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RAID: Shadow Legends is full of offers, and it’s easy to assume you have to pay to keep up. You don’t: free players can build teams that clear most of the game. It just asks for patience and for spending your free resources on purpose instead of on impulse. This guide covers where the free value is and what to do with it.

If you’re brand new, start with our overview of what RAID is and who it suits. If you want to play on a computer, see how to play RAID on PC.

Decide your rules on day one

The single most useful free-to-play habit isn’t in the game at all: decide now whether you’ll spend nothing, or a fixed small amount, and stick to it. RAID shows offers often, especially after a tough fight or a new summon. A rule made in advance is much easier to keep than a decision made in the moment.

Where free progress comes from

Plarium’s own beginner tips point to the same sources of free value again and again:

  • The Campaign and its stars. Every Campaign stage pays more for a three-star clear, and the game also rewards your total star count. Going back to earn missing stars is free progress.
  • Progress Missions. These work as an extended tutorial with rewards. Completing half of them earns the champion Arbiter, a strong reward for free players.
  • Quests and logging in. Daily, weekly and monthly quests plus login rewards are a big part of free income, and new players get champions just for logging in consistently.
  • The Gem Mine. The floating gem in your Bastion. It costs a lot to unlock, but it then produces Gems passively, even when you’re not playing.
  • A clan that beats the Clan Boss. Demon Lord chests can contain Shards and Skill Tomes, and a full kill gives you two chests instead of one.
  • Champions from the Campaign. Several champions drop from Campaign stages; the loot screen shows which ones each chapter can drop.

What to do with what you earn

Don’t rush rare resources. Shards and Gems are the currencies free players feel most. Spending them as soon as they arrive feels good, but pulls spread over time rarely add up to a team. Save toward a goal you’ve decided on, such as a specific event or a stronger account later.

Upgrade gear sensibly. Gear can go up to +16, with bonus stats every four levels, but costs climb steeply. Plarium advises stopping around +12 on early gear, keeping Silver for pieces you’ll keep. Check the main stat, not just the set: gloves, chest, boots, rings, amulets and banners can roll different main stats.

Use the right stats. A champion who applies debuffs needs enough Accuracy to land them, and a main damage dealer wants a 100% Critical Rate. Gear that boosts the wrong stats is wasted effort.

Feed “food”, not keepers. Ranking a champion up means sacrificing champions of the same rank. Level up low-rarity champions specifically as fodder, and don’t throw away anyone you may need later.

Learn your champions manually. Auto-battle is great for farming, but Plarium recommends running new champions manually at first so you understand their skills.

The order that saves the most time

  1. Push the Campaign before Dungeons. Campaign gear carries you further early; Plarium suggests mostly ignoring Dungeons until you’ve nearly finished the Campaign.
  2. Clear Progress Missions for their rewards, including Arbiter.
  3. Join a clan that reliably beats the Demon Lord. Take a little time to find an active, helpful one rather than the first you see.
  4. Unlock the Gem Mine once you can, since it pays back forever.
  5. Then start targeted Dungeon farming for the gear sets your main team needs.

Know the limits

Free-to-play in RAID is slower, and some content is designed around champions that are hard to get without luck or money. Two things keep it enjoyable: compare yourself with your own progress, not with the top of the leaderboard, and treat the long grind as the point of the game rather than an obstacle. If that sounds tiring rather than fun, RAID may not be for you, and that’s fine.

Sources

Checked in October 2026:

  • RAID beginner tips (Plarium: Campaign stars, Progress Missions and Arbiter, Gem Mine, Clan Boss chests, gear upgrades, stats, ranking up)
  • RAID: Shadow Legends (Plarium: free to play with in-game purchases, game modes)