Last War Survival Heroes Guide: Teams & Upgrade Priority

Heroes are at the center of combat progression in Last War: Survival. Your squad is not determined simply by collecting the highest-rarity characters available. Strong formations depend on hero type, battlefield role, positioning, stars, skills, Gear, troop strength, research, military-center bonuses, and later progression systems.

This Last War Survival heroes guide explains how the entire system fits together, including Tank, Aircraft, and Missile Vehicle heroes, Attack, Defense, and Support roles, squad construction, Hero EXP, shards, skill upgrades, rarity promotion, Exclusive Weapons, and the individual heroes available in our growing Last War guide library.

Important distinction: Combat Heroes are different from Headquarters Survivors. Characters such as Adventurer Taylor and Agent Shirley provide Survivor bonuses and are not placed in your five-Hero combat formation.

How Heroes Work in Last War Survival

A standard combat squad contains five Heroes. Each Hero has several characteristics that affect where and how that Hero should be used:

Rarity: UR, SSR, or SR.
Vehicle type: Tank, Aircraft, or Missile Vehicle.
Combat role: Attack, Defense, or Support.
Attributes: including Attack, HP, Defense, and troop-leading capacity.
Level: increased with Hero EXP.
Stars/Tiers: developed with Hero-specific or compatible Universal Shards.
Skills: improved using Skill Medals.
Gear: equipped and upgraded to strengthen combat statistics.
Exclusive Weapon: available to selected Heroes during later progression.
Awakening: an advanced system available to qualifying Heroes in later seasonal progression.

The key lesson is that Hero Power by itself does not tell you whether a formation is good. Squad synergy and resource concentration matter just as much.

Last War Survival Hero Types

Every combat Hero belongs to one of three main vehicle categories.

Hero Type	Typical Use	Dedicated Building
Tank	Often the first developed formation and home to several early-game Heroes.	Tank Center
Aircraft	A separate formation path with its own Attack and Defense Heroes.	Aircraft Center
Missile Vehicle	A third formation path with dedicated attackers and frontline defenders.	Missile Center

Developing Heroes from the same vehicle category can improve formation synergy and also lets you concentrate upgrades into the corresponding military center rather than spreading resources across all three at once.

Tank Heroes

Tank is commonly the most developed formation on newer accounts because several useful Tank Heroes appear relatively early.

Notable Tank Heroes already covered on Heaven Guardian include:

Murphy – UR defensive Tank Hero.
Kimberly – UR Tank damage dealer.
Williams – UR defensive Tank Hero.
Stetmann – UR Tank attacker.
Marshall – UR Tank Support Hero.
Mason – Tank attacker with later rarity-promotion progression.
Violet – Tank Hero with later rarity-promotion progression.
Monica – Tank Support Hero.
Richard – Tank attacker.
Loki – early-rarity Tank Hero.

Aircraft Heroes

Aircraft formations have their own frontline and damage options and should be developed through the Aircraft Center when they become your primary or secondary squad.

DVA – UR Aircraft attacker.
Carlie – UR Aircraft defender.
Lucius – UR Aircraft defender.
Schuyler – UR Aircraft attacker.
Morrison – UR Aircraft attacker.
Ambolt – early-rarity Aircraft Hero.

Missile Vehicle Heroes

Missile formations form the third major squad archetype and use the Missile Center for vehicle-specific development.

Tesla – UR Missile attacker.
Swift – UR Missile attacker.
Fiona – UR Missile attacker.
McGregor – UR Missile defender.
Adam – UR Missile defender.
Sarah – Missile Hero with later rarity-promotion progression.
Maxwell – Missile Hero.
Cage – Missile Hero.
Farhad – Missile Hero.

Attack, Defense, and Support Hero Roles

Vehicle type tells you which formation a Hero belongs to. Role tells you where that Hero usually contributes inside the formation.

