Relic farming in Universal Tower Defense Z is an ongoing process that requires consistent daily Raid runs and strategic use of Stat Rerolls and Stat Locks. Relics drop from Raids and Challenges, with higher difficulties yielding significantly better main stat ranges. Since you need 3 matching set pieces for each unit, and each piece has randomized main stats and substats, building a full BiS set takes weeks of dedicated farming. This guide covers where to farm relics, drop rates by difficulty, targeting strategies for specific set pieces, and the optimal daily relic farming routine.
Relic Drop Sources
| Source | Drop Rate | Main Stat Range | Difficulty | Daily Cap |
|---|
| Raids (Normal) | Common (50%+) | Low (3-8%) | Easy | 3 runs |
| Raids (Hard) | Uncommon (30%+) | Mid (8-12%) | Medium | 3 runs |
| Raids (Nightmare) | Rare (15%+) | High (12-15%) | Hard | 3 runs |
| Challenges (Easy) | Common (40%+) | Low (3-6%) | Easy | 1 run |
| Challenges (Medium) | Uncommon (25%+) | Mid (6-10%) | Medium | 1 run |
| Challenges (Hard) | Uncommon (20%+) | Mid-High (8-12%) | Hard | 1 run |
Set Drop Distribution by Raid
| Set | Normal Raid | Hard Raid | Nightmare Raid | Primary Source |
|---|
| Fused Warrior | 40% of drops | 35% | 30% | All Raids |
| Warlord | 20% of drops | 30% | 30% | Hard/Nightmare |
| Guardian | 30% of drops | 25% | 25% | All Raids |
| Fortune | 10% of drops | 10% | 15% | All Raids |
Fused Warrior is the most common drop, which is fortunate since it is the BiS set for most DPS units. Warlord drops more frequently in Hard and Nightmare Raids, aligning with its Raid boss specialist role.
Main Stat Ranges by Difficulty
The main stat on a relic determines its base quality. Higher difficulty Raids produce relics with significantly better ranges:
| Stat | Normal Range | Hard Range | Nightmare Range | BiS Target |
|---|
| Range (Top) | 5-8% | 8-12% | 12-15% | 12%+ |
| HP (Top) | 5-10% | 10-20% | 20-30% | 20%+ |
| CD (Bottom) | -3 to -5% | -5 to -7% | -7 to -10% | -7%+ |
| Damage (Bottom) | 5-8% | 8-12% | 12-15% | 10%+ |
| Crit Rate (Bottom) | 3-6% | 6-10% | 10-15% | 8%+ |
| Elemental DMG (Acc) | 3-6% | 6-10% | 10-15% | 8%+ |
| Boss DMG (Warlord) | 3-6% | 6-12% | 12-18% | 12%+ |
| Income (Fortune) | 3-5% | 5-10% | 10-15% | 10%+ |
A Nightmare Raid relic can have up to 3x the main stat value of a Normal Raid relic. This makes farming the highest difficulty you can clear the most efficient path to BiS relics.
Daily Relic Farming Schedule
| Time | Activity | Relics Expected | Time | Best For |
|---|
| Morning | 3x Challenges | 1-3 low-mid relics | 23 min | Fortune set pieces |
| Afternoon | 3x Raids (highest clearable) | 1-3 mid-high relics | 30 min | Fused Warrior + Warlord |
| Evening | Virtual Realm (2 runs) | 0-1 relics | 40 min | Occasional drops |
| Daily Total | | 2-7 relics | ~1.5 hr | Mixed quality |
Weekly Relic Income
| Source | Weekly Relics | Quality | Sets Available |
|---|
| Challenges (21 runs) | 7-15 | Low-Mid | All sets |
| Raids (21 runs) | 7-15 | Mid-High | All sets, better stats |
| Weekly Total | 14-30 | Mixed | All |
You need 3 matching set pieces per unit, and each unit gets its own set. With 6 units on your team, you need 18 total relics for a fully equipped team. At 14-30 relics per week, it takes about 1-2 weeks to equip your whole team.
Targeting Specific Set Pieces
| Piece Needed | Best Raid Target | Drop Rate | Alternative |
|---|
| Fused Warrior Top | Any Raid | 15-20% | Challenge Hard |
| Fused Warrior Bottom | Any Raid | 15-20% | Challenge Hard |
| Fused Warrior Accessory | Hard+ Raid | 10-15% | Nightmare Raid |
| Warlord Bottom | Hard+ Raid | 12-15% | Nightmare Raid |
| Guardian Top | Any Raid | 10-15% | Challenge |
| Fortune Top | Any Raid | 5-10% | Challenge Easy |
Fused Warrior pieces are the most commonly needed and most frequently dropped. Fortune pieces are the rarest but only needed for Farm units (1-2 total). Focus farming on Fused Warrior Bottom pieces — these are the most impactful for DPS output.
