Playing Kingshot as a free-to-play (F2P) player can feel a bit challenging at times, but with the right knowledge, you can actually build a solid hero lineup that helps your alliance in events—and makes the game more fun.
There are two key parts of the game that every F2P player should focus on: Hero Roulette and Hall of Heroes. These are the best places to get strong heroes without spending money.
Hero Roulette
If you want to build a strong hero lineup, always save your gems and use them only on Hero Roulette. I talk more about this in my Where to Spend Gems guide. The Roulette rotates between Archer, Infantry, and Cavalry heroes.
- In Gen 1, the featured hero is Saul
- In Gen 2, it’s Zoe
- In Gen 3, it’s Petra
For F2P players, Hero Roulette is a must-do. If you save your gems and only use them to spin the Roulette, you can actually build a pretty good lineup. Each generation (except Gen 1) usually has around 5 to 6 Roulettes, which gives you a solid chance to get stars on key heroes.
Gen 1 is a little tight—you only get 2 to 3 roulettes, so you might not have enough time to build a strong Saul. In that case, you can use Quinn as a replacement. But in Gen 2, Zoe is a must-have. With 5 to 6 roulettes available, and good gem saving, you can easily get her to 4 or even 5 stars.
Hall of Heroes
The second place F2P players should focus on is the Hall of Heroes. At first, it may not seem that helpful—you only get 10 shards per week—but that’s where Mythic General Shards come in. You get these shards from events and other sources, and they’re super important.
You should save all your Mythic General Shards until you have at least 465. That’s enough to take a hero from Hall of Heroes to 4 stars—and the best choice for that is Marlin in Gen 2.
Marlin is a great hero who stays useful until Gen 4. He has solid skills for expeditions and arena, and he also has an Attack Widget—which only Amadeus, Helga, and Marlin have up until Gen 2.
Even though events like HoG, Grow Your Heroes, Alliance Mobilization, and KvK might tempt you to use those shards early, resist the urge—especially if you’re F2P and trying to build a long-term lineup.
Your Ideal F2P Lineup in Gen 3
So, after saving up your gems and Mythic shards, and using them wisely in Hero Roulette and Hall of Heroes, what should your final lineup look like by Gen 3?
Zoe, Petra, and Marlin.
These three heroes are all strong and work really well together. They’ll make your main march powerful, and if you follow my Smart Way to Upgrade Hero Gear guide, you’ll be a great support player for your alliance—and able to launch strong rallies when needed.
Hi!
I was wondering — when will the Hall of Heroes be available in our region? Also, when you mention mythic shards, are you referring to the neutral purple puzzle pieces?
One last question: is Petra obtained the same way as the generation 2 heroes, or is it different?
Thank you so much for all the work you do on the Kingshot guides — I’ve learned a lot from you! Even though I spend a little money on the game, I still consider myself F2P — let’s just say the money I put in is a small bonus 🙂
Hey, Hall of Heroes shows up every Sunday and lasts for three days. The featured heroes change with each generation. In Gen 1, it’s Jabel and Saul—you can skip those. In Gen 2, it’s Marlin, and he’s the one you want.
But don’t go all in with gems. Just spend 15,000 gems to get 10 shards and unlock Marlin. After that, focus on upgrading him with your saved Mythic Shards. Don’t waste more gems on Hall of Heroes—save those for Roulettes instead.
Petra shows up in Gen 3, which is around 120 days after your kingdom starts. You’ll be able to unlock her through Hero Roulette.
Hi again, from what I understand from your guide, it’s better not to spend gems on Saul’s wheels and instead wait for Zoe’s wheels in the 2nd generation — is that correct? Also, I’d like to know how many gems are needed to get that wheel hero to 4–5 stars. I currently have 90k gems and my server is still in the 1st generation.
Hey, so Saul is still pretty important, even though he only shows up in two Roulettes, which makes it tough to get him to 4 stars. But his construction skill is useful later in the game when building times get crazy long.
That said, for your lineup, Saul might not be the best pick for F2P since getting him to 4 stars is hard with just two Roulettes. It’s better to go with Quinn for now, and save your Mythic Shards for Gen 2 Marlin instead.
You might not end up using Saul in your main lineup, but his construction skill is valuable—so make sure you don’t miss his Roulettes.
