Call of Dragons hero leveling is one of the most important parts of building strong Legions. Higher Hero levels give you more talent points and help your primary commanders lead stronger formations, while better leveling efficiency lets you develop several useful Legions without wasting EXP.
However, leveling is only one part of Hero development. Hero levels, Star Ratings, Skills, Talents, and Artifacts are separate systems. Therefore, spending every Tactics Manual on the first Legendary Hero you unlock is not necessarily the smartest progression strategy.
This guide explains the best ways to earn Hero EXP, how to use Tactics Manuals, which Heroes to level first, and how to reach the current level 60 cap efficiently.
How Hero Leveling Works in Call of Dragons
Every Hero starts at a low level and can currently progress to level 60.
As a Hero gains levels, you gain additional talent points that can be invested in that Hero’s available Talent Trees. Higher levels also matter for Legion development, especially when that Hero is used as your primary commander.
However, Hero level should not be confused with Hero Skills or Star Rating.
| Hero System | Main Resource / Method | What It Improves |
| Hero Level | Hero EXP / Tactics Manuals | Talent development and Legion progression |
| Star Rating | Hero Medals | Unlocks additional Hero development and Skills |
| Hero Skills | Hero Tokens | Improves individual active and passive Skills |
| Talent Tree | Talent Points from Hero development | Specializes the primary Hero for a particular role |
| Artifacts | Separate Artifact progression | Additional Legion stats and Artifact abilities |
Do Hero Levels Reset Every Season?
No. This is one of the biggest changes compared with older Call of Dragons guides.
Early versions of the game reduced or reset Hero levels when a new season began. However, that system was changed. Hero levels are now retained rather than repeatedly returning to their old seasonal starting level.
Unused Tactics Manuals are also no longer automatically removed at season transition.
Consequently, Hero EXP is now a much more permanent investment than it was during Call of Dragons’ early seasons.
Best Ways to Level Heroes Fast
1. Defeat Darkling Patrols
Darkling Patrols are one of the most reliable repeatable sources of Hero EXP.
They consume Command Points, so efficiency matters. Whenever possible, fight the highest Darkling level that your Legion can defeat comfortably without creating excessive wounded units or long recovery periods.
Meanwhile, Heroes designed for Peacekeeping can improve this process through relevant Skills and Talents.
The goal is not simply to kill the most Darklings. Instead, maximize useful EXP and rewards from the Command Points you spend.
2. Rally Darkling Forts
Darkling Forts are another important progression target, particularly when you belong to an active Alliance.
Fort rallies provide Hero EXP alongside other useful progression rewards. Furthermore, weaker players can join rallies started by stronger Alliance members rather than trying to handle difficult targets alone.
Therefore, an active Alliance indirectly improves your Hero-leveling efficiency by creating more opportunities to participate in worthwhile rallies.
3. Use Peacekeeping Heroes
Peacekeeping Heroes are particularly valuable when farming PvE enemies.
Depending on the Hero, Peacekeeping Skills or Talents can improve damage against PvE enemies, Hero EXP gained, Command Point efficiency, or a combination of those benefits.
As a result, a Hero that is not part of your final PvP lineup may still be extremely useful for leveling other Heroes efficiently.
When farming Darklings regularly, inspect the Peacekeeping Hero’s current Skill descriptions and Talent Trees before building the Legion.
4. Fight Behemoth Units
Behemoth-related PvE also provides useful Hero development opportunities.
One advantage is that relevant Behemoth Units can provide Hero EXP without consuming the same Command Point budget used for normal Darkling farming.
Therefore, participate when your Alliance is active instead of treating Behemoth content only as an endgame combat activity.
5. Push Dragon Trail
Dragon Trail provides recurring progression rewards based on how far you have advanced.
Hero EXP is part of that progression loop. Consequently, pushing additional stages can improve your passive reward income rather than requiring every point of EXP to come from manually farming Darklings.
Whenever your account gains meaningful troop, Hero, Artifact, or Technology upgrades, return to Dragon Trail and see whether you can clear additional stages.
6. Complete Events and Daily Activities
Events frequently provide progression resources, including Hero EXP items or rewards that support Hero development.
