Last War: Full Aircraft Squad vs. 4+1 Murphy Lineup Guide

Run a 4+1 Murphy hybrid lineup if your aircraft front-line defenders—Lucius and Carlie—are under-developed and dying to early burst damage. Switch to a pure 5-hero aircraft squad once both Lucius and Carlie reach four to five stars with leveled defensive gear.

While a pure aircraft team maximizes faction synergy, an under-invested frontline will collapse before your back-row carries can cycle their skills.

Synergy and Stat Trade-Offs

Dropping from five aircraft heroes to a 4+1 setup sacrifices faction synergy in exchange for immediate frontline durability.

Dropping from five matching units to four reduces the squad-wide Attack, Defense, and HP bonus by 5%. However, back-line damage dealers deal no damage if the front row folds within the first ten seconds of combat. The 4+1 setup trades that 5% stat buff to keep your back row protected during squad progression.

When to Use the 4+1 Murphy Lineup

Field Murphy in your aircraft squad under the following conditions:

• Resource Scarcity: Upgrading two UR aircraft defenders simultaneously requires extensive universal shards and defensive gear. Slotting in Murphy allows you to funnel your best aircraft defensive equipment onto a single hero (either Lucius or Carlie).
• High Physical Burst Opponents: Mid-game PvP battlefields feature heavy physical burst lineups. Murphy provides immediate physical damage resistance and shields that absorb attacks that would otherwise eliminate low-star aircraft tanks.
• Survival Bottlenecks: If your back-line carries (DVA, Schuyler, and Morrison) are consistently eliminated before releasing their skills, Murphy buys the necessary setup time.

When to Switch to a Pure 5-Aircraft Squad

Transition back to a pure 5-hero aircraft lineup once your roster meets specific milestones:

• Star Thresholds: Both Lucius and Carlie have reached at least four or five stars.
• Gear Levels: Both aircraft defenders possess upgraded, high-tier defensive armor.
• Skill Progression: Lucius has sufficient skill investment to provide robust energy shields and energy damage reduction across the entire squad.

At this investment level, the full 20% synergy bonus boosts both the survivability of your tanks and the burst potential of your carries beyond what Murphy’s standalone kit can offer.

Recommended Squad Formations

Position your heroes so damage targets the correct defensive layers first.

4+1 Murphy Setup

• Front Row: Place Murphy directly opposite the enemy’s primary burst attacker, alongside your strongest aircraft defender (Lucius or Carlie).
• Back Row: Place DVA, Schuyler, and Morrison in the rear to maintain the four-hero aircraft damage core.

Full 5-Aircraft Setup

• Front Row: Position Lucius and Carlie side by side. Lucius absorbs energy damage and applies shielding, while Carlie provides secondary damage absorption and crowd control.
• Back Row: Place DVA in the center position, flanked by Schuyler and Morrison, ensuring maximum firing uptime against opposing frontlines.