A complete guide to the Arms Race event: daily structure, all six sessions, phases, scoring, chests, badges, rewards, Stage Swap, VS synchronization, resource preparation, optimization, and the difference between the 18-Badge target and true maximum daily rewards.

Important: Arms Race values and some phase tasks can change with game updates, seasons, HQ/contest segment, or newly introduced systems. When an exact in-game value differs from this guide, the current Arms Race screen in your game is the final authority.

Quick Summary

• 6 sessions per day
• 4 hours per session
• 5 phase types, with one phase repeating each day
• 3 Phase Chests per session
• 1 + 2 + 3 Badges = 6 Badges per session
• 18 Badges = highest Daily Goal milestone
• 36 Badges = maximum Badge total from all six sessions
• Stage Swap = scheduling flexibility, not extra rewards
• Check the in-game Arms Race calendar because phase-to-day assignments can vary by server cycle
• Coordinate Arms Race with VS whenever possible
• Use promotion/waterfall training for Unit Progression

WHAT IS ARMS RACE?

Arms Race is a daily individual event in Last War: Survival.

Every day is divided into 6 Arms Race sessions, with each session lasting 4 hours.

Each session focuses on one of five themes:

• Hero Advancement
• City Building
• Unit Progression
• Tech Research
• Drone Boost

There are 6 sessions but only 5 themes, so one theme appears twice each day.

Your objective is to use the correct actions during the active theme to earn Arms Race points, open the phase chests, collect Arms Race Badges, and unlock the daily reward chests.

Arms Race also has a daily ranking, where you compete against a group of other Commanders.

THE MOST IMPORTANT THING: 6 SESSIONS PER DAY

This is the point that many Arms Race guides fail to explain clearly.

You do not have only one Arms Race reward opportunity per day.

You have:

• 6 Arms Race sessions per day
• 4 hours per session
• 3 phase chests per session
• Up to 6 Arms Race Badges per session
• Up to 36 Arms Race Badges per day
• Up to 252 Arms Race Badges per 7-day week

Why 18 Badges Is NOT the Maximum

The 18-Badge milestone unlocks the highest Daily Goal chest.

It does not mean Arms Race is finished.

You can continue completing the remaining Arms Race sessions and open their phase chests for additional rewards.

For example:

3 fully completed sessions:

6 + 6 + 6 = 18 Badges

This is enough to unlock the 18-Badge Daily Goal chest.

But there are still 3 additional sessions that day.

If you complete those too, you continue receiving:

• Phase Chest rewards
• Arms Race Badges
• Skill Medals
• Speedups
• Resource chests
• Other phase rewards

The correct way to think about Arms Race

18 Badges = Daily Goal milestone.

36 Badges = theoretical maximum from all 6 sessions.

So:

18 Badges is the minimum important daily target for the Gold/18-Badge Daily Goal chest — not the total reward cap for Arms Race.

DAILY STRUCTURE

Arms Race runs continuously and divides the day into six 4-hour sessions.

• Session 1: 00:00–04:00
• Session 2: 04:00–08:00
• Session 3: 08:00–12:00
• Session 4: 12:00–16:00
• Session 5: 16:00–20:00
• Session 6: 20:00–24:00

The exact phase assigned to each slot follows the current Arms Race schedule on your server.

Always check the Arms Race calendar in-game.

The current system is aligned with Alliance Duel VS, making it much easier to double-dip on the same actions.

THE FIVE ARMS RACE PHASES

HERO ADVANCEMENT

Focus on developing your heroes.

Main scoring actions

• Elite Hero Recruitment
• Use Hero EXP
• Other hero-development actions shown by your current Arms Race task list
• Certain newer/seasonal hero systems may also contribute

Commonly documented core values include:

• 1 Elite Recruit = 400 Arms Race points
• Use at least 2,000 Hero EXP = 1 Arms Race point
• Purchases containing Diamonds = 30 points per Diamond

Best strategy

Save these resources for Hero Advancement:

• Legendary Recruitment Tickets
• Hero EXP
• Hero shards
• Other hero-development materials that currently score in Arms Race

If a major hero upgrade is also useful for VS Train Heroes, synchronize the action with the correct VS day and Arms Race phase.

