How to Gear Heroes in Watcher of Realms
In Watcher of Realms, your heroes are only as strong as the gear you put on them. Leveling them up helps, but without the right stats and sets, even powerful heroes can struggle in higher stages. For new players, all the gear choices can feel overwhelming. This guide takes you through the basics first, then gradually introduces more advanced concepts, so you know exactly what to use at each stage of the game.
If you are new to the game, check out our Beginner’s Guide for Watcher of Realms to get a comprehensive introduction to the game!
Understanding Gear
Heroes can wear two types of gear. Left-side gear, such as weapons and armor, boosts simple stats like Attack, HP, or Defense. Right-side gear—rings, amulets, and bangles—is more important because it unlocks set bonuses. Once you collect three pieces from the same set, your hero gains a powerful effect.
In the early game, left-side gear provides steady stat increases, but as you progress, right-side sets start to define how each hero performs. This is why gearing becomes more about sets and less about raw numbers once you reach higher stages.
Key Stats You Should Focus On
The most important stat for damage dealers is Attack, which directly increases their damage. Critical Rate and Critical Damage work together: Crit Rate determines how often you crit, and Crit Damage determines how powerful those crits are. It’s best to aim close to 100% Crit Rate, but never go above, as anything extra is wasted.
Attack Speed reduces the time between attacks. For some heroes, this is extremely valuable because it lets them hit or heal faster. For others, their skills specifically ignore speed, so it does nothing. Always check your hero’s description before building for it.
On the defensive side, HP increases total health, while Defense reduces incoming physical damage. Together, they determine survivability. Magic Resistance works the same way but against magical damage.
Finally, for healers, Healing Effect increases the strength of their healing abilities. It’s helpful, but not the only thing that matters—it works best when paired with the right main stat, such as HP or Attack, depending on the healer.
Early Game Gear Choices
In the early game, you won’t have access to the strongest sets yet, so you should rely on simpler ones that give reliable boosts.
- Fatality increases Attack and lets you ignore some of the enemy’s defenses.
- Guardian reduces the damage taken, making it ideal for early tanks.
- Night Terror adds bursts of damage after a critical hit.
- Asclepius boosts HP and healing, making it useful for beginner healers.
These sets will help you push through the first major stages. Don’t worry about farming the perfect rolls yet—what matters is getting your team strong enough to progress.
Stage 19+ Gear Sets
The real power of gearing unlocks at Stage 19 in Gear Raids. This is where you find the most impactful sets that form the backbone of endgame builds.
Invigoration is the best set for healers and some tanks. It boosts healing and, when deployed, grants a permanent Attack buff to both the healer and a nearby ally. This combination makes it useful for nearly every team.
Soulbound Arcana is ideal for heroes who cast their ultimates frequently. Every ultimate cast permanently raises their damage, letting them scale throughout a fight.
Ageless Wrath is designed for crit-heavy heroes. It increases Crit Damage and then stacks even more with each critical hit, making it perfect for Fighters, Marksmen, or Mages who land crits consistently.
Infernal Roar is the go-to set for heroes who rely mainly on basic attacks. It gives their regular strikes a significant boost.
The choice depends on your hero’s playstyle. Ult-focused heroes should use Soulbound Arcana, crit-reliant heroes prefer Ageless Wrath, and basic-attack specialists thrive with Infernal Roar.
How to Gear Each Class
Fighters and Marksmen
These heroes deal the bulk of your damage. Focus first on Attack and Crit Rate, then add Crit Damage. If their skills benefit from speed, Attack Speed can also be valuable. Fatality is a strong early set, while Ageless Wrath or Infernal Roar are the best choices later.
Mages
Mages usually need high Attack to push through enemy magic resistance. Heroes who depend on their ultimates do best with Soulbound Arcana. Those who rely on frequent crits can make great use of Ageless Wrath.
Healers
Healers scale differently depending on their design. Some, like Vortex, heal based on HP, while others, like Elowyn, heal based on Attack. Once you know which stat they scale from, focus on that, add some Attack Speed for faster healing, and a moderate amount of Healing Effect. Invigoration is their best set after Stage 19.
Defenders
Tanks should never rely only on HP or only on Defense—both are important. A balanced build makes them much harder to take down. Guardian is excellent early, while Invigoration later provides both durability and a team-wide buff.
Mistakes Beginners Should Avoid
A common mistake is pushing Crit Rate above 100%. Anything beyond that is wasted, so it’s better to put those stats into Attack or Crit Damage. Another mistake is stacking Attack Speed on heroes that don’t benefit from it. Always read their skills first. Finally, many players cling to weak sets like Glacier far too long. These may help in the early stages, but they fall behind once you unlock Stage 19+ gear.
Gearing may seem complicated, but it becomes simple once you know what to look for. Start with basic sets like Fatality, Guardian, Night Terror, and Asclepius to get through the early game. Once you reach Stage 19, move into Invigoration, Soulbound Arcana, Ageless Wrath, or Infernal Roar, depending on your heroes’ roles. Build stats that match each class, avoid wasting points on unnecessary caps, and your team will be ready to handle the toughest challenges. For the best performance, you can also enjoy Watcher of Realms on PC with BlueStacks.
Keep progressing in Watcher of Realms with our other in-depth guides.
