Drone Guide: Levels, Components & Skill Chips

The drone can't be targeted in battle and buffs every squad's Attack, Defense and HP, so it's one of the best long-term investments in the game. It unlocks after Campaign stage 38, which also rescues SSR Monica.

#Leveling

• Combat (Battle) Data levels the drone. It comes from Radar missions, zombies, Zombie Invasion, Doom Elites and the Campaign store.
• Drone Parts are needed every 5 levels up to 150, then every level after that.

Start saving Parts before level 120, where the cost jumps. After Season 2, a Drone Parts Workshop (Age of Oil research) adds a steady passive supply.

#Components

There are six: Radar, Turbo Engine, External Armor, Thermal Scope, Fuel Cell and Airborne Missile. Three identical components of the same level merge into one of the next level.

#Skill chips

Four chip types:

• Initial Move: an opening shield.
• Attack: drone damage and extra targets.
• Interference: damage over time after drone hits.
• Defense: front-row and troop-type defense.

Chips come in Green, Blue, Purple and Gold. Epic and Legendary chips are tied to a troop type, so match them to your squad. Four chips of the same rarity trigger a Resonance bonus. Use spare Common and Rare chips to feed Combat Boost, a shared level for all equipped chips.

The Chip Lab unlocks at HQ 15. All crafting is available by level 20, so most players stop there.

#Event timing

• Use Combat Data, Drone Parts and chip chests on Monday (Alliance Duel day 1), ideally during an Arms Race Drone Boost phase.
• Component chests score on Wednesday.

See also: Hero Gear, Alliance Duel & Arms Race.

#Sources

Compiled from community guides (last checked October 2026). Several are run by top-up shops, and numbers change with updates and differ by server, so double-check anything important in game.

• Heaven Guardian: Drone Center Guide
• Heaven Guardian: Drone Parts Guide
• LDShop: Drone Skill Chip Guide
• BuffBuff: Drone Guide