Defense Heroes

Defense Heroes generally belong in the front row. Their job is to survive incoming attacks and protect the Heroes positioned behind them.

Examples include Murphy and Williams for Tank formations, Carlie and Lucius for Aircraft, and McGregor and Adam for Missile Vehicle formations.

Attack Heroes

Attack Heroes are usually placed in the back row, where they can generate damage while frontline defenders absorb the initial pressure.

Examples include Kimberly and Stetmann for Tank, DVA and Morrison for Aircraft, and Tesla and Fiona for Missile Vehicle formations.

Support Heroes

Support Heroes contribute buffs or other effects that improve the squad rather than functioning solely as frontline tanks or pure damage dealers.

Marshall is one of the best-known examples in the Tank roster.

How to Build a Strong Five-Hero Squad

A reliable formation normally needs heroes that can survive in front while creating enough damage from the back row.

A practical starting structure is:

Front row: two durable Defense Heroes.
Back row: two primary damage dealers.
Final position: a Support Hero or another damage dealer depending on the formation.

That is a framework rather than an absolute rule. The correct lineup depends on which Heroes you own, their star levels, skills, Gear, Exclusive Weapons, research, troop tier, and the opponent you are facing.

Do Not Replace a Developed Hero Just Because You Unlocked a UR Hero

A newly unlocked UR Hero at low stars and low skill levels may initially perform worse than an SSR Hero that has received months of investment.

When changing your main squad, compare:

Hero level;
star level;
skill levels;
Gear;
vehicle-type synergy;
military-center development;
Exclusive Weapon progression;
available troop capacity.

Build toward the stronger long-term formation without unnecessarily weakening the team you currently depend on.

Should You Focus on Tank, Aircraft, or Missile First?

For most developing accounts, the most efficient approach is to choose one primary vehicle type and make that formation strong before attempting to maximize all three.

Concentrating resources prevents important materials from being divided among too many unfinished Heroes.

Your main formation competes for resources such as:

Hero EXP;
Hero Shards;
Skill Medals;
Gear materials;
Upgrade Ore;
Legendary and Mythic Gear Blueprints;
Exclusive Weapon materials;
military research;
vehicle-center upgrades;
Drone progression.

This is why building three average squads simultaneously can be much slower than establishing one strong Squad 1 and expanding later.

Last War Survival Hero Upgrade Priority

Hero progression has several layers. A strong upgrade order focuses first on upgrades that improve the Heroes you actually field.

1. Hero Levels and EXP

Hero EXP increases a Hero’s level and core combat statistics. Because EXP becomes increasingly expensive at higher levels, your main formation should normally receive priority over unused Heroes.

See the complete Last War Survival Hero EXP guide for leveling and farming strategy.

2. Hero Stars and Shards

Hero Shards advance star progression and unlock increasingly important Hero improvements.

Universal Shards are especially valuable because they give you flexibility over which eligible Hero receives the investment.

Before using large quantities of shards, review the Hero Shards farming guide.

3. Hero Skills

Skill Medals should not be spread evenly across every Hero you own. Prioritize the abilities that produce the biggest improvement for your active squad.

Use the Last War Survival hero skill upgrade guide together with the Skill Medal guide before committing a large stockpile.

4. Hero Gear

Heroes can equip multiple Gear pieces that improve offensive and defensive statistics. The correct investment depends partly on the Hero’s role: frontline defenders value survivability while primary attackers need strong offensive progression.

Related guides:

5. Military Center Development

Your Tank Center, Aircraft Center, or Missile Center strengthens the corresponding Hero type. The center connected to your primary formation should therefore receive greater priority than the two types you rarely use.

6. Exclusive Weapons

Selected Heroes gain access to Exclusive Weapons as servers progress through later seasonal content.

Exclusive Weapons can provide Hero-specific improvements and additional skill progression. Because their materials are limited, they should be treated as a focused late-game investment rather than another resource to distribute randomly across the roster.

