I’ve spent countless hours grinding Universal Tower Defense, testing every relic combination imaginable, and let me tell you – choosing the right relics can make or break your entire game experience. When I first started playing UTD, I wasted so much time farming the wrong relic sets and wondering why my units weren’t performing as well as others.
After hundreds of Virtual Realm runs and countless Nightmare mode clears, I’ve finally cracked the code on which relics truly dominate the meta. This Universal Tower Defense Relics Tier List is my personal ranking based on real gameplay experience, not just theory-crafting. Whether you’re a beginner looking to optimize your first units or a veteran pushing the highest difficulties, this guide will show you exactly which relics to prioritize and why.
Relics are special equipment pieces that you can equip on your units to provide powerful stat bonuses and unique set effects. In Universal Tower Defense, there are currently six different relic sets, each inspired by popular anime themes from the game’s various stages.
What makes relics so crucial is that they often provide more significant stat boosts than traits when you complete a full set. Each relic set consists of three pieces: Head, Body, and Leg. The Body and Leg pieces typically drop from Story Mode missions, while the Head pieces are earned from Virtual Realm matches.
I’ve found that understanding how these set bonuses work together is absolutely essential for maximizing your unit’s potential. Some relics work amazingly well on certain unit types but fall flat on others, which is why having a comprehensive tier list is so valuable.
Honestly, the relic system is one of my favorite aspects of Universal Tower Defense. Unlike other Roblox tower defense games where equipment feels like an afterthought, UTD’s relic system adds a deep layer of strategy that keeps me coming back.
What I particularly love is how different relic sets can completely change how a unit plays. For example, I’ve taken the same Spade unit and made it a completely different powerhouse just by switching from Master Ninja to Laughing Captain relics. The versatility is incredible, and it rewards players who really understand the mechanics.
I also appreciate that relic farming gives me a clear progression path beyond just summoning new units. There’s nothing quite like finally completing that perfect Master Ninja set after dozens of farming runs and seeing your unit’s damage skyrocket!
Based on my farming experience, here’s the most efficient way to get the relics you need:
After extensive testing across all game modes, here’s my personal ranking of every relic set in Universal Tower Defense:
These relics are so powerful that they can literally carry you through content that would otherwise be impossible. I recommend prioritizing these above all else.
| Relic Set | Set Bonuses | Why It’s S Tier |
|---|---|---|
| Laughing Captain | Head: -10% Active Ability Cooldown<br>Body/Leg: +5 Base Damage, -5% Attack Cooldown, +5% Range | This is, without a doubt, the most versatile relic set in the game. I use this on at least 70% of my units because the cooldown reductions work on literally everyone. The range bonus is especially valuable for positioning, and the attack speed increase is noticeable on every unit type. |
| Ex-Captain Uraharo | Head: Refund 5% Yen spent on upgrades<br>Body/Leg: +10 Critical Rate, +25% Critical Damage | If you’re running any crit-focused units (and you should be), this set is absolutely mandatory. The critical damage bonus alone makes this S-tier, but the crit rate push ensures your crits actually happen consistently. I’ve seen damage increases of over 50% on units like Kriatu when switching to this set. |
These relics are excellent choices that can significantly boost your team’s performance, though they’re slightly more situational than S-tier options.
| Relic Set | Set Bonuses | Why It’s A Tier |
|---|---|---|
| Sun God | Head: After every 6 attacks, gain damage buff equal to unit’s Range for 7 seconds<br>Body/Leg: +5 Base Damage, +10% Light/Water/Ice Damage | This set becomes incredibly powerful on high-range units. I’ve seen some ridiculous damage numbers on units like Spade when they have enough range to make the damage buff massive. However, it does require specific investment in range stats to really shine, which is why it’s not S-tier. |
| Berserk Shingam I | Head: Every 6th attack deals 20% bonus True Damage<br>Body/Leg: +5 Base Damage, +15% Armor Damage | True Damage that ignores all resistance is incredibly valuable, especially against armored bosses and late-game enemies. I always keep a few units with this set ready for those specific situations where normal damage just isn’t cutting it. |
These relics have their uses but are generally outclassed by the options above. I only recommend using them if you don’t have access to better sets yet.
| Relic Set | Set Bonuses | Why It’s B Tier |
|---|---|---|
| Master Ninja | Head: Every 5 attacks, DoT damage increases by 20% for 10 seconds<br>Body/Leg: +5 Base Damage, +10% Dark/Rose/Fire Damage | This set is fantastic on DoT-focused units like Spade, but that’s also its limitation. If your unit doesn’t have damage-over-time abilities, you’re getting almost no value from the head bonus. I use this occasionally on specific units but wouldn’t recommend it as a general-purpose set. |
These relics have very specific use cases and are generally not worth farming unless you have a very particular build in mind.
| Relic Set | Set Bonuses | Why It’s C Tier |
|---|---|---|
| Junior Ninja | Head: All buffs increased by 1.1x<br>Body/Leg: +5% Base Damage, +10% Wind Damage | This set is only useful if you’re running heavy buff compositions with units like Miku. Without consistent buff support, the head bonus does literally nothing. Even in buff comps, the 1.1x multiplier is often not worth the opportunity cost of using a better set. |
While the tier list above gives you a general idea of which relics are best overall, I’ve found that certain units perform dramatically better with specific relic combinations. Here are my top recommendations for the most popular units:
Before you start farming for relics, make sure to grab these active codes for free gems and rerolls:
UTDRELEASE – 500 GemsTHANKYOU – 300 GemsUPDATE1 – 200 GemsFREEREROLLS – 5 RerollsThese codes expire quickly, so use them as soon as possible! I always check for new codes before any major farming session to maximize my resources.
The December 2025 update brought some significant changes to how relics work:
These changes have made relic farming more accessible overall, though some of the top-tier sets have been slightly adjusted to maintain balance.
After hundreds of hours of testing, here are some advanced strategies I’ve learned:
A: Based on my experience, Ninja Forest Act 1 on Nightmare mode at 1000% difficulty is currently the most efficient. I can clear it in about 3-4 minutes with a well-optimized team, and the drop rates are consistently good.
A: Always prioritize set bonuses first. A complete lower-rarity set will almost always outperform incomplete high-rarity pieces. I’ve seen rare relic sets outperform mythic pieces from different sets simply because of the set bonus synergy.
A: Yes, you can mix and match, but you’ll lose the set bonuses. I only recommend this if you’re missing one piece of a set and have an exceptionally good piece from another set to fill in temporarily.
A: More important than most players realize! I’ve seen sub-stats add up to 20-30% additional effectiveness when rolled well. Prioritize Damage, Crit Rate, and Crit Damage sub-stats for DPS units.
A: Yes, relics work in every game mode including Story, Virtual Realm, Challenges, and Infinite mode. However, some set bonuses are more valuable in certain modes than others.
Mastering the relic system in Universal Tower Defense has been one of the most rewarding aspects of my gaming journey this year. The difference between a well-optimized relic setup and a random collection can be absolutely staggering – I’ve seen the same unit perform anywhere from mediocre to god-tier just based on relic choices alone.
Remember that while this tier list provides a solid foundation, the best relic setup ultimately depends on your specific units, playstyle, and the content you’re tackling. Don’t be afraid to experiment and find what works best for you!
I’d love to hear about your own experiences with relics in Universal Tower Defense. What combinations have worked well for you? Have you discovered any hidden gems that I might have missed? Drop your thoughts in the comments below, and let’s help each other dominate the UTD meta!
