Last Z F2P Research Priority Guide for Faster Growth

Research is the backbone of long-term progression in Last Z: Survival Shooter. Choosing the right projects can mean the difference between efficient growth and wasted resources. For free-to-play players especially, managing badges and focusing on the right priorities is critical.

This Last Z F2P Research Priority Guide breaks down research into two categories — growth (HQ-based) and combat-based — and shows you how to progress smartly without wasting time or badges.

Last Z F2P Research Priority Guide for Faster Growth (2025)

1. HQ-Based Growth Research (Badge-Free Efficiency)

These are the foundation of your development. They cost little more than resources and time, but the efficiency gains they provide will accelerate everything else you do.

New Home

• Provides boosts to construction speed, research speed, training speed, and march speed.
• Offers minor attack bonuses too.
• No badges required, only resources.
• Priority: Always do this early, as it speeds up all future progress.

Shelter Building → HQ Management

• Unlocks after maxing Shelter Building.
• Focuses on research speed, construction speed, and resource efficiency.
• Increases storage capacity, gathering speed, and production.
• Why important: These help you sustain growth without draining badges.

Rapid Growth

• Offers up to 40% construction speed and 30% research speed.
• Also includes productivity boosts.
• Again, badge-free, making it perfect for “filler” research when no events are running.
• Pro tip: Keep this tree active in the background on non-event days to maintain constant research progress.

HQ Research Tip

• On event days (like Badge Day), save your badges for combat research.
• On non-event days, run growth research to keep both labs busy.

2. Combat-Based Research (Troop Strength and Formation Power)

Once your base development is stable, shift your badges into combat research. This is where your troops gain real fighting power.

Hero Training

• Boosts hero attack and defense (not troop stats).
• Increases formation power in arena, duels, and events.
• Requires very few badges — good for early Alliance Duel points.

Elite Troops → Military Strategies

• Increases troop attack, defense, and training speed.
• Unlocks Military Strategies, which is core for all further combat research.
• Also covers siege assault (attack) and siege defense.
• Priority: High. You cannot advance to major trees without maxing Elite Troops.

Military Strategies

• Expands troop buffs for attack, defense, and HP.
• Unlocks deeper trees like Siege to Siege and Peace Seal.
• HP research (Recharge Seal) is particularly valuable: 1% HP = ~150k formation power.

Siege to Siege

• Heavy badge cost (3,700+ per level).
• Increases troop attack, defense, destruction value, and HP.
• Key research for State Ruler and serious PvP.
• F2P Tip: Focus one troop type (e.g. Assaulter) first before spreading badges thin.

Peace Seal

• Costlier than Siege to Siege but provides lifesaving effects.
• Unlocks Urgent Rescue, reducing troop deaths by converting more losses into injuries.
• Critical for free-to-play who can’t afford massive troop losses.

Field Research & Army Building (Late Game)

• Field Research unlocks specialized trees for each troop type.
• Army Building increases troop size and other stats.
• Both require maxed Siege to Siege and Peace Seal — meaning enormous badge costs.
• F2P Reality: Long-term goals, not early priorities.

3. Special Research Lines

Unit Special Training (T10 Unlock)

• Required to unlock Tier 10 troops.
• Costs over 1 million badges — a marathon project.
• Mandatory eventually, since T11 troops will require it.
• Advice: Plan months ahead. Expect ~500 days to unlock T10 without spending.

Alliance Recognition

• Arguably the most valuable research for long-term growth.
• Increases badge rewards from Alliance Duel events.
• A fully maxed Alliance Recognition can give 20–40k extra badges weekly.
• Priority: Make this your first major badge sink. It funds all future research.

Fully Armed Alliance

• Unlocks after T10 and Alliance Recognition.
• Provides troop attack, defense, hospital boosts, and direct kill potential (Annihilation research).
• Very expensive, but highly impactful for PvP.
• Only pursue once you have T10.

Steel Age (HQ 30+)

• Unlocks at Lab level 31.
• Provides higher-level boosts to construction, research speed, and healing.
• Only worth pursuing once T10 is unlocked and earlier trees are maxed.

4. F2P Research Priority Order

Here’s a simplified progression order for free-to-play players:

1. HQ-Based Badge-Free Research (New Home, Shelter Building, HQ Management, Rapid Growth).
2. Alliance Recognition (max this first for long-term badge income).
3. Elite Troops → Military Strategies.
4. Hero Training (optional early filler, but cheap).
5. Military Strategies HP research (Recharge Seal).
6. Siege to Siege (focus on your main troop type).
7. Peace Seal (Urgent Rescue first).
8. T10 Unlock (Unit Special Training).
9. Fully Armed Alliance (after T10).
10. Field/Army Building (ultra late game).
11. Steel Age (Lab 30+, once everything else is ready).

By following this order, you’ll grow efficiently as a free-to-play player, unlocking stronger troops while keeping badge costs manageable. The biggest takeaway: max Alliance Recognition early — it pays back exponentially and funds everything that comes after.