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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchFor the March 31, 2026 snapshot, the strongest all-around ASTDX units are Kosuke (Eternal), Crow, Flaming Tiger, Zaruto (Beast Cloak II), Blood Queen, Enraged-Swordman, and Frost Moon. However, there is no single winner for every map or mode: Kosuke and Flaming Tiger are excellent endgame carries, Zaruto is especially valuable for hill coverage, Frost Moon and Paper Beauty bring hybrid utility, and Bellma (Money Corp) can be more important to a successful team than another damage dealer.
This is a historical March 2026 editorial synthesis of community-maintained rankings, not an official developer tier list. It uses the Update 8-era roster and systems as the baseline, assumes a properly leveled unit with strong investment unless noted otherwise, and separates practical account value from maximum showcase DPS. Check the current in-game banner and unit screen before spending gems, Trait Burners, evolution materials, or ascension resources.
March 2026 version and scope
The cutoff for this list is March 31, 2026. Public evidence places the relevant ASTDX baseline in the Update 8/Naruto and quality-of-life era, which was covered in October 2025. Update 8 introduced or expanded units, Farm Mode, Air Infinite Mode, Terraform enemies, the Grounded status, the Selection Banner, Sandbox Mode, Orbs, Unit Fusing, Shiny Transfer, Evolve Tickets, and other systems. Those changes affect what a good team needs, particularly because Terraform enemies cannot be hit by air units and ground or hybrid coverage is therefore important. The Update 8 overview documents these additions.
Be cautious with pages calling the March meta “Update 6.” The community update log dates Update 6 to September 21, 2025, while Update 8 coverage is dated October 26–27, 2025. A March list using “Update 6” is probably stale, mislabeled, or discussing older data. This article also uses ASTDX names rather than automatically importing names from the original All Star Tower Defense. Guides that list names such as Zio, Borul, Speedster, Rengoku, Nuro, or Goko may be describing a different game or using alternate aliases; compare the unit’s in-game name before following advice.
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How to read the tiers
| Tier | Meaning |
|---|---|
| S+ / All-Star | Best-in-slot or close to it, broadly powerful, or so strong in a key role that it changes team construction. |
| S | A reliable meta unit that performs excellently in relevant content, but has a meaningful cost, placement, mode, or trait limitation. |
| A | Strong and worth investing in, but more dependent on terrain, mode, role, traits, or team composition. |
| B | Useful for progression or a specific situation, but normally replaceable in endgame. |
| C | Early-game, niche, or transitional value. Replace it when a stronger practical option becomes available. |
| D | Low priority for general progression. Keep one for collection, evolution, or a specific gimmick if needed. |
A tier describes account value, not a universal damage ranking. A farmer, buffer, and crowd-control unit should not be pushed below a damage dealer merely because its personal attack number is smaller.
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ASTDX tier list for March 2026
S+ / All-Star core
The first six below occupy the community list’s highest All-Star group. The second group is also S+ in practical account value: these units are either exceptional carries or provide a role so valuable that they remain core choices in optimized teams.
