SSR to UR Upgrade Guide
What Is SSR to UR Promotion?
Certain SSR heroes can be promoted to UR rarity in specific seasons. This is not a minor stat bump — it is a full rarity upgrade that raises their stat ceilings, strengthens their skills, and transforms them from solid squad fillers into legitimate UR-tier heroes.
UR promotion is one of the biggest free power spikes in the game. If you collected shards during earlier seasons, promotion costs nothing but a button press. The stat increase is equivalent to jumping several gear tiers — except it applies to everything the hero does.
Which Heroes Can Upgrade?
Not every SSR hero gets a UR promotion. Only specific heroes are eligible, and each one unlocks in a particular season:
If a hero is not on this list, they cannot be promoted to UR. Check back as new seasons release — more SSR heroes may become eligible over time.
Requirements for UR Promotion
Before you can promote an SSR hero to UR, you need to meet all of the following:
This is the biggest hurdle. A 5-star SSR hero requires 975 total shards. Start collecting shards early — ideally one or two seasons before the promotion becomes available. If you wait until the season arrives, you will be months behind players who prepared.
Step-by-Step: How to Promote SSR to UR
Once you meet all the requirements, the promotion process itself is straightforward:
Step 1: Verify Your Hero Is Ready
Open the hero screen and select the SSR hero you want to promote. Check that:
- They are at 5 Stars
- You have all required promotion materials
- Your server is in the correct season
Step 2: Find the Promotion Button
Navigate to the hero's detail page. Once the season unlocks their promotion path, a "Promote to UR" or "Class Upgrade" option appears on the hero screen. This button is only visible when:
- The hero is eligible for UR promotion
- You meet the star level requirement
- Your server season is correct
Step 3: Confirm the Promotion
Tap the promotion button and confirm. The hero's rarity changes from SSR to UR immediately. You will see:
- Rarity badge changes from SSR (purple) to UR (gold)
- Base stats increase across Attack, HP, and Defence
- Skill power scales up — all existing skill levels become more effective at UR stat values
- Star level resets to 0 Stars — you start the UR star progression from scratch
Step 4: Begin UR Star Progression
After promotion, your hero is a 0-Star UR hero. You now need UR-tier shards to star them back up. The shard requirements follow the standard UR star progression:
A 0-star UR hero is still stronger than a 5-star SSR hero. The base stat increase from UR rarity more than compensates for the star reset. You are not losing power — you are gaining it immediately, with even more room to grow.
What Changes After Promotion
The UR promotion affects your hero in several ways:
Stats
- Base Attack, HP, and Defence all increase — UR heroes have higher stat ceilings than SSR heroes at every star level
- Scaling improves — each subsequent star, gear piece, and skill level provides a larger absolute increase because it scales from a higher base
- Gear becomes more effective — percentage-based gear bonuses multiply off higher base stats
Skills
- Existing skill levels are preserved — you do not lose any skill investment
- Skill damage and effects scale up — because skills reference the hero's base stats, higher UR stats mean every skill hits harder or provides more defence
- No new skills are added through promotion alone — the hero keeps the same skill set but everything is stronger
Squad Impact
- Your squad power increases immediately — even at 0 stars, the UR hero contributes more than their SSR version
- Investment priority may change — a newly promoted UR hero often jumps up in your gear and skill investment order
- Squad composition may shift — see individual hero guides for updated formation recommendations after promotion
Preparation Checklist: Before the Season Arrives
Smart commanders prepare for UR promotion one to two seasons in advance. Here is what to do:
Shard Collection
Resource Stockpiling
- Save skill books — once promoted, you will want to push skills further. Having a stockpile of skill books means immediate power after promotion
- Prepare gear — if the promoted hero will change your squad formation, have their gear ready to equip
- Collect promotion materials — season events often provide the specific materials needed for the class upgrade. Do not skip these events
Planning Your Squad
- Know the new formation — check the season-specific squad guides to understand where the promoted hero fits
- Understand the investment shift — after promotion, the hero may jump from a low-priority investment to a high-priority one. Plan your resources accordingly
- Check if anyone gets replaced — a UR-promoted hero may make another squad member redundant (for example, Mason replaces Stetmann in Tank squads during Season 1)
Hero-Specific Promotion Notes
Mason (Season 1)
Mason's UR promotion makes him a legitimate A-tier Tank DPS hero:
- Replaces Stetmann as the standard Tank secondary DPS
- PvE specialist — his zombie bonus damage makes him the best hero for campaign and boss content
- Team damage reduction becomes significantly stronger with UR stats
- Preparation: Collect Mason shards throughout pre-season. He is one of the most accessible SSR heroes, so reaching 5 stars is achievable for most players
Scarlett (Season 3)
Scarlett's UR promotion strengthens the Tank squad's defensive options:
- Enhanced fire damage and team-wide damage reduction at UR stats
- Long-term Tank investment — if you plan to keep running Tanks into Season 3 and beyond, Scarlett becomes a strong option
- Preparation: Start collecting Scarlett shards during Season 1. You have two full seasons to accumulate the 975 shards needed for 5 stars
Venom (Season 5)
Venom's UR promotion gives Missile squads a significant boost:
- Strengthens the Missile lineup alongside Tesla and Fiona
- Preparation: Begin shard collection well in advance. Missile players should plan for both Venom's promotion and Fiona's Exclusive Weapon arriving in the same season
Common Mistakes
- Not collecting shards early enough — if you start collecting when the season arrives, you are already behind. Begin at least one season in advance
- Ignoring the 5-star requirement — you cannot skip to UR at 3 or 4 stars. The hero must be fully starred as an SSR first
- Hoarding shards past promotion — once you meet the requirements, promote immediately. There is no benefit to waiting
- Forgetting to update your formation — a newly promoted UR hero changes your optimal squad layout. Check the season-specific squad guide
- Spreading shards across multiple upcoming promotions — focus on one hero at a time. One UR-promoted hero is worth more than two SSR heroes sitting at 3 stars
- Not saving resources for post-promotion investment — the promotion is just the start. You still need gear, skills, and UR star progression to unlock the hero's full potential
Related Guides
- Hero Guide (Pre-Season 1) — core hero mechanics, rarities, star upgrades, and skill priorities
- Hero Guide (Season 1) — Season 1 tier list and Mason's UR promotion impact
- Tank Squad Guide (Season 1) — updated Tank formation with UR Mason
- Squad Building Fundamentals — how squads work and troop type bonuses