Hero Gear Enhancement Guide — New Troop Stat Boosts in Exploration & Arena (v1.32.21)
The July 2026 patch changed everything. Hero Gear enhancement and mastery no longer just buff your heroes — they now directly boost your troop stats in Exploration and Arena modes. If you were sleeping on gear enhancement before, now is the time to wake up.
What Changed in v1.32.21
The July 2026 update (v1.32.21) is one of the most impactful mid-year patches. Here is the full breakdown:
| Change | Impact | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Hero Gear now boosts Troop stats in Exploration & Arena | Massive — gear enhancement suddenly matters for PvE and PvP troop modes | 🔴 Critical |
| Two extra formation slots unlocked at Furnace L26 and L30 | More heroes in formation = more troop stat multipliers | 🟠 High |
| Event rewards now scale with server progress | Foundry, Castle Battle, State of Power, King of Icefield, Crazy Joe rewards get better as your server ages | 🟡 Medium |
| Pet Skills cooldown reduced from 24h to 20h | More frequent pet skill usage — optimize your timing | 🟡 Medium |
| Bear Hunt rallies cannot start with under 5 minutes remaining | No more last-second panic rallies — plan ahead | 🟢 Quality of Life |
| Gen 9 heroes (Magnus, Xura, Fred) still marked "coming soon" | Delayed — do not hoard shards expecting an imminent release | 🟢 Informational |
| New Expert: Gareth, the Ironthorn Chief | New Expert hero added to the roster | 🟢 New Content |
Why Hero Gear Matters Now (More Than Ever)
Before v1.32.21, Hero Gear only affected hero stats in hero-only modes like Explorer's Trail and Hero Duel. For many F2P and low-spender players, gear enhancement was a low priority — why invest limited resources into something that only matters in niche content?
That calculation is now obsolete.
Where Hero Gear Stats Apply (Updated)
| Game Mode | Before v1.32.21 | After v1.32.21 |
|---|---|---|
| Exploration | Hero stats only | Hero stats + Troop stat boost from gear |
| Arena | Hero stats only | Hero stats + Troop stat boost from gear |
| Explorer's Trail | Hero stats only | Hero stats (unchanged) |
| Hero Duel | Hero stats only | Hero stats (unchanged) |
| Bear Hunt | Troop stats only (gear irrelevant) | Troop stats only (gear still irrelevant) |
| Rallies / PvP | Troop stats only (gear irrelevant) | Troop stats only (gear still irrelevant) |
The key takeaway: gear now bridges the gap between your hero investment and your troop power in the two most-played solo modes — Exploration and Arena. If you are stuck on an Exploration stage or struggling to hold Arena rank, your gear enhancement level is now a direct lever you can pull.
Gear Enhancement Priority — Which Pieces First
Not all gear slots are created equal. When resources are limited (and they always are), prioritize in this order:
| Priority | Gear Slot | Stat Contribution | Why First |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Weapon | ATK (highest) | Largest troop ATK boost in Exploration/Arena. Damage is king. |
| 2 | Chest | DEF + HP | Keeps your formation alive longer — more survival = more damage output. |
| 3 | Helmet | Mixed ATK + DEF | Balanced contribution. Good value per enhancement material. |
| 4 | Boots | Speed + minor ATK | Speed is situational. Lowest troop stat conversion of all four slots. |
Enhancement Breakpoints
Weapon to +15 → then Chest to +10 → then Helmet to +10 → then Boots to +10
↓
Weapon to +20 → then Chest to +15 → then Helmet to +15 → then Boots to +15
↓
Weapon to +25 → then Chest to +20 → repeat the cycleMastering vs. Enhancing — What Is the Difference?
This is one of the most misunderstood systems in the game. Both improve your gear, but they work differently — and with v1.32.21, both now feed into troop stats.
| Mechanic | What It Does | Resource Used | Troop Stat Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enhancing | Increases the base stats of a single gear piece (ATK, DEF, HP) | Enhancement Stones + Gold | Direct — higher enhancement = higher troop stat conversion |
| Mastering | Unlocks mastery tiers that grant percentage-based bonus stats to all gear on that hero | Mastery Scrolls + Gold | Multiplicative — mastery % is applied after enhancement base stats are calculated |
The Interaction
Troop Stat Bonus = (Base Enhancement Stats) x (1 + Mastery Bonus %)This means mastering is a force multiplier on your enhancement. A weapon at +20 with 0% mastery is significantly weaker than a weapon at +15 with 25% mastery.
