Last War SSR to UR Upgrade Guide: Heroes, Requirements and Promotion Strategy

SSR to UR promotion in Last War allows selected SSR heroes to become Legendary UR heroes during specific seasons. Unlike ordinary star upgrades, promotion changes the hero’s rarity, improves their long-term stat ceiling, replaces or improves parts of their skill kit, and opens a stronger UR progression path. There is currently one main promotion hero associated with each season from Season 1 through Season 6: Mason, Violet, Scarlett, Sarah, Venom, and Braz. Before promoting, the hero must already be 5-star SSR and you need the required seasonal Hero Promotion badge. The important catch is that the hero returns as a 3-star UR, so you should prepare enough shards to rebuild afterward rather than treating the badge as the entire cost.

Which SSR Heroes Can Upgrade to UR?

Season	Hero	Vehicle Type	Promotion Availability
Season 1	Mason	Tank	Begins in Week 2
Season 2	Violet	Tank	Begins in Week 3
Season 3	Scarlett	Tank	Begins in Week 3
Season 4	Sarah	Aircraft	Begins in Week 3
Season 5	Venom	Missile	Begins in Week 3
Season 6	Braz	Missile	Begins in Week 3

Promotion windows remain available for a limited part of the relevant season. Older promotion heroes may also become available again on later-season servers when you still possess a suitable promotion badge. Because this has changed between server versions, always check the individual hero screen before assuming you permanently missed an older upgrade.

SSR to UR Promotion Requirements

The core requirements follow the same pattern across the promotion heroes.

1. Reach 5-Star SSR

The hero must be fully promoted to 5 stars at SSR rarity. This is usually the longest preparation step, so start collecting the relevant hero’s shards well before the seasonal promotion event begins.

2. Obtain the Hero Promotion Badge

You need the season’s Legendary Hero Badge or UR Hero Badge, depending on the terminology shown by your game version. The badge is normally tied to seasonal progression. The exact objective changes between seasons, so completing season buildings, resistance systems, currencies, War Merit, or other seasonal goals is part of preparing for the promotion.

3. Wait for the Promotion Event

The upgrade button only becomes available when the relevant seasonal promotion period is active. Mason arrives earlier in Season 1, while later promotions normally begin around Week 3 of their respective seasons.

What Happens When You Promote SSR to UR?

Hero Progress	After Promotion
Rarity	SSR changes to UR
Stars	5-star SSR becomes 3-star UR
Hero EXP Level	Retained
Skills	UR skills begin again at Level 1
Skill Medals	Previously invested medals are refunded
Wall of Honor Shards	Refunded as hero-specific SSR shards
Original 0–5 Star Shards	Not refunded
Gear	Remains with the hero

The most common promotion mistake is expecting every shard ever invested into the hero to return. That does not happen. Only shards placed into the Wall of Honor after reaching 5 stars are returned. The shards originally consumed while building the SSR hero from low stars to 5 stars remain spent.

How Many Shards Do You Need After Promotion?

Once promoted, the hero becomes a 3-star UR. UR star progression costs twice as many SSR shards as the hero previously required at SSR rarity. Under the current promotion system, rebuilding a promoted hero from 3-star UR to 5-star UR requires 1,600 SSR shards. Hero-specific SSR shards and Universal SSR Shards can continue to be used for that promoted hero. You do not necessarily need all 1,600 shards before pressing Promote. However, promoting without enough resources to rebuild can temporarily leave the hero weaker for your current lineup, particularly if the old 5-star SSR version also had significant Wall of Honor bonuses.

Wall of Honor Refund Strategy

The Wall of Honor is one of the most useful parts of SSR-to-UR planning. Once a promotable SSR hero reaches 5 stars, additional shards can be invested into that hero’s Wall of Honor. When you later promote the hero to UR, those Wall of Honor shards are refunded and converted into that hero’s specific SSR shards. This creates a useful preparation strategy:

1. Reach 5-star SSR.
2. Continue putting spare hero-specific and Universal SSR Shards into the hero’s Wall of Honor if promotion is planned.
3. Wait for the seasonal promotion event.
4. Promote the hero.
5. Collect the refunded hero shards from mail.
6. Use those shards to begin rebuilding the new UR star level.

This does not make the promotion free because the original 5-star investment is not refunded. It does mean that Wall of Honor investment made before promotion is not permanently lost.

