Last War Best Heroes & Squads (2026): Tank, Aircraft and Missile Lineups

Best Last War Squads at a Glance (Season 6)

Here are the three lineups most strong players run in Season 6. Each squad uses two frontline heroes to absorb damage and three back-row heroes to deal it. For how individual heroes rank against each other, see our Last War tier list; this guide is about how to put them together.

How Squads Work: Counters and the Formation Bonus

Every hero in Last War belongs to one of three types: Tank, Aircraft or Missile. Two rules decide most fights before a single skill fires.

The counter triangle

The three types work like rock-paper-scissors: Tanks beat Missiles, Missiles beat Aircraft, and Aircraft beat Tanks. A squad that hits its counter deals extra damage, so a slightly weaker squad of the right type can beat a stronger one of the wrong type.

The same-type formation bonus

Squads built from one hero type get a stat bonus. A full squad of five heroes of the same type gets the largest one, +20% HP, Attack and Defense for every hero in it, while three or four of the same type get a smaller bonus. That bonus is why a mixed squad of "the five best heroes" usually loses to a well-built mono-type squad.

Front row and back row

The two front-row slots take most of the incoming damage, so they belong to durable heroes. The three back-row slots are for damage dealers and supports, who need protection to keep firing. Putting a fragile attacker in front is one of the fastest ways to lose a fight you should have won.

What Changed for Squads in Season 6

Season 6 changed squad building more than any recent update:

• The 4+1 hybrid card is gone. It used to let you slot one off-type hero while keeping the full type bonus. Without it, mixed squads lose too much to compete in high-level PvP, so pure Tank, Aircraft or Missile squads are now the standard.
• New type-specific tactics cards. Aftermath Burst boosts damage-over-time for Missile heroes; Dimensional Crit raises the Crit Rate of your highest-Attack Tank; Frontal Suppression gives Attack Speed to Aircraft, but only with exactly three Aircraft heroes in the back row. Counter Reversal, which softens type disadvantages, is worth running on every squad.
• Awakening for Kimberly, DVA and Tesla. These three gained an Awakening system that makes them much stronger. Since the April 2026 update removed the Awakening Battle Pass, Awakening shards now come from free sources such as the Hero Awakening Trial and Global Expedition.

Best Tank Squad in Last War

Front: Murphy, Williams. Back: Kimberly, Stetmann, Marshall.

The tank squad is the easiest to build and the most forgiving, which is why most players start here. Kimberly is your main damage dealer and one of the three heroes with Awakening, Stetmann adds a second damage source, and Marshall buffs the whole squad. Murphy and Williams make one of the toughest frontlines in the game.

• Strong against: missile squads
• Weak against: aircraft squads
• Season 6 tip: Dimensional Crit only buffs your single highest-Attack Tank, so invest so that Kimberly or Stetmann clearly holds that spot.

Best Aircraft Squad in Last War

Front: Lucius, Carlie. Back: DVA, Morrison, Schuyler.

Aircraft is the natural answer to a tank-heavy server. DVA brings heavy burst damage and is another Awakening hero, Morrison adds sustained damage, and Schuyler provides control. Lucius and Carlie hold the front. The squad is harder to complete than tanks, so it suits players who already have a tank squad or who face mostly tank enemies.

• Strong against: tank squads
• Weak against: missile squads
• Season 6 tip: Frontal Suppression needs three Aircraft heroes in the back row. Moving DVA to the front protects her but switches the buff off.

UR Sarah is a popular addition for aircraft players; our sUR Sarah is a popular addition for aircraft players; our guide to UR Sarah with Murphy or Marshall covers how to build around her.

Best Missile Squad in Last War

Front: Adam, McGregor. Back: Tesla, Fiona, Swift (UR Venom can replace Swift).

Missiles became the strongest type in Season 5 and remain a top choice in Season 6. Tesla is the third Awakening hero, Fiona and Swift deal heavy damage over time, and the Adam and McGregor frontline is extremely durable. The new Aftermath Burst card boosts exactly that damage-over-time style. The trade-off is cost: a full missile squad takes the most investment of the three.

• Strong against: aircraft squads
• Weak against: tank squads
• Season 6 tip: run Aftermath Burst with Counter Reversal to cover your weakness against tanks.

Best F2P Squad in Last War

Front: Murphy, Violet. Back: Kimberly, Mason, Marshall (or Monica until you get Marshall).

Free-to-play players should almost always start with tanks. Murphy and Kimberly are available early, the frontline is cheap to keep alive, and you can swap in Williams and Stetmann as you collect them without rebuilding the whole squad. Chasing the current meta with a half-built missile or aircraft squad is the most common F2P mistake.

Kimberly comes from the cheap first-purchase pack, which is one of the few purchases even F2P players often make. Our breakdown of whether Last War is pay to win covers how far a free squad can realistically go.

Which Squad Should You Build First?

• New or F2P account: tanks. They are the cheapest to complete and stay useful all game.
• Your server is full of tank squads: aircraft is your best second squad.
• You face mostly aircraft: missiles, if you can afford the investment.
• Always: finish one full squad of the same type before starting a second. Two half-built squads lose to one complete squad.

Your alliance matters here too: if most of your rally leaders run the same type, a second squad that counters the enemy's main type is worth more than another copy of theirs.

How to Build Your Heroes: Upgrade Priority

Resources are the real limit on any squad. A simple order keeps you from wasting them:

• One squad, then the rest. Put universal shards, skill medals and gear into your five main heroes before anyone else.
• Damage dealer first, then frontline. Level your main attacker's skills (Kimberly, DVA or Tesla), then make sure your two front-row heroes can survive long enough for it to matter.
• Exclusive Weapons for core heroes only. They are expensive; spend them on heroes you'll use for the whole season. A Hero Growth Battle Pass is only worth buying when its featured hero is in your main squad.
• Awakening when it unlocks. If you run Kimberly, DVA or Tesla, collect Awakening shards from the Hero Awakening Trial and Global Expedition; Kimberly is the usual first pick.
• Gear follows heroes. Upgrade gear on the heroes that are already carrying your squad, not on bench heroes.

Common Squad Mistakes to Avoid

• Mixing hero types after the 4+1 card was removed
• Spreading shards across many heroes instead of maxing one squad
• Putting damage dealers in the front row
• Ignoring counters when choosing which squad to send against an enemy
• Chasing a meta hero you can't fully build instead of improving the squad you have

Most of these are versions of the same progression traps that slow accounts down for months.

How to Get Key Heroes Faster

• Buy the Kimberly pack early. It is the cheapest way to get a hero you'll use for the whole game.
• Save recruitment tickets for events. Using them on the matching Alliance Duel or Arms Race task scores extra points.
• Use Hero Growth passes selectively. Only when the featured hero belongs in your main squad.
• Plan purchases around your squad. Our guide to the best Last War packs to buy shows which offers are worth it.

Pick one squad type, build it completely, and add a counter squad only once the first one is finished. When you do want to speed things up, you can get Gold Bricks for the packs you need through our Last War top up page.