| Unit | Primary value | Best use | Important qualification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kosuke (Eternal) | Endgame carry | Ground damage, boss stages, Infinite | Its high placement assumes the Eternal form and serious investment. |
| Zaruto (Beast Cloak II) | High-end hill damage | Hill coverage, progression, endgame | One of the Update 8 Unbound/Primal-era additions; availability may be banner-dependent. |
| Crow | Flexible high-end damage | Progression and late-game content | Also introduced among the Update 8 Unbound and Primal units; do not assume every new account can obtain it. |
| Flaming Tiger | Ground carry and progression damage | Story, boss pressure, general farming | Often a more practical recommendation than a costlier unit for a developing account. |
| Enraged-Swordman | Ground damage | Story and endgame wave clearing | Its value depends on placement space, upgrade timing, and trait quality. |
| Frost Moon | Hybrid damage and utility | Maps requiring flexible terrain coverage | One of the safest recommendations when a team needs more than raw ground DPS. |
| Blood Queen | High-end damage | Bosses and late-game content | Strong overall, but do not treat it as a substitute for a farmer or buffer. |
| Damage with a high practical ceiling | Progression and Infinite | Some high-ceiling units are more demanding to manage or upgrade than their tier suggests. | |
| Tomi | Progression damage | Story and general clearing | Particularly useful before a fully optimized endgame roster. |
| Meduka | Hill-oriented value | Hill maps and team coverage | Terrain can matter more than a one-letter tier difference. |
| Paper Beauty | Hybrid/support value | Flexible teams and progression | Added as a five-star unit in Update 8; its support contribution should be counted separately from DPS. |
| Shirtless Devil | Accessible progression carry | Early waves and Story | A practical beginner recommendation even when the account lacks rare traits. |
| Snake Assistant | Utility and team value | Specific compositions | Its practical value is higher than a raw-DPS comparison suggests. |
| Etri | Control and hybrid damage | Infinite, bosses, difficult waves | Freeze, stun, and chilled effects can make it valuable without topping a damage chart. |
| Spiral Pilot | High-ceiling damage | Endgame and Infinite | Manual control and attack uptime can affect real results. |
| Michishibo | Late-game damage | Infinite and boss content | Its evolved or ascended state and materials should be checked in-game. |
| Gakukai | Overall-meta damage | General endgame use | Best evaluated alongside terrain and team-slot requirements. |
The first six are the clearest “best unit” candidates, but the rest of this group should not be dismissed as merely second-rate. A player who already owns Bellma, a good support unit, and proper terrain coverage may gain more from Maniac, Etri, or Paper Beauty than from trying to replace an existing carry with another nominally higher-DPS unit.
S-tier reliable meta units
| Units | Why they remain high priority |
|---|---|
| Magma Marine, Spider Boss, Blood Commander, Blackstache | Strong combat choices for accounts that need dependable damage rather than a narrowly specialized kit. |
| Miracle Maker, Soul The Boy, Mysterious X, Silent-Swordsman | Useful combinations of damage, coverage, control, or late-game scaling; Mysterious X is especially relevant when control or evolution value matters. |
| Venus, Sky God, Jin Sung, Freezer (Final Form) | High-value options for range, air-related coverage, control, or specialized maps. Confirm targeting rules before using one for an Air mode requirement. |
| Supreme Leader, Tony Stark, Star Boy, Killer (Serious) | Reliable damage and progression options, with Killer (Serious) standing out as a practical recommendation for developing accounts. |
| King Kaoe, Xero | Support value can justify an S placement even when personal DPS is not the point: King Kaoe improves team damage, while Xero provides valuable buff utility. |
The ASTDX community list does not force every unit into one universal ordering. Some of these units appear in role-specific meta or sub-meta categories rather than one identical overall tier. That is why “S” here means reliable in a relevant role, not guaranteed to be the best pick on every map.
A-tier strong and role-dependent units
Airren, Alligator, Explosion Artist, Hybrid No. 8, Ikki (Hollow), Zorro, The Strongest One, MENIS (GRANDE), Sorcerer Killer, Fire Officer, Shield Master, Mercury Guardian, Super Borul, Kuroma (Yoko), Bellma (Money Corp), Ramen Grill-Master, Spade, Dark Wing, Onwin, Underwater God, Yuni, Pegasus Warrior, Red Servant, Six Seven, Zesty General, and Lil Bomber belong in the strong-but-contextual pool.
Several of these units are not “worse” in the way a pure damage list implies. Bellma (Money Corp) and Ramen Grill-Master are economy specialists; Onwin is support-oriented; Dark Wing can lose value when its placement cost is too high; and hybrid, hill, air, or control units may become the correct choice when the map demands that function. Independent comparisons also place Bellma and Ramen Grill-Master highly for economy while criticizing Dark Wing’s cost efficiency. See the independent comparison for that role-based distinction.