Important

Do not spend Hero EXP just because you have it.

If Hero Advancement is coming soon, wait and use it during the phase.

CITY BUILDING

City Building rewards actions related to increasing your building power.

Main scoring actions

• Increase Building Power
• Use Construction Speedups
• Purchases containing Diamonds

Commonly documented values:

• 1 Building Power = 1 Arms Race point
• 1 minute Construction Speedup = 10 Arms Race points
• 1 Diamond from a qualifying pack = 30 Arms Race points

Best strategy

The important part is when the building finishes / its power is credited, not simply when you start the building.

You can:

1. Start a long building upgrade before the phase.
2. Let the timer run.
3. Use Construction Speedups during City Building.
4. Make the building completion/power gain land inside the active phase.

Save for City Building Building

• Construction Speedups
• Generic Speedups
• Prepared building completions

VS synchronization

City Building is especially valuable when it overlaps with:

• VS Base Expansion
• Other VS days that reward construction activity

This allows one action to generate points for both systems.

UNIT PROGRESSION

Unit Progression rewards training and upgrading troops.

Main scoring actions

• Train troops
• Promote troops to higher tiers
• Use Training Speedups
• Purchases containing Diamonds

Commonly documented troop values:

• Lv. 1: 5 points
• Lv. 2: 6 points
• Lv. 3: 7 points
• Lv. 4: 13 points
• Lv. 5: 15 points
• Lv. 6: 19 points
• Lv. 7: 22 points
• Lv. 8: 25 points
• Lv. 9: 28 points
• Lv. 10: 31 points

Also:

• 1 minute Training Speedup = 10 Arms Race points

The key strategy: Waterfall Training

Unit Progression is one of the best phases for troop promotion chains.

Instead of training everything directly at the highest level:

1. Train lower-tier troops in advance.
2. Keep them ready in your barracks.
3. Promote them during Unit Progression.
4. The points are based on the arrival level of the troop.

Example:

Promoting a Lv. 4 unit to Lv. 5 gives the Arms Race value of a Lv. 5 unit.

This makes prepared promotion chains extremely efficient.

Save for Unit Progression

• Pre-trained lower-tier troops
• Training Speedups
• Generic Speedups
• Troop promotion resources

VS synchronization

This phase is particularly strong when coordinated with VS Total Mobilization and other troop-related scoring windows.

TECH RESEARCH

Tech Research rewards research completion and research speedups.

Main scoring actions

• Increase Tech Power
• Use Research Speedups
• Purchases containing Diamonds

Commonly documented values:

• 1 Tech Power = 1 Arms Race point
• 1 minute Research Speedup = 10 Arms Race points
• 1 Diamond from a qualifying pack = 30 Arms Race points

Best strategy

For long research:

1. Start the research before the Arms Race phase if necessary.
2. Let it run naturally.
3. Use Research Speedups during Tech Research.
4. Finish the research during the phase.

This is especially important for long research projects.

Save for Tech Research

• Research Speedups
• Generic Speedups
• Long research completions

VS synchronization

Tech Research is one of the best phases to combine with VS Age of Science / Research Day.

A major research completion during the matching VS day and Arms Race phase can score in both systems at once.

DRONE BOOST

Drone Boost rewards drone progression and stamina usage.

Main scoring actions

• Use Drone Combat Data
• Spend Stamina
• Certain stamina-consuming activities
• Purchases containing Diamonds

Commonly documented values:

• 10 Drone Combat Data = 1 Arms Race point
• 1 Stamina = 100 Arms Race points
• 1 Diamond from a qualifying pack = 30 Arms Race points

What can use Stamina?

Depending on your current game systems, stamina can be spent on activities such as:

• Zombies
• Monsters
• Rallies
• Radar Tasks
• Other qualifying PvE activities

Best strategy

Do not casually burn stamina outside Drone Boost.

Whenever practical:

• Save stamina for Drone Boost.
• Save Drone Combat Data for Drone Boost.
• Time major stamina-consuming activities inside the phase.
• Combine Drone Boost with relevant VS/Radar activities when possible.

Drone Skill / Component systems

Some later game systems introduce additional drone-related actions.

