Tower Defense Simulator Beginner Guide: Best Early Towers and Modes

New to Tower Defense Simulator? After this guide you will know which towers you start with, which ones are worth saving Coins for, which modes to play first, and how to avoid the usual early losses. Numbers come from the game's wiki and an August 2026 tier list, so check in-game stats after any balance patch.

What you start with

You join with two free towers: the Scout and the Sniper. The Scout is a cheap ground tower that costs 125 cash to place in a match, so you can drop it right at the start. It does low damage, even when upgraded, so treat it as a way to survive the first waves and nothing more. The tier list we read puts it at the bottom for the same reason.

The Sniper costs 450 cash and sits on cliffs. It fires slowly but hits hard, and it can see hidden, lead and flying enemies, which makes it a useful early to mid tower. Both towers lose value later, because the wiki notes the Sniper struggles against big bosses and very fast enemies.

Cash in a match versus Coins outside

Two currencies are easy to mix up:

• Cash is what you spend inside a match to place and upgrade towers. You get it by killing enemies, and every match starts with 500 (600 if you have the group bonus, per the wiki).
• Coins are what you earn when a match ends, and you spend them in the store to unlock new towers.

Playing with friends changes your income. Enemy cash is shared, so the wiki says each player gets half in a duo, a third in a trio and a quarter in a squad of four. If you want to learn how much a tower is really worth, try it solo first.

First towers worth buying

Do not rush the biggest names. A sensible order for a new player:

1. Shotgunner (850 Coins to unlock, 1,500 cash to place): a close range tower with a spread of bullets that pierce several enemies and detect hidden and lead enemies. Good on corners of the path.
2. Farm (2,000 Coins to unlock, 300 cash to place): it gives a bonus amount of cash at the start of every wave. It does no damage, so it needs a damage tower beside it, but more cash means you afford strong towers sooner.
3. Minigunner (8,000 Coins to unlock, 1,850 cash to place): a steady, fast firing damage tower. Bloxodes suggests a Shotgunner or Minigunner as your first dependable damage pick.
4. Commander (4,000 Coins to unlock, 650 cash to place): a support tower that boosts the fire rate of towers near it. It only helps if damage towers are in range, so do not buy it first.

The August 2026 tier list rates Farm, Commander, DJ Booth and a few late game towers as the top tier, but it also says S tier towers are mostly endgame choices and that a tower you cannot use well is worse than a modest one you can. Its advice is to pick the best tower you can actually use in your mode, then fill the missing role.

Which modes to play first

The wiki lists the survival modes with their level requirements:

• Easy: no requirement, 20 waves, listed reward 300 Coins.
• Casual: no requirement, 25 waves, listed reward 450 Coins.
• Intermediate: level 5, 30 waves, listed reward 600 Coins.
• Molten: level 15.
• Fallen and Hidden Wave: level 30.
• Frost: level 60, and Hardcore: level 50.

Start in Easy to practice placement, then move on to Casual, then Intermediate, and only go up when your loadout wins comfortably. Note that Farm is not allowed in every mode, so read the mode rules before you rely on it (the tier list names Farm Banned and PW2 as examples).

Mistakes that lose matches

• Building only one type of tower. Some enemies are hidden, lead or flying, and you need something that can hit them.
• Upgrading one weak tower forever. The tier list suggests setting a limit: if a tower cannot handle the next wave, stop spending on it and save for a stronger or broader option.
• Placing towers away from the path. Check range before you place, and use corners where the path bends back toward the same spot.
• Stacking support without damage. A Commander with nothing to boost does nothing.
• Forgetting the tower limits. Farm is capped at 10 per player in regular modes, Commander at 6.

Quick checklist

1. Win Easy with Scout and Sniper.
2. Save Coins for the Shotgunner, then Farm.
3. Add a support tower only once you have damage to support.
4. Move up one mode at a time.

For more Roblox tower defense guides, check the Tower Defense Simulator page for updates.