There's a point in every season where you look at someone on your server who's two HQ levels ahead of you, and you just can't figure out how they got there so fast. Nine times out of ten, they're either holding the Secretary of Development title, running a well-optimized Engineer profession tree, or both. These two systems don't get talked about nearly as much as hero builds or squad compositions, but they quietly determine how fast your base grows from the very first day of the season.
The Secretary of Development gives you a straight 50% Construction Speed boost and a 25% Research Speed boost and those numbers stack on top of everything else you're already running. If you're also looking to push your upgrades faster without burning through all your resources, LootBar is honestly the best place I've found for Last War top-ups. The rates are better than in-game, and it's been consistent every season I've used it.
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What Is the Secretary of Development?
The Secretary of Development is one of several government titles assigned by the President in Last War: Survival. The whole system revolves around the Capitol Conquest event, where alliances compete by holding the Capitol for the longest cumulative duration. The alliance that wins gets to appoint their leader as President, and the President then assigns title slots to players across the server.
The Capitol offices include the President, Vice President (previously called First Lady), and a set of appointed Ministry roles — Secretary of Development being one of them. Once you're assigned the title, you get a direct passive buff that stays active the entire time you hold it:
| Bonus Type | Amount |
Construction Speed (Active on all building upgrades while you hold the title) | +50% |
Research Speed (Applies to all tech tree research in progress) | +25% |
To apply for the title yourself, your HQ needs to be at least level 16. From there, tap your profile icon, hit the server button, and go to the Appointment tab. Applications are reviewed by the President or Vice President, and once approved, you're added to the queue for automatic assignment. Keep in mind there's a cooldown between applications, the VP can also remove a title ahead of time if needed, so don't take holding it for granted.
All Government Titles Explained
Here's how the Secretary of Development stacks up against the other title options, so you can make an informed choice if you ever have the option to pick:
| Title | Key Bonuses | Best For |
| President | +5% Hero HP, Attack, Defense (server-wide) | Alliance leader, Capitol winner |
| Vice President | +20% Construction, +20% Research, +10% Training | Alliance co-leader, title management |
| Administrative Commander | +60% Construction, +60% Research | Best dev title, President/VP assign only |
| Secretary of Development | +50% Construction, +25% Research | Active builders, HQ pushers |
| Secretary of Science | +25% Construction, +50% Research | Late-game research focus (post HQ 25) |
| Secretary of Interior | +100% Food, Iron, Coin output | Resource production players |
| Secretary of Security | +20% Training Cap, +20% Training Speed | Troop builders and military pushers |
| Military Commander | +5% March Speed, 5% Enemy Casualty Rate | PvP combat focused, President/VP assign only |
Engineer Profession: Why It Pairs So Well With This Title
The Profession System is a skill tree you level up by earning Profession EXP throughout the season. Your three main sources are upgrading season buildings (by far the fastest method), killing zombies on the world map, and capturing cities with your alliance. You can't unlock everything in the tree, so the order you invest your points in makes a real difference.
The Engineer profession is the go-to pick for any player focused on base development. The core principle is simple: start every season as Engineer. The build cost reduction and construction bonuses from the skill tree are the foundation that makes your HQ progression go faster. Even players who eventually switch to War Leader for PvP usually spend the first few weeks as Engineer to get those early building upgrades done efficiently.
The other thing worth knowing is that profession points are limited, you will not be able to unlock every skill in the tree by the end of the season. That makes priority order genuinely important, not just a nice-to-have. Spend your early points on the wrong skills and you'll feel the slowdown by mid-season. For the resources you need to keep your construction queues running, topping up through LootBar is the most cost-efficient option I've found for Last War. Better rates than in-app, and it's been reliable every time.
Building Upgrade Priority
HQ is the single most important building in your base. Every other building is capped at your current HQ level, which means if your HQ isn't actively upgrading, your entire base is stalling. The goal is simple: keep HQ upgrading at all times, and when it can't, spend that time fulfilling the prerequisite buildings for the next level.
To upgrade your HQ, you always need two other buildings to match the current HQ level first. From HQ 8 onwards, one of those two buildings is always the Tech Centre. The second slot rotates depending on which HQ level you're targeting. This means your actual priority at any given moment is: HQ first, then whatever two buildings are blocking the next HQ upgrade.
Always in Queue: HQ and Tech Centre
Headquarters (HQ)
Your entire base revolves around this building. The moment HQ finishes an upgrade, immediately queue the next one. If you can't start the next HQ upgrade yet, check what prerequisite buildings are missing and work on those. Never let HQ sit idle. This is where the Secretary of Development's +50% Construction Speed makes the biggest difference, shaving hours off each HQ level adds up dramatically across a full season.
