The drone is the most quietly efficient power source in Last War, and also the easiest one to waste materials on. There are exactly two numbers that decide whether you are wasting them: 80% and 150.
The 80% rule
Battle Data is the drone's main resource — it comes from Radar Tasks, world-map monsters, Doom Elites, the Campaign Store and packs. When you feed it:
- Below 80% of the upgrade's progress, each feed has a 50% chance of a Critical Hit, which doubles the EXP.
- Above 80%, Critical Hits no longer occur at all.
So the last fifth of every level costs you full price, and the first four fifths cost roughly two thirds of it on average. The practical habit: feed hard up to the 80% mark, then finish the level with whatever you have rather than opening a fresh stockpile into the dead zone.
Drone Parts are the other cost. They are required at key level milestones, and — this is the number that surprises people — they are required for every single level after 150. Past 150 your drone progress is no longer limited by Battle Data at all; it is limited by Parts.
Where the levels actually pay out
| Level | What happens |
|---|---|
| 30 / 50 / 70 / 90 / 110 | [Anti-Armor Rocket] skill upgrades |
| 50 / 100 / 150 / 200 / 250 | New appearance and extra stats |
Components: three of a kind, until Level 8
Drone Components unlock at Base level 15, and you can equip up to 6. The combination rule changes partway up:
- Levels 1-7 — combine three components of the same type and level to make the next level. [Quick Combine] does it for you.
- Level 8 and above — components are no longer combined. They are consumed for Research Points, with extra boosts granted at 20%, 40%, 60%, 80% and 100%.
Component Chests come from the Component Factory, Alliance Duel Point Rewards, Secret Tasks and packs. If you have never seen a Level 6 or 7 chest, that is normal — they only appear during special events, as noted in Alliance Duel points.
Combat Boost and the Skill Chip system
| Combat Boost level | Unlocks |
|---|---|
| Lv.10 | Skill Chip system + 1st Chip Preset |
| Lv.150 | 2nd preset, Chip Skill Boost +1 |
| Lv.300 | 3rd preset, Chip Skill Boost +2 |
| Lv.450 | 4th preset, Chip Skill Boost +3 |
| Lv.600 | Chip Skill Boost +4 |
| Lv.750 | Chip Skill Boost +5 |
| Lv.900 | Drone HP, Attack and Defense greatly enhanced — at least 2 million Power |
Skill Chips need two conditions at once: the server must have been open for 82 days, and your Drone Combat Boost must be at level 10. Chips come in four categories — Initial Move, Attack, Interference, Defense — and each also carries unit stats for Tank, Missile and Aircraft.
Presets are per-scenario, and two of them reset on you
- World map battles — use the same preset as your main squad.
- Storm Arena and 3v3 Brawl — need separate Assault and Defense presets, and these reset when the arena rotates. Re-check them at the start of every rotation.
- Intercity Trade (Truck) — must be configured manually both when dispatching and when raiding.
- Alliance Train — the defense preset is set by the Conductor or Guardian Defender; raiding is manual.
First Fun's article title carries a typo — "Drone Developmet" — which we leave as published.
Sources: First Fun’s official English help centre — Drone Developmet: what you need to know!