Tower Defense Build Guides

Complete Army Compositions with Talent Point Costs. Each build shows minimum viable investment, core path, and keystone options.

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Quick Reference

Build	Archetype	Core Points	With Keystone	Keystone
Iron Wall	Warlord	23	36	Blizzard Aura (+13)
Archer Academy	Marksman	24	24	None needed
Support Network	Tactician	27	27	None needed
Plague Spreaders	Alchemist	25	31	Pandemic (4)
Thunder God's Wrath	Elementalist	23	34	Eye of Storm (4)
Fire and Brimstone	Elementalist	22	30	Immolate (4)
CC Lockdown	Warlord	29	59 ⚠	Entropy Field (5)
Elemental Cascade	Elementalist	30	62+ ⚠	Multiple
Ultimate Merge	Ascendant	27	39	Transcendence (6)
Annihilator DPS	Marksman	45	50 ⚠	Annihilator (5)
Global Dominance	Tactician	51	56 ⚠	Strategic Dom (5)
Anathema Curse Stack	Ascendant	28	34	Soul Rend (3)
Brine Rot Swamp	Elementalist	26	32	Maelstrom (3)
Death Knight Rising	Ascendant	25	25	None needed

🌱

Beginner Builds

Low Complexity, Low Talent Cost

Start here! These builds are cheap, forgiving, and teach you the fundamentals. Perfect for learning how towers work together.

The Iron Wall

⭐ Easy 23 core | 36 with keystone

Your first "real" build. Ice towers slow enemies down, Stun towers stop them completely, and Stone towers smash them while they're helpless. Shield towers keep everything alive. You can't really mess this up - just place towers, watch enemies crawl, and learn how the game works.

Archetype: Warlord +20% tower HP, -30% Stone/Stun talents

Your Army

Tower	Qty	Role
Ice Tower	3-4	Slow enemies to 30% speed
Stone Tower	2-3	Heavy physical damage
Stun Tower	1-2	Stop dangerous enemies
Speed Buff	2	Faster attacks
Damage Buff	2	Amplify damage
Shred Tower	1-2	Reduce physical resistance
Shield Tower	1-2	Environmental protection

How It Works

Ice slows → Stun stops → Stone crushes. Speed and Damage Buff towers amplify your output while Shred Tower weakens tanky enemies. Simple layered defense that's nearly impossible to fail.

Talent Path (23 points core)

Tree	Talent	Level	Cost	Running Total
Controller	Chilling Touch	3	3	3
Controller	Frozen Ground	3	6	9
Frost Branch	Permafrost	3	3	12
Frost Branch	Chilling Touch	3	3	15
Stone Mastery	Crushing Blow	3	3	18
Stone Mastery	Earthquake	3	3	21
Frost Branch	Glacial Barrier	1	2	23

Optional Keystone (+13 points = 36 total) Add Frostbite (6) + Shatter (3) + Blizzard Aura keystone (4) for ice towers that create permanent 25% slow fields.

Upgrades to Buy Frozen Fortress (Ice slow + damage) → Stone Devastation (Stone damage + stun) → Rapid Fire (attack speed)

Merge Target

Frost Sentinel (

Ice 5 +

Shield 3) → 30% slow + 8000 shield HP

Archer Academy

⭐ Easy 24 core | No keystone needed

Love watching arrows fly? This is your build. Stack a bunch of Archer towers, buff their speed and damage, and watch them melt enemies. Shred Tower helps you deal with tanky foes. It's straightforward damage - no fancy combos needed.

Archetype: Marksman +15% physical damage, -30% Archer talents

Your Army

Tower	Qty	Role
Arrow Tower	4-5	Fast physical DPS
Speed Buff	2	Make archers attack faster
Damage Buff	2	Amplify arrow damage
Shred Tower	1-2	Reduce physical resistance
Ice Tower	1-2	Slow for more arrow hits
Shield Tower	1-2	Environmental protection

How It Works

Shred Tower weakens defenses → Speed and Damage Buffs supercharge archers → Ice slows enemies → Arrows rain down. Fast-paced and satisfying.