Heroes in your existing guide library with notable Exclusive Weapon progression include characters such as Kimberly, DVA, Tesla, Murphy, Carlie, Swift, Marshall, Schuyler, and later-season Heroes.

7. Hero Awakening

Awakening is an advanced later-season Hero progression system. It is not relevant to a fresh account, so early players should not build their entire development plan around it.

When available, qualifying Heroes require substantial previous progression before Awakening becomes relevant, including development of their Exclusive Weapon.

This makes the long-term progression path approximately:

Level → Stars → Skills → Gear → Exclusive Weapon → Awakening

while supporting systems such as research, military centers, troops, and Drone progression continue alongside the Hero itself.

UR, SSR, and SR Heroes Explained

Rarity	General Role in Progression	Investment Approach
UR	Primary long-term combat Heroes.	Prioritize the UR Heroes that belong to your main formation.
SSR	Important during early and mid progression; selected Heroes gain later rarity promotion.	Develop useful Heroes without consuming resources needed by your core UR lineup.
SR	Early roster and supporting progression.	Avoid excessive investment after stronger replacements are established.

Higher rarity generally provides stronger long-term potential, but rarity alone should never be your only comparison. A Hero’s actual development level and place in the formation still matter.

Hero Rarity Promotion

Selected SSR Heroes can eventually undergo rarity promotion to UR through seasonal progression.

This gives several early Heroes much greater long-term relevance than their starting rarity might suggest.

Heroes associated with the rarity-promotion system include:

This is another reason not to dismiss every SSR Hero simply because a UR roster is the eventual objective.

Hero Recruitment and Shard Sources

Heroes and Hero Shards can come from multiple systems depending on the Hero, rarity, server age, and current events.

The Tavern guide explains the recruitment building, while the Legendary Hero Chest guide and Hero Shards guide cover additional progression sources.

Do not assume every Hero is immediately available from the same recruitment pool. Hero availability changes as a server and its seasonal timeline progress.

Last War Survival Hero Guide Directory

Use the following guides when you need detailed information about a specific Hero rather than general squad-building advice.

Hero	Guide
Adam	Adam Hero Guide
Ambolt	Ambolt Guide
Cage	Cage Guide
Carlie	Carlie Guide
DVA	DVA Guide
Farhad	Farhad Guide
Fiona	Fiona Guide
Gump	Gump Guide
Kimberly	Kimberly Guide
Loki	Loki Guide
Lucius	Lucius Guide
Marshall	Marshall Guide
Mason	Mason Guide
Maxwell	Maxwell Guide
McGregor	McGregor Guide
Monica	Monica Guide
Morrison	Morrison Guide
Murphy	Murphy Guide
Richard	Richard Guide
Sarah	Sarah Guide
Scarlett	Scarlett Guide
Schuyler	Schuyler Guide
Stetmann	Stetmann Guide
Swift	Swift Guide
Tesla	Tesla Guide
Violet	Violet Guide
Williams	Williams Guide

Note: This directory reflects the individual Hero guides currently published in the Last War section. Additional Hero guides can be added here as the cluster expands.

Supporting Systems That Make Heroes Stronger

A Hero does not become powerful in isolation. Several account systems directly affect combat performance.

Troops and March Capacity

Heroes lead troops into combat, so a strong Hero formation still needs enough appropriately developed troops behind it.

The Barracks determines troop training progression, while the Drill Ground helps determine how many troops your account can hold.

You can also review the Last War troop stats guide and Unit X guide for advanced troop progression.

Wall of Honor

Hero development does not completely end when a Hero reaches five stars. The Wall of Honor guide explains the additional progression available for eligible developed Heroes.

Drone Progression

Drone systems provide another major layer of squad performance. They should be developed alongside your main formation rather than being confused with Hero skills themselves.

Useful supporting guides include:

Common Hero-Building Mistakes

Spreading Universal Shards Across Too Many Heroes

Universal Shards are valuable because of their flexibility. Concentrating them on a clear main-squad objective is usually more useful than creating several partially developed Heroes.

