Last War Drone Center Guide: Upgrades, Components and Skill Chips

The Last War Drone Center is one of the most important long-term combat systems in Last War Survival. Your Tactical Drone fights automatically alongside your squad while also strengthening the heroes it supports. As your account develops, the Drone Center expands into several separate progression systems, including Drone levels, components, Combat Progress, and Skill Chips. The most efficient approach is to upgrade the Drone consistently without wasting its harder-to-obtain materials. Collect Combat Data through regular PvE activity, secure Drone Parts whenever practical, keep component development balanced, and concentrate your best Skill Chips on the squad you actually use. Timing these upgrades with Alliance Duel can also turn normal Drone progression into additional event points.

How to Unlock the Drone Center

The Drone Center becomes available after clearing Campaign Stage 38, where you also rescue the SSR hero Monica. Once unlocked, the Tactical Drone becomes a permanent combat companion that participates alongside your squad. The Drone itself cannot be targeted by enemy attacks. Instead, it continues providing automatic attacks and squad bonuses while your heroes fight. This makes Drone development valuable across both PvE and PvP because improving it strengthens more than one individual hero.

What Does the Tactical Drone Do?

The Drone contributes to combat in two main ways.

• Automatic combat support: It attacks enemies alongside your squad.
• Squad stat bonuses: Drone development increases combat attributes such as Attack, Defense, and HP for the heroes it supports.

Additional systems later add component bonuses and Skill Chip effects. This is why Drone power continues scaling even after the basic leveling system becomes expensive.

Last War Drone Upgrade Systems

System	Main Materials	Purpose
Drone Level	Combat Data, Drone Parts	Raises basic Drone and squad attributes
Drone Components	Component Chests, duplicate components	Adds additional combat statistics
Combat Progress	Drone System/Combat Progress EXP and unused chips	Improves Drone progression and unlocks chip functions
Skill Chips	Skill Chips and chip materials	Adds specialized effects for different squad types

These systems unlock progressively as your account and server advance. Exact names can vary slightly between translations, with Combat Progress also appearing as Combat Boost or Battle Progress.

How to Level Up the Drone

Basic Drone leveling uses two important resources: Combat Data and Drone Parts.

Combat Data

Combat Data provides the regular progression needed to increase Drone levels. It is comparatively accessible through normal play, especially if you remain active with PvE content. Common sources include:

• Radar missions
• Zombies and other world-map PvE enemies
• Zombie Invasion activities
• Campaign Store
• Special events and milestone rewards

Because Combat Data is earned steadily through activity, active players commonly find that Drone Parts eventually become the more restrictive material.

Drone Parts

Drone Parts are required at important progression points and become increasingly valuable as the Drone develops. Saving them without a purpose can slow your account, but spending every source of shop currency on them without considering other priorities is also unnecessary. Drone Parts can appear through:

• Daily activities
• Alliance Shop
• Campaign Shop
• Honor and other progression shops
• Radar-related rewards
• Zombie Invasion
• Ghost Ops
• Alliance Train rewards
• Special events
• Resource or selection chests

Drone Level Milestones

Drone progression is not completely linear. Important levels can improve its combat abilities in addition to simply raising statistics. Notable early and mid-game milestones include levels 30, 50, 70, 90, and 110, where the Drone’s skill progression advances. The visual appearance of the Drone also changes at major milestones. Up to level 150, Drone Parts are required at specific progression intervals rather than every individual level. Requirements become considerably more demanding later, making early stockpiling increasingly useful.

Drone Components Explained

Components provide another large source of Drone power. There are six component types:

• Radar
• Turbo Engine
• External Armor
• Thermal Scope
• Fuel Cell
• Airborne Missile

Each component improves the Drone through its own attributes. Developing the complete set therefore provides a broader improvement than concentrating exclusively on one piece while leaving the others far behind.

How Component Merging Works

During the standard component progression system, three identical components of the same level can be merged into one component at the next level. This means component development is partly a collection game. Random chests may not always provide the exact duplicate you need, making component selection chests especially valuable when you are one piece away from an important merge. At higher component progression, the system changes. Once advanced components reach the later research-based stage, additional components contribute toward Research Value rather than relying only on the basic three-to-one merging process. Since this advanced progression arrives much later, newer players should focus first on building a balanced component set.

