List of Contents
  • Why Is Murphy Such a Strong Tank in Last War: Survival?
  • What Are Murphy’s Stats and Core Role?
  • How Do Murphy’s Skills Work?
    • Cannon Fire
    • Stand Firm
    • Ironclad Barrier
    • Super Sensing
  • What Is the Best Murphy Skill Upgrade Order?
    • Why Should Ironclad Barrier Be Upgraded First?
    • Why Should Stand Firm Be Upgraded Second?
    • Why Should Cannon Fire Be Upgraded Third?
    • Why Should Super Sensing Be Upgraded Last?
  • Which Gear Setup Gives Murphy the Best Value?
  • When Should You Upgrade Murphy’s Exclusive Weapon?
  • Which Teams Work Best With Murphy?
    • How Does the Double Tank Wall Team Work?
    • Why Is the Starter Team Good for New Players?
    • How Does the Budget Progression Team Perform?
  • How Good Is Murphy in PvP and PvE?
  • Is Murphy Worth Building for F2P Players?
  • What Murphy Build Mistakes Should You Avoid?
  • What Are the Most Common Murphy Questions?
    • Should I Build Murphy or Kimberly First?
    • What Makes Murphy Good for Beginners?
    • When Does Murphy Become a Teamwide Defender?
    • Is Murphy Still Useful in the Late Game?
    • When Should I Invest in Murphy’s Exclusive Weapon?
    • Who Pairs Well With Murphy?
  • What Is the Final Verdict on Murphy?
List of Contents
  • Why Is Murphy Such a Strong Tank in Last War: Survival?
  • What Are Murphy’s Stats and Core Role?
  • How Do Murphy’s Skills Work?
    • Cannon Fire
    • Stand Firm
    • Ironclad Barrier
    • Super Sensing
  • What Is the Best Murphy Skill Upgrade Order?
    • Why Should Ironclad Barrier Be Upgraded First?
    • Why Should Stand Firm Be Upgraded Second?
    • Why Should Cannon Fire Be Upgraded Third?
    • Why Should Super Sensing Be Upgraded Last?
  • Which Gear Setup Gives Murphy the Best Value?
  • When Should You Upgrade Murphy’s Exclusive Weapon?
  • Which Teams Work Best With Murphy?
    • How Does the Double Tank Wall Team Work?
    • Why Is the Starter Team Good for New Players?
    • How Does the Budget Progression Team Perform?
  • How Good Is Murphy in PvP and PvE?
  • Is Murphy Worth Building for F2P Players?
  • What Murphy Build Mistakes Should You Avoid?
  • What Are the Most Common Murphy Questions?
    • Should I Build Murphy or Kimberly First?
    • What Makes Murphy Good for Beginners?
    • When Does Murphy Become a Teamwide Defender?
    • Is Murphy Still Useful in the Late Game?
    • When Should I Invest in Murphy’s Exclusive Weapon?
    • Who Pairs Well With Murphy?
  • What Is the Final Verdict on Murphy?

Murphy Build Guide for Last War: Survival: Best Skills, Gear, Teams, and Investment

Max

07/16/2026

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Murphy is one of the safest frontline heroes to build in Last War: Survival. This UR Tank does not rely on flashy burst damage. Instead, he keeps your front row alive, reduces incoming Physical Damage, and gives the rest of your squad more time to finish the fight.

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That makes Murphy especially valuable for new and free-to-play players. However, his skills, gear, stars, and Exclusive Weapon all compete for limited resources. Upgrading everything at once can drain your Skill Medals, Universal Shards, and Upgrade Ore without giving you the best return.

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This Murphy build guide explains the best skill upgrade order, recommended gear milestones, useful team compositions, and where this defender performs best in PvP and PvE.

Why Is Murphy Such a Strong Tank in Last War: Survival?

Murphy is an Ultra Rare Tank hero who deals Physical Damage and specializes in protecting the frontline. His personal damage is not exceptional, but that is not why players use him.

