Just wondering if anybody else is getting disheartened. I seem to be really really unlucky. been playing for about 4/months now not 1 single 5* hero. and I can’t get ascension items. At all. I mean I have got 1 hidden blade in a month!!!
does it get better because at the moment I’m considering packing it in. 
To me it really depends on the effort you put into it as to the returns you get. If you grind daily, do your monster and raids quests, work on leveling up your stronghold and get your training camps up and work on leveling up your heroes, join a good alliance and get daily titan loot, complete rare quests as much as you can and events as much as possible then yeah you will grow and see your team get stronger and bench develop. Can it get frustrating even if you do all these things, absolutely…ever player on here has hit a wall at some point. Just keep working on the things you can control and eventually you will make progress.
It took ten months for me to get my first 5*. Others have had better luck. Continue to level your heroes as they are your key to beating Rare Quests, with guaranteed ascension items.
It’s a lot easier to do this in an alliance that encourages as you grow. 
Don’t fixate on the 5* as a start… try work towards a full team of 4* with some depth. This is enough to finish the events (in both intermediate and advanced (with the latter needing battle items to help)) which gives you guaranteed rare ascension items, and to complete all levels of rare quests, which is more guaranteed items. Really you don’t need a 5* too early otherwise you’ll have the frustration of not being able to properly ascend it.
Turning over the mission chests more regularly will expose you to more rare chests, which have great chance of items.
If you are F2P then you don’t really have much alternative than to build up your training camps as a source of 4* or 5*. Summon portals are just too low chance to get them on idle ‘play earned’ gem spend unless you are outrageously lucky. But spending a modest amount (approx £50) should give you enough chances to get a decent bench of 4* (and then aim to get T20 as your longer term source of 5*).
I stopped spending when my bench had sufficient depth in 4* and will now rely on T20… time will tell if I have the patience. But there was a time I was finding the lack of progression frustrating until I got my team of 4* in place.
Post your hero roster and your SH (and buildings) and folks will chime in with thoughts for you.
Also, I second the spend a little money thing (if you haven’t). I’m somewhere around $60-70 and have every 4* except for 2, a ton of useful duplicates, and about 10 5*. I purchase only deals that are 100 gems per $1 USD and have an ascension item that I need with them. If you’ve enjoyed the game for 4 months, it is also a nice thank you for the Devs as well as a boost to your team.
And I use those gems usually to speed up chests or building completion (at least until I finished my 4 TC20’s). Only recently did I spend them on summons trying to get Zeline. That said - depending on your heroes some summoning may be a good thing.
I’ll second the 4* advice. Right now my team consists of: Scarlett (3-60), Wu Kong (3-60), Caedmon (4-70), Grimm (4-41) and Sabina (4-54). I’ve focused in on trying to max out that starting lineup (I only have 2 blades and 1 orb so red and yellow are stuck). That starting lineup is a 3189 power and is capable of beating any quest. I was also able to beat intermediate event last month with a weaker version of the same lineup, so I should be able to beat intermediate and make a run at advanced. I use the same $$ spending strategy as sleeper so I’m not a power user by any means, but I have a deep roster of heros waiting for a little attention from me once I complete maxing my fab 5.
If this game becomes too much of a grind and you aren’t enjoying yourself, walk away for a while. It’s a game and it’s supposed to be fun. However, if you set your expectations up correctly, I think you won’t be as disappointed.
I mean we all want to win now with the best players available but this is NOT what this game is. Even if you P2W (pay to win) you are still handicapped by ascension materials. The joke is that in this game, it’s Pay 2 Wait given that 
So this is my roster. I am quite happy with the 4* I have.
level 26 and SH19
3 Training camps @ 6,10 and 12
5 mines, 5 farms, 3 food storage, 5 iron storage
4 x forges @ 5,5, 6 and 11
I play all the time, Autoplay when I’m busy. constantly train. I fill my chest daily and just passed a recent rare quest. I average a B grade on titans (6*/7*)
I have spent maybe €100 on the game so far. I have done either Epic or Elemental summons or else I spend on speeding chests the odd time.
I honestly think I’m just really unlucky.
Thank you for all the advice.
One of my alliance fellows is F2P and started Empires at the beginning. He just got his first 5* Hero from his legendary training. Getting training camp 20 built and unlocked is something I made a priority.
