Wingmen in Z Route: Redemption
Wingmen in Z Route: Redemption are support units attached to the Fighter, the jet that flies with your hero squad. They fill 4 positions, Initiate, Defense, Attack and Support, and their effects fire at the start of a fight or when the Fighter bombs. You make them in the Wingman Lab, buy them in shops and open them from chests. Fighter Command opens at Base 15.
What Wingmen Are
A wingman is a support unit attached to the Fighter. Its effect fires at the start of a fight or when the Fighter bombs. A wingman comes in one of 3 types, Warrior, Tactical, Assault, and the type should match the main heroes of the squad. The building called Fighter Command brings the Fighter into your squad and lets you upgrade it, and it opens at Base 15. Every few hours you can collect a Fighter Component Chest there.
One list says the Fighter unlocks its main wingman slots by level: the second slot at fighter level 150, the third at level 300 and the fourth at level 450. The first slot goes to Warriors, the second to Tacticians, the third to Assaulters and the fourth to the fourth squad. The squads page explains the hero side of these setups.
Wingman Positions
A wingman works in one of 4 positions. Each position does a different job, so a full set covers the opening shield, defense, damage and support.
| Position | Effect |
|---|---|
| Initiate | Opens the fight with a shield; after the shield expires, party damage taken is reduced |
| Defense | Adds DEF to all heroes and extra permanent (whole-battle) DEF to the frontline |
| Attack | When the Fighter bombs, heroes get a temporary ATK boost and the bombing hits more targets |
| Support | When the Fighter bombs, the backline gains damage and incoming enemy Battle Skill damage is reduced |
The Attack row comes from one list only. The goal in every guide is the same: one gold wingman in each of the four positions, matched to the squad type.
Wingman Lab
The Wingman Lab is the building where you create wingmen. It needs Fighter Command level 1 and Gear Material Factory level 1, so Base 15 is the earliest you can build it. One list gives the lab 30 levels, and each level from 5 needs the Base at the same level.
The lab window has tabs for the three classes, Warrior, Tactical and Assault, and the Create and Bag tabs. A Create x1 button comes with a quantity slider. Purple wingmen are made from basic components and fill a bar that counts to 400, and gold wingmen use a bar that counts up to 800.
| Lab level | Build time |
|---|---|
| 5 | 5m 0s |
| 10 | 1h 25m |
| 15 | 5h 40m |
| 20 | 1d 6h 31m |
| 25 | 5d 11h 27m |
| 30 | 25d 9h 37m |
How to Get Wingmen
Wingmen come from the lab and from chests that several shops sell. The table lists the wingman items in each shop.
| Source | Wingman items |
|---|---|
| Alliance Shop | Wingman chests (weekly stock, restocks every Monday, paid with alliance coins) |
| VIP Shop | Wingman SR Chest and Wingman SSR Chest |
| Honor Shop | Wingman UR Chest (restocks monthly) |
| Trial Shop | Wingman SSR Chest and standard wingman components |
| Oasis Market | SSR wingman chest 30 dew coins; two UR chests 200 and 250 |
Alliance Shop coins come from donating oil to alliance research, as the research page explains. The Oasis Market prices are in dew coins, and the Oasis Market page lists the whole shop. The Honor Shop UR chest gives one random R, SR, SSR or UR wingman plus 100 Advanced Wingman Fusion Parts, so a UR wingman is not guaranteed. Two paid offers also exist: Daily Fighter Wingman Pack ($4.99) and Weekly Fighter Wingman Pack ($49.99).
Wingman Upgrades
Wingmen come in four rarity codes, shown by color.
| Rarity | Color |
|---|---|
| R | Green |
| SR | Blue |
| SSR | Purple |
| UR | Gold |
A wingman evolves with duplicates of the same wingman, so labels matter. Purple wingmen turn into upgrade material only after you hold the gold replacements you need, and UR wingmen cannot serve as material to upgrade Fighters. Advanced Wingman Components raise the Fighter's upgrade level and give 10,000 upgrade XP each. They are also a Thursday VS stage 4 reward.
One list shows what the star levels add to a wingman:
| Stars | Effect |
|---|---|
| 5 | key evolution: after the shield ends, all damage taken by the squad is reduced by 12% |
| 6 | shield rises to 1M |
| 7 | shield 1.2M |
| 8 | key evolution 16% |
| 9 | shield 1.4M |
| 10 | shield 1.6M |
Best Wingmen
These rules hold up in every guide:
- Match the wingman type, Warrior, Tactical or Assault, to the type of your main heroes.
- Aim for four gold wingmen, one per position.
- Keep duplicates for evolution before you scrap anything.
The gear page and the power guide show how the Fighter fits into total power.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a wingman in Z Route Redemption?
A wingman is a support unit attached to the Fighter, the jet that flies with your hero squad. Wingman effects fire at the start of a fight or when the Fighter bombs. There are 4 positions: Initiate, Defense, Attack and Support. Fighter Command adds the Fighter to your squad, and it opens at Base 15.
When does the Wingman Lab unlock?
The Wingman Lab needs Fighter Command level 1 and Gear Material Factory level 1. Because Fighter Command opens at Base 15, you cannot build the lab before that. One list also says each lab level from level 5 needs the Base at the same level, and the lab has 30 levels.
How do I get a UR wingman?
UR wingmen come from chests in the Honor Shop and the Oasis Market. The Honor Shop chest gives one random R, SR, SSR or UR wingman plus 100 Advanced Wingman Fusion Parts, so a UR is not guaranteed. One guide says to save wingman chests and open a large batch together for a better chance at a top-quality wingman.
How do I upgrade wingmen?
Evolution needs duplicates of the same wingman, so check the type before you use one as fodder. One list shows star bonuses: a key evolution at 5 stars cuts squad damage after the shield ends by 12 percent, and 8 stars raises it to 16 percent. Advanced Wingman Components raise the Fighter itself.
Does wingman type matter?
Yes. Wingmen come as Warrior, Tactical and Assault types, and the type should match the main heroes of the squad. One list says a Tactical wingman does not work on a Warrior squad. The Wingman Lab sorts its list into the same three class tabs, so pick the tab that matches your squad.