The Headquarters is the main progression building in Last Z: Survival Shooter. Your HQ level limits how far heroes and buildings can develop, unlocks additional base progression, and determines which upgrades become available next. Because so many systems depend on it, efficient accounts usually keep Headquarters progression near the top of their priorities.
However, rushing HQ does not mean upgrading blindly. Every level can require prerequisite buildings, increasingly large resource reserves, and much longer construction timers. From HQ31 onward on servers where those levels are available, Steel becomes another major requirement.
Keep your HQ moving whenever resources allow, prepare the next prerequisite building before your current upgrade finishes, and avoid leveling every structure equally. From HQ8 through HQ30, the Laboratory is a recurring requirement alongside a predictable rotation of other buildings.
Why Headquarters Level Matters
Headquarters controls several important parts of your account progression.
- Building level limit: Your other structures cannot simply progress indefinitely while HQ remains behind.
- Hero level cap: Each HQ level raises the maximum hero level by five.
- Feature progression: Higher HQ levels open access to additional buildings, technologies, and later development systems.
- Base Power: Upgrading Headquarters itself also adds account power.
The hero cap starts at level 5 with HQ1 and reaches level 150 at HQ30. On servers where HQ31-35 are unlocked, the cap continues to level 175 at HQ35.
| HQ Level | Hero Level Cap |
|---|---|
| HQ10 | 50 |
| HQ15 | 75 |
| HQ20 | 100 |
| HQ25 | 125 |
| HQ30 | 150 |
| HQ35 | 175 |
Last Z Headquarters Upgrade Requirements
HQ upgrades require more than Food, Wood, Zent, and later Steel. Specific buildings must also reach the required level before the next Headquarters upgrade can begin.
For most prerequisites, the required building needs to be one level below the target Headquarters. For example, an HQ25 upgrade requires the listed prerequisite structures at level 24.
Early HQ Requirements
| Target HQ | Required Buildings |
|---|---|
| HQ4 | City Walls |
| HQ5 | Radar + Assaulter Camp |
| HQ6 | Military Center |
| HQ7 | Training Ground + Alliance Center |
| HQ8 | Laboratory + Assaulter Camp |
| HQ9 | Laboratory + Emergency Hospital |
| HQ10 | Laboratory + Shooter Camp |
| HQ11 | Laboratory + Rider Camp |
HQ12-30 Requirement Pattern
From this point, the requirements become much easier to predict. The Laboratory stays on the upgrade path, while the second requirement rotates through City Walls, Alliance Center, Assaulter Camp, Shooter Camp, and Rider Camp.
| Target HQ | Second Required Building |
|---|---|
| HQ12 | City Walls |
| HQ13 | Alliance Center |
| HQ14 | Assaulter Camp |
| HQ15 | Shooter Camp |
| HQ16 | Rider Camp |
| HQ17 | City Walls |
| HQ18 | Alliance Center |
| HQ19 | Assaulter Camp |
| HQ20 | Shooter Camp |
| HQ21 | Rider Camp |
| HQ22 | City Walls |
| HQ23 | Alliance Center |
| HQ24 | Assaulter Camp |
| HQ25 | Shooter Camp |
| HQ26 | Rider Camp |
| HQ27 | City Walls |
| HQ28 | Alliance Center |
| HQ29 | Assaulter Camp |
| HQ30 | Shooter Camp |
The Laboratory is also required alongside the listed building throughout this HQ12-30 progression.
Look one HQ level ahead. While your Headquarters is upgrading, work on the prerequisite for the following level. This prevents your HQ queue from becoming blocked as soon as the current construction finishes.
HQ31-35 and the Steel Phase
HQ31-35 represent a separate late-game progression phase. These levels may not be available immediately on newer servers, so your state can remain capped at HQ30 until the later progression system is unlocked.
