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Tank Squad Guide (Pre-Season 1)

Heroes & Squads · 2026-03-11

Why Tanks Dominate Pre-Season

In the first ~70 days of a server, Tank squads are the strongest composition for several reasons:

  • Tank UR heroes are the easiest to acquire and upgrade early
  • Kimberly is the highest DPS hero in the early game
  • Murphy and Williams provide massive damage reduction, keeping your squad alive
  • The 20% mono-type bonus on a full 5-Tank squad makes them very hard to break
Bottom Line

If you are on a pre-season server, build Tanks first. No exceptions. They are the strongest, most accessible composition available to you in the early game.

The Squad: Formation Layout

Here is the recommended Tank squad formation with roles explained:

Recommended Tank Formation
Front Row — Damage Sponges
Left
Murphy
Main Tank
Absorbs damage, and his damage reduction is what keeps the front line standing. Note the scope: both of his defensive skills cover the front row until 4 stars, where his Tactics extends the physical damage reduction to the whole squad. Left position so he draws the bulk of incoming fire.
Right
Williams
Defensive Anchor
Damage reduction on himself, plus a Defence buff on two front-row heroes (squad-wide only from 3 stars). The best pure tank in the game. Right position to split incoming damage with Murphy — two front-row bodies means neither falls too quickly.
Back Row — Damage Dealers
Left
Kimberly
Main DPS
Highest AoE damage in early game. Your most important hero. Left position directly behind Murphy. Note that his damage reduction covers the front row, so it does not reach her until his 4-star bonus extends it to the squad.
Centre
Stetmann
Secondary DPS
AoE energy damage. Effective against grouped enemies. Centre position gives him coverage from both front-row tanks.
Right
Marshall
Support
Critical rate buffs that boost the entire squad's damage output. Right position behind Williams, whose Defense buff keeps Marshall alive to maintain his buffs.
Why This Formation Works
  • Murphy + Williams in the front row create an almost unkillable wall — and this is the pairing where both kits actually apply, because Murphy's reduction covers the front row and Williams' covers himself.
  • Kimberly in the back row shreds enemies with AoE damage while being protected by the front line.
  • Stetmann adds a second source of AoE energy damage from the back row, punishing grouped enemies.
  • Marshall's critical buffs amplify Kimberly's and Stetmann's damage — this is a multiplicative boost, not just additive.
  • All 5 are Tank type = 20% HP, Attack, and Defence bonus from mono-type squad.

Why Each Hero Is In Their Position

Understanding why each hero is placed where they are helps you adapt when you need to swap in alternative heroes.

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). While all heroes in the same row share the same front/back row mechanics, their horizontal position matters for how they interact with the heroes around them:

  • Front Row Left & Right — the two tanks split incoming damage between them. Place your primary tank (Murphy) on the left, where he anchors the line. Your secondary tank (Williams) goes on the right to share the load.
  • Back Row Left — directly behind the left front-row tank. This is where your main DPS goes (Kimberly), positioned behind Murphy so he absorbs the opening burst. Be clear about why, though: his damage reduction covers the front row, so it protects him rather than her until his 4-star bonus extends it to the whole squad.
  • Back Row Centre — benefits from coverage by both front-row tanks. Your secondary DPS (Stetmann) goes here, where he is the most protected back-row slot.
  • Back Row Right — directly behind the right front-row tank. Your support (Marshall) goes here behind Williams, whose Defense buff keeps Marshall alive so his critical buffs stay active for the full fight.

Front Row: Murphy (Main Tank)

Murphy is in the front row because his kit only works there. Ironclad Barrier cuts your front row's Physical Damage taken, and Stand Firm cuts all damage taken for your entire front row — both are row-scoped, so a Murphy in the back row is buffing two heroes who are not being hit. The front row takes hits first, and his high base HP and defensive stats mean he survives the opening burst that would kill a DPS hero. His reduction also covers Williams next to him, which is why the pair is so hard to break. It reaches the rest of the squad only at 4 stars.

Why not in the back row? Murphy deals very little damage. Putting him in the back row wastes a damage slot. His value is in taking hits and buffing — both of which are maximised in the front row.

Front Row: Williams (Defensive Anchor)

Williams provides a front-row Defense buff (squad-wide from 3 stars) — a percentage-based buff that scales with the enemy's damage output. The stronger the enemy hits, the more value Williams provides. He is the most purely defensive hero in the game and needs to be in the front row to absorb damage alongside Murphy.

Why not in the back row? Williams has almost no offensive capability. His entire kit is about reducing incoming damage and surviving. Back-row slots should go to heroes who deal damage or amplify it.