Priority When You Have Both Resources
| Scenario | What to Do |
|---|---|
| Below +15 on weapon | Focus on enhancing first |
| Weapon at +15 | Push mastery to at least Tier 2 (10-15% bonus) |
| Weapon at +20 | Push mastery to Tier 3 (20-25% bonus) |
| All gear at +15 | Balance — enhance chest next, but don't neglect mastery |
How Troop Stat Boosts Work in Exploration & Arena
The new mechanic converts your enhanced gear stats into troop power through a conversion formula. While the exact coefficients are not published, community testing since the July 2026 patch has established the following framework:
Stat Conversion Table (Estimated from Testing)
| Gear Enhancement Level | Approximate Troop ATK Bonus | Approximate Troop DEF/HP Bonus |
|---|---|---|
| +0 to +5 | Negligible (<1%) | Negligible |
| +5 to +10 | 2-4% | 1-2% |
| +10 to +15 | 5-8% | 3-5% |
| +15 to +20 | 9-14% | 6-9% |
| +20 to +25 | 15-22% | 10-15% |
| +25 to +30 | 23-30%+ | 16-20%+ |
Note: These are cumulative totals from a full 4-piece set at the listed enhancement level. Bonuses are per-hero — a formation with 5 heroes at +20 gear will contribute significantly more than one hero at +20 and four at +5.
Key Observations
- The conversion is not linear — returns actually increase at higher enhancement levels (+20 to +25 gives more per level than +10 to +15).
- Weapon enhancement contributes approximately 40% of the total troop ATK bonus from gear. Chest contributes roughly 30%. Helmet and Boots split the remaining 30%.
- Mastery tiers multiply the final troop stat bonus. A full Tier 3 mastery on a +20 set can push troop bonuses into the 25-35% range.
Formation Slot Strategy — Furnace 26 & 30
The two new formation slots unlocked at Furnace L26 and L30 are a major power spike. Each additional hero in your formation means another full set of gear contributing troop stats.
Formation Slot Progression
| Furnace Level | Formation Slots | Total Gear Sets Contributing | Power Spike |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-25 | 3 heroes | 3 sets | Baseline |
| 26 | 4 heroes | 4 sets | ~33% more troop stats from gear |
| 30 | 5 heroes | 5 sets | ~25% more on top of L26 (67% total from baseline) |
Strategy for Each Threshold
| Furnace Level | What to Do |
|---|---|
| Before L26 | Focus all enhancement on your 3 best heroes' weapons. Do not spread. |
| At L26 | Rush-enhance your 4th hero's weapon to +10. Then go back to pushing carries. |
| Approaching L30 | Start stockpiling enhancement stones ~2 weeks before hitting L30. You will need a burst of enhancements for the 5th slot. |
| L30 and beyond | Cycle enhancement across all 5 heroes. Priority: Main carry weapon → second carry weapon → tank chest → third carry weapon → support chest. |
Furnace Rush Priority:
L26 (4th slot) > L30 (5th slot) > everything else
Those two furnace levels are worth more troop stats than
any single gear enhancement level. Prioritize furnace
upgrades over gear if you are close to either threshold.Investment Priority — F2P vs. Low Spender vs. P2W
Your resource ceiling determines your optimal strategy. Here is the breakdown:
F2P Strategy
| Action | Priority | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Enhance main carry weapon to +15 | 🔴 Must do | This alone gives meaningful troop stats |
| Enhance main carry chest to +10 | 🟠 High | Survivability matters in Arena |
| Push mastery to Tier 1 on main carry | 🟠 High | Relatively cheap, good multiplier |
| Enhance second hero weapon to +10 | 🟡 Medium | Only after main carry breakpoints |
| Rush Furnace L26 for 4th slot | 🔴 Must do | More heroes in formation = free stats |
| Enhance beyond +20 on any piece | 🟢 Low | Diminishing returns for F2P resource cost |
Low Spender ($10-50/month)
| Action | Priority | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Main carry weapon to +20 | 🔴 Must do | The +15 to +20 range is high value |
| Main carry full set to +15 | 🟠 High | Complete set bonus matters |
| Mastery Tier 2 on main carry | 🟠 High | 15% multiplier is significant |
| Second carry weapon to +15 | 🟡 Medium | Secondary Arena damage source |
| Push Furnace L30 for 5th slot | 🟠 High | Plan your furnace upgrades around this |
| First mastery Tier 3 | 🟡 Medium | Expensive but powerful on main carry |
P2W / Whale Strategy
| Action | Priority | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| All 5 heroes' weapons to +25+ | 🔴 Must do | Maximize the troop stat pipeline |
| All 5 heroes' gear to +20 minimum | 🔴 Must do | Full set bonuses across formation |
| Mastery Tier 4+ on all 5 heroes | 🔴 Must do | Multiplicative scaling gets absurd at high tiers |
| Push for +30 weapons on top 2 carries | 🟠 High | The non-linear scaling rewards max investment |
| Perfect substat rolls on all Mythic gear | 🟡 Medium | Min-maxing after enhancement and mastery are capped |
New Event Reward Scaling — Explained
Starting in v1.32.21, event rewards in five major events now scale with your server's progression. This means older servers get better rewards — but you can optimize your participation to maximize what you receive.