Talent Path (24 points)

Tree	Talent	Level	Cost	Running Total
Offense	Sharpened Edge	3	3	3
Offense	Quick Draw	3	3	6
Offense	Armor Piercing	3	6	12
Support	Aura Expansion	3	3	15
Support	Enhanced Speed Buff	3	3	18
Archer Mastery	Piercing Arrows	3	3	21
Archer Mastery	Multishot	3	3	24

Upgrades to Buy Swift Arrows (+80% archer attack speed) → Arrow Storm (fire 4 arrows per attack) → Physical Mastery (+80% physical damage)

Merge Target

Siege Titan (

Archer 9 +

Stone 9) or

Void Stalker (

Magic 7 +

Archer 9)

Support Network

⭐ Easy 27 core | No keystone needed

This build teaches you how powerful buff towers are. Place Speed Buff and Damage Buff towers so their circles overlap, then put your damage dealers inside that "super zone." Suddenly your towers hit harder and faster. Once you understand aura stacking, you'll use it in every build.

Archetype: Tactician +15% support aura radius, -25% support talents

Your Army

Tower	Qty	Role
Speed Buff	2	Attack speed aura
Damage Buff	2	Damage aura
Shred Tower	1-2	Reduce physical resistance
Stone Tower	2-3	Main damage
Magic Tower	2	AoE splash
Shield Tower	1-2	Environmental protection

How It Works

Overlapping auras create a "super zone" where any tower gets +15% speed, +18% damage, +15% range. Place damage towers in this zone with Shred to shred tanky enemies.

Talent Path (27 points)

Tree	Talent	Level	Cost	Running Total
Support	Aura Expansion	3	3	3
Support	Enhanced Speed Buff	3	3	6
Support	Enhanced Damage Buff	3	3	9
Support	Enhanced Range Buff	3	3	12
Support	Resonating Auras	3	6	18
Support	Empowered Allies	3	6	24
Support	Command Center	1	3	27

Command Center bonus Towers in 2+ auras get +15% all stats!

Upgrades to Buy Aura Mastery (+80% radius, +50% effect) → Rapid Fire (all towers attack faster) → Temporal Warp (Speed towers slow enemies)

Merge Target

War Banner (

Speed 3 +

Damage Buff 3) → +22% speed, +25% damage, +15% range in one tower!

Plague Spreaders

⭐ Easy 25 core | 31 with keystone

Your introduction to damage-over-time. Toxic towers poison enemies, and that poison spreads when they die. It starts slow but snowballs hard - by mid-game, entire waves melt from chain reactions. Great for learning patience and positioning.

Archetype: Alchemist +15% DoT damage, -30% Plague talents, -40% Toxic talents

Your Army

Tower	Qty	Role
Toxic Tower	3-4	Apply poison DoT
Speed Buff	2	Faster poison application
Damage Buff	2	Amplify damage
Hex Tower	1-2	Reduce elemental resistance
Ice Tower	2	Slow poisoned enemies
Shield Tower	1-2	Environmental protection

How It Works

Toxic towers poison enemies → Poison stacks multiple times (Festering Wounds) → Speed and Damage Buffs amplify your output → Hex reduces elemental resistance for more poison damage → When poisoned enemies die, poison spreads to nearby (Contagion).

Talent Path (25 points without keystone)

Tree	Talent	Level	Cost	Running Total
Plague Branch	Toxicity	3	3	3
Plague Branch	Virulence	3	3	6
Plague Branch	Festering Wounds	3	6	12
Plague Branch	Corrosive Acid	3	6	18
Plague Branch	Contagion	1	3	21
Toxic Mastery	Lingering Poison	3	3	24
Toxic Mastery	Corrosive	1	1	25

With Pandemic Keystone (+6 = 31 total)

Tree	Talent	Level	Cost	Running Total
Plague Branch	Pandemic keystone	1	4	29
Toxic Mastery	Corrosive	2 more	2	31

Upgrades to Buy Toxic Plague (+100% DoT, 35% spread chance) → Frozen Fortress (slow synergy)

Merge Targets

Plague Lord (

Toxic 3 +

Shred Tower 3) → 25% poison + 30% armor shred

Frostbite Wraith (

Toxic 3 +

Ice 5) → 30% slow + 20% poison

⚔

Intermediate Builds

Moderate Complexity

Ready for combos? These builds reward setup and timing. You'll learn how different tower types synergize for massive damage.

