Equipment & Gear Guide

Equipment is one of the most important systems for improving Hero performance in Last War: Survival.

A strong Hero with poor Equipment will not reach their full potential. Gear improves important combat statistics and can make a significant difference in both PvE and PvP battles.

Understanding how to manage Equipment is essential for building stronger squads and using your resources efficiently.

How Equipment Works

Hero Equipment improves combat performance through additional stats.

Equipment affects:

• Attack
• Defense
• Health
• Overall Hero effectiveness

The value of Equipment depends on:

• Hero role
• Equipment quality
• Upgrade level
• Equipment piece
• Squad placement
• How often the Hero is used

Your strongest Equipment should usually be assigned to the Heroes in your main combat squad.

Equipment Types and Slots

Equipment should be viewed as a complete setup rather than as individual items.

Different Equipment pieces provide different types of combat value.

When building a Hero, consider:

• Which stats the Hero needs most
• Whether the Hero is dealing damage or absorbing damage
• Whether the Hero needs additional survivability
• Whether the Equipment supports the Hero's role

Do not judge an Equipment piece only by its total Power increase.

The most useful Equipment is the Equipment that improves the Hero's actual job in the squad.

Equipment Stats

Equipment improves the combat statistics of the Hero wearing it.

The most important stats generally fall into three categories:

Offensive Stats

Offensive stats improve a Hero's ability to deal damage.

These are particularly valuable for:

• Main DPS Heroes
• Damage-focused Heroes
• Heroes whose Skills scale with offensive statistics

Defensive Stats

Defensive stats improve survivability.

They are particularly important for:

• Frontline Heroes
• Defenders
• Heroes that are frequently targeted
• Heroes that need to survive for their Skills to remain active

Health and Survivability

Health increases how much damage a Hero can withstand before being defeated.

Survivability can be especially valuable when your damage dealers are dying before they can fully contribute.

Equipment Priority by Hero Role

Equipment should be matched to the role of the Hero.

Damage Heroes

Damage Heroes generally benefit the most from offensive Equipment.

Prioritize:

• Attack improvements
• Damage-focused stats
• Offensive upgrades
• Equipment that increases their combat impact

The goal is to maximize their ability to deal damage while keeping enough survivability to remain active.

A DPS Hero that dies early cannot make use of additional offensive stats.

Frontline Heroes

Frontline Heroes require Equipment that improves survivability.

Prioritize:

• Defense
• Health
• Damage resistance
• Other defensive improvements

A strong frontline allows your damage dealers and Support Heroes to survive longer.

The strongest offensive Equipment should not automatically go to your frontline if doing so causes the frontline to collapse too quickly.

Support Heroes

Support Heroes should have enough survivability to continue providing their utility.

Prioritize:

• Survival
• Useful stat improvements
• Equipment that supports their role
• Enough durability to remain active

A Support Hero does not necessarily need the same offensive investment as your main DPS.

Equipment Quality

Higher-quality Equipment provides stronger bonuses.

Improving Equipment quality can increase:

• Base stats
• Combat effectiveness
• Hero performance

Your best Equipment should normally be reserved for the Heroes that provide the greatest value to your main squads.

Do not spread your highest-quality Equipment across many Heroes simply to increase overall Power.

Equipment Upgrades

Upgrading Equipment improves its combat value.

Important upgrades should focus on:

• Main squad Heroes
• Frequently used Heroes
• Key damage dealers
• Important frontline Heroes
• Heroes that are central to your current progression

Avoid investing heavily into Heroes that are rarely used or likely to be replaced soon.

Upgrade Principle

When resources are limited:

Main Squad > Secondary Squad

A smaller number of highly developed Equipment pieces is generally more useful than many partially upgraded pieces.

Equipment Distribution

A common mistake is spreading the best Equipment across too many Heroes.

A better approach is:

1. Fully develop the Equipment of your main combat Heroes.
2. Prioritize the Heroes that have the greatest impact.
3. Complete the important Equipment pieces of the main squad.
4. Expand Equipment investment to secondary squads later.

A strong main team is usually more valuable than several incomplete teams.

Who Should Get Your Best Equipment?