B-tier progression and situational units
Nighty, Kujo, Boulder Li (TS), BOX, Expert Sorcerer (Serious), Toad Sage, Yellow Boat, The Assistant, and other older four- and five-star units that remain usable with strong traits fit here. B means “replaceable,” not “useless.” A low-cost unit can stabilize early waves better than an expensive S+ carry, and a unit with the correct terrain type can outperform a higher-ranked unit on a restrictive map.
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C- and D-tier transition units
Water Goddess, Whitestache, Super God Koku, Super God Vegu, Shark Ninja, Cyber Psycho, Xerxes, Fighter Eagle, Future T, Masochist Lady, Jokato Koju, Captain, Spirit Detective, Anti Magician, Humble-Swordsman, Uru, Lami, Koro, and base Ruffy are low-priority choices for general late-game progression in this snapshot.
Typical reasons include weak late-game scaling, low range, slow SPA, high cost, or poor value compared with current alternatives. Keep these units if they are needed for an evolution recipe, collection, a specific passive, or an account that has not yet obtained a replacement. Balance changes can also make a low-tier unit temporarily useful, so check the unit’s current in-game form before selling it.
Best ASTDX units by role
Best overall carry
There is no defensible universal winner. For a ground-focused endgame team, start with Kosuke (Eternal), Flaming Tiger, Blood Queen, Enraged-Swordman, and Crow. For a team that needs flexible terrain coverage, Frost Moon, Maniac, Paper Beauty, or Spiral Pilot may be better. For hill-heavy maps, Zaruto (Beast Cloak II), Supreme Leader, Meduka, and Soul The Boy deserve priority.
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The winner changes with placement restrictions, enemy types, upgrade budget, traits, and whether the mode rewards early stabilization or maximum late-wave output.
Best beginner and Story progression units
New players should look first at Shirtless Devil, Zaruto (Beast Cloak II), Crow, Frost Moon, Maniac, Tomi, Brano Cuciarati, Paper Beauty, Flaming Tiger, Enraged-Swordman, and Killer (Serious). These are the community list’s early-game or progression-relevant recommendations.
Do not build a beginner account around an unaffordable carry alone. A unit that cannot be deployed before the first difficult wave is not doing its job. Prioritize a cheap first defender, then add a farmer, AoE, terrain coverage, and only then a premium boss finisher.
Best Infinite and late-game units
Infinite rewards long range, high uptime, scalable damage, reliable AoE, boss pressure, and utility that remains useful after the opening waves. The strongest candidate pool includes Kosuke (Eternal), Crow, Flaming Tiger, Blood Queen, Etri, Maniac, Spiral Pilot, Michishibo, Supreme Leader, Venus, Mysterious X, and Xero.
Infinite is not simply Story with larger numbers. A cheap Story carry may be excellent for progression but fall behind when enemy health and speed rise. Conversely, an expensive unit can be a poor Story pick because it delays the opening defense. The community wiki notes that there were not enough units to maintain fully separate Infinite and Progressive lists, so treat this as a mode-focused recommendation rather than a precise Infinite-only ranking.
Best farming units
Bellma (Money Corp) is the standout five-star economy recommendation added in Update 8, while Ramen Grill-Master is a key four-star farming choice. Units with the Midas trait can also improve farm and elimination income. Economy units may look weak on a damage chart, but the money they generate can let the rest of the team deploy earlier and reach stronger upgrades.
For ordinary Story farming, use the cheapest farmer that reliably pays for the map. For difficult Infinite or boss content, compare the economy gained against the slot, deployment cost, and time needed before the farmer begins contributing.
Best support and crowd control
- King Kaoe: team damage buff; valuable even when another unit has higher personal DPS.
- Xero: broad buff utility that can improve units regardless of where they are placed.
- Etri: freeze, stun, chilled effects, and hybrid damage make it useful in difficult waves.
- Onwin: buffer and support functionality.
- Bellma (Money Corp): economy rather than combat support.
- Ramen Grill-Master: farming support.