Skill Medal Refund Strategy

Skill Medals invested in the SSR version are also refunded when the hero becomes UR. The new UR skills begin at Level 1, allowing you to decide where those returned Skill Medals should go. You can reinvest them into the newly promoted hero or redirect them to another important hero. Keep in mind that UR skill upgrades can require more medals than the corresponding SSR skills. A fully developed SSR skill set therefore does not guarantee that the refund will immediately restore the new UR skills to identical levels.

Best Time to Perform the Promotion

If you participate in Alliance Duel, the ideal promotion timing is usually Thursday’s hero-focused VS day, preferably while an Arms Race Hero Advancement phase is also active. This works because the promotion process can generate several scoring actions:

1. Use qualifying shards to finish 5 stars.
2. Add additional shards to Wall of Honor.
3. Spend available Skill Medals before promotion.
4. Promote the hero to UR.
5. Collect refunded shards and Skill Medals.
6. Use the refunded shards to rebuild UR stars.
7. Reinvest the Skill Medals.

When these actions match the active event scoring rules, the same saved resources can generate considerably more rewards than promoting on a random day.

Mason UR Promotion: Season 1

Mason is the first promotion hero and one of the easiest to prepare because his shards are widely available during early progression. His Season 1 promotion turns him from an accessible SSR Tank attacker into a UR Tank hero with improved growth and stronger long-term PvE value. Mason is particularly attractive for free-to-play and low-spending accounts that already use Tank as their main formation. If you intend to promote him, collect Mason shards throughout the pre-season instead of treating them as disposable after he reaches 5 stars.

Violet UR Promotion: Season 2

Violet is the Season 2 Tank promotion hero. At SSR she is heavily associated with frontline durability and monster-focused protection. Her UR upgrade improves her overall combat ceiling and makes her defensive role more useful beyond basic PvE. The promotion makes the most sense if Violet is still part of your Tank formation or you want another developed Tank defender. If she has already been permanently replaced by stronger UR frontline heroes, consider whether rebuilding her to high UR stars is worth the shards.

Scarlett UR Promotion: Season 3

Scarlett follows in Season 3. She is another Tank defender whose SSR version can serve as an early PvE frontline option. UR promotion strengthens her defensive role and gives established Tank players another formation option. She becomes more attractive if your gameplay values durability, garrison combat, or content where a stronger additional Tank defender is useful. If your Tank frontline is already fully developed around other UR heroes, Scarlett becomes a roster-depth decision rather than an automatic shard priority.

Sarah UR Promotion: Season 4

Sarah is the first Aircraft hero in the seasonal promotion sequence. Her UR kit is built around supporting Aircraft formations, making the promotion much more relevant to players actively developing an Aircraft squad than to Tank-focused accounts with no investment in Air heroes. Start collecting Sarah shards well before Season 4 if Aircraft is part of your long-term plan. Waiting until the promotion event appears can leave a large 5-star requirement to complete in a short period.

Venom UR Promotion: Season 5

Venom becomes the first Missile hero in the promotion cycle during Season 5. His UR version strengthens his Missile-oriented combat role and becomes most useful for accounts already developing heroes such as Tesla, Fiona, Adam, McGregor, or other Missile options. If Missile remains an undeveloped third squad, promoting Venom immediately may consume Universal SSR Shards that could have greater value elsewhere. The badge alone is not a reason to rebuild a formation you do not intend to use.

Braz UR Promotion: Season 6

Braz receives the Season 6 promotion. His UR version shifts away from the SSR version’s monster-oriented emphasis and becomes more useful for PvP and Faction Clash-style combat, including improved multi-target pressure and disruption. This makes Braz a more deliberate promotion decision. If you mainly use him as a PvE monster specialist, the SSR role can remain useful. If he belongs in your developed Missile combat roster, the UR version has much stronger long-term potential.

Should You Promote Every SSR Hero to UR?

No. Promotion improves the hero, but every upgrade still competes for shards, Skill Medals, gear, and formation space.

Hero	Best Reason to Promote
Mason	You use Tanks and want a strong, accessible long-term PvE attacker
Violet	You need additional Tank frontline strength
Scarlett	You actively use her defensive Tank role
Sarah	You are building a serious Aircraft formation
Venom	You are developing Missile as an active combat squad
Braz	You want his promoted PvP/Faction combat role in your Missile roster

The correct question is not simply whether UR is better than SSR. It is whether the promoted hero will receive enough investment and actual squad usage to justify rebuilding their star level.

