No more "new hero every month."
The game now has 18 final heroes. Three unit types. Six combo trios. Hero Swap lets you trade in any old hero you've leveled and move all that progress onto one of the 18.
How a swap works in 4 steps
The rules to know before you swap
Allowed
- Army hero to Army target
- Air hero to Air target
- Navy hero to Navy target
- Hero must be in Base, not on a march
Not allowed
- Mixing unit types
- Swapping to a target someone already swapped to
- Undoing a swap. It's permanent.
What moves to the target
Both equipped and in your bag
Everything spent to 5-star the source hero
All the XP you spent leveling the source
Resets to 1 star, Lv. 1 with 10 Shards
Watch out: Talents (Perks) swap too
The source hero and target hero swap their perks. The perks are not actually lost, just hidden on the hero that is reset. There will be light blue arrow icons on the hero portrait when exchanging perks in the future, to identify these heroes.
Tip: Use Exchange Talent in-game to move perks back to the hero you want them on.
Who can I swap to? The 18 targets.
Each army type has 6 targets grouped into 2 trios of 3. When all 3 trio heroes are in the same march, a trio bonus kicks in.
What is awakening?
A new way to level up your best heroes. Each awakened hero gets up to +240,000 Combat Power. Right now only 6 Phase I heroes can be awakened.
To awaken a hero, you need:
Plus 1 Awakening Card for that specific hero.
How you get Awakening Cards
Each card awakens one hero. That's why awakening is the slow part. You can't rush it without buying cards.
The 18 awakening heroes
Phase I is live on Server 2864. Phase II and III heroes show as muted cards until their phase opens, but they're already valid Hero Swap targets right now.
You'll spend two different things
Awakening uses two separate currencies. Don't mix them up.
What it does: Levels up the 4 awakening skills (Tier 1 to 10).
Where to get it: Path of Awakening event, Grand Slam vouchers, mail.
Key milestone: 675 stones to push one skill from Tier 1 to Tier 6 (the big payoff).
What it does: Raises that hero's Awakening Level from 1 to 40 (which unlocks the 4 skills).
Where to get it: Same Hero Shards and Lv. 1 Hero Exclusive Skills you already use for that hero. Lv. 1 to 9 of the meter needs only Hero Shards. Lv. 10 onward also needs Lv. 1 Hero Skills (each Lv. 1 skill is crafted from 25 Exclusive Skill Shards, so 740 chips = 18,500 shards if you have to craft them).
Key milestone: Awakening Lv. 30 unlocks Skill 4 (all 4 open).
Beyond Tier 10? There's more progression past Tier 10 on each skill (more sub-levels using the same Awakening Stones, around 39,900 stones per hero for the full extension). Most players will be far from Tier 10 for a long time. Worry about this later.
The 4 awakening skills unlock as you level up
You don't get all 4 skills at once. Your Awakening Level unlocks them one at a time.
Each skill levels up by Tier
Once a skill unlocks at Tier 1, you spend Awakening Stones to push it up. Max is Tier 10. The big payoff sits at Tier 6.
Pick one march. Push one hero at a time. Get each skill to Tier 6 before starting the next one.
- Pick one trio in your strongest unit type.
- Awaken those 3 heroes and push each to Awakening Lv. 30.
- Take Skill 1 to Tier 6, then Skill 2, then 3, then 4.
- Only after all that, worry about Lv. 40 or ES7.
Quick currency reminder
The big questions
Stones and Hero Exclusive Skills are expensive. Here's how to spend them wisely.
When should I stop pushing Awakening Level?
Stop at Awakening Lv. 30.
Why? Lv. 30 unlocks all 4 skills. After that, every level costs 50 Hero Shards plus 40 Hero Exclusive Skills for only +2,000 Combat Power. Those Exclusive Skills are better spent elsewhere.
ES5 or ES7?
Start with ES5. Save ES7 for later.
ES5 needs 81 Hero Exclusive Skills. ES7 needs 729. That's 9 times more.
