2026 ASTD Meta Overview
SS-Tier (Best units in the game):
- Super God Koku — Top single-target DPS
- Zazashi (PERFECTION) — Exceptional damage output
- King of Heroes — AoE destruction
- Veguko — Elite damage dealer
Essential Support Units:
- Flower Magus, Mysterious X, The Patriot — Top support picks
- Bellma (SUPER Money Corp) — Economy unit for longer missions
New codes for free units: Use code bigcode3 for 300 Gems + Joe Kid (Von) unit. See our ASTD Codes page for all working codes.
The Current Meta — Update 7/8 (Feb 2026)
The ASTD meta shifted hard with the last two updates. Gear 5 Luffy entered as a top-tier hybrid, Sukuna got a damage buff that pushed him into must-have territory, and several B-tier units fell further behind. If you're deciding where to invest your Gems, this guide breaks down every unit worth building — and which ones to skip.
For the full tier rankings, check our All Star TD Tier List. This guide goes deeper into why these units are good and how to build around them.
S-Tier — The Must-Haves
Frieren (DPS) — 400 Gems
Frieren is the safest investment in the game right now. She deals consistent high damage at range, scales incredibly well with stars, and works in every game mode. At 6-star with an Apex trait, she reaches approximately 2.1M DPS in Infinite Mode — and that's before support buffs.
Why she's #1: No other unit combines her range, damage, and versatility. She's effective from wave 1 to wave 200+ in Infinite, and she trivializes Story Mode.
Best traits: Apex > Emperor > Berserker Best modes: Story (S), Infinite (S), Raid (S)
Michishibo (Single Target) — 450 Gems
The undisputed boss killer. Michishibo's single-target DPS is roughly 40% higher than the next closest competitor (Sukuna) against individual targets. In Infinite Mode, where late-wave bosses have millions of HP, he's irreplaceable.
The catch: He's expensive at 450 Gems per pull, and he does almost nothing against trash waves. You need a strong AoE partner to cover his weakness.
Best traits: Apex > Berserker > Emperor Best modes: Infinite (S+), Raid (S), Story (A — overkill for most bosses)
Killer Serious (DPS) — 300 Gems
The best bang-for-your-Gems unit in S-tier. At 300 Gems, Killer Serious costs 33-50% less than other S-tier options while performing within 15% of their damage output. His Serious Punch ability deals massive burst damage on a short cooldown.
Why he's special for beginners: The 300 Gem cost means you hit pity faster and get more duplicates per Gem spent. A 6-star Killer Serious is realistically achievable in 3-4 weeks of free-to-play grinding.
Best traits: Berserker > Apex > Emperor Best modes: Story (S), Infinite (S), Raid (A+)
Pro Tip: If you're a new player, Killer Serious is your #1 summon target. Not Frieren, not Sukuna — Killer Serious. The cost efficiency means you'll have a 6-star carry while other players are still stuck at 4-star with their expensive units.
Madara (AoE) — 400 Gems
The best wave clearer in the game. Madara's Susanoo form covers a massive area and hits both ground and air enemies. In Infinite Mode, he handles trash waves from wave 1 through wave 150+ without falling off.
Team role: He's your primary AoE. Pair him with a single-target DPS like Michishibo or Sukuna, and you've got both halves of the damage equation covered.
Best traits: Apex > Emperor > Speedster Best modes: Infinite (S), Story (S), Raid (A)
Gojo Infinity (Support) — 450 Gems
Domain Expansion stuns every enemy in range for 4 seconds. In a game where enemies are constantly moving along a path, a 4-second stun means your DPS units get 4 extra seconds of free damage. The math is simple: Gojo increases your team's total damage output by 15-25% depending on stun uptime.
Best traits: Speedster > Emperor (Cooldown reduction is king on support) Best modes: Infinite (S), Raid (S), Story (A — most Story stages don't need stun)
Warning: Gojo is NOT a DPS unit. His personal damage is low. If you're trying to use him as a damage dealer, you're doing it wrong. He exists to make your actual DPS units hit harder by freezing enemies in place.
