Last updated: . Values were checked in-game unless marked as estimates.
Research in Z Route: Redemption is split into 15 trees, and you cannot finish them all: researching every tree takes thousands of days of base research time. Put your research into these trees first: Develop (faster research), Squad 1 (cheap stats for your main squad), Alliance Competition (VS points and the top personal chests), then Hero, Soldier and Super Soldiers. All numbers are current as of October 2026.
All 15 Research Trees at a Glance
Trees unlock with your Research Center level. Some also need progress in an earlier tree. “Research Data” means the tree costs Research Data items as well as resources.
| Tree | Unlocks at | What it gives | Research Data | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Develop | Lv.1 | Research, building, training and healing speed; hospital and training capacity | No | Very high |
| Economy | Lv.1 | Food, metal and oil output and gathering speed; extra farm and foundry | No | Medium |
| Hero | Lv.5 | Hero ATK, DEF, HP and damage, for all heroes and per faction | No | High |
| Soldier | Lv.7 | Soldier ATK, DEF, HP and load | No | High |
| Squad 1 | Lv.8 | Your first squad’s ATK, DEF, HP, damage and march speed | No | Very high |
| Squad 4 | Lv.8 (after unlocking a 4th squad) | The same stats for squad 4 | No | Low |
| Squad 2 | Lv.15 + 25% of Squad 1 | The same stats for squad 2 | No | Low |
| Alliance Competition | Lv.15 | More VS points; unlocks personal chests 4–6 and 7–9 | Yes | Very high |
| Convoy | Lv.15 | Truck cargo and speed, +1 daily shipment, pillage bonuses | Yes | Medium |
| Super Soldiers | Lv.17 | Large soldier stats, soldier morale, less damage to heroes | Yes | High |
| Squad 3 | Lv.20 + 25% of Squad 2 | The same stats for squad 3 | No | Low |
| Full Development | Lv.1 + 40% of Develop | More research and building speed, cheaper healing, an extra Training Camp | No | Medium |
| Prosperous Economy | Lv.1 + 45% of Economy | More resource output and resource protection | No | Low |
| Offense Strategy | Lv.21 + 40% of Super Soldiers | Hero stats when attacking in PvP, extra Drill Ground, march speed | Yes | PvP |
| Defense Strategy | Lv.21 + 40% of Super Soldiers | Hero stats when defending in PvP, extra hospital, resource protection | Yes | PvP |
Best Research Order
1. Develop: make every other research faster
Research Enhancement I and II together add +21.5% research speed, and the whole tree takes only about 6 days of base research time. Do this first. It also adds building speed (Quick Construction I and II, +5.5% each) and Master Builder, which cuts building resource costs by 5.5%. Later, Full Development adds another +21% research speed (Research Enhancement IV).
2. Squad 1: cheap stats for your main squad
Squad 1 gives your first squad +5% hero ATK, +5% DEF, +5% HP and +5% physical and radiation damage, plus march speed. The whole tree costs about 38 days of base research time. That is very little next to the Hero tree (over 3,000 days), so it is one of the best-value trees in the game. Squads 2 and 3 cost far more for the same bonus on weaker squads; leave them until much later.
3. Alliance Competition: VS points and the top chests
This tree decides how many personal VS chests you can earn. Medium Reward unlocks chests 4–6, and Ultimate Reward unlocks chests 7–9. Without them, the best chests are out of reach however many points you score. It also adds up to +150% points for almost every action (Points Buff +100% and Points Buff II +50%), plus up to +50% each for radar missions, speedups, hero recruitment, building power, tech power, training, kills, UR trucks, Special Ops and survivor recruitment. It uses Research Data. Plan the buffs with the VS Scoring Planner.
4. Hero: focus on your main squad’s faction
“ATK / DEF / HP / Damage of all heroes” each go up to +10.5%. The faction branches add up to +11% per stat at each tier, but only for Warrior, Assault or Tactical heroes. Research the branch for your main squad’s faction and skip the others. The many “Ambush” nodes only give +0.1% during Zombie Ambush; take them only when they unlock the next node. The full tree takes over 3,300 days of base time, so you will be choosing branches for a long time.
5. Soldier: ATK, DEF and HP
Each Soldier ATK, DEF and HP node gives +5% (tiers I–III) or +7.5% (tiers IV–V). Soldier Load only helps gathering, so it can wait.
6. Super Soldiers: the big long-term upgrade
Super Soldiers adds the most power of any tree. It gives flat and percentage soldier ATK, DEF and HP, Soldier Morale +25% (morale decides who deals bonus damage, see the Army Morale Calculator), and two −15% “damage to heroes” nodes. It uses the most Research Data of any tree (about 255,000 in total), so spend Research Data here on purpose. At 40% progress it opens Offense and Defense Strategy.
Later: Economy, Convoy and the Strategy trees
- Economy / Prosperous Economy: each Output node adds +10% (later +20%) resource production. These are useful if you are always short on food or oil, but they don’t add combat strength.
- Convoy: worth it if you run trucks every day. Additional Transport Truck gives +1 daily shipment, and Pillage Knowledge / Transport Truck Armament add up to +15% hero stats when you raid or defend trucks.
- Offense / Defense Strategy: up to +30% hero HP, ATK and DEF when attacking (Offense) or defending (Defense) in PvP. Pick the one that matches how you play.
Research Data: where to spend it
Only five trees use Research Data: Alliance Competition (about 54,000 in total), Convoy (82,000), Super Soldiers (255,000), Offense Strategy (172,000) and Defense Strategy (172,000). Everything else costs only resources and time. Research Data is scarce, so spend it in this order: Alliance Competition up to Ultimate Reward first (the chests pay back every week), then Super Soldiers.
Spending Research Data also scores Alliance Competition points on the Tech stage, so save it for that day when you can (see the Alliance Competition guide).
Common Mistakes
- Researching Squad 2 or 3 before Squad 1 is done. They cost far more for bonuses on weaker squads.
- Spreading the Hero tree across all three factions. Only your main squad’s faction branch matters.
- Spending Research Data before the Alliance Competition chests are unlocked. Chests 7–9 are some of the most valuable weekly rewards.
- Leaving the research queue empty. If you are waiting for resources, queue a cheap node such as Squad 1 or Develop.
FAQ
How many research trees are there?
Fifteen: Develop, Economy, Hero, Soldier, Full Development, Prosperous Economy, Squad 1–4, Alliance Competition, Convoy, Super Soldiers, Offense Strategy and Defense Strategy.
Which research gives the most power?
Super Soldiers, Offense Strategy and Defense Strategy each add over 11 million power when fully researched. They are also the most expensive. For the cost, Squad 1 and the Develop speed nodes are the best early value.
When do I unlock Super Soldiers?
At Research Center Lv.17. Offense and Defense Strategy need Research Center Lv.21 and 40% progress in Super Soldiers.
