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PVP Squad Setup Guide

Core Mechanics · 2026-04-21

How PVP Squads Differ From PVE Squads

Most players assume "PVP squad" means a completely different hero lineup with radically different positioning. It is not. For the three standard mono-type squads — the heroes and their positions are the same. What changes is:

  1. Matchup selection — in PVE you bring your strongest squad. In PVP you bring the type that counters the enemy.
  2. Which skills carry the fight — a hero's PVP value can be entirely different from their PVE value (Adam's Counter Defense is an example).
  3. Offensive rally vs garrison defence priorities — same squad, different emphasis depending on whether you are attacking or being attacked.
  4. The one genuine positioning exception: the Murphy rule.
Before You Read Further

If your Tank, Aircraft, or Missile squad is already built per the Squad Building Fundamentals and the dedicated class guides, you already have a PVP-ready squad. This guide is about how to use that squad in PVP — positioning edge cases, when to switch types, and the priority changes between offensive and defensive PVP.

PVP Positioning Fundamentals

How Targeting Works

The game resolves combat with specific targeting rules. Understanding them is what makes positioning matter:

  • Default attacks target the front row first. Your front row takes hits before your back row, full stop. Exceptions exist only for specific skills.
  • Some skills target the back row directly (e.g. Schuyler stuns, Venom poisons two front-row units, skills tagged "attacks back row enemies").
  • Some skills target lowest defence or highest defence in a row (Williams' Overwhelm, Blast Frenzy).
  • Short-range skills do not reach from the back row. This is the mechanic behind the Murphy rule.

In PVP both squads run by these rules simultaneously — which means positioning determines who lives long enough to use their key skills.

The Murphy Rule

Murphy is the one hero whose position genuinely changes between PVE and PVP:

The Murphy Rule

In PVP, Murphy must always be in the front row. His attack has short range — from the back row it does not reach the enemy, and his value to the squad collapses. Some PVE boss setups place Murphy in the back row to use his third skill buff at a distance, but this does not work in PVP. If you see someone recommending a back-row Murphy for a PVP formation, they are wrong.

Front Row Rules in PVP

Your front row heroes share three jobs:

  1. Absorb damage so your back row survives to its win condition
  2. Apply front-row-only passives (Lucius' Silver Armor, Adam's Spike Armor, Murphy's squad HP buff)
  3. Draw enemy focus via taunts and presence (McGregor's Unyielding Heart)

A hero whose kit is mostly front-row-dependent buffs cannot be in the back row in PVP — their value disappears.

Back Row Rules in PVP

Back row heroes live or die by their protection. In PVP:

  • Main DPS always goes back-left (directly behind your primary tank) — maximum protection for your win condition
  • Defence-shred and DoT heroes go back-centre — covered by both tanks, stays alive longest
  • Support and utility heroes go back-right — their value is a well-timed skill, not sustained presence

The Mono-Type Bonus Still Rules

The +20% HP / Attack / Defence bonus for five same-type heroes is non-negotiable in PVP. Every percentage point matters in an even fight. Do not split your squad for a "better" fifth hero. Community recommendations involving 4 of one type + 1 of another (the "4+1 hybrid") require the Season 4 Tactics Card to remove the mono penalty. In Pre-Season 1 and Season 1, that card does not exist yet — run pure mono-type only.

Tank PVP Squad

Tank is the dominant squad in Pre-Season 1 and remains a top counter-pick through Season 1. It wins through durability — absorb the enemy's opening burst, then grind them down.

Tank PVP Formation
Front Row — Damage Sponges
Left
Murphy
Main Tank
Anchors the front line and absorbs the heaviest incoming fire. His squad-wide HP buff applies to every hero behind him. Left front in PVP is non-negotiable (see the Murphy rule).
Right
Williams
Defensive Anchor
Team-wide damage reduction that scales with incoming damage — the harder the enemy hits, the more value Williams gives. His Overwhelm also targets the enemy front row's lowest-defence hero, breaking their line from the front.
Back Row — Kill Squad
Left
Kimberly
Main DPS
Highest AoE damage in the early game. Back-left positions her directly behind Murphy for maximum protection. Her damage is what wins the fight — protect her at all costs.
Centre
Stetmann
Secondary DPS
AoE energy damage complements Kimberly's physical damage — enemies can't simply stack one defence type. Centre position gives him coverage from both front-row tanks.
Right
Marshall
Critical Buff Support
Multiplies the squad's damage via critical rate buffs. In PVP this is especially valuable on opening burst — the first few Kimberly hits deciding the fight. Right back position keeps him alive behind Williams.

