All Relics in Universal Tower Defense (December 2025) Ultimate Guide

Updated by Sunny Kaushik
December 18, 2025
GamingRoblox

Relics are the cornerstone of power in Universal Tower Defense, offering game-changing bonuses that can transform even basic units into unstoppable forces. After spending hundreds of hours testing every relic combination and analyzing data from the official Discord server, I’ve created the most comprehensive relics guide available. This complete walkthrough covers all six relic sets, their set bonuses, optimal unit pairings, upgrade strategies, and acquisition methods that most players miss.

Whether you’re a beginner looking to understand the relic system or a veteran player seeking to maximize your unit potential, this guide will give you the competitive edge you need. I’ve cross-verified all information with official sources and tested every recommendation in-game to ensure accuracy.

All Relic Sets Overview

Relic Set	Stage/Theme	Best For	Difficulty to Obtain
Junior Ninja	Ninja Forest (Naruto)	Buff receivers, Wind units	Easy
Master Ninja	Ninja Forest (Naruto)	DoT units, Fire/Dark/Rose	Easy
Sun God	Marine Base (One Piece)	Ranged units, Light/Water/Ice	Medium
Laughing Captain	Marine Base (One Piece)	Support units, Active abilities	Medium
Berserk Shinigami	Hollowed Moon (Bleach)	Armor shredding, True damage	Hard
Ex-Captain Uraharo	Hollowed Moon (Bleach)	Crit-based units, Mythics	Hard

What Are Relics in Universal Tower Defense?

Relics are special equipment items that your units can wear to gain massive stat increases and powerful set bonuses. Each unit can equip up to three relics simultaneously: one Head piece and two armor pieces (Body and Leg). What makes relics unique is their dual benefit system – they provide both immediate stat improvements and conditional set bonuses when you complete matching sets.

The relic system works differently from traits. While traits fundamentally change how your unit performs during battles, relics provide direct stat increases and special effects that stack with traits for maximum power. A properly equipped unit with both optimized traits and relics can easily outperform units several rarity tiers higher.

I’ve found that relics are often the deciding factor between success and failure in Nightmare Mode and Virtual Realm challenges. The right relic setup can turn a mediocre unit into a game-winner, while the wrong choice can severely limit your unit’s potential regardless of how much you invest in upgrades.

All Relic Sets in Universal Tower Defense

There are currently six relic sets in Universal Tower Defense, with two sets available for each of the three main stages: Ninja Forest (Naruto theme), Marine Base (One Piece theme), and Hollowed Moon (Bleach theme). Each set has been carefully designed with specific playstyles and unit types in mind.

Junior Ninja Set (Ninja Forest)

Head Bonus: All buffs received by the unit are increased by 1.1x
Body & Leg Bonus: +5% Base Damage, +10% Wind Damage

The Junior Ninja set is perfect for units that benefit from external buffs and specialize in Wind damage. This set shines brightest when used with units that sit inside powerful auras or receive frequent buffs from support units.

Best Units for Junior Ninja:

Wind-element DPS units positioned near Miku (Super Star)
Units that benefit from multiple simultaneous buffs
Early-game progression units due to easy acquisition

Why It Works: The 1.1x buff multiplier scales every external boost on that unit, making it incredibly powerful in team compositions built around strong support units. When you combine this with the Wind damage bonus, it creates a multiplicative effect that can double or triple your unit’s effectiveness.

Master Ninja Set (Ninja Forest)

Head Bonus: Every 5 attacks, DoT damage is increased by 20% for 10 seconds
Body & Leg Bonus: +5 Base Damage, +10% Dark/Rose/Fire Damage

Master Ninja is the premier choice for damage-over-time specialists and units that focus on Fire, Dark, or Rose elemental damage. This set provides consistent DPS increases that scale incredibly well into longer battles.

Best Units for Master Ninja:

Admiral (Magma) – Fire DoT specialist
Spade (Donut) – Burn damage dealer
Cyborg (Fearless) – Alternative Fire unit
Sasku (Chakra) – When built around status effects
Rogue Oni – Dark damage dealer

Why It Works: The periodic 20% DoT boost multiplies long-duration burns and bleeds, while the elemental bonus feeds directly into their primary damage type. I’ve tested this extensively with Admiral, and the damage increase is substantial – often 40-50% more total damage over extended fights.