His real value comes from combining Stand Firm with Ironclad Barrier. The first skill provides passive damage reduction, while the second creates a strong defensive window during dangerous enemy attacks.

Category Murphy Details
Rarity UR
Vehicle Type Tank
Specialty Tank / Frontline Defender
Damage Type Physical Damage
Main Role Reduce incoming damage and protect the formation
Investment Rating S Tier for early and mid-game progression

Murphy is also easy to fit into different lineups. He can act as the main frontline anchor or serve as an Assistant Defender beside another durable hero such as Williams, Carlie, or Adam.

What Are Murphy’s Stats and Core Role?

The detailed hero profile provided in the reference material lists the following Murphy stats. These values should be treated as progression-based reference numbers rather than universal base stats, since hero level, stars, research, gear, and account bonuses can change the displayed totals.

Stat Reference Value
Attack 13.1K
HP 906.9K
Defense 3.3K
March Size 350

These numbers show exactly what this character is designed to do. His HP is the standout stat, while his Attack is much less important than it would be for a damage dealer such as Kimberly.

Murphy should normally be placed where he can absorb enemy pressure and protect more fragile damage dealers. He is not a hyper-carry. He is the wall that allows your actual carry to keep attacking.

How Do Murphy’s Skills Work?

Murphy has four core skills. Two improve his personal performance, while the other two directly strengthen the durability of your formation.

Skill Type Main Effect Recommended Priority
Cannon Fire Auto Attack Deals Physical Damage equal to 490.99% of Attack 3rd
Stand Firm Passive Reduces all damage taken by front-row units by 17% 2nd
Ironclad Barrier Tactics Raises front-row Physical Damage Reduction by 29% for 5 seconds 1st
Super Sensing Expertise Raises HP, Attack, and Defense by 20% and cooldown rate by 10% 4th

Cannon Fire

Cannon Fire is Murphy’s standard attack skill. It fires a cannonball at one enemy and deals Physical Damage equal to 490.99% of his Attack.

The detailed hero profile lists a 1.60-second cooldown, while another supplied build sheet lists 1.35 seconds. This difference may come from progression bonuses or a version change, so the current in-game skill screen should be treated as the final source for your account.

The skill gains more additional damage at each star milestone. The listed bonuses rise from 30% at the first milestone to 70%, 120%, 185%, and finally 270% at the last milestone. This scaling improves Murphy’s single-target output, but it does not turn him into a main DPS.

Improving Cannon Fire is useful after his defensive skills are developed. Spending heavily on it too early gives the squad less value than strengthening the skills that keep multiple heroes alive.

Stand Firm

Stand Firm passively reduces all damage taken by front-row units by 17%. There is no activation condition and no burst window to manage. The protection remains active throughout the battle.

Each listed star milestone improves the effect by another 3%. This makes Stand Firm one of the most reliable parts of Murphy’s kit, especially when both frontline positions contain heroes that are important to the formation.

The skill reduces general incoming damage rather than only one damage type. That gives it consistent value in Campaign stages, Arena fights, Hero Trials, and other battles where the squad faces mixed damage.

Ironclad Barrier

Ironclad Barrier is the most important Murphy skill. After casting, it increases the Physical Damage Reduction of front-row units by 29% for five seconds. Its listed cooldown is 10 seconds.

The first bonus milestone increases the effect duration to six seconds. A later upgrade adds another 5% Physical Damage Reduction, followed by a duration increase to seven seconds. The fourth milestone is the biggest breakpoint because it allows the Damage Reduction effect to apply to the entire team. The final milestone extends the duration to eight seconds.

Before the teamwide upgrade, the barrier mainly protects your frontline. After that breakpoint, it can also help your backline survive Physical AoE attacks and other formation-wide pressure. This change is why Ironclad Barrier deserves the highest upgrade priority.

Super Sensing

Super Sensing increases Murphy’s HP, Attack, and Defense by 20%. It also raises his skill cooldown rate by 10%.

These passive stats are valuable because more HP and Defense improve his tanking, while the cooldown bonus helps him cast Ironclad Barrier more often. However, Super Sensing is normally the fourth priority because it does not immediately protect the rest of the squad as much as his two main defensive skills.