Thunder God's Wrath

⭐⭐ Medium 23 core | 34 with keystone

Your first real combo build. Water towers "drench" enemies, making them take 25% more lightning damage. Then you merge Stun + Beam into the Thunder God tower and watch it obliterate anything that's wet. Learning to set up combos like this is key to late-game success.

Archetype: Elementalist +10% all elemental damage, -25% elemental branches

Your Army

Tower	Qty	Role
Water Tower	3-4	Apply "drench" (+25% lightning vulnerability)
Stun Tower	2	CC + merge component
Beam Tower	2	Pierce + merge component
Speed Buff	2	Faster attacks
Damage Buff	2	Amplify Thunder God
Hex Tower	1-2	Reduce lightning resistance
Shield Tower	1-2	Environmental protection

How It Works

Water towers drench enemies (4s debuff) → Drenched enemies take +25% lightning damage → Merge Stun + Beam into Thunder God → Speed and Damage Buffs amplify output while Hex reduces lightning resistance.

Thunder God Stats: 180 dmg, 0.5 attack speed, pierces 4 enemies, 35% stun (1.5s), 280 range, lightning damage

Talent Path (23 points without keystone)

Tree	Talent	Level	Cost	Running Total
Storm Branch	Conductivity	3	3	3
Storm Branch	Mystic Power	3	3	6
Storm Branch	Overload	3	6	12
Storm Branch	Spell Amplification	3	6	18
Controller	Stunning Blows	3	3	21
Controller	Concussive Force	1	2	23

With Eye of the Storm Keystone (+11 = 34 total)

Tree	Talent	Level	Cost	Running Total
Storm Branch	Chain Lightning	1	3	26
Storm Branch	Eye of the Storm	1	4	30
Controller	Concussive Force	2 more	4	34

Eye of the Storm Every 10 tower attacks triggers map-wide lightning (20% damage to all enemies)!

Upgrades to Buy Beam Chain (before merge - chains to 3 enemies) → Elemental Fury (+65% elemental damage) → Lightning Storm (Beam/Laser proc lightning strikes)

Merge Target

Thunder God (

Stun 3 +

Beam 4)

Fire and Brimstone

⭐⭐ Medium 22 core | 30 with keystone

Everything burns. Laser towers deal fire damage, Stone towers at high tiers add fire splash, and the Immolate keystone makes fire damage scale with enemy health. Great against bosses and teaches you how elemental damage types work together.

Archetype: Elementalist +10% all elemental damage, -25% elemental branches

Your Army

Tower	Qty	Role
Laser Tower	2-3	Heavy fire damage + burn
Stone Tower	3-4	Physical + fire splash at tier 8-9
Speed Buff	2	Faster attacks
Damage Buff	2	Amplify all damage
Hex Tower	1-2	Reduce fire resistance
Shield Tower	1-2	Environmental protection

How It Works

Lasers charge and deal heavy fire damage with burn → Stone towers at tier 8-9 add fire splash → Speed and Damage Buffs amplify output while Hex reduces fire resistance. Everything burns.

Talent Path (22 points without keystone)

Tree	Talent	Level	Cost	Running Total
Inferno Branch	Ignition	3	3	3
Inferno Branch	Forged Steel	3	3	6
Inferno Branch	Pyroclasm	3	6	12
Inferno Branch	Meteor Strike	1	3	15
Stone Mastery	Crushing Blow	3	3	18
Stone Mastery	Lava Rocks	1	2	20
Laser Mastery	Overcharge	1	1	21
Laser Mastery	Rapid Fire	1	1	22

With Immolate Keystone (+8 = 30 total)

Tree	Talent	Level	Cost	Running Total
Inferno Branch	Burning Wounds	1	2	24
Inferno Branch	Immolate keystone	1	4	28
Laser Mastery	2 more points	2	2	30

Immolate Fire damage applies 5% enemy MAX HP as fire damage over 3s!

