A practical role-based comparison
| Tower or evidence | What is supported | How to use that information |
|---|---|---|
| Sniper Tower | The 1.0 balance notes use Sniper as an example of a tower with strong single-target value; its base critical chance is listed as 50%. | Consider it when a run needs focused damage. The notes do not establish that it beats every other tower. |
| Fireball Tower | The 1.0 balance discussion uses Fireball as an area-damage example. | Its role is different from a single-target tower, so compare it against grouped waves and available fire synergies. |
| Flamethrower, Sniper, Starfall | These names recur in pre-1.0 community Heroic recommendations. | Treat them as historical player picks, not a tested current 1.0 tier or guaranteed best team. |
| Earthquake Tower | The 1.0 notes increased its range from 4 to 5 and damage from 8 to 10. | The buff is a concrete version change, but it does not prove a full-run ranking. See the focused Earthquake guide. |
This comparison deliberately ranks jobs rather than claiming a universal winner. Emberward lets you shape enemy routes, and a tower’s footprint affects where it can fit. A tower that looks strong in isolation may be awkward on a tight map or poor for the wave pattern you are facing.
Why online tier lists can mislead
- Some circulating lists do not show votes, test conditions, or a reproducible scoring method.
- An older fan guide still includes Basic Tower, which the 1.0 notes say was retired. Do not carry that entry into a current roster.
- Older community advice predates 1.0 tower changes and the Void Depths update. Mark its version before treating it as current.
- There is no supplied full-roster DPS test that controls upgrades, relics, map, enemy, and placement. Precise universal grades would overstate the evidence.
A better way to choose towers
- Read the route and wave
Decide whether the immediate problem is a durable target, a group, or coverage along a long path.
- Check footprint before committing
Reserve room for large towers while building the maze. The tower’s placement space is part of its cost.
- Look for a real synergy
Match the tower element to relics, runes, and buff tiles you actually have. A synergy is a reason to prefer an option in that run, not proof of a global tier.
- Reassess after upgrades
Compare the next upgrade with adding coverage elsewhere. There is no evidence-backed rule that one choice always wins.
Sources and scope
This is an independent guide, not an official Refic Games page. Source roles and version limits are stated alongside each reference.
- Emberward on SteamOfficial current product listing.
- 1.0 release notesMirror of the 17 September 2026 update notes; used for explicit tower changes.
- Community Heroic tower discussionOlder community recommendations; pre-1.0 and not a controlled tier test.