Last Fortress: Underground S1 Progression and Combat Priorities

To succeed in Season 1 (S1) of Last Fortress: Underground, your immediate priority should be focusing recruitment resources on ascending the star levels of a single primary hero squad while upgrading your APC troop capacity. Spreading resources evenly across multiple squads or under-leveled facilities will cause progression bottlenecks when trying to capture higher-level tiles on the world map.

Hero Star Levels and Squad Synergy

Hero star levels dictate combat power and stat scaling in Season 1 encounters. High-star heroes are required to survive the increased difficulty of S1 world map tiles and enemies.

Instead of ascending a broad roster, invest your recruitment items into one core powerhouse lineup:

• Single-Squad Focus: Building one max-star squad is more effective for tile clearing than maintaining three mediocre squads.
• Synergy Over Raw Stats: Select heroes that complement each other's combat roles. Role synergy bonuses often provide greater overall performance than un-synergized high-star units.
• Leader Placement: Place your highest-star heroes at the head of your primary APCs to maximize squad buffs.

Scaling APC Capacity for Resource Tiles

Tile progression in S1 depends directly on your Armored Personnel Carrier (APC) troop count. Failing to meet the troop threshold for a tile leads to high casualty rates and failed attacks.

To maintain continuous deployment without excessive downtime for repairs, complete the following actions:

1. Research Troop Capacity: Prioritize the "Troop Capacity" node within your shelter's research tree to raise maximum soldier allowances.
2. Upgrade Facilities: Keep your Training Grounds and logistics buildings leveled to match your current shelter tier.
3. Monitor Command Levels: Increase command facility levels to expand total deployment limits before attempting high-tier tile captures.

Shelter Upgrades and Event Timing

Resource management shifts in S1 from immediate spending to deliberate stockpiling. Higher-tier building and research projects require massive resource pools, making unplanned spending a primary cause of stalled shelter development.

Avoid upgrading every facility at once. Focus your construction queue strictly on structures that unlock higher troop tiers or boost hourly resource gathering.

To stretch your resources further, synchronize major building upgrades and troop training with active seasonal events. Timing upgrades to match event objectives lets you earn event milestone rewards—such as speed-ups and hero fragments—for tasks you are already executing, accelerating your overall seasonal power growth.