reward for clearing 4-6. While she has the lowest base stats, she boasts more health than the other units of Anti-Rain. She uses a stun grenade at SL1 that stuns for 2.2 seconds and at SL10, stuns for 4 seconds with a radius of 2. Her tiles buff 10% damage and 12% evasion*. DPS isn’t what she’s here for, she’s a hybrid tank that can currently get 11 armour and 80-82 evasion in EN. Her main use is tanking for 0-2 and would not be recommended for general use, she does get better in the future but 0-2 is her home.

She also has a unique set of equip slots (ammo, T-doll equipment slot, T-doll equipment slot). Because of this she can equip one exo and is the only non-shotgun unit that can use armor. Her rarity is 4 stars and costs 63 cores.

P.S. Singularity beware. (You silver hair lovers best be ready) -Ayker (ayker fucking marry me now) – silver (you gotta get past my goliath dick first) -Dabby

M16A1 tile buffs*

M16A1’s bullet points:

Reward for clearing 4-6
Not suitable for general use
Best tank for 0-2
Receives a special equip in the future
High health pool for an AR
Must use cores to link her
Lowest base stats in Anti-Rain
Is a Jack Daniels gal, my type of woman -Ayker (someone give me a jack daniel) – silver I’d suck her dick. -Dabby

RO635(the final best girl, if not obvious, anti rain itself is best girl, now i’ll fight you this time)

Ro635 is the only non AR unit of Anti Rain, she is an SMG you get for completing the mission 7-6. She is not a damage dealer at all and that reflects within her stats and skill, as she is a pure evasion tank, her tiles are not great, but are serviceable with a decent 10% ROF and 35% accuracy* buff to ARs. While her tiles may not be great, her skill reduces enemy firepower by 15% at SL1 and 25% at SL10. On top of this she increases her own evasion by 40% at SL1 and 70% at SL10. Her evasion is a solid 113 with equips but no buff. Pure evasion tank with normal equip slots for an smg (t doll equip slot, hollow point ammo, and an accessory)

P.S. her oath line is genuinely CUTE AS FUCK