Astrakeep hero awakening is the last step in a hero's progression: a hero who reaches both max level and 5 stars becomes "Awakened". In assaults, an awakened power then replaces their special attack, and the bonus they give nearby troops goes up. There's nothing to buy: awakening kicks in on its own as soon as both are maxed.
This page is part of the Astrakeep guide and builds on the Astrakeep heroes page. Awakening arrived with version 0.5.0 of the game, which isn't out yet, so some details may still change.
What is hero awakening?
The game sums it up in one line: "Max level and stars: awakened power and a stronger bond with troops in assaults." In practice, three things change:
- An awakened power: it "Replaces its special attack once the hero is awakened (max level and stars)." Every hero has their own.
- A stronger troop combo: every hero boosts one troop type standing near them. The hero sheet shows the normal value, then the value "Once awakened".
- A golden form (golden trims and glowing golden eyes) and an "✦ Awakened ✦" badge on their card.
These effects work in assaults, the battles with troops, lanes and ramparts. The game describes no effect of awakening in campaign battles.
How to awaken a hero
1. Raise the hero to max level
A hero's level is capped by the Crystal Tower: they can go up to the Tower's level + 1, and the screen says so ("Max level … (Tower lv. …)"). Since the Tower tops out at level 15, a hero's real max level is 16. So to awaken a hero, you first need to push the Tower up. It also caps every other building, which makes it the most important upgrade in your kingdom: the Astrakeep islands and buildings page explains how to grow it.
Once the Tower is high enough, level the hero all the way up with your resources.
2. Give them all 5 stars
Stars come from shards: "+12% per star". Stars 2 to 5 cost 10, 20, 40 and then 80 shards, 150 shards in all. Shards mostly come from the Summoning Altar, where every summon gives a card or shards; a card for a hero you already own is worth 25 shards. And once you own every legendary, each fragment from the daily chest turns into 2 star shards.
Which hero should you start with?
Put your shards and resources into one hero at a time: one awakened hero beats three half-built ones. Pick them based on the army you usually field (see the table below). One thing to know: a legendary bought in the shop never fights against other players, so its awakened power won't help in attacks on other players. A legendary earned with fragments has no such limit.
All 7 awakened powers and their troop combos
| Hero | Awakened power | Effect in assaults | Troop combo: normal → awakened |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lyra the Archer | Star Storm | One volley on its target, then one in each of the other two lanes, on the tightest group of enemies | Griffins: +25% → +40% damage |
| Orin the Mage | Meteor Shower | 3 meteors on the target, then on nearby groups; a rampart hit takes 100% of the damage | Crystal colossi: +20% → +32% damage |
| Kael the Knight | Steel Bastion | A wider shockwave that stuns around him; allies within 3 tiles take 40% less damage for 5 s | Footmen: +25% → +40% damage |
| Nyx the Sorceress | Eternal Winter | Freezes every enemy in its lane for 2.5 s, then slows them for 3 s; when attacking, that lane's rampart freezes too | Shield guards: target slowed 1.5 s → 2.4 s |
| Tharok the Bombardier | Grand Charge | A bomb that blows after 1 s: 80% of its damage to ramparts, and a tower under 25% health collapses | Crystal colossi: explode when they fall, 140 → 224 damage |
| Aurelion the Paladin | Sacred Aegis | Allies within 3.5 tiles of the impact become invulnerable for 2.5 s, then recover 15% of their health | Shield guards: −30% → −45% damage taken |
| Sylvara the Empress | Imperial Decree | Heals all allied troops by 35% and their hits deal +100% for 4 s | All troops: +2% → +3.5% health per second |
Freezes, protection and damage boosts only last a few seconds: they swing a moment of the assault, not the whole fight.
Playing awakened heroes in assaults
Put the right troop next to the hero. The combo only applies to nearby troops: griffins around Lyra, footmen around Kael, colossi with Orin or Tharok, shield guards with Nyx or Aurelion. Sylvara boosts every troop, which makes her a strong pick for a mixed army, and mixing is rewarded too: +18% damage and health with 3 troop types, +25% with all 4.
Against ramparts, three powers stand out: Orin's Meteor Shower (a rampart hit takes the full damage), Tharok's Grand Charge (which finishes off a weakened tower) and Nyx's Eternal Winter, which freezes her lane's rampart when attacking. The Freeze spell, which "stops enemy troops and a rampart's shooters", stretches that window.
To protect your army, Kael, Aurelion and Sylvara make up the defensive trio: damage reduction, brief invulnerability and an army-wide heal. Paired with the Heal and Shield spells, they help your troops reach the ramparts. The Astrakeep troops and raids page covers the spells, ramparts and troop cycle in detail.
If you enjoy games where heroes matter as much as strategy, our feature on tower defense games with heroes covers the genre. To follow the launch, head to the Astrakeep page.
Frequently asked questions
Do you have to pay to awaken a hero in Astrakeep?
No. Awakening can't be bought and needs no special item: it triggers automatically when the hero reaches max level and 5 stars.
Why isn't my hero awakened yet?
They're either missing stars or levels. A hero's level can't go above the Crystal Tower's level + 1, so the max of 16 requires a level 15 Tower.
Does awakening change campaign battles?
The game describes awakening and troop combos for assaults, the battles with troops and ramparts. No effect is shown for the campaign, so don't count on awakening to get past a tough level.
Can every hero awaken?
Yes: all 7 heroes have their own awakened power and troop combo, from the rare starters to the legendaries. To share your favorite combos, drop by the Astrakeep forum.
