Skill Medals in Last War: Survival are used to strengthen hero skills once a hero reaches 2 stars. They are shared across your entire roster, and costs rise sharply at higher skill levels, so spending them on the right heroes and abilities matters far more than upgrading every skill evenly.
UR hero skills can currently reach level 40, while SSR and SR skills cap at level 30. Based on the published cost table, taking a single UR skill from level 1 to 40 requires about 572,000 Skill Medals, which makes late-game prioritization essential.
★Quick Take: Spend Skill Medals on your main squad first. Prioritize the abilities that define each hero’s role—usually major damage skills on attackers, mitigation or team-protection skills on defenders, and buffs or healing on supports. Avoid automatically keeping every skill at the same level.
What Are Skill Medals in Last War?
Skill Medals are a shared hero-development currency. When a hero becomes eligible for skill upgrades, you can spend Medals through that hero’s skill interface to increase the level and effect of an upgradeable ability.
Depending on the hero, a higher skill level can improve effects such as:
- Physical or Energy Damage
- Damage reduction
- Shields and survivability
- Healing
- Squad buffs
- Enemy debuffs
- Critical or damage-related effects
Skill Medals do not replace Hero Shards, Hero EXP, gear, Exclusive Weapons, or other development systems. A hero needs balanced progression to perform well.
How to Use Skill Medals
Skill Medal upgrades become available after a hero reaches 2 stars. To spend them:
- Open the Heroes menu.
- Select the hero you want to improve.
- Open the hero’s Skills section.
- Select an upgradeable skill.
- Review the next-level effect and Skill Medal cost.
- Use the Strengthen option to complete the upgrade.
If you have Skill Medals but cannot upgrade a particular ability, check the hero’s star progression and the skill’s current level cap. Hero star development controls access to further skill progression.
The Last War Hero Shards guide explains the separate shard requirements used to advance hero stars.
Last War Skill Medal Cost per Level
Skill Medal costs depend on both the hero’s rarity and the target skill level. UR heroes require the most Medals but can reach level 40, while SSR and SR heroes stop at level 30.
| Skill Level | UR Skill Medals | SSR Skill Medals | SR Skill Medals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | – | – | – |
| 2 | 200 | 180 | 160 |
| 3 | 200 | 180 | 160 |
| 4 | 400 | 360 | 320 |
| 5 | 400 | 360 | 320 |
| 6 | 600 | 540 | 480 |
| 7 | 600 | 540 | 480 |
| 8 | 800 | 720 | 640 |
| 9 | 800 | 720 | 640 |
| 10 | 1,200 | 1,080 | 960 |
| 11 | 1,600 | 1,440 | 1,280 |
| 12 | 2,400 | 2,160 | 1,920 |
| 13 | 3,200 | 2,880 | 2,560 |
| 14 | 4,000 | 3,600 | 3,200 |
| 15 | 4,800 | 4,320 | 3,840 |
| 16 | 5,600 | 5,040 | 4,480 |
| 17 | 6,400 | 5,760 | 5,120 |
| 18 | 7,200 | 6,480 | 5,760 |
| 19 | 8,000 | 7,200 | 6,400 |
| 20 | 9,200 | 8,280 | 7,360 |
| 21 | 10,400 | 9,360 | 8,320 |
| 22 | 11,600 | 10,440 | 9,280 |
| 23 | 12,800 | 11,520 | 10,240 |
| 24 | 14,000 | 12,600 | 11,200 |
| 25 | 15,200 | 13,680 | 12,160 |
| 26 | 16,400 | 14,760 | 13,320 |
| 27 | 18,000 | 16,200 | 14,400 |
| 28 | 20,000 | 18,000 | 16,000 |
| 29 | 22,000 | 19,800 | 17,600 |
| 30 | 24,000 | 21,600 | 19,200 |
| 31 | 26,000 | – | – |
| 32 | 28,000 | – | – |
| 33 | 30,000 | – | – |
| 34 | 32,000 | – | – |
| 35 | 34,000 | – | – |
| 36 | 36,000 | – | – |
| 37 | 38,000 | – | – |
| 38 | 40,000 | – | – |
| 39 | 42,000 | – | – |
| 40 | 44,000 | – | – |
These are the current published per-level values. Always check the live skill screen before committing a large stockpile in case later updates change the cost structure.