Events with Scaled Rewards
| Event | What Scales | Optimal Strategy |
|---|---|---|
| Foundry | Resource rewards, gear enhancement materials | Save Foundry attempts for later in the week when server-wide participation peaks |
| Castle Battle | Hero shards, mastery scrolls | Join an active alliance — reward tiers are based on alliance performance, not just individual |
| State of Power | Enhancement stones, gems, speedups | This event now gives dramatically more enhancement materials on older servers — prioritize it |
| King of Icefield | Exclusive weapon fragments, mastery scrolls | Top 100 placement is worth significantly more than before on mature servers |
| Crazy Joe | Gear materials, hero XP, gold | Wave 20 completion now has scaling rewards — push for full clears with your alliance |
How Server Progress Is Measured
The game calculates "server progress" based on:
- Average Furnace level of the top 500 players
- Total server-wide hero power
- Days since server launch
As your server ages, reward tiers automatically increase. You do not need to do anything extra — the scaling is passive. However, your individual placement within the event still determines which reward tier you receive, so high placement on a mature server is worth more than high placement on a new server.
Pet Skill Optimization — New 20-Hour Cooldown
The Pet Skills cooldown reduction from 24 hours to 20 hours is a quiet but meaningful change. It means you can now use pet skills once more per week if you time it correctly.
Old vs. New Cooldown Schedule
| Day | Old (24h) | New (20h) |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 08:00 | 08:00 |
| Tuesday | 08:00 | 04:00 |
| Wednesday | 08:00 | 00:00 (midnight) |
| Thursday | 08:00 | 20:00 (previous day) |
| Friday | 08:00 | 16:00 |
| Saturday | 08:00 | 12:00 |
| Sunday | 08:00 | 08:00 |
| Weekly total | 7 uses | 8 uses |
Optimal Pet Skill Timing
| Event | Recommended Pet Skill | Best Time to Activate |
|---|---|---|
| Bear Hunt | Hyena (Damage) or Wolf (Rally Capacity) | Right before rally launch |
| Crazy Joe | Ox (DEF boost) or Bear (HP boost) | Wave 17-18 for max value on waves 19-20 |
| Foundry | Hyena (Damage) | During your highest-point battle |
| Arena push | Tiger (ATK boost) | Just before your daily Arena run |
| State of Power | Depends on your role | Coordinate with alliance leadership |
Patch Summary — What to Do Right Now
Here is your v1.32.21 action plan, in order:
| Step | Action | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Check your main carry's weapon enhancement level | If below +15, push it now — troop stats are on the line |
| 2 | Check your Furnace level | If near L26 or L30, prioritize the furnace upgrade for extra formation slots |
| 3 | Review all 5 heroes' gear enhancement | Identify your weakest slot and create an upgrade plan |
| 4 | Check mastery levels on your main carry | Push to at least Tier 1 if you have not already |
| 5 | Adjust your pet skill schedule | Plan around the new 20h cooldown for maximum weekly activations |
| 6 | Re-evaluate event participation | Priorities have shifted — State of Power and King of Icefield are now higher value on mature servers |
Related Guides
| Guide | Relevance |
|---|---|
| Gear & Equipment Guide → | Gear rarity tiers, substat priority, set bonuses |
| Formation Guide → | How to position your now-gear-boosted heroes |
| Gems & Charms → | Socket strategy to multiply your gear stats further |
| Exclusive Weapons Guide → | Exclusive weapon breakpoints that stack with gear enhancement |
| Pets Guide → | Full pet skill breakdown with the new 20h cooldown in mind |
Next: Gems & Charms → — socket strategy to multiply your gear-enhanced troop stats even further.