Last Z Headquarters Upgrade Guide: From Zero to Level 35 Like a Pro

Hey survivors! If there's one thing that'll save you months of wasted progress, it's this: your Headquarters is everything. It determines the max level of every single building in your base. Simple as that.

Whether you're just starting or stuck in the mid-game grind, this guide breaks down exactly how to push your HQ to level 35 without wasting resources or your sanity.

What Is the Headquarters in Last Z?

Before the outbreak, your HQ was just a police station—another building in a city that didn't know zombies were about to become the hottest real estate problem. Now? It's the heart of your shelter, the core of your survival strategy, and the one building that dictates how fast you grow .

Every time you upgrade your HQ, three things happen:

1. Your hero level cap increases by 5—from level 5 at HQ1 all the way to level 175 at HQ35
2. You unlock new buildings and technologies—including the ability to train T10 troops once your Laboratory hits level 30
3. Your base power jumps significantly—HQ30 alone gives over 5 million power

Think of your HQ as the foundation of a house. Build it weak, and everything cracks. Build it strong, and you can stack floors forever.

Last Z Headquarters Upgrade Guide

HQ Always Comes First

If you take nothing else from this guide, remember this: your HQ should always be upgrading. Not "when you feel like it." Not "when you have spare resources." Always .

Why the obsession? Because every hour your HQ sits idle is an hour you're not unlocking higher hero caps, better troops, and more powerful buildings. Players who rush their HQ to the maximum available level consistently outperform those who spread resources across random upgrades .

The Building Cycle You Need to Memorize

Here's where most players mess up. Upgrading your HQ isn't just about throwing resources at it. From HQ level 8 onward, you need specific buildings at specific levels .

The pattern is beautifully predictable:

Laboratory is required for EVERY HQ upgrade from level 8 to 35. No exceptions. Keep it matched to your HQ level .

The second building follows a cycle that repeats like clockwork:

City Walls → Alliance Center → Assaulter Camp → Shooter Camp → Rider Camp

Then it repeats. All the way to 35 .

Here's what that looks in practice for the mid-to-late game grind:

HQ Level	Required Buildings
22	Laboratory + City Walls
23	Laboratory + Alliance Center
24	Laboratory + Assaulter Camp
25	Laboratory + Shooter Camp
26	Laboratory + Rider Camp
27	Laboratory + City Walls
28	Laboratory + Alliance Center
29	Laboratory + Assaulter Camp
30	Laboratory + Shooter Camp
31	Laboratory + Rider Camp
32	Laboratory + City Walls
33	Laboratory + Alliance Center
34	Laboratory + Assaulter Camp
35	Laboratory + Shooter Camp

See the pattern? Once you know it, you can plan weeks in advance. Check your HQ, see what's coming next, and keep those buildings ready.

Resource Costs

Let's talk numbers. And fair warning—they get scary.

The Early Game (HQ 1-21): Smooth sailing. Resources are measured in thousands and millions. Upgrades take hours or days. You feel like a genius .

The Mid-Game Reality Check (HQ 22-26): Suddenly you're dealing with 100+ million wood and food. Upgrade times stretch to weeks. This is where impatient players quit .

The Endgame Grind (HQ 27-35): Welcome to the big leagues. We're talking billions of resources and upgrade times that can hit 140 days for a single level—without bonuses .

Here's a snapshot of what awaits:

• HQ 25: 333.2M wood, 333.2M food, 65.3M zents, ~35 days
• HQ 30: 1.4B wood, 1.4B food, 277.1M zents, ~140 days
• HQ 35: 2.1B wood, 2.1B food, 680M zents, plus oil requirements starting at HQ31

Yes, you read that right. Billion with a B.

The Steel Curveball (HQ 30+)

Once you hit HQ30 and unlock the final five levels, a new resource appears: Steel. It's not even visible before level 30—the game acts like it doesn't exist. Then suddenly, every upgrade demands it .

Where do you get steel?

• Build steel mines in your base
• Run orange bounties (the most efficient method)
• Earn it from Fury Lord and season events
• Buy from the hub shop

 

Research That Supercharges Your HQ Progression

Upgrading buildings is half the battle. The other half happens in the Laboratory.

Here's the research path you need to max out ASAP :

1. New Home – Boosts construction speed and unlocks critical buildings. Max this first.
2. Shelter Buildings – More construction speed and progression bonuses.
3. HQ Management – Keeps the momentum going.
4. Rapid Growth – The final piece of the construction speed puzzle.

Don't even look at combat research until these are done. Combat power means nothing if you're stuck at HQ20 forever.

If you're a light spender, unlocking the second Tech Lab doubles your research speed. Worth every penny .