Total Skill Medals Needed at Key Levels
The cost curve is easier to understand when you look at cumulative totals. The figures below are calculated from the published per-level table and apply to one skill, not the hero’s entire skill set.
| Target Skill Level | UR Total | SSR Total | SR Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level 10 | 5,200 | 4,680 | 4,160 |
| Level 20 | 57,600 | 51,840 | 46,080 |
| Level 30 | 222,000 | 199,800 | 177,800 |
| Level 40 | 572,000 | Not available | Not available |
The expensive part of UR progression comes late. Levels 31–40 alone consume 350,000 Medals for one skill—more than the entire cost of levels 1–30.
!Important: Level 30 is not the end of UR Skill Medal spending. One UR skill costs roughly 222,000 Medals to reach level 30, then another 350,000 to move from 30 to 40. Do not push low-priority abilities into the final levels while your main squad’s key skills are still behind.
Where to Get Skill Medals
Skill Medals come from several recurring and event-based systems. Exact reward quantities can change, so check live chests and stores before planning around a fixed weekly total.
Secret Command Post
The Secret Command Post is an important recurring source. Skill Medals can come from its tasks and from Mystery Supply Boxes earned by completing or assisting with Secret Tasks.
Mystery Supply Boxes contain random rewards, so treat them as supplemental income rather than a guaranteed number of Medals each day.
Hero Recruitment
Skill Medals are included among documented Tavern recruitment rewards. Continue using appropriate free attempts and recruitment tickets while also considering which Hero Shards are available from the current recruitment pool.
The Last War Tavern guide covers recruitment and Tavern progression in more detail.
Hidden Treasure
Hidden Treasure is another documented source of Skill Medals. Reward availability can vary, so review the current treasure rewards before committing extra resources to the activity.
Arms Race
Skill Medals appear among the documented Arms Race reward ecosystem. Complete recurring Arms Race phases and reward chests as efficiently as possible instead of treating Skill Medals as something that must be farmed through one dedicated activity.
Alliance Duel and Tactical Master Supply Boxes
Alliance VS rewards, including Tactical Master Supply Boxes, can provide Skill Medals. Skill Medal spending also appears as a Hero Advancement scoring action in current Alliance Duel guides.
If a Duel scoring window is close and you do not urgently need the upgrade, saving a large Medal spend until the correct day can let the same hero progression generate additional VS points.
The Last War Alliance Duel guide covers the daily scoring structure and other actions worth saving.
Zombie Siege
Zombie Siege is another documented source. Active alliances that consistently progress through the event gain more opportunities to collect its supply rewards.
VIP Store
The VIP Store can offer Skill Medals. Before buying them, compare the Medal cost with the Hero Shards, speedups, and other limited purchases available at your current VIP level.
Glittering Market
Skill Medals may appear in the Glittering Market. Because exchange rates and inventories can change, judge each offer by its current cost rather than buying automatically.
Special Events and Packs
Temporary events and paid packs can provide additional Skill Medals. Event contents change regularly, and later progression may also introduce choice chests that combine Skill Medals with newer hero-development resources.
Always inspect the current reward description before valuing an event or pack solely for Skill Medals.
Best Skill Medal Priority
There is no universal skill order that works for every hero. Skill Medal priority should follow the hero’s role and the actual improvement shown by the next level.
Attackers: Prioritize the Skills That Drive Damage
For damage dealers such as your main back-row attackers, the highest priority is usually the Tactics or other core damage ability that contributes the largest share of their battle output.
After that, compare:
- Damage-increasing passive skills
- Auto-attack scaling
- Critical or Energy/Physical Damage bonuses
- Any ability that improves the hero’s main burst mechanic
Do not assume the first skill displayed is automatically the best one to max.