Always check the current Arms Race task list because the exact drone tasks can change with game updates and server progression.

PHASE CHESTS

Every Arms Race session has 3 Phase Chests.

The chest progression is:

• Chest 1: 1 Badge
• Chest 2: 2 Badges
• Chest 3: 3 Badges

Therefore:

1 + 2 + 3 = 6 Badges per session

With six sessions:

6 × 6 = 36 Badges maximum per day

PHASE CHEST REWARDS

The phase chests provide rewards such as:

• Skill Medals
• Arms Race Badges
• Food chests
• Iron chests
• Coin chests
• Speedups

A commonly documented reward structure is:

Chest 1

• Skill Medals: 150
• Badges: 1
• 5-Min Speedups: 6

Chest 2

• Skill Medals: 300
• Badges: 2
• 5-Min Speedups: 15

Chest 3

• Skill Medals: 750
• Badges: 3
• 5-Min Speedups: 30

Resource-chest quantities also increase with each chest.

Important: Reward quantities can be changed by game updates. Use your current in-game chest display as the authoritative value.

The important strategic point is that every phase has its own rewards.

You do not lose the value of the remaining sessions just because you already reached 18 Badges.

DAILY GOAL / BADGE CHESTS

The Badges earned from Phase Chests also fill the daily Arms Race reward track.

The important milestones are:

• 2 Badges: Bronze
• 8 Badges: Silver
• 18 Badges: Gold / highest Daily Goal tier

18 Badges

The 18-Badge milestone is the key daily target because it unlocks the highest Daily Goal chest.

The easiest way to reach it is:

3 full sessions × 6 Badges = 18 Badges

Or:

2 chests × 6 sessions = 18 Badges

So you do not necessarily need to fully clear three sessions.

THE BIG MISCONCEPTION: "18 IS MAX"

This is one of the most important Arms Race concepts.

Many guides and videos say:

"Get 18 Badges and you're done."

That is only correct if they are talking about the Daily Goal chest.

It is not correct if they mean maximum Arms Race rewards.

Correct interpretation

18 Badges:

• Unlocks the highest Daily Goal chest.
• Is an excellent baseline target.
• Can be achieved relatively efficiently.

More than 18 Badges:

• Continues opening Phase Chests.
• Continues generating Skill Medals.
• Continues generating Speedups and resources.
• Continues increasing your daily ranking score.

36 Badges:

• The theoretical maximum from the six daily sessions.

Practical rule

Aim for 18 every day.

Continue beyond 18 whenever the remaining sessions can be completed efficiently without wasting important resources.

This distinction is especially important for players who want to maximize their weekly Skill Medal income.

HOW MANY ARMS RACE SESSIONS ARE THERE PER WEEK?

There are:

6 sessions/day × 7 days = 42 sessions/week

And:

36 maximum Badges/day × 7 = 252 Badges/week

This is why the six daily sessions matter so much.

If you only complete three sessions per day, you are reaching the 18-Badge Daily Goal but leaving the remaining daily Phase Chest rewards untouched.

DAILY RANKING

Arms Race also has a daily individual ranking.

You are matched with a group of Commanders, generally around 12–15 players in commonly documented current configurations, with matching based around progression/HQ level.

Your ranking is based on your total Arms Race points for the day.

Ranking rewards

Higher placement can provide additional rewards such as:

• Hero-related rewards
• Speedups
• Resource rewards
• Other progression materials

The exact ranking rewards depend on the current game version and contest segment.

Important

You do not need to chase #1 every day.

For most players:

Daily Goal rewards + Phase Chest rewards > blindly burning resources for ranking.

Only push ranking when the reward is worth the resources you are spending.

STAGE SWAP

The current Arms Race system includes a Stage Swap feature.

It allows you to move a future Arms Race session into your current time window.

Rules

• 1 swap per day
• You can swap with a future session
• You cannot swap with a completed/past session
• The swapped session keeps its progress when its original time arrives
• The swap does not create extra rewards

Why Stage Swap matters

The purpose is flexibility, not additional scoring.

Use it when:

• A valuable phase occurs while you are sleeping.
• You cannot play during a particular 4-hour window.
• You have prepared resources for a future phase and want to complete it earlier.
• A phase aligns particularly well with an event you are doing now.
• You want to avoid missing a high-value session because of your schedule.

