Range is one of the few stats in The Tower where more can be worse. It decides how long enemies spend under fire, but it also moves your Black Holes, changes where Ranged enemies stop to shoot, and shifts enemies away from your orbs and Golden Bot. This guide explains what moves with range and what does not, and lists the range each common build runs and why. To test your own numbers, use the Tower Range Simulator.
Updated
- Workshop range
- 30m to 69.5m 79 levels of 0.5m
- Range lab
- up to x2.60 80 levels, adjustable with a slider
- Black Hole centre
- 0.85 x range always slightly inside the range line
- Usual farming cap
- 69.5m Range lab left at 0
Where range comes from
| Source | Effect | How to turn it down |
|---|---|---|
| Workshop Range | 30m base, +0.5m per level, 69.5m at level 79 | Leave the permanent level low and buy range with cash during the run |
| Range lab | x1.02 per level, x2.60 at level 80 (unlocks at Tier 2, Wave 30) | Use the slider on the lab screen outside a run; researched levels are kept |
| Range card | x1.15 at level 1 up to x1.45 at level 7 | Unequip the card |
| Attack Range sub-effect on a Cannon module | +2m at Common up to +30m at Ancestral | Swap or reroll the module |
The lab multiplies the whole workshop value: level 4 gives about 75m and level 15 about 90m with workshop range maxed. A maxed card at minimum range gives 30 x 1.45 = 43.5m. Sources disagree on how the card and a high lab level combine, so check the range shown in game rather than a formula.
What moves when range changes
Several things are tied to tower range, each with its own rule. That is why a range that suits one part of your build can break another.
- Black Hole position 0.85 x range
The centre of every Black Hole sits at 85% of tower range. Since v24.3 it is always slightly inside the range line. The second Black Hole from the Extra Black Hole lab always spawns on the opposite side.
- Black Hole coverage shrinks as range grows
A Black Hole gets bigger at higher range, but only with the square root of range, while the circle it has to cover grows linearly. A Size that covers everything at 30m leaves large gaps at 69.5m. This is a community measurement rather than a published rule.
- Ranged enemy firing line (range - 30) x 0.75 + 30
Ranged enemies stop and shoot from this distance: 30m at 30m range, 59.6m at 69.5m, 75m at 90m. The Ranged Enemy Range lab (Tier 13, Wave 80) shortens it by 0.5% per level, up to 15%.
- Workshop orbs 60m minimum
Workshop orbs never orbit closer than 60m, so below 60m range they circle outside your range line. Above that they move out more slowly than range does and sit at 75m when range is 90m. The Workshop Orb Adjuster in The Vault lets you pull them in.
- Extra Orbs on the range line
Orbs from the Extra Orbs card default to tower range. The Extra Orb Adjuster lab (Tier 6, Wave 50) moves them anywhere between the lower of range and 60m, and 1.3x range. It cannot be changed while a boss is alive.
- Bots grow with range
The radius of every bot scales with tower range. At 30m a Golden Bot covers less than half the radius it does at 69.5m, which is one reason pure minimum range is not always best for coins.
- Chrono Field and Death Wave follow range
Chrono Field's radius is tower range plus its lab bonus. Death Wave's damage wave holds at your range line.
- Protectors fixed radius
A Protector's shield does not scale, so it covers a larger share of a small range and a smaller share of a large one.
| Tower range | Black Hole centre | Ranged firing line | Workshop orbs | Extra Orbs with adjuster | Size for full cover, 2 Black Holes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30m | 25.5m | 30.0m | 60m | 30m to 39m | 45m |
| 40m | 34.0m | 37.5m | 60m | 40m to 52m | 52m |
| 43.5m | 37.0m | 40.1m | 60m | 43.5m to 56.6m | 54m |
| 60m | 51.0m | 52.5m | 60m | 60m to 78m | 64m |
| 69.5m | 59.1m | 59.6m | 60m | 60m to 90.4m | 69m |
| 75m | 63.8m | 63.8m | about 64m | 60m to 97.5m | 71m |
| 90m | 76.5m | 75.0m | 75m | 60m to 117m | 78m |
| 180.7m | 153.6m | 143.0m | about 143m | 60m to 235m | 111m |
Black Hole centre and the Ranged firing line are confirmed formulas. Workshop orb distance is documented at 60m and at 90m range; other values are interpolated. The last column uses the community Black Hole size estimate and is the Size stat at which two Black Holes close the whole range circle. Black Hole Size reaches 70m from stones, more with the module sub-effect and Vault.
Why farming builds keep range low
Most late-game coin income comes from enemies dying while several multipliers overlap: Golden Tower, Black Hole, Death Wave, Golden Bot and, for some builds, Spotlight. All of the area effects cover a larger share of the field when the field is small.