Upgrades to Buy Elemental Fury (+65% fire/elemental damage) → Stone Devastation (+130% stone damage) → Laser Split (pierce 5 enemies)

Merge Targets

Inferno Phoenix (

Laser 4 +

Stone 9) → 500 dmg, 100 radius, 60% splash, 40% fire

Solar Flare (

Laser 4 +

Magic 7) → 350 dmg, 90 radius, burn

CC Lockdown

⭐⭐ Medium 29 budget | 59 with keystone ⚠ LATE GAME

"CC" means crowd control - slows, stuns, and debuffs. This build layers them all. Enemies affected by multiple debuffs take bonus damage. Start with the budget version (pick 2 CC types), then work toward the full Entropy Field keystone as a long-term goal.

Archetype: Warlord +20% tower HP, -20% Controller, -30% Stone/Stun

Your Army

Tower	Qty	Role
Ice Tower	3	Slow + freeze chance
Stun Tower	2	Stop enemies
Toxic Tower	2	Poison for debuff stacking
Stone Tower	2-3	Damage
Speed Buff	2	Faster attacks
Damage Buff	2	Amplify damage
Shred Tower	1-2	Reduce physical resistance
Shield Tower	1-2	Environmental protection

How It Works

Stack MULTIPLE debuffs on enemies. Ice slows, Stun stops, Toxic poisons. Speed and Damage Buffs amplify your output while Shred Tower weakens tanky enemies. Debuff Amplifier gives +24% damage to enemies with 2+ debuffs.

Budget Talent Path (29 points - pick 2 of 3 paths)

Path A: Frost Focus

Tree	Talent	Level	Cost	Running Total
Controller	Chilling Touch	3	3	3
Controller	Extended Reach	3	3	6
Controller	Frozen Ground	3	6	12
Controller	Lockdown	3	6	18
Controller	Absolute Zero	1	3	21

Path B: Stun/Debuff Focus

Tree	Talent	Level	Cost	Running Total
Controller	Stunning Blows	3	3	24
Controller	Persistent Effects	3	3	27
Controller	Debuff Amplifier	1	2	29

Budget Total: 29 points

⚠ FULL Entropy Field Path (59 points - LATE GAME) Entropy Field requires ALL THREE Tier 3 nodes: Absolute Zero, Pandemic, AND Crowd Control Master.

Requirement	Path	Cost
Absolute Zero	Chilling Touch (3) + Extended Reach (3) + Frozen Ground (6) + Lockdown (6) + Absolute Zero (3)	21
Pandemic	Toxic Spread (3) + Virulent Plague (6) + Pandemic (3)	12
Crowd Control Master	Stunning Blows (3) + Persistent Effects (3) + Concussive Force (6) + Debuff Amplifier (6) + CC Master (3)	21
Entropy Field keystone		5
TOTAL		59 points

Entropy Field Enemies in range of 3+ CC towers take 25% more damage AND move 20% slower!

Upgrades to Buy Frozen Fortress (Ice buffs) → Stone Devastation (Stone stuns) → Frost Nova (Ice kills freeze nearby)

Merge Targets

Earthquake Titan (

Stun 3 +

Stone 9) → 280 dmg, 45% splash, 40% stun

Frost Sentinel (

Ice 5 +

Shield 3) → 30% slow + 8000 shield

Elemental Cascade

⭐⭐ Medium 30-34 for 2 branches | 62+ for all 4 keystones ⚠ LATE GAME

Mix and match elements! The Elementalist archetype makes all elemental talents cheaper, so you can invest in two branches (like Frost + Fire or Lightning + Poison). Multi-element merged towers benefit from ALL your elemental bonuses. This is where build creativity really opens up.