- Paper Beauty: hybrid and support value.
- Star Boy: damage combined with passive or support value.
- Frost Moon and Shirtless Devil: listed as support-relevant in community categories despite also functioning as damage units.
A support unit belongs in a high tier when it improves the team’s total result. Replacing King Kaoe or Xero with a sixth selfish DPS unit can reduce total damage, delay boss kills, or cause leaks despite the extra unit having a larger individual number.
Air, ground, hill, and hybrid coverage
Terrain and targeting are team-building requirements, not minor labels. Zaruto (Beast Cloak II), Supreme Leader, Meduka, and Soul The Boy are strong hill-oriented options. Frost Moon, Paper Beauty, Spiral Pilot, Kuroma (Yoko), and Miracle Maker are useful hybrid-oriented choices. For air-related requirements, the candidate pool includes Sky God, Venus, and Dark Wing, but confirm the exact targeting behavior in the unit screen for the map and enemy type.
Update 8 added Terraform enemies that cannot be hit by air units and introduced Grounded, which lets ground attacks target air enemies. That means an Air Infinite or Terraform stage may reward a mixed ground, hybrid, and grounded-capable lineup instead of six conventional air attackers.
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How to build a six-unit team
The strongest six-unit team is usually a balanced set of jobs rather than six units from the S+ damage section. Use this checklist:
- Early-wave carry: a low-cost unit that can be deployed and upgraded quickly.
- Farmer: Bellma (Money Corp), Ramen Grill-Master, or a Midas-trait economy unit.
- AoE wave clearer: a unit that can cover groups consistently rather than only produce a high single-target number.
- Terrain or enemy counter: a hill, hybrid, air, grounded, or long-range unit suited to the stage.
- Boss finisher: a scalable single-target or high-end damage dealer.
- Support or control: King Kaoe, Xero, Etri, Onwin, or another unit that buffs, slows, freezes, stuns, or improves uptime.
Team templates
| Team purpose | Six-slot structure | Example unit pool |
|---|---|---|
| Beginner Story | Farmer, cheap carry, AoE, flexible damage, support/control, air or hybrid coverage | Ramen Grill-Master or Bellma; Shirtless Devil or Killer (Serious); Flaming Tiger or Tomi; Frost Moon or Maniac; Etri or Onwin; Sky God, Venus, or another confirmed coverage unit. |
| General progression | Farmer, early stabilizer, main carry, boss killer, support, terrain counter | Bellma or Ramen Grill-Master; Shirtless Devil; Crow or Flaming Tiger; Blood Queen or Enraged-Swordman; King Kaoe or Xero; Zaruto, Frost Moon, or a map-appropriate hybrid. |
| Infinite | Farmer, scalable carry, AoE, boss finisher, control, buffer | Bellma; Kosuke (Eternal) or Crow; Maniac or Spiral Pilot; Blood Queen, Flaming Tiger, or Michishibo; Etri or Mysterious X; King Kaoe or Xero. |
| Air or Terraform response | Economy, confirmed air coverage, hybrid or Grounded coverage, long-range damage, boss unit, support/control | Bellma or Ramen Grill-Master; Sky God or Venus; Frost Moon, Paper Beauty, or another confirmed hybrid; Zaruto or Supreme Leader where placement allows; Kosuke or Blood Queen; Etri, King Kaoe, or Xero. |
| Limited-unit substitute team | Accessible farmer, practical ground carry, hybrid, control, support, flexible finisher | Ramen Grill-Master; Flaming Tiger, Enraged-Swordman, or Killer (Serious); Frost Moon or Paper Beauty; Etri or Mysterious X; King Kaoe, Onwin, or Xero; any available boss-focused unit with the correct terrain. |
These are role templates, not guaranteed one-click teams. Placement space, map pathing, unit levels, traits, and whether a skill is manual can change the best sixth slot.