In terms of cost, getting a Roulette hero to 4 stars takes around 450K gems. But 5-starring one is way tougher—it needs more than double that, since 4 stars takes 465 shards, and the 5th star alone needs 600 shards.
How do you recommend doing those wheel spins? In another post of yours I saw that doing 120 spins costs around 150k gems. Is it better to do them all at once or to do smaller batches for each available hero wheel? If it’s the second option, how many spins would you recommend per wheel?
You should do as many spins as you can, but make sure they line up with the spin rewards to get the best value. I explained this more in my “Where to Spend Gems Guide” – check it out. As an F2P, don’t go over 120 spins though, it’s not worth it.
If your a spender, does this advice change significantly? I would love to see how to assess heroes to know who’s best and worth dropping some money on and who isn’t.
To figure out if a hero is worth it, you need to look at their stats, skills and widgets. For example, Amadeus has better stats than Gen 2 heroes — he gives a +260% boost in Attack and Defense, while Gen 2 heroes give around +240.19%. So if you’re a spender, Amadeus should be the first hero you upgrade. He’ll stay useful all the way through Gen 4.
Next, the best attack hero to build is Marlin. He’s a strong damage dealer for both Arena and Expedition. He has an attack widget, and all his skills are focused on attack.
The third hero you’ll want is Hilde. She has better stats than Jabel.
So for spenders, the recommended lineup changes a lot. By Gen 2, your best lineup would be Amadeus, Hilde, and Marlin.
For F2P players, the best Gen 2 lineup would be Zoe, Jabel, and Quinn — or Marlin if you manage to save enough Mythic Shards to get him to 4 stars.
Great site, wish I discovered it sooner. I only participated in one Hall of Heroes and one Hero Roulette with Saul (didn’t know any better), and now we’ve started Gen 2. Is it still worth leveling up Saul for the construction bonus (currently at 2.4 stars level 3 construction skill), or just save shards and gems for Marlin and Zoe?
A level 3 Saul skill is good enough—it gives you a 9% reduction in both construction time and cost. You can ignore Saul now since you’re in Gen 2 and focus on upgrading Marlin and Zoe. Those two will remain your main heroes through both Gen 2 and Gen 3 (as an F2P).
Hi! So, if I’m about to finish generation 1, is this what I should do? Save gems to unlock Marlin in Hall of Heroes and level him up with generic shards, and level Zoe up with the roulettes? This actually caught me off guard, and I’ve already spent quite a few gems on Saul’s roulettes, but it doesn’t hurt. On the other hand, what do I do with the VIP? Right now I’m level 6, which I know is the perfect level for F2P, so I’m good. And I have approximately 110,000 gems.
You shouldn’t skip Saul’s Roulette—if you spent gems on it, that was a smart move. Saul’s construction skill matters a lot. Zoe gets 5 to 6 Roulettes, so you’ll have plenty of chances to focus on her next. Use your saved gems to build Zoe through Roulette.
As for VIP, just level it up slowly by logging in daily and buying VIP XP from the Alliance Store. I usually don’t recommend F2Ps to spend gems on VIP since it’s better to use those gems to build a stronger hero lineup. VIP 6 is already a good level, so you’re doing fine there.
Why is Quinn best for archer hero over say Saul?
Quinn is a better Archer Hero for F2Ps because you can max him out faster and get his skills to max as well. Saul is tougher for F2Ps since he only gets two Roulettes, and to replace a fully maxed Quinn with Saul, you’d need at least a 4-star Saul—which is pretty hard to get as F2P with just two Roulettes.
I’m a F2P player (or at most a low spender), and today Marlin appeared in the Hall of Heroes for the first time, so I unlocked him. Unfortunately, I don’t have enough Mythic Shards, so I could only upgrade him to 2 stars.
At this level, Marlin is less effective than my 4 stars Quinn, and using him results in about a 20% loss in Archer attack and defense bonuses. However, if I understand correctly, Marlin will be a better hero in the long run.
Would you recommend continuing to invest in him, even though it will take time to make him effective? Also, do you think it’s better to focus on getting Mythic Shards for Marlin during the champagne fair, or should I use my vouchers for other items (like forgehammers)?
Additionally, would you recommend spending gems to buy Mark of Valor? I would need to spend around 117k gems to bring Marlin to 3 stars, but I’d rather save my gems for the roulette to upgrade Zoe to 4 stars. What would be the best approach?