Upgrading Every Skill Equally

Not every skill delivers the same immediate value. Upgrade priorities should follow the Hero’s actual combat function.

Putting Attackers in the Front Row

Front positions receive greater pressure. Unless a specific strategy requires otherwise, durable Defense Heroes generally belong in front while Attack and Support Heroes work from the back row.

Ignoring Vehicle-Type Development

Building powerful Tank Heroes while neglecting the Tank Center and associated military progression leaves part of the formation underdeveloped.

Building Three Main Squads Too Early

Hero EXP, Skill Medals, Universal Shards, Gear, and other materials are limited. Establish one reliable formation before making large investments in secondary squads.

Confusing Survivors With Heroes

Adventurer Taylor and Agent Shirley are Headquarters Survivors rather than combat Heroes. Their upgrades should not be evaluated as part of your five-Hero battlefield formation.

Optional roster shortcut: Players comparing established rosters can review a Last War Survival account for sale and compare the main squad, Hero stars, Gear, Exclusive Weapons, troop tier, Drone progression, and remaining resources before making a decision.

FAQ

What are the three Hero types in Last War Survival?

The three combat vehicle types are Tank, Aircraft, and Missile Vehicle. Each has its own Heroes and dedicated military-center development.

How many Heroes are in a Last War Survival squad?

A combat squad contains five Heroes arranged between front and back positions.

Which Heroes should be placed in the front row?

Defense Heroes normally belong in the front row because their skills and attributes are designed to absorb more incoming pressure. Attack and Support Heroes generally benefit from back-row placement.

Should I upgrade Tank, Aircraft, or Missile Heroes first?

Choose the vehicle type used by your strongest practical formation and concentrate early resources there. Developing one strong main squad is normally more efficient than attempting to maximize three vehicle types simultaneously.

Are UR Heroes always better than SSR Heroes?

UR Heroes generally have greater long-term potential, but development matters. A highly upgraded SSR Hero can temporarily outperform a newly unlocked low-star UR replacement. Some SSR Heroes can also receive later rarity promotion.

What should I upgrade first on a Hero?

Prioritize the Heroes in your main squad, then coordinate levels, stars, important skills, and Gear. Exclusive Weapons and Awakening become later progression layers rather than immediate beginner priorities.

What are Hero Shards used for?

Hero-specific and compatible Universal Shards are used for star/tier progression. Because Universal Shards can be difficult to replace, use them according to a clear main-squad plan.

Are Taylor and Shirley Heroes?

No. Adventurer Taylor and Agent Shirley are Survivors assigned to Headquarters. They provide account bonuses but do not occupy positions in a combat Hero squad.

What are Exclusive Weapons?

Exclusive Weapons are Hero-specific progression systems available to selected Heroes as the server advances. They provide additional Hero development beyond normal levels, stars, skills, and Gear.

What is Hero Awakening?

Hero Awakening is an advanced later-season progression system available to qualifying Heroes after significant prior investment. It should be treated as endgame Hero progression rather than an early-game priority.

Conclusion

Building strong Last War Survival Heroes is ultimately a resource-allocation problem. Choose a primary vehicle type, use durable Heroes in the front row, protect your main damage dealers, and concentrate Hero EXP, Shards, Skill Medals, Gear, and later Exclusive Weapon materials on Heroes that actually contribute to your core formation.

As your account develops, expand from one strong squad into Aircraft and Missile alternatives, improve the corresponding military centers, strengthen troops and Drone systems, and take advantage of later progression such as rarity promotion, Exclusive Weapons, and Hero Awakening.

Use the individual Hero guides above whenever you need detailed skill, upgrade, or formation advice for a specific character. This page should remain the central hub connecting the entire Heaven Guardian Last War Hero library.

Last War Survival Heroes Guide: Types, Teams & Upgrade Priority