A useful Retro Tower Defense DPS tier list separates boss damage, wave clear, burst and practical uptime. Raw card damage alone is not DPS, and a tower that wins a stationary single-target test may lose on a short bend or against groups. Current units worth testing include endgame community anchors such as Yorick, ITrapped and Dusekkar, event/summon damage choices such as Chance, Noli and 1x1x1x1, and accessible wave or opening choices such as Mage, Doombringer and Bling Bloxxer.
Damage-role index
This is a provisional testing order, not a fixed numerical S tier. Tier, Tower Path, placement limit, detection and balance version can reverse a matchup.
Calculate the right number
For a simple single-target attacker, basic theoretical DPS is damage ÷ attack interval. If the card uses attack speed rather than interval, use the exact in-game definition. Then adjust your interpretation for target count, uptime, reload or ability windows, damage-over-time overlap and support. Do not combine numbers from different patch dates.
Track total cash spent to reach the compared upgrade. A tower dealing 20% more damage at twice the cost may be a worse mid-run purchase. For AoE, record how many targets are commonly hit on the selected bend instead of multiplying by a perfect theoretical cap.
Run a same-condition test
Use the same map, mode, modifier, path, tier, placement position, support and elapsed time. Test one boss-focused scenario and one grouped wave. Record the first leak, the target type and how long each tower remains in range. Repeat once to reduce targeting and control variance.
Separate solo performance from support scaling. If a tower looks strong only inside Helper Bot or another buff, record the cost and board space of the whole package. Conversely, range or detection can justify a lower raw number when it creates much more actual uptime.
Build from two damage profiles
A safe loadout normally pairs wave clear with durable-target damage. If your carry already covers groups, use the second slot for a different property, longer reach or control synergy. Place the boss carry on the longest continuous line and AoE on the busiest overlap. Do not force a short-range damage specialist into a map where it sees only a few steps.
Update rules
Move a tower up only after a repeatable live test at the owned tier/path. Move it down when the current cost, placement limit or map uptime prevents the advertised result. Link every shared number to a date and source. For team decisions, compare this page with the Support tier list—late DPS often depends more on uptime and amplification than another unsupported carry.
Keep a compact damage test sheet
For every candidate, save placement cost, cost at the compared upgrade, theoretical single-target rate, typical targets hit, range, detection and placement limit. Then add the map-specific result: seconds of contact with the boss and first wave where its assigned job fails.
A tower with lower card DPS can win through longer range, more targets or cheaper access. A high burst tower can win a short boss check but lose across sustained waves. Label these outcomes instead of forcing both into one score.
Answer common comparison mistakes
Do not compare a supported max-tier Limited unit with an unsupported starter and call the difference a universal tier. Do not multiply AoE by a maximum target cap unless the tested bend regularly supplies that many enemies. Do not ignore overkill, travel gaps or ability downtime.
Repeat the scenario after a patch and retain the old result with its date rather than silently overwriting it. Players can then tell whether a recommendation applies to their owned Path, current banner and selected mode.