HQ Upgrade & Progression Guide

Plan your Headquarters progression from HQ1 through HQ35. Learn which buildings matter, how HQ level affects your heroes, how to prepare for the Steel requirements at HQ31–35, and how to use Sophia, construction bonuses, speed-ups, and event timing to make expensive upgrades more efficient.

Why HQ Level Matters

Your Headquarters (HQ) is the backbone of your progression in Last Z. Increasing your HQ level opens the path to stronger heroes, buildings, troops, research, and late-game content.

Hero Level Cap

Every HQ level adds +5 to your hero level cap.

HQ LevelHero Level Cap

HQ 1

5

HQ 20

100

HQ 30

150

HQ 35

175

This makes HQ progression directly connected to the strength of your heroes.

Sophia — The Queen of Construction

Sophia is especially valuable for players planning long-term HQ progression.

Her 3rd skill provides construction benefits including:

The Goal

Try to have Sophia at 5 stars before making the expensive HQ30+ push.

Her bonuses apply across your building upgrades. Since HQ progression forces you to upgrade prerequisite buildings along the way, those savings can add up.

When a Second Builder Helps

A second builder allows you to upgrade two buildings at the same time.

It is most useful when prerequisite buildings are holding up your next HQ upgrade and you have enough resources to keep both construction queues working.

A second builder does not:

Use the additional queue strategically rather than upgrading unnecessary buildings simply to keep it occupied.

Secretary of Construction

The Secretary of Construction Capital position provides:

+15% Construction Speed
+1 hour Free Construction Duration

When available, this can provide another useful boost before beginning major construction.

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Fastest HQ Upgrade Path: HQ1–30

The fastest route to a higher HQ isn't upgrading every building equally.

Focus on the buildings required for your next HQ level and save your major resources and speed-ups for later progression.

Phase 1 — HQ1–18: Fast & Easy

Early progression moves quickly.

Keep moving through your required upgrades rather than trying to maximize every building.

Phase 2 — HQ18–24: Reality Check

This is where construction times begin becoming much more noticeable.

Some upgrades can take a week or more.

Plan your resources and construction queues instead of upgrading buildings randomly.

Phase 3 — HQ24–27: Smart Play Required

At this stage:

Every unnecessary upgrade consumes resources and construction time that could have gone toward your next HQ.

Phase 4 — HQ30: Major Milestone

HQ30 is an important late-game progression point.

It:

If HQ31–35 isn't available to you yet, use the waiting period to prepare.

HQ30 Preparation

Start stacking:

Resources • Speed-ups • Construction bonuses

You can also begin strengthening important formation buildings and Hall of Honor buildings once your immediate HQ rush is under control.



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HQ31–35 & Steel Requirements

HQ31–35 begins a significantly more expensive stage of Headquarters progression.

HQ31–35 Requirements at a Glance

Steel values below are in millions.

HQRequired BuildingSteelPlanning Note

HQ31

Rider Camp

2.2M

First Steel requirement

HQ32

City Walls

3.1M

0.9M more than HQ31

HQ33

Alliance Center

4.1M

Keep it on your critical upgrade path

HQ34

Assaulter Camp

5.3M

First Steel requirement above 5M

HQ35

Shooter Camp

6.4M

Largest Steel requirement

Total Steel: HQ31–35

21.1 Million Steel

Don't begin one of these HQ levels just because you've unlocked it.

Make sure its required building is ready and plan for the Steel requirement before committing your resources and speed-ups.

Steel — The New Resource

Steel appears as part of progression beyond HQ30.

Sources listed in the supplied guide include:

Important

Don't automatically count Tyrant as a Steel source. Check the live rewards on your server to see whether Steel is actually included.

Take Advantage of the Launch Event

The supplied information describes a special event around the HQ31–35 rollout that can provide significant Steel through daily tasks.

If this event is active on your server, take advantage of it before it disappears.

That Steel can make the push to HQ31 considerably easier.

Steel Isn't Your Only Problem

Having enough Steel doesn't mean you're ready.

The other major bottleneck is:

Construction Time

HQ31–35 construction timers can become extremely long. According to the supplied guide, the longest unbuffed timers can reach several months.

That's why construction bonuses become increasingly important after HQ30.

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Construction Speed & Event Strategy

Before beginning a major HQ31–35 upgrade, stack as many useful construction bonuses as possible.

Construction Speed Setup

Prepare:

The goal is to apply these bonuses before committing to the longest construction timers.

Alliance Duel Day 2 Strategy

You can also time a major HQ completion around Alliance Duel Day 2.

The Strategy

Start your HQ upgrade ahead of time.

When construction finishes and the green checkmark appears:

DON'T TAP IT YET.

Hold the completed HQ until Day 2, then finish it when the upgrade can contribute toward your event points.

Be Careful

One accidental tap can complete the upgrade early and cost you the opportunity to use that HQ completion for Day 2 scoring.

Double-Dip Your Upgrade

When possible, also align the completion with Full Preparedness.

This allows the same major construction completion to contribute toward multiple scoring opportunities when the applicable events overlap.

HQ Upgrade Checklist

Before starting an expensive HQ upgrade:

✓ Required building ready
✓ Required resources/Steel available
✓ Sophia prepared
✓ Construction bonuses active
✓ Speed-ups available
✓ Event timing considered


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Which Buildings Should You Upgrade?

One of the easiest ways to slow your HQ progression is spending resources on buildings that don't help unlock your next HQ.

HQ8–30 Requirement Pattern

From HQ8 through HQ30, the supplied guide identifies the Laboratory as mandatory for every HQ upgrade.

The second required building rotates among:

Think of your progression as:

Laboratory + Required Rotating Building → HQ Upgrade

For HQ31–35, requirements should instead be planned level by level using the later-game requirements.

Buildings to Avoid Upgrading Too Early

Unless they're required for your next HQ or serve an immediate strategic purpose, avoid pouring resources into:

A blue arrow means you can upgrade something—not necessarily that you should.

Useful Optional Upgrades

When resources and construction time allow, the supplied guide identifies these as useful:

The HQ Progression Rule

For players trying to reach higher HQ levels efficiently:

Upgrade what your next HQ requires first.

Then use spare construction time and resources for secondary buildings that provide meaningful benefits.

Final HQ35 Planning

By the time you're approaching HQ35, your progression should be deliberate rather than reactive.

Remember the big numbers:

HQ30 → Hero Cap 150

HQ35 → Hero Cap 175

HQ31–35 → 21.1M Total Steel

Plan the required buildings, Steel, speed-ups, construction bonuses, and event timing before pressing Upgrade.


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