The Chip Lab in Last War is the building used to craft and manage Drone Skill Chips. The Skill Chip system itself unlocks when your warzone has been open for 82 days and your Drone Combat Boost reaches level 10. Once active, chips provide specialized combat effects through four categories: Initial Move, Attack, Interference, and Defense.
For most players, Chip Lab level 20 is the key target. Level 15 unlocks the Legendary Initial Move chip, while level 20 unlocks the remaining Legendary chip recipes. Higher building levels add progression and power but do not currently unlock additional chip recipes, making them a much lower priority than major military, research, and troop upgrades.
★Quick Take: Push the Chip Lab to level 15 for the first Legendary recipe and level 20 for all Legendary crafting. For your first Legendary set, prioritize Memory Ultra Fission, then Gravitational Resonance Armor. Build around your main Tank, Aircraft, or Missile formation instead of spreading scarce Premium Chip Materials across every squad.
How the Chip Lab Works
The Chip Lab was added during the October 23, 2024 Drone Skill Chip overhaul. Its main functions revolve around creating and managing chips rather than directly leveling your Drone itself.
Drone progression is split across several related systems:
- Drone Level: Uses Battle Data and Drone Parts.
- Drone Components: Developed separately through components and the Component Factory.
- Combat Boost: Uses unwanted Data Chips and unlocks Skill Chip presets and additional Skill Boost levels.
- Skill Chips: Crafted and managed through the Chip Lab and assigned to your combat presets.
This distinction matters because reaching Headquarters 15 and unlocking Drone Components does not automatically mean the Skill Chip system is ready. Skill Chips are additionally gated by warzone age and Combat Boost progression.
When Do Drone Skill Chips Unlock?
Current official Last War guidance lists two requirements:
- Your server must have been open for 82 days.
- Your Drone Combat Boost must reach level 10.
Once both conditions are satisfied, you unlock the Skill Chip system and the first Chip Preset.
| Combat Boost Level | Unlock |
|---|---|
| 10 | Skill Chip system and 1st Chip Preset |
| 150 | 2nd Chip Preset and Chip Skill Boost +1 |
| 300 | 3rd Chip Preset and Chip Skill Boost +2 |
| 450 | 4th Chip Preset and Chip Skill Boost +3 |
| 600 | Chip Skill Boost +4 |
| 750 | Chip Skill Boost +5 |
Combat Boost therefore remains important even after you obtain strong Legendary chips. It controls how many presets you can maintain and adds further Skill Boost progression later.
The Four Drone Skill Chip Types
A complete chip preset contains four different categories. Each fills a different combat role.
| Slot | Category | Legendary Chip | Main Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Initial Move | Absolute Quantum Field | Provides protection during the opening part of battle |
| 2 | Attack | Lethal Firestorm | Strengthens Drone offense and gains important additional-target effects at higher stars |
| 3 | Interference | Memory Ultra Fission | Provides one of the strongest overall combat effects and should match the relevant unit type |
| 4 | Defense | Gravitational Resonance Armor | Provides sustained defensive benefits during battle |
Skill Chips can also carry Unit Stats associated with Tank, Aircraft, or Missile heroes. Match the chip configuration to the formation using it. A chip designed around the wrong troop type will not provide the same value as one aligned with your primary squad.
For a deeper comparison of individual chips and their effects, see the Last War Drone Chip priority guide.
Best Last War Drone Chip Priority
The best crafting priority is not simply “Attack first.” Current chip strategy places more value on effects that influence the whole fight or protect your formation from important enemy damage.
1. Memory Ultra Fission — Interference
Memory Ultra Fission is normally the first Legendary chip to target. Its combat effect makes it one of the highest-impact options for a main squad, and troop-type matching is particularly important here.
Craft the version appropriate for the Tank, Aircraft, or Missile formation you actually use rather than automatically crafting for every troop type.
2. Gravitational Resonance Armor — Defense
The Defense chip is a strong second priority because its defensive effect remains useful throughout combat. Improving squad durability can allow your heroes to survive long enough to complete additional skill cycles.
3. Absolute Quantum Field — Initial Move
Absolute Quantum Field helps during the opening portion of battle by providing early protection. This can be valuable against formations with strong opening burst damage.