Defenders: Prioritize Team Survival
For front-row defenders, skills that reduce incoming damage, create shields, improve HP, or protect allied units often provide better squad value than increasing a modest basic attack.
A strong defender’s job is usually to keep your damage dealers alive long enough to use more attacks and Tactics.
Support Heroes: Prioritize Squad-Wide Effects
Supports should normally prioritize their strongest team buff, healing effect, debuff, or other ability that improves multiple heroes.
A small personal damage increase can be less important than extending a squad-wide Attack buff or improving a defensive team effect.
✓Recommendation: For F2P and low-spending accounts, get your main formation’s important skills to useful levels before chasing expensive 30–40 upgrades on one ability. A balanced first squad with its key skills developed usually provides more practical value than a maxed secondary skill surrounded by underdeveloped teammates.
Should You Level Every Skill Equally?
Usually no. Equal-looking skill levels are convenient, but Skill Medals should be spent according to combat impact.
For example, moving an important UR skill from 19 to 20 costs 9,200 Medals. Moving it from 29 to 30 costs 24,000. At those prices, every advanced upgrade should justify itself through a meaningful improvement to a hero you actually use.
A sensible approach is:
- Develop the defining skills of your main damage dealer.
- Improve the most valuable defensive skills on your front row.
- Develop important buffs or healing on your support heroes.
- Bring secondary skills up when the cost is still efficient.
- Only push levels 30–40 on long-term UR heroes and high-impact abilities.
How Hero Stars Affect Skill Medals
Hero star progression and Skill Medal progression are connected. Skill upgrades begin at 2 stars, while further star development increases access to stronger skill progression and additional hero effects.
Before spending a large Medal reserve, check:
- The hero’s current star level
- The current cap shown for the skill
- How close the hero is to another star
- Whether the next star changes an important ability
- Whether the hero will remain in your main squad long term
This is why Hero Shards and Skill Medals should be planned together rather than treated as completely separate resources.
Skill Medal Refund When an SSR Hero Becomes UR
Eligible SSR heroes that receive a season-based UR promotion use a special conversion process. Current documented examples include Mason and Violet.
When one of these heroes is promoted to UR, the Skill Medals previously invested in that hero are refunded so they can be allocated again.
However, this does not mean the promoted hero automatically returns to the same skill levels. SSR skill upgrades cost 90% of the corresponding UR cost, so the refunded Medals may be insufficient to rebuild every skill to its previous level after the hero becomes UR.
For example, if an SSR hero had several highly developed skills, you may need additional Skill Medals after promotion to bring the new UR version back to comparable levels.
This refund can also create useful flexibility: you can redistribute the returned Medals toward the promoted hero’s most important abilities rather than recreating the old skill levels exactly.
Should You Upgrade SSR and SR Hero Skills?
Yes, when those heroes have an important current role—but avoid investing as though every early hero will remain in your main squad permanently.
Upgrade an SSR or SR Hero When:
- The hero is currently part of your main formation.
- You do not have a viable UR replacement yet.
- The next skill levels are still inexpensive.
- The hero provides a valuable support or PvE role.
- The hero is eligible for a future UR promotion that refunds invested Skill Medals.
Save Your Medals When:
- The hero will soon leave your main squad.
- The skill contributes little to the hero’s main role.
- Your primary UR heroes still have important skills underdeveloped.
- You are preparing to unlock or promote a stronger replacement.
Skill Medals vs. Hero EXP and Hero Shards
| Resource | Main Purpose | Main Limitation |
|---|---|---|
| Skill Medals | Upgrade hero skills | Very expensive at high skill levels |
| Hero EXP | Increase hero level | Hero level cap is tied to Headquarters progression |
| Hero Shards | Increase hero star level | Large shard requirements at 4★ and 5★ |
A hero needs all three systems. Spending hundreds of thousands of Skill Medals on one character while neglecting levels, stars, gear, or the rest of the formation can produce poor overall value.
