Altar

The Altar is a confusing part of the game. Don't rush it, take the time to read this piece as it will help you understand how the Altar works and how it can help you.

The Altar (Version 1), unlocked at Stage 400 in the World Map serves one main purpose:

1. The Altar is the place where you can sacrifice a select few of your heroes to get alternate (better) versions of your heroes. This includes sacrificing Sicri, Kalethah or Katelah to get Nushkilan. Once placed into the Altar, the heroes will return after you use Dark Ritual. Any hero who can be swapped out for another hero has a chance to come back as the better version. It is not a guarantee. If you place more than 3 heroes in the Altar to be sacrificed, you will only get back 3 after the Dark Ritual. The next time you use Dark Ritual, more will return. Any time you put a hero into the Altar who will be sacrificed (There are no numbers underneath it), there is a chance the hero will not return. If this happens, wait until your next Dark Ritual, they should return then.
2. While you can put heroes in to receive shard packs in return, it is generally not advised at Stage 400. Wait until you have unlocked the second version of the Altar at Stage 1500. Any heroes placed into the Altar can give back more hero shards, depending on the hero you sacrifice, including their current gear (gold stars on their portrait), rarity and gild points added.

Several heroes (see below) can reincarnate as more powerful versions, often buffing all hero damage. They won't always return as the improved version; it may require several attempts. Powerful versions may likewise return as their original versions, so don't carelessly put a hero in as you may lose that version of them.

Up to four heroes may be placed on the altar at one time. The altar will show how many shard packs you would get for the heroes currently on it. Up to three basic and/or improved heroes will return for each Dark Ritual.

Gear will cause the altar to produce shard packs or increase their number. Every 10gild (aka rank or grade) on a hero also yields one shard pack.

**With v3.3.1 (2018 04 28), sacrificing heroes to the Altar now uses available shards *first*. This does not consume rarity, gear upgrades, or gild points. It does not even unhire or de-level them. Only when there are not enough shards owned to make a complete second hero, will the hero, with all their upgrades, be consumed for the full shard pack value, as was the norm prior to v3.3.1**

## Tips

* Your first task will probably be to unlock all the hidden heroes with permanent improvements - Abe for Abe Junior, Nedes/Stan for Ulla/Sirius, etc. Once you unlock each one, never sacrifice it again.
* After the first time you unlock the Altar, you can Altar your heroes anytime, even after DR, you don't have to reach level 400 again after a DR to sacrifice your heroes, so the fastest way of unlocking hidden heroes is: Advance until you unlock Brath the Merciless > Level him to 125 to unlock DR > Altar the desired heroes > DR and repeat.
* Your next task will then be to continue sacrificing heroes that yield shards. Do this right before you use DR, so that they come right back. Sacrifice only three at a time, so that they all return.
* Gearing low-level heroes (such as Griswold) before sacrificing them is a good way to get shards.
* Shard heroes yield shard packs when sacrificed, but will not return unless you have enough of their shards to activate them again. (The portrait for a hero in the altar UI, and in that hero's details, will show its current shards below its portrait, out of the number needed, and will be green if it could be reactivated immediately.)
* Heroes with rarity upgrades yield shard packs, but less than just buying shard packs with emerald directly (remember, rarity can be bought with emerald). So any heroes with upgraded rarity should not be sacrificed unless you simply don't care (e.g. low-level hero).
* Ten gilds are considered more valuable than one shard pack, so gilded heroes should be degraded before sacrifice (and then regraded after, costing only souls). Later in the game, if you don't need that many gild points you can exchange them for shard packs.
* If you want to have low level bosses on siege (less than 13mln HP) you can sacrifice heroes with gilds.

## Non-Sacrificable Heroes

The following heroes **cannot** be sacrificed at the altar under any circumstances.

## Known Reincarnations

The following heroes **can** be sacrificed at the altar for a raw stat benefit **and/or** a better league power.

## Reclaimable Heroes

The following heroes **can** be reclaimed after they have been sacrificed for their alternate forms by following the formulas below.

 \*\*\* In order to make the reclaiming formulas work, only 2 heroes must be sacrificed at a time.

## Shard Pack Returns

Remember to **REMOVE GILDS** before checking the amount of packs and to substract if you have stars.

 2000

 2 stars
 3 stars
 4 stars