When deciding which Hero should receive your best Equipment, consider:

1. How Important Is the Hero?

Main squad Heroes should normally receive priority.

2. How Much Does the Hero Contribute?

A main DPS or essential frontline Hero may provide more value from an upgrade than a rarely used Support Hero.

3. How Developed Is the Hero?

High-quality Equipment is most valuable when the Hero is already heavily invested in.

4. Will You Keep Using the Hero?

Avoid heavily investing in temporary Heroes if you expect to replace them soon.

5. Does the Equipment Match the Role?

An Equipment upgrade should improve what the Hero is supposed to do.

Main Squad Equipment Strategy

Your main squad should receive the majority of your Equipment resources.

A practical progression is:

Main DPS
    ↓
Main Frontline
    ↓
Important Support / Secondary DPS
    ↓
Secondary Squad

This is a general guideline rather than an absolute rule.

Your actual priority should depend on which Hero is currently limiting your squad's performance.

For example, if your frontline dies immediately, improving its survivability may provide more value than giving additional offensive stats to an already strong DPS.

Equipment for Secondary Squads

Secondary squads should normally receive Equipment after your main squad has reached a strong development level.

Avoid taking partially upgraded Equipment from your main squad simply to make a secondary squad look stronger.

Instead:

• Finish important main-squad Equipment first.
• Reuse Equipment intelligently when appropriate.
• Develop secondary Equipment gradually.
• Prioritize secondary Heroes that are actually used.

The goal is to increase real combat effectiveness rather than simply increase displayed Power.

Offensive vs Defensive Equipment

One of the most important Equipment decisions is finding the correct balance between damage and survivability.

When to Prioritize Offense

Prioritize offensive Equipment when:

• Your damage dealers survive comfortably.
• Your squad lacks damage.
• You need to eliminate enemy Heroes faster.
• The Hero is primarily a DPS unit.

When to Prioritize Defense

Prioritize defensive Equipment when:

• Your frontline dies too quickly.
• Your DPS is being eliminated early.
• Your Support Heroes cannot stay alive.
• The squad has enough damage but lacks survivability.

The Goal

Do not maximize one category blindly.

The objective is:

Enough survivability to stay active + enough offense to win the fight.

Equipment and Hero Synergy

Equipment works together with the rest of your Hero development.

Important systems include:

• Hero level
• Hero Stars
• Hero Skills
• Exclusive Weapons
• Troop type
• Formation
• Research
• Drone
• Troops

Equipment should therefore be considered part of the complete Hero build.

A Hero with excellent Equipment but weak Skills may still underperform.

Likewise, a highly developed Hero may not reach their potential if their Equipment is neglected.

Equipment and Hero Skills

Equipment and Skills should complement each other.

For example:

• A damage-focused Hero benefits from offensive investment.
• A defensive Hero benefits from survivability.
• A Support Hero needs enough durability to continue providing team benefits.

When deciding between two Equipment upgrades, consider which one improves the Hero's actual combat function.

Do not automatically choose the item with the largest displayed Power increase.

Equipment and Formation

Formation affects how Heroes experience combat.

Frontline Heroes are generally exposed to more incoming damage and therefore often benefit more from survivability.

Backline Heroes are usually more protected and can therefore focus more heavily on their intended role.

However, specific Hero Skills and combat mechanics can change the ideal setup.

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

Equipment and Troop Type

Equipment is part of a larger squad strategy.

Your Hero's troop type determines the squad they belong to:

• Tank
• Aircraft
• Missile

The Equipment setup should support the Hero's role within that squad.

When building multiple squads, avoid treating all Heroes as identical.

A Tank frontline and an Aircraft DPS may require very different Equipment priorities.

For the full troop counter system, see the Troop Counters Explained guide.

Equipment and Exclusive Weapons

Exclusive Weapons can significantly change the value of a Hero.

When evaluating an Equipment investment, consider the complete Hero:

Hero + Skills + Equipment + Exclusive Weapon

An Equipment upgrade may become more valuable when the Hero has strong Skills or an important Exclusive Weapon.

Likewise, an Equipment investment may have lower priority if the Hero is only temporarily being used.

