Start by separating the three upgrade paths
Level uses EXP, rank uses trophies, grade/colour uses medals. Fix active-team level/trophy gaps while focusing medals on one main and at most one secondary goal. Grade does not unlock a skill still gated by rank.
The early account in your Telegram reference
The video shows Oath Keeper Lv26, Trickster Lv24, Death Archer Lv21, Prima Donna and Snow Queen Lv20. First bring the healer, frontline and control up with the active team; existing Death Archer/Trickster provide physical damage. Do not wait for an unowned Rose Knight to progress.
Storm Fox Lv3 is also visible: recruitment alone does not make her better than a developed Hero. Check level, rank and sustainable medal access. This is a member’s question in the official Telegram group, not developer advice.
Levels/ranks now, medals for a defined role
- First: five available Heroes, a healer/tank that keep pace, required skills unlocked. Trophy level gates—not a universal number—control rank progress.
- Next: main goal Hero → Epic as an interim goal → Legendary for long-term use. These are planning milestones, not guaranteed-clear minima.
- Later: Lv60/Rank8 where available, Battle Spirit and Armaments under a separate budget. Saga does not replace early campaign progress or make old tier lists current.
My priority and medal plan
Choose a goal and a Hero you can realistically develop. This is a manual browser plan, not connected-account analysis or automated combat.
Medals by step: recruit 10 → green 20 → blue 50 → purple 100 → gold 150. White → gold = 320; including recruitment = 330. Trophies and EXP are not included.
“Event” does not mean available now or fast free Legendary. Premium source does not require a new purchase if the Hero is already owned.
Rose Knight
After unlock: team protection and control; fix level/trophies first.
These inputs only calculate medals, not Hero appearance or skills. Do not re-enter medals already spent reaching your current grade.
From current grade to target: 320 medals
Still to collect after stock: 320
Not a drop forecast: you supply the average. Without it no time is invented; stage access, attempt limits, events and purchases are not checked. Recheck grade/stock when switching Heroes; nothing is read from the game.
40 Heroes: what can be obtained without spending
20 distinct Heroes have regular free campaign routes. Four more have separate event routes: Watcher, Chaos Dragon, Boommeister and Flower Maiden. This identifies 24 Heroes with those routes, not 24 guaranteed instant recruits. A fresh account may not yet have access to the events, requirements or currencies.
24 is not the maximum possible F2P collection. Limited Challenges, selection chests and promotions sometimes provide medals for mainly premium-source Heroes. Pools, eligibility and quantities depend on the actual event. “40 quickly and free for everyone” is not verified; no fixed deadline or budget is promised.
The practical route towards 40
- 1. Count recruited Heroes first. With 20 regular Heroes you still need 20 distinct additions; with all four event Heroes already recruited, you need 16. Do not count planned recruits as owned.
- 2. Advance the campaign with a prepared tank/healer team. The unrecruited Hero screen points to medal stages. Complete a 10-medal set and press Hire; do not delay all new recruits just to finish one Legendary Hero.
- 3. Hero Hiring uses Summonstones for campaign-Hero medals: it is not another pool of 20 distinct Heroes. Check the live pool and cost; do not assume a guaranteed premium recruit.
- 4. Add the event routes below when accessible. In Limited Challenges, inspect the total first-clear medals across stages; replaying does not mean another reward. Past Pegasus/Stellina collaborations are not treated as permanent acquisition routes.
- 5. For collection size, direct eligible selection chests towards an unowned Hero whose recruitment set you can complete. Do not scatter single medals across many Heroes. Homecoming has returning-account eligibility; not every promotion is available to beginners.
- 6. For an external “40 Heroes in N days” offer, check its rules, deadline and your reward eligibility before spending. Purchases are optional and require checking the actual pack; there is no verified universal price for 40 Heroes.
Watcher
Hell Events that list Watcher medals. Not every Hell Event rewards this Hero.
Chaos Dragon
Eligible Hell Events / 24-hour Challenges. Check Castle requirements, thresholds and rewards; not a guaranteed fast beginner unlock.
Boommeister
Dragon Arena → Dragite → Boommeister medal shop. Requires event access, a guild and enough currency; not Colosseum or Chaos Arena.
Flower Maiden
Guild Expedition Shop. Check access, stock and medal price in the current event; guild membership alone does not recruit the Hero.
My counter: how many more to 40?
Tick only already recruited Heroes. This is manual tracking, not an account check or a promise of free access to every route. Entries reset on reload.
Arena / Hero Colosseum
Develop a core and a few substitutes, not the whole roster. Constellations, opponents and Battle Spirit change matchups. This is an editorial starting priority, not guaranteed wins, Chaos Arena or Army Colosseum.