Why This Formation Works in PVP

PVP Win Condition
  • Murphy + Williams absorb the opening burst that would kill most squads outright. Their combined HP buff + damage reduction creates a floor that cannot be broken in one engagement.
  • Kimberly protected behind Murphy survives to deliver her AoE — which deletes the enemy back row once their tanks start falling.
  • Marshall's crit buffs amplify Kimberly and Stetmann multiplicatively. Crucial in fast PVP where opening damage decides the outcome.
  • Stetmann's energy AoE punishes enemies that built physical-defence gear expecting Kimberly-style squads.

Tank PVP Role Notes

  • Rally leading: Tanks are the best general rally leaders — their squad durability keeps the rally alive against mixed-type garrisons.
  • Garrison defence: Tank squads are a strong default garrison. Durability outlasts rally timers.
  • Do not engage Aircraft-led rallies head-on. Tanks lose to Aircraft in the triangle. Switch to a Missile squad instead, or let the rally through and counter-rally after.

PVP Variant: Mason over Stetmann (Season 1 Only)

In Season 1, Mason gets a UR promotion with zombie damage and team-wide damage reduction. For general Season 1 PVP, keep Stetmann — his AoE energy damage is better against player squads. Switch to Mason only for PVE content or when you know the enemy garrison is running zombies/infected units. The Pre-Season Tank guide does not mention this because Mason is SSR in pre-season and not yet competitive for the slot.

Aircraft PVP Squad

Aircraft becomes the dominant PVP squad in Season 1. In Pre-Season 1 it is a transition build — stronger than Tanks only in late pre-season when DVA hits 3+ stars with gold gear.

Aircraft PVP Formation
Front Row — Protection
Left
Carlie
Aircraft Tank
Primary damage absorber. Left position so she anchors the line and takes the heaviest incoming fire, shielding DVA behind her.
Right
Lucius
Defensive Tank
Silver Armor reduces damage for front-row allies — this passive ONLY works from the front row. Knights Spirit gives team-wide energy damage reduction. Lucius in the back row wastes his kit entirely.
Back Row — Delete Priority Targets
Left
DVA
Main DPS
The strongest single-target burst hero in the game. In PVP she deletes enemy carries before they fire a shot. Back-left behind Carlie for maximum protection — if DVA dies early, the squad has no win condition.
Centre
Morrison
Defence Shred
Armor-Piercing Shot reduces enemy defence by up to 25%, amplifying every other hero's damage. Centre position for dual-tank coverage keeps his debuffs active throughout the fight.
Right
Schuyler
Crowd Control
Stuns key enemy targets, disrupting their opening burst. In PVP the stun is often the single most game-changing skill — a well-timed Schuyler stun on the enemy DPS swings a 50/50 fight.

Why This Formation Works in PVP

PVP Win Condition
  • DVA's single-target burst is the kill switch. PVP comes down to who deletes the other side's DPS first — DVA does that better than any other hero in the game.
  • Morrison's defence shred is multiplicative — a 25% defence reduction means every other hero on your team hits harder. Crucial in evenly-matched PVP.
  • Schuyler's stun is the single-biggest high-variance play. A stun on the enemy DPS can decide the fight before damage resolves.
  • Carlie + Lucius absorb the opening burst so DVA survives to cast her ultimate.

Aircraft PVP Role Notes

  • Open-meta PVP king in Season 1: When Aircraft is dominant, every other Aircraft player you meet is a coin-flip. Investment in DVA's Exclusive Weapon (Energy Master) decides most fights.
  • Loses to Missile. If the enemy is Missile, switch to a Tank squad or do not engage.
  • Rally leading: Aircraft rallies delete Tank targets efficiently. Prefer Aircraft leaders for rallying Tank bases.

