Monster Grades & Star Ratings

Understand Summoners War Monster Grades and Star Ratings. Learn how natural grade and star power affect base stats and potential growth for all your monsters.

Understanding Monster Grades and Star Ratings is fundamental to progressing in Summoners War. These systems dictate a monster's base power, growth potential, and ultimately, its viability in various game content. While a monster's natural star grade (e.g., a natural 5-star) often indicates higher base stats and more impactful skill sets, any monster can be powered up to 6-stars, making strategic grading a key element of team building.

Understanding Natural Star Grades (Nat Stars)

Every monster you summon or acquire has a "natural" star grade, ranging from 1-star to 5-star. This grade is fixed and cannot be changed. It primarily influences:

• Base Stats: Higher natural star monsters generally possess superior base Attack, Defense, HP, and Speed at the same level compared to lower natural star monsters.
• Skill Multipliers: Often, natural 4-star and 5-star monsters have more potent skill multipliers and more complex, game-changing abilities.
• Awakening Bonuses: Natural 4-star and 5-star monsters typically gain more significant stat boosts or even entirely new skills upon awakening.

While natural 1-star and 2-star monsters are rarely used in late-game content, they are invaluable as "fodder" for evolving other monsters. Natural 3-star monsters can be excellent early to mid-game units, and some even retain viability into the late game (e.g., Belladeon, Bernard).

The Evolution System: Increasing Star Ratings

The star rating displayed on your monster (from 1-star to 6-star) represents its current evolution stage. This can be increased through the "Evolution" process at the Monster menu, allowing any monster to reach a maximum of 6-stars. Evolving a monster significantly boosts its base stats and allows it to reach higher maximum levels.

Evolution Steps:

1. Max Level First: Before a monster can be evolved, it must reach its current maximum level.
   • 1-star monsters max at Level 15
   • 2-star monsters max at Level 20
   • 3-star monsters max at Level 25
   • 4-star monsters max at Level 30
   • 5-star monsters max at Level 35
2. Gather Fodder: To evolve a monster, you need other monsters of the same star rating as the monster you wish to evolve. The number of "fodder" monsters required equals the current star rating of the monster being evolved.
   • To evolve a 3-star monster to 4-stars: You need 3 other 3-star monsters (fodder).
   • To evolve a 4-star monster to 5-stars: You need 4 other 4-star monsters (fodder).
   • To evolve a 5-star monster to 6-stars: You need 5 other 5-star monsters (fodder).
3. Perform Evolution: Navigate to the "Monster" tab, then select "Power-up Circle." Choose the monster you want to evolve, then select the appropriate fodder monsters. Confirm the evolution.

Strategic Fodder Farming:

Efficiently farming fodder is crucial for rapid progression. Here are key locations and strategies:

• Scenario Stages: Early in the game, repeatedly clearing "Faimon Volcano" (Hell difficulty, if possible) or "Hydeni Ruins" is common for leveling up fodder monsters. Bring one strong "farmer" monster and three fodder monsters.
• Angelmon/Rainbowmon:
  • Angelmon: These monsters provide a massive amount of EXP when used as power-up material. They are primarily obtained from the "Cairos Dungeon" (specifically the "Angelmon Dungeon" on Mondays) and events.
  • Rainbowmon: These are special monsters that are already max level for their star grade and are specifically designed to be used as evolution fodder. They are obtained from:
    • Cairos Dungeon: Drop from various dungeons, especially "Giants Keep," "Dragons Lair," and "Necropolis."
    • Arena/Guild Shop: Purchase 3-star and 4-star Rainbowmon from these shops.
    • Events: Many in-game events reward Rainbowmon.
    • Secret Dungeons: Occasionally drop from Secret Dungeons.
• Unknown Scrolls: Use these abundant scrolls to summon 1-star and 2-star monsters. Level them up quickly (e.g., in Faimon) and evolve them into higher star fodder.

The Importance of 6-Star Monsters

Reaching 6-stars is a significant power spike for any monster. It allows them to reach Level 40, unlocking their full stat potential. Prioritize evolving your core team members and primary damage dealers to 6-stars as soon as possible. A well-runed 6-star monster will outperform a similarly runed 5-star monster in almost all scenarios.

Actionable Tip: Your first 6-star monster should ideally be a strong "farmer" (e.g., Lapis, Veromos, Lushen) capable of clearing a Hell difficulty scenario stage quickly and reliably. This will dramatically speed up your future fodder farming.