Why raw DPS does not decide the tier list
| Criterion | What matters in practice |
|---|---|
| Practical DPS | Damage after realistic upgrades, not only a maximum showcase with rare traits, buffs, and perfect conditions. |
| AoE and waveclear | Target count, attack pattern, path coverage, and uptime. A missed attack or narrow cone can erase a paper advantage. |
| Boss damage | Single-target output, burst windows, uptime, and whether bleed, burn, or poison meaningfully persists on the boss. |
| Range and placement | Map coverage, line of sight, ground/hill restrictions, placement cost, and how many useful positions the unit can occupy. |
| Early-game value | Deployment price, first useful upgrade, and whether the unit can stabilize the opening waves. |
| Late-game scaling | Performance after enemy health and speed increase, not simply the first few waves. |
| Utility | Slow, freeze, stun, Grounded, shield interaction, summons, buffs, and other effects that improve the whole roster. |
| Economy | Money generated relative to slot and deployment cost. This is the main reason farmers deserve their own ranking. |
| Trait dependence | Whether the unit is still strong with a normal trait or needs an extremely rare roll to reach its advertised ceiling. |
| Availability | Whether the unit is summonable, portal-based, event-related, Primal, Unbound, evolved, or ascended at the time you are building. |
| Manual burden | Some high-ceiling units need timed skills, active targeting, or more attention than an automated Story farm. |
| Mode coverage | Story, Infinite, Air Infinite, Farm Mode, trials, raids, and boss stages reward different kits. |
A high maximum number can underperform in real play when the unit has short range, poor path coverage, a prohibitive deployment cost, a ground-only or hill-only restriction, a rare-trait requirement, or a damage-over-time effect that does not have enough path length to finish its ticks.
Traits: the hidden reason rankings change
Traits matter enough to move a unit’s practical placement. The community tier list explicitly assumes the best Trait and Hidden Potential, so a base-trait unit may perform substantially worse than the tier label suggests. Treat the following effects as reported, version-sensitive information from the ASTDX traits guide; verify the live effect and cost in-game before using a rare Trait Burner.
| Trait | Reported value or use | Best fit |
|---|---|---|
| All Star | Reported at a 0.2% drop rate. It provides +300% damage, -10% speed, +10% range, +50% durability, a one-unit limit, and a 1.75x overall cost, along with special moves and increased farm money. | Units that can justify the cost and one-unit restriction; an extreme ceiling, not a beginner expectation. |
| Genesis | Reported damage, speed, range, true-damage, and special-move benefits with a health trade-off. | High-end damage or utility units where the health loss is acceptable. |
| Corrupted | Reported attack-rate and range benefits, shield bypass and shield-break utility, and enemy damage amplification. | Bosses, shielded enemies, and units that benefit from better uptime. |
| Bloodlust | Damage and range bonuses with kill-based stacking. | Waveclear units that can consistently secure eliminations. |
| Midas | Farm and elimination-income bonuses. | Farmers and economy-focused slots. |
| Prodigy | Increases unit XP gained from stages. | Units being leveled or accounts focused on progression. |
| Tempest | Attack-rate and damage-over-time benefits. | Units whose damage-over-time effects have enough uptime to matter. |
| Sharpshooter | Range and extra-target benefits with a health trade-off. | Long-range attackers and maps where coverage matters more than durability. |
| Companion | Allows one additional placement. | Units that gain substantial value from an extra copy or a team that can afford the slot. |
| Zenkai, Dexterity, Perception | Lower-tier improvements to damage, speed, or range. | Usable interim traits when premium rolls are not worth the cost. |
When to reroll a trait
Do not reroll automatically because a unit is not listed in S+. Rerolling is most defensible when the unit has a strong base kit, the current trait is actively harmful, and you have enough Trait Burners to accept a downgrade. Be especially conservative with limited, evolved, ascended, or difficult-to-replace units. A normal trait on a usable unit is often better account value than losing a good roll while chasing All Star.
The documented reroll route is:
- Go to the Robot near the summoning area.
- Press E to interact.
- Select the unit from the central cell.
- Confirm that Trait Burners are available.
