Last War: The best beginner strategy for your first 24 hours

Just starting Last War: Survival? The first 24 hours are super important for your progress. In this guide, I’ll give you 7 essential tips to grow quickly, avoid being plundered by other players, and get a strong start in the game.

1. Start expanding your base area

Right after starting Last War Survival, your top priority should be clearing the zombie-occupied blocks around your base. Doing this not only makes room for expansion but also unlocks important features early on. As you clear more blocks, you’ll quickly unlock the drone, rescue Monica, and gain access to new construction areas that allow your city to grow.

The great news is that with the latest game updates, clearing districts now rewards players with twice as many rewards, plus SSR heroes like Farhad and Sarah, after clearing the first 20 district blocks.

These rewards make the early expansion phase more rewarding than ever, giving you a real head start in building a strong foundation.

Expanding your base area is also vital because space fills up fast. As you progress, you’ll construct new buildings, training facilities, and resource production structures that are all essential for faster growth. Without expanding, your base will quickly run out of room, slowing your development and resource income.

2. Track your progress with a planner

One of the most overlooked parts of progressing efficiently in Last War Survival is tracking your progress. Many new players focus on upgrading buildings and leveling heroes but forget how powerful it is actually to see their growth.

Having a clear record of what’s improving each day helps you set smarter goals, stay organized, and spot what’s slowing you down; whether it’s weak heroes, slow tech research, or unbalanced squads.

That’s where printable planners make a huge difference. They give you a simple, visual way to track your journey without relying on in-game menus that can get messy fast.

For example, our Hero Progression Printable Kit lets you record each hero’s levels, stats, skills, and tiers, while also helping you plan future upgrades. You can even log how your heroes perform in PvP, PvE, or monster battles to see which ones truly carry your team.

If you’re more interested in overall power growth, the Power Tracker Printable Kit includes a detailed Power Breakdown Tracker to monitor which power sections need improvements, whether it’s heroes, buildings, drone, techs, overlord, or units. It also includes a Weekly Power Progress Log where you can record how your total squad power changes over time. 

By updating your tracker once or twice a day, you’ll quickly notice patterns in your progress and learn where to focus your time and resources.It’s a small daily habit that gives you a huge advantage in the long run and keeps you motivated through your first 24 hours and beyond.

3. Level up only a few good heroes

One of the most common mistakes new players make in Last War: Survival is spreading their resources too thin by upgrading every hero they get. It’s important to understand that there’s no single “best hero” in the game; each one has unique skills and utility. Winning battles depends on several factors: your heroes’ classes, their skill levels, the type of opponents you’re facing, and their equipment.

As a beginner, your main goal should be to build one strong squad, rather than trying to upgrade two or three squads simultaneously. And since one squad can only hold up to five heroes, it’s much more efficient to use your Hero XP, equipment, and resources on those five. This ensures that your main lineup becomes powerful enough to handle both campaign battles and early PvP fights.

Avoid spending Hero EXP on blue heroes

Next, as they’re the weakest and will soon be replaced by stronger SSR and UR heroes. Every bit of Hero EXP matters early on, and wasting it on low-tier heroes will slow down your overall progress.

The best class for beginners is the Tank class. These heroes are not only durable but also easy to obtain early in the game. You’ll quickly unlock Mason, Monica, Violet, and Farhad, giving you a solid lineup right from the start. If you decide to make the Initial Buy purchase, you’ll also receive Kimberly, but more on this below.

Another reason to prioritize Tank heroes is the Tank Center, a special building that boosts tank hero stats. It becomes available as early as Headquarters level 6, while the Missile Vehicle and Aircraft Centers unlock later at Headquarters levels 11 and 12. This early access allows you to strengthen your main squad much faster.

As you progress, you’ll also unlock Sarah and several other UR heroes, but these early SSR Tanks form the perfect starting foundation. Focus your upgrades on them, and you’ll set yourself up for a powerful start in Last War Survival.

4. Finish Chapter Progress and daily tasks

Chapter Progress tasks will guide you through the early stages of the game, helping you learn the basics while earning valuable rewards like resources, speedups, and even a few extra units to strengthen your army. Once you finish the Chapter Progress missions, they’ll be replaced by Main Tasks, which continue to provide steady rewards as you expand your base and reach new milestones.