Those same Hero Exclusive Skills also fuel Awakening Lv. 10 to 40. The extra 648 you'd spend on ES7 could pay for 20+ Awakening Levels instead. ES7 boosts every awakening skill's buff, but only after those skills exist.
One strong march or many small ones?
One focused march wins.
A fully awakened hero gives +240,000 Combat Power. A whole march of them adds up to +1.2 million Combat Power.
The combo trio buff only activates when all 3 trio heroes are in the same march together. Spread them out and the bonus disappears.
What order should I do this in?
For each hero you pick, follow these steps in order:
- Get them to 5 stars, Lv. 120, ES5
- Use 1 Awakening Card to awaken
- Push Awakening Level to 30 (all 4 skills unlock)
- Skill 1 to Tier 6, 675 stones
- Skill 2 to Tier 6, 675 stones
- Skill 3 to Tier 6, 675 stones
- Skill 4 to Tier 6, 675 stones
- Later: ES7, Tier 10s, Lv. 40, sub-track grind
What's the best Awakening Stone deal?
The $4.99 pass is the best price per stone.
The Path of Awakening event (runs monthly) has three tiers. The $19.99 deluxe only unlocks after you buy the $4.99 pass, so going all-in costs $24.98.
| Path | Stones each event | Total $ | Cost per stone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free only | 15 | $0 | . |
| Buy $4.99 pass best deal | 120 | $4.99 | $0.04 |
| Buy both ($4.99 + $19.99) | 369 | $24.98 | $0.07 |
How long until you hit Tier 6? (event runs monthly):
| Your spend | 1 skill to Tier 6 | All 4 to Tier 6 | All 4 to Tier 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free only | 45 mo | 180 mo | 600 mo |
| $4.99 / mo | ~6 months | ~2 years | ~6 years |
| $24.98 / mo | ~2 months | ~7 months | ~2 years |
Real timelines are faster. Grand Slam Vouchers also redeem 1-for-1 for stones (up to 6,000 per Grand Slam event).
Calculators
Plug in your numbers and see exactly how many stones, shards, or months you need. Pick a calculator below.
Build a hero and see the total stat boost
Pick one of the 6 Phase I heroes, set their Awakening Level, ES Level, and each of the 4 skill tiers. The total Combat Power gain and applied buffs update live.
Awakening Stones for all 4 skills across the chosen heroes.
Set the current level of each of the 4 skills, choose a uniform target level, and the multiplier across heroes. Skill unlock gates: Skill 1 = Awakening Lv. 1 · Skill 2 = Lv. 10 · Skill 3 = Lv. 20 · Skill 4 = Lv. 30.
Per-tier reference
All 4 awakening skills share the same cost ladder. Each upgrade is 5 pulls; the per-pull cost is in the first column. Tier 1 is free — it unlocks automatically when the skill's Awakening Level gate is hit.
| Upgrade | Per pull | Per tier (x5) | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 unlock | — | 0 | 0 |
| Tier 1 to 2 | 15 | 75 | 75 |
| Tier 2 to 3 | 15 | 75 | 150 |
| Tier 3 to 4 | 30 | 150 | 300 |
| Tier 4 to 5 | 30 | 150 | 450 |
| Tier 5 to 6 (bonus effect) | 45 | 225 | 675 |
| Tier 6 to 7 | 45 | 225 | 900 |
| Tier 7 to 8 | 60 | 300 | 1,200 |
| Tier 8 to 9 | 80 | 400 | 1,600 |
| Tier 9 to 10 (max) | 130 | 650 | 2,250 |
Maxing one skill from unlock to Tier 10 costs 2,250 Awakening Stones. All 4 skills on one hero = 9,000. The big payoff is at Tier 6 (675 stones) because each skill unlocks its bonus effect there.
Awakening Skills: Tier Upgrade Costs
One ladder, shared by all 4 awakening skills. Each tier upgrade is 5 pulls; per-pull cost is in the first column, per-tier total in the second. Tier 1 is free — it unlocks automatically when the skill's Awakening Level gate is reached.
