If you’re diving into All Star Tower Defense X, you know how overwhelming it can be to choose the right units. With hundreds of anime-inspired characters and constant updates, knowing which units will actually carry you through endgame content is crucial. After spending countless hours testing every unit across Infinite mode, Story challenges, and the latest raids, I’ve compiled the most comprehensive ASTD X tier list available.
This isn’t just another opinion-based ranking – I’ve analyzed data from the official Wiki, top community sources, and real gameplay performance to bring you the definitive unit rankings for May 2026. Whether you’re a beginner looking for your first powerhouse or a veteran optimizing your endgame team, this guide will show you exactly which units are worth your gems and which ones to avoid.
| Tier | Power Level | Best For | Investment Priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| S+ Tier | Game-breaking | Endgame content, Infinite mode | Highest priority |
| S Tier | Meta-defining | All game modes, competitive play | High priority |
| A Tier | Strong performers | Balanced teams, specific strategies | Medium priority |
| B Tier | Situational | Early-mid game, filler roles | Low priority |
| C Tier | Limited use | Story mode completion | Avoid investing |
| D Tier | Weak | Very early game only | Replace immediately |
Based on extensive research across multiple authoritative sources including the official ASTDX Wiki, community tier lists, and hands-on testing, here’s the complete ranking of every unit in the game as of UPD 8.
These units dominate every aspect of ASTD X and should be your primary targets when summoning. They offer unparalleled performance across all game modes and define the current meta.
Top S+ Tier Units:
Why S+ Tier Units Matter: These units aren’t just strong – they’re game-changing. Michishibo, for example, deals the highest single-target damage in the game, making him essential for boss fights. Spider Boss brings both damage and utility with his poison effects, while Magma Marine excels at clearing massive waves in Infinite mode. If you manage to pull any of these units, they should immediately become the core of your team.
S Tier units are incredibly powerful and can carry you through most content. While they might not have the game-breaking potential of S+ units, they’re still essential for competitive play and endgame content.
Complete S Tier List:
S Tier Strategic Value: These units form the backbone of most competitive teams. Dark Wing, while expensive to place, offers incredible damage output that justifies the cost. The Strongest One lives up to his name with massive damage potential, while Silent Swordsman provides the perfect balance of offense and utility. For players who don’t have access to S+ units, building around S Tier units is the best path to success.
A Tier units are solid choices that perform well in most situations but lack the raw power of higher tiers. They’re excellent for filling specific roles in your team and can carry you through mid-game content effectively.
Complete A Tier List:
A Tier Usage Tips: These units excel when used in specific roles or combinations. Fire Officer is great for sustained damage over time, while King Kaoe’s support abilities can significantly boost your team’s overall damage output. Units like Freezer (Final Form) require patience but become much more powerful after ascension, making them good long-term investments.
B Tier units can be useful in specific situations but generally lack the impact needed for high-end content. They’re serviceable for early-to-mid game progression but should be replaced as soon as you acquire higher-tier units.
Complete B Tier List:
B Tier Strategic Considerations: These units should be considered temporary solutions. Ramen Grill-Master, for example, is excellent for early-game economy building but becomes obsolete once you have better damage dealers. Units like Tony Stark and Zesty General can carry you through early story chapters but will struggle against tougher enemies later on.
C Tier units are primarily useful for brand new players working through the earliest story missions. They lack the scaling and power needed for meaningful progression and should be replaced as soon as possible.
Complete C Tier List:
C Tier Management: Use these units only until you can summon something better. They might help you complete the first few story chapters, but investing resources in them will significantly slow your progression. Focus on saving gems for better summons rather than upgrading these units extensively.
D Tier units are the weakest in the game and should be avoided whenever possible. They struggle in every game mode due to poor stats, limited utility, or bad scaling.
Complete D Tier List:
D Tier Warning: These units are essentially resource traps. Using them will only slow your progression and waste valuable upgrade materials. If you find yourself relying on D Tier units, focus on saving gems for new summons rather than investing in upgrades.
The latest UPD 8 update introduced several exciting new units that have already made significant impacts on the meta:
UPD 8 New Units:
UPD 8 Impact Analysis: Zaruto (Beast Cloak II) has immediately established himself as one of the best units in the game, while Crow brings unique mechanics that weren’t previously available. Bellma (Money Corp) addresses early-game economy issues, making progression smoother for new players. These new units have shaken up the meta significantly, with some previously top-tier units now facing competition.
Our tier list is based on comprehensive analysis across multiple factors that determine a unit’s effectiveness in real gameplay scenarios:
DPS (Damage Per Second)
Range and Coverage
Utility and Special Effects
SPA (Seconds Per Attack)
Game Mode Performance
Resource Efficiency
Synergy Potential
Meta Relevance
Different game modes in ASTD X require different unit strengths. Here’s how units perform across various game modes:
S+ Tier for Infinite:
Why These Excel in Infinite: Infinite mode tests your ability to handle increasingly difficult waves over time. Units with strong DoT effects like Spider Boss’s poison or Magma Marine’s burn excel because their damage continues even between attacks. Michishibo’s raw DPS is unmatched for boss waves, while Etri’s freezing abilities provide crucial crowd control.
Best for Story Progression:
Story Mode Considerations: Story mode focuses on progression through specific challenges rather than endless waves. Units that are cost-effective and scale well with upgrades perform best here. Economy units like Ramen Grill-Master are valuable early on, while versatile damage dealers like Dark Wing can handle most story challenges.
