- Home
- RAID: Shadow Legends
- Tips & Tricks
RAID Shards Explained: Mystery, Ancient, Void, Sacred and Primal
Which RAID shards should you open now and which should you save? A guide to every shard type, how the mercy system works and how to time your summons.
Shards are how you summon new champions in RAID, and there are several kinds. Knowing what each shard offers – and when to open it – helps you get far more value from the same pile.
Shard types
| Shard | What it summons | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Mystery | Mostly Common to Rare | Great food; occasionally a useful rare |
| Ancient | Rare to Legendary | The most common source of epics and legendaries |
| Void | Void-affinity Rare to Legendary | Same odds as Ancient, but only Void champions |
| Sacred | Epic to Legendary | Guaranteed Epic or better |
| Primal | Legendary and Mythical | Rare and highly valuable |
Ancient and Void shards share similar odds: mostly rares, with a small chance of epics and an even smaller chance of legendaries. Sacred shards skip rares entirely.
The mercy system
RAID uses a mercy system (often called “pity” in other games): if you go a long time without pulling a legendary or epic from a shard type, your chance of getting one increases with each further pull. The counter is tracked per shard type, so Ancient pulls don’t count toward Sacred mercy.
Community trackers have documented the exact thresholds over the years; the key takeaway is that steady, planned summoning beats random pulls, because you always build toward mercy.
When to open shards
The best time to open shards is during summon events and tournaments:
- Summon events often boost the drop rate of certain rarities or champions (“2x events”).
- Summon tournaments give points for pulling shards and award extra rewards, sometimes including more shards.
Opening shards during a boost can noticeably raise your odds, while tournaments add rewards on top.
What to save, what to open
- Mystery shards – open freely; they’re food.
- Ancient shards – save for 2x events or summon tournaments if you can.
- Void shards – best during Void-specific 2x events.
- Sacred shards – almost always save for 2x legendary events.
- Primal shards – save for the most valuable events.
Where shards come from
- Clan Boss chests – a steady supply, scaling with difficulty. See our Clan Boss guide.
- Arena rewards – weekly tier rewards.
- Events and tournaments – the biggest single source.
- Daily login and missions – small but reliable.
- Market – Mystery shards with silver.
A healthy summoning habit
- Track your shards and upcoming events.
- Pull in batches during boosted events.
- Don’t panic-pull just because a new champion looks shiny.
- Evaluate every pull with our rarities guide before feeding anything.
Patience with shards pays off more than in any other part of RAID.