4. Lethal Firestorm — Attack
Lethal Firestorm is often crafted fourth when building the first complete Legendary set. That does not mean it stays the lowest upgrade priority forever. Its star progression becomes particularly important because additional Drone targets are unlocked at key star milestones.
✓Recommended Progression: First complete a usable Legendary set for your main squad rather than repeatedly upgrading one chip while leaving the other slots weak. Memory Ultra Fission and Gravitational Resonance Armor deserve early attention, but once you begin star upgrades, Lethal Firestorm becomes more valuable around the milestones that increase Drone target count.
Epic vs. Legendary Drone Chips
Epic chips are useful while your account is still building its first Legendary set, but Legendary chips are the long-term target.
| Rarity | Recommended Use |
|---|---|
| Common / Rare | Primarily useful as Combat Boost progression material once available |
| Epic | Equip temporarily until you have the corresponding Legendary replacement; later they can contribute to Combat Boost |
| Legendary | Long-term chip target for developed squads |
Do not leave a useful Epic slot empty while waiting months for every Legendary chip. Equip the best chips currently available, then transition them out as your Legendary set develops.
Basic and Premium Chip Materials
The two crafting materials serve different purposes and cannot simply be treated as interchangeable versions of the same currency.
Basic Chip Material
Basic Chip Materials are used to craft Epic Skill Chips.
- Most Epic chips require 400 Basic Chip Materials.
- The Epic Initial Move chip requires 800 Basic Chip Materials.
- Basic Chip Material cannot be converted into Premium Chip Material.
Basic Materials are relatively limited compared with their apparent rarity, so avoid wasting them simply because you expect to convert them later.
Premium Chip Material
Premium Chip Materials are used for Legendary crafting.
Each Legendary Drone Skill Chip currently costs 800 Premium Chip Materials. A first four-chip Legendary preset therefore requires 3,200 Premium Materials if every chip is crafted rather than obtained from another source.
Premium Materials can come from Skill Chip Chests and multiple stores, events, Alliance activities, Ghost Ops, and other recurring sources. Because Legendary crafting is expensive, spend them around a specific main-squad plan rather than crafting random troop-type versions.
How Last War Chip Reset Works
The chip reset function is one of the most misunderstood parts of the system.
The documented purpose of Chip Reset is to reset a Drone Chip’s level and recover resources spent on leveling that chip. This is useful when you invested upgrade resources into a temporary chip and later obtain a better replacement.
However, do not treat Chip Reset as a universal undo button.
!Important: Resetting a chip’s level is not the same as reversing its original craft or automatically undoing every star ascension. Current documentation specifically describes level reset as recovering level-up resources. Do not assume that a mistaken Legendary craft will turn back into 800 Premium Chip Materials or that consumed ascension duplicates will be restored. Always inspect the reset confirmation screen before proceeding.
When Should You Reset a Drone Chip?
A reset makes the most sense when:
- You leveled an Epic chip but now have the Legendary replacement.
- You invested heavily in a chip for a formation you no longer use.
- You changed your main squad from Tank to Aircraft or Missile.
- You accidentally concentrated level-up resources into the wrong chip.
- You want to redistribute recoverable resources across a more balanced preset.
When a Reset May Not Solve the Problem
Be cautious if the problem is that you:
- Crafted the wrong Legendary chip.
- Used duplicate chips for star ascension.
- Consumed a chip into another progression system.
- Expect to recover the original crafting materials rather than level-up resources.
The reset preview shown on your own account should be treated as the final source for exactly what will be returned.
Chip Level vs. Chip Stars
Leveling and ascending a chip are separate progression systems.
- Chip Level: Improves the chip through level-up resources and can be the target of the reset function.
- Chip Stars: Uses duplicate copies of the same chip to strengthen its skill effects.
Star ascension becomes increasingly expensive because each higher tier requires more duplicates. For that reason, current strategy generally favors building a balanced main-squad preset instead of pushing one chip far ahead while the other three remain weak.
Why 2-Star Chips Matter
The early star upgrades provide strong returns, and several current progression guides recommend bringing the main four Legendary chips toward 2 stars before heavily concentrating on one chip.
A practical star priority is:
- Memory Ultra Fission
- Gravitational Resonance Armor
- Lethal Firestorm
- Absolute Quantum Field
Lethal Firestorm moves ahead of Initial Move during ascension planning because its additional-target mechanics activate at important star milestones, including stars 2 and 5.