Archetype: Elementalist +10% all elemental, -25% ALL elemental branches

Your Army

Tower	Qty	Role
Ice Tower	2	Frost damage + slow
Laser Tower	2	Fire damage + burn
Beam Tower	2	Light damage + pierce
Toxic Tower	2	Poison damage
Speed Buff	2	Faster attacks
Damage Buff	2	Amplify damage
Hex Tower	1-2	Reduce elemental resistance
Shield Tower	1-2	Environmental protection

How It Works

Elementalist gives -25% cost to ALL elemental branches. Each branch gives +30% to its element at max. Speed and Damage Buffs amplify output while Hex reduces elemental resistances. Merged towers dealing multiple damage types benefit from multiple branches.

Recommended: Pick 2 Branches (30-34 points)

Option A: Frost + Inferno (Fire & Ice) - 30 points

Branch	To Keystone (discounted costs)	Cost
Frost → Blizzard Aura	Permafrost(3) + Chilling Touch(3) + Frostbite(3) + Glacial Barrier(1) + Shatter(2) + keystone(3)	15
Inferno → Immolate	Ignition(3) + Forged Steel(3) + Burning Wounds(1) + Pyroclasm(3) + Meteor Strike(2) + keystone(3)	15
Total		30

Option B: Storm + Plague (Lightning & Poison) - 34 points

Branch	To Keystone (discounted costs)	Cost
Storm → Eye of Storm	Conductivity(3) + Mystic Power(3) + Overload(3) + Spell Amp(3) + Chain Lightning(2) + keystone(3)	17
Plague → Pandemic	Toxicity(3) + Virulence(3) + Festering(3) + Corrosive(3) + Contagion(2) + keystone(3)	17
Total		34

Upgrades to Buy Elemental Fury (+65% ALL elemental) → Elemental Mastery (+100% status duration, +80% status damage) → Lightning Storm (beam/laser proc lightning)

Merge Targets Any multi-element merge (

Frost Mage,

Frostbite Wraith, etc.)

🔥

Advanced Builds

High Complexity, High Talent Cost

End-game goals. These require lots of talent points but are incredibly powerful. Work toward these as long-term objectives.

The Ultimate Merge

⭐⭐⭐ Hard 27 core | 39 with keystone

The dream build. Merge basic towers into fused towers, then with the Transcendence keystone, merge THOSE into ultimate towers. Apocalypse Engine and Eternal Winter are the strongest towers in the game. This is what you're working toward.

Archetype: Ascendant +10% merged tower stats, -35% Fusion talents

Your Army

Tower	Qty	Role
Archer Tower	2+	Feed into Siege Titan
Stone Tower	2+	Feed into Siege Titan
Laser Tower	2+	Feed into Death Ray
Beam Tower	2+	Feed into Death Ray
Ice Tower	2+	Feed into Frost Mage
Speed Buff	2	Faster attacks
Damage Buff	2	Amplify damage
Shred Tower	1-2	Reduce physical resistance
Shield Tower	1-2	Environmental protection

How It Works

Build base towers → Max them → Merge into Tier 1 fusions → With Transcendence keystone, merge THOSE into ULTIMATE towers. Speed and Damage Buffs amplify your merged towers while Shred Tower weakens tanky enemies.

Talent Path (27 points without keystone)

Tree	Talent	Level	Cost	Running Total
Fusion	Efficient Fusion	1	2	2
Fusion	Quality Components	1	2	4
Fusion	Fusion Affinity	1	2	6
Fusion	Star Power	1	3	9
Fusion	Rapid Evolution	1	3	12
Fusion	Dual Element	1	3	15
Fusion	Perfect Fusion	1	4	19
Fusion	Ultimate Potential	1	4	23
Fusion	Fusion Mastery	1	4	27

With Transcendence Keystone (+6 = 33 Fusion, +6 DPS = 39 total)

Tree	Talent	Level	Cost	Running Total
Fusion	Transcendence	1	6	33
Any DPS talents	Variable	-	6	39

Transcendence Merged towers can merge AGAIN into Tier 2 ultimate fusions!

