To equip gear, open the Units menu, pick a unit, go to Details, open a gear slot and equip a piece you already own — and you build that gear by spending Gold and materials at the Crafting NPC in the Upgrades area, after which it’s ready to equip with no extra step.
The thing that trips most players up in Anime Squadron is expecting to equip gear from wherever they crafted it. You don’t — gear lives on the unit itself. You equip it from a unit’s Details screen, and you get the gear in the first place either by crafting it for Gold and materials or by playing through stages and claiming rewards. Below is the exact on-screen path for equipping, followed by where the gear actually comes from, the costs players have logged so far, and how set bonuses stack.
How to equip gear on a unit in Anime Squadron
Open the Units menu
From the lobby, click the Units button on the left-hand sidebar.
Select your unit
Pick the unit you want to gear up from your roster.
Open the Details tab
With the unit highlighted, choose Details on the left-hand side.
Open a gear slot
On the details page, click into one of the gear slots to see what fits there.
Equip a piece
Choose any gear you own for that slot and equip it — gear boosts the unit’s stats and makes it noticeably stronger in matches.
After crafting, open the unit’s Details screen and equip the piece there — nothing equips from the Crafting NPC, so a freshly crafted item sitting unequipped is doing nothing for you.
Video help
Gear costs, materials, and stat rolls
| Gear | Cost (Gold) | Materials | Possible stat rolls |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saiyan Gi | 250 | — | Defence 0.5%–1%, HP 1%–2%, Damage 1%–2% |
| Saiyan Hat | 250 | — | Critical Hit 0.5%–1%, Range 3%–5%, Accuracy 1%–2% |
| Saiyan Shoes | 250 | — | Speed 1%–2%, Defence 0.5%–1%, Cooldown -0.5% to -1% |
| Hogyoku | 2500 | — | Speed 7%–9%, Cooldown -3.5% to -5%, Accuracy 2%–3.5% |
| Monarch Daggers | 5000 | 10 Eclipse Godstone, 10 Chakra Fragment, 10 King’s Haki Residue | Tied to awakenings rather than a stat roll (see below) |
These are the pieces players have documented so far. The three Saiyan items are cheap entry-level gear at 250 Gold each and roll small percentage stats within the ranges above, so two copies of the same piece won’t roll identically. Hogyoku is a big jump at 2500 Gold for much stronger speed and cooldown numbers. Monarch Daggers are the expensive end at 5000 Gold plus three stacks of late-act materials. Treat all of these costs and rolls as provisional — they come from a single early write-up and could shift as the game updates.
Set bonuses and pieces needed to activate them
Gear isn’t just flat stats; matching pieces fire a set bonus, and how many you need depends on rarity. Mythic gear activates its bonus from just 1 piece, while Rare, Epic, and Legendary sets need 2 pieces from the same set before the bonus kicks in. That’s why a single Hogyoku already grants its -7.5% Cooldown — it’s a one-piece Mythic effect. The named set bonuses below are the ones players have confirmed; the exact rarity of each isn’t fully nailed down, so use the rarity rule as your guide for how many pieces to chase.
| Set | Pieces needed | Bonus | Cap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hogyoku (Mythic) | 1 | -7.5% Cooldown | — |
| Devil | 2 | +10% Critical Chance; +5% Damage for 5s per critical hit | +15% Damage |
| Ninja | 2 | +5% Damage; +3% Range per hit taken | 15% Range |
| Pirate | 2 | -5% Cooldown; +2.5% Damage every 10s | 10% Damage |
| Dragon Gi | 2 | +5% Range; +5% Damage | — |
Upgrading and awakening units
There isn’t a verified unit-level upgrade cost table or a confirmed button path for raising a unit’s level right now, so anyone handing you exact numbers there is guessing. What’s clear is the shape of progression: you get stronger by acquiring better units, stacking traits, layering on crafted gear, and pushing units through awakenings.
Gear and materials feed directly into that last piece. Crafting materials aren’t only for gear — they also go toward awakening units, which is part of why you don’t want to dump them early. Monarch Daggers are the clearest example: they’re reported as the item tied to evolving the Woo unit, though sources disagree on the exact framing — some describe them as awakening-unlocking “Secret” gear rather than a Woo-specific evolution item. Either way, the takeaway is the same: that 5000-Gold-plus-materials investment is awakening fuel, not a stat stick, so plan around it as a progression goal rather than everyday gear.
Mistakes to avoid when spending Gold and materials
The most common waste is farming the wrong content. Specific materials come from specific act ranges, so grinding random acts hoping a drop appears just burns time — target the act that actually drops what you need. The second trap is spending awakening materials too early on gear when you’ll want them for an awakening later; hold the rare stuff until you know your plan for it.
Two quick habits save the rest of the headaches: after you craft anything, jump straight to the unit’s equipment screen and confirm it’s actually equipped, and never let Grow a Garden 2-style mechanics bleed into your thinking — Anime Squadron runs on Gold and materials, not Sheckles, and mixing the two up sends you chasing currencies and vendors that don’t exist here.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you get gear in Anime Squadron?
Two ways. You can craft it at the Crafting NPC in the Upgrades area for Gold and materials, or you can earn it for free by playing through stages, completing games, and claiming rewards.
Where is the Crafting NPC?
It’s in the Upgrades area of the lobby, near the Awakening NPC. Players describe it as a Madara-looking character, and you interact with it by pressing E.
Does crafted gear auto-equip, or do you equip it manually?
You equip it manually. Crafting makes the piece available right away with no activation step, but it won’t attach itself — open the unit’s Details screen, pick a gear slot, and equip it there.
How many gear pieces do you need for a set bonus?
It depends on rarity. Mythic gear activates its bonus from a single piece, while Rare, Epic, and Legendary sets need 2 matching pieces before the bonus turns on.
What do Monarch Daggers do?
They cost 5000 Gold plus 10 Eclipse Godstone, 10 Chakra Fragment, and 10 King’s Haki Residue, and they’re tied to unit awakenings — reportedly used to evolve the Woo unit, though sources vary on whether they’re Woo-specific or a broader awakening-unlocking item. Either way they’re a progression piece rather than a stat-roll item.
More questions⤵
How do you upgrade or awaken units?
Progression comes from better units, traits, crafted gear, and awakenings at the Awakening NPC, with crafting materials feeding into awakenings. There’s no confirmed unit-level upgrade cost table or exact button path right now, so treat any precise upgrade numbers you see as unverified for the moment.