Where to Get Drone Components

Useful component sources include:

• Drone Component Chests
• Secret missions
• Mysterious Supply Boxes
• Alliance and Campaign shops
• Component-related production systems
• Excavation rewards
• Alliance Duel rewards
• Alliance Train rewards
• Zombie Invasion
• Special events

Component chests can be random, so avoid wasting selectable chests when ordinary random drops could still provide what you need.

Combat Progress Explained

Combat Progress is a separate Drone development system that becomes available later in server progression. Depending on your game translation, you may see similar terminology such as Combat Boost or Battle Progress. You increase this progression bar using dedicated EXP materials and eligible chips. Higher Combat Progress provides additional Drone improvement while unlocking Skill Chip sets and further chip-related features. Important early milestones include:

Combat Progress	Key Unlock
Level 10	First Skill Chip set
Level 150	Second Skill Chip set and further chip progression
Level 300	Third Skill Chip set and additional chip progression

Later server progression can add further Combat Progress levels and additional chip functions. Because these systems arrive according to server development, do not worry if your Drone Center does not yet show every feature described here.

Drone Skill Chips Explained

Skill Chips allow the Tactical Drone to specialize around the formation it supports. A chip setup contains four functional slots:

• Initial: Effects that activate around the beginning of battle.
• Attack: Improves the Drone’s offensive performance.
• Interference: Provides offensive effects that can depend on the squad’s vehicle type.
• Defense: Improves defensive performance during combat.

Chip sets can be configured around Tank, Aircraft, and Missile Vehicle squads. Matching matters: a type-specific chip intended for Tanks should not be treated as an equivalent upgrade for an Aircraft formation.

Which Skill Chips Should You Upgrade First?

Concentrate your strongest chips on your primary squad before attempting to build three equally powerful sets. For example, if your main formation is Tank-heavy, finish a strong Tank-oriented chip set before diverting rare chip materials into secondary Aircraft and Missile formations. Once your primary setup is established, begin improving the sets used by your other squads. Higher-rarity chips can provide better long-term potential, but rarity alone should not decide an immediate replacement. A developed chip can temporarily provide more value than a newly obtained higher-rarity alternative that has received little investment.

How to Get Skill Chips

Skill Chips and their materials can come from several recurring sources:

• Skill Chip Chests
• Alliance Shop
• Campaign Shop
• Honor and VIP-related shops
• Ghost Ops
• Special events
• Chip Lab crafting

The Chip Lab provides a more controlled way to work toward specific chips instead of depending entirely on random chest drops. Duplicate chips can also be important for further chip development.

Best Drone Upgrade Priority

A practical upgrade order for most accounts is:

1. Keep the basic Drone level moving. Spend Combat Data while preparing enough Drone Parts for upcoming milestones.
2. Build all six components. Avoid leaving part of the component set severely underdeveloped.
3. Advance Combat Progress. Unlock the Skill Chip system and additional sets as your server reaches the relevant progression stage.
4. Focus Skill Chips on your first squad. Match the important type-dependent chips to your Tank, Aircraft, or Missile formation.
5. Expand to secondary squads later. Do not dilute rare chip materials before your primary setup is established.

This order is not an instruction to ignore later systems until the previous one is finished. Drone progression is designed to advance through several systems simultaneously. The priority mainly determines where scarce materials should go first.

Drone Upgrades and Alliance Duel

Drone materials become more efficient when used during the correct Alliance Duel days.

Alliance Duel Timing	Drone Activity to Save
Monday	Combat Data, Drone Parts and Skill Chip Chests
Wednesday	Drone Component Chests

If your current Alliance Duel schedule follows this structure, saving these resources allows the same Drone upgrade to improve your account while also producing VS points. Event scoring can change with updates, so always verify the active Alliance Duel task list before opening a large stockpile.

Best Ways to Farm Drone Resources

Stay Active With PvE

World-map enemies and Radar activities are reliable ways to keep Combat Data flowing. Players who regularly use stamina for useful PvE objectives generally have fewer problems maintaining their basic Drone progression.