Since 5* Heroes need the same ascension items as two 4* Heroes, I am leveling up all my 5* Heroes to 2.60 and then stopping, until I have three 4* Heroes of every color. Not only does that give my team more flexibility, you need different heroes for farming, rare quests, titans, raiding, war and challenge events.
But you can dramatically increase your damage by attacking a single boss with two heroes of a strong color and removing your weak color hero. Example: my green 4* healer is weak against red titans and bosses, I can swap in a blue 4* hero ( strong against red ) and my damage increases because I removed a hero doing half damage, and added a hero that does double damage.
If I don’t have a good blue 4* hero, I will use a maxed out blue 3* hero with a high attack stat. The 3* will die quickly, but will still give the increased tile damage from a second blue hero ( strong against a red titan or boss )
For challenge events it helps to remove the reflected color, and the weak color, for single bosses, and have three heroes of the strong color.
If you cannot get ascension items, raise your 4* heroes to 3.60 and your 3* heroes to 3.50, they will still help you out a lot if you can swap in and out the right colors and special skills.
I’d be getting your TC20’s up and running - focus there, enjoy the grind, and you will get your reward. There is a very detailed thread on what the absolute minimum levels are to achieve it.
Also - that 2nd builder VIP pack would be a HUGE asset to you if you can pony up the $5 a month for a few months!
Gunnar is nice. He has a defense stat similar to a moderate defense 4* Hero, his special skill is a huge defense stat boost on top of that, and spirit link helps against One Shot One Kill bosses like the dual Vampire Lords you have to defeat to get a 4* Royal Tabard in the rare quest M something.
Kailani has a lower defense than Gunnar, but would be better against red bosses.
Nashgar, Balthazar, Bane all have high attack stats so can work as a second strong hero versus their opposite ( red is strong to green, purple is strong to holy, holy is strong to dark ). Example if you are fighting a holy boss, you could remove Bane/ Li Xiu ( weak, or half damage, against holy ) and run Rigard and Balthazar for higher purple matching damage ( strong, or double damage, against holy )
Boltusk and Richard are very tanky ( high defense and high HP ), can heal themselves, Riguard can cleanse debuffs from your team and Boldtusk’s attack buff is very useful against all but blue titans and bosses.
Grimm and Melendor/ Sabina are great, but all three are glass cannons ( high attack, but weak defense and hit points ). I often pair Melendor with Regard since Rigard helps keep Melendor alive, and Melendor does good damage to blue bosses considering he is a healer.
Belith is a tanky 3* hero that can clear enemy buffs for getting the 3* Challenge event completion prize.
“Grimm and Melendor/ Sabina are great, but all three are glass cannons ( high attack, but weak defense and hit points ).”
This is the problem with my current starting lineup. Scarlett, Grimm, Caedmon, Sabina and Wu Kong. There is no “tank” in this alignment. Once I have them maxed, I was thinking about leveling Kiril and Gormek to add some defense to my team.
I have Natalya and Zeline on my bench, but I don’t have the materials to get either past 2-60 so they are just sitting around and waiting for my luck to change. I had Natalya close to 60 already so I’m finishing her before moving to Gormek. For green, I’m working on Brienne until I get another shield or two (I currently have 2).
I have the 2nd builder which I think is one of the best things that’s been added recently 
I’m gonna keep grinding for another bit and see how I get on. maybe a bit of a break might not do any harm…
I am grateful for all the advice guys… like i mentioned its just disheartening when big rewards are far and in between.
I am looking forward to Alliances Wars to add more gameplay and entertainment.
I do love the game 
We’ve all hit a wall like you at some point, even multiple times. I’ve found if you stick with it you get your due over time. I mean events and AW didn’t even exist when I started playing.
Awsum piece of strait up advice @Chuck.
At the end of the day it only a game and if people are cracking a tanty because theyre not getn what they want eg ascension materials or higher heroes… well… thats just kra kra… If u got all the goodies and kinder surprises u’d hve finished the game and complained how easy it was. Patience Grasshoppers
if u play it… they will come
I love this game. One of the great things is you can choose which advice you take.
And Chuck is a great guy, btw; sometimes he gives great advice too.
Look within oneself young one. Hey, its only a game, sorry to say. Im hooked n ive only basically started compared to others. But hey… Cant dwell on what ya cant change.
Find 6 things to do n label them 1 to 6 then roll a dice. Keep ya busy till all energy is topped up…
Its one the only games thats got me hook, line n sinker. This game is awsum.