First
1 · Regular free core
Rose Knight
After unlock: team protection and control; fix level/trophies first.
Hero stats
2 · Regular free core
Prima Donna
Healing for the active five; fix level/rank if she dies early.
Hero stats
After the core / substitutes
Regular free core
Demon Slayer
Backline pressure option; select for the enemy defence, not every fight.
Hero stats
Regular free core
Child of Light
Second frontline and control when opening survival is weak.
Hero stats
Conditional: event or premium
Mainly premium source
Lore Weaver
If owned or budgeted: healing/protection; do not replace a developed Prima Donna by name alone.
Hero stats
Mainly premium source
Witch Doll
Control/support for a needed counter, not a universal tier rank.
Hero statsHero Stage progression
Start with tank, healing, control and damage. Fix levels/ranks and ultimate timing before costly medal farming. Use our Normal/Elite stage-specific tables; three crowns are needed for repeat sweeps.
First
2 · Regular free core
Oath Keeper
Early tank; do not wait for Rose Knight before progressing.
Hero stats
4 · Regular free core
Tracker
Single-target damage once unlocked; use an existing developed attacker until then.
Hero statsAfter the core / substitutes
Monster hunting
Build separate physical and magic pools. Monster resistance/level—not a Hero’s troop ATK buff—determines selection. These are development priorities, not automatically five-Hero teams for every monster.
Hunting · physical pool
First
After the core / substitutes
Regular free core
Black Crow
Extends the physical pool, not a universal answer to magic-vulnerable monsters.
Hero stats
Hunting · magic pool
First
After the core / substitutes
Regular free core
Prima Donna
Healing if Heroes die early; not a mandatory fifth in every hunt.
Hero statsConditional: event or premium
Mainly premium source
Dream Witch
Premium magic option: compare actual damage per energy, not mere ownership.
Hero stats
Mainly premium source
Storm Fox
If already owned, develop for relevant monster tables; purchase is not mandatory.
Hero statsDarknest Crusade: Heroes for the rally type
Leads need relevant When Deployed Battle Skills, grade and unlocked ranks. Prima Donna’s Hero-fight healing does not heal a marching troop army in the same way. Do not copy a Colosseum team into a rally.
Darknests · Infantry attack
First
1 · Regular free core
Demon Slayer
Infantry ATK/HP plus physical hunting utility: useful overlap.
Hero stats2 · Regular free core
Oath Keeper
Early access and Infantry ATK/HP; a starter Hero can remain useful.
Hero statsAfter the core / substitutes
Regular free core
Sea Squire
Additional specialist ATK after the core; compare actual developed strength.
Hero stats
Conditional: event or premium
Event source
Watcher
Army and training utility, but medals are event-dependent; do not force costly event tasks just to recruit.
Hero statsDarknests · Ranged attack
First
1 · Regular free core
Snow Queen
Ranged ATK/HP; control and magic damage also help outside troop battles.
Hero stats2 · Regular free core
Tracker
Ranged ATK and single-target physical damage for Hero fights/hunting.
Hero statsAfter the core / substitutes
Regular free core
Black Crow
Ranged HP/DEF and physical hunting; do not mistake these for a Ranged ATK skill.
Hero statsRegular free core
Death Archer
Extra Ranged ATK; may already be developed on an early account.
Hero statsConditional: event or premium
Event source
Watcher
Army and training utility, but medals are event-dependent; do not force costly event tasks just to recruit.
Hero statsDarknests · Cavalry attack
First
After the core / substitutes
Regular free core
Night Raven
Cavalry ATK/DEF; develop after the main ATK/HP options if the slot is needed.
Hero stats
Regular free core
Death Knight
Cavalry HP/DEF and a reserve Hero-fight tank; not extra Cavalry ATK.
Hero statsConditional: event or premium
Event source
Watcher
Army and training utility, but medals are event-dependent; do not force costly event tasks just to recruit.
Hero statsWar · Infantry
Infantry leads first need relevant ATK/HP and developed Battle Skills. Army ATK can complement a build but does not turn a Hero into an Infantry specialist. Mixed defence needs a different evaluation from a single-type attack.
First
1 · Regular free core
Demon Slayer
Infantry ATK/HP plus physical hunting utility: useful overlap.
Hero stats2 · Regular free core
Oath Keeper
Early access and Infantry ATK/HP; a starter Hero can remain useful.
Hero statsAfter the core / substitutes
Regular free core
Sea Squire
Additional specialist ATK after the core; compare actual developed strength.
Hero statsRegular free core
Rose Knight
Army ATK and Colosseum utility; extra Cavalry synergy, not an Infantry ATK specialist.
