All Star Tower Defense Beginner Guide: Currencies, Units, Game Modes

All Star Tower Defense is a Roblox tower defense game where you build a team of units based on anime characters to defend your base from waves of enemies. This guide covers the game’s core currencies, how to get and upgrade units, and what each game mode offers, giving you a solid foundation for your first playthrough.

Formula

The calculator above estimates your progression rate in All Star Tower Defense. It divides the number of units you own (u) by the hours you have played (t) to get units per hour (p). Similarly, it divides the number of star upgrades you have applied (s) by hours played to get star upgrades per hour (sp). This is a simple efficiency metric, not an in-game stat.

Variables:

• t = total time played in hours
• u = total number of units in your collection
• s = total number of star upgrades you have applied to any units

Worked Example

Using the default values: t = 10 hours, u = 20 units, s = 5 star upgrades.

Units per hour: 20 / 10 = 2.0 units per hour.

Star upgrades per hour: 5 / 10 = 0.5 star upgrades per hour.

The calculator shows 2.00 units/h and 0.50 stars/h.

Currencies Explained

All Star Tower Defense has three main currencies, each with a distinct purpose. Understanding them early prevents wasteful spending.

• Gems – The premium currency, earned from completing story missions, daily rewards, and events. Used to buy gems-exclusive units, continue after a defeat, and purchase certain upgrades. You can also earn gems by selling duplicate units, but this is rarely worth it early on.
• Gold – The standard in-match currency. You earn gold by defeating enemies during a wave. Gold is used to place units on the map and to upgrade them during a match. It resets every game.
• Star Points – A meta-progression currency earned from completing missions and challenges. Star points are used to apply star upgrades to your units, permanently increasing their stats (damage, range, attack speed). Unlike gold, star points persist across matches.

Units and How to Get Them

Units are your characters in battle. Each unit has a rarity, a cost in gold to deploy, and a set of stats. You obtain units by using gems to summon from the banner, which is a gacha system. The banner rotates, featuring different units with boosted rates.

Unit rarities, from lowest to highest, are typically Common, Uncommon, Rare, Epic, Legendary, and Mythic. Higher rarity units generally have better stats and more powerful abilities, but they also cost more gold to deploy. Some units have special traits like flying detection or ground-only attacks, which you must consider when building your team.

You can also evolve certain units by collecting duplicates or specific evolution items. Evolving changes the unit’s appearance and boosts its stats, sometimes adding new abilities. Always check the in-game evolution menu to see which units can be evolved and what materials they need.

Game Modes Overview

All Star Tower Defense offers several modes, each with a different objective and difficulty curve.

• Story Mode – The main campaign. You progress through a series of maps with increasing difficulty. Each map has a set number of waves, and you earn gems and gold for completing them. This is the best mode for beginners to learn mechanics and earn initial gems.
• Infinite Mode – A survival mode where waves get progressively harder. The goal is to survive as long as possible. You earn rewards based on the number of waves you clear. This mode is great for testing team compositions and earning extra gold.
• Challenge Mode – A weekly or bi-weekly mode with special rules, such as restricted unit types or increased enemy health. Completing challenges gives exclusive rewards like gems and evolution materials. These are harder and meant for mid-to-late game players.
• Co-op Mode – Play with friends or random players. You share a base and combine your units to defend against waves. Co-op can be played on story or infinite maps. This mode is excellent for farming gold and grinding star points, as you can cover each other’s weaknesses.

How to Choose Units for Your Team

Your team composition is the most important factor in success. A balanced team covers multiple roles:

• Main Damage Dealers – Units with high single-target damage or splash damage. Place them near the center of the map to cover multiple paths.
• Support Units – Units that buff allies (increase damage, attack speed) or debuff enemies (slow, reduce defense). These are crucial for late-game waves.
• Flying Detectors – Some enemies fly, and only units with flying detection can hit them. Always bring at least one or two flying-capable units.
• Farmers – Units that generate extra gold per wave. They pay off in long modes like Infinite, but are weak in short story maps.

As a beginner, focus on a few strong units rather than spreading your resources thin. Upgrade your main damage dealer first, then add support. Check the unit’s range and attack type (ground, air, or both) before deploying.

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

New players often make a few predictable errors. Here’s what to watch out for:

• Spending gems on the wrong banner – Save gems for banners that feature units you actually need. Check the banner’s featured units and their ratings before pulling.
• Ignoring star upgrades – Star upgrades are permanent and cheap early on. Apply them to your main units first. They make a huge difference in damage and survivability.
• Not using farmers – In Infinite mode, gold generation is key. A farmer unit placed early can double your gold income by wave 20. In story mode, they are less useful.
• Deploying too many units too fast – You only have a limited amount of gold at the start. Place one or two units, upgrade them, and save gold for later waves when enemies get stronger.
• Forgetting to sell and reposition – If a unit is in a bad spot, sell it (you get a partial refund) and place it elsewhere. This is often better than letting it sit useless.

Costs and Progression Tips

There is no real-money cost to play All Star Tower Defense; it is a free Roblox game. However, gems can be purchased with Robux, which costs real money. As a beginner, you can earn enough gems from story mode and daily rewards to get a decent team without spending.

Progression tips:

• Complete story mode on normal difficulty first to unlock all maps and earn gems.
• Do daily missions – they give gems and star points.
• Join the official Discord or Roblox group for codes that give free gems and gold.
• Save your gems for a banner with a unit you really want, rather than pulling every time you have 100 gems.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I get more gems without paying? Complete story missions, daily challenges, and events. Selling duplicate units also gives a small gem refund. Codes from the developer often give free gems.

What is the best unit for a beginner? Any unit with splash damage and decent range is good. Look for a Rare or Epic unit that attacks multiple enemies at once. They carry early game easily.

Can I reset my star upgrades? No, star upgrades are permanent. You cannot refund them, so choose wisely. Focus on your main damage dealer first.

What does flying detection mean? It means the unit can target and hit enemy units that fly. Without it, the unit will ignore flying enemies, which can cause you to lose if you have no other counter.

Is Infinite mode worth playing early? Yes, but only after you have a team that can survive at least 20 waves. It gives good gold and star points, but story mode is better for gems early on.

How do I evolve a unit? Go to the unit’s page in your collection and select “Evolveâ€� if it is available. You will need a certain number of duplicate units or specific evolution items, which you can get from challenges and events.

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in t | Time played (hours) | h | 10 | 0 | 10000
in u | Units owned | - | 20 | 1 | 1000
in s | Star upgrades applied | - | 5 | 0 | 100
out p | Units per hour | units/h | u / t | 2
out sp | Star upgrades per hour | stars/h | s / t | 2