Soldier — Tower Defense Simulator Guide
Category: Starter
Unlock: 350 Coins
Detection: Hidden, Flying
Placement Limit: None (unlimited)
Tier Rating: D
Total Upgrade Cost: $9,050
The Soldier Tower Defense Simulator tower is a cheap, burst-firing starter unit built for the earliest waves of a match. Instead of firing continuously, it releases a volley of shots followed by a short cooldown, with the burst size and per-shot damage both scaling up through its four upgrade levels. It gains Hidden detection at Level 2 and Flying detection at Level 4, giving it some late utility, but its overall damage output falls behind dedicated DPS towers as waves progress.
Soldier Stats Per Level
The table below shows all Soldier 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 | 400 | 1 | 0.175 | 17 | — |
| 1 | 100 | 1 | 0.15 | 17 | — |
| 2 | 700 | 2 | 0.15 | 19 | — |
| 3 | 1850 | 4 | 0.15 | 19 | — |
| 4 | 6000 | 10 | 0.15 | 22 | — |
Note: Upgrade title: Deadliest Soldier; burst increases to 12 shots, 0.4s cooldown between bursts; gains Flying detection; max level; dps null, see Level 0 note for formula
How to Get Soldier
The Soldier Tower Defense Simulator tower costs 350 Coins from the in-game Store with no level requirement, making it one of the cheapest and most accessible towers to unlock.
Because it requires no level gate and a low Coin cost, the Soldier Tower Defense Simulator unlock is typically one of the first purchases new players make, alongside other starter-tier towers.
Is Soldier Worth It?
The Soldier's value is concentrated in the early game. Its burst-fire mechanic means DPS is not a simple damage divided by cooldown calculation; the wiki defines it as (Damage x Burst Count) divided by (Cooldown plus Firerate x Burst Count), reflecting the layered burst, per-shot firerate, and inter-burst cooldown involved.
At max level, the Soldier Tower Defense Simulator tower fires a 12-shot burst dealing 10 damage per shot, which is respectable output for a tower with a total upgrade cost of only 9,050 in-game cash. However, its damage per shot stays low compared to towers built around raw single-target power, so it is generally outclassed by Level 3+ threats later in a match.
The Soldier Tower Defense Simulator unit can retarget between bursts if a new enemy enters range mid-cycle, which helps it stay useful against fast-moving early waves even as its raw damage output becomes less relevant later on.
Soldier Tier Rating by Mode
Best Loadouts With Soldier
A beginner-friendly early setup pairs Soldier with Farm for income and Commander for a firerate buff, since the Soldier's cooldown between bursts cannot itself be reduced by Commander, only the per-shot firerate within each burst.
As waves progress, it is common to replace or supplement the Soldier Tower Defense Simulator tower with Minigunner or Militant for continued DPS, keeping the Soldier around mainly for its early Hidden and Flying detection utility rather than raw damage.