Example

Suppose:

• Your current phase is easy for you.
• A future Unit Progression phase occurs at 04:00.
• You have a large troop promotion chain ready.
• You will be asleep at 04:00.

You can use Stage Swap to bring the future Unit Progression session into your current window.

Important

Do not use Stage Swap just because it is available.

Use it when it solves a real scheduling or optimization problem.

CURRENT VS-ALIGNED ARMS RACE SCHEDULE

The updated system aligns Arms Race with Alliance Duel VS days.

A commonly documented current schedule is:

00:00

• Monday: City Building
• Tuesday: Unit
• Wednesday: Drone
• Thursday: City Building
• Friday: Tech
• Saturday: Unit
• Sunday: Drone

04:00

• Monday: Unit
• Tuesday: Tech
• Wednesday: Hero
• Thursday: Unit
• Friday: Drone
• Saturday: Tech
• Sunday: Hero

08:00

• Monday: Hero
• Tuesday: Building
• Wednesday: Tech
• Thursday: Hero
• Friday: Unit
• Saturday: Building
• Sunday: Tech

12:00

• Monday: Tech
• Tuesday: Drone
• Wednesday: Building
• Thursday: Tech
• Friday: Hero
• Saturday: Drone
• Sunday: Building

16:00

• Monday: Drone
• Tuesday: Hero
• Wednesday: Unit
• Thursday: Drone
• Friday: Building
• Saturday: Hero
• Sunday: Unit

20:00

• Monday: Hero
• Tuesday: Building
• Wednesday: Tech
• Thursday: Hero
• Friday: Unit
• Saturday: Building
• Sunday: Tech

Always verify your in-game Arms Race calendar. Game schedules can change, and the game UI is the final authority.

The key benefit is that the schedule is designed so important VS activities line up with matching Arms Race phases.

THE DOUBLE-DIP STRATEGY

This is one of the most important advanced Arms Race strategies.

Do not think about Arms Race and VS separately.

Instead, ask:

"Can I perform this action when it scores in both Arms Race and VS?"

Examples:

Building

Complete a major building upgrade during:

• VS Base Expansion
• Arms Race City Building

Research

Complete a major research during:

• VS Age of Science
• Arms Race Tech Research

Heroes

Use Hero EXP / recruit heroes during:

• VS Train Heroes
• Arms Race Hero Advancement

Troops

Promote troops during:

• VS Total Mobilization
• Arms Race Unit Progression

Drone / Stamina

Spend stamina during:

• VS Radar Training
• Arms Race Drone Boost

The best accounts do not simply "save resources for Arms Race."

They save them for the correct overlap between Arms Race + VS + another useful event.

RESOURCE PREPARATION

Keep a small stockpile for every phase.

• Hero Advancement: Hero EXP, recruitment tickets, applicable hero materials
• City Building: Construction Speedups, prepared buildings
• Unit Progression: Prepared troops, Training Speedups
• Tech Research: Research Speedups, long research
• Drone Boost: Stamina, Drone Combat Data

The objective is not to spend everything every day.

The objective is to have enough resources available to clear the valuable chests when the correct phase appears.

WHAT TO DO BEFORE A PHASE

City Building

Before the phase:

• Start long upgrades if necessary.
• Prepare buildings that can be completed during the phase.
• Keep Construction Speedups ready.

During the phase:

• Finish the prepared upgrades.
• Use speedups.
• Claim the resulting rewards.

Unit Progression

Before the phase:

• Train lower-tier troops.
• Build promotion chains.
• Prepare barracks.

During the phase:

• Promote troops through the chain.
• Use Training Speedups if needed.
• Push toward the third chest when efficient.

Tech Research

Before the phase:

• Start long research.
• Keep Research Speedups available.

During the phase:

• Finish research.
• Use Research Speedups.
• Collect completed research rewards.

Drone Boost

Before the phase:

• Save Stamina.
• Save Drone Combat Data.
• Prepare stamina-based activities.

During the phase:

• Spend Stamina.
• Use Drone Combat Data.
• Complete stamina-consuming activities.

