Squad Building Guide

Building a strong squad in Last War: Survival is not simply about using the five Heroes with the highest Power.

A strong squad combines the right Heroes, roles, troop type, Skills, Equipment, formation, and combat bonuses.

The goal is to create a team where every Hero contributes to the same combat strategy.

What Makes a Strong Squad?

A squad is built from several systems that work together:

• Hero selection
• Hero roles
• Troop type
• Formation
• Hero Skills
• Equipment
• Exclusive Weapons
• Troops
• Research
• Drone

Not every system needs to be explained in detail inside this guide.

The purpose of this guide is to explain how to build the squad itself and how the different components should fit together.

For detailed information about individual systems, see the dedicated guides on LWAgent.

1. Build One Main Squad First

For most accounts, the best strategy is to develop one strong main squad before heavily investing in secondary squads.

Spreading resources across too many Heroes slows down progression.

Your main squad should receive priority for:

• Hero Shards
• Hero XP
• Skill Medals
• Equipment
• Equipment upgrades
• Exclusive Weapon materials
• Troops
• Drone investment
• Research benefits

A highly developed main squad is usually much more valuable than several partially developed squads.

Recommended Progression

Main Squad → Strengthen Main Squad → Develop Second Squad → Develop Third Squad

Do not rush additional squads simply because you have enough Heroes to fill them.

2. Choose Your Squad Type

The three main troop types are:

• Tank
• Aircraft
• Missile

Your squad's Heroes should generally belong to the same troop type.

This allows you to take advantage of the same-type formation bonus and creates a specialized squad.

Long-Term Goal

For most players, the ideal structure is:

5 Tank Heroes

or

5 Aircraft Heroes

or

5 Missile Heroes

These are commonly called Mono Squads.

3. Mono Squad vs Mixed Squad

Mono Squad

A Mono Squad contains five Heroes of the same troop type.

Examples:

• 5 Tank Heroes
• 5 Aircraft Heroes
• 5 Missile Heroes

The main advantage is the formation bonus provided by having multiple Heroes of the same type.

Mono Squads also make it easier to specialize:

• Hero investment
• Equipment
• Skills
• Exclusive Weapons
• Drone bonuses
• Research
• Troops

For most accounts, a Mono Squad should be the long-term objective.

Mixed Squad

A Mixed Squad contains Heroes from different troop types.

A mixed squad can be useful when:

• Your account is still developing.
• You do not have enough strong Heroes of one type.
• A specific Hero provides exceptional utility.
• A Hero's Skills provide more value than the lost formation bonus.
• A specific Exclusive Weapon creates an unusual synergy.

However, do not create a mixed squad simply because another Hero has higher Power.

A mixed squad should have a reason.

4. Understand Hero Roles

Hero troop type and Hero role are different things.

Troop type determines whether a Hero is:

• Tank
• Aircraft
• Missile

Hero role determines how they contribute to the battle.

The main roles are:

• Defender
• Attacker
• Support

A balanced squad normally needs a combination of these roles.

5. Frontline Heroes

The Front Row normally contains your defensive Heroes.

Their primary job is to survive incoming damage and protect the rest of the squad.

Frontline Heroes can provide:

• High survivability
• Damage mitigation
• Shields
• Taunts
• Defensive buffs
• Protection effects

Frontline Priority

Your Front Row should generally contain your strongest defensive Heroes.

A good frontline should:

• Survive as long as possible.
• Protect your damage dealers.
• Maintain defensive effects.
• Prevent the Back Row from being eliminated too early.

However, Hero Skills can sometimes change the ideal position.

Always consider the actual mechanics of the Heroes you are using.

6. Backline Heroes

The Back Row normally contains your damage dealers and Support Heroes.

Attackers

Attackers are generally responsible for dealing the majority of the squad's damage.

They benefit from:

• Attack
• Offensive Skills
• Strong Equipment
• Exclusive Weapons
• Offensive combat bonuses

A powerful attacker that dies early cannot contribute meaningful damage.

Keeping your DPS alive can be just as important as increasing their damage.

Support Heroes

Support Heroes improve the effectiveness of the squad through effects such as:

• Attack buffs
• Defense buffs
• Damage amplification
• Healing
• Energy-related effects
• Utility
• Special combat bonuses

Support Heroes are generally placed in the Back Row, unless their specific Skills make another position more effective.

7. Hero Synergy

Five powerful Heroes do not automatically make a powerful squad.

The Heroes should work together.

Good synergy can come from:

• Same troop type
• Compatible Skills
• Matching roles
• Buff interactions
• Damage amplification
• Defensive protection
• Energy interactions
• Exclusive Weapon effects

Before adding a Hero, ask:

1. Does this Hero match my squad's troop type?
2. Does the Hero fit my squad's role requirements?
3. Do their Skills benefit my other Heroes?
4. Does the Hero improve the squad's overall performance?
5. Will adding the Hero remove an important formation bonus?
6. Does their Equipment fit the role?
7. Does their Exclusive Weapon provide meaningful value?

