Back to Season 1: The Crimson Plague

Gear Guide (Season 1)

Gear · 2026-03-12

Gear in Season 1

If you followed the Pre-Season 1 Gear Guide, your primary squad should have most or all of its 20 gold gear pieces crafted. Season 1 shifts the gear focus from crafting to star promotion and Mythic progression.

The Season 1 Gear Shift

Pre-season was about crafting gold gear. Season 1 is about making that gold gear legendary-starred and eventually Mythic. Star promotion provides massive power spikes at 2-star and 4-star breakpoints. This is where your gear investment goes in Season 1.

What Changes from Pre-Season

Star Promotion Becomes the Priority

With gold gear crafted, the next step is star promotion at the Gear Factory (Level 20):

  • Each star level adds percentage-based stat increases on top of your Level 40 base
  • 2-star and 4-star are the biggest power spikes
  • 5-star transforms Legendary (gold) gear into Mythic (red) gear
  • This is a long-term investment — plan months ahead

Exclusive Weapons Interact with Gear

Exclusive Weapons amplify your gear's effectiveness:

  • Kimberly's Rocket Shadow multiplies her Gun's attack power through energy damage stacking
  • DVA's Energy Master transforms her Chip's crit stats into devastating burst
  • Murphy's Mitigation Master scales with his Radar's defensive stats
  • Gear and Exclusive Weapons are multiplicative — investing in both creates exponential power growth

Second Squad Gearing

Season 1 is when many players start gearing a second squad:

  • Do not start second squad gear until your primary squad is fully gold-geared and has priority pieces at Level 40
  • The Murphy Exception benefits from Murphy already having Tank gear
  • Material production should be running at maximum to support two squads eventually

Star Promotion Priority (Season 1)

For Tank Squads

1
Kimberly's GunMain carry weapon. Biggest damage increase. Push to 2-star immediately, then 4-star
2★ → 4★
2
Murphy's RadarMain tank defence. Scales with Exclusive Weapon. Push to 2-star, then 4-star
2★ → 4★
3
Kimberly's ChipCrit multipliers on your carry. Push to 2-star
2★
4
Murphy's ArmorPhysical defence for main tank. Push to 2-star
2★
5
Remaining piecesContinue by piece priority — carry gear first, then tank, then support
2★+

For Aircraft Squads

1
DVA's GunCarry weapon. Combines with Energy Master for devastating burst. Push to 2-star, then 4-star
2★ → 4★
2
Murphy/Carlie's RadarMain tank defence. Push to 2-star, then 4-star
2★ → 4★
3
DVA's ChipCrit multipliers amplify Energy Master burst exponentially. Push to 2-star
2★
4
Murphy/Carlie's ArmorPhysical defence for main tank. Push to 2-star
2★
5
Remaining piecesDVA's defensive gear, then Morrison, Lucius, Schuyler by priority
2★+

For Missile Squads

1
Tesla's GunMain carry weapon. Push to 2-star, then 4-star
2★ → 4★
2
Adam's RadarTank defence. Push to 2-star, then 4-star
2★ → 4★
3
Tesla's ChipCrit multipliers on carry. Push to 2-star
2★
4
Fiona's GunCo-carry ATK directly scales Radiation DoT. Push to 2-star
2★
5
Remaining piecesContinue by priority — Fiona's Chip, Adam's Armor, then fill
2★+

Gold Gear Craft Orders (For Late Starters)

If you are still crafting gold gear in Season 1, the craft orders from the Pre-Season 1 Gear Guide still apply with one update for Tank squads: Mason replaces Stetmann in the craft order.

For the full 20-piece craft orders by squad type, see:

Gear Levelling Reminder

If any gold gear pieces are not yet at Level 40, continue following the levelling strategy:

  1. All pieces to Level 10 first — unlocks first bonus attribute
  2. Carry's Gun to Level 40 — single biggest damage increase
  3. Main tank's Radar to Level 40 — keeps front line alive
  4. Main tank's Armor to Level 40 — physical defence
  5. Carry's Chip to Level 40 — crit multipliers
  6. Remaining pieces to Level 40

Mythic Gear Path

5-star gear promotion transforms Legendary (gold) into Mythic (red). This is the endgame gear goal:

Mythic Blueprint Sources in Season 1

SourceNotes
Ammo Bonanza EventsExchange 600+ bullets for up to 10 Mythic Blueprints per cycle. Primary source
Season StoreLimited availability — check each refresh
Anniversary EventsBest Mythic Blueprint source. Save resources for these
Special PacksCheck value before purchasing

Realistic Season 1 Mythic Timeline

  • Most players will not reach Mythic in Season 1 — and that is fine
  • Focus on getting your carry's Gun to 4-star during Season 1
  • Mythic (5-star) on your first piece is a late-Season 1 or Season 2 goal
  • Do not rush Mythic at the expense of star-promoting other pieces — balanced promotion is more effective

Ceramic Management in Season 1

Ceramic becomes a critical resource for star promotion:

AllocationPercentage
Your 3 core heroes (carry, main tank, secondary DPS)60%
Formation support heroes (buffer, CC)25%
Counter heroes / reserve15%

Material Workshop

The Material Workshop produces ceramics. In Season 1, it becomes worth upgrading:

  • Upgrade to Level 15-20 for meaningful ceramic production
  • Keep production queues running at all times
  • Do not over-invest in the Workshop early — other buildings take priority

Season 1 Gear Strategy Summary

The Season 1 Gear Path
  1. Complete all 20 gold gear pieces for your primary squad if not done
  2. Get all pieces to Level 40 — priority pieces first
  3. Star promote carry's Gun to 2-star, then 4-star — biggest power spike
  4. Star promote main tank's Radar to 2-star, then 4-star
  5. Spread 2-star promotion across remaining priority pieces
  6. Push carry's Gun toward 5-star Mythic — endgame goal

Common Season 1 Gear Mistakes

  1. Starting second squad gear before primary is star-promoted — your primary squad's star promotion provides more power than a second squad's base gold gear
  2. Skipping star promotion in favour of crafting more gold pieces — one 4-star piece outperforms several 0-star pieces
  3. Not upgrading the Material Workshop — ceramic production matters for star promotion
  4. Spreading star promotion across too many pieces — focus on carry's Gun first
  5. Ignoring Exclusive Weapon synergy — gear and weapons multiply each other. Invest in both
  6. Hoarding blueprints without a plan — know exactly which piece you are promoting next
  7. Not buying Honor Shop Legendary Blueprints — still the best value purchase in the game

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