Ultimate Merges

Apocalypse Engine (

Siege Titan +

Death Ray) → 500 dmg, 8 pierce, chain 3, 70% splash

Eternal Winter (

Frost Mage +

Frost Sentinel) → 200 dmg, 40% slow, 15000 shield

Upgrades to Buy Critical Strikes (merged towers crit hard) → Rapid Fire (attack speed) → Splash Mastery (for AoE merges)

Annihilator DPS

⭐⭐⭐ Hard 45 core | 50 with keystone ⚠ LATE GAME

Math becomes your weapon. Normally damage bonuses add together (+15% +15% = 30%). With Annihilator, they MULTIPLY (1.15 × 1.15 = 32%, and it scales exponentially). Requires heavy investment in three damage paths, but the payoff is absurd single-target damage.

Archetype: Marksman +15% physical damage, -20% Offense, -30% Archer

Your Army

Tower	Qty	Role
Arrow Tower	3-4	Fast physical DPS
Stone Tower	2-3	Heavy physical DPS
Laser Tower	1-2	Fire damage (for Inferno Burst path)
Speed Buff	2	Faster attacks
Damage Buff	2	Amplify everything
Shred Tower	1-2	Shred defenses
Shield Tower	1-2	Environmental protection

How It Works

⚠ WARNING: Annihilator requires investment in PHYSICAL, FIRE, and LIGHTNING paths!

Annihilator keystone makes ALL damage bonuses MULTIPLY instead of add. Speed and Damage Buffs amplify output while Shred Tower weakens tanky enemies. With Annihilator: 1.15 × 1.15 × 1.15 = 52% bonus (scales exponentially).

Talent Path (45 points without keystone)

Path to Overwhelming Force (Physical)

Tree	Talent	Level	Cost	Running Total
Offense	Sharpened Edge	3	3	3
Offense	Precision	3	3	6
Offense	Armor Piercing	3	6	12
Offense	Deadly Precision	3	6	18
Offense	Overwhelming Force	1	3	21

Path to Inferno Burst (Fire)

Tree	Talent	Level	Cost	Running Total
Offense	Searing Touch	3	3	24
Offense	Burning Fury	3	6	30
Offense	Inferno Burst	1	3	33

Path to Thunder Strike (Lightning)

Tree	Talent	Level	Cost	Running Total
Offense	Voltaic Surge	3	3	36
Offense	Chain Mastery	3	6	42
Offense	Thunder Strike	1	3	45

With Annihilator Keystone (+5 = 50 total)

Tree	Talent	Level	Cost	Running Total
Offense	Annihilator	1	5	50

Annihilator All damage bonuses multiply instead of add!

Upgrades to Buy Physical Mastery (+80% physical) → Critical Strikes (25% crit chance) → Arrow Storm (4 projectiles) → Armor Piercing upgrade (ignore 50% armor)

Merge Target

Siege Titan,

Crystal Nexus

Global Dominance

⭐⭐⭐ Hard 51 core | 56 with keystone ⚠ LATE GAME

Make your buffs affect the ENTIRE MAP. With Strategic Dominance, a single Damage Buff tower gives +15% damage to every tower you own, everywhere. This is a late-game grind, but once online, your whole army becomes unstoppable.

Archetype: Tactician +15% support radius, -20% Support, -25% support tower talents

Your Army

Tower	Qty	Role
Speed Buff	2-3	Attack speed aura
Damage Buff	2-3	Damage aura
Shred Tower	1-2	Reduce physical resistance
Laser Tower	2	High damage dealer
Stone Tower	2	Physical damage
Shield Tower	1-2	Environmental protection

How It Works

⚠ WARNING: Strategic Dominance requires ALL THREE Support Tier 3 paths!

Strategic Dominance makes support buffs apply at 50% effectiveness MAP-WIDE. Speed and Damage Buffs amplify your entire army while Shred Tower weakens tanky enemies. War Banner gives +20% speed and +22.5% damage everywhere.