If the Hero only provides more displayed Power but does not improve the team, they may not belong in the squad.

8. Do Not Choose Heroes by Power Alone

Power is useful for measuring progression, but it should not be the only factor when building a squad.

Consider:

• Hero Stars
• Hero Skills
• Hero role
• Troop type
• Equipment
• Exclusive Weapon
• Squad synergy
• Long-term usefulness

A lower-Power Hero can sometimes contribute more to the squad than a higher-Power Hero because their Skills or role fit the team better.

Build the strongest team, not the five strongest Heroes individually.

9. Choosing Your Main DPS

Your main damage dealer should receive significant investment.

Prioritize:

• Hero Stars
• Important Skills
• Offensive Equipment
• Exclusive Weapon
• Relevant combat bonuses
• Troops
• Research
• Drone support

Your main DPS is often one of the biggest sources of squad damage.

However, increasing DPS is only useful if the Hero survives long enough to deal that damage.

10. Protect Your Damage Dealers

One of the most common squad-building mistakes is focusing entirely on offensive stats.

A dead DPS deals no damage.

If your damage dealers are dying too early, consider improving:

• Frontline survivability
• Hero positioning
• Defensive Skills
• Support effects
• Equipment
• Research
• Drone bonuses

Sometimes the best way to increase your damage is to make your DPS survive longer.

11. Squad Formation

The standard formation contains:

Front Row - Position 1 - Position 2

Back Row - Position 3 - Position 4 - Position 5

The exact Hero placement depends on their Skills and combat mechanics.

As a general rule:

Front Row

Use:

• Defenders
• Durable Heroes
• Heroes that benefit from being targeted
• Heroes with frontline-specific mechanics

Back Row

Use:

• Attackers
• Fragile DPS Heroes
• Support Heroes
• Heroes that benefit from staying protected

For detailed positioning mechanics and formation testing, see the Hero Positioning & Formation Guide.

12. Troop-Type Counters

The three troop types interact through a counter system:

Tank → Missile
Missile → Aircraft
Aircraft → Tank

This is especially important in PvP.

If you have multiple developed squads, you can select the appropriate squad based on the enemy's troop type.

Example

Enemy: Missile → Use Tank when possible.

Enemy: Aircraft → Use Missile when possible.

Enemy: Tank → Use Aircraft when possible.

A type advantage can provide a meaningful combat advantage.

However, it does not guarantee victory.

A sufficiently stronger squad can still defeat a weaker squad even when the weaker squad has the type advantage.

For a complete explanation, see the Troop Counters Explained guide.

13. Equipment Allocation

Equipment should be assigned according to Hero role.

Defender

Prioritize:

• HP
• Defense
• Survivability
• Defensive stats

Attacker

Prioritize:

• Attack
• Offensive stats
• Damage-related attributes

Support

Prioritize the stats that allow the Hero to survive while continuing to provide their utility.

Your strongest Equipment should generally go to your main squad first.

Do not spread your best Equipment equally across every Hero simply to increase account Power.

For detailed Equipment priorities, see the Equipment Guide.

14. Hero Skills

Hero Skills can have a major impact on combat performance.

Do not upgrade every Skill equally just because it creates a balanced-looking Hero.

Instead, prioritize the Skills that define the Hero's role.

Defender

Prioritize important:

• Defensive Skills
• Damage mitigation
• Protection
• Survivability

Attacker

Prioritize:

• Main damage Skills
• Offensive scaling
• Damage amplification

Support

Prioritize:

• Important squad buffs
• Utility effects
• Support mechanics

For detailed Skill mechanics and upgrade priorities, see the Hero Skills & Skill Mechanics Guide.

15. Exclusive Weapons

Exclusive Weapons can significantly change a Hero's value.

They can:

• Increase Hero stats
• Strengthen Skills
• Add new effects
• Improve squad synergy
• Provide additional troop-type benefits

Therefore, when comparing Heroes, consider:

Hero + Skills + Exclusive Weapon

rather than looking only at their base stats or Power.

For detailed information, see the Exclusive Weapons Guide.

16. Troops Matter Too

Hero development is only one part of squad strength.

Your squad also depends on:

• Troop quantity
• Troop tier
• March capacity
• Troop development

A powerful Hero lineup with insufficient or underdeveloped troops will not perform at its full potential.

Keep your troop development aligned with your Hero development.

For detailed troop progression, see the Troop Development Guide.

17. Research and Squad Development

Research provides many account-wide combat bonuses.

It can improve:

• Hero stats
• Troop stats
• Attack
• Defense
• HP
• March Size
• Combat efficiency

Research should therefore support your main squad while also improving your overall account.

For detailed Research priorities and optimization, see the Research Optimization Guide.

18. Drone Support

Drone progression provides additional combat benefits to your squads.

