- Primary keyword: Sir, We Have an Orc Problem best towers ranked by battlefield role
- Best starter tower: Gunner offers reliable damage, range, and flexible placement
- Best crowd control: Mortar punishes packed lanes and repeated choke points
- Best heavy damage: Cannon becomes stronger when enemies move through tight corridors
- Core strategy: Shape enemy movement first, then stack firepower where paths converge
Sir, We Have an Orc Problem best towers Ranked
Sir, We Have an Orc Problem best towers are determined less by raw damage and more by how well each defense uses enemy pathing. A tower that covers a long corridor, a bend, or a crowded entry point can outperform a stronger tower placed in open space.
The current best approach is to combine rapid single-target fire with area damage. Gunners handle the steady stream, Mortars punish groups, and Cannons provide powerful shots against dense formations. Missile abilities and strafing runs are not towers, but they help cover leaks while your defenses are being upgraded.
| Tier | Tower | Main role | Best use |
|---|---|---|---|
| S | Gunner | Sustained damage | Long lanes, corners, and narrow entrances |
| S | Mortar | Area damage | Enemy clumps and repeated choke points |
| A | Cannon | Heavy piercing damage | Dense corridors and high-volume waves |
| B | Missile ability | Emergency burst | Leaks, crowded turns, and emergency defense |
Gunner
- Most flexible tower
- Strong with range and fire-rate upgrades
- Works well in crossfire layouts
- Reliable against continuous enemy streams
Mortar
- Best area control
- Efficient against packed orcs
- Strong near bends and staging areas
- Can scatter enemies if placed poorly
Cannon
- Heavy lane pressure
- Useful against dense formations
- Benefits from penetration and fire-rate upgrades
- Best when enemies cannot spread out
Missile Ability
- Fast emergency response
- Can target any visible location
- Useful against stragglers
- Save charges for dangerous leaks
Prioritize the tower that matches the map’s traffic pattern. A lower-tier defense on a perfect choke point can outperform a premium defense in a low-traffic area.
Best Tower Placements and Choke Points
Placement is the most important part of a successful defense. Before spending resources, watch where the orcs naturally compress, especially after turning around walls or entering a narrow corridor.
Gunners should sit close enough to the lane that they can fire through the longest possible stretch. Two or more Gunners can create overlapping coverage, forcing enemies to remain under fire as they move. Crossfire is especially useful when enemies follow the same wall or repeatedly pass through one corner.
Mortars need a different placement philosophy. Their ideal targets are not necessarily the entrance or exit. Look for the area where several groups pause, merge, or slow down. If a Mortar repeatedly pushes enemies away from another defense’s firing line, move it slightly deeper into the route.
| Tower | Preferred location | Avoid | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gunner | Straight lane, wall edge, narrow turn | Open center with limited line of sight | Maximizes sustained firing time |
| Mortar | Crowd formation point, bend, lane junction | Directly beside fast exits | Needs grouped targets for value |
| Cannon | Tight corridor, major convergence point | Wide open field | Piercing shots gain more value in dense lanes |
| Missile ability | Visible leak or overloaded choke | Early low-density wave | Burst damage is more valuable later |
A strong layout usually has three layers:
- Early thinning: Damage enemies shortly after they enter.
- Primary kill zone: Stack your strongest towers where paths compress.
- Leak control: Keep a missile or air-support ability available for survivors.
Do not place every tower at the first visible entrance. Early damage is useful, but a central kill zone gives your defenses more opportunities to attack the same enemy group.
Crossfire Versus Single-Side Stacking
Single-side stacking is easy to manage and can work when enemies follow one predictable lane. Crossfire is usually better when the map contains a sharp bend or a long wall because enemies remain inside overlapping firing arcs.
Use single-side stacking when:
- The lane is extremely narrow.
- One entrance supplies most of the wave.
- Your towers have enough range to cover the full corridor.
Use crossfire when:
- Enemies hug one wall.
- The route turns sharply.
- A second lane can send survivors around your main defense.
| Layout style | Strength | Weakness | Recommended use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single-side line | Simple and concentrated | Vulnerable to alternate routes | One-lane maps |
| Crossfire | Overlapping damage | Requires more careful spacing | Bends and wall-following paths |
| Split defense | Covers multiple entrances | Lower damage per lane | Multi-entry maps |
| Central kill zone | Excellent late-wave control | May allow early buildup | Large enemy formations |
Upgrade Priorities for the Strongest Towers
Upgrades should support the job each tower is already performing. Increasing range on a Gunner can be valuable when it allows the tower to attack enemies before they reach a corner. Increasing Mortar radius is strongest when enemies consistently group together.
For Gunners, prioritize shots per second, damage, range, and penetration. Fire rate improves constant lane pressure, while penetration becomes increasingly valuable when several enemies overlap. Range is more important on larger maps or when towers are positioned away from the lane.
Mortars generally prefer explosion damage, explosion radius, shell frequency, and fragment effects. Do not invest heavily in area upgrades if enemies are spread across several unrelated lanes. In that situation, an additional Gunner or Cannon may provide more dependable coverage.
Cannons benefit from damage, fire rate, penetration, and additional tower capacity. They are particularly effective when their projectiles can travel through a packed formation instead of hitting a single target and stopping.
| Upgrade | Gunner value | Mortar value | Cannon value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Damage | High | High | Very high |
| Shots per second | Very high | High | High |
| Range | High | Moderate | High |
| Penetration | Very high | Situational | Very high |
| Explosion radius | None | Very high | None |
| Extra tower slot | High | High | High |
Secure Reliable Coverage
Place one Gunner at the first dependable lane and upgrade its firing rate or damage. The goal is to stop small groups without spending every resource on emergency abilities.
