Increasing Your Tank Power

By Dreads & Blek (Blake - bddc.co.uk) ·

A complete power-building roadmap for PvP events and Arena — where to focus first, and where not to waste a single resource.

This guide pulls together the most effective ways to raise your squad and overall power for PvP events and the Arena. Every player's situation is unique, but the priorities below apply to almost everyone. Work through each area in order, and resist the temptation to spread yourself thin.

1. Heroes

  • Pick a faction and stick with it. Do not upgrade multiple squads at once.
  • Upgrade one hero at a time — complete a star, then its skills, before moving on.
  • The 5th star makes the biggest difference to a hero's strength and to the overall squad, because it unlocks the extra power tied to the 3rd skill at the same time. This is more noticeable with seasonal heroes than with starter heroes.
  • Seasonal heroes offer extra boosts for your troops and are well worth the investment.

2. Hero Equipment

  • Focus on one squad at a time.
  • Keep both upgrade types equal across all equipment in the same squad where possible (1 circle, +1 stones; 2 circles, +2 stones, and so on).

Equipment Priority

  1. Boots
  2. Chest armour
  3. Weapon
  4. Helmet

Power Cores vs Forge Stones

TypeEffectBest when
Power CoresFixed-value boostsEarly game, when fixed numbers count for more
Forge StonesPercentage-based boostsLater game, as your base stats grow

In the early game, power cores make more of a difference. The stronger you get, the more forge stones matter.

Enhancement Path

  1. Enhance all hero equipment to level 29 first — this is the cheapest cost and fastest progression.
  2. Then push everything to level 49, the next-cheapest band.
  3. Then take it to level 55 with one power core circle. Each circle adds 5 more levels to the limit.
Tip: Aim to get all equipment to its maximum current level, but keep it relatively equal across the heroes in the squad rather than maxing one piece in isolation.

3. Research

Do not take the "jack of all trades, master of none" approach. Once you have unlocked Siege to Seize and Peace Shield, pick a tree and commit to it. The best boosts sit towards the end of each tree, so spreading your research thinly leaves you with weak results everywhere. Think about the purpose of each tree and decide which fits your playstyle best.

TreeRoleNotes
Hero TrainingHeroes onlyVery cheap. Should be completed so other players don't get an automatic edge over your heroes.
Military StrategyAll-roundCheapest all-round tree. A strong first choice to max for the extra HP at the end.
Siege to SeizeOffensiveExcellent for jumping HQs while tanks are out, and for zeroing HQs generally.
Peace ShieldDefensiveExcellent for events such as Canyon Clash.
Fully Armed AllianceAll-roundLargely the same benefits as other trees but extremely expensive. Extra troops are useful, but weigh the cost against only one day per week of use.
FieldIn-fieldVery useful for PvP, especially troop-vs-troop fighting.
Army BuildingDefensive / all-roundPairs well with Peace Shield and Field.
Important: T10 troops will be very weak unless you have already completed at least one of the trees above. Build your research foundation before relying on top-tier troops.

4. Structures

  • Formation buildings (next to the City Wall) are vital for adding extra strength to your squads. Do not ignore them, and keep the levels even.
  • Faction buildings (such as the Toxic Garden) are vital for hero strength and troop capacity. Do not ignore them — focus the building that matches your chosen squad (for example, the Toxic Garden for Blood Rose).

5. Decorations

Every decoration helps increase the power of your squads — yes, all of them. Each one adds only a very small amount on its own, but combined and levelled up a little, decorations make a noticeable difference to your overall strength.

6. Spending

Spending makes a big difference to the rate at which players grow. Try not to compare yourself to others on a different budget. Non-spenders can reach almost everything a spender can, given enough time and patience — with a few exceptions:

  • Upgrading equipment to full mythic status (requires pulse modules, which must be purchased).
  • Taking a hero to 10 stars (Season 5 only; requires a unique item that works like pulse modules).
  • Reaching the Destroyer-Ex tank (no unique items needed, but the sheer volume of wrenches makes this unrealistic for most players).
  • Reaching level 15 external modules.
  • Reaching 10-star resonance with tactical plugins.
Warning: Chasing the spender-only milestones above with a limited budget can drain resources you would gain far more from elsewhere. Prioritise the cost-effective gains in sections 1 through 5 first.

7. Putting It Together

Build power in a disciplined order: commit to one faction and one hero at a time, raise your equipment in even bands, finish a research tree before chasing top troops, and keep your formation and faction buildings level. Layer in decorations for steady incremental gains, and spend only where it genuinely accelerates you. Patience and focus beat scattered effort every time.