What Is the Best Murphy Skill Upgrade Order?

The best Murphy skill upgrade order is Ironclad Barrier first, Stand Firm second, Cannon Fire third, and Super Sensing fourth. This order focuses your Skill Medals on the abilities that provide the biggest defensive impact.

Why Should Ironclad Barrier Be Upgraded First?

Ironclad Barrier should receive your first major investment because its Physical Damage Reduction can stop the frontline from collapsing during an enemy burst window.

The whole-team milestone is particularly important. Once that effect is unlocked, Murphy stops being only a front-row protector and becomes a formation-wide defensive support.

Why Should Stand Firm Be Upgraded Second?

Stand Firm provides constant value without needing to activate or hit a specific target. Increasing this passive makes both front-row units harder to kill from the start of the fight until the end.

This is especially valuable in long PvE stages, where several smaller hits can be just as dangerous as one large attack.

Why Should Cannon Fire Be Upgraded Third?

Cannon Fire should be improved after the main defensive skills have reached useful levels. The extra damage helps, but this defender will never replace a dedicated attacker.

Do not spend all your Skill Medals trying to force a Tank hero into a DPS role. The squad normally gains more from keeping its real damage dealers alive.

Why Should Super Sensing Be Upgraded Last?

Super Sensing is not a weak skill. Its stat boosts are excellent. It simply offers less immediate squad protection than Ironclad Barrier and Stand Firm.

Raise it when the other core skills have reached your planned milestones or when you have enough Skill Medals to continue developing Murphy without delaying your main carry.

Which Gear Setup Gives Murphy the Best Value?

Murphy’s gear can consume a large amount of Upgrade Ore. Randomly leveling every item is one of the easiest ways to slow down your account.

The supplied build reference provides two complete milestones: a minimum usable setup and an optimum late-game setup. A complete middle sweet spot was not included in the source, so no unsupported equipment levels have been added.

Gear Slot Minimum Build Optimum Build
Cannon M4-A Destroyer Cannon, Level 30 M6-A Puma Cannon, Level 40
Armor M3 Armor, Level 20 M5-A Guard Reactive Armor, Level 40
Data Chip M4-A Jackal Data Chip, Level 30 M6-A Athenas Crown Data Chip, Level 40
Radar M3 Radar, Level 20 M5-A Predator Radar, Level 40
Exclusive Weapon Level 1 Level 30

The minimum build uses an M4-A Destroyer Cannon at Level 30, M3 Armor at Level 20, an M4-A Jackal Data Chip at Level 30, M3 Radar at Level 20, and Murphy’s Exclusive Weapon at Level 1. This is the realistic starting point for an account that still needs to equip several heroes.

The optimum build upgrades to an M6-A Puma Cannon, M5-A Guard Reactive Armor, M6-A Athenas Crown Data Chip, and M5-A Predator Radar, with all four regular gear pieces reaching Level 40. Murphy’s Exclusive Weapon reaches Level 30 in this setup.

The optimum build is powerful, but it also demands a much larger resource investment. Players should only push toward it when Murphy remains part of their main march and the rest of the core formation already has enough gear to function.

Do not chase the optimum build too early. A balanced squad usually provides better account progress than one fully upgraded Tank surrounded by underbuilt teammates.

When Should You Upgrade Murphy’s Exclusive Weapon?

Murphy’s Exclusive Weapon improves his base stats and strengthens the defensive parts of his kit. Its major weapon effects unlock at Levels 1, 10, 20, and 30. Every level contributes more stats, while those four milestones provide the largest functional upgrades.

The supplied references indicate that the weapon improves Ironclad Barrier, Stand Firm, and Murphy’s overall attributes. Level 1 is therefore the first efficient target for most players. Levels 10, 20, and 30 should be considered when he is already established as a long-term member of the main formation.

There is one important conflict in the supplied material. One source lists the Exclusive Weapon as a Season 1 unlock, while another places it in Season 2: Polar Storm. Availability may depend on server progression or the current content version, so players should check the in-game Exclusive Weapon menu before planning seasonal resources.

