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Getting Started - New Player Guide

Beginner · 2026-03-11

Your First Day

When you start Last War: Survival you get a temporary shield protecting you from attacks. Use this time to build, not fight.

Immediate Priorities

  1. Follow the tutorial — it walks you through the basics and gives strong early rewards including gems, speedups, and resources
  2. Rush your HQ (Headquarters) — everything in the game is gated by your HQ level. Push it as fast as you can
  3. Join an alliance immediately — alliance help reduces your build and research timers. Every minute outside an alliance is wasted progress
  4. Save your gems — do not spend them on speedups or summons. You need them for VIP levels. VIP 6 unlocks a second builder queue, which is a game-changer
  5. Do not upgrade the Material Workshop — it costs resources for poor return. Leave it alone early on

How the Game Works

Last War: Survival centres around building squads of heroes who fight for you. Unlike some strategy games, the heroes themselves are your army.

Squads

  • Each squad holds 5 heroes: 2 in the front row, 3 in the back row
  • Front row heroes should be defensive (tanks that absorb damage)
  • Back row heroes deal damage and provide support
  • Every hero has a troop type: Tank, Aircraft, or Missile Vehicle

Troop Type Bonuses

Building a squad of heroes from the same type gives stat bonuses:

CompositionBonus
3 of same type+5% HP, Attack, Defence
3 of one + 2 of another+10%
4 of same type+15%
5 same type (mono squad)+20% HP, Attack, Defence

That 20% bonus is massive. This is why you want to build mono-type squads — all 5 heroes the same troop type.

The Combat Triangle

The three troop types counter each other:

  • Tanks beat Missile Vehicles
  • Missile Vehicles beat Aircraft
  • Aircraft beat Tanks

This matters for PvP and Alliance Wars. In PvE, raw power matters more than matchups.

Early Game Building Priority

Your base has many buildings. Here is what matters:

Must Keep Up With HQ

BuildingWhy
Tech CenterThe biggest bottleneck. Almost always needs to match your HQ level before you can upgrade HQ further
BarracksUnlocks higher troop tiers. Keep within 1-2 levels of HQ
HospitalSaves your troops from dying. Keep capacity high enough to cover at least 70% of your army
WallsRequired at multiple HQ tiers

Can Wait

BuildingWhy
Resource ProductionKeep low (some at 1, others around 15). Most resources come from events and activities, not passive production
Training BasesOnly upgrade when you have free build time
Material WorkshopDo NOT upgrade early. Poor return on investment

Heroes: The Core of the Game

Heroes are everything in Last War. Your squad power, combat effectiveness, and progression all revolve around heroes.

Hero Rarities

  • UR (Ultra Rare) — the strongest heroes. These are your long-term investment
  • SSR — strong heroes, some become UR in later seasons
  • SR — useful early, but get replaced by SSR and UR heroes over time

Early Hero Strategy

  • Focus on one squad — do not spread hero investment across multiple teams
  • In pre-season, Tanks dominate — Tank heroes are the easiest UR heroes to acquire and upgrade early
  • Level your main DPS hero first — for Tanks, this is Kimberly
  • Do not waste resources on SR heroes once you have SSR or UR alternatives

See the Pre-Season 1 squad guides for specific hero recommendations.

Gear

Every hero equips 4 pieces of gear:

Gear SlotPurpose
Gun (Cannon/Railgun)Boosts attack power
Chip (Data Chip)Increases attack stats, critical rate
ArmorImproves physical defence
RadarEnhances energy defence and survivability

Gear comes in rarities: Common (green) → Uncommon (blue) → Epic (purple) → Legendary (gold/orange) → Mythic.

Do not spread gear across many heroes. Focus all your best gear on your main squad's heroes, starting with your primary DPS.

The Drone

After clearing Stage 38 you unlock the Drone Center and rescue Monica (SSR hero). The drone provides global bonuses to Attack, Defence, and HP that benefit your entire squad.

  • Start drone development immediately once unlocked
  • Focus on Assault Drone first (damage), then Defence Drone
  • The drone is one of the biggest power multipliers in the game — do not neglect it

For full details on drone types, upgrades, and skill chips, see the Drone Guide.

Common New Player Mistakes

  1. Spending gems on speedups or summons — save gems for VIP. VIP 6 gives you a second builder
  2. Upgrading the Material Workshop early — waste of resources
  3. Spreading hero investment across many heroes — one maxed hero beats five half-levelled ones
  4. Upgrading resource production buildings too high — most resources come from events, not passive production
  5. Ignoring alliance events — participation rewards compound over time
  6. Building mixed squads — you lose the 20% mono-type bonus
  7. Ignoring the drone — it is a massive power multiplier that many new players overlook
  8. Not using the Honor Shop properly — buy Legendary Gear Blueprints first, nothing else compares in value

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