For detailed Exclusive Weapon information, see the Exclusive Weapons Guide.

Equipment and Research

Research provides additional account-wide combat bonuses.

Research and Equipment should be developed together rather than treating them as completely separate systems.

A well-developed Hero benefits from:

• Strong Equipment
• Strong Research
• Strong Skills
• Strong Troops
• Strong Drone support

For detailed Research priorities, see the Research Optimization Guide.

Equipment and Drone

Drone progression provides additional combat benefits to your squads.

Drone development can improve the value of your entire squad, while Equipment directly strengthens individual Heroes.

This means that Equipment should be optimized at the Hero level while Drone development supports the squad as a whole.

For detailed Drone progression, see the Drone Development Guide.

When Should You Upgrade Equipment?

Upgrade Equipment when the improvement provides meaningful value to a Hero you actively use.

Good opportunities include:

• Strengthening your main DPS
• Improving frontline survivability
• Preparing for important PvP content
• Improving a frequently used squad
• Reaching an important Equipment milestone

Avoid upgrading an item simply because you have enough resources available.

Always consider the opportunity cost.

When Should You Replace Equipment?

Consider replacing or reallocating Equipment when:

• A much stronger piece becomes available.
• The current Equipment no longer fits the Hero.
• You replace the Hero.
• You change your main squad.
• A secondary squad needs temporary Equipment for specific content.

Before making a change, compare the actual combat value rather than only the displayed Power.

Equipment Transfer and Reallocation

Equipment should not be moved constantly between Heroes.

Frequent changes can make it difficult to maintain consistent squad development.

Move Equipment when the change creates a meaningful improvement, such as:

• Replacing a weak main-squad item.
• Changing your main Hero lineup.
• Moving from a temporary Hero to a permanent Hero.
• Preparing a specific squad for important content.

A good Equipment setup should remain stable until there is a clear reason to change it.

Equipment for PvE

PvE content can have different requirements from PvP.

In PvE, you may prioritize:

• Consistent damage
• Long-term survivability
• Reliable performance
• The ability to clear content efficiently

If a PvE target has high durability, improving your main DPS may provide significant value.

If your squad cannot survive the encounter, defensive upgrades may be more important.

Equipment for PvP

PvP introduces additional considerations.

You may need to account for:

• Enemy troop type
• Enemy squad composition
• Enemy damage
• Your frontline survivability
• Your ability to eliminate enemy Heroes quickly

Equipment should support the matchup you are actually facing.

For example, if your squad already deals enough damage but your frontline collapses immediately, defensive Equipment may provide a greater improvement than additional offensive investment.

Equipment for Rallies

Rally combat can involve different squad requirements than normal individual battles.

When preparing for rallies:

• Use your strongest appropriate Heroes.
• Prioritize Equipment on your most important combat Heroes.
• Make sure your frontline can survive.
• Make sure your damage dealers can contribute consistently.
• Coordinate your squad composition with the role you are filling.

Do not build Equipment only around displayed Power.

Focus on the actual contribution your squad provides.

Equipment Optimization by Role

A simple framework is:

DEFENDER
→ Survivability
→ Defense
→ Health
→ Damage resistance

DPS
→ Attack
→ Damage
→ Offensive scaling
→ Enough survivability to remain active

SUPPORT
→ Survivability
→ Useful combat stats
→ Maintain utility

This is a guideline, not a rigid rule.

Specific Heroes can have unique mechanics that change the ideal Equipment setup.

Common Equipment Mistakes

Upgrading Every Hero Equally

Resources become divided and your strongest Heroes progress more slowly.

Ignoring Equipment

Hero level alone does not determine combat strength.

Giving Equipment Without Considering Roles

Every Hero has a different purpose.

Chasing Power

The highest displayed Power increase is not always the best combat improvement.

Spreading High-Quality Equipment Too Early

Giving strong Equipment to too many Heroes can leave your main squad underdeveloped.

Over-Investing in Temporary Heroes

Avoid spending large amounts of resources on Heroes you expect to replace soon.

Making Constant Changes

Repeatedly moving Equipment between Heroes can slow long-term development.

Ignoring Survivability

More damage does not help if your Hero dies before using their Skills effectively.

