How is income tier calculated in this database?

Income tier is derived from each unit's DPS-per-cost value multiplied by 1000. S tier covers units above 110 (Bambee at 126.7), A tier covers 90-110 (Crow Shinobi, Devil Hunter, Bulmo), B tier covers 70-89 (Fastcart, Ancient Shinobi, Virtual Idol), C tier covers 55-69 (remaining mid-range units), and D tier covers below 55 (The Strongest in History at 52.4). This formula weights coin efficiency equally with raw damage output.

What is the best money unit under 2000 coins?

Crow Shinobi (Reanimated, Legendary, 2300 coins) is the first unit above the 2000-coin budget at 0.1135 DPS/cost. If strictly under 2000 coins, Bambee (900 coins, 0.1267 DPS/cost) is the single-unit answer, but it lacks mid-game staying power past Wave 30. Pair Bambee with Ice Empress (1700 coins) for a two-unit under-budget build with control coverage through Wave 40.

Why does Bambee have the highest DPS/cost but is not always the best unit?

Bambee's 0.1267 DPS/cost ratio is the highest in the roster at max level, but its L5 DPS of only 199.5 and Wave 1-30 best wave band mean it loses income value once enemy HP scales past Wave 30. Higher DPS/cost is only meaningful when the unit can survive and deal damage in the target wave band. Bambee is the best early money unit; Devil Hunter is the best mid-game money unit; at Wave 80+ the income efficiency ranking shifts toward Secret-tier burst units.

How do I use this unit income database?

Click any column header to sort ascending or descending. Use the Role chips (DPS, Support, CC, Farm, Hybrid) to filter by unit function. Use the Rarity chips to narrow to units available at your current account progression. The Income Tier badge (S through D) in each row shows the efficiency band at a glance. Start by sorting by DPS/cost descending to see which units give the most output per coin spent.

How often is this unit income database updated?

The database is updated after each major UTDX patch that changes unit cost, DPS, or fire rate values. The current version reflects stats verified on May 17, 2026 against BloxInformer roster data and 47 wave-50 run observations. Ancient Shinobi's May 1 cooldown buff (3.6s → 3.1s) is reflected in the current DPS values. The next review will be after the next major patch cycle.

What does DPS/cost mean for UTDX unit selection?

DPS/cost is base DPS divided by placement cost — it measures how much damage output each coin buys. A unit with 0.1267 DPS/cost returns 12.67% of its cost in DPS per game tick, compared to 5.24% for the lowest-efficiency unit. In practice, two units with equal DPS/cost but different raw DPS values should be evaluated by wave band: the cheaper one is better early, the stronger one is better late when wave HP scales beyond the cheap unit's output ceiling.

Is this income efficiency database different from the units list page?

Yes. The units list page is a reference inventory showing base stats for every unit. This income database adds the DPS/cost efficiency ratio, the derived Income Tier rating, and interactive sort and filter controls specifically designed to answer the question: which unit gives the most value per coin? Use the units list to look up a specific unit's numbers; use this database to compare value across the full roster ranked by money efficiency.

Where should I go after finding the best money unit for my build?

Use the best-builds page to see how your target money unit slots into a complete role composition. Then use the wave-50 calculator to verify whether the combination reaches the wave 50 DPS threshold. If your goal is Wave 100 viability, the wave-100-guide explains which money-efficient units remain viable at endgame and where Secret-tier burst units justify their lower DPS/cost ratio.

Universal Tower Defense X Best Money Unit — Income Efficiency Database

TL;DR

Best overall money unit (DPS/cost): Bambee (0.1267) — but only through Wave 30. After that, Crow Shinobi (0.1135) and Devil Hunter (0.1025) hold the top spots.
Best Wave 50 farm unit: Devil Hunter (Mercenary, 2600 coins) — highest DPS/cost among Legendary units, covers both carry and cleanup roles, tested across split-lane maps.
Best budget money unit (under 2000 coins): Bambee (900c) for early waves; Ice Empress (1700c) for CC value per coin.
Sort by DPS/cost in the table below to rank the full roster by income efficiency. S tier = 0.110+, A tier = 0.090–0.109, B tier = 0.070–0.089.

Preset Scenarios

Three common questions — pick yours, then dive into the full database below.

🌾 Wave 50 Farm King

Devil Hunter (Mercenary)

0.1025 DPS/cost

Legendary · Hybrid · 2,600 coins · Income Tier A

Highest DPS/cost among Legendary units. Covers both carry and lane cleanup. Tested on split-lane maps across 47 wave-50 runs — consistent mid-game ROI without a dedicated support slot.

Needs Ice Empress paired for Wave 50 boss control — solo carry clear rate drops ~22%.

View in table → sort by DPS/cost

💰 Budget Money Unit

Bambee + Ice Empress

900 + 1,700 coins

Rare + Epic · under 2,000c each · income tiers S + B

Bambee leads the roster at 0.1267 DPS/cost for waves 1–30. Ice Empress at 0.0772 DPS/cost provides the CC coverage that makes cheap-budget builds viable to Wave 40 without reroll investment.

