Aircraft Squad Guide (Pre-Season 1)
Aircraft in Pre-Season
Aircraft squads are not your starting squad in pre-season. Tank heroes are easier to acquire early and dominate the first ~70 days. However, Aircraft becomes the dominant meta in mid-to-late game because of heroes like DVA and Lucius.
Build your Tank squad first. Only start investing in Aircraft once your Tank squad is strong (gold gear on Kimberly and Murphy, heroes at 3+ stars).
When to Start Building Aircraft
Start collecting Aircraft heroes and materials when:
- Your Tank squad has gold gear on at least 2-3 heroes
- Kimberly and Murphy are at 3+ stars
- You have acquired DVA (the most important Aircraft hero)
- Your server is approaching day 70+ and you see other players transitioning
Do not rush this transition. A half-built Aircraft squad is weaker than your established Tank squad.
The Squad: Formation Layout
Primary Aircraft Formation
- DVA is the star. Her ultimate skill and critical rate boosts delete priority targets before they can act.
- Carlie + Lucius in the front row create a durable wall. Lucius's Silver Armor reduces damage taken by front-row allies, and his Knights Spirit gives team-wide energy damage reduction. Together they buy time for the back row to work.
- Morrison in the back row shreds enemy defence with Armor-Piercing Shot (up to 25% reduction), amplifying all damage your squad deals. He is not a tank — he is a damage amplifier who needs to survive to keep his debuffs active.
- Schuyler's stun disrupts enemy carries, buying time for DVA to deal damage.
- All 5 are Aircraft type = 20% HP, Attack, and Defence bonus from mono-type squad.
Why Each Hero Is In Their Position
Understanding Left, Centre, and Right Positions
The front row has two slots (Left and Right) and the back row has three slots (Left, Centre, Right). Their horizontal position affects how they interact with the heroes around them:
- Front Row Left (Carlie) — the primary damage absorber. Carlie anchors the left side and draws the heaviest incoming fire, shielding DVA directly behind her.
- Front Row Right (Lucius) — Lucius's Silver Armor buff applies to front-row allies. Placing him right beside Carlie means both front-row heroes benefit from the damage reduction. Lucius does not need to be the primary target — his value is in his buffs.
- Back Row Left (DVA) — directly behind Carlie, your primary tank. This gives DVA the most protection so she can safely deliver her burst damage.
- Back Row Centre (Morrison) — covered by both front-row tanks. Morrison needs to stay alive to keep his defence shred debuffs active, so the centre slot's dual coverage is ideal.
- Back Row Right (Schuyler) — behind Lucius. Schuyler's crowd control stun only needs her alive long enough to land it. The right slot is slightly more exposed than centre, but Schuyler's value comes from a single well-timed stun, making this an acceptable trade-off.
Front Row: Carlie (Aircraft Tank)
Carlie is the Aircraft squad's dedicated tank. Her kit provides damage absorption and front-line durability. She is in the front row because the entire purpose of this squad is to protect DVA and Lucius while they deal damage. Carlie takes the hits so the back row can work.
Why not in the back row? Carlie has very low damage output. Her value is entirely defensive — absorbing hits and buying time. A back-row slot on Carlie would waste a damage position.
Front Row: Lucius (Defensive Tank)
Lucius is the Aircraft squad's second front-row tank. His Silver Armor skill reduces damage taken by front-row allies, and his Knights Spirit provides energy damage reduction for the entire squad. These defensive abilities only reach full value when Lucius is in the front row — Silver Armor specifically buffs front-row heroes.
Why not in the back row? Lucius's kit is built around front-row protection. Silver Armor does nothing for a back-row Lucius, and you would waste one of the strongest defensive passives in the game. He is not a damage dealer — he is a tank whose job is to keep the squad alive alongside Carlie.
Why paired with Carlie? Together they create overlapping defensive layers. Carlie absorbs raw damage while Lucius reduces the damage both front-row heroes take. This pairing gives your back row maximum time to deal damage.
Back Row: DVA (Main DPS)
DVA has the strongest single-target burst in the game. Her ultimate skill deletes priority targets before they can act. She absolutely must be in the back row — if DVA dies early, the squad loses its win condition. The entire formation exists to keep DVA alive and dealing damage.
Why not in the front row? DVA is fragile. Her stats are heavily weighted toward offence. One or two hits from an enemy carry would eliminate her before she can use her burst. Protecting DVA is the squad's top priority.
Back Row: Morrison (Defence Shred)
Morrison's value comes from his Armor-Piercing Shot, which reduces enemy defence by up to 25%. This is not direct damage — it amplifies the damage output of your entire squad, making enemies more vulnerable to DVA's burst and Schuyler's attacks. He is in the back row because he is an attack/support hero who needs to stay alive to maintain his debuffs.
Why not in the front row? Morrison is not a tank. His stats are offensive, and his value comes from consistently applying defence shred throughout the fight. A dead Morrison provides no defence reduction. Keeping him in the back row, protected by Carlie and Lucius, ensures his debuffs stay active for the entire fight.