Which Teams Work Best With Murphy?

Murphy works best in squads that need a reliable frontline anchor. He creates time for damage dealers to cycle their skills and gives support heroes more chances to heal, buff, or weaken enemies.

Team Heroes Reference Formation Best Uses
Double Tank Wall Murphy, Kimberly, Williams, Marshall, Mason Front: Murphy, Kimberly
Mid: Williams, Mason
Back: Marshall
Defense, Campaign, sustained fights
Starter Team Murphy, Mason, Marshall, Carlie, Tesla Front: Murphy
Mid: Mason, Marshall
Back: Carlie, Tesla
Early Campaign, new players, budget progression
Budget Progression Murphy, Kimberly, Mason, Marshall, Scarlett Front: Murphy, Kimberly
Mid: Mason
Back: Marshall, Scarlett
F2P progression and mid-game content

How Does the Double Tank Wall Team Work?

The Murphy, Kimberly, Williams, Marshall, and Mason lineup mixes protection, support, and sustained damage. Murphy absorbs pressure while Williams adds another layer of durability. Kimberly and Mason provide damage, and Marshall supports the formation.

This squad is useful when survival is the main problem. It can be slower than a full burst lineup, but it is much less likely to collapse during the first enemy rotation.

Why Is the Starter Team Good for New Players?

The Murphy, Mason, Marshall, Carlie, and Tesla formation is the most accessible starter lineup from the supplied team options. Murphy acts as the main defender while Mason and Tesla contribute damage. Marshall and Carlie help round out the squad.

It is a practical choice for early Campaign progress because it does not depend on owning a full lineup of highly developed UR heroes.

How Does the Budget Progression Team Perform?

The Murphy, Kimberly, Mason, Marshall, and Scarlett team is aimed at F2P and mid-game players. Kimberly handles much of the damage, while Scarlett adds extra support behind Murphy’s frontline protection.

This formation offers a useful mix of damage and safety. It is also easier to develop gradually than a team built entirely around rare late-game heroes.

How Good Is Murphy in PvP and PvE?

Murphy performs best in modes where staying alive matters. His value drops slightly when a battle is decided only by maximum burst damage or when enemies can bypass the frontline and attack the back row directly.

Game Mode Rating Performance
Campaign ★★★★★ Excellent survival and reliable frontline protection
World Boss ★★★★★ Strong when survival limits the length of the attempt
Alliance Duel ★★★★☆ Reliable defender, but offers less burst than damage-focused heroes
PvP Arena ★★★★☆ Strong against Physical pressure but weaker against backline-focused attacks
SvS ★★★★☆ Dependable frontline option for developed Tank squads
Hero Trial ★★★★★ Excellent in survival-focused stages and longer battles

Murphy is particularly useful in Campaign and Hero Trial content because his defensive kit helps the squad survive long encounters. In Arena and Alliance Duel, he remains a reliable frontline option, but formations with strong backline targeting can reduce his impact.

For World Boss content, the five-star rating matters most when your squad is dying before completing its damage rotation. On highly developed accounts where survival is no longer a problem, replacing some defense with more damage may produce a better score.

Is Murphy Worth Building for F2P Players?

Yes. Murphy is highly recommended for F2P and low-spending players. He provides immediate defensive value and does not require a highly specialized lineup to function.

Investment Stage Rating Recommendation
Early Game 5/5 One of the safest frontline investments
Mid Game 5/5 Strong Campaign and formation protector
Late Game 4/5 Still useful, but must compete with newer heroes and specialized teams
F2P Value 5/5 High impact without needing a full premium lineup

Murphy’s biggest strength is his ability to protect more than himself. Stand Firm and Ironclad Barrier improve the survival of the frontline, while the later Ironclad Barrier milestone extends that protection to the whole formation. He also fits into several early and mid-game teams and pairs naturally with defenders such as Williams, Carlie, and Adam.

