Mods are one of the most powerful — and most misunderstood — systems in Star Wars Galaxy of Heroes. While gear and relic levels often get the spotlight, experienced players know that mods frequently determine who takes the first turn, who survives an opening attack, and ultimately who wins the battle.

Whether you are a new level 85 player entering Grand Arena for the first time or a returning player trying to understand why your relic characters feel underpowered, this guide will walk you through everything you need to know. We will break down mod shapes, sets, primaries, secondaries, slicing, farming, and practical builds — with real examples drawn from specific character mod guides on this site.

By the end of this page, you’ll understand not just how mods work, but how to evaluate and improve them strategically.

What Are Mods in SWGoH?

Mods are equippable stat upgrades that enhance a character’s performance. Each character can equip six mods, and those mods can increase stats like:

Speed
Offense
Health
Protection
Potency
Tenacity
Critical Chance
Critical Damage
Defense

The key thing beginners often miss is this: mods can dramatically change how a character functions.

Two players can have the exact same relic 7 character — and one will completely outperform the other — simply because of mod quality and Speed differences.

Why Mods Matter More Than Gear (Sometimes)

Gear increases base stats. Mods amplify and customize those stats.

For example:

A slow attacker with high relic levels can still lose if they never take a turn.
A tank with poor Protection mods will collapse under focused fire.
A debuffer without Potency will fail to land key abilities.

Take a look at the recommended build for Royal Guard on our Best Mods page. Royal Guard does not prioritize Speed as heavily as some characters because his kit naturally generates Turn Meter when allies are hit. Instead, his build focuses on Health, Protection, and Defense to maximize survivability. That’s a perfect example of tailoring mods to a kit rather than blindly stacking Speed.

Meanwhile, a character like Mara Jade, The Emperor’s Hand is built almost entirely around Speed and Potency to disrupt the enemy early. Two completely different mod philosophies — both correct.

That is why understanding mods is essential.

Understanding the 6 Mod Shapes

Every character equips six specific mod shapes. Two of them have fixed primary stats, and four can roll variable primaries.

Square (Offense Primary – Fixed)

Always rolls flat Offense as the primary stat.
You cannot change this.
Secondary stats determine its true value.

Even though the primary is fixed, a square mod with high Speed secondaries can be extremely valuable.

Diamond (Defense Primary – Fixed)

Always rolls flat Defense as the primary.
Like the square, its true value comes from secondaries.

Circle (Health or Protection Primary)

Circles can roll:

Health (flat or %)
Protection (flat or %)

For most relic characters, Protection % is usually the strongest option because Protection can reach 24% while Health maxes out at 16%.

For example, tanks like Royal Guard benefit heavily from Protection circles to maximize durability.

Arrow (The Most Important Shape)

Arrows are critical because they can roll Speed as a primary stat.

In most cases, a Speed primary arrow is the correct choice.

Exceptions exist, but beginners should assume:

If you don’t know what to use, use Speed on the arrow.

Characters like Mara Jade absolutely rely on Speed arrows to take the first turn and apply Tenacity Down or Shock.

Triangle (Critical Damage, Offense, Protection, Health)

Triangles are typically:

Critical Damage for attackers
Protection or Health for tanks/support

For example, offensive characters such as BT-1 benefit from offensive-focused triangle choices that amplify his multi-hit damage output.

Cross (Potency, Tenacity, Offense, Protection)

Cross primaries define how a character functions:

Potency for debuffers
Tenacity for tanks resisting control
Offense for damage dealers
Protection for survivability builds

Darth Vader, for example, is a character who can benefit from a Potency cross to ensure his debuffs land consistently.

Mod Sets Explained

Mods activate set bonuses when matched correctly.

Some sets require:

2 matching mods (Health, Defense, Potency, Tenacity)
4 matching mods (Speed, Offense, Critical Damage)

Speed Set

4-piece set
Increases Speed

The most valuable set in the game.

Offense Set

4-piece set
Increases Offense %

Ideal for heavy damage dealers like Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker, who scales extremely well with Offense.

Health Set

2-piece set
Increases Health %

Strong for tanks and survivability builds.

Potency Set

2-piece set
Increases Potency %

Crucial for debuff-heavy kits like Wampa or 0-0-0.

Defense, Tenacity, Critical Chance, Critical Damage

More specialized and role-dependent.

Primary Stats vs Secondary Stats

Understanding this distinction separates casual players from competitive ones.

Primary Stats

Primary stats are the large stat at the top of the mod.

For example:

Speed primary on arrows
Protection primary on circles
Potency primary on crosses

Choosing the correct primary is foundational.

Secondary Stats

Secondary stats are the smaller stats below the primary.

These are where true mod quality lies.

The most important secondary in SWGoH is: Speed

A mod that rolls Speed multiple times becomes exponentially more valuable.

This is why players refer to high-Speed rolls as “god mods.”

Speed — The Most Important Stat in SWGoH

Speed determines turn order.

Turn order determines:

Who applies buffs first
Who applies debuffs first
Who can eliminate an enemy before they move

In Grand Arena and Territory Wars, Speed often decides mirror matches instantly.

Characters like Mara Jade or Doctor Aphra are built almost entirely around taking the first turn. In contrast, tanks like Scorch or Wrecker have kits allows him to operate effectively without extreme Speed stacking.

Understanding when Speed is mandatory versus when survivability is better is a core skill.