Hey, Heroes, Kolz here.
The event that Swift has been hyping for weeks is finally here: the Avatar: The Last Airbender crossover in Heroes vs. Hordes!
I've spent Day One digging into the mechanics, the costs, and the strategies. My goal here is to give you everything I've learned so you can make the best decisions for your account over the next 45 days.
⚠️ The 45-Day Rule: Read This Before You Spend ANYTHING
Before we get into the fun stuff, you need to understand the single most important mechanic of this event.
Due to the way the Avatar IP is licensed, you only have 45 days to acquire hero shards and forge tokens for Aang, Katara, and Sokka.
After the event ends, you will keep the heroes you've unlocked and can continue to use them. However, you will NOT be able to shard them up or forge them any further.
That means do not start spinning the wheel with gems until you unlock a hero.
It's going to take an ungodly amount of money or gems to star them up to something useful just from spinning, and the EV isn't there.
All event-specific currencies and upgrade materials for them will be gone for good.
This time limit puts a massive constraint on the long-term value of these heroes. You have a limited window to power them up. I highly recommend reading this entire guide before you buy anything, so you understand exactly what you're getting into.
Avatar Crossover Event Video Guide
Avatar Crossover Event Strategy
I'm going to break this down by playstyle, from a free-to-play (F2P) perspective all the way up to max spending, so you can see what the event will cost.
The Free-to-Play (F2P) Approach
For F2P players, you should treat this event like a 45-day Wheel of Fortune. These events are fantastic for gathering resources. Through your free spins, you'll accumulate a ton of valuable items:
- Hero Orbs
- Keys
- Exchange Tokens
- Event Eggs
Think of this as 45 days of bonus loot. You can use the Exchange Tokens in the shop for other valuable resources.
What If You Get Lucky?
If you get a lucky spin and unlock Aang or Katara, your new goal is to get them to 3-Stars before the event ends. This unlocks their Level 120 global skill, which is a huge +1 Projectile. To do this, you'll need 150 of their hero shards.
You can buy shards in the Exchange Shop in stacks of 25 for 950 Exchange Tokens each.
Math: 6 purchases x 950 tokens = 5,700 Exchange Tokens needed by the end of the event.
Without that 3-star global, their long-term value drops significantly.
The "Best Value" Spender: The Sokka Pass ($20)
In terms of Heroes vs. Hordes pricing, the $20 Pass to unlock Sokka is a very good deal.
If you buy the pass and combine it with all the resources you gather as an active F2P player, you should be able to get Sokka to 3-Stars and unlock his 120 global. This is the primary goal for low-to-mid spenders.
Taking Sokka Further:
Sokka has a fantastic 3-Star Forge, but you won't get enough tokens from the event to unlock it. If you want that extra power, you'll have to buy his forge tokens from the shop. Here's a rough breakdown of the costs for Sokka:
- $20: Unlocks Sokka and likely gets you to the 3-Star hero level.
- ~$100: The total cost to get his powerful 3-Star Forge.
- ~$445: The all-in cost to get a fully maxed, 5-Star hero with a 5-Star Forge.
I personally won't be spending that much, but for a newer player looking to build their account, the $100 version is not an awful value for the long-term damage increase he provides.
The High-Roller: Unlocking Aang & Katara
This is where things get expensive—fast. Unlocking Aang and Katara relies on the Wheel, and that means spending gems or $$$ a lot.
Unlocking Katara:
The wheel has a pity system. You are NOT guaranteed to get Katara after 100 spins, but should have enough currency.
- You get 57 free spins over the course of the event.
- You'll need an additional 43 paid spins.
Math: 43 spins x 200 gems/spin = 8,600 gems (roughly $75).
That ~$75 is just to unlock her. To max her out from there will cost an additional ~$425.
SO DON"T USE SPINS TO GET HER.
Unlocking Aang:
Aang is even more difficult. There appears to be no pity system to guarantee unlocking him. You are entirely at the mercy of luck, spinning the wheel and hoping to hit him or accumulate enough of his tokens. The cost to unlock him could range wildly.
- Estimated Unlock Cost: $100 - $1,000+, depending on your luck.
Cost Summary: What to Expect
| Hero | How to Unlock | Key Milestone Cost | Estimated Max Cost (5-Star Hero & Forge) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sokka | $20 Event Pass | ~$120 (for 3-Star Forge) | ~$445 |
| Katara | Wheel (Pity at 100 spins) | ~$75 (to unlock) | ~$500 |
| Aang | Wheel (Pure Luck) | $100 - $1,000+ (to unlock) | ~$500 + Unlock Cost |
| All 3 Maxed | Event Pass + Lots of Gems | N/A | ~$2,000+ |
Final Thoughts & My Plan
As a player who is mostly free-to-play at this point, my personal strategy is simple: I'm going to do all my free spins and treat this as a resource-gathering event. If I get lucky and unlock Aang or Katara, I'll focus my efforts on using the Exchange Shop to get them to 3-stars. Otherwise, I'm happy with the extra keys and orbs.
I hope this gives you a clear sense of the value and the costs associated with this event. Remember that 45-day timer is everything. Plan accordingly!
Avatar Crossover Event Changelog
July 5, 2025: Made it more clear that you should NOT use gems on spins unless you hit a hero with free spins. Fixed typo in pity system.
