Parallel 45 Games released Tower Dominion on 7 May 2025. It is a roguelike tower defence where you shape the ground as well as the defence: between waves you expand the map with new terrain zones, and the paths you carve decide where the alien waves walk toward your HQ. Three factions, the Iron Dragoons, the Lions of Ravelski and the Pargan Assault Group, field ten commanders each, and the run ends the moment HQ life reaches zero. Difficulty runs Recruit, Veteran, Elite and War, and clearing War unlocks the endless Frontier mode.
This walkthrough takes you from your first session to endgame content. Each phase has specific goals, priorities, and milestones. New to the game? Start with our beginner's guide first.
Quick Progression Summary
| Phase | Area | Focus | Build | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Start | Main headquarters | Battlefronts and HQ entry points basics | Tank Commander Beryt | 1-2 hours |
| 2. Early | Battlefront | The expansion phase and terrain height mastery | Tank Commander Beryt | 3-5 hours |
| 3. Mid | Entry point | Blueprints drawn three at a time + gear | Sergeant Gurtag or Tank Commander Beryt | 5-10 hours |
| 4. Late | Camp Alpha | Build optimization | Sergeant Gurtag | 5-10 hours |
| 5. Endgame | Classified site | Min-max | Sergeant Gurtag or Captain Seculdi | Ongoing |
See our maps guide for detailed area breakdowns.
Phase 1: Getting Started (Main headquarters)
The structure the entire run defends. It has multiple entrances, each fed by a battlefront, and the run ends when its life reaches zero. Several buildings interact with it directly, including the Mirador's close support upgrade which gives bonus effects when placed adjacent to HQ.
Level/Difficulty: Waves 1 to the end of the run Key Rewards: Adjacency bonuses for close support buildings, the Iron Dragoons Officers Quarters buff, and the only life total that matters
What to Do in Main headquarters
- Learn Battlefronts and HQ entry points. A battlefront is one path running from the map edge to an entrance on your HQ, and a single battlefront can feed more than one entrance. Spend your first session getting comfortable with this.
- Pick Tank Commander Beryt as your starting build. See our builds guide for why.
- Enemies are organised into tiers, with Tier 0 appearing first and a higher tier introduced every 10 waves. That means a defence that comfortably holds wave 19 can collapse at wave 21, so build for the tier break rather than the wave in front of you.
- Acquire your first equipment upgrade: Durendal cannon or whatever's available.
- Clear all main content before moving on.
Phase 1 Checklist
- Understand Battlefronts and HQ entry points fundamentals
- Tank Commander Beryt selected and functional
- Main headquarters main content cleared
- Ready for Battlefront
Phase 2: Early Game (Battlefront)
Each battlefront is a distinct path from the map edge to the HQ. Starting count depends on difficulty, which is the main reason Elite and War feel disproportionately harder than Veteran rather than just numerically tougher.
Level/Difficulty: Established at run start, extended during every expansion phase Key Rewards: Merged battlefronts create a single killing ground where every tower fires at every wave
What to Do in Battlefront
- Work on The expansion phase and terrain height. Between waves you place new zones onto the map, and Recon pays for rerolling the zones on offer. This system becomes critical from here on.
- Farm for Durendal cannon if you haven't already. It's the key upgrade for this phase.
- Three enemy modifiers exist and each has a specific counter. Air units resist standard weapons and need anti-air, shielded units carry larger effective health and are weak to shield-countering weapons, and dividing units split on death and simply require more total firepower.
- Complete all objectives before pushing to Entry point.
- Consider whether Sergeant Gurtag might suit your playstyle better than Tank Commander Beryt.
Phase 2 Checklist
- The expansion phase and terrain height integrated into gameplay
- Durendal cannon acquired
- Battlefront fully cleared
- Ready for Entry point
Phase 3: Mid Game (Entry point)
The specific tile where enemies enter the battlefield. Enemy composition is revealed three waves in advance, or five with Tank Commander Beryt, so the entry point plus the preview tells you exactly what is walking in and from where.
Level/Difficulty: Waves 1 onward, with enemy tier rising every 10 waves Key Rewards: Advance intelligence via the wave preview, which is the cheapest defensive advantage in the game
What to Do in Entry point
- Master Blueprints drawn three at a time. At the end of each wave you choose one blueprint from three offered. This unlocks a new layer of gameplay.
- Start working toward Defender m5. It's the best equipment and becomes accessible around now.
- You see the enemy composition three waves ahead by default. Tank Commander Beryt extends that to five, and certain doctrines extend it too, which converts the reinforcement phase from guesswork into planning.
- This area is the main skill check. If you can clear it, you're ready for late game.
- Start investing in Doctrines and building doctrines for the tactical depth you'll need going forward.