His main limitation is damage. Murphy has no major AoE attack in the supplied skill set, and his single-target output is lower than that of offense-focused UR heroes. He can also struggle against enemies that bypass the frontline or delay their strongest attacks until Ironclad Barrier has expired.

Late-game power creep may lower his priority on highly specialized accounts, but that does not remove his value as a dependable defender. Players who need more Tank resources can also review the available Last War: Survival top-up options before committing to larger upgrades.

What Murphy Build Mistakes Should You Avoid?

The first common mistake is leveling every skill equally. Murphy does not gain the same value from every Skill Medal. Ironclad Barrier and Stand Firm should receive the important upgrades first.

The second mistake is treating him like a main damage dealer. Cannon Fire can deal respectable single-target damage, but his primary job is still to keep the formation alive.

Another mistake is pushing every piece of gear toward Level 40 before the rest of the main squad is ready. This creates one durable hero but may leave the team without enough damage or support.

Finally, do not invest heavily in the Exclusive Weapon only because it is available. The Level 10, 20, and 30 milestones are best reserved for accounts that plan to keep Murphy in their main Tank formation for several seasons.

What Are the Most Common Murphy Questions?

Should I Build Murphy or Kimberly First?

The two heroes perform different jobs. Murphy protects the frontline, while Kimberly is built to deal much more damage. If your squad is dying too quickly, invest in Murphy’s core defensive skills. If your team survives but cannot finish battles, Kimberly may need the next damage upgrades.

Most developing accounts can use both heroes, so building Murphy is not automatically a wasted investment.

What Makes Murphy Good for Beginners?

His kit is simple and useful. Stand Firm reduces incoming damage automatically, and Ironclad Barrier provides another defensive layer during battle.

He also works with many accessible heroes, so new players do not need one exact premium team to use him effectively.

When Does Murphy Become a Teamwide Defender?

Ironclad Barrier initially protects the front row. At its fourth listed bonus milestone, the Damage Reduction effect begins applying to the whole team.

This is one of his most important progression breakpoints and greatly improves his value against formation-wide Physical Damage.

Is Murphy Still Useful in the Late Game?

Yes. He remains a useful frontline protector in Campaign, Hero Trial, PvP, and Tank-focused formations. However, late-game accounts have more hero options, so he may face stronger competition from newer or more specialized defenders.

When Should I Invest in Murphy’s Exclusive Weapon?

Start with Level 1 if the weapon is available and Murphy is part of your main formation. Consider Levels 10, 20, and 30 after his core stars, skills, and basic gear are already developed.

Players should also verify the unlock season on their own server because the supplied sources list different seasonal availability.

Who Pairs Well With Murphy?

The supplied references specifically highlight Carlie, Adam, and Williams as useful partners. He can also support formations built around damage dealers such as Kimberly, Mason, and Tesla.

What Is the Final Verdict on Murphy?

Murphy is an S-tier early and mid-game Tank investment for players who need a dependable frontline. His damage will not carry an entire squad, but his defensive kit can decide whether your damage dealers survive long enough to complete their rotation.

Prioritize Ironclad Barrier first, followed by Stand Firm. Build toward the minimum gear setup before committing to expensive Level 40 equipment, and only push the Exclusive Weapon milestones when he has a secure place in your long-term formation.

For most F2P players, that approach gives the best balance between survivability, resource efficiency, and long-term roster value.

Meta Description: Build Murphy in Last War: Survival with the best skill order, gear milestones, team comps, PvP and PvE tips, plus smart F2P investment advice for every stage.

Max
Max

Full-Time Content Editor | Mobile Game Reviewer

Max is a full-time content editor and an avid mobile gamer who logs hours across diverse genres every day. From the medieval simulation aspects of Kingshot to the massive seasonal updates of top-tier survival games, Max closely tracks the ever-evolving mobile gaming landscape. He is responsible for testing new game patches and ensuring the accuracy and objectivity of the site's guides. Max’s writing centers on delivering data-backed overviews and user-friendly "instruction manuals," helping readers make informed choices about where to invest their gaming time.

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