The Murphy Exception (Late Season 1)

At high investment, Murphy's Season 1 Exclusive Weapon (Mitigation Master) makes him viable in an Aircraft squad — replacing Carlie in the front row. You drop from +20% to +15% type bonus, but Murphy's mitigation exceeds Carlie's by enough to compensate. Requires Murphy's Exclusive Weapon at Level 20+. Do not attempt this swap without the weapon — you will simply lose 5% mono bonus for nothing.

Missile PVP Squad

Missile is the essential counter-pick in any Aircraft-heavy meta (most of Season 1). Missile squads punish opponents that give them time to set up their backline.

Missile PVP Formation
Front Row — Holding the Line
Left
Adam
Counter Tank
Spike Armor reduces front-row damage taken. Counter Defense state responds to every hit with a free counter-attack — the longer the fight lasts, the more damage Adam deals. This is a PVP-defining skill in garrison defence.
Right
McGregor
Taunt Off-Tank
Unyielding Heart taunts two front-row enemies, forcing them to target McGregor. In PVP this redirects enemy DPS onto your tankiest hero, protecting the back row. Also a debuff — taunted enemies deal 16.5% less attack.
Back Row — Burst Damage
Left
Tesla
Main DPS
Energy damage that scales into endgame. Electric Grid Lockdown hits rear enemies — ideal for deleting the enemy back-row DPS. Back-left keeps Tesla shielded by Adam.
Centre
Fiona
AoE DPS
Radiation DoT is the squad's biggest damage contribution over the course of a long fight. In PVP garrison defence she excels — the longer the fight, the more Radiation stacks. Centre position for dual-tank coverage.
Right
Swift
Finisher / Support
High burst to finish off weakened targets. Fragile — Swift goes right-back for protection behind McGregor. Without a high-tier Exclusive Weapon, keep Swift behind the line or risk losing him early.

Why This Formation Works in PVP

PVP Win Condition
  • Adam's Counter Defense is the defining skill of Missile PVP. Every attack on him generates a free hit back. In a 20+ second PVP fight, the counter damage alone can match a second DPS hero.
  • McGregor's taunt funnels enemy damage into the tankiest slot. Stops the enemy from picking off your DPS.
  • Tesla's energy damage is harder to mitigate than physical — most squads gear for physical defence, leaving them exposed to Tesla.
  • Fiona's Radiation wins the long fight. Every second she lives, the DoT on the enemy squad accumulates.

Missile PVP Role Notes

  • The Aircraft counter. If your alliance is fighting an Aircraft-heavy enemy, Missile is mandatory coverage.
  • Punishes stable frontlines. Missile squads shine when the enemy front row holds long enough for your back row to work. Against burst compositions they can fold before Fiona's Radiation pays off.
  • Counter-picked by Tanks. Tanks beat Missile in the triangle. Do not lead rallies onto a Tank garrison with Missile.

Offensive Rally vs Garrison Defence

The same three squads above work for both, but the priorities change. If you only build one squad per type, build the offensive-rally version — but know the defence nuances.

Offensive Rally (You're Attacking)

The goal: delete the enemy squad before your rally timer expires (typically 5 minutes for standard rallies).

  • Pick the counter type. Scout first. Do not rally if your type loses the matchup.
  • Prioritise burst heroes. Marshall's crit buffs, DVA's single-target burst, Schuyler's opening stun.
  • Opening burst matters most. If you don't delete a carry in the first 10 seconds, the enemy squad stabilises and the rally stalls.
  • Rally leader contributes less than joiners. The rally leader's squad stats are amplified by march bonuses — the leader's buffs (Murphy, Williams) multiply across the whole rally.

Garrison Defence (You're Being Attacked)

The goal: survive long enough that the enemy rally wastes its timer or loses too many troops to finish you.

