Hero Ascension: Materials, Potion Farming and Order

Ascension is the second progression track for every champion in RAID: Shadow Legends — it doesn't replace rank or level, it stacks on top of them. It runs on affinity potions from the Keeps, and those potions eat a big share of your energy in the early months. Here's what ascension actually gives you, how to plan the materials and who to ascend first so nothing goes to waste.

What ascension gives you

It's a separate track per champion: no new skills, but everything the champion already does gets stronger.

• Stats. Each level adds a bonus to base stats — HP, Attack, Defence — and the jumps get bigger at higher levels. For damage dealers and tanks that's raw numbers in every fight.
• Accessory slots. Rings, amulets and banners can only be equipped on an ascended champion: the slots open up as the ascension level grows. Without ascension, part of your build is simply locked.
• Permanent. Ascension can't be undone, but it never hurts a champion: the bonus stays even if you later change gear and masteries.

There are six ascension levels in total. The first two or three are cheap; levels 5–6 are a real investment in potions and silver, so save them for champions you'll still be using months from now.

Materials: affinity potions

Potions come in four affinities and three tiers. The affinity must match the champion's affinity, or the materials simply won't apply.

Inside each affinity the potions come as Lesser, Greater and Superior. Lesser potions cover the early levels and cheaper champions; Superior ones are what levels 5–6 and epic or legendary champions demand. There's no conversion between tiers — a pile of Lesser potions will never become Superior — so don't expect one lucky run to cover everything you need.

On top of potions, every ascension costs silver, and at high levels the bill is noticeable. Keep a buffer, or you'll end up blocked by your treasury rather than by potions.

Where to farm potions

The main source is the Potion Keeps in the dungeons, one per affinity. The Void Keep is the most in demand: void champions show up in almost every team, and it drops the least.

• Higher stages give better odds on Greater and Superior potions; lower stages are the steady source of Lesser ones. Pick the stage that matches the tier you're short of.
• Watch for potion drop events — on those days the same run pays out more and farming is far more efficient.
• Build a team for fast clears. Ascension needs volume, not a stage record: a stable 30–40 second run beats a slow clear one stage higher.
• Take energy from daily quests, events and tournaments and keep your gems for something better — spending them on potions rarely pays off.
• Mind your inventory: potions stack up and space runs out, so don't hoard thousands of Lesser ones “for later”.

Ascension order: who goes first

1. Your campaign farmer. Kael, Athel, Elhain or Galek — whoever carries campaign and your first dungeons. Ascension gives them damage, survivability and accessories in one package.
2. The core of your Clan Boss team. The champions you won't be swapping for months: survivability and damage there are counted literally.
3. Arena. Your nuker and key support — a stat bump often decides the fight on the first turn.
4. Dungeon specialists. Spider, Dragon, Ice Golem — the champions that clear the content your gear comes from.
5. Everything else — last, once you already have potions sitting in reserve.

One rule of its own: never ascend food. Champions destined for a rank-up haven't earned potions — those materials vanish with them.

Also worth knowing: ascension scores points in ascension events and tournaments. When one is running, that's the moment to spend what you've stockpiled — you get the progress and the rewards.

Common mistakes

• Spreading potions across every champion at once. One champion at max beats ten at level one.
• Farming only the top stages when what you're short of is Lesser potions.
• Mixing up affinities: Magic potions won't work on a Force champion, and vice versa.
• Forgetting silver and hitting a wall at levels 5–6.
• Ascending champions “just in case”, outside your main teams.

Summary

Ascension is a plan, not a race. First pick the 3–5 champions that actually play in your campaign, Clan Boss and Arena teams, and push them to max. Farm potions in the Keep that matches their affinity, choose the stage for the tier you need and don't miss drop events. Stock silver in advance, never ascend food, and spend your hoarded potions during ascension tournaments. Do that and even Void potions stop being a bottleneck.