Check Recurring Shops

Drone Parts, chips, components, and related materials appear in several shops. Check the Alliance and Campaign shops regularly rather than waiting until you reach a Drone milestone and suddenly discover that you lack the required materials.

Use Selection Chests Carefully

A component selection chest becomes especially valuable when it completes a merge. Opening it too early for a component you might receive randomly later can reduce its value.

Use Unwanted Chips Productively

Once the Combat Progress system is active, chips you do not need for your primary sets can contribute to further Drone development. Check your existing and future chip requirements before consuming duplicates that might still be useful.

Common Drone Center Mistakes

• Ignoring the Drone after unlocking it: Drone bonuses benefit an entire formation, making neglected Drone progression increasingly noticeable later.
• Running out of Drone Parts: Begin collecting them before higher-level requirements become expensive.
• Opening component chests immediately: Saving them for the appropriate Alliance Duel day can improve overall resource efficiency.
• Using the wrong type-specific chip: Match important Skill Chips to the vehicle type of the squad receiving the bonus.
• Building every chip set equally: Concentrate rare materials on your main formation first.
• Ignoring components: Drone level is only one part of total Drone development.
• Using selection chests too early: Save them for missing components that complete meaningful upgrades.
• Replacing developed chips only because of rarity: Compare the actual improvement before abandoning an upgraded chip.
• Forgetting event timing: Coordinate normal Drone development with Alliance Duel whenever the scoring tasks overlap.

Optional Shortcut to a More Developed Account

Players who would rather begin with more advanced progression can browse Last War accounts for sale on Heaven Guardian. When comparing accounts, check the Drone level, developed components, Skill Chip progression, main squad, and server stage instead of relying only on the displayed total power.

FAQs

When do you unlock the Drone Center in Last War?

The Drone Center unlocks after completing Campaign Stage 38, where Monica is also rescued.

What do you need to upgrade the Drone?

The basic Drone level uses Combat Data and Drone Parts. Additional progression comes from components, Combat Progress materials, and Skill Chips.

Where can I get Drone Parts?

Drone Parts are available through recurring shops, daily activities, Radar-related content, Zombie Invasion, events, Alliance Train rewards, selection chests, and other progression activities.

What is the best way to get Combat Data?

Regular PvE activity is one of the most consistent sources. Radar missions, world-map enemies, Zombie Invasion activities, Campaign Store purchases, and events can all provide Combat Data.

How many Drone components are there?

There are six main components: Radar, Turbo Engine, External Armor, Thermal Scope, Fuel Cell, and Airborne Missile.

How do you upgrade Drone components?

During the standard component progression system, three identical components of the same level can be merged into one component of the next level. Advanced components later move into a research-based progression system.

What are Drone Skill Chips?

Skill Chips add specialized effects to the Tactical Drone. Chip sets can support Tank, Aircraft, or Missile formations, and the four functional chip slots cover Initial, Attack, Interference, and Defense effects.

Should I save Drone resources for Alliance Duel?

Yes, when the current event schedule rewards those actions. Combat Data, Drone Parts, and Skill Chip Chests are commonly useful for Monday scoring, while Drone Component Chests are associated with Wednesday scoring. Verify the live VS tasks before spending a large stockpile.

Should I upgrade my first or second squad’s Skill Chips?

Prioritize the formation you use most. Building a strong chip set for your primary Tank, Aircraft, or Missile squad generally provides better immediate value than spreading rare materials evenly across several incomplete sets.

Conclusion

The Last War Drone Center is a long-term progression system that rewards consistent preparation. Keep farming Combat Data, collect Drone Parts before they become a bottleneck, improve all six components, and advance Combat Progress until additional Skill Chip options become available. Once Skill Chips are unlocked, build around your actual main formation rather than spreading scarce materials across every squad. Finally, coordinate Drone Parts, Combat Data, chip chests, and component chests with the current Alliance Duel schedule whenever possible to gain more value from resources you planned to use anyway. For more progression strategies, hero advice, and event walkthroughs, explore our additional Last War Survival guides.