 

Heroes That Make Your HQ Grind Easier

Sophia: The Construction Queen

If there's one hero you should prioritize from day one, it's Sophia. Her third skill is absolutely broken in the best way :

• Free construction duration
• Faster construction speed
• Reduced resource costs

At 4 stars: -5% resource cost

At 5 stars: -10% resource cost

When you're spending billions on upgrades, that 10% discount saves you hundreds of millions of resources. It's like having a personal accountant who actually knows what they're doing .

Get Sophia. Max Sophia. Thank Sophia when you're not crying over resource bills.

 

Buildings Worth Upgrading (And Buildings to Ignore)

The Always Upgrade List

• Laboratory: Tracks your HQ level. Non-negotiable
• Troop Camps(Assaulter/Shooter/Rider): Required for HQ progression and boost training capacity
• Alliance Center: More alliance help = faster builds, faster heals, faster research
• Military Center: Increases troop capacity—up to 22,300 extra troops at level 35
• Hospitals: Prevents permanent troop losses. Never neglect these
• Villa: Construction speed and free construction time. Aim for level 25, then stop
• Warehouse: Protects your resources from raids. More important than most players realize

The Complete Waste List

• Resource production buildings (Farmhouses, Lumber Yards, Residences, Wind Turbines): Their output is laughable compared to upgrade costs. Upgrade only to minimum requirements
• Wanderer Camp: Negligible benefits
• Trade Center: Also negligible
• Radar beyond level 17: Level 17 unlocks reinforcement details when scouting. Beyond that? Resource pit

The "Situational" List

• Formation buildings: Massive power boosts mid-to-late game. Focus on Formation 1 and 2 first
• Hall of Honor: Increases faction hero stats and troop capacity. Critical later, skip early
• Rally Square: Essential for endgame rallies. At level 35, gives 55% team damage and 10-player rallies
• Smelting Plant: The only resource building worth considering. At level 35, each produces 350 alloy/hour—critical for mythic gear upgrades

 

Common Mistakes That Wreck Your Progress

Mistake #1: Upgrading Everything

That tempting blue arrow on every building? Ignore it. Only upgrade buildings that either:

• Are required for your next HQ level
• Provide critical long-term value (Military Center, Hospitals, Villa)

Everything else is a resource trap .

Mistake #2: Opening Resource Packs Too Early

Resource packs in your inventory are safe from raids. The moment you open them, those resources can be looted. Keep them sealed until you're ready to spend .

Mistake #3: Forgetting About City Walls

City walls are required for specific HQ levels (17, 22, 27, 32). Players constantly forget this, hit the upgrade wall, and waste days catching up. Plan ahead .

Mistake #4: Ignoring Your Warehouse

Once your peace shield drops, you're vulnerable. A decent Warehouse means you log back in to something worth rebuilding instead of tears .

Mistake #5: Hoarding Speedups for "Later"

Use speedups. Especially on long upgrades. That 140-day build time at HQ30? Speedups turn it into weeks. Don't die with a hoard of unused speedups .

 

Pro Tips From the Trenches

The 2-Hour Builder Boost

Everyone gets a free 2-hour construction boost early on. Use it when upgrade times are still short to chain multiple builds, or save it for when timers stretch beyond 2 hours. Your call, but use it .

Second Builder

If you're serious about progression, buy the second builder. It's the best value in the game—double the building, double the progress .

Nighttime Upgrades

Start long upgrades right before bed. Wake up to progress. It's not complicated, but you'd be surprised how many players don't do this .

Red Dots = Free Stuff

Every red dot is free resources, speedups, or fragments. Click them. All of them. This is how F2P players keep pace .

Join an Active Alliance

Not just any alliance—an active one. Construction help alone shaves days off your timeline. Plus alliance tech, gifts, and protection. If your alliance is dead, leave. You get a new teleport when you join a fresh one .

Gather While You Sleep

Send full marches to resource tiles on the world map before logging off. Wake up to millions of free resources. Prioritize food—it's usually the bottleneck .

 

Final Thoughts

Upgrading your Headquarters in Last Z isn't a sprint—it's a marathon with occasional zombie sprints. The players who succeed aren't the ones who spend the most or play the most hours. They're the ones who plan ahead, focus on what matters, and never let their HQ sit idle.

Remember the priority order:

1. HQ always upgrading
2. Required buildings only(Laboratory + the cycle building)
3. Critical support buildings(Military Center, Hospitals, Villa to 25)
4. Power buildings(Formations, Hall of Honor, Rally Square)
5. Everything else(eventually, but much later)

Follow this path, and you'll consistently outpace players who scatter their resources across every building with a shiny upgrade button.