Alright, so you just downloaded Persona 5: The Phantom X (P5X), you’re staring at all these flashy characters, and you’re wondering, “Who the heck do I even build a team with?” Trust me, I’ve been there. P5X isn’t your typical gacha where you can just throw in your highest rarity units and call it a day. This game actually cares about synergy, like, a lot. Your strongest character is only as good as the people backing them up. Healers, buffers, debuffers… you need that balance. And to make things spicier, there’s the Duet Bonus. So in this guide, I’m breaking down my favorite teams at launch and I’ll share what works, what doesn’t, and what you can use even if the gacha gods weren’t kind this time.
Best Teams on Launch
Before we dive into team breakdowns, let’s talk basics. Persona 5X is team synergy heavy. It’s not just about your strongest character, it’s about how well your squad supports them. And one mechanic that defines early team building is the Duet Bonus:
- 2 of the same element = +10% skill damage (very strong)
- 3 of the same element = only +2% more (often not worth it)
So instead of going full mono-element, most of the time it’s smarter to run:
- 1 DPS
- 1 sustain (healer, tank, or shielder)
- 1 buffer/debuffer
With that in mind, let’s get into the best early teams for Global launch.
Fire Team – Burn Baby Burn
This is my personal favorite early-game team, especially for Palaces 2 through 4. Why? Because burn and damage-over-time (DoT) are broken right now, and Fire is king of that mechanic.
Core Team:
- Lufel – Heals AND applies Burn. Great sustain + synergy.
- Kiyoshi – Stacks even more Burn and applies solid debuffs.
- Main DPS – Anyone who stacks Fire DOT fast like Takamaki
Navigator:
- Use Tomiyama (Okyann) if you just want to go full damage mode. He’s great for speeding things up.
- Use Puppet if you’re struggling to survive. She’s your MVP navigator for anything DOT-based or slow-burn gameplay. Gives shields, extra healing, the whole package.
How To Play Fire Team & Strategy
Even with just basic setups, Fire can carry you through so much content cheaply. Just slap on burn stacks, watch enemies slowly melt, and keep healing yourself while they die frustrated.
If you run into enemies that resist or null Fire, don’t panic. Swap out your main DPS for another element while keeping Luffel and Kiyoshi, they both bring general utility regardless of element.
Bottom line? If you want a solid, low-effort, high-reward team early on, Fire is your best friend. Especially if you’re trying to progress quickly through early Palaces during global launch.
Wind Team – Crits, Speed, & Support
If you want something more flexible, the Wind team is a fantastic pick. It’s F2P friendly, healing-focused, and full of crit synergy.
Core Team:
- Morgana – Healer, reviver, and all-around good bean.
- Shiratori – Your main DPS. Absolute beast despite being a 4★.
- Leon – Buffs crits and attack. Pairs great with multi-hit setups.
Navigator:
- Okyann / Puppet – Again, depends on if you need shields and want to play safe, or want mo re damage.
How To Play Wind Team & Strategy
Honestly, Shiratori is a monster for a 4-star. If you invest in him, he can compete with 5-stars. Pair him with Leon and you’re getting a DPS machine with built-in buffs and great elemental synergy.
Morgana ties the whole team together. He heals, revives, and helps apply Winded, lowering enemy defense and enabling more crits. The whole team just flows.
Do note: Shiratori and Leon are squishy. If Morgana can’t keep up with heals, or the enemies are being particularly rude, swap in Puppet for some extra sustain and shielding.
Also, like before, keep in mind elemental resistances. If Wind doesn’t cut it for a certain boss, just rotate out your DPS. Leave Morgana and Leon in if they’re doing their job well.
Curse Team – Joker’s Squad
Rolling for Joker on the launch banner? Then you’ll want to build around him. Curse teams are a little more premium-heavy, but absolutely worth it if you get the right pulls.
Core Team:
- Joker – Your main Curse DPS. Can take extra actions and snowball fast.
- Rin – The ideal partner. Best debuffer in the game, but hard to get.
- Leon – Attack/crit buffer. Still excellent here.
Navigator:
- Okyann / Puppet – Same stuff.
How To Play Curse Team & Strategy
Joker is the first 5-star you can get your hands on, and if you’re lucky enough to have Rin, the two pair up beautifully for solid burst and control.
But if you don’t have Rin? Don’t worry, this team is super flexible. As long as Joker is doing the heavy lifting, you can slot in whoever fits your needs:
- Morgana? Great. Built-in revive + healing + debuff with Winded.
- Lufel? Still works. Sustain and healing.
- Shun? He can taunt and debuff enemy defenses, which helps Joker survive and do more damage.
- And, as always, Puppet is your backup. Need sustain? Shields? Long fights? She’s your girl.
Curse Team is less about elemental synergy and more about abusing Joker’s insane kit. So if you pulled him, invest, it’s worth it.
Ice Control Team – Freeze & Stall
The Ice Team is the only real “control” comp available at launch. It’s F2P friendly, tanky, and fun to play if you enjoy slower, methodical fights.
Core Team:
- Kotone – DPS + Freeze = Attack Down
- Shun – Tank/Healer + Taunt
- Skull – Optional DPS – great for boss fights
Navigator:
- Definitely run the Shielder Navigator (Miyu) here, it helps this stall comp go the distance.
How To Play Ice Control Team & Strategy
Freeze reduces enemy attack, Shun soaks up damage, and Skull can go all out with little risk. You don’t need any limited units to make this work.
If you’re playing defensively or waiting on better pulls, this comp keeps you alive and sets up huge windows for Skull to pop off.
What If You Don’t Have These Teams?
Hey, I get it. Launch RNG is brutal. If you don’t have full meta teams, you can still progress just fine. What matters most early on is covering core roles. Just aim for this formula:
- 1 Support (Buff/Debuff)
- 1 DPS
- 1 Sustain (Healer, Tank, or Shielder)
You’ll be fine. Early-game content is manageable as long as you’re hitting enemies with the right elements and covering your bases. Have Morgana but no strong DPS? Use Skull. Need support? Drop in Leon or anyone that buffs/debuffs.
And shoutout again to Puppet, whether you get her free through the connection event or buy her via that $1 starter pack, she’s insanely useful on almost every comp.
So don’t stress if you’re missing the “meta” squads. Just fill the roles with what you’ve got. I’ve cleared content on multiple alts just by sticking to that formula.
Wrap-Up
That’s it for my guide on the best team for the launch of Persona 5: The Phantom X. If you’re asking me? I’m all in on the Fire team. It’s cheap, consistent, and DoT is just so busted right now, watching enemies burn while I casually heal through fights never gets old. But honestly, Joker’s Curse comp is also insane if you rolled lucky. Tons of burst.
That said, the Wind team is easily the most flexible and F2P-friendly of the bunch. If you’re not sure where to start, you can’t go wrong with Morgana and Shiratori carrying you through early Palaces. And don’t sleep on the Ice Control team either, if you’re the kind of player who likes slowing fights down and surviving anything, it’s your perfect stall squad.
But whatever team you’re building, cover your roles, match your elements when you can, and you’ll cruise through most early content, even if you don’t have a meta squad yet. Up next, if you’re trying to figure out who the top 10 best units are in Persona 5: The Phantom X, whether you’re planning your rolls or wondering who’s worth investing in, I’ve got you covered. Check out my full guide!