Gear 5 Luffy (Hybrid) — 450 Gems
The newest S-tier addition. Gear 5's cartoon physics attacks have unpredictable patterns that cover an enormous area while dealing serious damage. He functions as both a DPS and AoE unit simultaneously, which frees up a team slot.
The tradeoff: His damage is slightly lower than a specialist in either role. But having one unit that covers two roles lets you run double support or an extra single-target attacker.
Best traits: Apex > Berserker > Emperor Best modes: Story (S), Infinite (S), Raid (A+)
A-Tier — The Strong Alternatives
Not everyone lands S-tier units. Here are the A-tier standouts that punch above their weight:
Tanjiro (300 Gems) — The budget DPS king. Sun Breathing provides versatile damage patterns and he's only 300 Gems. A 6-star Tanjiro outperforms a 4-star Frieren. He's the perfect stepping stone.
Levi (300 Gems) — Fastest attack speed in the game. Against bosses, his DPS rivals S-tier units at a fraction of the cost. Pair him with Gojo's stun for devastating single-target damage.
All Might (350 Gems) — Detroit Smash provides burst damage with knockback. He's tanky, he hits hard, and he costs less than most S-tier units. Excellent all-around pick for players who can't decide what role to fill.
Itachi (350 Gems) — Budget Gojo alternative. Tsukuyomi stun is shorter but Amaterasu DoT adds supplementary damage. If you can't pull Gojo, Itachi fills the support slot respectably.
Pro Tip: A full team of 6-star A-tier units will clear more content than a team of 3-star S-tier units. Don't chase rarity — chase stars.
Team Composition Templates
Here are three proven team setups for different goals:
Template 1: Story Mode Speed Clear
| Slot | Unit | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Killer Serious (DPS) | Primary damage |
| 2 | Madara (AoE) | Wave clear |
| 3 | Levi (Single Target) | Boss killer |
| 4 | Itachi (Support) | Stun + DoT |
Cost-efficient and effective through Story stage 20+. Total Gem investment: ~1,200 Gems base.
Template 2: Infinite Mode Push
| Slot | Unit | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Frieren (DPS) | Primary damage |
| 2 | Michishibo (Single Target) | Boss shredder |
| 3 | Madara (AoE) | Trash wave clear |
| 4 | Gojo Infinity (Support) | Stun utility |
The gold standard. This team pushes past wave 200 in Infinite with proper traits and 6-star units.
Template 3: Budget All-Rounder
| Slot | Unit | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tanjiro (DPS) | Primary damage |
| 2 | Todoroki (AoE) | Wave clear + slow |
| 3 | Killua (Single Target) | Boss damage |
| 4 | Dio (Support) | Time Stop utility |
Every unit here costs 300 Gems or less. Perfect for free-to-play players in their first month.
Infinite Mode — Non-Negotiable Units
If you care about pushing high waves in Infinite, three units are essentially mandatory:
- Madara — Without strong AoE, trash waves leak past your defenses and end your run. Madara is the best at preventing that.
- Michishibo or Sukuna — Late-wave bosses have tens of millions of HP. You need a dedicated boss killer.
- Gojo Infinity — Stun uptime becomes critical after wave 100 when enemies get fast enough to outrun your damage.
Everything else is flexible. The fourth slot can be any strong DPS — Frieren, Killer Serious, Gear 5 Luffy — whatever you have at the highest star level.
Warning: Don't bring units below 5-star into Infinite Mode expecting results. The scaling is brutal after wave 50. Under-starred units become dead weight that wastes a placement slot.
Who NOT to Invest In
Some units look appealing but are traps:
- Escanor — Damage varies with in-game time. Sounds cool, plays terribly. You can't control when bosses spawn.
- Gohan Beast — Short transformation window means inconsistent DPS. You need units that perform every second, not every 30 seconds.
- Any D or F tier unit — Seriously, don't. Even at 6-star with perfect traits, Don Krieg isn't clearing anything above Story stage 5. Check the All Star TD Tier List before investing.