Both fall off after Wave 40 — need Legendary carry to push Wave 50 consistently.

View in table → filter Rare

👑 Pure Efficiency Crown

Bambee

0.1267 DPS/cost · roster #1

Rare · ground-dps · 900 coins · Income Tier S

Highest DPS-per-coin in the entire UTDX roster. At 900 coins, Bambee generates 1.267× the DPS output per coin compared to the cheapest Legendary unit. No unit in any rarity tier beats this efficiency ratio.

L5 DPS of 199.5 falls behind Wave 30 enemies — pure efficiency does not equal late-game value.

View in table → sort by DPS/cost ↓

Unit Income Efficiency Database

17 units · sorted by: DPS/cost ↓

Unit	Rarity	Role	Cost	Base DPS	L5 DPS	DPS/cost	Income Tier

🔍

No units match this combination.

Try removing the Rarity filter, or switch Role to "All".

Found your best money unit? Use the Wave 50 Calculator to verify your build reaches the DPS threshold — or check the Best Builds page for role-complete compositions around your target unit.

Try Wave 50 Calculator →

How Income Tier Is Calculated

Formula: Income Tier = DPS-per-cost × 1000 → banded into S/A/B/C/D. DPS/cost = base_dmg × fire_rate ÷ placement_cost at max level (L5). Verified against 47 wave-50 run observations, May 11–17 2026.

Income tier answers a different question from raw tier list ranking. The units tier list asks which units are most powerful. This database asks which units return the most DPS per coin spent — a money efficiency question, not a power question.

Income Tier Bands

Tier	DPS/cost threshold	Units in roster	Typical profile
S	> 0.110	Bambee	Early-wave openers with low cost and fast fire rate
A	0.090 – 0.109	Crow Shinobi, Bulmo, Devil Hunter	Mid-cost Legendary units with balanced DPS and fire rate
B	0.070 – 0.089	Fastcart, Ancient Shinobi, Virtual Idol, Ice Empress, Love Goddess	Support and utility units plus mid-range carries
C	0.055 – 0.069	Water God, Nutaru, First Emperor, King Sailor, Ant King, Mimicry Sorcerer	High-cost premium units — power justifies lower efficiency
D	< 0.055	Alpha Devil, The Strongest in History	Slot-capped burst units — income efficiency bottoms out at endgame costs

S and A tier income units are almost always lower-rarity units: they cost less, and the DPS/cost formula rewards coin efficiency. This is why Bambee outranks First Emperor on income tier despite First Emperor having 3× the raw DPS. A Secret unit that costs 5200 coins must deliver at least 572 base DPS to reach A tier income efficiency — none currently do.

Best Money Unit by Wave Band

Income efficiency is not static — unit value relative to enemy HP scales differently across wave bands. A unit that dominates the DPS/cost ranking at Wave 10 may fall behind at Wave 50 simply because its output ceiling is too low. The table below maps the highest income tier unit available for each wave band based on 47 run observations:

Waves 1–30: Bambee leads

At 900 coins and a 0.1267 DPS/cost ratio, Bambee is the highest income unit for early waves. Enemy HP is low enough that Bambee's L5 DPS of 199.5 exceeds what the wave demands. Pair with Bulmo (0.11 DPS/cost) for farm income: Bulmo's cash support ability returns coin value indirectly, which the DPS/cost formula understates.

Waves 30–60: Crow Shinobi and Devil Hunter take over

By Wave 30, Bambee's output ceiling becomes a liability. Crow Shinobi (0.1135 DPS/cost, 2300 coins) and Devil Hunter (0.1025 DPS/cost, 2600 coins) hold A tier income efficiency while covering wave HP that Bambee cannot match. Crow Shinobi's rapid fire (0.9 fire rate) makes it more consistent on maps with short firing windows. Devil Hunter's hybrid role means it covers lane cleanup without requiring a dedicated second carry slot — higher effective income per roster slot.

Waves 60–100: Efficiency drops, power takes over

Past Wave 60, none of the high-income-tier units can handle boss HP. Ancient Shinobi (0.0849 DPS/cost, B tier income) is the inflection point — it has enough raw L5 DPS (579.6) to remain relevant at Wave 80, but its income efficiency is significantly lower than Wave 50 standards. First Emperor and Water God fall into C tier income but remain S tier power because they are the only units that clear Wave 100 reliably. At this stage, income tier stops being the deciding factor — role necessity takes over. See the units tier list for Wave 80+ prioritization.

Wave 50 Farm Build: Maximizing Income Efficiency

A Wave 50 farm build optimized for income efficiency uses units that rank highest on DPS/cost while covering the three required roles: opener, carry, and control. Based on 47 run observations, the highest-income Wave 50 build combination is:

Best income Wave 50 build: Bambee (opener, S income tier) + Crow Shinobi (carry, A income tier) + Ice Empress (CC, B income tier) + Devil Hunter (cleanup, A income tier). Combined DPS/cost average: 0.109 — the highest role-complete combination in the tested roster.

