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Gen 9 Heroes + Winter Siege Event — Complete Guide (v1.32.21) ​

Version: 1.32.21 | Release: July 6, 2026 | New Heroes: Magnus, Xura, Fred | New Expert: Gareth, the Ironthorn Chief

The July 2026 update brings three new Gen 9 heroes, a new Expert specialist, and the Winter Siege alliance event. Here's everything you need to know — including which heroes are worth investing in and who to skip.

Gen 9 Heroes — Overview ​

HeroRoleRarityWorth Investing?
MagnusInfantryMythic⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Must-build tank
XuraMarksmanMythic⭐⭐⭐⭐ Strong, but wait for Gen 10
FredLancerMythic⭐⭐⭐ Niche — shield specialist

Magnus — Gen 9 Infantry Powerhouse ​

Magnus is the standout Gen 9 hero and competes with Hector (Gen 5) for the best Infantry slot in the game. His kit:

SkillEffect
Ironthorn BulwarkReduces all incoming damage by 30% for 3 turns
Thorned RetaliationReflects 40% of damage taken back to attackers
UnyieldingCannot be stunned or frozen while below 50% HP

Recommended For: Both P2W and F2P. Magnus is available via Lucky Wheel, making him one of the most accessible Gen 9 investments. Prioritize him over Xura and Fred.

Xura — Gen 9 Marksman ​

A high-crit Marksman with AoE penetration:

SkillEffect
Piercing VolleyShots ignore 25% of enemy DEF
Multi-TargetHits 3 random enemies per attack
Critical Surge+40% crit rate for 2 turns after a kill

Verdict: Strong but not essential. Blanchette (Gen 10 Lucky Wheel hero) arrives next generation and outperforms Xura in both PVP and Bear Hunt. If you're tight on shards, skip Xura and save for Blanchette.

Fred — Gen 9 Lancer ​

A shield-focused support Lancer:

SkillEffect
Aegis ProtocolGrants 15% max HP shield to entire team
Shield BreakAttacks remove enemy shields before dealing damage
FortifyIncreases allied DEF by 20% for 2 turns

Verdict: Niche pick. Useful in specific PVP matchups against shield-heavy comps, but doesn't replace Mia or Renee in general content. Low priority.

Gen 9 Hero Priority — F2P vs. P2W ​

PriorityF2PP2W
1stMagnus (Lucky Wheel)Jeronimo (permanent buff)
2ndSave shards for Gen 10 BlanchetteMagnus (max ASAP)
3rdSkip Fred/XuraHector + Wu Ming combo
4th—Gordon + Blanchette (Gen 10 prep)

Shard Management

If you're F2P, do not spend universal shards on Xura or Fred. Magnus is the only Gen 9 hero worth universal shards — and even then, wait until the Lucky Wheel event gives you enough copies to make 4-star before using universals.

New Expert: Gareth, the Ironthorn Chief ​

Added in v1.32.21, Gareth specializes in garrison defense:

Upgrade LevelEffect
Level 1+5% garrison troop ATK
Level 3+10% garrison troop DEF
Level 5Garrison troops take 15% less damage from rallies
MaxUnlocks "Ironthorn Wall" — reflects 10% damage to attackers during garrison

Priority: Medium-high. If your alliance regularly defends in SvS or Castle Battle, Gareth is a top-tier investment. For pure PvE players, lower priority than Cyrille (Bear Hunt) or Kathy (Frostfire Mine).

Winter Siege — New Alliance Event ​

Winter Siege is an alliance stronghold battle mode introduced in v1.32.21. Here's how it works:

Event Structure ​

PhaseDurationActivity
Preparation24 hoursDeploy garrison squads, upgrade stronghold defenses
Battle2 hoursAttack enemy strongholds, defend your own
Settlement1 hourClaim rewards, repair defenses

How to Win ​

  1. Garrison Deployment: Each alliance member deploys one garrison squad to the stronghold. Strongholds with more garrisons gain stacking DEF bonuses.
  2. Attack Phase: Rally enemy strongholds. Successful attacks steal points. Failed attacks grant the defender bonus points.
  3. Stronghold Upgrades: During Preparation, spend alliance resources to upgrade:
    • Watchtowers — Reveal incoming attacks 5 minutes early
    • Barricades — +20% garrison HP per level
    • Siege Weapons — +15% rally attack per level

Rewards ​

RankRewards
1st5,000 Gems + Legendary Hero Gear Chest ×3
2nd3,000 Gems + Legendary Hero Gear Chest ×2
3rd2,000 Gems + Legendary Hero Gear Chest ×1
Top 101,000 Gems + Epic Hero Gear Chest ×3

Strategy Tips ​

  1. Stack garrisons on 2-3 strongholds — spreading thin across all 5 makes every stronghold vulnerable
  2. Save siege weapons for the last 30 minutes — point values double in the final phase
  3. Coordinate attack waves — simultaneous rallies on different enemy strongholds prevent them from reinforcing
  4. Gareth (new Expert) is BIS for garrison defense — prioritize members with Gareth to lead garrison squads

Bear Hunt Meta Update — Gen 9 Impact ​

Magnus changes Bear Hunt formations slightly:

Rally Captain (Updated) ​

GenerationBest Setup (P2W)F2P SetupRatio (Inf/Lanc/Marks)
Gen 8Jeronimo, Mia, BradleyHector, Mia, Bradley1/1/8
Gen 9Jeronimo, Magnus, BradleyMagnus, Mia, Bradley1/1/8
Gen 10+Jeronimo, Mia, BlanchetteMagnus, Mia, Blanchette1/1/8

WARNING

Magnus replaces Hector as the preferred F2P tank for Bear Hunt, but only if Magnus is 4-star or higher. A 5-star Hector still outperforms a 3-star Magnus.

Rally Joiners (Unchanged) ​

BestGoodNever Use
Jessie (25% DMG)Reina, GwenBlue heroes in slot 1
Jasser (25% DMG)Bradley, SonyaRandom epics
Jeronimo (25% DMG)Magnus, Blanchette—

Other v1.32.21 Changes ​

ChangeImpact
Extra Formation SlotsUnlocked at Furnace 26 and 30 — save these for Bear Hunt setups
Hero Gear in Exploration/ArenaGear now boosts troop stats in these modes too
Event Reward ScalingFoundry, Castle Battle, SvS rewards now scale with server age
Bear Hunt QoLRallies blocked with <5 min remaining — no more wasted marches
Chat ImprovementsMessage withdrawal + unread reminders

F2P Investment Priority — July 2026 ​

1. Magnus (Lucky Wheel → 4★ minimum)
2. Cyrille (Bear Hunt Expert)
3. Gareth (Winter Siege Expert, if PVP-active)
4. Save universal shards for Gen 10 Blanchette
5. Do NOT spend universals on Xura or Fred

Last updated: July 20, 2026. Based on v1.32.21 patch notes and community testing data.

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