Preparing Teams for Hard Mode Faction Wars in RAID

With the arrival of Hard Mode Faction Wars in RAID: Shadow Legends, players are preparing for what promises to be one of the game’s toughest PvE challenges yet. Once you’ve completed all of Normal Mode Faction Wars, Hard Mode unlocks, bringing with it another full set of crypts—over 900 stars to earn across 21 stages per faction. For many players, this new mode will require a fresh strategic approach.

Below is a comprehensive guide on how to prepare effectively and build powerful teams to take on the challenge.

Hard Mode is likely to ramp up in difficulty quickly. Enemies will hit harder, resist more, and counterattack with dangerous abilities. Success will rely heavily on synergy, utility, and tactical control, not just raw power. Unlike Normal Mode, where brute force often prevails, the Hard Mode meta will reward well-rounded team composition.

Wave control will be more important than ever. In Normal Mode, players often rely on overpowering enemies with damage. But in Hard Mode, a single turn from a powerful enemy like Marichka or Teumesia can spell disaster. Champions with reliable forms of crowd control—such as AoE stuns, provokes, freezes, or block active skills—will become essential tools for preventing enemies from using their most dangerous abilities.

Damage output is still crucial, especially for efficiency and farming purposes. The faster you can clear waves, the better. However, your damage dealers must now work in tandem with other champions who provide survivability and crowd control. You may need to build your nukers with higher accuracy and pair them with heroes who can strip buffs, debuff, or enable Ignore Defense mechanics.

Turn meter manipulation—both boosting your own team and reducing the enemy’s—is a critical aspect of controlling the battle tempo. Champions that bring speed boosts, increased turn meter, or enemy turn meter reduction offer significant strategic value, especially when paired with CC effects to shut down enemies before they can act.

Survivability should not be overlooked. You’ll need to withstand longer battles, and that means bringing champions with healing, shields, Strengthen buffs, or defensive auras. Having champions that bring multiple layers of protection will help prevent early wipes if control abilities fail.

Revivers add a margin of safety in these high-risk environments. While not always essential, a reviver can turn a near loss into a win. Legendary revivers like Lady Noelle, with her AoE freeze and healing, or Raglin, with her fast cooldowns and full-team revive, are especially valuable. Expect them to shine in prolonged fights.

One of the best ways to prepare now is by investing in your Faction Crypt Great Hall bonuses. These area bonuses are inexpensive to upgrade and can provide a huge advantage—especially the 20% Ignore Defense bonus, which can substantially boost your damage output.

Compared to other areas like Cursed City, where upgrades can cost thousands, investing in Faction Wars bonuses is incredibly efficient. With Ignore Defense stacking through gear, skills, and the Great Hall, you might even be able to bypass the need for Decrease Defense debuffs in some team compositions.

Here’s a look at team planning for a few key factions, with some insights on how different champions might contribute to successful clears.

Banner Lords

A well-balanced faction with solid options for crowd control and protection. Timit and Kaja are a great duo, offering true fear, provokes, and turn meter control. Add Androc for protection and Sigmund for AoE provoke and shielding, and you’ve got a strong core. For damage, Quintus brings huge nukes, though more stable options like Staltus or even Stag Knight (for utility) can fit in.

High Elves

This faction leans heavily into damage. Fyna, with her Faction Unity bonuses, becomes a powerful nuker. However, the faction lacks reliable crowd control, which could make certain stages harder. You may need to improvise with champions like Ethlen, who brings block active skills, or Roanas, who provides AoE stuns. Supreme Elhain offers more AoE damage but can be squishy. Filling the gaps with buffers like Arbiter or survivability tools such as Islin can help.

Sacred Order

Arguably one of the strongest factions overall. Sir Nicholas and Lady Noelle offer exceptional synergy, with strong AoE freeze, healing, and durability. Venus adds burns and full debuffs, while He-man provides top-tier nuking power. There are also solid Epic options here—Godseeker for reviving and Deacon Armstrong for speed control, among others. Bivald and Wixwell can bolster defense and crowd control where needed.

Barbarians

Barbarians have a great mix of control, damage, and utility. Thor, Armanz, and Freyja make for a formidable foundation, with AoE debuffs and shielding. Add Alsgor for shielding and Jetni for support, and you’ve got a team capable of both sustaining and wiping enemy waves. If you need a reviver or additional control, Yakarl and Ailil can be excellent alternatives.

Ogryn Tribes

Though lacking in revivers, Ogryn Tribes can still hold their own. The Vizug and Stokk duo brings strong faction unity with damage from burns and poisons. Shamrock can assist with buffs and debuffs, while Blizaar helps with crowd control. Togron and Uugo can offer support and utility, depending on your needs. Survivability is key here—without a reviver, you’ll want to ensure solid CC and healing.

Orcs

This is a trickier faction due to limited control options. Iron Brago provides a strong base of defense buffs and provoke, while Kawn (Branch Breaker) delivers damage. Toor offers increased speed, healing, and shielding, and Supreme Galek is a solid AoE damage option with burns and block buffs. Crowd control is a challenge here, so consider using Grohak for turn meter steals or Danag for debuffs and utility.

Hard Mode Faction Wars will demand more than just power—it will test your depth, flexibility, and strategy. Champions that have long sat idle may suddenly become valuable thanks to their niche control or support skills. Building balanced teams with layered utility and synergy will be key.

Start preparing now. Build up your Great Hall bonuses, identify your strongest champions in each faction, and look for complementary pairings that combine control, survivability, and damage. With careful planning, even this difficult new challenge can be conquered—and it might just breathe new life into champions you’ve long forgotten.

Let the prep begin.