Equally important are your daily tasks, which reset every day and offer some of the best consistent rewards in the game. Each completed task earns points, and your goal should always be to reach the maximum of 200 points to unlock all five chests displayed at the top of the daily task screen. 

These chests often contain useful resources, boosts, and sometimes rare event items that can make a big difference in your progress. For example, during Season 2, these chests include various food ingredients for the Polar Dishes event, which will offer you plenty of Coal and other valuable rewards. Check out our Season 2 guide for more details.

5. Get Kimberly from the Initial Pack

If you plan to spend a little money on Last War Survival, the Initial Buy pack is by far the best deal to start with. It gives you a massive boost in the early game, helping you clear district blocks faster and defeat enemies with ease.

The main reason this pack is so valuable is Kimberly, one of the best damage dealers in the entire game. She’s incredibly effective in both PvE and PvP battles, and pairing her with your early tank heroes makes your progress much smoother.

The pack also includes 10 recruitment tickets, giving you a chance to pull more strong heroes early on, along with 100 gems and 100 VIP points, both of which contribute to faster progression. Another underrated bonus is the ability to upload your own avatar, letting you stand out with a custom profile instead of using one of the three default images.

If you’re willing to spend a bit more, there are a few other packs worth considering for small spenders. The second building queue is one of the best long-term purchases, as it allows you to upgrade two buildings simultaneously, a huge advantage for early growth. Once you reach Headquarters level 5, you can also consider buying the Eternal Pyramid or Murphy’s Gift packs. Both offer great value.

6. Join an active alliance early on

Joining an alliance in Last War: Survival isn’t just about finding teammates; it’s about unlocking half the game’s potential. The earlier you join an active alliance, the faster you’ll grow and the safer your base will be. Lone players often struggle to progress efficiently and quickly become targets for stronger commanders.

Being part of an alliance means you can both offer and receive help with building and research upgrades, saving hours of waiting time every day. You’ll also gain access to alliance-exclusive events and rewards, including major ones like the Seasons (with Season 5 being the latest as of October 2025), which require alliance participation to earn ranking points and valuable loot.

But one of the most important perks is the Alliance Shop, where you can buy essential items such as teleporters, shields, and speedups using Contribution Points instead of red diamonds. This helps you save your gems for crucial upgrades like VIP levels or premium items later on.

And don’t underestimate the power of defense. Top alliances on most servers form agreements like NAP10, meaning the top ten alliances agree not to attack each other. If you join one early, you’ll enjoy protection, stability, and access to coordinated group strategies that make the game far more rewarding.

To join an alliance, you must first build the Alliance Support Hub, which becomes available from Headquarters level 5. After that, a window will pop up and you have 2 options: tap the join button and you’ll automatically be accepted to a random alliance, or tap the alliance list and pick one alliance that suits you well. I recommend this option. 

The most important aspect when choosing an alliance is the Power, but you should also take into consideration the number of members; the more members, the better, as they will help you decrease the duration for your building and tech research upgrades.

7. Prioritize essential building upgrades

There are plenty of buildings to upgrade in Last War Survival, but not all of them deserve your attention early on. In the first 24 hours, your main goal should be upgrading only the essential buildings needed to raise your Headquarters to higher levels. Your Headquarters is the heart of your base, and almost every important feature in the game is locked behind specific HQ levels, including leveling up your heroes.

Key structures such as the Barracks should always be among your top priorities since it allows you to unlock higher-tier units, making your squads stronger in both defense and offense. The Drill Ground is equally important because it increases the number of troops you can send in each march, which has a direct impact on your overall power.

Another important building is the Alliance Support Hub, which lets your alliance members help speed up your construction and research times, a massive time-saver when combined with active alliance participation.

Don’t forget to upgrade your Wall, as it’s a frequent requirement for advancing the Headquarters. It also improves your city’s defenses, reducing the risk of being easily defeated during attacks and randomly teleported on the map. 

There are a few other structures that become necessary at higher HQ levels, but the idea is simple: don’t waste time and resources on unnecessary upgrades early on. Focus on what’s required to push your Headquarters higher as fast as possible.