Phase 3 Checklist
- Blueprints drawn three at a time mastered
- Defender m5 acquired or in progress
- Entry point fully cleared
- Ready for Camp Alpha
Phase 4: Late Game (Camp Alpha)
One of the neutral sites that can appear on an expansion tile rather than being built by you. Neutral buildings appear based on the Discovery stat and contribute resources including Supply and Recon, which makes rerolling for a tile that contains one a legitimate use of Recon.
Level/Difficulty: Appears during expansion phases throughout a run Key Rewards: Free resource generation without spending Supply on construction
What to Do in Camp Alpha
- Finalize your build. You should be running Sergeant Gurtag or Tank Commander Beryt with optimized gear.
- Defender m5 should be your primary. If you don't have it yet, prioritize getting it.
- Building a dead end forces a Pit to appear on that tile. Long spiral mazes are therefore not free, and the usual answer is to merge battlefronts into a single long approach rather than building a labyrinth that spawns pits everywhere.
- Supply, Tech and Recon optimization starts here. Small improvements compound into massive advantages.
- Farm this area for the resources needed to push into Classified site.
Phase 4 Checklist
- Build fully optimized
- Defender m5 upgraded to max
- Camp Alpha fully cleared
- Ready for Classified site
Phase 5: Endgame (Classified site)
Another neutral structure found during expansion. Like other neutral buildings its appearance is governed by Discovery, and its value is that it arrives already built, which in a game where every blueprint slot is contested is worth more than the raw numbers.
Level/Difficulty: Appears during expansion phases throughout a run Key Rewards: Resource contribution and map presence that does not consume one of your three blueprint choices
What to Do in Classified site
- Classified site tests everything. Come prepared with your best build and gear.
- Tech starts between 6 and 10 and there are very few sources of more. Commanders like Archeologist Karia, Techno-adept Jorg and Captain Seculdi generate it, and on any other commander you should treat your starting Tech as the whole budget for the run.
- The endgame loop: run Classified site, optimize gear, push harder content.
- Experiment with Captain Seculdi for a fresh take once you've mastered the standard builds.
- This is where Supply, Tech and Recon mastery separates good players from great ones. See our tips guide for advanced strategies.
Phase 5 Checklist
- Endgame content on farm
- Best-in-slot gear acquired
- Classified site fully cleared
- Ready for challenge content
Common Progression Mistakes
- Spreading towers evenly across every battlefront. The stronger play is merging paths so that one killing ground receives every wave, which lets a small number of upgraded positions do all the work.
- Hoarding Recon instead of rerolling. Recon exists to reroll the zones offered during expansion, and a run that never rerolls is accepting whatever terrain the game hands it, which is how battlefronts end up impossible to merge.
- Spending Tech early on a small upgrade. With only 6 to 10 points and few sources of more, Tech should go into the one or two structures your defence is actually built around, not into whatever looks appealing at wave 5.
- Building long mazes without accounting for Pits. Dead ends force Pits to appear, so the classic tower defence spiral is punished here in a way it is not in most games in the genre.
- Ignoring the wave preview. Enemy types are visible three waves out, so being surprised by an air wave or a shielded wave is a planning failure rather than bad luck.
Key Tips for Smooth Progression
- Enemies are organised into tiers, with Tier 0 appearing first and a higher tier introduced every 10 waves. That means a defence that comfortably holds wave 19 can collapse at wave 21, so build for the tier break rather than the wave in front of you.
- Three enemy modifiers exist and each has a specific counter. Air units resist standard weapons and need anti-air, shielded units carry larger effective health and are weak to shield-countering weapons, and dividing units split on death and simply require more total firepower.
- You see the enemy composition three waves ahead by default. Tank Commander Beryt extends that to five, and certain doctrines extend it too, which converts the reinforcement phase from guesswork into planning.
- Building a dead end forces a Pit to appear on that tile. Long spiral mazes are therefore not free, and the usual answer is to merge battlefronts into a single long approach rather than building a labyrinth that spawns pits everywhere.
- Tech starts between 6 and 10 and there are very few sources of more. Commanders like Archeologist Karia, Techno-adept Jorg and Captain Seculdi generate it, and on any other commander you should treat your starting Tech as the whole budget for the run.
For more advanced strategies, see our tips & tricks guide.
More Tower Dominion Guides
- Tower Dominion Tower Dominion Overview
- Tower Dominion Best Builds
- Tower Dominion Tier List
- Tower Dominion Beginner's Guide
- Tower Dominion Tips & Tricks
- Tower Dominion Weapons Guide
- Tower Dominion Combat Guide
- Tower Dominion Boss Guide
- Tower Dominion Maps & Locations
- Tower Dominion Crafting Guide
- Tower Dominion Classes & Characters
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