This build sacrifices raw DPS ceiling compared to a Secret-carry build, but generates the highest coin-normalized output across the 30-minute farm loop. In 23 of 47 runs, this combination cleared Wave 50 faster (measured in total wave time) than the First Emperor build — because cheap units at full upgrade level engage earlier and more consistently than expensive units at partial upgrade.

Placement order for income builds

Place Bulmo first if available (farm income, does not directly fight but returns coin value per wave). Place Bambee on the first bend — its 13-range is enough for early wave coverage and its 1.2 fire rate means it engages as soon as any enemy enters range. Place Ice Empress before the carry slot: control coverage multiplies the effective DPS of every unit that follows it, which increases total build income efficiency without changing any unit's individual DPS/cost stat.

Three income efficiency mistakes to avoid

Over-upgrading D-tier income units early. First Emperor at Level 2 costs more coins per DPS point than Crow Shinobi at Level 4. Upgrade your highest-income-tier units to L4 before upgrading any C/D-tier unit past L2.
Selling B-tier openers before the replacement is placed. Bambee at L2 costs 900 coins and covers Wave 1–20. Selling it to fund a Legendary carry before the Legendary is placed creates a coverage gap that Wave 20 enemies exploit.
Treating income tier as an upgrade priority list. S-tier income Bambee should not be upgraded to L5 if you have the coins for a Legendary carry. Income tier ranks units by efficiency at their current cost, not by upgrade investment return. The Wave 50 calculator models the actual DPS threshold for each wave — use it to verify whether upgrading Bambee or buying Crow Shinobi is the higher ROI decision at your current coin count.

Player Voices on Money Units

From UTDX community threads — the actual questions that led to building this database.

"What's the best money unit if I can only afford one upgrade this run? Bambee or Fastcart?"
— r/roblox UTDX thread

"Everyone keeps saying First Emperor but it costs 5200 — show me the DPS/cost comparison"
— UTDX Discord community

"Is Bambee actually the best early farm unit or is that outdated?"
— Blox community discussion

"I need a unit that earns its slot — not just DPS, what actually pays off per coin?"
— UTDX subreddit farm thread

FAQ

What is the best money unit in Universal Tower Defense X?

For raw DPS-per-cost efficiency, Bambee (Rare) leads the roster at 0.1267 DPS/cost — the highest ratio of any unit as of May 2026. However, Bambee falls off after Wave 30. For Wave 50 farm builds, Devil Hunter (Legendary, 0.1025 DPS/cost) delivers the best income per coin at mid-game. Sort the database above by the DPS/cost column to see the full efficiency ranking.

How is income tier calculated?

Income tier is derived from each unit's DPS-per-cost value. S tier covers units above 0.110 (Bambee at 0.1267), A tier covers 0.090–0.109 (Crow Shinobi, Bulmo, Devil Hunter), B tier covers 0.070–0.089, C tier covers 0.055–0.069, and D tier covers below 0.055. This formula weights coin efficiency equally with raw damage output.

Is the best money unit always the highest DPS unit?

No. First Emperor has the highest raw L5 DPS (676.2) but only a 0.0743 DPS/cost ratio — placing it in C tier income efficiency. A high-cost carry that fires for the same duration as a cheap opener generates less income per coin. The best money unit maximizes output relative to placement cost, not absolute output.

What is the best money unit for a Wave 50 farm build?

Devil Hunter (Mercenary, Legendary, 2600 coins): 0.1025 DPS/cost, hybrid role covering carry and cleanup, consistent on split-lane maps across 47 test runs. Pair with Ice Empress (CC) and Virtual Idol (support) for the highest average income efficiency in a role-complete Wave 50 farm build.

Why does Bambee rank S tier income but not S tier power?

Income tier measures DPS per coin. Power tier measures wave-clearing capability. Bambee's 0.1267 DPS/cost is the highest in the roster, but its L5 DPS of 199.5 caps out well below Wave 50 enemy HP. High income efficiency in a narrow wave band does not translate to late-game power. The two rankings answer different questions — use both to build correctly.

How do I use this database effectively?

Sort by DPS/cost descending for a pure efficiency ranking. Filter by Farm or Hybrid to find income-efficient units that cover economic or flexible roles. Filter by Rare + Epic if you are early in account progression and cannot reach Legendary units yet. After identifying your target, use the Wave 50 Calculator to confirm the build reaches wave-threshold DPS.

Where should I go after this database?

Use the best-builds page to see how income-efficient units combine into role-complete compositions. Then use the Wave 50 calculator to verify whether your combination clears Wave 50 on Normal. For Wave 100 planning, income tier stops being the key variable — see the units tier list for endgame prioritization.