Complete Research Guide

Research is a route, not a completion score

The Technology Centre contains overlapping growth, combat, event and late-game trees. A high overall percentage can hide a weak account if resources were spent on gathering, troop load or unused squad branches while the main formation lacks Attack, HP, Defence or morale.

Before starting a node, name the outcome:

• Grow faster: shorten future construction, research and training.
• Unlock something: a march, hospital, drill ground, troop tier, HQ expansion or new system.
• Strengthen the main squad: improve the heroes and units used in important fights.
• Improve rewards: unlock Alliance Duel chests or raise scoring efficiency.
• Prepare the next account era: Unit X, Mastery or Age of Oil.

The research trees at a glance

Names and unlock order can vary with server age and later seasons. Use this as a decision map, then follow the prerequisites displayed in your live Technology Centre.

The correct early-account order

1. Unlock essential functions. Follow prerequisites for required buildings, marches and troop progression.
2. Buy permanent speed. Research speed, construction speed and training efficiency repay every future timer.
3. Secure usable economy. Raise coin production and the gathering needed to prevent empty queues, but stop before low-impact nodes delay combat.
4. Build one squad. Improve Squad 1, Units and the Hero branch matching the main Tank, Aircraft or Missile formation.
5. Open recurring VS rewards. Spend early Valor Badges where Alliance Duel research unlocks more chests and improves weekly return.

A new account should not rush to make every tree look tidy. Research below an important prerequisite can remain unfinished if it does not serve the current objective.

Development: the compounding tree

Speed bonuses are strongest when bought early because they affect thousands of later hours. Prioritise Research Enhancement and other permanent timing improvements, then unlock the hospital, drill-ground and training capacity the account genuinely uses.

Capacity research is valuable when a real limit is being hit. An extra hospital or drill-ground improvement can matter on Kill Day; oversized capacity that sits empty does not deserve priority over combat or a critical unlock.

Economy: coins first, completion last

Food and iron fund buildings and troops, but coins become the defining late-game research bottleneck. Protect them before the Special Forces push. Raise production and gathering nodes when they repay themselves within the account stage, not because Economy is easy to complete.

• Collect coin production several times each day and improve mines that remain active.
• Buy useful coin sources from rotating stores only after comparing other scarce items.
• Do not start luxury side research when it leaves the next Special Forces prerequisite unaffordable.
• Keep resource chests unopened until the resource is needed; this protects them from attack.

Units versus Hero research

Units research strengthens the troop foundation carried beneath the formation. Attack, Defence, HP and morale-related progress can influence every battle. Hero research strengthens the heroes and often rewards troop-type focus.

Squad research: finish the march you actually use

Squad-specific trees attach value to a march slot. Squad 1 normally carries the main formation, so completing its useful combat route has more daily value than opening identical low levels in Squad 2, 3 and 4.

Develop another squad tree when that march has a clear job: second rally formation, 3v3 team, truck defence or a counter squad with enough heroes and gear to function. A research bonus cannot rescue a formation made from undeveloped leftovers.

Alliance Duel research: the first Valor investment

Valor Badges are scarce and several important trees compete for them. Alliance Duel research can compound because additional chests and scoring improvements return rewards every week. That makes the reward path a sensible early priority before the expensive Unit X race.

1. Identify the next research that unlocks an additional VS chest or meaningful scoring improvement.
2. Save the Valor Badges and coins for the full prerequisite path.
3. Spend and complete research on Day 3, Age of Science when practical.
4. After securing the recurring reward engine, redirect Valor towards the chosen combat objective.

Do not max every Alliance Duel node automatically. Once the important reward and scoring targets are secure, compare its next cost with Special Forces and main-squad combat progress.

Special Forces and the Unit X route

Unit X—commonly called T10—is not one research button. It sits behind a long Special Forces prerequisite path and a large coin, food, iron, speed-up and Valor commitment. Start preparing well before the final nodes become visible.

Before committing

• HQ and Technology Centre meet the live requirements.
• The main formation already has functional stars, skills and gear.
• Alliance Duel reward research is far enough to support weekly growth.
• Coins are being deliberately accumulated rather than spent across side trees.
• Research speed-ups and Valor Badges have named targets.

During the push

Use one Technology Centre for the critical Special Forces route. If another queue is available, keep it productive with affordable Units, Hero, Development or prerequisite work. Do not let a secondary queue consume the coins required by the main route.

