Numantian Games left Early Access on 18 June 2019 with The New Empire, a 48 mission campaign carrying more than 60 hours on top of the existing Survival mode. The custom engine pushes up to 20,000 infected on screen at once, and a single one reaching an unwalled house can end a four hour colony in about 90 seconds. Everything hinges on wall placement, noise discipline and the score factor you set before the map generates.
Picking the right build determines how your experience plays out. These builds are ranked by overall effectiveness, factoring in damage, survivability, gear requirements, and how well they scale into endgame. New to the game? Start with our beginner's guide first.
Quick Rankings
| Build | Tier | Playstyle | Core Gear |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ranger | A | Balanced | Best available |
| Soldier | A | Balanced | Best available |
| Sniper | A | Balanced | Best available |
| Thanatos | A | Balanced | Best available |
| Titan | A | Balanced | Best available |
For detailed meta rankings, see our They Are Billions tier list.
A-Tier: Ranger
Ranger is a top-performing option in They Are Billions.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Wooden Wall | Cheap, fast and made of the resource you have most of on day one. |
| Core Gear | Best available for your level | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Balanced offensive and defensive stats | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | One infected can end a run | Infection spreads building to building. |
How to Play Ranger
Ranger focuses on a balanced approach to content.
Why this build works: Wooden Wall does the damage and One infected can end a run keeps it running, which is why this sits at the top of the list. See our weapons guide for detailed equipment breakdowns.
Pros:
- Highest overall performance
- Straightforward gearing path
- Works in all content types
Cons:
- Popular pick, resources may be contested
- Needs specific gear to reach full potential
A-Tier: Soldier
Soldier is a strong option in They Are Billions.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Stone Wall | The real defensive line. |
| Core Gear | Best available for your level | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Balanced offensive and defensive stats | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | Noise attracts the horde | Every action has a noise radius. |
How to Play Soldier
Soldier focuses on a balanced approach to content.
Why this build works: Pair Stone Wall with Noise attracts the horde and the build stops depending on a good start, so it holds up across most content. See our weapons guide for detailed equipment breakdowns.
Pros:
- Most versatile option
- Straightforward gearing path
- Works in all content types
Cons:
- Lower peak damage than S-tier
- Needs specific gear to reach full potential
A-Tier: Sniper
Sniper is a strong option in They Are Billions.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Great Ballista | Fires heavy bolts with very little noise and often skewers several infected in a line. |
| Core Gear | Best available for your level | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Balanced offensive and defensive stats | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | Score factor sets difficulty and reward | Before generating a Survival map you set swarm size, map type and duration, and the game converts those into a percentage score factor. |
How to Play Sniper
Sniper focuses on a balanced approach to content.
Why this build works: Score factor sets difficulty and reward covers the gap Great Ballista leaves open, so the build stays usable even when a fight goes badly. See our weapons guide for detailed equipment breakdowns.
Pros:
- Best survivability
- Straightforward gearing path
- Works in all content types
Cons:
- Slower clear speeds
- Needs specific gear to reach full potential
A-Tier: Thanatos
Thanatos is a specialized option in They Are Billions.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Shocking Tower | The first tower that genuinely deletes crowds, using electricity to vaporise packs of weak infected at once. |
| Core Gear | Best available for your level | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Balanced offensive and defensive stats | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | Villages of Doom seeded on the map | These clusters hold dense packs of infected including Chubbies and other specials. |
How to Play Thanatos
Thanatos focuses on a balanced approach to content.
Why this build works: This one leans on Villages of Doom seeded on the map rather than raw numbers, and Shocking Tower is what makes that trade pay off. See our weapons guide for detailed equipment breakdowns.
Pros:
- Strong in group/team content
- Straightforward gearing path
- Excels in its niche
Cons:
- Weaker solo performance
- Requires deep game knowledge
A-Tier: Titan
Titan is a specialized option in They Are Billions.
Core Setup
| Slot | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Equipment | Executor | The Great Ballista upgraded into an automated gatling cannon, and the strongest static defence available. |
| Core Gear | Best available for your level | Maximizes build potential |
| Stat Priority | Balanced offensive and defensive stats | Optimal scaling |
| Key Mechanic | Tesla Tower energy grid | Tesla Towers extend energy coverage across the colony, and defensive buildings need power to fire. |
How to Play Titan
Titan focuses on a balanced approach to content.
Why this build works: Executor and Tesla Tower energy grid pull in the same direction here, which separates this from the safer picks above. See our weapons guide for detailed equipment breakdowns.
Pros:
- Unique, rewarding playstyle
- Straightforward gearing path
- Excels in its niche
Cons:
- High skill floor, punishing when misplayed
- Requires deep game knowledge
Build Progression Path
- Start with Soldier: the most forgiving option for learning the game
- Transition to Ranger once you understand core mechanics and have access to Wooden Wall
- Keep a Sniper setup for content that keeps killing you
- Try Titan for a fresh experience once you've mastered the basics
Follow our walkthrough for the optimal progression path through each area.
Gearing Tips
- Invest in your primary equipment first, since it gives the biggest power spike. See our weapons guide for rankings.
- Use the pause key as a core mechanic, not an emergency button. The game is built around pausing to issue orders, and no amount of mechanical speed will replace stopping the clock during a wave to retarget six units individually.
- Scout with exactly one Ranger. Sending a pair doubles the noise footprint for no extra map coverage, and one Ranger can outrun almost everything on the map if it wakes something it should not have.
- Don't spread upgrade resources across multiple builds until endgame
More They Are Billions Guides
- They Are Billions They Are Billions Overview
- They Are Billions Tier List
- They Are Billions Walkthrough
- They Are Billions Beginner's Guide
- They Are Billions Tips & Tricks
- They Are Billions Weapons Guide
- They Are Billions Combat Guide
- They Are Billions Boss Guide
- They Are Billions Maps & Locations
- They Are Billions Crafting Guide
- They Are Billions Classes & Characters
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