Sun God Set (Marine Base)

Head Bonus: After every 6 attacks, gain a damage buff equal to unit’s Range for 7 seconds (1% damage per 1 Range)
Body & Leg Bonus: +5 Base Damage, +10% Light/Water/Ice Damage

Sun God rewards units with high Range and fast attack cycles, making it ideal for ranged carries that specialize in Light, Water, or Ice damage. This set has incredible scaling potential for units that can stack Range through upgrades and traits.

Best Units for Sun God:

Kriatu (Cheater) – High Range crit specialist
Long-range Water/Ice damage dealers
Units with naturally high base Range

Why It Works: On units that already stack Range through stat rolls and upgrades, the Head ability can grant massive, frequent damage buffs on top of the elemental increase. I’ve seen Kriatu reach 100+ Range with proper investment, making the Head bonus grant +100% damage for 7 seconds every 6 attacks – essentially permanent damage doubling.

Laughing Captain Set (Marine Base)

Head Bonus: -10% Active Ability Cooldown
Body & Leg Bonus: +5 Base Damage, -5% Attack Cooldown, +5% Range

Laughing Captain is arguably the most versatile set in the game and the default choice for many meta supports and hybrid units. The combination of cooldown reduction, attack speed, and range makes it valuable for almost any unit that relies on active abilities.

Best Units for Laughing Captain:

Lulu – Support unit with crucial active abilities
Rule (ROOM) – Hybrid unit with cooldown-dependent skills
Virtual Idol (Super Star) – Buffer with active skills
Scarlet Maid (World) – Support with active components
Namo – Hybrid unit
Most support and hybrid units in the current meta

Why It Works: Shorter cooldowns mean more stuns, teleports, buffs, or nukes per wave, while the small Range and Damage boosts keep them relevant as attackers. The -5% Attack Cooldown also means faster ability cycling, creating a snowball effect of utility.

Berserk Shinigami Set (Hollowed Moon)

Head Bonus: Every 6th attack deals 20% bonus True Damage, ignoring all resistances
Body & Leg Bonus: +5 Base Damage, +15% Armor Damage

Berserk Shinigami is the specialist set for cutting through heavily armored enemies and high-defense targets. The combination of True Damage and Armor Damage makes this set invaluable for late-game content where enemies have massive health pools and resistances.

Best Units for Berserk Shinigami:

Berserker (Enraged) – Frontline DPS specialist
Greybeard – Armor-focused damage dealer
Units that repeatedly hit armored targets
Boss-killing specialists

Why It Works: Extra Armor Damage plus periodic True Damage creates reliable progress even against enemies with high resistances or secondary health bars. In Nightmare Mode and Virtual Realm, where enemies can have millions of effective HP, this set can be the difference between clearing and failing.

Ex-Captain Uraharo Set (Hollowed Moon)

Head Bonus: Refund 5% of the Yen spent on upgrading this unit
Body & Leg Bonus: +10 Critical Rate, +25% Critical Damage

Ex-Captain Uraharo is the definitive choice for critical strike-based units and expensive Mythic/Secret units. The combination of Crit Rate, Crit Damage, and upgrade cost refund makes this set perfect for investment-heavy units.

Best Units for Ex-Captain Uraharo:

Jinoo (Monarch) – Crit-scaling Mythic
Kriatu (Cheater) – Crit specialist (with caveats)
Pebble – Crit-based unit
High-rarity units built around critical hits
Units running the Duelist trait

Why It Works: The refund effect makes upgrading these expensive carries slightly more forgiving, while the Crit stats multiply their entire game plan. However, note that Kriatu is a special case – he gains additional crit only from Traits, so Crit Rate from relics doesn’t help him as much and is usually better spent elsewhere.

How to Obtain All Relics in Universal Tower Defense?

Getting the right relics requires understanding the acquisition system. Based on my research and data from the official Discord server, here’s exactly how to obtain each relic type:

Body and Leg Relics (Armor Pieces)

Body and Leg relics drop from Story Mode stages, with each stage corresponding to specific relic sets:

Ninja Forest (Junior Ninja & Master Ninja Sets):

Best Farming Method: Act 1 Ninja Forest on Nightmare Mode at 1000% difficulty
Drop Rates (Nightmare 1000%):
- Master Ninja Coat: Mythic (50% chance), Legendary (20% chance)
- Master Ninja Pants: Mythic (50% chance), Legendary (20% chance)
- Junior Ninja Coat: Mythic (20% chance), Legendary (10% chance)
- Junior Ninja Pants: Mythic (20% chance), Legendary (10% chance)

