Events and Skins are both officially advertised Retro Tower Defense features. Public first-party text does not provide a permanent event-skin catalog, so the live event panel, skin card, shop, reward track, and badge description must establish each item. Event artwork alone is not enough.
Identify the exact cosmetic
Record the skin’s display name, compatible base tower and tier, event label, rarity, and visual changes. Confirm whether owning the skin requires owning the base tower. Do not treat a character shown in event art as a playable cosmetic without a live card.
If a bundle contains several items, list each component and whether it is a skin, tower, currency, emote, or decoration. Preserve exact quantities and avoid calling the whole bundle one skin.
Verify the acquisition route
Read whether the cosmetic comes from an event mission, reward track, shop bundle, code, badge, pass, map completion, or trade. Record the currency, price, requirement, and account restriction shown now.
Distinguish free progression from premium purchase and repeatable from one-time rewards. Never tell a player to grind a map when the live card says the item is shop-only.
Capture dates and timezone
Record event start and end time exactly as displayed, including timezone. Convert to UTC only after preserving the original. A community post can help corroborate a window, but it should not override the live countdown.
If no end time is visible, mark it Unknown rather than “permanent.” Once the route closes, change status to Archived or Return unknown; do not silently leave it Active.
Test cosmetic behavior
Compare the underlying tower card before and after equipping. Record changes to model, particles, animations, sound, portrait, and ability presentation. Also compare combat fields so a visual effect is not mistaken for a buff.
Run the same map and placement when testing. If apparent range or attack timing changes, remove traits and tower-tier differences before attributing the result to the skin.
Handle collaboration rewards
Official Forsaken collaboration badges name 4x4x4x4, Hyperlaser Chance, and RTD Jane Doe rewards in Forsaken. These are cross-experience destination rewards, not automatically RTD event skins. The Forsaken Skins guide preserves that boundary.
For an RTD-side themed cosmetic reported by a community source, require a live RTD inventory or event card. Match the exact base tower and acquisition route.
Trade an event skin cautiously
Check the current tradable marker; an event origin does not guarantee eligibility. Capture the exact variant in the final panel. Event return risk and collector demand can move rapidly, so use dated ranges and never accept a price as official.
If the source may rerun, label that uncertainty. A closed route is not proof of permanent exclusivity. Use How to Trade for identity and receipt checks.
Event-skin ledger
Each entry needs:
- Exact skin and compatible tower.
- Event and acquisition route.
- Cost, currency, mission, or badge condition.
- Start/end time and current status.
- Cosmetic-only test and visual changes.
- Tradable state and variant fields.
- Evidence label and UTC check date.
Freeze a snapshot when the event closes. If it returns, create a new version instead of overwriting the historic source and price.
Decide what to prioritize
Finish time-limited objectives only after confirming they are achievable with your account and remaining time. Secure reliable combat progression before spending all Tix or event currency on cosmetics. For collectors, prioritize the route with the earliest verified deadline and keep proof of completion.
Confidence boundary
The existence of Events and Skins is Official. Specific event skins, bundles, prices, deadlines, compatibility, stat behavior, and trading eligibility need current in-game verification. Community catalogs are useful leads and must remain labeled Community reported until reproduced.
Accessibility and performance check
Test each cosmetic at low and high graphics settings and on a crowded wave. Watch for particles that hide enemies, sounds that mask an ability cue, or animation effects that cause a noticeable device slowdown. These are practical presentation notes, not reasons to invent a combat-stat penalty.
When publishing screenshots, include a plain underlying-tower view for comparison and descriptive alt text. Avoid relying only on color to distinguish variants; write the exact live skin name and compatible tower beside the image.