Summoners War Veteran? Here Is Why RAID: Shadow Legends Is Worth a Fresh Look on PC
If you loved building turn-based teams in Summoners War, RAID offers the same puzzle with a darker look, a huge roster and a proper PC client.
You have probably seen the ads. Forget them for a minute. Underneath the meme, RAID: Shadow Legends is one of the deepest turn-based team-builders on PC, and if you ever lost weeks to Summoners War, you already know exactly why that matters.
Both games are built on the same addictive puzzle: collect monsters or champions, gear them, and find the team that beats a boss everyone else struggles with. RAID takes that formula, gives it a dark-fantasy look and a much bigger roster, and runs it on a native Windows client.
What is RAID: Shadow Legends?
A free-to-play turn-based collection RPG from Plarium, set in the dark-fantasy realm of Teleria. You are called by the Arbiter to stop the Dark Lord Siroth, which in practice means building squads from:
- 800+ champions across 16 factions: dark elves, Ogryn warlords, Lizardmen and many more;
- gear and masteries that allow millions of possible builds;
- 8 game modes: a fully voiced campaign, 13 dungeon bosses, Faction Wars, the Doom Tower, Clan Bosses, Hydra Clash and three PvP modes including real-time Live Arena.
Gear sets, stats and masteries: this is where RAID’s depth really lives. (Steam screenshot)
Why Summoners War players will feel at home
Speed and turn order are everything. As in Summoners War, the fight is often won before it starts, by tuning speed so your champions act in the right order.
Gear is the real progression. Hunting the right gear sets with the right substats is the long game, just like runes in SW.
Dungeon farming loops. Dragon, Spider, Fire Knight, Ice Golem: RAID’s dungeons fill the same role as Giant’s Keep and its cousins. Teams are built to farm them faster and safer.
Clan content. The Clan Boss and Hydra give your clan a shared goal every day, much like guild content in SW.
What is different
- The look. RAID is darker and more detailed, closer to a Warhammer-style fantasy than Summoners War’s bright anime style.
- A much bigger roster. That means more build options. It also means more champions you don’t need, so focus.
- A real PC client with your progress shared with mobile.
The honest part: our own RAID review scored it 5.8/10 because of energy timers, low summon rates and a pushy shop. Those criticisms still stand. The depth is real, though, and if you play it as a free puzzle game with a budget of zero, it is a lot of game for nothing.
Boss fights are puzzles: the right team and turn order matter more than raw power. (Steam screenshot)
Your first evening: how to start well
- Install it with the button below. It’s free.
- Pick your starter carefully. It will carry your early campaign.
- Focus on a few champions. Level and gear four or five properly. Don’t feed everything you pull.
- Push the campaign, then start farming dungeons. The gear you farm early sets up everything after.
- Join an active clan. Clan Boss rewards add up fast.
For more detail, read our RAID beginner guide.
Who it is for, and who should skip it
Try it if you enjoyed Summoners War, AFK Arena or any turn-based team-builder, and you like theory-crafting builds.
Skip it if you have no patience for energy limits or summon odds, or you know you can’t resist spending. Be honest with yourself on that one.
Our take
RAID is the dark-fantasy cousin of Summoners War: the same team-building puzzle, more champions, more modes, and a proper PC client. Go in free, set a firm budget (ideally zero) and judge it on the gameplay, not the ads.
Pulled your first legendary? Tell us in the comments how RAID compares to Summoners War for you, and what your first team looks like.
Tried it? Leave your verdict 0
Installed RAID: Shadow Legends? Tell other players what you thought after your first session — the good, the bad, and whether it's worth their evening.