  • Sustain > burst. Adam's Counter Defense, Fiona's Radiation DoT, Williams' scaling damage reduction all shine in long fights.
  • Do not burst yourself out. Save Schuyler's stun for the enemy's ultimate, not their first skill.
  • Recall troops before garrisoning. Troops out in the world cannot defend your base. Before the enemy rally lands, every march should be home.
  • Alliance reinforcements matter more than your own squad. In organised PVP, teammates send garrison reinforcements to bases under attack. Make sure your alliance has a reinforcement plan before the fight starts.
The One Real Squad Swap

If you play garrison defence extensively (sitting on a Capital / Fort / front-line base), consider a Missile squad specifically for that role — Adam + McGregor + Fiona are dramatically stronger in long defensive holds than in offensive rallies. Tanks and Aircraft are better at rally leading; Missile shines on defence.

Season-Specific Notes

Pre-Season 1 (Days 0-70)

  • Tank is dominant. Build a Tank squad first, period. Aircraft and Missile heroes exist but your hero roster will not support them at competitive strength.
  • PVP happens in: Zombie Invasion retaliation, Alliance Duel VS (especially Enemy Buster day), Bot Alliance territory pushes.
  • Most PVP matchups are Tank vs Tank — raw power and Kimberly investment decide these fights.

Season 1: The Crimson Plague (Days 70+)

  • Aircraft overtakes Tank as the dominant PVP type once players hit HQ 30 and gear up DVA.
  • Missile becomes mandatory alliance coverage — without a Missile player you cannot counter enemy Aircraft rallies.
  • Tank remains excellent for rally leading, garrison defence, and countering Missile opponents — don't dismantle your Tank squad when you build Aircraft.
  • Cross-server wars (Spice Wars, Faction Duel) start in Season 1 — these are purely PVP and punish type-mismatch hard.

Beyond Season 1

Meta changes continue — the Murphy Exception in Aircraft, Missile DoT compositions, and eventually the 4+1 hybrid metas of Season 4+. This guide covers Pre-S1 and S1 specifically. For later seasons, the season-specific class guides explain the evolving squad changes.

Enemy Buster Day (Alliance Duel VS Day 6)

Enemy Buster is the weekly PVP peak. Points come from killing enemy troops, so the event rewards:

  • Volume of rallies, not single killing-blow hits
  • Troop recovery — a squad that wins but loses troops is worse than one that wins with lighter casualties
  • Coordinated alliance targeting — focus fire on one alliance at a time

Squad Choice for Enemy Buster

  • Tank is the safest default — lowest casualties per rally won, easiest to recover
  • Aircraft scores highest against Tank-heavy enemies but takes more casualties
  • Missile is niche on offence but valuable on defence against enemy Aircraft rally attempts

For Enemy Buster you want every troop back home and healed before the event starts. Bring your Tank squad if in doubt — it produces the most winning rallies per hour and suffers the lowest hospital load.

What NOT to Do in PVP

  • Do not run the PVE variant of your squad — Mason (Season 1 Tank PVE variant) is strictly worse than Stetmann in open PVP. The zombie damage bonus does not apply to players.
  • Do not run a 4+1 hybrid in Pre-Season 1 or Season 1. You lose the +20% mono bonus with nothing to offset it. The Tactics Card that negates the mono penalty unlocks in Season 4.
  • Do not engage into a losing matchup. Type advantage is worth roughly 10-20% effective power. No amount of gear compensates for a hard counter.
  • Do not place Murphy in the back row. See the Murphy rule above.
  • Do not rally without scouting. Scouting reveals squad type, troop counts, and garrison status. A 5-second scout saves 5 minutes of wasted rally time.
  • Do not fight without a shield break window. If you are about to attack, shield yourself for the retaliation. Being online and unshielded after aggressive PVP is how alliances get hit back overnight.

Common PVP Mistakes

  • Leaving troops outside the base when garrisoning — they cannot defend. Recall everything before enemy rallies land.
  • Opening with Schuyler's stun on the enemy front row — wasted. Save it for the enemy carry when their ultimate is about to land.
  • Rally leading with a fragile hero (DVA-lead Aircraft) into a mixed garrison — the rally leader is often the first hero hit. Fragile leaders die before their contribution lands. Prefer durable rally leaders and put fragile heroes on joiners.
  • Not coordinating with alliance — PVP in Last War is a team sport. A solo rally into a coordinated alliance is a gift.
  • Keeping Murphy back-row because "a video said so" — videos about back-row Murphy are describing a specific PVE boss strategy. In PVP it is always wrong.

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