Why changing your Leader does not speed up Lords Mobile research
A bonus may already apply without making its hero the Leader. Understand two Battle Skill activation conditions and distinguish hiring, Grade and participation in battle.
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You do not need to make a hero your Leader for a passive research bonus that says Activates when hired. The bonus applies after hiring the hero, as explained in IGG's official guide. Changing the Leader portrait therefore need not shorten the timer: the bonus may already be included.
This is a real source of confusion. In a Reddit discussion, a player noticed that selecting a hero for construction or research did not change the time and asked whether Leaders did anything. Start with the specific skill: different bonuses activate under different conditions.
Two lines explain the difference
Open the hero, go to Battle Skills and tap the relevant skill icon. IGG's guide describes two conditions:
Activates when hired. IGG gives Research Boost, Construction Boost and Training Dummy as examples. Under this condition, assigning the hero as Leader is not an additional switch for the bonus.
Active when sent into battle. IGG explains that the hero must participate in battle with the troops. Merely having the hero in your collection does not meet that condition. Its examples include Army ATK Boost and Infantry DEF Boost.
Read the selected skill's own activation line rather than judging by the words attack or defence, or by a hero's appearance. The guide's examples explain the two conditions; they do not replace each ability's description. If your Leader is captured, separately check which bonuses remain and which IGG excludes (in Russian).
Why the bonus exists without a further timer reduction
The official Heroes guide lists Trickster among the heroes with Research Boost. If you select him as Leader only for this bonus, open the skill description first: the hiring condition explains why changing the Leader does not add another increase. An effect already active does not need to be switched on again.
The activation condition and bonus strength are separate questions. IGG explains that Grade affects Battle Skill strength, Rank unlocks additional skills and increases Command, and Level affects Hero Skill levels. A hired hero therefore does not necessarily have every skill unlocked or at its maximum value. Following the October 15 update, check the separate Heroic Saga entry requirements: at least one Rank 8 hero must have unlocked Battle Spirit.
If you need to unlock a particular skill, check the hero's Rank and missing Trophies. The shortcut from a Trophy to sweeping stages helps locate those items. If the skill is already unlocked, compare its actual current value rather than the maximum bonus in someone else's guide.
What to check before your next research project
First read your hero's Research Boost condition and value. Then inspect the available speed bonus and the selected research duration before starting. Compare the same project under otherwise identical conditions; it is easy to credit a Leader change for a difference caused by something else.
If the bonus is already included, do not budget for a second reduction simply from selecting the hero. For further planning, separate it from Guild Helps and your speed-up stock. The IGG calculator guide explains how to avoid counting one bonus twice.
To check the exact wording, open the original guide screen at full size. For a particular ability, use its own activation line: when hired or when sent into battle.