Tech Center
Treat the Tech Center as a co-equal priority alongside HQ. It's a mandatory prerequisite at virtually every HQ level, and it also gives you access to the research tree, which is the most efficient source of permanent progression bonuses in the game. Research priority inside the Tech Center: Development branch first (construction speed, research speed, cost reductions), then Economics, then Military. Falling behind on Tech Centre doesn't just block HQ, it locks you out of research that makes every future upgrade cheaper and faster.
Non-Negotiable: Hospital
Hospital
Troops that exceed your hospital capacity when they return from battle die permanently and have to be retrained from scratch. That's the harshest resource drain in the game. Keep Hospital capacity high enough to recover at least 70% of your forces after a serious fight. Every time you significantly increase your troop count, check if your hospital can keep up. This is never optional for any player doing PvP, rallies, or combat events.
Upgrade When Blocking HQ
Wall
The Wall is a mandatory prerequisite at most HQ levels and it's also one of the most Iron-heavy buildings in the game at higher levels. It's the building most likely to catch you off guard if you're not watching the requirements ahead of time. Check two HQ levels out, start Wall upgrades early, and never let it fall far behind your HQ level
Barracks
Required roughly every five HQ levels. Stagger your upgrades, upgrade one Barracks at a time, not all of them simultaneously. Staggered Barracks lets you run more efficient training queues and recover faster after large troop losses. Higher Barracks levels also unlock higher troop tiers, so there's always a double benefit to keeping at least one current.
Drill Ground
Shows up periodically as a prerequisite. Same rule as Barracks: only upgrade one to satisfy the HQ requirement. The others can stay lower until you need the troop capacity or an HQ gate forces the issue.
Squad Centers (Tank / Aircraft / Missile)
Pick one squad type early and commit to it. Each type has its own Combat Center, and the HQ prerequisite only requires one of them to hit the required level. If you spread upgrades across all three, you're paying full cost three times for something you only need once. Pick whichever type matches your main squad and never look back.
Alliance Support Hub
Unlocks at HQ 4. As soon as this building is available, join an alliance and keep this building reasonably leveled. Alliance helps reduce your build timers on every upgrade, the compounding effect across a whole season is significant. It's not the most urgent building on this list, but neglecting it caps your incoming help and costs you free build time every single day.
Keep at Moderate Levels: Resource Buildings
Food, Iron, Gold Mines
A consistent beginner mistake is over-investing in resource production buildings. Most of your resources in early and mid-game come from events, gathering, and activity rewards not passive production. Keep resource buildings at a level that satisfies HQ prerequisites and maintains basic income, but don't max them out at the expense of HQ or Tech Centre progress. Gold Mines become more important from HQ 15 onward as research costs shift heavily toward Gold, so start building those up as you approach that range.
FAQ
- How do I apply for the Secretary of Development title?
Tap your profile icon, then hit the building button that shows your server number. This takes you to the Appointment tab where you can apply for open titles. Your HQ needs to be level 16 or higher. Once you apply, the President or Vice President approves it and you're added to the assignment queue. The VP can also remove you from a title early if needed, so coordinate with your alliance leadership. Does the Secretary of Development bonus stack with Engineer profession skills?
Yes, fully. The title bonus and profession skill bonuses are separate systems that apply at the same time. Running both gives you the highest possible construction efficiency without needing any additional items or events to trigger itWhat two buildings do I always need to upgrade before HQ?
From HQ 8 onward, the Tech Centre is always one of the two mandatory prerequisites. The second one changes depending on which HQ level you're targeting — it could be Barracks, Hospital, Wall, Drill Ground, or your chosen Troop Center. Always check the HQ upgrade requirements one level ahead so you're never caught waiting.Should I upgrade all three Troop Centers or just one?
Just one. Pick the troop type that matches your main squad (Tank, Aircraft, or Missile) and focus all your upgrades there. The HQ prerequisite only requires one Troop Center to hit the target level, so spreading resources across all three just wastes time and materials.Can I switch titles mid-season?
Yes. You can reapply for a different title whenever there's an open slot. Some players swap between Secretary of Development during heavy construction windows and Secretary of Science when they shift into a research-heavy phase. Just keep in mind the VP can reassign your slot at any time, so it's not always guaranteed to last as long as you want.
Conclusion
The Secretary of Development title and a solid building upgrade plan are two of the most straightforward efficiency boosts in Last War: Survival, and they work best when you run them together from day one. Hold the Secretary of Development title for the passive construction and research speed boost, keep HQ and Tech Centre upgrading in sync at all times, and always check what prerequisite buildings are blocking your next HQ level before you get there. The skill priority is simple: anything that directly gates your next HQ upgrade comes first, everything else comes after. For keeping your resources stocked throughout the season, Last War Top Up on LootBar is consistently the best option I've used for better rates, fast delivery, and it works directly in-game. Worth checking before you spend anywhere else.