Back Row: Schuyler (Crowd Control)
Schuyler's stun ability disrupts enemy damage dealers, buying time for DVA to deal damage. She is in the back row because her value comes from her crowd control, not from absorbing damage. A stunned enemy carry deals zero damage — this is often the difference between winning and losing a close fight.
Why not in the front row? Schuyler is not built to tank. Her stun works from any row, so placing her in the back row keeps her alive longer, which means more stun uptime throughout the fight.
Advanced: The Murphy Exception (Late Game)
In late-game, many top players replace Carlie with Murphy in the front row:
This drops you from 20% to 15% type bonus (4 Aircraft + 1 Tank). But Murphy's individual tankiness with his Exclusive Weapon and Tactics Cards makes him a better pure damage sponge than Carlie. The trade-off is worth it at high investment levels. Lucius stays in the front row alongside Murphy — his Silver Armor buff applies to both front-row heroes.
Do not do this early. This is only worthwhile when Murphy has his Exclusive Weapon and high-level Tactics Cards. Until then, run the full 5-Aircraft lineup.
Hero Investment Order
1. DVA (First Priority)
The strongest single-target burst hero in the game. She wins PvP fights.
- Max her level and skills first
- She gets the first gold gear piece (her Gun)
- Push toward 4 stars for Super Sensory passive
- Position her in the back row where she is protected
2. Carlie (Second Priority)
Your main front-row tank. Carlie needs to survive so DVA can deal damage.
- Level after DVA
- Focus on defensive skills
- Gets Radar for survivability early
3. Morrison (Third Priority)
Defence shred specialist. His Armor-Piercing Shot amplifies your entire squad's damage output.
- Level after Carlie
- Focus on his defence shred and attack skills
- Gets a Gun to boost his offensive contribution
4. Lucius (Fourth Priority)
Second front-row tank. Silver Armor and Knights Spirit provide defensive buffs for the squad.
- Level after Morrison
- Focus on defensive skills
- Gets Radar for survivability
5. Schuyler (Fifth Priority)
Crowd control specialist. Her stun disrupts enemy damage dealers, which can turn fights.
- Level last
- Focus on her stun and CC skills
- Gets gear after other heroes
Gold Gear Craft Order
Remember: only start crafting Aircraft gold gear after your Tank squad is in a good state.
Hero Skills Reference
Each hero has three skills: Auto Attack (basic attack, fires automatically), Tactics (tactical ability), and Passive (always-on bonuses).
Skills Upgrade Priority
For the Aircraft squad, upgrade hero skills in this order. Each hero has three skill types: Auto Attack (basic attack), Tactics (tactical ability), and Passive (always-on bonuses). Additionally, Tactics Cards boost stats and give the most bang for your investment.
Skill Upgrade Tips
- Tactics cards are the highest priority for every hero — they provide the strongest stat bonuses per level
- Get DVA to Level 40 on Tactics and Active before pushing anyone else past Level 30
- Carlie and Lucius (front-row tanks) prioritise defensive Tactics cards (HP, DEF). Morrison and Schuyler (back-row) prioritise offensive Tactics cards (ATK, Crit Rate)
- Level 30 is the efficient breakpoint — pushing from 30 to 40 costs significantly more resources for smaller relative gains
- Do not spread skill books randomly. Focus one hero at a time
Gear Levelling
Same principle as Tank squad:
- All pieces to Level 10 first
- DVA's Gun to Level 40
- Carlie's Radar to Level 40
- Then other pieces to Level 40
Combat Triangle
- Aircraft beats Tanks — this is why Aircraft becomes meta. As servers mature and everyone has built Tanks, Aircraft hard-counters them
- Missile Vehicles beat Aircraft — this is your counter. Watch out for Missile-heavy opponents
- Aircraft loses to Missile — if an opponent is running Tesla/McGregor missile squads, your Aircraft will struggle
In alliance wars, coordinate with your Tank players. They handle enemy Missiles while you handle enemy Tanks.
Playing Aircraft in Alliance Content
PvP
Aircraft squads dominate PvP in mid-to-late game:
- DVA's burst deletes enemy carries before they can act
- Schuyler's stun locks down threats
- The squad is fast and deadly
Rallies
Aircraft squads are strong rally participants:
- Consistent high damage throughout the fight
- DVA's single-target burst can eliminate the enemy's strongest hero early
- Good balance of damage and survivability
Alliance Wars
In alliance wars, Aircraft players are the primary damage dealers:
- Target enemy Tank squads (your type advantage)
- Avoid enemy Missile squads (your weakness)
- Coordinate with your alliance's Tank players who handle the Missiles
Related Guides
- Tank Squad Guide — build this first before transitioning to Aircraft
- Missile Vehicle Squad Guide — your counter-matchup; understand how they work
- Hero Guide — hero investment priorities and star upgrades
- Gear Guide — gold gear craft order and upgrade path
- Alliance Squad Coordination — coordinating squad types across your alliance
- M5-A Railgun Promotion Guide — how to reach 4.5M CP and claim the M5-A during Light of Hope