You should definitely keep investing Mythic Shards in Marlin and get him to at least 4 stars—that’s when he becomes a good replacement for Quinn. Gen 3 Heroes just dropped today, and the new Archer hero, Jaeger, turns out to be more of a defender because of his widget. So now we know Marlin is still the best attack Archer in Gen 3 too.
No need to keep buying Marlin shards from the Hall of Heroes—just get enough to unlock him. After that, use general Mythic Shards to upgrade him and save your gems for the Roulette instead.
Also, for the Champagne Fair, I’d recommend going for widgets. Mythic shards already have plenty of other sources in the game, but widgets are a bit harder to get.
Hey, this is really helpful! I have my Helge max out in star. In Gen 2 if i want to keep 2 infantry heros in arena. From Helge, Zoe, and Howard, which one I should keep? Just want to see if Zoe is worth to build up in this situation. Thanks!
Since you already have a maxed Helga, focus on getting a stronger Zoe through the Roulette. Once you do, you can drop Howard — Zoe performs way better than him in Arena.
Thanks Daryl!! Just wondering, if I want to invest in only one hero between Hilde and Martin, which one you recommend?
I’d recommend Marlin—he’s the best Archer hero for Gen 2 and Gen 3 attack rallies. He’s also a beast in Arena, so it’s an easy choice between Hilde and Marlin. Go with Marlin.
Hello Daryl, what’s your opinion with this? I have 4-star Helga, it was the only thing I spend for and the rest is pure no spend thing (can’t say f2p, HAHA). Is playing with Helga on Gen-2 onwards will not be effective anymore? Insights on this, please. Thank you.
Helga outperforms Zoe in Gen 2 for attack rallies since Zoe is a defender hero. If you could get the last star on Helga, she’d stay solid through Gen 3 as your main infantry. But since she’s at 4 stars and you don’t plan to spend much more, it’s better to save your gems for Zoe and use her in both Gen 2 and Gen 3 as suggested in the guide.
Thanks for your answer brother. So do you mean even I 5-star Helga, I really need Zoe for Gen 3 phase?
Helga and Zoe serve different roles — Helga is an attack hero, while Zoe is a defense hero. So for launching attack rallies, Helga performs better, and for garrison rallies, Zoe is the better choice.
If you don’t plan on upgrading Helga further, you can focus on Zoe and max her out. She can work as an alternative rally leader.
For F2Ps and low spenders, Zoe is a good alternative in both Gen 2 and Gen 3 since Helga and Amadeus are paid heroes.
If you can get Helga to 5 stars, she’ll be your best attack infantry hero for both Gen 2 and Gen 3 — even Gen 3’s Eric won’t replace her. But since Zoe is available in Roulette, you can still use her for garrison, so I’d recommend spending your gems on Zoe’s Roulette too.
So to summarize: Use Helga for Attack Rallies (if maxed out), Zoe for Garrison.
I’ve been a spender but need to slow way down. I’ve got Helga maxed and Amadeus at 4 stars. Level 10 on VIP. We’ve just hit Gen 2. I have enough shards to upgrade Marlin to 4 stars. Given that I need to slow way down on spending, should I skip Zoe and Hilde altogether? Save my gems to upgrade Amadeus by Gen 3 and then focus on Petra? I have Jabel at 4.2 stars at the moment. Appreciate your advice. Great site!
Hey,
Thanks for the comment! Just to clarify — you can’t really use gems to upgrade Amadeus. His shards only come from VIP Packs and the first three Hall of Governor events.
I wouldn’t recommend skipping Zoe since she’s really solid for Garrison. Eric is more skippable when it comes to infantry, so it’s better to invest in Zoe now so you can skip Eric in Gen 3 and keep her as your main Garrison hero.
As for Hilde, it’s fine to skip her if you’re planning to cut back on spending. Instead, focus on Petra in Gen 3 and stick with Jabel as your main Cavalry for now.
Thanks! For the gems, I was thinking about the requirements for the increased VIP levels that would allow me to spend on Amadeus. Wondering if it was more worthwhile to get to VIP levels 11 & 12 over spending on Zoe. It’s a lot of gems, though, for those next two levels, so it could take a while.
At what point should Zoe replace Howard? I currently have almost a maxed Howard, with all level 5 skills, or a 3 star Zoe, where I could push to have almost all level 4 skills. The power difference is noticeable when I swap gear.
