Should You Keep Duplicate Champions in RAID: Shadow Legends?

The short answer is: it depends. While the initial instinct in many games is to hoard everything, RAID: Shadow Legends encourages a more nuanced approach when it comes to duplicate champions. Unlike some games where duplicates are simply used for awakening or enhancing, RAID provides multiple pathways to utilize them, making it essential to understand which duplicates are valuable and which are best used for other purposes. You’ll frequently encounter duplicates throughout your RAID journey, so mastering their management is crucial for optimal progression.

Understanding Champion Duplicates in RAID

In RAID: Shadow Legends, duplicate champions are copies of the same character you’ve already acquired. You’ll often get them from summoning shards, completing events, or as rewards. These aren’t simply extra character slots; they are resources with various applications:

• Skill Upgrades (Tavern): Perhaps the most straightforward use. Feeding duplicate champions into the Tavern allows you to upgrade the skills of your existing champions. This is paramount, as it significantly boosts their effectiveness in battle by increasing damage, shortening cooldowns, or improving buff and debuff applications.
• Faction Guardians: The Guardian Ring’s Faction Guardian system allows you to place duplicate champions to provide stat boosts to all champions of a specific rarity within a given faction. This system enhances your roster’s overall power.
• Food/Enhancement: While this is a less desirable use of most rare duplicates, it is still an option. If you have no intention of using the duplicate for upgrades or faction guardians, they can be used to level up other champions.

When to Keep Duplicate Champions

Not all duplicates are created equal. Here’s when you should consider keeping them:

• Top-Tier Rares: Some rare champions, like Frozen Banshee, Pain Keeper, Warmaiden, Apothecary and Bellower, are exceptional and widely used even in late-game content. Keeping duplicates of these for skill upgrades or faction guardians is highly recommended.
• Champions for Specific Roles: Certain champions are highly specialized for specific content, such as clan boss or certain dungeons. If you find yourself using a champion frequently, having duplicates for upgrades and guardians becomes advantageous.
• Champions for Faction Guardians: Even if a champion isn’t a top pick for combat, if they fill a specific faction and rarity niche, they can boost the stats of other champions in your roster through the Faction Guardians system.
• Champions Needed for Fusions: During fusion events, you’ll need specific champions, sometimes including specific rates or epics. Hold on to any duplicate of these needed for fusion.

When to Use Duplicate Champions as Food

• Low-Tier Champions: Champions with less strategic usefulness are the best candidates for being used as food. If a champion isn’t on your main team, is easily replacable, or has few real world uses, consider sacrificing them to gain levels or stars on better champions.
• Plenty of Copies: If you have many duplicates of the same champion, especially one that is not highly valued, using some of them as food is a good option once you’ve maxed out relevant Faction Guardians and skills of your primary champions.
• Desperate for Space: If your champion inventory is constantly full, using lesser-value duplicate champions as food can be a good way to relieve the burden of overstock.

Prioritizing Duplicates

Generally, your priority should be:

1. Skill Ups for Top Tier Champions: Focus on maxing out the abilities of your essential champions.
2. Faction Guardians: If you have copies of champions who are useful in this role, put them to good use in boosting the stats of your other heroes.
3. Food for Leveling/Ranking: Use duplicates with less tactical value to level up or rank up champions that are important for your progress.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Duplicate Champions in RAID

1. Which Rare Champions Should I ALWAYS Keep?

As the article previously stated, some rare champions are exceptional, even in late game. Specifically, keep duplicates of Frozen Banshee, Pain Keeper, Warmaiden, Reliquary Tender, Bellower, Renegade, and Apothecary for skill upgrades and Faction Guardians. Additionally, Kael, though a starter champion, is also useful for early game, but also late game team comps.

2. What is the Best Way to Utilize a Duplicate Legendary Champion?

Legendary duplicates should ideally be used for upgrading a champion’s skill. If you already have that specific legendary fully maxed out, they can be used in the faction guardian system. Be very careful using a duplicate legendary, and make sure you are absolutely certain it is a good choice before using them as food.

3. Is it Worth it to Keep Duplicates for Faction Guardians?

Yes, Faction Guardians are a critical component of enhancing your team. Even duplicates of less remarkable champions can play a crucial role when placed in the correct Faction Guardian slots.

4. Should I Use Duplicate Epic Champions as Food?

It’s generally better to avoid using duplicate epic champions as food. Epic champions are rarer and often have valuable skills. They are better used for skill-ups for other epics or Faction Guardians. Save the epics for faction guardians or leveling up other epics.

5. What Happens if I Have Too Many Duplicates?

If you’re consistently running out of champion inventory space, consider using some low-value duplicates as food or leveling material, as mentioned previously. Otherwise, consider purchasing more champion slots.

6. How do I Know Which Champions are Considered “Food”?

Champions that are generally less useful, have easily replaceable roles, or are not used in any particular aspect of the game are considered “food”. Check online resources and guides to understand which champions are generally considered weak. Additionally, champions such as the “Elder” champion listed above, are not considered to be very powerful and should be considered food even if they are a rare champion.

7. What Does the Tavern Do With Duplicate Champions?

The Tavern is where you can upgrade the skills of your champions by feeding them duplicate copies of themselves. This is a crucial element of champion development in the game.

8. Can I Use Duplicate Champions for Fusions?

Yes, specific champions (including rares and epics) are often required for fusions and may be needed during limited-time fusion events. Always check the requirements before using a champion as food.

9. Can I Use Duplicate Champions in Different Teams?

You cannot use duplicate champions in the same team within game modes like Arena or Dungeons. However, you can use duplicate champions in different teams within different areas of the game such as Clan Boss, or faction wars.

10. How Does the Mercy System Affect Duplicate Champions?

The mercy system guarantees at least one legendary champion after a set number of shards. This doesn’t change how you manage duplicates.

11. Is it Better to Use Duplicate Champions for Skill-Ups or Rank-Ups?

It’s generally better to prioritize skill-ups for your key champions first. Once those are maxed out, you can use duplicates for Faction Guardians or ranking up.

12. How Often Should I Review My Duplicate Champions?

It’s good practice to review your duplicate champions regularly, especially after major summoning events or if you’re running low on inventory space.

13. What is the Guardian Ring and How does it Utilize Duplicates?

The Guardian Ring allows you to add duplicates of all rarities into certain slots. If you put in 4 copies of a rare, it will boost the stats of all the other rare heroes in that faction. This also goes for Epics and Legendaries.

14. Can I Earn Champions Outside of Summons?

Yes, you can earn champions by completing Campaign Missions, participating in events, tournaments, and through various other game modes.

15. Should I Keep Multiple Copies of Starter Champions Like Kael or Elhain?

Yes, in early game, keeping duplicate of your starter champion can be useful for upgrading their skills. Additionally, Kael in particular, is a very strong champion that is used in many aspects of the game. Because of this, it’s always worthwhile to consider using Kael duplicates for skills or Guardians.