Hero Advancement

Before the phase:

• Save Hero EXP.
• Save recruitment tickets.
• Prepare relevant hero materials.

During the phase:

• Recruit.
• Use Hero EXP.
• Complete any additional hero tasks shown in your current Arms Race panel.

HOW TO PRIORITIZE THE SIX DAILY SESSIONS

Not every phase is equally easy for every account.

Your goal should be to identify the phases where you can obtain the most rewards for the lowest resource cost.

Usually easiest to prepare

• Drone Boost if you have accumulated Stamina
• Hero Advancement if you have Hero EXP/recruitment tickets
• Unit Progression if you have a prepared promotion chain
• Tech Research if a long research is ready
• City Building if a major building is ready

The best phase depends on your account.

THE 18-BADGE MINIMUM STRATEGY

For players who do not want to spend large amounts of resources every day:

Goal

Reach:

18 Badges

Efficient methods

Method A — 3 full sessions

• Chest 1 = 1 Badge
• Chest 2 = 2 Badges
• Chest 3 = 3 Badges
• 3 sessions × 6 Badges = 18 Badges

Method B — 2 chests in all six phases

• Chest 1 + Chest 2 = 3 Badges
• 6 sessions × 3 Badges = 18 Badges

Method A is usually easier if you have three strong phases.

Method B is useful when you can reliably reach the second chest across many phases but cannot efficiently finish the third chest.

THE MAXIMUM-REWARD STRATEGY

For players who want to maximize Arms Race rewards:

Goal

Clear all three Phase Chests in all six sessions.

That means:

6 sessions × 6 Badges = 36 Badges/day

This maximizes the Phase Chest rewards available from the six daily sessions.

Important

Do not confuse "maximum Arms Race rewards" with "maximum ranking score."

You can maximize your chest rewards without trying to win the daily leaderboard.

WHEN SHOULD YOU STOP?

Use this decision rule:

Stop after 18 if:

• You have reached the Gold Daily Goal.
• The next phase requires expensive resources.
• You need those resources for VS.
• The next chest would require wasting speedups.
• You are not competing for ranking.
• The remaining phase does not naturally fit your progression.

Continue past 18 if:

• The phase is easy for your account.
• You already have the required resources.
• The action also gives VS points.
• You have a prepared building/research/troop chain.
• You want more Skill Medals.
• You are pushing daily ranking.

This prevents the common mistake of spending valuable resources simply because "there is another Arms Race chest."

SKILL MEDAL ECONOMY

Arms Race is one of the most reliable recurring sources of Skill Medals.

The important distinction is:

Daily Goal rewards and Phase Chest rewards are separate reward systems.

If you stop at 18 Badges, you have completed the Daily Goal milestone.

You have not collected all the Skill Medals available from the day's remaining Phase Chests.

This is why completing additional sessions can make a significant difference over a full week.

Weekly thinking

Do not look at one day's extra rewards as "only a small amount."

Small daily gains compound:

Extra rewards × 7 days = meaningful weekly progression

DIAMOND PACK POINTS

Purchasing qualifying packs that contain Diamonds can generate Arms Race points.

Commonly documented:

1 Diamond = 30 Arms Race points

This can apply during any phase where the Diamond-purchase task is shown.

Important

Do not buy a pack solely for Arms Race points unless you already wanted the pack.

The Arms Race points are a bonus — not a reason to make a poor purchase.

ACTIONS THAT SHOULD BE TIMED

• Hero Recruitment → Hero Advancement
• Hero EXP → Hero Advancement
• Building completion → City Building
• Construction Speedups → City Building
• Troop training → Unit Progression
• Troop promotion → Unit Progression
• Training Speedups → Unit Progression
• Research completion → Tech Research
• Research Speedups → Tech Research
• Drone Combat Data → Drone Boost
• Stamina spending → Drone Boost
• Qualifying Diamond purchases → Any applicable phase

COMMON MISTAKES

Mistake 1 — Thinking 18 Badges Is the Maximum

Wrong:

"I reached 18, so Arms Race is finished."

Correct:

18 unlocks the highest Daily Goal milestone. The remaining sessions still contain Phase Chest rewards.

