Chrono Warfare Tower Defense has a pretty wide roster, but not every unit is worth investing in. Some are excellent for carrying early waves, while others only become useful in specific maps or situations.
I’ve ranked the units below based on overall usefulness, efficiency, damage potential, and how much they can contribute to a successful run. If you’re just starting out, this should give you a much easier idea of where to spend your resources.
Chrono Warfare Tower Defense Tier List – Best Units
| Tier | Units |
|---|---|
| S Tier | Archer, Pack Hunter |
| A Tier | Legionary, Hunter, Ballista |
| B Tier | Forge, Kill Land, Plebeian, Clubman, Arbalist |
| C Tier | Torture, Siege Workshop, Knight |
The exact value of a unit can change depending on the map and your strategy, but the S-tier choices are generally the safest investments.
S Tier – Best Units
Archer
Archer is one of the easiest units to recommend. Once you unlock it, it can carry a huge portion of your progression thanks to its efficient ranged damage.
The biggest advantage is that Archer gives you strong damage without demanding an unreasonable amount of resources. That makes it particularly useful when you’re trying to build a reliable defense rather than spending everything on one expensive unit.
If you’re wondering which ranged unit you should prioritize, Archer is probably the safest overall choice.
Pack Hunter
Pack Hunter is another standout unit and easily deserves S tier.
One of its biggest strengths is dealing with invisible enemies. Its ability can reveal them, which makes it extremely valuable on stages where stealth enemies can otherwise cause problems.
It isn’t only useful for its combat ability, either. The wolf mechanic can also provide an economy benefit as you upgrade it, giving the unit additional value beyond simply dealing damage.
There’s also an important unlock requirement. You’ll need to complete the relevant questline and, during the final stage, use Torture’s ability to light all the campfires on wave 18. You’ll then need to deal with the winter storm mechanics and keep the towers from freezing.
So yes, Pack Hunter takes some work to unlock, but the payoff is definitely worth it.
A Tier – Strong and Reliable
Legionary
Legionary is one of the best melee options for getting through the early and mid-game.
Compared with units such as Knight and Clubman, Legionary offers a much better balance between cost and effectiveness. If you’re still building your roster, this is one of the melee units I’d prioritize.
It doesn’t need a complicated strategy to be useful, which is another reason it earns its A-tier position.
Hunter
Hunter is an extremely useful unit while you’re working toward stronger ranged options.
It can carry you through the early stages and remains flexible later on. You can use multiple Hunters for consistent damage, and with enough upgrades, they can transition into effective boss-killing units.
If you haven’t unlocked Archer or Ballista yet, Hunter is one of the units I’d feel comfortable relying on.
Ballista
Ballista brings some serious ranged DPS to your lineup, although there’s a catch: it’s more expensive than Archer.
That higher cost means you need to be a little more careful with your investment. If a Ballista gets heavily damaged or isn’t providing enough value on a particular stage, selling and repositioning it can sometimes be the better play.
It’s powerful, but it requires more active management than Archer, which is why I’d put it slightly below Archer overall.
B Tier – Useful in the Right Situation
Forge
Forge can be surprisingly strong when you’re building around the right units.
It works particularly well with Archers and can also pair nicely with Clubmen for clearing groups of enemies. Its defensive benefits can also help when you’re trying to create a more durable setup.
The problem is that its usefulness depends heavily on the level. You won’t necessarily need it in every run, so it’s difficult to rank it higher.
Kill Land
Kill Land is mainly a supporting DPS option.
It’s useful for cleaning up enemies that manage to get past your main defensive line, which can save a run when a few enemies slip through.
That said, it’s not something I’d build my entire strategy around. Certain maps make it considerably more useful than others.
Plebeian
Don’t overlook Plebeian just because it isn’t one of the flashy damage dealers.
It’s a cheap utility unit that can be useful for baiting certain mechanics, including Spartacus. It can also contribute to shield and matter tower strategies.
Its low cost is what makes it interesting. You can use it without committing a huge amount of your resources.
Clubman
Clubman is a decent melee option, particularly when you’re dealing with groups of enemies.
The problem is that Legionary generally provides better value, so Clubman becomes more of a situational pick rather than a unit I’d automatically recommend.
If you’re working with a limited roster, though, Clubman can still get the job done.
Arbalist
Arbalist is another unit that depends heavily on the situation.
It can provide good ranged DPS, but the resources you’re spending on it don’t always translate into enough additional value. In many situations, Archer or Ballista will simply be the more efficient choice.
I’d use Arbalist when the particular stage or strategy calls for it rather than making it a core part of every team.
C Tier – More Situational Picks
Torture
Torture isn’t completely useless, but compared with Archer, Hunter, and other ranged options, it doesn’t offer enough overall value to rank higher.
There are certain situations where its fire mechanic can be useful, particularly when you’re dealing with objectives involving campfires.
The important exception is Pack Hunter. Torture plays a role in unlocking Pack Hunter, so you’ll still want to understand how its ability works even if you don’t plan on using it as one of your primary damage dealers.
Siege Workshop
Siege Workshop can be effective on easier stages, but the cost becomes a major issue.
You’re spending a considerable amount of resources for something that isn’t always necessary. On harder levels, that investment can be difficult to justify when you have more efficient options available.
I’d only consider it when the map specifically gives you a reason to use it.
Knight
Knight is a strong melee unit in terms of raw power, but its price-to-performance ratio holds it back.
For general progression, Legionary or even Clubman can often give you better value for your resources. Because of that, Knight isn’t one of the first units I’d recommend investing heavily into.
Which Units Should Beginners Use?
If you’re completely new to Chrono Warfare Tower Defense, don’t overcomplicate your first few runs.
I’d focus on getting Hunter and Legionary early and then work toward Archer. Once you have Archer, you’ll have a much more reliable ranged damage option for progressing through stages.
After that, Pack Hunter should be one of your bigger goals. Its ability to reveal invisible enemies makes it extremely valuable, while its additional economy potential gives it even more usefulness.
A simple progression path would look something like:
Hunter → Legionary → Archer → Pack Hunter
You can then add Ballista and the more specialized units when the map actually calls for them.
Don’t Ignore Map-Specific Units
One thing I’d keep in mind is that a tier list isn’t a rulebook.
A B- or C-tier unit can suddenly become useful when a particular map gives it the perfect opportunity to shine. Forge is a good example of this because its value can change considerably depending on the units you’re pairing with it.
Likewise, Torture might not be your favorite general-purpose unit, but its fire ability becomes important when you’re working toward Pack Hunter.
So rather than blindly filling your team with S-tier units, look at what the stage is actually throwing at you.
Best Overall Units in Chrono Warfare Tower Defense
If you only want the quick answer, these are the units I’d prioritize:
- Archer – Best overall ranged DPS and extremely efficient.
- Pack Hunter – Excellent DPS, reveals invisible enemies, and provides economy value.
- Legionary – Reliable and efficient melee unit.
- Hunter – Fantastic early-game ranged option.
- Ballista – Powerful ranged DPS when you can afford the investment.
The most important thing is to build around what you actually have unlocked. You don’t need the entire roster to start progressing efficiently. Get a couple of reliable units, learn the maps, and then gradually add the specialized options when they become useful.