Full breakdown
| Upgrade | Per pull | Per tier (x5) | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 unlock | — | 0 | 0 |
| Tier 1 to 2 | 15 | 75 | 75 |
| Tier 2 to 3 | 15 | 75 | 150 |
| Tier 3 to 4 | 30 | 150 | 300 |
| Tier 4 to 5 | 30 | 150 | 450 |
| Tier 5 to 6 (bonus effect) | 45 | 225 | 675 |
| Tier 6 to 7 | 45 | 225 | 900 |
| Tier 7 to 8 | 60 | 300 | 1,200 |
| Tier 8 to 9 | 80 | 400 | 1,600 |
| Tier 9 to 10 (max) | 130 | 650 | 2,250 |
Awakening Level 0 to 40
The 40-level meter is fueled by 2 per-hero items.
- Hero Shards — the same shards you used to summon and 5-star this hero. Spent on every level 1 to 40.
- Lv. 1 Hero Exclusive Skills — the same Lv. 1 skill chips you use to level this hero's Exclusive Skill. Spent on levels 10 to 40 only. Each Lv. 1 chip is crafted from 25 Exclusive Skill Shards, so the table below also shows what that would cost in shards if you have to craft them.
Per-band reference
5 pulls per level. Lv. 1 to 9 needs Hero Shards only.
| Level band | Hero Shards / lvl | Lv. 1 Skills / lvl | Band totals | Skills as Shards |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 to 9 | 10 | 0 | 90 sh + 0 sk | 0 |
| 10 to 19 | 20 | 10 | 200 sh + 100 sk | 2,500 |
| 20 to 29 | 30 | 20 | 300 sh + 200 sk | 5,000 |
| 30 to 40 (11 lvls) | 50 | 40 | 550 sh + 440 sk | 11,000 |
| 0 to 40 total | — | — | 1,140 sh + 740 sk | 18,500 |
"Skills as Shards" = Lv. 1 Hero Exclusive Skills priced at the 25 shard craft rate. If you already have the Lv. 1 chips sitting in your bag from prior events, you spend those directly and the shard column does not apply.
Beyond Tier 10. Late-game skill extension.
Each maxed skill unlocks 2 sub-tracks of 200 sub-levels each. Costs ramp at L50/100/150, with L200 free. Same Awakening Stone currency as the 1 to 10 ladder.
| Sub-level range | Stones / sub-level | Sub-levels | Stones in range | CP in range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 – 49 | 50 | 49 | 2,450 | +4,900 |
| 50 – 99 | 80 | 50 | 4,000 | +5,000 |
| 100 – 149 | 120 | 50 | 6,000 | +5,000 |
| 150 – 199 | 150 | 50 | 7,500 | +5,000 |
| 200 (free) | 0 | 1 | 0 | +100 |
| One sub-track total | — | 200 | 19,950 | +20,000 |
| Both sub-tracks | — | 400 | 39,900 | +40,000 |
Side-by-side hero compare
Pick any two Phase I heroes and a skill level; see all 4 awakening skills next to each other plus the total Combat Power and Team Combat Power at that level.
Phase budget planner
All numbers per-hero or per-phase totals, ready to copy into a planning sheet.
| Goal | Skill stones | Sub-track stones | Total stones | CP gain |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 hero, 4 skills to Lv. 10 | 9,000 | 0 | 9,000 | +120,000 |
| 1 hero, full sub-tracks (after Tier 10) | 0 | 39,900 | 39,900 | +40,000 |
| 1 hero, everything | 9,000 | 39,900 | 48,900 | +160,000 |
| 6 Phase I heroes, skills only | 54,000 | 0 | 54,000 | +720,000 |
| 6 Phase I heroes, everything | 54,000 | 239,400 | 293,400 | +960,000 |
| All 18 awakening heroes, skills only | 162,000 | 0 | 162,000 | +2,160,000 |
| All 18 heroes, everything (with sub-tracks) | 162,000 | 718,200 | 880,200 | +2,880,000 |
Plus a separate 1,140 Hero Shards + 740 Hero Exclusive Skills per hero for the Awakening Level 0 to 40 climb (+80,000 CP each). Those are per-hero items, not shared between heroes.