Mistake 2 — Ignoring the Other Three Sessions

If you complete three full phases and stop, you have reached 18 Badges but left the remaining three sessions unused.

Mistake 3 — Spending Speedups at Random

Using a Construction Speedup outside City Building can mean losing Arms Race points.

Time speedups to the matching phase whenever practical.

Mistake 4 — Burning Stamina Outside Drone Boost

If Drone Boost is coming soon, save your stamina.

Mistake 5 — Training Troops Directly at High Tier

Prepare lower-tier troops and use the promotion/waterfall strategy during Unit Progression.

Mistake 6 — Finishing Research at the Wrong Time

A multi-day research completion is valuable.

Do not accidentally finish it outside Tech Research if you could easily time the completion into the phase.

Mistake 7 — Ignoring VS

Arms Race should be coordinated with VS whenever possible.

The best action is often one that scores in:

VS + Arms Race

Mistake 8 — Wasting Stage Swap

Stage Swap is a scheduling tool.

Do not use it just because you can.

Mistake 9 — Chasing Rank With Bad Resource Efficiency

A higher Arms Race ranking is not automatically worth thousands of speedups or other valuable resources.

Compare the reward to the cost.

Mistake 10 — Assuming Every Account Has Identical Tasks

New systems, seasons, HQ progression, and game updates can introduce additional scoring tasks.

Always check the current task list displayed in Arms Race.

ADVANCED DAILY ROUTINE

At Daily Reset

1. Open Arms Race.
2. Check all 6 sessions.
3. Identify the phase order.
4. Check which phases overlap with your VS objective.
5. Decide which three phases are your easiest full clears.
6. Identify any phases worth going beyond the minimum.
7. Plan Stage Swap if necessary.

During the Day

Before each phase

Ask:

What can I finish during this 4-hour window?

Prepare the relevant resources.

During the phase

• Complete the relevant actions.
• Open Phase Chests as soon as you qualify.
• Track your Badge total.
• Avoid wasting resources after the useful milestone.

After the phase

• Confirm all chests were claimed.
• Check the next phase.
• Reposition your plan if necessary.

BEST DAILY TARGETS BY PLAYER TYPE

F2P / Casual

Target: 18 Badges

Prioritize:

• Easy phases
• Natural progression
• VS overlap
• No unnecessary speedup spending

Active F2P / Low Spender

Target: 18+ Badges

Aim for:

• Full completion of easy phases
• Second chests across additional phases
• More Skill Medals from remaining sessions

Competitive Player

Target: 18–36 Badges

Focus on:

• All six sessions
• VS synchronization
• Prepared resources
• Waterfall training
• Long research/building timing
• Daily ranking

High Spender / Ranking Push

Target: Maximum score

Focus on:

• All six sessions
• Maximum phase completion
• Ranking position
• Strategic resource expenditure
• Double-dipping with VS
• Additional events that overlap with Arms Race

THE MOST EFFICIENT RESOURCE RULE

Never ask only:

"Can I score Arms Race points with this?"

Ask:

"Can I score Arms Race + VS + progression value with this?"

For example:

Bad

Finish a 3-day research randomly.

Better

Finish it during Tech Research.

Best

Finish it during:

VS Research Day + Arms Race Tech Research

Now the same research completion advances multiple objectives.

That is the real Arms Race optimization strategy.

QUICK REFERENCE

Arms Race

• 6 sessions/day
• 4 hours/session
• 5 phase types
• 1 phase repeats each day
• 3 Phase Chests/session
• 1 + 2 + 3 Badges/session
• 6 Badges/session
• 36 Badges/day maximum
• 252 Badges/week maximum
• 2 / 8 / 18 Daily Goal milestones
• 18 Badges = highest Daily Goal milestone
• 18 is NOT the maximum total Arms Race reward
• Stage Swap = 1/day
• Daily ranking = separate reward system

ONE-PAGE STRATEGY

CHECK → PREPARE → TIME → DOUBLE-DIP → COLLECT

CHECK

Check all six Arms Race sessions.

PREPARE

Save:

• Hero EXP
• Recruitment Tickets
• Construction Speedups
• Training Speedups
• Research Speedups
• Stamina
• Drone Combat Data
• Troop promotion chains

TIME

Use each resource during its matching phase.

