Unit Roles Explained
Each of the 7 unit kinds fires in a different direction, grows range differently, and has its own special effect. Since you can only bring 4 into a run, picking the right combination for the board shape and enemy lanes is the core of the game's strategy.
Only the Heavy Guard can block
Enemies walk across the board tiles toward the castle. A Heavy Guard directly ahead of an enemy (same lane, facing it) stops that enemy in place, where it keeps taking hits from nearby units. Any other unit kind directly ahead still gets attacked, but the enemy just walks through — no blocking effect from the side or from behind, and Treasure Chests never block either.
Without a block, an enemy passes a defender in about 2.3 seconds. Slow-firing units (like the Sniper) may only land a couple of hits on a single target in that time — so placing a Heavy Guard at a chokepoint to hold enemies in place is the fundamental wall tactic.
The Medic is pure adjacent support
The Medic (Selene) never attacks on her own. She continuously heals whichever units occupy the four tiles directly adjacent to her, and boosts the damage those units deal. Multiple Medics stack their effects.
There's one catch: a unit that was just hit can't be healed for the next 0.8 seconds (a heal lockout). That's shorter than the enemy attack interval (1.7s), so healing still lands between hits even while a unit is under fire. Pairing a Medic next to a Heavy Guard at a chokepoint is a standard, durable combo.
Which units gain range, and which don't
Merging always multiplies a unit's power, but only the Gunner and Sniper actually gain range as they climb tiers.
| Unit | Fires | Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Archer | Omnidirectional | Fixed (3) | Fast standard tower |
| Spear | Fixed shape (1 diagonal, 2 up/down) | Fixed | Heavy melee damage |
| Gunner | Own row | Grows (6 to 9) | Splash on impact |
| Heavy Guard | Omnidirectional, melee | Fixed (2) | The only blocker, highest HP |
| Mage | Omnidirectional, area | Fixed (3) | Hits everyone in range at once |
| Sniper | Own column | Grows (6 to 9) | Pierces the column, highest power, longest interval |
| Medic | 4 adjacent tiles | Fixed (1) | Never attacks — heal and support only |
Placement tips by firing direction
- Put a Sniper on a lane where enemies bunch up to pierce the whole column
- A Mage's area hit is strong against packs coming from multiple lanes at once
- A Gunner's splash is effective against enemies spread across a row
- Block chokepoints with a Heavy Guard, and pair a Medic next to it for durability