Units are the foundation of every strategy in Universal Tower Defense Z. You summon them using Gems, deploy up to 6 in a team, and progress them through leveling, evolution, traits, relics, and etherealization. Understanding every unit's role, rarity, placement type, and tier ranking is essential for building effective teams across Story Mode, Raids, Challenges, and Infinite Mode. This guide catalogs all known units in UTDZ as of Update 4.0, organized by role and tier.
Unit Roles Explained
Every unit in UTDZ belongs to one of five roles, which determines its placement position and team function:
| Role | Placement | Team Function | Key Stat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hybrid | Hill or Ground | Flexible DPS carry — can be placed anywhere | DPS + Range |
| Hill | Hill only | Ranged burst DPS — elevated positions only | Range + Burst |
| Ground | Ground only | Sustained DPS — ground-level placement | DPS + SPA |
| Support | Hill or Ground | Buffs team damage and survivability | Buff Duration |
| Farm | Hill or Ground | Generates bonus Gem income for the team | Income/Hour |
Hybrid units are the most flexible because they can be placed on either Hill or Ground positions. This makes them the most versatile carries in the game, as map layouts sometimes favor one placement over another.
All Units by Tier — Update 4.0
| Unit | Role | Tier | Best Trait | Rarity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joyful Captain | Hybrid | S | Ruler | Legendary |
| Ancient Mage | Hill | S | Ruler | Legendary |
| Pirate King | Ground | S | Ruler | Legendary |
| Super Roku (Enraged) | Hybrid | A | Sacred | Legendary |
| Ultiorra (Oblivion) | Hill | A | Sacred | Legendary |
| Shunks (Conqueror) | Ground | A | Ruler | Legendary |
| Zora | Hybrid | B | Prodigy | Epic |
| Sasuke | Ground | B | Duelist | Epic |
| Ace | Hill | B | Wizard | Epic |
| Ninja Warrior | Ground | C | Prodigy | Rare |
| Flame Archer | Hill | C | Wizard | Rare |
| Shadow Blade | Hybrid | C | Prodigy | Rare |
| Basic Soldier | Ground | D | Any | Common |
| Starter Archer | Hill | D | Any | Common |
| Trainee Mage | Hybrid | D | Any | Common |
| Gold Farmer | Farm | A | Fortunate | Epic |
| Gem Harvester | Farm | B | Fortunate | Rare |
| Spirit Buffer | Support | A | Astral | Epic |
| Shield Guardian | Support | B | Sacred | Rare |
S-Tier Units Detailed
| Unit | Base DPS | Range | SPA | Cost | Why S-Tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joyful Captain | 1500 | 12 | 4.0s | 2500 | Hybrid placement + AoE = best overall |
| Ancient Mage | 1200 | 15 | 5.0s | 3000 | Longest range + burst scaling |
| Pirate King | 1800 | 8 | 3.5s | 2000 | Highest sustained DPS on ground |
Joyful Captain is the consensus best unit in UTDZ because of its Hybrid placement flexibility and AoE damage. It fits into every team composition and every game mode without restriction. For a deeper analysis of the best units by role, see our tier list page.
Unit Rarity and Summon Rates
| Rarity | Summon Rate | Base Stats | Evolution Available |
|---|---|---|---|
| Common | 60% | Low | No |
| Rare | 25% | Medium | Some |
| Epic | 10% | High | Yes |
| Legendary | 4% | Very High | Yes |
| Mythic | 1% | Extreme | Yes |
The summon system uses Gems as currency. Each standard summon costs 50 Gems, while featured banner summons cost more but offer increased rates for specific Legendary and Mythic units. The pity system guarantees a Legendary unit after a certain number of pulls. For detailed summoning strategies, check our summoning guide.
Unit Progression Systems
Units in UTDZ progress through multiple systems that stack together for massive power gains:
| System | Type | Multiplier | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leveling | Flat boost | +stats per level | EXP from gameplay |
| Evolution | Form change | New unit form with higher base stats | Evo Fragments + materials |
| Traits | RNG reroll | Up to +200% DMG (Ruler) | Trait Reroll tokens |
| Relics | Equipment | Additive stat bonuses | Raids and Challenges |
| Etherealization | Shard enhancement | Up to +200% multiplicative | Mythic/Exclusive/Secret shards |
The order of operations matters: Evolve first for higher base stats, then etherealize for multiplicative scaling on those higher stats, then optimize traits and relics. See our evolution guide and etherealization guide for the complete progression path.
Unit Placement Strategy
Placement is one of the most important tactical decisions in UTDZ. Where you put your units determines their effective range, path coverage, and vulnerability:
| Placement Type | Advantages | Disadvantages | Best Units |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hill | Longer range, safer from melee | Limited positions on map | Ancient Mage, Ace |
| Ground | More placement options | Shorter range, exposed to AoE | Pirate King, Sasuke |
| Hybrid | Best of both — choose per map | No disadvantages | Joyful Captain, Super Roku |
For Story Mode, Hybrid units are generally best because you can adapt to each map's layout. For Raids, placement depends on the boss's attack patterns — Hill units can safely out-range some boss attacks while Ground units deal more sustained damage up close.
Team Composition by Game Mode
| Mode | Recommended Team | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Story Mode | 2 DPS + 1 Farm + 1 Support + 2 Flex | AoE clears waves, farm funds progression |
| Raids | 2 DPS (1 with Duelist) + 1 Support + 1 Farm + 1 Tank + 1 Flex | Boss DPS + survivability |
| Challenges | 2 DPS + 1 Support + 1 Farm + 2 Flex | Balanced for varied wave types |
| Infinite Mode | 1 Sustain DPS + 1 Farm + 1 Support + 3 Flex | AFK sustainability |
The key principle is always include at least one Farm unit (with Fortunate trait) and one Support unit. A pure DPS team clears faster but earns fewer resources long-term.
