To optimize your roster in Star Wars™: Galaxy of Heroes, direct your gear and Relic materials toward high-impact faction anchors like Bossk, Padmé Amidala, Darth Revan, and Grand Admiral Thrawn while holding back resources on obsolete or RNG-reliant units like Greedo, Magmatrooper, and Mace Windu.
Core Faction Targets and Traps
Managing character upgrades across multiple factions requires identifying which units deliver consistent squad synergy and which offer diminishing returns. Focus gear investments on characters that enable key unlocks, provide essential team survival, or offer game-changing control mechanics.
| Faction | High-Priority Target | Core Value / Key Mechanics | Low-Priority / Caution Pick | Reason to Hold Investment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Galactic Republic | Padmé Amidala | Protection Up survival, damage via Courage | Mace Windu | Utility outclassed by specialized tanks/supports |
| Bounty Hunter | Bossk | Defense boosts, Health Steal healing, Chewbacca unlock | Greedo | RNG-dependent procs lead to inconsistent performance |
| Sith | Darth Revan | Turn meter reduction, field control via Fear | — | — |
| Empire | Grand Admiral Thrawn | High-utility turn control via Fracture | Magmatrooper | Limited kit scope and minimal team utility |
Galactic Republic
Padmé Amidala serves as a cornerstone leader for early-to-mid-game progression. Her leadership provides Protection Up to sustain the squad and generates Courage, allowing your team to deal massive damage scaled off health pools. To build high-tier Galactic Republic damage output and squad synergy, pair her alongside units like General Anakin Skywalker or Ahsoka Tano (Fulcrum). Avoid over-investing gear into Mace Windu early on, as his defensive kit provides static value compared to more specialized supports and tanks.
Bounty Hunters and Scoundrels
Bossk is a foundational pick for the Bounty Hunter faction. His leadership ability restores health through Health Steal while granting substantial defensive buffs, making his squad resilient enough to complete his dedicated quest line and unlock Chewbacca. Core Bounty Hunters like The Mandalorian and Greef Karga provide reliable utility to complement Bossk. Conversely, Greedo represents an investment trap for newer rosters due to his reliance on random proc chances, which makes him unreliable in competitive modes like Grand Arena.
Sith and Empire
Darth Revan is a primary Sith target whose leadership ability strips enemy turn meter and shuts down opponents using the Fear debuff. For Empire squads, Grand Admiral Thrawn remains an essential utility character due to his Fracture ability, which temporarily removes key enemy threats from battle. Emperor Palpatine provides strong damage and control alongside Thrawn. Avoid spending heavy gear on Magmatrooper, whose narrow kit provides little team utility or battlefield control compared to top Empire leaders.
Roster Assessment Checklist
Before committing Relic materials or high-tier gear to any unit, run through these quick criteria to confirm long-term roster value:
- Synergy Check: Confirm whether the character's unique passive directly boosts the rest of the faction or only improves their own stats.
- Mode Versatility: Determine if the unit performs reliably on both offense and defense in Grand Arena and Territory Wars.
- Gear Efficiency: Assess whether the character achieves full utility at lower Relic tiers or strictly requires high-tier (R7+) investment to function.
- Legacy Status: Check if older units in the faction have been power-crept by newer kits that offer similar mechanics with higher baseline performance.
Free Star Wars™: Galaxy of Heroes Codes
Current active codes and how to redeem them.
COMMUNITY
Player Comments
152 players commented on this guide.
I wish I had read this before upgrading the wrong thing.
Good guide for Star Wars™: Galaxy of Heroes players. The heroes part was useful.
Nice guide. I am checking the other Star Wars™: Galaxy of Heroes articles next.
The explanation is clear, especially for beginners.