Why paired with Murphy? Together they create overlapping defensive layers — Murphy cuts the damage the front row takes while Williams holds his own line together. This combination is what makes Tank squads so durable.

Back Row: Kimberly (Main DPS)

Kimberly is the highest AoE damage dealer in the early game. She must be in the back row because she is relatively fragile compared to Murphy and Williams. If Kimberly is in the front row, she dies before dealing meaningful damage, and your squad loses its primary win condition.

Why not in the front row? She would die too quickly. Her stats are optimised for damage, not survivability. The entire squad's strategy revolves around keeping Kimberly alive long enough to wipe the enemy with her AoE.

Back Row: Stetmann (Secondary DPS)

Stetmann deals AoE energy damage from the back row. Like Kimberly he deals energy damage, but the two spread it differently: her Barrage Strike fires eight smaller rockets at random targets while his Lightning Rush lands three much heavier hits, so he supplies the burst against priority targets that her spread damage cannot. He is in the back row because, like Kimberly, he is a damage dealer who needs protection.

Why not in the front row? Same reason as Kimberly — his stats are offensive, not defensive. Putting a DPS hero in the front row is one of the most common squad-building mistakes.

Back Row: Marshall (Support)

Marshall provides critical rate buffs that multiply the damage output of everyone in the squad. This is particularly powerful because critical hits amplify Kimberly's already high AoE damage. Marshall is in the back row because his value comes from his buffs, not from taking hits.

Why not in the front row? Marshall is not tanky enough to survive front-row damage, and his critical rate buffs work regardless of his position. Putting him in the front row would sacrifice his survivability for no benefit — he would die early, and your squad loses its damage multiplier.

Hero Investment Order

This is critical. Do not spread resources — invest in this exact order:

1. Kimberly (First Priority)

She is your damage dealer. Everything revolves around her output.

  • Max her level first (capped by your HQ level)
  • Upgrade her skills first — Tactics skills are the priority
  • She gets the first gold gear piece (her Gun)
  • Star upgrades: push toward 3 stars minimum, 4 stars is the goal (unlocks Super Sensing passive)

2. Murphy (Second Priority)

He keeps everyone alive. Without Murphy, your back row gets destroyed.

  • Level him second
  • Upgrade his defensive skills
  • He gets the second gold gear piece (his Radar)
  • Push toward 3-4 stars

3. Marshall (Third Priority)

His critical rate buffs amplify the entire squad's damage. The damage increase from Marshall's buffs is multiplicative — it makes everyone else hit harder.

  • Level after Murphy
  • Focus on his buff/support skills
  • He gets a Gun after Kimberly has hers

4. Stetmann (Fourth Priority)

Secondary DPS. Strong AoE damage but lower priority than Kimberly.

  • Level after Marshall
  • Upgrade his damage skills
  • Gets a Gun after Marshall

5. Williams (Fifth Priority)

Williams is the last to invest in because he is already effective at lower investment. His damage reduction is percentage-based and works well even without maxed stats.

  • Level last
  • Focus on his defensive/team buff skills
  • Gets defensive gear last

Gold Gear Craft Order

Each hero has 4 gear slots: Gun (attack), Chip (attack/crit), Armor (physical defence), Radar (energy defence). Here is the exact order to craft gold (legendary) gear across your Tank squad:

1
KimberlyYour main DPS. The biggest single damage increase in your squad
Gun
2
MurphyYour main tank. Radar increases energy defence, keeping him alive
Radar
3
MarshallBack-row attacker. Gun boosts his damage and makes his buffs more effective
Gun
4
StetmannSecondary DPS. More damage from the back row
Gun
5
WilliamsSecond tank. Radar increases his survivability
Radar
6
KimberlyChip gives crit rate and damage — multiplies Kimberly's already high output
Chip
7
MurphyPhysical defence for your main tank
Armor
8
StetmannCrit bonuses for secondary DPS
Chip
9
MarshallAttack bonuses for your support
Chip
10
WilliamsPhysical defence for second tank
Armor
11
WilliamsSome offensive contribution from second tank
Gun
12
KimberlyEnergy defence keeps your carry alive through skill-heavy fights
Radar
13
KimberlyPhysical defence — protects carry from front-row splash damage
Armor
14
MurphyAttack stats boost Murphy's skill-based damage and threat generation
Gun
15
MurphyCrit bonuses — minor but rounds out Murphy's full gear set
Chip
16
StetmannEnergy defence for secondary DPS survivability
Radar
17
StetmannPhysical defence rounds out Stetmann's durability
Armor
18
MarshallEnergy defence for support survivability
Radar
19
MarshallPhysical defence — final piece for support
Armor
20
WilliamsCrit bonuses — lowest priority, completes second tank's gear set
Chip
Key Gear Principles
  • Guns for DPS heroes first — damage wins fights
  • Radar for tanks first — keeps them alive so the DPS can work
  • Chips second — crit bonuses multiply damage
  • Armor last — tanks already have natural durability, armour is the final polish