Talent Path (51 points without keystone)

Path to Command Center (Aura + Damage)

Tree	Talent	Level	Cost	Running Total
Support	Aura Expansion	3	3	3
Support	Enhanced Damage Buff	3	3	6
Support	Resonating Auras	3	6	12
Support	Empowered Allies	3	6	18
Support	Command Center	1	3	21

Path to Fortress (Shield)

Tree	Talent	Level	Cost	Running Total
Support	Shield Reinforcement	3	3	24
Support	Rapid Regeneration	3	6	30
Support	Protective Barrier	3	6	36
Support	Fortress	1	3	39

Path to Wealth Accumulator (Economy)

Tree	Talent	Level	Cost	Running Total
Support	Economic Mind	3	3	42
Support	Gold Rush	3	6	48
Support	Wealth Accumulator	1	3	51

With Strategic Dominance Keystone (+5 = 56 total)

Tree	Talent	Level	Cost	Running Total
Support	Strategic Dominance	1	5	56

Strategic Dominance Support tower buffs apply at 50% effectiveness MAP-WIDE!

Upgrades to Buy Aura Mastery (+80% radius, +50% effect) → Regeneration Aura (Shield towers heal nearby) → Soul Harvest (kills restore shield HP)

Merge Targets

War Banner (

Speed 3 +

Damage Buff 3) → map-wide +20% speed, +22.5% damage

Guardian Bastion (

Shield 3 +

Damage Buff 3) → 12000 shield + 50% damage buff

Anathema Curse Stack

⭐⭐⭐ Hard 28 core | 34 with keystone

Stack as many debuffs as possible on enemies, then watch Anathema Spire obliterate them. The more debuffs on a target, the harder each Anathema hit lands - up to +60% bonus damage at 5 stacks. Pair with Hex aura (resistance shred) and Curse (bonus damage from all sources) for devastating synergy.

Archetype: Ascendant +10% merged tower stats, -35% Fusion talents

Your Army

Tower	Qty	Role
Hex Tower	2	Feed into Anathema Spire + resistance shred
Unholy Tower	2	Feed into Anathema Spire + curse
Toxic Tower	2	Poison stacks = debuff count for Anathema
Ice Tower	1-2	Slow debuff + keeps enemies in aura range
Shred Tower	1	Armor break debuff + more debuff stacks
Speed Buff	1-2	Faster attacks = more debuff uptime
Shield Tower	1	Environmental protection

How It Works

Anathema Spire inherits Hex's resistance-shredding aura (18% elemental resistance reduction in 240 radius) and Unholy's curse (enemies take 20% more damage). Its unique Anathema mechanic deals +12% bonus damage per active debuff on the target, capping at 5 stacks for +60% total. Stack poison, slow, curse, armor break, and wet/burn for maximum damage amplification.

Anathema Spire Stats: 55 base damage, 0.55 attack speed, 280 range, 240-radius hex aura (18% resistance shred), 20% curse for 6s, +12% damage per debuff (max 5 = +60%), 10% lifesteal in 150 radius

Talent Path (28 points)

Tree	Talent	Level	Cost	Running Total
Fusion	Efficient Fusion	1	2	2
Fusion	Quality Components	1	2	4
Fusion	Star Power	1	3	7
Hex Mastery	Amplified Hex	3	3	10
Hex Mastery	Elemental Fracture	1	3	13
Unholy Mastery	Curse Power	3	6	19
Unholy Mastery	Lifesteal	3	3	22
Poison Mastery	Virulence	3	6	28

Upgrades to Buy Critical Strikes → Vampiric Towers → Soul Harvest

Merge Target

Anathema Spire (

Hex 3 +

Unholy 4)

Brine Rot Swamp

⭐⭐⭐ Hard 26 core | 32 with keystone

Flood the battlefield with water towers to drench enemies, then deploy Brine Wraith for devastating Brine Rot DoT that scales with each nearby wet enemy. The more soaked targets clustered together, the more damage each Brine Rot tick deals - up to +40% bonus. Pair with Lightning towers for Shocked procs on wet enemies.