After unlocking

Return to unfinished high-value combat research in Special Forces, Units and the main Hero branch. The unlock is a major breakpoint, not the end of account research.

Siege, defence and Mastery

These are specialisation trees. Their position depends on how the account is used:

• Active attacker or rally lead: Siege to Seize can produce meaningful war value after the core combat foundation.
• Garrison or defensive role: Defence Fortifications becomes more relevant, but only when the formation is strong enough to defend.
• Single-type competitive squad: Tank, Aircraft or Missile Mastery rewards deep focus.
• Developing multi-squad account: finish the first strong branch before building three average ones.

The counter triangle still applies: Tank counters Missile, Missile counters Aircraft, and Aircraft counters Tank. Mastery improves a formation; it does not remove its natural bad matchup.

Age of Oil and HQ 31–35

After the Season 2 off-season, the Age of Oil tree introduces a new progression route including Oil production and HQ Expansion requirements. When this opens, inspect the exact prerequisite chain immediately. Oil becomes a limiting resource for higher headquarters and buildings, so early access to its production can outrank ordinary side research.

Do not abandon all combat research permanently. Use the queues deliberately: one can advance the HQ/Oil route while another maintains the main squad, provided the account can afford both without stalling the critical path.

How to use multiple Technology Centres

Time research for Alliance Duel

Age of Science is normally Wednesday. The current VS rules award research power, research speed-ups, Valor Badge spending and eligible Drone Component chests. Prepare by starting a long timer in advance so it can complete after reset, then use research speed-ups through planned nodes.

• Save research speed-ups and Valor Badges for Day 3 when waiting is sensible.
• Ask for alliance help before applying speed-ups.
• Pair the activity with the matching Arms Race phase where possible.
• Open eligible component chests only after confirming they score under the live rules.
• Do not start unaffordable research simply to earn points.

What research looks like in a battle report

The Army report can compare technology categories for both sides. A higher total helps explain permanent strength, but it does not prove which individual node decided the fight. Combine it with troop type, morale, first death, damage taken and the replay.

Open the full Battle Report guide →

Diagnose the next research from evidence

Common research mistakes

• Researching the cheapest available node without a goal.
• Trying to reach the same percentage in every tree.
• Building Tank, Aircraft and Missile combat research equally before one squad is strong.
• Spending Valor Badges outside Tech Day with no urgent reason.
• Beginning the T10 push without a coin plan.
• Maxing gathering or troop-load nodes while core combat remains weak.
• Letting a second queue consume the primary queue’s resources.
• Using displayed research power instead of battle evidence.

Commander checklist

• Every Technology Centre queue has a named job.
• The main squad receives concentrated Units, Hero and Squad research.
• Valor Badges have a planned Alliance Duel or Special Forces target.
• Coins are protected for the next major prerequisite.
• Research completions and speed-ups are aligned with Day 3 when practical.
• The next combat node answers a problem visible in a report.

Frequently asked questions

Should the Technology Centre ever sit idle?

Normally no, because time is a permanent resource. It can be sensible to wait briefly for alliance help, Wednesday scoring or the coins needed for a critical path rather than starting an expensive distraction.

Should I complete Development and Economy first?

Take the high-value permanent speed and useful economy nodes early, but do not postpone all combat until both trees show 100%. Alternate compounding growth with the main squad’s needs.

Is Unit X always the top priority?

It is a major account breakpoint. It becomes inefficient when rushed by an account whose heroes, gear, drone and core combat research remain too weak to use the troop advantage properly.

Where should Valor Badges go?

Secure recurring Alliance Duel reward value first, then fund the defined Special Forces or later combat route. Intercity Truck can be useful filler or recurring value, but should not silently delay the main objective.

References and evidence

1. Last War Wiki — Technology Centre (building unlocks, queues and Age of Oil context).
2. Last War Vault — Technology Centre Research Guide (tree map and current community priorities).
3. Last War Vault — Alliance Duel Guide (Age of Science scoring and preparation).
4. Last War Survival Tools — Tech Center Priority and Research Calculator (tree and prerequisite cross-check).
5. Game Zone Academy — English Battle Report Analysis (technology, units, morale, hero damage and survival evidence).

Evidence reviewed 26 July 2026. Research names, prerequisites, costs, server unlocks and VS scoring can change. The live Technology Centre and event rules are the final authority.