- Press Reroll and inspect the result before accepting further changes.
The interface and trait effects can change with patches, so use the live Robot menu as the final authority.
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Status effects that explain high utility value
ASTDX units can gain value from effects that do not appear in a simple damage ranking. The community ability reference defines the following effects:
| Effect | Reported function | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Bleed | Deals 25% of the unit’s base damage over three ticks; bleeding enemies take 5% more damage. | Combines damage-over-time with a team damage increase. |
| Burn | Deals 40% of the unit’s damage over four ticks. | Can improve sustained damage when enemies stay on the path long enough. |
| Poison | Deals 30% of the unit’s damage over six ticks; poisoned enemies heal 50% slower. | Useful against enemies with healing or regeneration, not merely as extra damage. |
| Shock | Deals 10% of the unit’s damage over four ticks, with each tick stunning for 0.5 seconds. | Repeated interruption can protect a team during dangerous waves. |
| Slow | Reduces movement speed by 40% for 30 seconds. | Creates more attack time for every unit covering the path. |
| Freeze | Stuns for two seconds on a six-second cooldown; the next hit deals 3% additional damage. | Control and a follow-up damage benefit can be more valuable than a small personal-DPS increase. |
| Chilled | Reduces movement speed by 10% for eight seconds. | A lighter control effect that can stack with a team’s other uptime tools. |
| Rage | Increases damage by wave up to a cap. | More relevant in long modes than in short early Story stages. |
| Buffer | Boosts nearby allies. | Turns several average attackers into a stronger combined team. |
| Dynamic AoE | The damaging area moves or acts independently rather than remaining a fixed attack shape. | Can improve practical path coverage when enemies do not stay in one position. |
These numbers are version-sensitive and should not be treated as permanent balance guarantees. See the community ability reference for the dated definitions.
Update 8 systems that affect this ranking
Update 8 is more than a unit banner. Its systems change the value of different roles:
- New high-end units: Crow and Zaruto (Beast Cloak II) were introduced as Unbound and Primal units.
- New five-star units: Bellma (Money Corp), Yellow Boat, Paper Beauty, Kosuke (Eternal), Toad Sage, and Boulder Li (TS).
- New four-star units: Boulder Li, Snake Assistant, and The Assistant.
- Farm Mode: gives economy specialists a clearer dedicated use case.
- Air Infinite Mode: increases the importance of verified air and hybrid coverage.
- Terraform enemies: cannot be hit by air units, making a ground or hybrid answer necessary.
- Grounded: allows ground attacks to target air enemies.
- Selection Banner: adds a targeted acquisition option with an eight-hour cooldown.
- Unit Fusing and Shiny Transfer: change the value of duplicate units and shiny investments.
- Sandbox Mode: provides a safer place to inspect combinations and performance.
- Orbs and Orb crafting/leveling: add another investment layer beyond traits and unit levels.
- Evolve Ticket System: can affect how quickly a player reaches an upgraded form.
- Auto Retry and Auto 3x improvements: increase the value of reliable, low-maintenance farming teams.
- Portal upgrade chance: was reported as increasing from 30% to 80%.
- Reward improvements: included better Ghost Rainbow, Ghost Egg, daily gem, gold, and Trait Burner rewards.
These changes are why a March list should not simply reuse an older pre-Update 8 ranking. The full dated overview is available at Roonby’s Update 8 guide.
Evolution and ascension: rank the usable form, not just the base unit
Evolve generally applies to certain three- and four-star units, while Ascend applies to certain five-star and higher units. Both can require gold, Ghost materials, and NPC-specific items. If an upgraded form is central to a unit’s value, judge the account investment by the form you can actually reach rather than treating the unupgraded base version as identical.
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Documented examples include:
- Slayer Mage: 7 Mage Staff, 5 Ghost I Orange, 5 Ghost III Rainbow, and 5,000 gold.
- Mysterious X: 7 Mysterious Cube, 5 Ghost I Blue, 5 Ghost III Rainbow, and 5,000 gold.
