Universal Tower Defense is built around the same core pressure every tower defense game lives on: limited slots, uneven unit power curves, and waves that punish “good enough” lineups. The December 2025 meta is sharply defined by a small group of units that either scale indefinitely, erase bosses with a single payoff window, or provide control that makes hard stages manageable.
Universal Tower Defense tier list (December 2025)
This ranking reflects overall usefulness across common content and the way units contribute to clearing waves, handling high-HP targets, and enabling teammates through buffs or crowd control.
| Tier | Units |
|---|---|
| S | Sung Jin-Woo, Ragna, Dragon Silver, Zaraki (Kenpachi), Kirito (Kyito) |
| A | Miku, Sakuya, Lelouch (Lulu), Scarlet, Law |
| B | Sasuke, Ace, Akainu (Admiral Magma) |
| C | Zora, Genos, Mob Psycho, Ruin Obito, Speedwagon, Rock Lee |
| D | Isagi, Shanks, Shikamaru, Kakashi, Neji, Zoro, Sanji, Gaara, Greybeard, Nami, Goku, Naruto, Luffy |
Why S-tier units define the meta
S-tier in Universal Tower Defense isn’t “slightly better.” These units either scale in ways that keep pace with late-game health pools, or they provide fight-warping control that turns dangerous waves into slow-moving targets.
| Unit | Role | What makes it meta |
|---|---|---|
| Sun Jin Wu (Sung Jin-Woo) | Hybrid | Summons shadow armies, buffs their HP and damage, and scales infinitely, making it a long-term carry that doesn’t fall off. |
| Ragna | Hybrid | Trades a self-stun “awakening” window for extreme power, functioning like a dedicated boss-killer with a big payoff. |
| Dragon Silver | Hybrid | Freezes enemies and boosts damage through “Silver Battle Trance,” combining stall with reliable burst into high-HP waves. |
| Zaraki (Kenpachi) | Hybrid | Removes elemental disadvantages from enemies and deals Full AoE damage, which is both a DPS gain and a team utility spike. |
| Kirito (Kyito) | Ground | Ramps hard in “Virtual Mode,” stacking buffs until it can function as a high-end carry despite ground targeting. |
A-tier: the utility layer that makes hard runs stable
If S-tier is about raw ceiling, A-tier is about control and amplification. These units help your best damage dealers do more, stay relevant longer, or buy time when the map is getting out of hand.
| Unit | Role | What it’s for |
|---|---|---|
| Miku | Support | A standout buffer that can boost damage and range depending on her track, which directly raises team DPS efficiency. |
| Sakuya | Support | Time-stop and stun tools plus self-buffing damage, which helps bridge difficult wave timings. |
| Lelouch (Lulu) | Support | Low personal damage but high-impact stalling through “Retreat” (forcing enemies backward) and stop effects. |
| Scarlet | Support | Cooldown reduction for “Royalty” units and time-stop stuns, which is most valuable when your team leans on repeated abilities. |
| Law | Ground | Targets the strongest enemies anywhere on the map with “Room,” making it a practical answer to leaks and priority targets. |
B-tier: strong picks that don’t break the game
B-tier units are capable of carrying parts of progression, but they lack the “unfair” scaling, map-wide targeting, or fight-shaping control that defines the very top.
| Unit | Role | Tradeoffs |
|---|---|---|
| Sasuke | Hybrid | Reliable damage and Full AoE stun potential, but without the defining scaling mechanics of S-tier. |
| Ace | Hill / Air | Useful burn damage that bypasses shields and a practical answer to flying units when you don’t have top secrets. |
| Akainu (Admiral Magma) | Hybrid | Magma pools that confuse and damage enemies, but generally outclassed by higher-tier hybrids and utility-heavy picks. |
C-tier: early-game value, niche utility, and farming
C-tier is where you find units that can keep you moving early or fill specific roles, but they’re typically replaced once your roster expands.
| Unit | Role | Why it still matters |
|---|---|---|
| Zora | Ground | Strong early option with traps for stun or damage, and remains one of the more useful non-Mythical choices later. |
| Genos | Hill / Air | Can deal meaningful damage into burning targets, but the “Fearless Cyborg” self-stun hurts consistency. |
| Mob Psycho | Hybrid | Primarily valued for a slow effect rather than damage output. |
| Ruin Obito | Ground | A free unit with burn and AoE that can help bridge early progression, but it’s tuned below premium options. |
| Speedwagon | Support | A currency-focused unit that accelerates deployments, especially when your core carries are expensive. |
| Rock Lee | Air | Early damage option with limited long-term relevance and constrained targeting. |
D-tier: why these units are hard to justify
D-tier units tend to be inconsistent, quickly outgrown, or too conditional to anchor a team slot. Some are starters meant to be replaced.
Isagi (Football Eagle) is especially constrained because his buff only triggers if he fails to kill an enemy, which is the opposite of what you want from a carry slot.
Shanks brings a stun, but his damage buff depends on getting kills, which is unreliable when he isn’t your main damage dealer.
Shikamaru can help early due to low cost and slow, but falls off quickly once waves demand higher throughput and better control.
Units like Goku, Naruto, and Luffy are starter units and typically leave the roster once stronger pulls arrive.
Best early-game units to prioritize
Early progression rewards consistency over theoretical ceilings. Zora is a practical early pick thanks to trap-based stun or damage. Sasuke is another common early anchor because it clears waves reliably. Ace is a straightforward option when you need coverage that can deal with air and apply burn.
Which unit to summon for first
If you’re planning around long-term value, Sung Jin-Woo and Dragon Silver are the most attractive targets because their kits scale into late game and improve both farming and boss stages. Sung Jin-Woo’s shadow army and scaling are built for endurance, while Dragon Silver’s freezes and damage boosts solve the “high-HP wave” problem in a more controlled way.
How summoning works in Universal Tower Defense
New units come from the summon area and cost gems. The banner matters, since you’ll want to wait until the units you care about are on the index before spending heavily.
Step 1: Click the Areas button on the left side of the screen.
Step 2: Go to the Summon area.
Step 3: Choose 1x Summon (50 Gems) or 10x Summons (450 Gems) to pull new units.
Roster building in UTD is less about collecting “cool” picks and more about covering a few non-negotiables: one carry with scaling or burst, one reliable stall or time-stop option, and enough targeting coverage that flying waves don’t force awkward compromises. Once you have that skeleton, it gets much easier to decide whether a new pull is an upgrade or just another unit competing for a slot.