Once HQ31 becomes available, Steel enters the Headquarters upgrade requirements. Current progression tables list the following prerequisite rotation:
| Target HQ | Required Building | Steel Requirement | Hero Cap |
|---|---|---|---|
| HQ31 | Rider Camp | 2.2M | 155 |
| HQ32 | City Walls | 3.1M | 160 |
| HQ33 | Alliance Center | 4.1M | 165 |
| HQ34 | Assaulter Camp | 5.3M | 170 |
| HQ35 | Shooter Camp | 6.4M | 175 |
Late-game Headquarters requirements are particularly sensitive to server progression and game updates. Before committing Steel or a large speed-up stockpile, confirm the requirements displayed on your own HQ upgrade screen.
Should You Rush Headquarters?
For most developing accounts, pushing HQ efficiently is better than trying to keep every building at the same level. Higher Headquarters levels raise your progression ceiling and allow important support buildings, heroes, and research systems to continue developing.
That does not mean ignoring the rest of your shelter. A rushed HQ with weak research, troop camps, hospitals, formations, and heroes can have a high level without matching combat strength.
A Better HQ Rush Strategy
- Upgrade Headquarters.
- Prepare the next mandatory prerequisite.
- Keep Laboratory progression aligned through HQ30.
- Maintain important troop, research, and combat infrastructure.
- Skip low-priority building upgrades until resources are comfortable.
- Repeat the cycle.
Buildings to Prioritize Around Your HQ
Laboratory
The Laboratory is the most important supporting structure for HQ progression through level 30 because it repeatedly appears as a prerequisite. It also gives access to research that permanently improves your account.
Leaving the Laboratory far behind creates two problems: you eventually cannot upgrade Headquarters, and you also lose research progress that could improve construction, troop development, economy, or combat.
Alliance Center
The Alliance Center appears regularly in the HQ prerequisite rotation. It also improves the benefits you receive from alliance assistance and supports reinforcements, making it useful beyond simply unlocking another HQ level.
Assaulter, Shooter, and Rider Camps
All three troop camps rotate through HQ requirements. Keeping them reasonably close to Headquarters prevents sudden prerequisite bottlenecks while also supporting troop training and promotion.
You do not need to upgrade all three every time your HQ levels up. Follow the rotation and prepare whichever camp will be required next.
City Walls
City Walls appear repeatedly throughout HQ progression. Upgrade them primarily when they become part of the next Headquarters requirement rather than automatically matching every HQ level.
Villa
The Villa is not part of the repeating HQ requirement cycle, but its construction-related bonuses can make it useful for an account focused on rapid building progression.
The value becomes more noticeable as construction timers grow from hours into days and eventually much longer periods.
Buildings You Do Not Need to Max Immediately
One of the biggest resource traps is upgrading every structure simply because an upgrade indicator appears.
Resource production buildings, secondary structures, and other nonessential buildings can often remain behind Headquarters unless they are needed for a feature, quest, prerequisite, or specific account strategy.
Prioritize buildings that accomplish at least one of these goals:
- Unlock your next HQ level.
- Provide an important permanent progression bonus.
- Improve your primary troops or formations.
- Support research or training.
- Solve a current capacity or progression bottleneck.
If a building does none of these things, delaying it can preserve resources for Headquarters progression.
How to Reduce Headquarters Upgrade Time
HQ timers become one of the main progression barriers at higher levels. The listed base construction times eventually reach many weeks or months before bonuses are applied, making construction efficiency increasingly important.
Use Construction Bonuses Before Starting
Construction bonuses generally matter when the upgrade begins, so prepare them before pressing the upgrade button. Relevant bonuses can come from shelter development, research, alliance technology, heroes with construction skills, and temporary effects available to your account.
Use Alliance Help
Join an active alliance and request help after starting construction. Regular alliance assistance can reduce waiting time without consuming your personal speed-ups.
Do Not Waste Speed-Ups on Short Early Timers
Early Headquarters upgrades finish relatively quickly. Unless you need to reach an important unlock immediately, saving universal and construction speed-ups becomes increasingly useful as later timers grow much longer.
Gather While Construction Is Running
Your next upgrade will require another large resource reserve. Send unused marches to gather Food, Wood, and other needed materials while the current construction timer runs.
Time HQ Completion With Alliance Duel
Headquarters upgrades are valuable for Alliance Duel because building progression and construction speed-ups can contribute during the Shelter Upgrade phase.