Build the Main Kill Zone
Add a second Gunner or a Mortar where enemies bunch together. Keep the defenses close enough that their attack zones overlap.
Add Penetration and Area Damage
Choose penetration for crowded lines and explosion upgrades for grouped enemies. Match the upgrade to the way the wave is actually moving.
Expand Only After Stabilizing
Buy another tower slot after your existing defenses can handle ordinary traffic. More poorly upgraded towers may be weaker than a smaller optimized network.
A practical order is sustained damage first, coverage second, and specialized effects third. This keeps your defense stable while you identify the map’s real pressure points.
Wave Strategy and Farming Priorities
The best tower build changes as enemy volume increases. Early waves reward efficient single-target damage because enemies arrive in manageable groups. Later waves create large formations where Mortars, Cannons, penetration, and broad ability coverage become more important.
Resource management is part of the build. Spend enough to establish a kill zone, but avoid exhausting your currency before a new entrance or split path appears. If the map reveals a second route, preserve enough resources for at least one defense on that side.
When a wave begins to overwhelm the main lane, do not immediately move every tower. First identify why the leak is happening:
- Enemies are reaching the lane too quickly.
- A tower is firing into a wall or blocked angle.
- Mortar explosions are scattering enemies.
- The secondary path lacks enough coverage.
- Your primary tower needs penetration rather than raw damage.
| Wave situation | Best response | Poor response |
|---|---|---|
| Small groups | Upgrade Gunner damage or fire rate | Spending all burst abilities |
| Dense formation | Add Mortar or Cannon pressure | Adding towers in open ground |
| Wall-following enemies | Adjust Gunner angles and range | Ignoring their route pattern |
| Multiple entrances | Split coverage by lane | Stacking every defense together |
| Final survivors | Use missiles or strafing support | Rebuilding the entire layout |
When to Add Another Tower
Add another tower when an existing defense is already using its position effectively and still cannot clear the lane. If a tower is blocked, misaligned, or aimed at a low-traffic route, repositioning may be better than buying another copy.
A useful test is to watch one complete enemy group:
- Does the tower acquire targets quickly?
- Does it keep firing as enemies pass?
- Does its damage overlap with another defense?
- Does it contribute to the main kill zone?
If the answer is mostly no, fix placement before increasing tower count.
Best Tower Build Checklist:
- Place a Gunner on the longest reliable firing lane
- Create a central kill zone near a bend or convergence point
- Add Mortar coverage only where enemies group consistently
- Use Cannon penetration against dense formations
- Reserve missile or strafing support for dangerous leaks
Treat every map as a pathing puzzle. Track where enemies slow down, then move damage toward that location instead of spreading defenses evenly.
Recommended Builds for Different Maps
There is no single layout that fits every stage. The most dependable builds are flexible templates that can be adjusted after observing the first few waves.
Balanced Choke Build
Start with two Gunners covering the primary lane. Add a Mortar behind the point where enemies gather, then place a Cannon where its shot can travel through the largest group. This build is reliable when the map has one dominant route.
Multi-Entry Build
Use one or two Gunners on each major entrance before investing in heavy area damage. After both lanes are stable, place Mortars near shared bends or central convergence points. Cannons should cover whichever route produces the largest formations.
Heavy Formation Build
Use a Gunner to maintain constant damage, then prioritize Mortars and Cannons. This setup works best when enemies move in large, predictable groups rather than scattered streams.
| Build | Core towers | Best map type | Main risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Balanced Choke | 2 Gunners, 1 Mortar, 1 Cannon | One dominant lane | Alternate entrances |
| Multi-Entry | Gunners on each entrance, flexible Mortar | Several active routes | Thin damage per lane |
| Heavy Formation | Gunner, Mortars, Cannons | Dense enemy groups | Fast individual enemies |
| Emergency Control | Gunner network, burst abilities | Unstable or late waves | High ability dependence |
Start with a balanced layout, then specialize after the first difficult wave. The correct build is the one that answers the map’s most common failure point.
Final Best Towers Ranking
For most situations, the Gunner is the strongest first investment because it provides consistent damage and adapts to many placements. The Mortar is the best answer to crowded lanes, while the Cannon becomes increasingly valuable when penetration and heavy shots can affect multiple enemies.
The best overall composition is usually a mixture rather than a single-tower strategy:
- Use Gunners to maintain constant lane pressure.
- Use Mortars to punish groups at predictable congestion points.
- Use Cannons to break dense formations.
- Use missile or strafing abilities to stop leaks and protect weak sides.
Do not judge a tower only by its early performance. A defense that looks efficient against small groups may lose value when enemies split, stack, or arrive from multiple directions.
Best Towers FAQ
Q: What is the best tower in Sir, We Have an Orc Problem?
Gunner is the best general-purpose choice because it offers reliable sustained damage, flexible placement, and strong scaling through fire rate, range, damage, and penetration.
Q: Is Mortar better than Gunner against large waves?
Mortar is usually better when enemies remain grouped, especially around bends and choke points. Gunner is more dependable when enemies spread out or arrive in a continuous stream.
Q: When should I use Cannon towers?
Use Cannons when enemies form dense lines or move through narrow corridors. Prioritize penetration and fire rate so each shot has more opportunities to affect the formation.
Q: Should I stack all my best towers at one entrance?
Only when that entrance supplies most of the wave and the route remains predictable. On multi-entry maps, split your early coverage before building a concentrated central kill zone.
The strongest defense combines tower roles: Gunners for consistency, Mortars for crowds, Cannons for penetration, and abilities for emergency control.