Leveling up heroes FAST in Empires & Puzzles
How to Level Up a Hero Faster in Empires & Puzzles
If your roster is growing but your progress feels slow, the good news is that hero XP isn't random — the game rewards how you upgrade heroes, not just how much. Here are the techniques that actually speed things up.
Quick Answer
You level a hero up by training it with other heroes ("Add Heroes to increase XP"). To go faster, feed heroes of the same element for the Same Element Bonus, save Trainer Heroes and heroes with the XP Boost attribute for your top priority heroes to train, and save Tomes of Experience for limit broken heroes. Upgrade your training camps to unlock cheaper feeder heroes. They may take a little longer to produce but you can extend the queue so you always have feeder heroes ready to use.
Why This Matters
Every feeder you spend costs Food, and your time and resources are limited. Choosing feeders that give more XP per training means you reach a hero's max level using fewer feeders and less Food — so your best heroes come online sooner and your Food goes farther.
How It Works
When you open a hero and tap Level Up, you choose heroes to train with, and the game shows the XP gained before you confirm. Several bonuses can stack on top of the base XP:
Same Element Bonus — feeding a hero of the same element as the one you're leveling grants bonus XP. Matching colors is the single easiest way to speed things up.
Trainer Heroes — these are dedicated feeder heroes that give way more experience than typical 1 and 2 star heroes. They come fully ascended and leveled, and are ideal fuel for important heroes.
XP Boost attribute — some Classic and Trainer Heroes carry the XP Boost attribute, which grants extra experience when they're used to level other heroes.
Duplicate Character Bonus — feeding a duplicate of the hero you're leveling grants a huge XP bonus. Be sure to save and use duplicates to get the biggest XP boost by avoiding an ascension ceiling
Tomes of Experience — these items add levels to a hero directly. Elemental, Epic, and Legendary versions exist, and on a Limit Broken hero they can add levels at no additional Food, Iron, or Experience cost.
Costume Level Up Bonus — if you have costumes, related same-element and same-element costume bonuses can further boost the XP gained.
Training also shows a Special Skill level-up chance before you confirm, so feeding isn't only about raw levels — it can improve the hero's special at the same time. The chance to level up a Special Skill goes up with each additional feeder hero and more so for same-element heroes. So it’s best to wait until you have enough heroes for an 100% chance to level up a Special Skill level.
What To Do First
1. Match colors. Group your heroes by element and feed same-element heroes to claim the Same Element Bonus. There is an auto-select heroes to train with button that defaults to selecting all 1 and 2 star heroes of the same element, which makes it much faster to level up efficiently than manually selecting every hero you want to train with.
2. Keep your Training Camps running. Training Camps turn Recruits into Heroes; upgrade them to unlock superior training options and a steadier feeder supply. The Hero Academy can also produce Trainer Heroes.
3. Reserve your premium fuel. Save Trainer Heroes, XP Boost heroes, and higher-tier Tomes of Experience for the heroes you most want maxed, rather than spending them around.
4. Use duplicates wisely. Feeding a duplicate into the same hero adds the Duplicate Character Bonus.
Common Mistakes
Ignoring element color. Off-color feeders still work, but you're leaving the Same Element Bonus on the table.
Spreading premium feeders too thin. Trainer Heroes and Tomes have the biggest impact when concentrated on a priority hero.
Quick FAQ
Q: Do same-color feeders really give more XP?
A: Yes — the game applies a Same Element Bonus when the feeder matches the leveling hero's element.
Q: What's the fastest single tip?
A: Use Trainer Heroes on your priority hero. They give significantly more experience than ordinary 1-2 star heroes.
Q: Are Tomes of Experience worth using?
A: They add levels directly, and on Limit Broken heroes they can do so at no extra Food, Iron, or Experience cost — great for finishing a hero quickly.
Final Tip
Pick one priority hero per element, feed it same-element heroes plus any Trainer Heroes you've saved, and keep your Training Camps producing in the background. Consistent, color-matched feeding is what makes leveling as fast as possible