Which 5-star should I pick at Level 18?

Mesmerith (Hate, Hothead) is the safest default. It fights from the front row, its Aspect has a healthy synergy pool, and it performs well regardless of what else you own. Pick it if you have no strong preference yet.

Is Bladehound a better pick than Mesmerith?

Bladehound (Strength, Striker) is the better pick if you want an aggressive, melee-forward formation. Strength has one of the deeper synergy pools in the current roster, and front-row Strikers are rarer among 5-stars than backline damage, so Bladehound fills a gap Mesmerith does not.

When should I pick Camcorgi instead?

Pick Camcorgi (Memory, Hothead) only if you are already committed to a Memory-Aspect formation, or plan to be. Memory has a workable synergy pool, but Camcorgi adds little value to a team that is not already built around it.

Why is Cumulon the lowest priority of the four?

Cumulon (Pride, Blaster) is a fine unit on its own, but Pride is one of the shallowest Aspects in the current roster. You get the Blaster's damage without much of a synergy payoff, so most players get more value from a different pick unless Pride is the exact team they are building.

What should I pick at Level 21?

Use your second pick to cover whatever your Level 18 choice left open. If you picked a front-row unit like Mesmerith or Bladehound, prioritize back-row damage or healing next. If you already committed to an Aspect, look for a second Anima that shares it and deepens the synergy.

Honkai: Nexus Anima Reroll Guide: Level 18 5-Star Picks

Q: Does Honkai: Nexus Anima have a traditional reroll system?

Not in the usual gacha sense. Instead of rerolling random pulls, you spend Aspect Gems at account Level 18, 21, and 24 to choose a specific 5-star Anima from an available pool. The community still calls this a 'reroll guide' because the same question applies: which 5-star should you lock in first?

Honkai: Nexus Anima does not use a traditional random reroll. Instead, you spend Aspect Gems at account Level 18, 21, and 24 to choose a specific 5-star Anima from an available pool. The choice is deliberate and permanent, which makes it matter more than almost any other early decision. The community still calls this a “reroll guide” because it answers the same question: which 5-star should you lock in first?

Note: the game is in closed beta (the Evolution Test), so the exact milestone pool and Aspect Gem costs can change. The picks below reflect the current beta and should be treated as a starting framework, not a permanent ranking.

How the milestone picks work

Aspect Gems are scarce, and every gem spent before Level 18 is a 5-star you will not get to choose later. Save them. At each milestone:

Level 18 unlocks your first guaranteed 5-star pick. This is your foundation, so weight it toward whatever formation you actually plan to build (see the formation guide for how rows and Aspects work together).
Level 21 unlocks a second pick. Use it to cover whatever the first pick left thin, rather than doubling up on the same role.
Level 24 unlocks a third pick, usually with a wider pool. By this point you should know which Aspect you are committing to, so pick the Anima that deepens it.

A weak Level 18 pick is not fatal. Levels 21 and 24 exist specifically to round out an early mistake, so do not agonize over the first choice if none of the options are a perfect fit.

Level 18: pick priority

Four 5-stars come up most often in this discussion: Mesmerith, Bladehound, Camcorgi, and Cumulon. Here is how they compare, using each Anima’s actual Aspect depth in the current roster.

Rank	Anima	Aspect / Trait	Why
1	Mesmerith	Hate, Hothead	Safest default. Front-row Hothead with a solid, mid-depth Aspect pool.
2	Bladehound	Strength, Striker	Best for aggressive, melee-forward teams. Strength is one of the deeper Aspects.
3	Camcorgi	Memory, Hothead	Only worth it if you are committing to a Memory formation.
4	Cumulon	Pride, Blaster	Deprioritize. Pride is one of the shallowest Aspects, so synergy payoff is low.

Mesmerith (Hate, Hothead) is the pick if you have no strong plan yet. It fights from the front row, and Hate has enough Anima in the current dex to build around later without wasting the pick.
Bladehound (Strength, Striker) is the pick if you already know you want an aggressive formation. Front-row Strikers are less common among 5-stars than backline damage, and Strength is one of the deeper Aspects in the roster, so Bladehound fills a real gap.
Camcorgi (Memory, Hothead) only pulls ahead of Mesmerith if you are already building, or plan to build, a Memory team. On its own it is redundant with Mesmerith’s row and Trait.
Cumulon (Pride, Blaster) is the weakest of the four for most players. The Blaster role is useful, but Pride currently has one of the smallest Anima pools in the game, so you get the unit without much of an Aspect payoff. Skip it unless Pride is the specific team you are building.

Level 21: build around what you are missing

Your second pick should answer whatever your Level 18 choice left open, not repeat it:

Picked a front-row unit like Mesmerith or Bladehound? Look for back-row damage or a healer, such as a Blaster or a Cherubim like Lumehart.
Already committed to an Aspect? Prioritize a second Anima in that same Aspect over a higher-rarity unit outside it. A shared Aspect at Level 21 starts paying off the synergy bonus described in the formation guide.
Still undecided on an Aspect? Level 21 is a reasonable point to lock one in, since you will have two 5-stars to build the rest of your roster around.

Level 24: deepen, don’t diversify

By Level 24 you should know your Aspect. Use this pick to add depth to it rather than branching into a new one. A three-unit Aspect cluster from your milestone picks alone is a strong head start on the synergy thresholds described in the formation guide, and it saves you from rebuilding your formation later when Aspect Gems are harder to come by.

Bottom line

Save your Aspect Gems until Level 18, take Mesmerith if you are unsure, take Bladehound if you want a frontline carry, and treat Camcorgi and Cumulon as picks for players already committed to their specific Aspects. Spend Levels 21 and 24 filling whatever your first pick left open. Check the Anima dex for full Aspect and Trait details, and sanity-check your plan in the formation planner.