Top Raid Units:
Raid Strategy Insights: Raid bosses typically have massive health pools and unique mechanics. Units with high burst damage or strong DoT effects perform best. Blood Commander’s bleed damage is particularly effective against high-health targets, while The Strongest One’s burst damage can quickly eliminate raid phases.
Creating the optimal team composition goes beyond just picking high-tier units. Here are advanced strategies used by top players:
Balanced Team Structure:
Placement Strategy:
Top Team Compositions:
1. Burn Composition:
Why It Works: This composition maximizes burn damage over time while maintaining strong single-target damage for bosses. Xero’s buffs amplify the effectiveness of all units.
2. Poison/Bleed Composition:
Why It Works: Poison and bleed effects stack multiplicatively, creating devastating damage over time. King Kaoe’s 75% damage buff makes this composition extremely powerful.
3. Hybrid Damage Composition:
Why It Works: This composition handles all enemy types effectively with mixed damage sources. It’s particularly strong in raids and challenges with varied enemy types.
Gem Investment Strategy:
Upgrade Path Optimization:
Even experienced players make these crucial errors when building their ASTD X teams:
The Mistake: Spending significant resources upgrading C or D tier units because they’re your best options early on.
Why It’s Bad: These units have poor scaling and will become obsolete quickly. Resources spent on them are essentially wasted.
The Fix: Use low-tier units as temporary placeholders and save resources for upgrading higher-tier units when you summon them.
The Mistake: Building a team composed solely of the highest-tier units without considering how they work together.
Why It’s Bad: Some high-tier units have overlapping roles or don’t complement each other’s strengths.
The Fix: Build balanced teams with clear roles (DPS, support, economy) rather than just stacking the highest-ranked units.
The Mistake: Focusing only on damage units and ignoring economy units like Ramen Grill-Master.
Why It’s Bad: Without proper economy, you’ll struggle to place and upgrade units effectively, especially in longer game modes.
The Fix: Include at least one economy unit in early-game compositions to accelerate resource generation.
The Mistake: Placing units without considering terrain advantages and range optimization.
Why It’s Bad: Hill units placed on ground lose their range advantage, while ground units placed too far from choke points won’t engage enemies effectively.
The Fix: Study map layouts and place units according to their strengths – hill units on elevated terrain, melee units at choke points, support units centrally located.
Based on current trends and UPD 8 changes, here’s what we expect to see in the ASTD X meta:
Units Likely to Rise:
Units at Risk of Falling:
Likely Buffs:
Potential Nerfs:
Stay updated with the latest ASTD X developments through these essential resources:
Discord Server:
Twitter/X Account:
Official Wiki:
Reddit Communities:
YouTube Content Creators:
Content Creator Websites:
This tier list is updated regularly to reflect the latest game patches, balance changes, and meta shifts. With UPD 8 recently released, we’re monitoring the impact of new units and will update rankings as the community discovers optimal strategies. Generally, you can expect updates within 48 hours of major patches and weekly adjustments based on meta evolution.
S+ tier units are game-breaking characters that define the entire meta and excel in every game mode. They typically have unique mechanics, exceptional stats, or abilities that make them essential for competitive play. S tier units are still extremely powerful but may have specific limitations or require more strategic planning to use effectively. Think of S+ as “must-have” and S as “excellent choices.”
If you’re starting fresh, rerolling for S+ tier units like Michishibo, Spider Boss, or Magma Marine can significantly accelerate your progression. However, don’t feel pressured to have the absolute best units immediately – many S and A tier units can carry you through substantial content, and the game provides plenty of opportunities to summon new units as you progress.
Focus on completing story missions, daily quests, and redeeming active codes. Check our All Star Tower Defense X codes guide for the latest working codes. Additionally, participate in events and log in daily for bonus gems. Economy units like Ramen Grill-Master can help generate resources faster for more summons.
Some 4-star units like Ramen Grill-Master (economy) and Neymar (Trapper) have specific niches where they outperform many 5-star units. However, most 4-star units will eventually be replaced by higher-tier options. Focus on 4-star units with unique utility rather than those that are just weaker versions of 5-star units.
Start with Story mode to unlock basic units and resources, then move to Infinite mode once you have a solid team composition. Raids and challenges should be attempted when you have at least 2-3 S tier units. Economy building is crucial early on, so don’t neglect units that help generate resources.
Traits and hidden potential can significantly impact a unit’s performance, often making the difference between tiers. Always check the recommended builds for your units and prioritize unlocking their best traits. Some units jump entire tiers when properly optimized with the right traits and potential combinations.
While possible, progressing with lower-tier units requires significantly more time, strategy, and resource investment. The game is designed around acquiring and upgrading better units over time. Focus on summoning improvements rather than trying to force success with suboptimal units.
Mastering All Star Tower Defense X requires both knowledge and strategy. This comprehensive tier list gives you the knowledge – now it’s up to you to apply it strategically. Remember that tier lists are guides, not absolute rules. The best players understand not just which units are strong, but how to use them effectively in different situations.
Focus on building a balanced team with clear roles, invest wisely in your core units, and stay updated with the latest meta changes. With the right approach and a bit of luck in your summons, you’ll be dominating the leaderboards in no time.
Ready to take your ASTD X game to the next level? Bookmark this guide for regular updates, check out our other gaming tier lists for more Roblox strategies, and join the community discussions to stay ahead of the meta curve. The battlefield awaits – summon wisely and defend strategically!
Looking for more Roblox tower defense strategies? Check out our Anime Vanguards Tier List and SpongeBob TD Units Tier List for comprehensive guides to other popular tower defense games!