Archetype: Elementalist +15% elemental damage, -30% Element talents

Your Army

Tower	Qty	Role
Water Tower	2-3	Feed into Brine Wraith + keep enemies wet
Unholy Tower	2	Feed into Brine Wraith + curse
Beam Tower	1-2	Lightning damage on wet targets → Shocked procs
Hex Tower	1	Resistance shred amplifies all DoT damage
Speed Buff	1-2	Faster attacks = more brine rot stacks
Shield Tower	1	Environmental protection

How It Works

Brine Wraith splashes in a 65-radius area, wetting all enemies hit for 5 seconds and applying curse (15% bonus damage). Each hit also applies Brine Rot - a DoT that ticks every 0.8s for 4 seconds. The key mechanic: each Brine Rot tick checks for wet enemies within 120 radius and deals +8% more damage per wet target (up to 5 nearby = +40%). Keep the area flooded with Water towers for maximum DoT scaling.

Brine Wraith Stats: 75 base damage, 0.65 attack speed, 240 range, 65-radius splash (40% damage), 5s drench, 15% curse for 5s, Brine Rot DoT (15% hit damage/tick, 4s duration, 0.8s tick rate), 12% lifesteal in 140 radius

Talent Path (26 points)

Tree	Talent	Level	Cost	Running Total
Fusion	Efficient Fusion	1	2	2
Fusion	Quality Components	1	2	4
Fusion	Star Power	1	3	7
Water Mastery	Tidal Surge	3	3	10
Water Mastery	Extended Drench	3	6	16
Unholy Mastery	Curse Power	3	6	22
Hex Mastery	Amplified Hex	2	4	26

Upgrades to Buy Critical Strikes → Vampiric Towers → Water Mastery upgrades

Merge Target

Brine Wraith (

Water 6 +

Unholy 4)

Death Knight Rising

⭐⭐⭐ Hard 25 core | No keystone needed

The unique build. Death Knight is the ONLY merged tower that can upgrade to tier 4. It has lifesteal (heals nearby towers), curse (enemies take 30% more damage), and chains attacks. Surprisingly affordable for an "advanced" build - the complexity is in execution, not cost.

Archetype: Ascendant +10% merged tower stats, -35% Fusion talents

Your Army

Tower	Qty	Role
Unholy Tower	2-3	Feed into Death Knight + lifesteal
Archer Tower	2-3	Feed into Death Knight
Speed Buff	2	Faster attacks = more lifesteal
Damage Buff	2	Amplify damage
Shred Tower	1-2	Shred armor for more damage
Shield Tower	1-2	Environmental protection

How It Works

Death Knight is the ONLY merged tower that can be UPGRADED (to tier 4!). It has lifesteal (restores shield HP to nearby towers), curse (enemies take +30% damage at max tier), and chains to 3 targets. Speed and Damage Buffs amplify output while Shred Tower weakens tanky enemies.

Death Knight Stats (Tier 4): 132 base damage (scales with upgrades), Chain 3 targets (0.75 damage per bounce), 30% curse for 9s (enemies take 30% more damage from ALL sources), 30% lifesteal to nearby tower shields, 250 radius lifesteal aura

Talent Path (25 points)

Tree	Talent	Level	Cost	Running Total
Fusion	Efficient Fusion	1	2	2
Fusion	Quality Components	1	2	4
Fusion	Star Power	1	3	7
Ice Mastery	Deep Freeze	3	3	10
Ice Mastery	Frost Nova	3	3	13
Support	Shield Reinforcement	3	3	16
Support	Rapid Regeneration	3	6	22
Controller	Chilling Touch	3	3	25

Upgrades to Buy Critical Strikes (Death Knight crits = massive lifesteal) → Soul Harvest (kills heal shields) → Vampiric Towers (all towers lifesteal)

Merge Target

Death Knight (

Unholy 4 +

Archer 9) → then UPGRADE to tier 4!