Hitting level 20 on a fresh Raid: Shadow Legends account is a milestone, but it is not where the account “opens up.” The biggest feature gates still sit ahead of you, and how you spend Energy, Silver, books, and XP between now and level 40 decides how fast the account becomes useful. The goal after level 20 is simple. Build depth into a few champions, keep pushing Campaign, and clear the last account-level unlocks.
Quick answer: Funnel all XP, gear, and books into 4–5 core champions, push Normal Campaign toward level 35 (Tag Team Arena and Advanced Quests) and level 40 (Doom Tower and level 16 artifacts), and hit the Clan Boss and an Arena battle every single day.
Level unlocks still ahead of an alt at level 20
Player level in Raid controls which features you can access. The Market opens at 18, so an account at level 20 already has it. The two milestones that matter most now are level 35 and level 40. Everything you do after level 20 should point toward reaching them.
| Level | What it unlocks |
|---|---|
| 15 | Guardian Ring |
| 18 | The Market |
| 35 | Tag Team Arena and Advanced Quests |
| 40 | Doom Tower, plus artifacts can be upgraded to level 16 |
Player level also shows up in Classic Arena and Tag Team Arena bout lists, and clans use it as a rough read on how experienced a member is. So the number is doing double duty. It gates features early, then becomes a signal to other players later.
Concentrate resources on 4–5 core champions
The single most common way new and alt accounts stall is spreading resources too thin. Leveling fifteen champions to 40 leaves you with fifteen weak units. One champion pushed to 6-star does far more for the account. On an alt just past level 20, pick your best four to five and pour everything into them first.
Never feed Legendary or Epic champions to level others, even ones that look weak. They can be reworked, buffed, or needed for Fusions later. Only use Rare and lower champions as food.
Keep pushing Normal Campaign toward the 35 and 40 gates
Campaign is your main source of XP, Silver, and account levels early on, and it pays out shards as you bank stars. You earn an Ancient Shard at 90 stars and a Void Shard at 252 stars in Normal, and clearing difficulties eventually rewards a Sacred Shard. Progression there is what carries an alt from level 20 up to the level 35 and 40 unlocks.
Push with your best team of four and take a first clear even if you only earn one or two stars. Come back later, once your champions are stronger, to re-clear stages with two or fewer champions for the full three-star reward. For steady XP and Silver, farm a high Campaign stage such as 12-3 or 12-6.
When you get stuck, Chapter 6 is a reliable spot to farm Lifesteal gear, which keeps your core team alive through longer fights.
Daily habits that compound: Clan Boss and Great Hall
Two activities pay off every day regardless of how strong your account is. Skipping them is a silent way to fall behind.
Hit the Clan Boss every day, even with low damage. Over time it is a primary source of Shards and skill books, and the chest rewards stack daily. Fighting it also means joining a clan, which you should do immediately for the free daily rewards.
Fight at least one Arena battle a day too. You earn medals even on a loss, and those medals upgrade the Great Hall, which gives permanent stat bonuses to every champion you own. That is account-wide power that never goes away.
Work Dungeons and Faction Wars in around Campaign
Dungeons supply the artifacts, gear, and Potions you need to ascend and upgrade champions, and several quests require them. Unlock Dragon’s Lair, Fire Knight, and Spider, then clear their early stages without forcing yourself past around Stage 10 too soon. Spend Energy on Dungeons mainly when Campaign progress slows, and prioritize any Dungeon boosted by a current event for extra or doubled rewards.
Faction Wars is a long grind worth starting early. It rewards Shards, Silver, chickens, skill tomes, and Energy, and eventually the Legendary champion Lydia the Deathsiren after banking all 882 stars. It works like Campaign, but each day only one faction’s stages are open, you can bring up to five champions from that faction, and you have limited keys. Chip away at it as soon as you have usable champions per faction.
How you know the account is on track
You are progressing correctly when your first champion hits 6-star, your player level crosses 35 and then 40, and Doom Tower and Tag Team Arena appear as playable options. Reaching level 40 also lets you upgrade artifacts to level 16, a clear sign your gear ceiling has moved up.
Progress slows most often for one of three reasons. Resources were spread across too many champions instead of a core four or five, daily Clan Boss and Arena were skipped, or Gems were burned on Shard packs rather than Masteries. Fix those and the alt keeps climbing. Start the Arbiter missions as your long-term checklist, and let each 6-star champion set up the next one.