DOUBLE-DIP

Whenever possible, synchronize Arms Race with:

• VS
• Radar
• Other progression events

COLLECT

Do not stop automatically at 18.

If the next session is efficient, continue and collect its Phase Chest rewards.

FAQ

Is 18 Badges the maximum?

No.

18 Badges unlocks the highest Daily Goal chest.

The theoretical maximum is 36 Badges per day from all six sessions.

How many Arms Race sessions are there per day?

6.

Each lasts 4 hours.

How many sessions are there per week?

42.

6 sessions × 7 days.

How many Badges can I earn per day?

Up to 36.

Do I need 36 Badges every day?

No.

For most players, 18 Badges is the important baseline.

Go beyond 18 when the remaining sessions are efficient or you want additional rewards/ranking.

Can I still get rewards after reaching 18 Badges?

Yes.

The remaining Arms Race sessions still have their own Phase Chests.

What is the best way to get 18 Badges?

Either:

• Fully clear 3 sessions, or
• Reach the second chest in all 6 sessions

Both produce:

18 Badges

Does Stage Swap give extra rewards?

No.

It changes the timing of a future session; it does not increase the daily reward pool.

Can I use Stage Swap multiple times?

No.

The current system allows one Stage Swap per day.

What is the best Arms Race phase?

There is no universal answer.

It depends on your account and stored resources.

Generally, the best phase is the one where you can complete multiple chests with the least valuable resource expenditure.

Should I save everything for Arms Race?

No.

Arms Race should be synchronized with VS and other events.

Saving a resource only for Arms Race can be worse than using it during a high-value overlap.

Should I chase #1 every day?

Only if the ranking reward justifies the resource cost.

For most players:

Daily rewards + efficient progression > unnecessary ranking competition.

FINAL RULES

If you remember only these rules, remember these:

1. Arms Race has 6 sessions every day.
2. Each session lasts 4 hours.
3. Each session has 3 Phase Chests.
4. Each session can give 6 Badges.
5. 18 Badges unlocks the highest Daily Goal chest.
6. 18 Badges is NOT the end of Arms Race.
7. 36 Badges/day is the theoretical maximum from all six sessions.
8. There are 42 sessions per week.
9. Time speedups to the correct phase.
10. Save Stamina for Drone Boost whenever practical.
11. Use waterfall/promotion chains during Unit Progression.
12. Finish major research during Tech Research.
13. Finish major buildings during City Building.
14. Use Hero EXP and recruitment during Hero Advancement.
15. Use Stage Swap to solve scheduling problems.
16. Coordinate Arms Race with VS.
17. Prioritize double-dip actions.
18. Do not waste resources just to chase a ranking.
19. Check the in-game task list for new/seasonal scoring actions.
20. Treat the six daily sessions as six separate reward opportunities.

SOURCE / VERIFICATION NOTES

This guide was compiled by cross-checking current community references and published Arms Race documentation.

The most stable mechanics consistently documented across sources are:

• 6 daily 4-hour sessions
• 5 rotating themes
• 3 Phase Chests per session
• 1 / 2 / 3 Badge chest structure
• 2 / 8 / 18 Daily Goal milestones
• 36 maximum Badges per day
• Daily ranking
• Phase-specific resource scoring
• Stage Swap
• VS-aligned scheduling

Because Last War: Survival is continuously updated, current in-game values take precedence over any third-party guide, especially for:

• Exact chest contents
• Exact point thresholds
• New seasonal tasks
• HQ/contest-segment values
• New progression systems
• Ranking rewards

FINAL TAKEAWAY

The biggest Arms Race mistake is thinking:

"I got 18 Badges, so I'm done."

The better way to understand the event is:

18 Badges = Daily Goal completed.

6 sessions = the full daily Arms Race reward cycle.

For efficient play:

Hit 18 every day.

Then, when the remaining sessions are cheap, naturally aligned with your progression, or synchronized with VS:

Keep going.

The strongest strategy is not simply doing more Arms Race.

It is making the same action count for multiple objectives at the same time.

Arms Race + VS + progression = maximum efficiency.