- Michishibo: 7 Jackzone Blood, 5 Ghost I Purple, 5 Ghost III Rainbow, and 5,000 gold.
- Dark Wing: 7 Lightning Lance, 5 Ghost I Green, 5 Ghost III Rainbow, and 5,000 gold.
These requirements are examples from a dated guide, not a promise that the costs will remain unchanged. Open the unit’s in-game evolution or ascension screen before farming materials. The evolution and ascension reference explains the distinction and the documented recipes.
What to do when a high-tier unit performs badly
If an S+ unit feels weak, check the following before replacing it:
- Trait: the tier may assume an optimized Trait and Hidden Potential that the unit does not have.
- Level and form: confirm that the unit is fully leveled and evolved or ascended where relevant.
- Placement type: make sure it is being placed on the terrain it is designed to use.
- Map pathing: range, line of sight, corners, and target count can invalidate a paper advantage.
- Manual skills: some units need active timing and will not show their ceiling when left unattended.
- Status uptime: bleed, burn, poison, and rage need enough time or eliminations to reach their intended value.
- Enemy defenses: shields, air status, healing, regeneration, or other mechanics may require a specific counter.
- Role: the unit may be a buffer, farmer, control tool, or hybrid rather than the team’s main carry.
Why a team of S-tier units can still leak
Leaks usually indicate a composition problem, not that every unit is incorrectly ranked. Check for:
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- No buffer or crowd control.
- No air, hybrid, grounded, or terrain-specific coverage.
- Too many units competing for the same ground or hill positions.
- Several expensive units that cannot stabilize the first waves.
- A roster selected from paper DPS rather than role coverage.
A balanced six-unit team with one slightly lower-ranked unit can outperform six nominally stronger damage dealers because it has better economy, uptime, placement coverage, and control.
Substitutes when premium units are unavailable
| Missing role | Practical alternatives |
|---|---|
| Premium ground carry | Flaming Tiger, Blood Queen, Enraged-Swordman, or Killer (Serious). |
| Premium hybrid | Frost Moon, Paper Beauty, Spiral Pilot, or Miracle Maker. |
| Economy | Bellma (Money Corp) or Ramen Grill-Master; use a Midas-trait unit where appropriate. |
| Crowd control | Etri or Mysterious X. |
| Hill coverage | Zaruto (Beast Cloak II), Supreme Leader, Meduka, or Soul The Boy. |
| Air coverage | Sky God, Venus, Dark Wing, or another unit explicitly confirmed in-game to target the required enemy type. |
These are practical substitutes, not identical replacements. A substitute may be cheaper, easier to obtain, or better suited to a particular map while still having a lower endgame ceiling.
Availability, naming, and roster-count warnings
Mark units as availability-sensitive when they are Primal, Unbound, limited, portal-based, event-related, evolved, or ascended. A unit can be excellent on a tier list and still be the wrong immediate recommendation for a new player who cannot currently summon or build it.
Do not claim an exact March unit count without an archived March roster. Public references conflict: one database was timestamped February 8, 2026 and reported 96 units, launch coverage described a 60-unit starting roster, and another database advertised 82-plus units. Those figures likely reflect different dates, forms, or definitions of what counts as a unit. The safest wording is that this is a ranked shortlist of relevant units, not a verified count of every March roster entry. The dated database can be checked at allstartowerdefensex.app’s unit index.
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Finally, make sure the game is All Star Tower Defense X, not the original ASTD. The games share anime-inspired concepts and community shorthand, but their rosters, aliases, systems, and balance are not interchangeable. The game’s community hub is also available through the official/community Discord listing.
Sources and March cutoff
This March 2026 snapshot is based on the ASTDX community tier list and its role categories, the ability and status-effect reference, the community update log, the dated Update 8 overview, and independent comparisons from Pocket Gamer and AxeeTech. Trait effects and reroll instructions come from Beebom’s trait guide, while evolution and ascension examples come from its unit upgrade guide. Any later balance patch, banner change, or unit release should be treated as outside this historical cutoff.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best ASTDX unit in March 2026?