You can begin a long HQ upgrade in advance rather than leaving your builder idle. If the completed upgrade can be safely held until the relevant scoring period, claiming it during Shelter Upgrade can turn normal account progression into Alliance Duel points as well.
You can gain even more efficiency when the relevant Full Preparedness construction activity overlaps with Alliance Duel.
If you are holding a completed HQ upgrade for an event scoring window, do not claim it early. Also avoid delaying progression for too long purely for event points if the idle time would block important development.
HQ30: The Major Progression Checkpoint
HQ30 is an important milestone because it raises the hero level cap to 150 and represents the transition into later progression. Laboratory development around this stage also becomes important for access to high-tier troop research.
For servers that have not yet unlocked HQ31-35, HQ30 becomes a preparation period. Instead of spending resources randomly, you can strengthen supporting buildings, research, formations, troop development, and prepare resources for the eventual Steel phase.
HQ31-35 Preparation Tips
Do not enter the Steel phase without a plan. The late HQ upgrades require significant Steel as well as large amounts of regular resources and long construction times.
- Start collecting Steel as soon as the resource becomes relevant to your server.
- Preserve construction speed-ups for major late-game upgrades.
- Maintain the rotating prerequisite buildings.
- Improve construction bonuses before starting long timers.
- Keep gathering regular resources while accumulating Steel.
- Avoid spending Steel without checking your next HQ requirement.
Steel can come from later progression systems, activities, events, and other in-game sources available after the feature unlocks. Availability can vary by progression stage, so use the current in-game menus to identify the best sources on your server.
Common Headquarters Upgrade Mistakes
Upgrading Every Building Equally
This consumes resources that could be preparing your next Headquarters and prerequisite upgrades.
Ignoring the Next Requirement
Waiting until your HQ finishes before checking the next prerequisite creates avoidable downtime.
Letting the Laboratory Fall Behind
The Laboratory is required repeatedly through HQ30. Falling several levels behind can create a long chain of required construction before your HQ can move again.
Using All Construction Speed-Ups Early
Later timers are dramatically longer. Saving flexible speed-ups gives you more options when construction begins taking weeks rather than hours.
Rushing HQ Without Supporting Power
Higher HQ raises your progression ceiling, but it does not replace hero, troop, research, formation, or equipment development.
Starting a Huge Upgrade Without Checking Events
Whenever practical, coordinate construction with Alliance Duel or another relevant event so the same resources provide progression and additional rewards.
FAQs
What is the maximum Headquarters level in Last Z?
HQ35 is the current late-game maximum documented for servers where the later Headquarters levels are unlocked. Newer servers can remain capped at HQ30 until further progression becomes available.
What is the hero level cap at HQ30?
HQ30 raises the maximum hero level to 150.
What is the hero level cap at HQ35?
HQ35 raises the maximum hero level to 175.
What buildings are needed for HQ upgrades?
Early levels use several different prerequisites. From HQ12 through HQ30, the standard pattern is Laboratory plus a rotating City Walls, Alliance Center, Assaulter Camp, Shooter Camp, or Rider Camp.
Do I need to upgrade every building before Headquarters?
No. Prioritize the buildings required for your next HQ level along with important research, troop, and combat infrastructure. Other buildings can be upgraded later when they provide useful value.
When does Steel become required?
Steel enters Headquarters progression at HQ31 on servers where HQ31-35 are available.
Should I rush HQ30?
HQ progression should generally remain a high priority, but maintain enough research, troop development, heroes, and key support buildings that your account strength does not fall too far behind your Headquarters level.
Should I save an HQ upgrade for Alliance Duel?
It can be efficient to align major construction progress with the Shelter Upgrade phase, provided holding the completion does not create excessive builder downtime or delay an important unlock.
Conclusion
The best Last Z Headquarters strategy is to plan one level ahead. Keep HQ progressing, prepare the next mandatory building during the current construction timer, maintain your Laboratory through HQ30, and avoid spending resources on unrelated structures without a clear reason.
As your account enters the late game, construction speed and Steel become increasingly important. Prepare those resources before HQ31-35 rather than reacting after the next requirement appears. For more building strategies, event guides, and progression advice, explore our additional Last Z guides.