Tier List
How it's ranked
The number under each dragon is its damage per second at top level from the game's own level tables, with every projectile of a volley counted, and that number alone sets the tier. Nothing here is an opinion, which also means it can't see splash size, slows, burns, knockback or range. Check a level, trait or talent setup in the damage calculator.
Questions
What is the best dragon in Dragon Tower Defense?
By damage, Prism Dragon: 1,750 DPS at level 12, counting all 7 hits of a volley. Void Dragon (1,158) and Crystal Dragon (556) follow.
How is this tier list ranked?
On one number: each dragon's damage per second at its top level, counting every thorn, beam or bullet it sends at once. S tier is 1,000 DPS and up, A 400, B 150 and C 45. There are no hidden weights, so the figure under a dragon is the one that ranks it.
What is the best dragon you can summon without a Secret?
Void Dragon, a Mythic in S tier at 1,158 DPS for $22,000 maxed. Among Common to Rare dragons the best is Shadow Dragon (C tier, 70 DPS).
Which dragon gives the most damage for its Cash?
Void Dragon (52.6 DPS per $1,000), Prism Dragon (38 DPS per $1,000), Thorn Dragon (30.7 DPS per $1,000). Cheap dragons win here because a match starts with $600.
Why aren't Gold, Boulder or the helper dragons ranked?
They don't deal damage on a cooldown of their own: Spirit sends helpers, Gold earns Cash, Boulder blocks the road, Dragoness sends helpers, Gumball earns Cash, Sugar Rush boosts other dragons, Candy King sends helpers. DPS can't compare those, so they sit in their own row.
Do traits and talents change the tiers?
They scale every attacker by the same share (up to +100% damage from a trait, +10% from talents), so the order barely moves. Placement limits matter more in a match: Crystal Dragon can only be placed once.
Does DPS count area damage?
No. The figure is damage to one enemy, so the 16 dragons marked "area" (splash, line, cone and chain attacks) do more in a crowd than their tier suggests. Crystal Dragon does its 556 a second to every enemy its attack reaches.