Chip Lab Upgrade Costs and Important Levels
The Chip Lab can progress beyond level 20, but the major crafting unlocks arrive before that point. The table below keeps the most useful planning milestones rather than filling the guide with every intermediate building level.
| Chip Lab Level | Iron | Food | Coin | Main Reason to Upgrade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 | 10 | – | Early building progression |
| 5 | 6,700 | 6,700 | – | Normal progression |
| 10 | 120,000 | 120,000 | 60,000 | Normal progression |
| 15 | 1,100,000 | 1,100,000 | 550,000 | Unlocks Legendary Initial Move crafting |
| 20 | 10,000,000 | 10,000,000 | 4,800,000 | Unlocks all Legendary chip recipes |
| 25 | 48,000,000 | 48,000,000 | 23,000,000 | No new chip recipe |
| 30 | 240,000,000 | 240,000,000 | 120,000,000 | No new chip recipe |
These are base resource requirements. Research, alliance bonuses, profession effects, and other account modifiers can reduce what you actually see in-game.
Should You Upgrade the Chip Lab Past Level 20?
Usually, not immediately.
Level 20 already unlocks every Legendary chip crafting option. Levels 21–30 consume progressively larger amounts of Food, Iron, Coin, and construction time without giving you another crafting tier.
That makes level 20 a sensible stopping point while you develop higher-impact buildings such as your Headquarters prerequisites, Tech Center, Barracks, Drill Ground, troop-type Centers, and other military infrastructure.
Chip Lab Levels 31–35 and Age of Oil
The Chip Lab can eventually reach level 35. Levels 31–35 belong to the post-Season 2 Age of Oil building progression and require the relevant expansion research before they become available.
Current community databases disagree on some exact late-game Chip Lab resource figures, so verify levels 31–35 directly in your Age of Oil upgrade screen. More importantly, these levels still do not unlock additional Skill Chip recipes beyond what level 20 already provides.
Chip Lab or Component Factory First?
The Component Factory and Chip Lab both support the Drone but solve different problems.
| Building | Main Function | When to Prioritize |
|---|---|---|
| Chip Lab | Crafts and manages Drone Skill Chips | Push toward levels 15 and 20 when Legendary recipes are still locked |
| Component Factory | Produces Drone Component Chests | When component levels are lagging and Chip Lab recipes are already unlocked |
If your Chip Lab is below 20, completing the Legendary crafting unlocks is usually a clear objective. Once it reaches 20, the Component Factory or another core building often produces more practical progression than pushing the Chip Lab several additional levels.
How to Use Combat Boost Efficiently
Combat Boost is closely connected to the chip system and should not be ignored while you focus on Legendary crafting.
Unwanted lower-rarity Data Chips can contribute to Combat Boost progression, which improves your Drone’s base attributes and eventually unlocks more Chip Presets and stronger Skill Boosts.
A practical progression approach is:
- Reach Combat Boost level 10 by the time your Skill Chip server-age requirement is met.
- Equip useful Epic chips while building the first Legendary preset.
- Replace Epic chips gradually as Legendary versions become available.
- Use unwanted lower-rarity chips for Combat Boost rather than leaving them unused.
- Continue Combat Boost toward level 150 when a second preset becomes valuable.
Multiple presets matter more as you begin using dedicated Tank, Aircraft, and Missile formations or need different configurations for various combat modes.
Skill Chip Presets in Different Game Modes
Official Last War guidance notes that chip presets are not handled identically in every activity.
- World Map battles: Use the preset assigned through your Squad configuration for monsters, bosses, base attacks, defenses, and gathering marches.
- Storm Arena and 3v3 Brawl: Offensive and defensive teams can require separate preset configuration.
- Intercity Trade: Check chip configuration when dispatching or attacking Trucks.
- Alliance Train: Defensive configuration can depend on the assigned Train role, while raids need their own setup.
Do not assume that changing one preset automatically updates every game mode. If an important battle seems to be using the wrong Drone setup, check the mode-specific squad configuration first.
Best Chip Lab Strategy for F2P Players
F2P and low-spending players need to be especially selective because Premium Chip Materials accumulate slowly compared with the number needed for multiple Legendary presets and star upgrades.
- Build one strong preset first: Focus on your primary Tank, Aircraft, or Missile formation.