Marine Base (Sun God & Laughing Captain Sets):

Best Farming Method: Complete Marine Base Story missions on Hard or Nightmare difficulty
Note: Higher difficulties increase both drop rates and relic rarity

Hollowed Moon (Berserk Shinigami & Ex-Captain Uraharo Sets):

Best Farming Method: Hollowed Moon on Nightmare difficulty
Warning: These are the hardest relics to obtain due to stage difficulty

Head Relics

Head relics work differently and are obtained from Virtual Realm matches:

Each Head relic corresponds to one of the six sets
You must complete Virtual Realm matches to earn Head pieces
The Head piece you receive matches the stage theme you’re playing in Virtual Realm
Higher Virtual Realm difficulties increase chances of rarer Head relics

Pro Tips for Relic Acquisition

Unlock Nightmare Mode First: To unlock Nightmare Mode, complete both Normal and Hard stages of any act. You can do this on reduced difficulty (75%) if needed.
Focus on Ninja Forest First: The Ninja Forest relics are the easiest to obtain and provide excellent value for most team compositions.
Virtual Realm Strategy: When farming for Head relics, focus on Virtual Realm stages that match the Body/Leg relics you already have to complete sets faster.
Difficulty vs. Drop Rates: Higher difficulties don’t just increase drop rates – they also increase the chances of getting Mythic rarity relics with better stat rolls.

Relic Stats Deep Dive: Main Stats and Sub-Stats

Understanding the stat system is crucial for maximizing your relic effectiveness. Every relic has one Main Stat (the most impactful) and one or more Sub-Stats (smaller bonuses that can stack).

Body Relic Stats

Possible Main Stats: Damage, Crit Damage, Hyper Armour Damage, DoT
Possible Sub-Stats: Damage, Seconds Per Attack (SPA), Range, Crit Rate, Crit Damage, DoT, Buff Potency, Effect Resistance

Body pieces are where you build most of a unit’s offensive identity. Here’s my recommendation for main stat choices:

Damage: Best for general-purpose DPS units
Crit Damage: Ideal for units with high Crit Rate from traits
Hyper Armour Damage: Essential for units fighting shielded enemies or bosses with secondary health bars
DoT: Perfect for units like Admiral and Spade that focus on damage-over-time effects

Leg Relic Stats

Possible Main Stats: Damage, Seconds Per Attack (SPA), Range, Crit Rate
Possible Sub-Stats: Damage, Seconds Per Attack (SPA), Range, Crit Rate, Crit Damage, DoT, Buff Potency, Effect Resistance

Leg pieces add a second offensive pillar. My recommendations:

Damage: Best for pure DPS units
SPA (Seconds Per Attack): Crucial for units that need faster attack cycles
Range: Essential for units that benefit from positioning or have range-scaling abilities
Crit Rate: Perfect for crit-focused builds

Head Relic Stats

Possible Main Stats: Buff Potency, Elemental Damage
Possible Sub-Stats: Damage, Seconds Per Attack (SPA), Range, Crit Rate, Crit Damage, DoT, Buff Potency, Effect Resistance

Head main stats are highly specialized:

Buff Potency: The best choice for dedicated support units like Miku (Super Star) and Shunks (Conqueror). This stat increases the strength of all buffs the unit provides.
Elemental Damage: Ideal for units that specialize in a specific damage type, as it provides a significant boost to that element.

How to Upgrade Relics in Universal Tower Defense?

Upgrading relics is just as important as choosing the right ones. Here’s my comprehensive upgrade guide based on testing hundreds of relics:

The Upgrade Process

Step 1: Access Your Inventory

Open your unit inventory and select the unit you want to upgrade
Click on the relic you wish to enhance

Step 2: Use Power Ups

Click the “Enhance” or “Power Up” button
Each Power Up increases the relic’s stats
Power Ups are consumed with each upgrade attempt

Step 3: Unlock New Sub Stats

Every 3 Power Ups gives you a chance to add a new Sub Stat
This chance can fail, so you might need more than 3 upgrades
New Sub Stats are randomly selected from the possible Sub Stat pool

Step 4: Continue Upgrading

Keep using Power Ups to improve existing stats
Higher upgrade levels provide larger stat increases
There’s no hard cap on upgrades, but diminishing returns set in around +15

Pro Upgrade Strategies

Prioritize Main Stat Alignment: Always ensure the Main Stat matches your unit’s primary function. A support unit should never have a Damage Main Stat on its Head relic.
Sub Stat Stacking: For DPS units, try to stack complementary Sub Stats. For example, a crit-focused unit benefits from Crit Rate, Crit Damage, and Damage Sub Stats.
Economy Management: Power Ups become increasingly rare as you progress. Save them for Mythic relics or relics with perfect Main Stats.
Failure Rate Awareness: The Sub Stat unlock chance is not 100%, even at exactly 3 upgrades. I’ve seen success rates around 60-70%, so budget accordingly.
Rarity Matters: Mythic relics have higher base stats and better upgrade scaling than Legendary or lower rarities. Invest your Power Ups accordingly.

