Rubies are the premium currency in Clicker Heroes. You earn them through clickables, mercenary quests, or real-money purchases.
While they may seem like small bonuses at first, rubies are critical for long-term efficiency and progression. Spending them without a plan can slow your climb, while smart choices compound over time.
This guide will break down the best ways to use ruby, when to save them, and how to avoid wasteful Clicker Heroes ruby spending that hurts your late-game scaling.
By the end, you’ll know the value of each ruby option and have a clear strategy for both early and late stages of the game.
Understanding Ruby Uses and Value
Rubies may feel like rare treasures, but their true worth depends on how you spend them. Knowing the difference ensures that every ruby spent moves you closer to real progress.
How to Farm Rubies Efficiently
So, how do you get rubies in Clicker Heroes?
The most consistent sources come from clickables that appear randomly during play and mercenary quests, which can passively generate a steady income of rubies if managed well.
On mobile, you can also pick up rubies through watching ads, and special event drops or promotions often include ruby rewards too.
For a full breakdown of every farming method, check out our detailed guide on how to get rubies in Clicker Heroes efficiently.
Common Ways to Spend Rubies
Rubies can be spent in several areas of the game, each offering different benefits:
- Timelapses: Skip forward 8 to 168 hours of progress instantly. This refreshes cooldowns, generates gold, advances zones, and reduces mercenary quest times. Strong in the late game for fast farming, but not essential early.
- Auto Clickers/Auto Tappers: One of the best early investments. They automate clicks, skill activations, and leveling heroes, stacking unlimitedly. They remain after ascensions and transcensions.
- Quick Ascensions: Grant Hero Souls instantly without resetting levels. In late-game and high-zone farming, they become one of the most efficient ruby uses.
- Permanent 2x Damage Multiplier: A one-time purchase that doubles all your damage. This is considered a core early buy since it lasts through every ascension and transcendence.
- Gilded Heroes: Add extra gilds to 3 random heroes. Useful if you want faster progress through specific builds, though not a priority compared to Auto Clickers or multipliers.
- Relics: Get 3 random relics. Handy if you’re unlucky with farming, but situational.
- Other Purchases: Special ruby uses include creating a clan, reviving mercenaries, hiring new mercenaries instantly, or skipping raid timers. These are niche spends and usually not worth it unless you’re clan-focused.
While there are many flashy options, only a handful provide real long-term returns.
If you’re unsure what to spend rubies on Clicker Heroes, focus on Auto Clickers, the 2x Damage upgrade, and Quick Ascensions.
When to Hold Versus When to Spend
The big question for most new players is whether to save or spend rubies right away.
Holding rubies early has advantages, particularly if you’re aiming for powerful long-term tools like Auto Clickers or Quick Ascensions.
On the other hand, some small early investments can dramatically smooth out progression.
For example, buying a couple of timelapses for special milestones and the 2x Damage boost will pay for themselves over dozens of runs.
The key is balance. Spend enough rubies early to keep the game flowing, but don’t burn through them on low-impact options like random relics.
Long-term planning, especially saving rubies for Quick Ascensions at higher zones, will multiply your efficiency across transcensions and keep your growth steady.
Clicker Heroes Ruby Spending Tiers
Instead of following a rigid early/mid/late game path, it’s more practical to think about Clicker Heroes where to spend rubies in terms of priority tiers.
Some upgrades provide permanent boosts that should always come first, while others are situational or nice-to-have.
Must-Buy Upgrades
The first rubies you spend should always go toward upgrades with permanent, long-lasting impact.
The 2x damage boost is the most valuable purchase in the entire game, as it instantly doubles your strength for every single run from that point forward.
Right behind it are Auto Clickers, which are especially powerful because they automate your clicks and scale as you add more of them.
Many players recommend buying at least five Auto Clickers early on, since each one drastically increases click-per-second efficiency.
These two upgrades form the foundation of every smart Clicker Heroes ruby spending strategy.
Run-Boosting Investments
Once you’ve secured the must-have upgrades, your rubies are best spent on tools that supercharge your progress during runs.