- Reach Chip Lab 20, then pause: Do not pour scarce resources into levels 21–30 simply because another building upgrade is available.
- Use Epic chips temporarily: A functional Epic setup is better than leaving slots weak while waiting for every Legendary craft.
- Prioritize Premium Materials: Avoid random Legendary crafts for secondary squads.
- Use lower rarities for Combat Boost: Once they are no longer needed as active chips, convert them into broader Drone progression.
- Keep Legendary star levels balanced: Do not sink months of duplicate chips into one slot while the rest of your main preset remains far behind.
- Time chest openings: When the current Alliance Duel task list rewards Skill Chip Chest openings, save those chests for the scoring day.
Common Chip Lab Mistakes
- Confusing Drone Components with Skill Chips: They are separate Drone systems with different unlock conditions and materials.
- Ignoring Combat Boost level 10: The Skill Chip system will not unlock from server age alone.
- Over-upgrading the Chip Lab: Level 20 already unlocks every Legendary recipe.
- Crafting for several troop types too early: Complete the main squad first.
- Crafting the Attack chip first automatically: Current priority generally favors Interference and Defense before Lethal Firestorm for the first Legendary set.
- Using reset as an assumed full refund: A level reset should not be confused with reversing crafting or ascension.
- Spending Basic Chip Materials carelessly: They cannot be converted into Premium Materials.
- Feeding useful Epic chips too early: Keep them equipped until their Legendary replacements are ready.
- Ignoring preset assignments: Some PvP and transport modes require manual chip configuration.
- Upgrading one chip far beyond the rest: A balanced four-chip set generally provides better practical progression.
Chip Lab and Long-Term Account Progression
The Chip Lab becomes increasingly important once the rest of your combat foundation is established. Strong Skill Chips complement your heroes, gear, troop research, Drone level, components, and other permanent progression systems, but they should not consume every resource at the expense of the rest of your base.
Players who prefer to start with more developed Drone progression can optionally browse Last War accounts for sale. Check each listing individually for Chip Lab level, Combat Boost, Legendary Skill Chips, Drone level, components, heroes, and research rather than assuming a particular Drone setup is included.
FAQs
When does the Chip Lab and Skill Chip system unlock in Last War?
The Skill Chip system currently unlocks when your server has been open for 82 days and your Drone Combat Boost reaches level 10. Drone Components unlock earlier and should not be confused with Skill Chips.
What Chip Lab level should I aim for?
Level 20 is the most important target. Level 15 unlocks Legendary Initial Move crafting, while level 20 unlocks all remaining Legendary Skill Chip recipes. Higher levels do not currently add new chip recipes.
How does Last War chip reset work?
Chip Reset is documented as resetting a chip’s level and recovering resources spent on leveling it. Do not assume it will undo the original craft or return every duplicate used for star ascension. Check the confirmation screen for the exact refund before resetting.
What is the best Last War Drone Chip priority?
For the first Legendary set, Memory Ultra Fission is generally the strongest starting priority, followed by Gravitational Resonance Armor, Absolute Quantum Field, and Lethal Firestorm. During star progression, Lethal Firestorm becomes more important because additional Drone targets unlock at key star levels.
How much does a Legendary Drone Chip cost to craft?
Each Legendary Drone Skill Chip currently requires 800 Premium Chip Materials. Crafting four Legendary chips from materials therefore requires 3,200 Premium Materials before considering additional copies for star ascension.
Should I upgrade the Chip Lab beyond level 20?
Usually only after higher-priority base progression is covered. Levels 21–35 do not currently unlock additional crafting recipes, and levels 31–35 belong to Age of Oil progression after Season 2.
Conclusion
The Chip Lab is essential once Drone Skill Chips unlock, but its progression has a clear sweet spot: level 15 gives you the first Legendary recipe and level 20 unlocks the complete Legendary crafting selection. After that, most accounts benefit more from improving the chips themselves, Combat Boost, and other military systems than from rushing additional Chip Lab levels.
Build one strong preset around your main troop type, prioritize Memory Ultra Fission and Gravitational Resonance Armor, understand the difference between chip leveling and star ascension, and use Chip Reset only after checking exactly which resources will return. For more Drone, hero, event, and progression strategies, visit the Heaven Guardian Last War Survival guides.