SSR to UR Preparation Checklist

1. Confirm the correct seasonal hero.
2. Raise the hero to 5-star SSR.
3. Earn the season’s Hero Promotion badge.
4. Save hero-specific and Universal SSR Shards.
5. Put excess shards into Wall of Honor when appropriate.
6. Check how many shards will be refunded.
7. Decide how far you can rebuild after the 3-star UR reset.
8. Use remaining Skill Medals before promotion when event timing makes it worthwhile.
9. Wait for VS hero day and Arms Race Hero Advancement when practical.
10. Promote, collect the refunds, and rebuild immediately.

Common SSR to UR Promotion Mistakes

• Assuming all shards are refunded: Only Wall of Honor shards return; the original 5-star investment does not.
• Ignoring the 3-star reset: Your promoted hero needs more shards afterward.
• Promoting with no shard reserve: The temporary drop in star progression can hurt an active formation.
• Forgetting Skill Medals are refunded: Plan how you will reinvest them.
• Promoting outside event scoring: You may miss substantial Alliance Duel and Arms Race value.
• Spending Universal SSR Shards on every promotion: Prioritize heroes you will actually use.
• Ignoring vehicle type: Sarah, Venom, and Braz make more sense when their corresponding formations matter to your account.
• Waiting until the season starts to farm shards: Five-star preparation should begin earlier whenever possible.
• Assuming every season uses the exact same badge objective: Seasonal progression requirements change.
• Confusing promotion with Hero Awakening: Awakening is a separate later progression system with different heroes and materials.

Optional Faster Starting Point

Players who prefer beginning with established heroes and later-season progression can browse Last War accounts for sale on Heaven Guardian. When comparing accounts, check which seasonal promotion heroes are already UR, their current star levels, main formation, server season, Exclusive Weapons or Awakening progress, and remaining hero resources rather than relying only on total power.

FAQs

Which Last War heroes can upgrade from SSR to UR?

The current seasonal promotion sequence includes Mason, Violet, Scarlett, Sarah, Venom, and Braz.

What star level is required for SSR to UR promotion?

The SSR hero must first reach 5 stars before the UR promotion can be performed.

What happens to stars after promotion?

A 5-star SSR hero becomes a 3-star UR hero under the current promotion system.

Does hero level reset after SSR to UR?

No. The Hero EXP level remains unchanged when rarity is promoted.

Do skills reset?

Yes. The promoted UR skill set begins at Level 1, but Skill Medals previously invested into the SSR version are returned through the refund system.

Do I get all my hero shards back?

No. Shards originally used to reach 5-star SSR are not refunded. Shards invested into the hero’s Wall of Honor are returned as hero-specific SSR shards.

How many shards are needed from 3-star UR to 5-star UR?

Under the current system, rebuilding a promoted hero from 3-star UR to 5-star UR requires 1,600 SSR shards.

Can I still use SSR shards after the hero becomes UR?

Yes. Hero-specific SSR shards and Universal SSR Shards remain the progression currency used to increase the promoted hero’s UR stars.

When should I promote my hero?

If the upgrade is not urgently needed, Thursday’s Alliance Duel hero stage combined with an Arms Race Hero Advancement phase is usually an efficient time because shard and Skill Medal activity can contribute to event rewards.

Can older heroes still be promoted in later seasons?

Some server versions allow earlier promotion heroes to remain or become available again when you possess a suitable promotion badge. Check the Promote option on the hero screen because availability can vary by server progression and update.

Conclusion

The Last War SSR to UR upgrade is a major long-term hero progression system, but successful promotion requires more preparation than simply obtaining the seasonal badge. Get the hero to 5-star SSR, build a shard reserve, understand your Wall of Honor refund, and remember that the hero returns as 3-star UR with newly reset skills. Mason, Violet, Scarlett, Sarah, Venom, and Braz each become available through different seasons and serve different formations. Promote the heroes that support your actual squad plan, and whenever practical time the conversion with Alliance Duel and Arms Race so the same shards and Skill Medals generate additional event value. For more hero builds, seasonal strategies, and progression guides, explore our additional Last War Survival guides.