- Black Hole covers more. The coin bonus applies anywhere inside the Black Hole circle, and the enemy does not need to be killed by the Black Hole itself. At 30m, two Black Holes of about 45m Size cover the entire range. At 69.5m the same Black Holes leave about 40% of the range line open.
- Kills stay central. Enemies that die close to the tower are more likely to be inside Golden Bot's radius, which wanders around the middle of the field.
- Orbs line up with the stack. Devo builds hold enemies on the wall and kill them with Extra Orbs. That only pays if the orb line runs through the Black Hole.
- Ranged enemies come to you. At 30m range they fire from 30m, right on the Extra Orb line.
Low range has costs too. Bots shrink with range, and a very small field leaves Shockwave little room to reorder the enemy stack. That is why the recommended Orb Devo range has moved over time, from 60m to 69.5m and then down toward 30-45m as players' Black Holes got bigger. The wiki's Devo guide still names 40-45m as the best compromise and calls 30m too small for Orb Devo because of lost Golden Bot coverage.
Why damage builds push range high
- Time under fire. More range means more time before an enemy reaches you, and time is damage. This is the whole case for range on a glass cannon.
- Damage per Meter. DPM adds damage for every whole meter between the tower and the target, rounded down. More range means more meters.
- Bigger bots and Chrono Field. Both grow with range, so crowd control reaches further.
- Weaker Protectors. Their fixed shield covers less of a large field.
- Knockback stalling. Zero-damage tournament builds use high range to keep early enemies away from Thorns and orbs so the enemy cap fills with weak enemies.
- UW Dissonance. With no Chrono Field or Poison Swamp, distance is the only crowd control left. Testing reported on the wiki's Dissonant Runs Guide put maximum range about 2,000 waves ahead of minimum range for a bullet build.
For tournaments the usual advice is simply to run the Range lab at its highest level and equip the Range card when a slot is free. See the tournaments guide for the conditions that change this.
Range by build
| Range | Setup | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| 30m | Extra Orbs at 30m, Black Hole centre 25.5m, Ranged enemies fire from 30m | Orbless and Spotlight farming, Black Hole Digestor, max Devo, modern Orb Devo |
| 40m to 45m | Extra Orbs on the range line, Shockwave about 1.1 | Orb Devo middle ground with a Black Hole Size around 48m |
| 43.5m | 30m plus a maxed Range card, workshop orbs pulled in with the Vault adjuster | Mid-range Spotlight farming |
| 69.5m | Workshop range maxed with cash, Extra Orbs at 60m, Black Hole centre 59.1m | Classic Orb Devo and general eHP farming; the usual farming ceiling |
| 75m | Range lab level 4 | Ranged firing line and Black Hole centre coincide at 63.8m |
| 90m | Range lab level 15 | Workshop orbs reach 75m and pass through the Black Hole centre, freeing the Extra Orbs card slot. Needs a near-maximum Black Hole |
| Maximum | Range lab level 80, Range card | Glass cannon, tournaments, UW Dissonance, knockback stalling |
Compiled from the wiki's Orb Devo, Devo, Orbless and Tier-Specific guides and community Discord guides. Treat them as starting points and test with your own Black Hole Size in the simulator.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best tower range in The Tower?
It depends on the build. Coin farming builds run 30m to 69.5m so Black Holes and Golden Bot cover most kills. Damage builds and tournament runs use the highest range available because it gives more time to shoot.
Why should I not go past 69.5m range when farming?
69.5m is the workshop maximum. More range needs the Range lab, which pushes enemies and Black Holes outward faster than Black Hole coverage grows, so a smaller share of kills earns the Black Hole and Golden Bot bonuses.
How do I reduce my tower range?
Open the Range lab outside a run and move its slider down; you keep the levels you researched. Unequip the Range card, and keep permanent workshop Range low so you can choose how much to buy with cash in each run.
Where do Ranged enemies stop?
At (tower range - 30) x 0.75 + 30 meters from the tower. That is 30m at minimum range and 59.6m at 69.5m. The Ranged Enemy Range lab reduces it by up to 15%.
Do orbs move with tower range?
Extra Orbs sit on the range line by default and can be moved with the Extra Orb Adjuster lab. Workshop orbs stay at 60m until range passes about 70m, then move out more slowly than range does.
Does the Black Hole get bigger with more range?
Yes, but more slowly than the range circle grows, so it covers a smaller share of your range. Community measurements put the growth at the square root of range.
Sources and credits
The numbers on this page come from the community-maintained The Tower - Idle Tower Defense Wiki and were reorganized and rewritten for Towerstats.org. Wiki text is available under CC BY-SA.