There is no universal winner. Kosuke (Eternal), Crow, Flaming Tiger, Zaruto (Beast Cloak II), and Blood Queen are the strongest overall candidates, but the best choice depends on terrain, mode, traits, and whether the team needs damage, hill coverage, or flexibility.
Is Crow better than Zaruto (Beast Cloak II)?
Neither is always better. Crow is a broadly useful high-end damage choice, while Zaruto is especially valuable when the map or team needs strong hill-oriented coverage. Compare the unit’s trait, form, placement options, and the stage’s enemy types.
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Is Kosuke (Eternal) worth evolving or investing in?
Kosuke (Eternal) is one of the highest-priority endgame carries in this snapshot if you can reach and fund the required form. Do not delay obtaining a farmer or early-wave defender merely to chase its maximum ceiling, and verify the live upgrade requirements in the unit screen.
Which ASTDX units are good without rare traits?
Prioritize units with strong base value and reasonable costs, such as Shirtless Devil, Flaming Tiger, Enraged-Swordman, Frost Moon, Tomi, Killer (Serious), Bellma or Ramen Grill-Master for economy, and Etri for control. The highest tier assumes strong Traits and Hidden Potential, so a normal-trait practical unit may be better for a developing account.
Which units are best for beginners?
Use a low-cost carry such as Shirtless Devil or Killer (Serious), add Bellma (Money Corp) or Ramen Grill-Master for income, then fill the remaining slots with AoE, a boss finisher, support or control, and confirmed air, hill, or hybrid coverage. Do not build a six-unit team made entirely of expensive DPS units.
Which units are best for Infinite?
Kosuke (Eternal), Crow, Flaming Tiger, Blood Queen, Etri, Maniac, Spiral Pilot, Michishibo, Supreme Leader, Venus, Mysterious X, and Xero are strong Infinite candidates. Infinite favors range, uptime, scaling, control, boss damage, and buffs, so its priorities are not identical to Story progression.
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Do support units really belong in S tier?
Yes. King Kaoe, Xero, Etri, Onwin, Bellma, Ramen Grill-Master, and Paper Beauty provide buffs, control, economy, or hybrid utility. Their personal DPS may be lower, but their contribution to the whole six-unit team can exceed that of another selfish damage dealer.
Are low-tier units worth keeping?
Sometimes. Keep a C- or D-tier unit if it is required for evolution, ascension, a collection objective, or a specific gimmick. Otherwise, replace weak late-game units when you obtain a practical alternative. Tier placement can change after balance updates.
How do I reroll a trait in ASTDX?
Go to the Robot near the summoning area, press E, select the unit in the central cell, confirm that Trait Burners are available, and press Reroll. Be careful: rerolling a useful trait can reduce the unit’s value, especially when the unit is limited or difficult to replace.
Is this list for ASTDX or the original All Star Tower Defense?
It is for All Star Tower Defense X. Do not automatically use rankings that list the original game’s names or mechanics, such as Zio, Borul, Speedster, Rengoku, Nuro, or Goko, unless the source explicitly confirms that it is discussing ASTDX.
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How often should this tier list be updated?
Update it after major unit releases, balance changes, new modes, trait changes, or banner-system changes. This version is intentionally frozen at March 31, 2026 and should not be presented as the live meta after that date.
The Bottom Line
Build around roles, not the letters alone. Start with a farmer and a cheap early carry, then add one or two high-end damage dealers, the terrain or enemy coverage the map demands, and at least one support or control unit. Kosuke (Eternal), Crow, Flaming Tiger, Zaruto (Beast Cloak II), Blood Queen, Enraged-Swordman, and Frost Moon form the March 2026 premium core, but Bellma, Ramen Grill-Master, Etri, King Kaoe, and Xero may contribute more to a successful six-unit team than another high-DPS pull.
Quick Recap
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