Rather than spending Tactics Manuals immediately whenever you obtain them, check whether a Hero-training or progression objective is active. In some cases, timing your upgrades can allow the same resource expenditure to contribute toward event rewards as well.
How to Use Tactics Manuals Efficiently
Tactics Manuals provide direct Hero EXP and are one of the easiest ways to accelerate a priority Hero.
Modern Call of Dragons also allows you to keep unused Tactics Manuals between seasons, and they remain usable for Hero progression beyond level 50.
Therefore, there is less reason to spend them simply because a season is ending.
Do Not Spend Every Manual on Legendary Heroes
Rarity alone is a poor leveling priority.
Legendary Heroes generally require substantial investment, while accessible Epic Heroes can remain extremely useful in early and mid-game Legions.
A better priority is:
- Your main primary Hero. This Hero needs levels because its Talent Tree is active and it leads the Legion.
- Your second important primary Hero. Build another functional Legion rather than overinvesting in unused Heroes.
- Important PvE or Peacekeeping Heroes. These can accelerate future farming.
- Additional PvP primaries. Develop them when you actually have troops, Skills, and Artifacts to support another Legion.
- Situational deputies. Raise them as required for their pairing instead of automatically pushing every secondary Hero to 60 first.
Why Primary Heroes Should Usually Level First
Hero pairs are asymmetric in Call of Dragons.
The primary Hero’s Talent Tree is active for the Legion, which makes primary-Hero leveling especially important. Meanwhile, deputies contribute mainly through their Skills and pairing synergy rather than an active Talent Tree.
Therefore, if you have limited EXP, prioritize the Heroes you intend to use as primary commanders.
A useful early breakpoint is developing a primary Hero enough to support a Deputy and form a complete Hero pair. After that, continue building the primary toward the Talent nodes your Legion needs most.
For more detail on building those Talent Trees, see the Call of Dragons Hero Talent Tree Guide.
Hero Level vs Skills: Know the Difference
Hero levels do not automatically maximize Hero Skills.
Skills are connected to Star progression and Hero Tokens. Therefore, you can have a highly leveled Hero whose important combat Skills are still underdeveloped.
This matters particularly for Legendary Heroes because Skill investment can be much harder to obtain than ordinary Hero EXP.
Before heavily promoting or investing in a Hero, check a current Hero-specific guide to understand which Skills matter most and whether the Hero fits your intended troop type.
Leveling Heroes Through Gathering
Gathering can also contribute Hero EXP through the Earth’s Grace Gathering Talent.
When an eligible Gathering Hero completes a resource collection, Earth’s Grace can grant Hero EXP based on the amount of resources gathered, subject to its daily limit.
A useful technique is to place a Gathering Hero with Earth’s Grace as the primary and rotate secondary Heroes that still need EXP.
This method does not replace Darkling farming. However, it creates additional Hero progression while your gathering Legions are working anyway.
Why Gathering EXP Is Useful
Command Points are limited, while gathering occurs naturally throughout your daily economy routine.
Consequently, using Gathering EXP on secondary Heroes or lower-priority commanders can preserve your Tactics Manuals for the Heroes you need immediately.
Best Hero Leveling Priority for Beginners
| Priority | Hero Type | Reason |
| 1 | Main PvP / general-purpose primary | Uses your strongest Talent Tree and leads your main Legion |
| 2 | Second useful primary | Creates another functional Legion |
| 3 | Peacekeeping Hero | Improves future Darkling and PvE farming efficiency |
| 4 | Gathering Heroes | Supports economy and passive EXP methods |
| 5 | Additional specialist primaries | Develop when your account can support more complete Legions |
| 6 | Situational deputies | Level according to pairing needs rather than rarity alone |
Your exact order still depends on your troop focus.
For example, a player committed to Magic units should prioritize Heroes that create a functional Magic Legion rather than spending EXP on an unrelated Legendary Infantry Hero simply because its rarity is higher.
How to Level from 50 to 60
The later Hero levels require much more EXP than the early game, so levels 50 to 60 should be treated as long-term progression.
