Rocketeer — Tower Defense Simulator Guide

Rocketeer is a splash-damage attacker that fires explosive rockets dealing area-of-effect damage with no falloff within the blast radius, and its damage bypasses enemy defense entirely. Up through Level 3 it fires a single missile per shot with an increasing explosion radius; at Level 4 it switches to a quad missile launcher that fires four missiles per shot at reduced accuracy, spreading them across a wide angle to potentially hit up to four different enemies at once.

Rocketeer Stats Per Level

The table below shows all Rocketeer Tower Defense Simulator upgrade levels and stats. Click any column header to sort. All values are sourced from the TDS Fandom wiki (checked August 3, 2026).

Level	Upgrade Cost	Damage	Cooldown	Range	DPS
0	2000	30	3.75	20	8
1	600	30	3	20	10
2	1800	50	3	22.5	16.67
3	6000	95	2.75	22.5	34.55
4	18500	95	4.5	24	84.44

Note: Upgrade 'Missile Maelstrom' (final level, max). Switches to a quad missile launcher: fires 4 missiles per shot across a 100-degree spread angle at reduced 25% accuracy, each targeting a different enemy if available. DPS = 95 damage x 4 missiles / 4.5s firerate = 84.44, per wiki formula assuming only one enemy absorbs all missile damage.

How to Get Rocketeer

Rocketeer is purchased from the in-game store for 2,500 Coins. Placing it costs 2,000 in-game cash at Level 0, one of the higher base placement costs among early-tier towers, and it is capped at a placement limit of 8 per player.

The upgrade path steadily increases explosion radius and damage through Level 3, with Level 2 also adding Hidden detection. Level 4 is a distinct playstyle shift rather than a simple stat bump: for 18,500 cash it converts Rocketeer into a quad-missile launcher that can spread damage across multiple enemies simultaneously instead of concentrating it on one target.

Is Rocketeer Worth It?

Rocketeer's splash damage and defense bypass make it effective against grouped, defense-heavy enemies where single-target towers struggle to keep up. Its listed DPS figures assume only one enemy absorbs all missile damage per shot, so against a lone target the numbers hold up reasonably well, but its real strength — and the reason to invest in the Level 4 quad-launcher upgrade — is spreading damage across several enemies at once rather than maximizing single-target output.

Its Deadzone Range of 9 at every level is a mechanical limitation worth accounting for: Rocketeer cannot engage enemies that get too close, so it needs to be placed with enough distance from the path or paired with a close-range tower to cover that dead zone. It also never gains Flying detection at any level, so it needs airborne coverage from another tower.

Rocketeer Tier Rating by Mode

Solo: D

Fallen: D

Hardcore: D

Best Loadouts With Rocketeer

Rocketeer is most effective placed where its Deadzone Range of 9 isn't a liability, such as along long straightaways or wide open areas rather than tight corners enemies pass close by. Pairing it with a short-range tower that can cover the dead zone directly around it, and with an anti-Flying tower to cover the type it can never detect, rounds out its coverage gaps.

Against grouped enemies, especially defense-heavy waves, Rocketeer's splash damage and defense-bypass make it a strong complement to single-target towers that otherwise struggle with armored targets. The Level 4 quad-missile upgrade is particularly valuable when enemies spread out across multiple lanes or clusters, since it can tag several separate targets in one volley instead of overkilling a single enemy.