Ignoring Damage

A squad can also become too defensive.

If your team survives but cannot eliminate the enemy, offensive investment may be required.

Building Secondary Squads Too Early

Secondary squads should not prevent your main squad from reaching an important development level.

Practical Equipment Upgrade Strategy

When you receive new Equipment or resources, use the following process.

Step 1 — Identify the Hero

Which Hero will use the Equipment?

Step 2 — Identify the Role

Is the Hero:

• Defender?
• DPS?
• Support?

Step 3 — Compare the Current Equipment

Check the actual improvement rather than only the Power number.

Step 4 — Check Long-Term Use

Will the Hero remain in your main squad?

Step 5 — Check Resource Cost

Could the same resources provide a larger improvement somewhere else?

Step 6 — Upgrade

If the Equipment provides meaningful value, invest.

Step 7 — Reassess the Squad

After the upgrade, check whether the Hero's survivability, damage, or overall performance improved.

Equipment Optimization Checklist

Before investing heavily into Equipment, check:

• [ ] Is the Hero part of my main squad?
• [ ] Is the Hero likely to remain in my lineup?
• [ ] Does the Equipment match the Hero's role?
• [ ] Am I improving offense or survivability where it is actually needed?
• [ ] Is the Equipment high enough quality to justify investment?
• [ ] Will this upgrade provide meaningful combat value?
• [ ] Am I neglecting another important main-squad Hero?
• [ ] Am I spreading resources too widely?
• [ ] Does the Equipment work well with the Hero's Skills?
• [ ] Does the Hero have an important Exclusive Weapon?
• [ ] Is the upgrade relevant to the content I am currently playing?

Equipment Priority

For most players, a good general priority is:

1. Main damage Heroes
2. Main frontline Heroes
3. Important Support Heroes
4. Secondary DPS
5. Secondary squads
6. Rarely used Heroes

This is not an absolute ranking.

If your main DPS already has excellent Equipment while your frontline is dying immediately, upgrading the frontline may provide a larger improvement.

Always prioritize the current weakness of your squad.

Improving Equipment Efficiency

To maximize Equipment value:

• Focus on your main squad.
• Match Equipment to Hero roles.
• Upgrade important pieces first.
• Avoid wasting resources on unused Heroes.
• Balance offensive and defensive needs.
• Consider long-term Hero usage.
• Avoid unnecessary Equipment transfers.
• Upgrade according to actual combat needs.
• Do not chase Power for its own sake.
• Expand into secondary squads only when your main squad is sufficiently developed.

Final Equipment Rules

If you remember only a few things, remember these:

Rule 1

Your best Equipment should usually go to your main squad.

Rule 2

Match Equipment to the Hero's role.

Rule 3

Do not choose Equipment based only on displayed Power.

Rule 4

Your DPS needs damage, but it also needs enough survivability to stay alive.

Rule 5

Your frontline needs enough survivability to protect the squad.

Rule 6

Do not spread your best Equipment across too many Heroes too early.

Rule 7

Avoid heavily investing in temporary Heroes.

Rule 8

Do not constantly move Equipment between Heroes.

Rule 9

Consider Skills, Exclusive Weapons, Formation, Research, Drone, and Troops when optimizing Equipment.

Rule 10

Upgrade the part of your squad that is currently limiting performance.

Summary

Equipment is one of the main systems that determines Hero effectiveness in Last War: Survival.

A powerful squad requires more than high-level Heroes.

The strongest results come from combining:

• Strong Heroes
• Proper Equipment
• Correct Skills
• Good Formation
• Appropriate Troop Type
• Exclusive Weapons
• Developed Troops
• Research
• Drone progression

The most important Equipment principle is:

Do not simply give your best Equipment to your strongest Hero. Give the right Equipment to the Heroes that provide the greatest value to your squad.

Build your main squad first, match Equipment to each Hero's role, invest resources carefully, and expand your Equipment development only when your primary squad is sufficiently strong.

For more detailed information, continue with the dedicated Hero Development, Hero Skills & Skill Mechanics, Hero Positioning & Formation, Exclusive Weapons, Research Optimization, and Drone Development guides.