Quick Ascensions are a standout option, providing far more value than gilds and becoming increasingly efficient in the mid to late game.
In fact, many players report that Quick Ascensions deliver ten times the return compared to gilded hero purchases.
Timelapses also shine in this tier, letting you skip ahead and make fast progress when grinding would otherwise hold you back.
While not permanent, these purchases pay off by saving time and accelerating your path to higher zones.
Convenience and Optional Buffs
The final tier includes upgrades that are more about personal preference and situational utility than raw efficiency.
Options like Gilded Heroes, Relics, and Mercenary Revives fall into this category.
They can provide small boosts or help in specific gameplay scenarios, but they don’t compare to the long-term benefits of the higher-priority investments.
Cosmetic and quality-of-life upgrades also fit here, serving as nice extras rather than essential purchases.
For most players, this tier should only be considered after all the must-buy and run-boosting upgrades are well covered.
Clicker Heroes Ruby Spending Strategy by Game Phase
Rubies aren’t equally valuable throughout the game; their best uses shift as you progress. What makes sense at Zone 100 may be a waste once you’re grinding past Zone 250k.
Early Game (Zone ≤ ~300)
In the early stretch, your Clicker Heroes ruby spending should be laser-focused on efficiency.
The recommended path is to buy 2 Auto Clickers first, then unlock the 2x Damage upgrade, and finally grab 3 more Auto Clickers.
This sequence maximizes both idle and active damage right out of the gate, setting you up for long-term growth in this idle hero clicker game.
By the time you’ve reached Zone 300, you’ll have a strong foundation for scaling further.
Mid Game
Once normal ascensions begin to stall, it’s time to introduce Quick Ascensions into your rotation. These purchases let you leap forward without grinding the same walls over and over.
Timelapses, which is a common pattern in any idle RPG, also become valuable in this stage, particularly after transcensions or when bridging the early floors again.
Used strategically, they help you regain lost progress quickly and keep momentum through otherwise sluggish runs.
Late Game
At high zone levels, ruby efficiency shifts heavily toward Quick Ascensions.
Between roughly Zone 285k and 1M, they become the most profitable investment for sustained progress.
Timelapses, on the other hand, are best saved for very specific cases: either when you’re capped or when you need to fast-forward through replay loops.
Most late-game players also recommend reserving a ruby safety net so you never risk stalling out before reaching key thresholds.
Common Clicker Heroes Ruby Spending Mistakes
Not all ruby purchases are equal, and many new players fall into traps that slow their progress.
A frequent mistake is overspending on gilded heroes or relics. While they might feel like a boost, the returns are usually weak compared to stronger ruby investments, especially past the early game.
Another common pitfall is spending without considering long-term progression.
For example, burning rubies right before a transcension often wastes their potential value. Players who plan their ruby usage around ascension and transcension cycles typically advance much faster.
Finally, experienced players stress the importance of keeping a ruby safety net.
Without a reserve, you risk stalling out at key thresholds where Clicker Heroes rubies can make or break a run. Even in late-game stages, holding back a stockpile ensures you can pivot when strategies shift.
Frequently Asked Questions
In most cases it’s not worth it early on. Quick Ascension shines more once you already have strong Hero Souls and want an instant boost, not at the very beginning.
The most reliable methods are from random clickables, mercenary quests, special events, and promo codes. Some achievements can also give you free rubies.
It’s almost always smarter to save at least a small stockpile before spending. Rushing to use rubies right away often leads to regret later, especially if you hit a wall.
They serve different purposes. Auto Clickers are a permanent investment and pay off in the long run, while Timelapses are situational but can speed through grindy stretches. In practice, most players recommend buying a few Auto Clickers first, then using Timelapses when you feel stuck.
Conclusion
Do you have a ruby spending strategy that’s worked wonders for you? Share your approach in the comments or on community forums—we’d love to hear different perspectives.
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And if you have questions or suggestions for future topics, don’t hesitate to reach out. The best strategies often come from community collaboration!