Unit Storage and Slots
| Feature | Default | Max | Cost to Expand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Team slots | 4 | 6 | Gems per unlock |
| Unit storage | 20 | 100+ | Gems per expansion |
| Active team presets | 1 | 3 | Unlock via progression |
Expanding your team to 6 slots is a high priority — the extra units provide significant power and flexibility. Save Gems for slot expansions early in your progression. For a detailed spending guide, see our gems farming guide.
New Units in Update 4.0
Update 4.0 introduced several new units from the Spider-verse and Smash collaborations:
| New Unit | Role | Estimated Tier | How to Get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spectacular Spider | Hybrid | A | Limited banner (S1P1) |
| Smash Fighter | Ground | A | Limited banner (S1P2) |
| Summer Event Unit | Hybrid | B | Summer event currency |
Limited banner units are only available during their featured period. If you miss the banner, you must wait for a potential rerun. Always check the codes page for banner discounts and free summon tickets.
Unit Stat Comparison and Analysis
Understanding the detailed stat differences between units helps you make informed decisions about team composition and investment priority. Here is a comprehensive stat comparison across all unit tiers:
DPS Comparison by Role
| Unit | Role | Base DPS | Evolved DPS | Full Etherealized DPS | Ruler DPS | DPS/Gem Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joyful Captain | Hybrid | 1000 | 2000 | 6000 | 9000+ | ★★★★★ |
| Ancient Mage | Hill | 900 | 1800 | 5400 | 8100+ | ★★★★ |
| Pirate King | Ground | 1100 | 2200 | 6600 | 9900+ | ★★★★★ |
| Super Roku | Hybrid | 800 | 1600 | 4800 | 7200+ | ★★★ |
| Ultiorra | Hill | 750 | 1500 | 4500 | 6750+ | ★★★ |
| Shunks | Ground | 850 | 1700 | 5100 | 7650+ | ★★★★ |
| Zora | Hybrid | 600 | 1200 | 3600 | 5400 | ★★★ |
| Sasuke | Ground | 650 | 1300 | 3900 | 5850 | ★★★ |
| Ace | Hill | 550 | 1100 | 3300 | 4950 | ★★ |
Range and SPA Comparison
Range and SPA (Seconds Per Attack) determine how effectively a unit can cover the map and how frequently it attacks:
| Unit | Base Range | Max Range | Base SPA | Min SPA | Effective Attacks/Minute |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ancient Mage | 15 | 22 | 2.0s | 0.96s | 62.5 |
| Ultiorra | 14 | 20 | 1.8s | 1.0s | 60 |
| Joyful Captain | 12 | 18 | 1.5s | 0.72s | 83.3 |
| Pirate King | 8 | 13 | 1.0s | 0.48s | 125 |
| Shunks | 9 | 14 | 1.2s | 0.6s | 100 |
| Ace | 11 | 16 | 2.2s | 1.1s | 54.5 |
| Super Roku | 10 | 15 | 1.4s | 0.75s | 80 |
| Zora | 10 | 15 | 1.6s | 0.85s | 70.6 |
| Sasuke | 7 | 11 | 1.1s | 0.55s | 109 |
Unit Cost Efficiency Analysis
| Unit | Deployment Cost | Cost/DPS Ratio | Cost Efficiency Rating | Best Investment Stage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pirate King | High | Low (best) | ★★★★★ | Mid-to-Late game |
| Joyful Captain | Medium-High | Low | ★★★★★ | All stages |
| Ancient Mage | High | Medium | ★★★★ | Mid-to-Late game |
| Shunks | Medium | Medium-Low | ★★★★ | Early-to-Mid game |
| Super Roku | Medium | Medium | ★★★ | Mid game |
| Zora | Low | Medium | ★★★ | Early game |
| Sasuke | Medium | Medium-High | ★★ | Mid game |
| Ace | Low | High (worst) | ★★ | Early game only |
Unit Positioning Guide
Proper unit positioning can increase effective DPS by 20-50% depending on the map layout:
Positioning Principles
| Principle | Description | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Maximize path coverage | Place units where they can attack the longest path segment | +20-30% effective DPS |
| Use range advantage | Long-range units on Hill for elevation bonus | +15% range |
| Avoid overlap | Do not place units where they cover the same path segment | Prevents wasted DPS |
| Farm proximity | Place Farm units near the path for maximum income | +10-20% income |
| Boss focus | Position DPS units near the boss spawn for maximum uptime | +25%+ boss damage |
Positioning by Role
| Role | Ideal Position | Avoid | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hybrid DPS | Center of map, Hill if available | Isolated corners | Maximize AoE coverage |
| Hill DPS | Elevated position with path view | Ground (loses range bonus) | +15% range is significant |
| Ground DPS | Near path center | Far from path | Short range needs proximity |
| Support | Between DPS units | Far from buff targets | Buff range is limited |
| Farm | Adjacent to enemy path | Isolated positions | Income based on proximity |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many units should I build at once? Focus on 6 units for your main team. Invest all shards and resources into your primary DPS carry first, then gradually build the rest. Spreading resources across too many units is the most common beginner mistake.
Which unit should I summon first? If you are new, summon on the standard banner until you get a Legendary or Mythic DPS unit. Joyful Captain, Ancient Mage, and Pirate King are the best targets. Check our tier list for current meta rankings.
Can I use the same unit twice in a team? No, each unit instance is unique. You can only place one copy of each unit in your team. However, you can have multiple units of the same role (e.g., two Hybrid DPS units).
What happens to a unit when I evolve it? Evolution transforms the unit into a new form with higher base stats, different visual effects, and sometimes a new ability. The evolved unit retains its trait and relic equipment. See our evolution guide for details.