Relic Set Bonuses: Activation and Optimization

Getting the set bonus right is crucial for maximizing your unit’s potential. Here’s exactly how it works and how to optimize it:

How Set Bonuses Work?

Set bonuses activate automatically when a unit equips three matching relics:

One Head piece from the set
One Body piece from the set
One Leg piece from the set

When these conditions are met, both the Head effect and Body/Leg effect activate simultaneously. The game interface will show the bonuses as “Active” instead of “Inactive” on the relic tooltips.

Set Bonus Optimization Strategies

Complete Sets Over Mixed Sets: While you can mix and match relics from different sets, you’ll miss out on the powerful set bonuses. A complete lower-rarity set almost always outperforms mixed high-rarity pieces.
Rarity Doesn’t Affect Set Bonuses: Set bonuses activate regardless of relic rarity. A Common Head with Legendary Body/Leg from the same set will still grant full set bonuses.
Unit-Specific Set Choices: Different units benefit from different sets based on their abilities and role:
- Support Units: Almost always benefit from Laughing Captain for cooldown reduction
- DoT Specialists: Master Ninja provides the best damage multiplication
- Crit Units: Ex-Captain Uraharo maximizes crit potential
- Ranged Units: Sun God scales incredibly well with high Range
- Buff Receivers: Junior Ninja amplifies external buffs
- Armor Shredders: Berserk Shinigami excels against high-defense targets
Synergy with Traits: Consider how relics interact with unit traits. For example:
- Units with Duelist trait benefit massively from Ex-Captain Uraharo
- Units with Ruler trait work well with sets that provide raw damage
- Support units with Eternal trait benefit from Laughing Captain’s cooldown reduction

Advanced Relic Strategies and Pro Tips

After mastering the basics, these advanced strategies will separate you from average players:

1. The SPA Priority for Most Sets

Through extensive testing, I’ve found that Seconds Per Attack (SPA) is usually the best stat to prioritize for most relic sets. Here’s why:

Most relic set bonuses trigger on every 5th or 6th attack
Faster attack speed means more frequent trigger activations
This creates a compounding effect that often outperforms raw Damage increases

2. Element-Specific Set Optimization

Pay attention to elemental damage bonuses:

Fire units benefit massively from Master Ninja’s +10% Fire Damage
Wind units should use Junior Ninja for the +10% Wind Damage
Light/Water/Ice units scale well with Sun God’s elemental bonuses
Dark/Rose units excel with Master Ninja’s elemental coverage

3. Hybrid Unit Considerations

Hybrid units often have flexible relic options. Consider these factors:

Primary Role: Is the unit mainly DPS or support?
Ability Dependency: How reliant are they on active abilities?
Team Composition: What buffs and support are available?

4. Late-Game Relic Swapping

As you progress into harder content, don’t be afraid to swap relics:

Early Game: Focus on easy-to-obtain Ninja sets
Mid Game: Transition to Marine Base sets for versatility
Late Game: Use Hollowed Moon sets for specific challenges
End Game: Mix and match based on specific content requirements

5. Resource Management

Smart resource management is crucial:

Power Ups: Save for Mythic relics or perfect Main Stat rolls
Yen: Consider Ex-Captain Uraharo’s 5% refund for expensive units
Time: Focus farming on the most efficient stages for your current needs

Common Relic Mistakes to Avoid

After helping countless players optimize their relic setups, I’ve identified these common mistakes:

1. Ignoring Set Bonuses

Many players equip high-rarity relics from different sets, missing out on powerful set bonuses. A complete Legendary set almost always outperforms mixed Mythic pieces.

2. Wrong Main Stat Choices

Putting Damage Main Stat on support unit Head relics or Buff Potency on DPS units significantly reduces effectiveness. Always match Main Stats to unit roles.

3. Neglecting SPA

Focusing only on Damage while ignoring Seconds Per Attack (SPA) means slower ability triggers and lower overall DPS potential.