Gear Levelling

Once you have gold gear equipped:

  1. Get every piece on your main squad to Level 10 first (unlocks the first bonus attribute)
  2. Then push Kimberly's Gun to Level 40
  3. Then Murphy's Radar to Level 40
  4. Then level other pieces toward 40

Do not spread upgrade ore randomly. Focus on one piece at a time. The bonus attributes at levels 10, 20, 30, and 40 are significant power spikes.

Hero Skills Reference

Each hero has three skills: Auto Attack (basic attack, fires automatically), Tactics (tactical ability), and Passive (always-on bonuses).

HeroAuto AttackTacticsPassive
KimberlyEnergy AssaultBarrage StrikeEnergy Boost
MurphyCannon FireIronclad BarrierStand Firm
WilliamsBlast ShellIron WillAll-Around Armour
StetmannOrb LightningLightning RushCritical Charge
MarshallTriad HarmonyCommand StrategyRapid Start

Skills Upgrade Priority

For the Tank 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.

1
Kimberly — Tactics to Level 40Your main DPS. Barrage Strike deals AoE damage — higher levels increase damage multiplier and area coverage. Max Tactics cards first with ATK and Crit Rate cards
Barrage Strike
2
Murphy — Tactics to Level 40Main tank. Ironclad Barrier cuts your front row's Physical Damage taken, reaching the whole squad only at 4 stars. Tactics cards boosting HP and Defence keep the entire squad alive. Level 30 is a strong breakpoint before pushing 40
Ironclad Barrier
3
Marshall — Tactics to Level 30Command Strategy provides team crit buffs. Level 30 provides strong crit bonuses that amplify your whole squad's damage
Command Strategy
4
Kimberly — Passive to Level 30Passive skills give always-on damage bonuses. Level 30 is the efficient breakpoint
Energy Boost
5
Stetmann — Tactics to Level 30Secondary DPS. Lightning Rush deals AoE energy damage. Tactics cards improve his damage contribution. Level 30 is a strong breakpoint
Lightning Rush
6
Murphy — Passive to Level 30Passive defensive bonuses. Keeps Murphy standing longer without active management
Stand Firm
7
Williams — Tactics to Level 30Second tank. Iron Will buffs Defence on two front-row heroes, reaching the squad only at 3 stars, and his own damage reduction is self-only
Iron Will
8
Push all remaining skills to Level 40Once all heroes are at Level 30, push each to 40 in the same priority order: Kimberly → Murphy → Marshall → Stetmann → Williams
All

Skill Upgrade Tips

  • Tactics cards are the highest priority for every hero — they provide the strongest stat bonuses per level
  • Get your main DPS (Kimberly) to Level 40 on Tactics and Active before pushing anyone else past Level 30
  • Level 30 is the efficient breakpoint — pushing from 30 to 40 costs far more resources for smaller relative gains
  • Do not spread skill books randomly. Focus one hero at a time

Star Upgrades

Hero stars are one of the biggest power jumps in the game. Each hero needs shards to star up (975 total for full 5-star upgrade).

Key Star Breakpoints

  • 3 Stars — hero becomes effective. This is your minimum target for all squad members
  • 4 Stars — unlocks the Super Sensing passive skill. This is the main goal and a massive power spike
  • 5 Stars — full power. Long-term investment

Priority for Star Upgrades

  1. Kimberly to 4 stars first
  2. Murphy to 4 stars
  3. Marshall to 3-4 stars
  4. Stetmann to 3-4 stars
  5. Williams to 3-4 stars

Use Universal Legendary Shards on Kimberly and Murphy first.

Playing Tanks in Alliance Content

Rallies

Tank squads are ideal for rallies:

  • Your squad's durability means it survives rally fights that would destroy other types
  • Murphy and Williams' damage reduction benefits the entire rally
  • Kimberly's AoE cleans up enemy squads efficiently

Defence

Tank squads make excellent garrison defenders. If your base is attacked:

  • Your front row absorbs damage while back row deals it
  • Williams' self damage reduction and his front-row Defence buff both apply in garrison defence
  • Shield up if you are outpowered — do not waste troops

Alliance Wars / SvS

In alliance wars, Tank players are the front line:

  • You soak damage so Aircraft and Missile players can deal theirs
  • Lead rallies when your alliance needs a durable rally leader
  • Garrison key alliance buildings

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