Drone development can improve:

• Attack
• Defense
• HP
• Combat effects
• Skill Chip effects
• Squad performance

Your Drone should support the squads you use most frequently.

For detailed Drone progression, see the Drone Development Guide.

19. Building Your Second Squad

Your second squad should be developed after your main squad reaches a strong development point.

Do not build a second squad simply because you have enough Heroes to fill it.

A second squad becomes more valuable when:

• Your main squad is strong.
• You have enough resources.
• You have suitable Heroes.
• You have enough Equipment.
• You can support the necessary troops.
• Multiple squads provide meaningful value in your current content.

20. Building Multiple Squads

A common long-term structure is:

Squad 1 → Tank
Squad 2 → Aircraft
Squad 3 → Missile

This gives you access to all three troop types and allows you to respond to different enemy compositions.

However, developing three squads simultaneously is expensive.

Do not sacrifice your main squad's development simply to increase the Power of your secondary squads.

21. Common Squad Building Mistakes

Developing Too Many Heroes

Resources become divided and progression slows down.

Developing Multiple Squads Too Early

Several weak squads are usually less valuable than one strong main squad.

Choosing Heroes Only by Power

Displayed Power does not represent every aspect of Hero value.

Ignoring Troop Type

The wrong matchup can reduce combat effectiveness.

Breaking a Mono Squad Without a Reason

You may lose a valuable formation bonus without gaining enough in return.

Ignoring Hero Synergy

Strong individual Heroes can still create a weak team if their Skills do not work together.

Putting Fragile DPS in the Front Row

Unless a specific mechanic requires it, fragile damage dealers should generally remain protected in the Back Row.

Ignoring Support Heroes

A strong Support Hero can improve the performance of the entire squad.

Copying Another Player's Squad

Another player's setup may depend on:

• Different Hero Stars
• Different Skills
• Different Equipment
• Different Exclusive Weapons
• Different Research
• Different Drone
• Different Troops
• Different account progression

Copy the principle, not blindly the exact lineup.

22. Squad Optimization Checklist

If your squad is underperforming, check these areas:

• [ ] Correct troop type
• [ ] Appropriate counter matchup
• [ ] Strong formation bonus
• [ ] Correct Hero roles
• [ ] Frontline survivability
• [ ] DPS survival
• [ ] Hero Skills
• [ ] Equipment
• [ ] Exclusive Weapons
• [ ] Troop tier
• [ ] Troop quantity
• [ ] Research
• [ ] Drone
• [ ] Formation positioning
• [ ] Hero synergy

23. The Ideal Squad-Building Process

Use this process when creating or rebuilding a squad.

Step 1 — Choose the Troop Type

Decide whether the squad will be:

• Tank
• Aircraft
• Missile

Step 2 — Build Toward a Mono Squad

Whenever practical, use five Heroes of the same troop type.

Step 3 — Select Your Frontline

Choose your strongest defensive Heroes.

Step 4 — Select Your Backline

Choose your main DPS, secondary DPS, and Support Heroes.

Step 5 — Check Synergy

Make sure the Heroes' Skills work together.

Step 6 — Check Formation

Place Heroes according to their roles and Skill mechanics.

Step 7 — Allocate Equipment

Give the strongest appropriate Equipment to the Heroes that benefit from it most.

Step 8 — Upgrade Skills

Prioritize the Skills that have the greatest impact on each Hero's role.

Step 9 — Check Exclusive Weapons

Develop important Exclusive Weapons when they provide significant squad value.

Step 10 — Develop Troops

Keep troop quantity and tier aligned with your squad development.

Step 11 — Support the Squad

Use Research and Drone progression to strengthen the squad.

Step 12 — Test

Test your formation against appropriate opponents and PvE targets.

24. Final Rules

If you remember only a few things, remember these:

Rule 1

Build one strong main squad before spreading resources.

Rule 2

Aim for a Mono Squad whenever practical.

Rule 3

Do not choose Heroes by Power alone.

Rule 4

Protect your damage dealers.

Rule 5

Use Hero Skills and Squad Synergy to determine your lineup.

Rule 6

Use the troop counter system intelligently in PvP.

Rule 7

Invest your best resources into your main squad first.

Rule 8

Do not neglect Troops, Equipment, Research, or Drone.

Rule 9

Build secondary squads only after your main squad is sufficiently developed.

Rule 10

Optimize the squad for the content you are actually playing.

Summary

A strong squad in Last War: Survival is built through synergy, specialization, and efficient resource allocation.

The ideal squad combines:

• The right Heroes
• Matching troop type
• Strong troop-type synergy
• Appropriate Hero roles
• Proper formation
• Strong Skills
• Effective Equipment
• Exclusive Weapons
• Developed Troops
• Research
• Drone support

The most important principle is:

Do not build the strongest Heroes individually. Build the strongest team together.

Once your main squad is strong and optimized, begin developing your secondary squads and specialized troop types.

For the detailed mechanics behind each system, continue with the dedicated LWAgent guides.