I tried to look at the details of each hero and on paper Howard still comes out on top.
I think this advice on when to swap a hero may be applicable to many situations.
Thanks for all your help!
Zoe’s stats become better than Howard’s once she reaches 3-5 stars.
I’m in my 2nd SvS and only just have Marlin to 2 stars, with 115 shards in my inventory, so I could level him to level 3. Would that be a waste at this point or should I go for it? I feel like by the time I get him to 4 stars, there will be a new more powerful archer. I also considered pivoting to Jaeger since my alliance isn’t super powerful and defending might be more useful.
If you’re not leading Garrison for your alliance, you should skip Jaeger. He’s mainly a Garrison hero and is only useful for attack scenarios like PvP battles or alliance championships since widgets don’t apply there. Marlin is still the best attack hero for leading rallies in Gen 3, so you’ll be using him for a long time. It’s better to invest your Mythic Shards in him. Plus, you’ll need Marlin to perform better in Bear Hunt as well.
Could you add to the guide to explain the best heroes for garrisoning? A guide for kings castle would be amazing too!
For Garrison, just send the latest-gen heroes with garrison widgets. For example, during Gen 2, you’d send Zoe, Hilde, and Saul. In Gen 3, the garrison meta is Eric, Hilde, and Jaeger. The key thing to focus on is the widget since it gives a multiplicative boost to your stats.
For joiners, it’s best to send a mix of heroes like Howard, Gordon, Fahd, and Chenko, but that’s tough to coordinate with every member. So, most of the time, just going with 4 Gordons is good enough.
Hello Daryl, what’s your opinion on this? I’m planning to use my gems on Zoe. Assuming I have enough gems to reach 4 stars, would you recommend pushing for 5 stars, or is it better to save those gems for a Gen 3 hero? Thanks!
If you can, try to take Zoe to 5 stars. Petra will get her 5–6 roulettes, which should be enough to push her to at least 4 stars. Both of these heroes are really important for F2Ps and low spenders who don’t have Amadeus or Helga.
Hi Daryl,
thank you so much for your guides – they are gold!
wish I had seen them a little sooner, that would have saved my a lot of time and mistakes.
I have one question – sorry if you already answered it for someone else (tried to look through).
I was thinking, as a F2P player, when you would stop using books for the gen 1 heros, and instead saving up for gen 2? I am not 100% sure when it will be, but my best guess would be 2 weeks time. My Soul, Jabel and Helga in usable at the moment, but I could upgrade a bit more since I have both Expedition and conquest books in stock.
But I though it might be better to “live” with the current power, and then boost the next gen heros quicker.
Any thoughts?
Skill Books usually aren’t a big problem since you can earn enough just by being active every day. But if you think the next generation is coming soon and you might not have enough for the new heroes, it’s good to save them.
Hey Daryl,
So I’ve been learning loads from your guides thanks so much! Just to clarify – if you aren’t a whale (I’m at tc 29 and about 56m power so I’m likely to always be a joiner, even for garrison?) Zoe for example wouldn’t be my primary hero for garrison I’d be better off choosing Gordon?
I’m feeling generally unsure of what to focus on because we have a few solid whales in our alliance I’m thinking what do I focus on – because as far as I understand widgets, gear etc don’t make a difference as a joiner. So are these heroes also still the most important through the game?
Oh I also wondered in terms of rallies, that I do lead for terrors for example – Is it only the 1st hero in my rally whose stats and gear make a difference?
If you’re joining a rally, you should send Gordon instead of Zoe. Zoe has a chance-based skill in her first expedition slot, and chance-based skills don’t stack—so she’s not a good joiner (even though she’s a decent rally leader). As a rally leader, all three heroes matter, but as a joiner only the first slot hero counts.
And honestly, I don’t like when F2P players don’t even try to build a good lineup. Even without spending, you can still be really useful to your alliance in events like Alliance Championship, Swordland Showdown, or Castle Battle. With smart play, you can slowly catch up to spenders.
Is Petra really a good replacement for Jabel down the road? Jabel has the +lethality skill which is quite important
Jabel and Petra serve different roles. Jabel is a defensive hero since she has a garrison widget, while Petra is better for offense due to her attack widget. If you’re launching an attack rally, Petra is the stronger choice.