DPS Tier List - Retro Tower Defense

August 2026 DPS Meta Overview

This DPS tier list reflects Retro Tower Defense damage rankings after the August 2026 Yorick & Gunner update. Rankings weigh wave clear speed, boss burst, Endless scaling, and trait synergy—not summon rarity alone.

S-tier towers anchor every competitive loadout. A-tier units fill debuff or precision niches that amplify your core DPS. B-tier towers remain solid budget options for early Hard mode before Heroic replacements arrive.

Cross-reference our overall tier list for support and economy picks, then return here when deciding which damage dealers to reroll with TRAITS+SECRETS currency.

S-Tier DPS Towers

Mage leads S-tier with AoE magical burst that shreds escort clusters on boss waves. Pair Mage with elevated placement on Crossroads rooftops or Doomspire ledges for maximum path coverage.

Noli handles single-target boss execution—wave 40 Yorick, Telamon fire-ring checks, and Endless milestone bosses all stall without Noli burst windows. Mech joined S-tier as the Endless event Heroic with triple weapon modes: flamethrower burn, cannon splash, and map-wide rocket pods.

Forest Mage climbed S-tier after returning to the standard banner via Summon Overhaul. Poison AoE plus stun fills crowd-control gaps when escorts block boss sightlines. Yorick joined S-tier in August 2026—soul-stack scaling dominates Endless lanes when paired with Gunner. Doombringer rounds out S-tier with splash damage that scales past Endless wave 80.

• S-tier: Mage, Noli, Mech, Yorick, Forest Mage, Doombringer

A-Tier and B-Tier DPS

Gunner debuts in A-tier as the August 2026 Epic sustained-DPS pick—high fire rate and pierce upgrades bridge mid-game Hard mode before your first Heroic. Slot Gunner beside Yorick Heroic for soul-stack lane support.

Rocket earns A-tier as a debuff specialist—slow and armor shred let Mage and Noli burst windows land at full value on high-HP bosses. Slot Rocket on elevated tiles overlapping the boss spawn sightline.

Hyperlaser Sniper remains A-tier niche for precision beam players. Minigunner and Scout occupy B-tier as Rare and Epic starters that Gunner replaces once unlocked.

• A-tier: Gunner, Rocket, Hyperlaser Sniper
• B-tier: Minigunner, Scout

Placement and Boss Wave Focus

Ranged DPS—Mage, Forest Mage, Noli, Rocket, Hyperlaser Sniper, Minigunner, and Scout—belong on elevated surfaces where they maximize line of sight across multiple path bends. High ground is non-negotiable on Hard and Endless.

Ground-focused DPS like Mech flamethrower mode and Doombringer splash anchors sit at chokepoints where escorts stack before reaching your elevated line. Place them one segment ahead of your primary Mage tile.

On boss waves, focus fire the boss while AoE towers handle escorts. Save Noli execute cooldowns and Mech rocket pods for the boss spawn frame—leaks during escort cleanup lose runs faster than raw DPS shortage.

Trait Rerolls After TRAITS+SECRETS

The July 2026 TRAITS+SECRETS code grants five free trait rerolls. Burn them on your primary DPS—Mage, Noli, or Mech—before spending on support fodder. Damage-boost traits like Burn Intensity and Cooldown Reduction outvalue economy tags on DPS anchors.

Forest Mage rerolls should target poison duration or stun proc rate depending on whether you use it as secondary AoE or crowd control. Doombringer benefits from splash radius traits when pushing Endless past wave 80.

See our traits and secrets guide for full reroll priority tables. Reroll once per tower until you hit an epic-tier damage trait; save remaining currency for the next Heroic pull from the Summon Overhaul banner.