Shards of the Past update | Hero Wars Alliance
The Shards of the Past event has arrived in Hero Wars Alliance — and it carries some serious expectations. This new event replaces two fan-favourites: Treasure of the Valkyries and Talisman Fever. Both gave players flexible paths to progress, whether free-to-play, competitive, or spending. So the question every Guardian is asking is simple — can Shards of the Past deliver the same value? This guide breaks down every tab, every reward, and every key decision so you know exactly where to focus.
Why Shards of the Past Has Big Shoes to Fill
Treasure of the Valkyries gave players direct hero-building paths — artifact weapon resources, improved artifact books through keys in the Artifact Chest, artifact ring materials from energy spending, and even emeralds from expeditions. Then Talisman Fever arrived with a completely different identity: energy spending, Metacube rerolling, PvP fights, and talisman material collection.
Together those two events covered almost every playstyle. Free-to-play players found value. Competitive players found value. Collectors and spenders found value. Everybody had a path.
There is also broader context worth acknowledging. Hero Wars is clearly moving toward Realm progression as a more central part of the experience. That means more events shifting away from direct hero progression. That does not automatically make it bad — but it does mean expectations need to adjust. If hero building has always been the part you loved most, these changes will feel different. With that in mind, let’s judge Shards of the Past on its own terms.
Shards of the Past Event Tabs — Full Breakdown
There are eight event tabs in Shards of the Past. Here is a quick reference for all of them before we go deeper.
Login
Log in every day, collect Battle Pass trophies, collect Artifact Coins. Straightforward. One thing players noticed immediately though — the 750 emeralds that used to come through Treasure of the Valkyries are gone. That is a real and noticeable loss.
VIP Points
For spenders, reaching point checkpoints rewards additional Artifact Coins. No surprises here. If VIP points are already part of your routine this tab completes passively.
Spend Emeralds
Spend thresholds earn Artifact Coins and Battle Pass trophies. The advice here stays simple — there are no major sales running during Shards of the Past, so avoid overspending unless you already planned a specific purchase.
If you are targeting a talisman through the event box, expect roughly one emerald per talisman coin needed — though luck always plays a role. More importantly, several of these talismans already appear through Eternal Frontier later. There is no reason to spend real cash chasing something that will arrive through regular progression.
Grand Arena Fights
Up to fifteen Grand Arena fights are required to maximise this tab. Rewards include Battle Pass trophies and Rune Spheres. You get five free fights daily — meaning full completion costs 300 emeralds per day. Every player needs to ask honestly whether that investment makes sense for their specific account. For some it will. For others, the free attempts alone already provide enough value.
Hydra Fights
This is one of the better additions in Shards of the Past. Nine Hydra fights across the full event — easy to complete, accessible to most players, and the rewards are genuinely respectable: Artifact Coins, Battle Pass trophies, and even relic shards. Complete this one without hesitation.
Spend Runestones in Shards of the Past — The Controversial Chain
This is the tab generating the most discussion — and the concern is completely valid.
Runestones traditionally worked in sync with Rune Sphere events. Spend one, progress the other. They supported each other by design. Now the rewards have shifted — instead of rune cashback, we are looking at Metacubes and Talisman Crystals. And to complete the full task you need to spend 500,000 Runestones.
That is a massive ask. The problem is not that the task exists. The problem is timing. Empty your Runestones here and there is nothing left when Rune Sphere events arrive later. Those systems always felt connected. Now they feel deliberately separated — and that creates genuinely awkward decisions for long-term players.
The recommendation is clear: spend around 50,000 Runestones, secure your Battle Pass points, and protect your flexibility for future Rune Storm overlaps. Spending everything here may feel very painful later. Compared to what Talisman Fever used to offer, this is a noticeable downgrade in accessibility for talisman levelling materials.
Train Troops
Thirty thousand troops daily is a heavy requirement. It calls for speed-ups, promotions, and preparation. Realistically most players will pair this with Guild Versus — promote level eight troops into level nine, complete personal Guild tasks, and pull value from both systems at once. Prepare again after that.
The rewards are 85 Rune Spheres, three relic shards, and realm resources. Not incredible — but better than ignoring it entirely if troop progression was already on your plan.
Kill Realm Monsters
Here is one genuine positive. Developers listened on this one. Instead of killing 55 monsters every day, we now only need 25 kills across three days. That is manageable for the vast majority of players. Rewards include eight relic shards and 200 Rune Spheres — and even stopping at 19 kills can already be enough depending on your priorities. This tab feels fair.
Is Shards of the Past Worth It? Our Verdict
Overall, Shards of the Past does feel like a step back from the hero-focused value that Treasure of the Valkyries and Talisman Fever delivered together. The loss of 750 emeralds from login is real. Talisman growth is harder to access without the old Runestone synergy. Locking talisman progression behind 500,000 Runestone spending — without pairing it with any Rune Sphere return — is a design decision that is difficult to understand from a player perspective.
At the same time, the Hydra tab is a genuine win. The monster task improvement shows the developers are paying attention to feedback. And events evolve — there is always the possibility that future versions of Shards of the Past arrive with better balance.
The bigger question is whether this shift toward Realm progression creates more fun for players in the long run. Only time will answer that. For now the practical approach is straightforward: complete Hydra, cap your Runestone spend, use only planned emeralds, and pair troop training with Guild Versus. Everything beyond that depends on your own account priorities.
Related Hero Wars Alliance Guides
If you are working on talisman progression and hero builds alongside Shards of the Past, these guides will help:
Do you agree with this take on Shards of the Past? Do you see value we missed or prefer this new direction? Drop your thoughts in the Olympus Alliance Discord — we answer every comment and your feedback always improves these discussions.