Fortunately, modern Call of Dragons gives you several ways to continue progressing after level 50.
You can continue using Tactics Manuals, while Peacekeeping activities remain relevant for Hero EXP. Therefore, keep combining repeatable PvE with stored EXP resources instead of expecting one source to finish the final ten levels immediately.
At this stage, prioritize your true primary commanders. Pushing an unused Hero from 50 to 60 provides little practical value compared with completing the primary Hero of a Legion you deploy every day.
How to Spend Command Points for Hero EXP
Command Points are effectively an EXP-farming budget.
First, avoid letting them sit capped for long periods when you have useful Darkling targets available. Next, use Peacekeeping bonuses whenever practical. Finally, improve your Legion enough that you can farm stronger Darklings efficiently.
However, do not blindly spend every CP recovery item immediately.
Events or progression windows may reward PvE activity, so keeping some flexibility can let the same Command Points contribute to Hero EXP and event progress.
Common Hero Leveling Mistakes
- Following old season-reset advice: Hero levels no longer automatically reset when a new season starts.
- Leveling every Legendary first: Rarity does not determine whether a Hero fits your active Legions.
- Spreading EXP across the whole roster: Finish useful primary Heroes before developing niche options.
- Ignoring Peacekeeping: Appropriate Heroes and Talents can improve PvE leveling efficiency.
- Ignoring Dragon Trail: Progressing stages improves recurring rewards.
- Wasting Command Points on weak targets forever: Move toward stronger Darklings as your account improves.
- Confusing Hero level and Skill level: Skills require separate Star and Token investment.
- Thinking Hero levels unlock higher-tier troops: Troop-tier progression comes from your city and Technology systems, not simply Hero EXP.
- Maxing deputies before primaries: Primary Hero levels usually deserve more urgency because their Talent Trees are active.
- Ignoring Gathering EXP: Earth’s Grace can provide extra progression during normal resource farming.
- Spending Tactics Manuals because a season is ending: Manuals are no longer automatically scrapped at season transition.
- Forcing level 60 on unused Heroes: Late Hero levels require substantial EXP and should go to commanders you actually use.
FAQ
What is the maximum Hero level in Call of Dragons?
The current Hero level cap is 60.
What is the fastest way to level Heroes in Call of Dragons?
Combine Darkling Patrols, Darkling Fort rallies, Peacekeeping bonuses, Tactics Manuals, Dragon Trail progression, events, and other available PvE EXP sources rather than relying on only one method.
Do Hero levels reset every season?
No. Hero levels are now retained between normal season transitions. Older guides describing a full Hero-level reset are outdated.
Do Tactics Manuals disappear after a season?
No. Unused Tactics Manuals are no longer automatically scrapped at the end of a season.
Can I use Tactics Manuals after Hero level 50?
Yes. Current progression allows Tactics Manuals to continue contributing Hero EXP beyond level 50.
Should I level Legendary Heroes first?
Not automatically. Prioritize Heroes that form your strongest active Legions, especially the primary commanders whose Talent Trees you actually use.
Do Hero levels upgrade Skills?
No. Hero Skills use separate development through Star Ratings and Hero Tokens. Leveling mainly contributes to Hero and Talent progression.
Does an Alliance help with Hero leveling?
Yes, indirectly. Active Alliances create more opportunities for Darkling Fort rallies, Behemoth content, events, and other group progression activities.
Can Gathering give Hero EXP?
Yes. Gathering Heroes with the appropriate Earth’s Grace Talent can generate additional Hero EXP through resource collection, making gathering a useful supplementary leveling method.
Which Hero should I level to 60 first?
Usually, your most important primary commander should reach 60 first. Choose the Hero around your main troop type and active Legion rather than rarity alone.
Conclusion
Efficient Call of Dragons hero leveling is about concentrating EXP on the Heroes you actually use. Farm Darklings efficiently, participate in Alliance PvE, progress Dragon Trail, and save Tactics Manuals for meaningful primary commanders.
Most importantly, treat Hero level, Skills, Stars, and Talents as separate investments. For more strategy and Hero guides, browse the Heaven Guardian Call of Dragons guide collection.