Hero statsRegular free core
Bombin' Goblin
Accessible Army ATK option; compare with an already-developed specialist.
Hero statsConditional: event or premium
Event source
Watcher
Army and training utility, but medals are event-dependent; do not force costly event tasks just to recruit.
Hero stats
Mainly premium source
Grim Wolf
Premium Infantry specialist; evaluate attainable grade and full budget.
Hero stats
Mainly premium source
Twilight Priestess
Additional specialist, not a compulsory filler purchase.
Hero statsWar · Ranged
Snow Queen and Tracker overlap several modes. Black Crow’s HP/DEF profile is not a direct Ranged ATK skill. Select for the missing boost, not merely the Agility class.
First
1 · Regular free core
Snow Queen
Ranged ATK/HP; control and magic damage also help outside troop battles.
Hero stats2 · Regular free core
Tracker
Ranged ATK and single-target physical damage for Hero fights/hunting.
Hero statsAfter the core / substitutes
Regular free core
Black Crow
Ranged HP/DEF and physical hunting; do not mistake these for a Ranged ATK skill.
Hero statsRegular free core
Death Archer
Extra Ranged ATK; may already be developed on an early account.
Hero statsRegular free core
Rose Knight
Army ATK and Colosseum utility; extra Cavalry synergy, not an Infantry ATK specialist.
Hero statsRegular free core
Bombin' Goblin
Accessible Army ATK option; compare with an already-developed specialist.
Hero statsConditional: event or premium
Event source
Watcher
Army and training utility, but medals are event-dependent; do not force costly event tasks just to recruit.
Hero stats
Mainly premium source
Grove Guardian
Premium Ranged option with some Colosseum counter uses.
Hero stats
Mainly premium source
Mastercook
Ranged specialist; compare against a developed free core first.
Hero statsWar · Cavalry
Child of Light is a specialist ATK/HP core; Rose Knight adds broad utility and Cavalry synergy. Night Raven and Death Knight fill different stat needs; do not invent Cavalry ATK for Death Knight.
First
After the core / substitutes
Regular free core
Night Raven
Cavalry ATK/DEF; develop after the main ATK/HP options if the slot is needed.
Hero statsRegular free core
Death Knight
Cavalry HP/DEF and a reserve Hero-fight tank; not extra Cavalry ATK.
Hero statsConditional: event or premium
Event source
Watcher
Army and training utility, but medals are event-dependent; do not force costly event tasks just to recruit.
Hero stats
Mainly premium source
Vengeful Centaur
Premium Cavalry; event medals do not imply fast free Legendary grade.
Hero stats
Extra · growth / farmer
For farmers, Trickster’s research utility may outrank costly war Heroes. Still maintain the active five’s levels/trophies to unlock medal stages. A passive needs neither Leader assignment nor a wall slot.
First
1 · Regular free core
Trickster
Medal priority for long-term research; no Leader assignment needed for the passive.
Hero statsAfter the core / substitutes
Regular free core
Sage of Storms
Construction; do not automatically prioritize above the active team.
Hero statsConditional: event or premium
Mainly premium source
Witch Doll
Development passives within budget; check current skill values.
Hero statsA practical week plan
Day 1: choose a main goal and find the team bottleneck. Days 2–6: farm accessible Elite stages for the focus Hero; use remaining Stamina on required trophies/a secondary goal. Day 7: compare real clears, survival, damage per Energy or rally reports. If grade is not the problem, do not spend medals blindly.
If the medal stage is locked, prepare a team to unlock it rather than buying a supposedly mandatory substitute. For premium Heroes, budget for the desired grade, not just recruitment.
Sources and recommendation limits
- IGG · Heroes (2019): boost families, not a 2026 tier list
- IGG · 2.13: Passive and When Deployed
- IGG · Elite Stages: stage-specific examples
- IGG · Hunting: physical/magic damage and different monsters
- IGG · Darknests: counters and Hero Battle boosts
- Marks Angry Review · Colosseum (2023): example, not a guarantee
- LordsRally · 14 Oct 2026: goal-based medal planning
- Lords Mobile Wiki · Hero: level, rank and medals (community)
- GamesGuideInfo · Hero Battle boost types (reference)
- Lords Mobile Wiki · Black Crow: Ranged HP/DEF (community)
- IGG / App Store · 2.208: Heroic Saga and Battle Spirit
- Telegram “Who to upgrade?”: an early roster question, NOT IGG advice
IGG’s 2019 references support mechanics/boost families, not a current universal ranking. The Telegram question video was reviewed, not every thread reply. Missing verified comparisons do not make new Heroes weak. No automated battles, purchases or account changes are performed.
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