The Last War Hero EXP guide explains how hero levels and EXP fit into this progression.
F2P Skill Medal Strategy
Skill Medals become a major bottleneck for F2P and low-spending players once main-squad UR skills move beyond level 20.
To use them efficiently:
- Focus almost entirely on your first squad at the beginning.
- Prioritize long-term UR heroes over temporary substitutes.
- Develop the hero’s defining skills before lower-impact abilities.
- Collect recurring Secret Command Post, alliance, Arms Race, and event rewards.
- Time large Medal spending with Alliance Duel when the current scoring rules reward it.
- Keep a reserve if a major hero replacement or UR promotion is approaching.
You do not need to max every available skill to build an effective formation. Efficient allocation matters more than having identical numbers across your roster.
Skill Medal Strategy for Spenders
Higher spenders can obtain more Skill Medals through packs and event purchases, but advanced costs are large enough that poor allocation still matters.
Before buying a Medal offer, calculate the exact gap to your target level. A pack that provides 20,000 Skill Medals can complete an important mid-level upgrade, yet it does not even cover half of the 44,000 required for a single UR skill upgrade from level 39 to 40.
Players who prefer to start with a more developed roster can optionally compare a Last War account for sale. Check hero stars, actual skill levels, formation quality, gear, Exclusive Weapons, Drone progression, and research rather than relying on total Power alone.
Common Skill Medal Mistakes
- Upgrading every hero: Skill Medals are shared, so secondary heroes can drain resources needed by your main formation.
- Leveling every skill evenly: prioritize abilities according to the hero’s actual role and scaling.
- Underestimating levels 30–40: the final ten UR levels cost 350,000 Medals for one skill.
- Ignoring star progression: having enough Medals does not override the hero’s current skill-level access.
- Spending before Alliance Duel: check whether the upcoming Hero Advancement day rewards Skill Medal use.
- Overinvesting in temporary SSR/SR heroes: save expensive upgrades for heroes that will remain useful.
- Misunderstanding UR promotion refunds: refunded SSR Medals may not restore the same levels because UR upgrades cost more.
- Buying packs without checking the gap: calculate exactly how many Medals the desired upgrade still requires.
FAQs
How do you get Skill Medals in Last War?
Documented sources include the Secret Command Post and Mystery Supply Boxes, Hero Recruitment, Hidden Treasure, Arms Race, Alliance VS rewards, Zombie Siege, the VIP Store, Glittering Market, special events, and paid packs.
How many Skill Medals does a UR skill need to reach level 40?
Summing the current published per-level costs gives approximately 572,000 Skill Medals to take one UR skill from level 1 to level 40. The final ten levels alone account for 350,000 of that total.
What is the maximum Skill level in Last War?
UR hero skills currently reach a maximum of level 40, while SSR and SR hero skills cap at level 30.
When can you start using Skill Medals?
Skill Medal upgrades become available once the hero reaches 2 stars. Further progression depends on the hero’s stars and the level cap shown in the skill interface.
What should I spend Skill Medals on first?
Prioritize permanent heroes in your main formation and upgrade the abilities that define their roles: core damage skills for attackers, mitigation or protection for defenders, and team buffs or healing for supports.
Are Skill Medals refunded when Mason or Violet becomes UR?
Yes. Current promotion guides document a refund of invested Skill Medals when eligible SSR heroes such as Mason or Violet are promoted to UR. Because UR skill levels cost more, the refund may not be enough to recreate the previous skill levels exactly.
Conclusion
Skill Medals become one of the biggest hero-development bottlenecks in Last War: Survival because advanced upgrades cost tens of thousands of Medals per level. Build your main squad first, prioritize high-impact abilities, and do not waste late-game Medals simply to keep every skill or hero even.
Check upcoming star upgrades and Alliance Duel scoring before making a large spend, and plan carefully once UR skills approach level 30. For more hero, building, Drone, event, and progression strategies, browse the Heaven Guardian Last War: Survival guides.
