If you plan to spend money in Top Lords, your primary investment target should be promoting the hero Hathaway directly to 4 stars. Halting at 2 or 3 stars leaves her combat kit underpowered, resulting in poor spending efficiency. Furthermore, buying general discount bundles or raw infrastructure packs before securing her 4-star threshold spreads your investment too thin to produce a dominant primary march.
The 4-Star Investment Rule
Hero performance anchors army strength in Top Lords. While lower star ratings offer marginal attribute increases, Hathaway's primary combat carrying potential remains restricted until she reaches 4 stars.
Stopping at 3 stars often leaves players with an expensive unit that struggles against tougher stage encounters and competitive players. If your budget cannot guarantee enough shards to unlock 4 stars, the most practical choice is to hold off on spending entirely until you can complete the promotion in full.
| Star Promotion Tier | Battlefield Role | Spending Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| 1-Star to 2-Star | Base unlock; insufficient for leading a primary march | Avoid paid shard packs; treat solely as the starting baseline. |
| 3-Star | Incomplete performance; lacks high-end skill output | Do not stop here; spending that stalls at 3 stars yields low returns. |
| 4-Star | Core combat carry; major jump in durability and damage | Target milestone; concentrate your initial hero budget here. |
| 5-Star | Stat cap luxury; steep increase in shard requirements | Optional stopping point; rely on passive acquisition over time. |
Recommended Spending Plan for Hathaway
Scattering purchases across general speedups, daily resources, and random recruitment tokens before finishing Hathaway is the most frequent budgeting mistake in Top Lords. Follow this action order to preserve real-money efficiency:
- Check the total shard requirement: Identify the exact number of shards required to take Hathaway from her current tier to 4 stars.
- Focus solely on targeted packs: Direct your purchases exclusively toward bundles offering Hathaway shards or targeted hero selection chests.
- Commit or save: If your spending limit cannot reach the 4-star threshold, save your funds rather than buying a partial upgrade that leaves her at 2 or 3 stars.
- Pause at 4 stars: Stop buying Hathaway shards as soon as 4 stars is achieved.
Why You Should Stop at 4-Star
Pushing Hathaway from 4 stars to 5 stars involves steep diminishing returns. The leap from 3-star to 4-star unlocks the essential functional power needed to lead rallies, clear higher-level PvE content, and protect gathered resources. In contrast, the step from 4-star to 5-star requires a much larger volume of shards for incremental stat increases.
Once Hathaway reaches 4 stars, let passive event rewards, free recruitment opportunities, and general shards fill the remaining requirements toward 5 stars over time. Shift any future spending toward gearing, essential research, or complementary squad heroes to build balanced account strength.
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Emily Johnson
Emily writes practical mobile strategy guides with a focus on resource planning, base progression, and the early decisions that shape a long-term account.
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Player Comments
27 players commented on this guide.
The tips are practical and easy to follow.
This saved me time in the early game.
This guide answered the exact question I had.
I tried this today and it worked better than my old setup.