Guide
Heroes in Dark War: Survival, explained
Heroes decide how hard your troops hit and how much they survive, but the game buries the rules across a dozen screens. This page collects the mechanics — rarities, stars, level caps, counters and buffs — in one place so you can plan a lineup before spending a single fragment.
Getting heroes
Heroes enter your roster six ways: recruiting at the Radio Station, the Hero Battle Pass, collecting enough Hero Fragments to recruit directly, the Daily Sale, the Hero Wheel and the Goodie Bazaar. Rarity is fixed per hero: the game launched with 6 Orange, 9 Purple and 6 Blue heroes, and more unlock as your progress opens them.
Stars, levels and the Industry cap
Every hero has 5 stars. Levelling costs Food, while starring up costs that hero's own fragments or Universal Fragments. The level cap is not fixed — it rises by 10 each time your Shelter reaches the next Industry level:
| Industry level | Hero level cap |
|---|---|
| Industry 1 | 100 |
| Industry 2 | 110 |
| Industry 3 | 120 |
| Industry 4 | 130 |
| Industry 5 | 140 |
Made a mistake? Hero levels can be reset in the Training Center → Hero Reset with all EXP returned. Skill levels can be rolled back as well, but only 80% of the Skill Books come back — so skill books are the resource to be careful with, not food.
Once a hero reaches 5 stars, spare fragments are not wasted: they feed that hero's Hall of Honor for extra attributes.
The counter triangle and faction buff
Hero groups counter each other in a triangle: Fighters beat Riders, Riders beat Shooters and Shooters beat Fighters. You can see any hero's group by tapping the icon in the top-left corner of their portrait.
Fielding at least 3 heroes from the same group in one troop activates the Faction BUFF — the main reason lineups are built around one faction instead of a rainbow of favourites. The game also rotates a daily faction bonus:
| Day | Bonus faction |
|---|---|
| Monday | Fighter |
| Tuesday | Fighter |
| Wednesday | Shooter |
| Thursday | Shooter |
| Friday | Rider |
| Saturday | Rider |
| Sunday | Fighter |
So which heroes are 'best'?
There is no honest universal tier list, because the right answer depends on your faction focus, which fragments your events actually hand out, and what your opponents field. What transfers into every lineup:
- Commit to one faction per troop. The Faction BUFF at 3 same-group heroes is a permanent multiplier; mixed troops leave it on the table.
- Respect the triangle. A weaker counter beats a stronger hero it out-classes — check what your opponents march before locking a lineup.
- Read each skill's star note. Passive skills only affect the troop the hero rides with, but some become global at a specific star level — those are worth starring first.
- Follow the fragments. A purple hero you can actually take to 5 stars out-performs an orange hero stuck at 2. Star up whoever your fragment income supports.
- Equipment bonuses only count while equipped, so gear follows your main march, not your bench.
Frequently asked questions
- How do you get heroes in Dark War: Survival?
- Heroes come from the Radio Station, the Hero Battle Pass, collecting enough Hero Fragments, the Daily Sale, the Hero Wheel and the Goodie Bazaar.
- What is the highest hero level?
- Heroes have 5 stars, and the level cap rises with your Industry level — Industry 1 allows level 100, up to Industry 5 which allows level 140.
- Which hero group beats which?
- Fighters are strong against Riders, Riders are strong against Shooters, and Shooters are strong against Fighters.
- How do you activate the faction buff?
- The faction buff activates when your troop includes at least 3 heroes from the same group.
- Can I reset a hero and get resources back?
- Hero levels can be reset in the Training Center with all EXP returned. Skill levels can be rolled back too, but only 80% of the Skill Books spent are returned.