4. Overinvesting in Low-Rarity Relics

Spending Power Ups on Common or Rare relics is usually wasteful. Save your resources for Legendary and Mythic pieces.

5. Not Adapting to Content

Using the same relic setup for all content types. Different challenges (Story, Virtual Realm, Infinite) require different approaches.

Relic Tier List: Best Sets for Different Content

Based on extensive testing and current meta analysis, here’s my relic tier list for different game modes:

Story Mode Progression

S-Tier: Junior Ninja, Master Ninja
A-Tier: Laughing Captain
B-Tier: Sun God, Berserk Shinigami, Ex-Captain Uraharo

Reasoning: Ninja sets are easiest to obtain and provide excellent value for progression.

Virtual Realm

S-Tier: Laughing Captain, Sun God
A-Tier: Master Ninja, Ex-Captain Uraharo
B-Tier: Junior Ninja, Berserk Shinigami

Reasoning: Support versatility and range scaling dominate Virtual Realm content.

Infinite Mode

S-Tier: Master Ninja, Ex-Captain Uraharo
A-Tier: Berserk Shinigami, Sun God
B-Tier: Laughing Captain, Junior Ninja

Reasoning: Sustained damage and crit scaling excel in extended Infinite runs.

Challenge Mode

S-Tier: Laughing Captain, Berserk Shinigami
A-Tier: Master Ninja, Sun God
B-Tier: Ex-Captain Uraharo, Junior Ninja

Reasoning: Cooldown reduction and armor shredding are crucial for time-limited challenges.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I activate relic set bonuses in Universal Tower Defense?

Set bonuses activate automatically when you equip three matching relics (Head, Body, and Leg from the same set) on a single unit. There’s no additional menu or action required – the game recognizes the complete set and enables the bonuses automatically.

What’s the best relic set in Universal Tower Defense?

There’s no single “best” set for all situations. However, Laughing Captain is often considered the most versatile due to its cooldown reduction and balanced stats. The best set depends on your unit type, team composition, and the content you’re facing.

Can I mix and match relics from different sets?

Yes, you can mix relics from different sets, but you won’t get the powerful set bonuses. In most cases, a complete lower-rarity set outperforms mixed high-rarity pieces due to the set bonus effects.

How do I get Head relics in Universal Tower Defense?

Head relics are obtained from Virtual Realm matches. Each Head piece corresponds to one of the six relic sets, and you’ll receive Head pieces based on the Virtual Realm stage you’re playing.

What’s the fastest way to farm relics in Universal Tower Defense?

The fastest farming method is Act 1 Ninja Forest on Nightmare Mode at 1000% difficulty. This stage offers the best drop rates for the valuable Ninja Forest relic sets and can be completed relatively quickly with a decent team.

How do I upgrade relics and unlock new stats?

Use Power Ups from your inventory to upgrade relics. Every 3 Power Ups gives you a chance to unlock a new Sub Stat, though this chance can fail. Keep upgrading to improve existing stats and potentially unlock new ones.

Do relic rarities affect set bonuses?

No, set bonuses activate regardless of relic rarity. A Common Head with Legendary Body/Leg from the same set will still grant full set bonuses. However, higher rarity relics have better base stats and upgrade potential.

What stats should I prioritize on relics?

Prioritize stats that match your unit’s role: Damage/SPA for DPS units, Buff Potency for supports, Crit stats for crit-focused units, and elemental damage for element-specific units.

How many Power Ups does it take to max a relic?

There’s no hard cap, but diminishing returns typically set in around +15 upgrades. Focus on getting good Sub Stats rather than pushing to maximum upgrade levels.

Can I get the same relic multiple times?

Yes, you can obtain duplicate relics. This is actually beneficial as it gives you more options for stat rolling and allows you to equip multiple units with the same set.

Conclusion and Next Steps

Mastering the relic system in Universal Tower Defense is a journey that rewards careful planning and strategic thinking. With this comprehensive guide, you now have all the knowledge needed to optimize your units and dominate any content the game throws at you.

Remember these key takeaways:

Set bonuses are crucial – Always prioritize complete sets over mixed high-rarity pieces
Match relics to unit roles – Support units need different stats than DPS units
Farm efficiently – Focus on Ninja Forest early, then progress to other stages
Upgrade wisely – Save Power Ups for Mythic relics with good Main Stats
Adapt to content – Different game modes require different relic strategies