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Season 1 HQ Guide

Progression · 2026-03-12

What Changes in Season 1

Season 1 begins once your server completes the pre-season countdown. If you followed the HQ Progression Guide and reached HQ 30, you are in a strong position. Season 1 introduces several new systems and shifts the meta significantly.

The Big Picture

Season 1 is about deepening your account, not rushing to the next HQ level. HQ 30 remains the cap for most of Season 1. The focus shifts from vertical progression (HQ levels) to horizontal progression — stronger squads, better gear, more systems unlocked, and preparing your second squad.

Key Season 1 Changes

Mason's UR Promotion

The biggest hero change in Season 1 is Mason upgrading from SSR to UR. If you collected his shards during pre-season, this is an immediate power spike for your Tank squad. Mason becomes a legitimate A-tier Tank DPS hero with his UR stats.

  • If you have Mason at 3+ stars as an SSR, his UR promotion makes him significantly stronger
  • He slots into Tank squads as a strong secondary DPS alongside Kimberly
  • His PvE bonus damage against zombies makes him excellent for campaign and boss content
  • See the Season 1 Hero Guide for full details

The Meta Shift to Aircraft

Season 1 accelerates the transition from Tank-dominant to Aircraft-dominant meta. By mid-Season 1:

  • Most competitive players have built or are building Aircraft squads
  • DVA-led Aircraft squads counter the Tank squads that dominated pre-season
  • The Murphy Exception (using Murphy in Aircraft squads) becomes increasingly viable
  • Missile squads become more important as a counter to the rising Aircraft meta

Exclusive Weapons

Season 1 introduces the first wave of Exclusive Weapons for heroes who did not already have them. Kimberly's Exclusive Weapon (Rocket Shadow) becomes a top priority — it massively increases her AoE energy damage output and keeps Tank squads competitive despite the meta shift.

Age of Oil

After HQ 30, the Age of Oil tech tree opens up. Oil becomes the primary resource bottleneck, replacing the construction materials that gated pre-season progression.

HQ 30 Priorities in Season 1

You have reached HQ 30. Now what? The focus shifts entirely:

1. T10 Troops

If you have not unlocked T10 troops yet, this is your number one priority. T10 troops are dramatically stronger than T9 — the power difference is larger than any other consecutive tier jump.

  • Requires Tech Center Level 30
  • Research the T10 troop unlock in your primary squad's research tree
  • Start training T10 troops immediately once unlocked
  • Dismiss lower-tier troops gradually — they are dead weight in your army composition

2. Tech Center Research

With the Tech Center at 30, new research branches open:

Research BranchPriority
T10 Troop UnlockImmediate — this is the single biggest power spike available
Combat Stats (Primary Type)High — boost ATK, DEF, and HP for your main squad type
March CapacityMedium — more troops per march means more damage
Combat Stats (Secondary Type)Medium-Low — only if you are actively building a second squad
Economic ResearchLow — only do these when nothing else is available

3. Gold Gear Completion

Season 1 is when most players complete their primary squad's gold gear set. Follow the craft order from the Season 1 Gear Guide:

  • Complete all 20 gold gear pieces for your primary squad
  • Start levelling priority pieces to 40
  • Begin star promotion on your carry's Gun (Kimberly for Tanks, DVA for Aircraft)

4. Exclusive Weapons

Exclusive Weapons unlock at 50 hero shards and progress through Levels 10, 20, and 30:

  • Kimberly's Rocket Shadow — top priority for Tank players. Massively increases AoE energy damage
  • Murphy's Mitigation Master — essential if you plan to use the Murphy Exception in Aircraft squads
  • Get all 5 squad members' weapons to Level 20 before pushing any to 30

5. Building Your Second Squad

Season 1 is the time to seriously start your second squad:

  • Tank players should start building Aircraft (DVA, Carlie, Morrison, Lucius, Schuyler)
  • Aircraft players should ensure their Tank squad stays functional for type-matchup flexibility
  • Do not sacrifice your primary squad's progression for a second squad — your first squad should have full gold gear before you invest heavily in the second

Age of Oil

The Age of Oil is Season 1's major new progression system. It unlocks after HQ 30 and provides additional research and upgrades gated behind oil production.

Oil Production

SourceNotes
Oil WellsBuild and upgrade oil wells on your base. These are your primary production source
Oil GatheringSend marches to oil nodes on the map — similar to resource gathering
EventsMany Season 1 events reward oil
Alliance ActivitiesSome alliance events provide oil rewards

Oil Research Priorities

The Age of Oil tech tree provides powerful upgrades. Prioritise:

  1. Combat stat boosts for your primary squad type — these are permanent, account-wide bonuses
  2. March-related upgrades — capacity and speed improvements
  3. Production efficiency — more oil output accelerates everything else
  4. Secondary squad type combat stats — only after primary type is strong
Oil Management

Start oil production before you hit the research bottleneck. If you wait until you need oil to start producing it, you will stall your progression for days or weeks. Begin building oil infrastructure the moment it becomes available.

Season 1 Building Priorities

With HQ 30 as the cap, building priorities shift to:

BuildingPriority
Oil WellsHigh — oil is the new bottleneck resource
Gear FactoryHigh — Level 20 enables star promotion of gold gear
HospitalMedium — max capacity if not already done
Barracks / Drill GroundsMedium — higher levels unlock faster training for T10 troops
Material WorkshopLow-Medium — starts producing ceramics for gear star promotion
Resource BuildingsLow — only upgrade if required for other buildings

Preparing for Season 2

While progressing through Season 1, keep an eye on what is coming in Season 2:

  • Carlie's Exclusive Weapon arrives in Season 2 — provides approximately 10% increase to HP, Defence, and Attack per level. Essential for Aircraft squads
  • Start collecting Aircraft hero shards if you have not already — Aircraft dominance intensifies
  • Build your oil infrastructure — Season 2 content requires even more oil
  • Get your second squad functional — Season 2 content increasingly requires two strong squads

Season 1 Progression Checklist

Use this checklist to track your Season 1 progress:

  1. T10 troops unlocked and training — the biggest immediate priority
  2. Primary squad fully gold-geared — all 20 pieces crafted
  3. Carry's Gun at Level 40 — the single biggest damage increase
  4. Main tank's Radar at Level 40 — keeps front line alive
  5. Exclusive Weapons at Level 10+ for main squad — especially Kimberly or DVA
  6. Age of Oil research started — combat stat boosts first
  7. Second squad heroes collected — ready to start building when primary squad is complete
  8. Mason UR-promoted (Tank players) — immediate power boost
  9. Star promotion started on carry's Gun — long-term gear progression
  10. Oil production infrastructure built — wells upgraded and running

Common Season 1 Mistakes

  1. Rushing to build a second squad before finishing the first — a half-built primary squad with a half-built secondary is weaker than one fully built squad
  2. Ignoring the Age of Oil — oil research provides powerful permanent bonuses
  3. Not promoting Mason to UR — if you collected his shards, the upgrade is free power
  4. Skipping Exclusive Weapons — they are one of the biggest power systems in the game
  5. Neglecting T10 troop research — the tier jump is enormous and should be immediate
  6. Hoarding resources without a plan — know what you are saving for and spend deliberately
  7. Not adapting to the Aircraft meta — sticking exclusively with Tanks without preparing Aircraft puts you behind

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