Relic Upgrade Priority
| Priority | Unit | Set | Why |
|---|
| 1 | Primary DPS (Joyful Captain) | Fused Warrior 3pc | Biggest DPS impact |
| 2 | Secondary DPS | Fused Warrior 3pc | Team DPS boost |
| 3 | Support | Guardian 3pc | Survivability + buff range |
| 4 | Farm | Fortune 3pc | Income boost |
| 5 | Flex units | Best available | Fill gaps |
Always complete your primary DPS's Fused Warrior set before moving to other units. A fully equipped primary DPS provides more clear speed improvement than partially equipping 3 units. See our BiS relics guide for unit-specific recommendations.
Stat Reroll Economy
| Resource | Weekly Income | Primary Source | Use Priority |
|---|
| Stat Rerolls | 5-10 | Challenges + Raids | Fused Warrior Bottom pieces |
| Stat Locks | 1-3 | Raids + Events | Protect 2+ good substats |
Stat Rerolls are relatively common, but Stat Locks are scarce. Only use Stat Locks on relics with good main stats and at least 2 good substats. Wasting Locks on mediocre relics is one of the most common optimization mistakes. See our stat reroll guide for the complete optimization strategy.
Relic Stat Ranges and Substats
Each relic slot has specific main stat ranges and substat pools. Understanding these ranges helps you evaluate whether a relic is worth keeping or rerolling:
Main Stat Ranges by Slot
| Slot | Possible Main Stats | Min Value | Max Value | Ideal for DPS | Ideal for Support |
|---|
| Top | HP, Range | +500 HP / +2 Range | +5000 HP / +8 Range | Range | HP |
| Bottom | CD, Damage, Crit Rate | -5% CD / +5% DMG / +5% Crit | -15% CD / +25% DMG / +20% Crit | -CD or +DMG | +Crit or +DMG |
| Accessory | Elemental DMG, HP | +5% Ele DMG / +500 HP | +25% Ele DMG / +3000 HP | +Ele DMG | +HP |
Substat Tiers
Each relic can have up to 4 substats. The quality of substats determines the relic's overall value:
| Substat Tier | Example Substats | Value Rating | Keep or Reroll |
|---|
| S | Crit Rate + Crit DMG + Range + CD | ★★★★★ | Keep — extremely rare |
| A | Crit Rate + DMG + any 2 useful stats | ★★★★ | Keep — great relic |
| B | DMG + any 2 useful stats | ★★★ | Keep if main stat is ideal |
| C | 2 useful + 2 useless stats | ★★ | Consider rerolling |
| D | 3-4 useless substats | ★ | Reroll or salvage |
Best-in-Slot (BiS) Relic Analysis
BiS for S-Tier DPS Units
| Unit | Top Slot | Bottom Slot | Accessory Slot | Set Bonus Target |
|---|
| Joyful Captain | Range | CD or Damage | Elemental DMG | Fused Warrior (2pc) |
| Ancient Mage | Range | CD | Elemental DMG | Fused Warrior (2pc) + Warlord (1pc) |
| Pirate King | Range | Damage | Elemental DMG | Warlord (2pc) + Fused Warrior (1pc) |
BiS for Support Units
| Unit | Top Slot | Bottom Slot | Accessory Slot | Set Bonus Target |
|---|
| Support units | HP | Crit Rate | HP | Any defensive set |
BiS for Farm Units
| Unit | Top Slot | Bottom Slot | Accessory Slot | Set Bonus Target |
|---|
| Farm units | HP | Any | Any | No set bonus needed — use any decent relic |
Relic Set Bonus Calculations
| Set | 2-Piece Bonus | 3-Piece Bonus | Total Value | Best Units |
|---|
| Fused Warrior | -5% CD | -7.5% CD + 15% Range | ★★★★★ | All DPS units |
| Warlord | +10% Crit Rate | +15% Crit DMG | ★★★★ | Crit-based DPS |
| Defender | +10% HP | +20% HP | ★★★ | Support and Farm |
| Elementalist | +10% Ele DMG | +15% Ele DMG | ★★★ | Elemental DPS |
Set Bonus vs Individual Stats
| Scenario | Set Bonus Value | Individual Stats Needed | Which is Better |
|---|
| Fused Warrior 3pc | -7.5% CD + 15% Range | Need -10% CD and +15% Range on substats | Set is usually better |
| Warlord 3pc | +15% Crit DMG | Need +20% Crit Rate and +15% Crit DMG | Depends on unit's base crit |
| 2 mixed sets | 2 partial bonuses | Need strong substats to compensate | Substats > partial sets if relics are premium |
Relic Farming and Reroll Strategy
Farming Priority by Difficulty
| Raid Tier | Relic Drop Quality | Shard Drop | Time Per Run | Recommended Runs/Week |
|---|
| Low Tier | Common-Uncommon | Mythic | 5-10 min | 5-7 |
| Mid Tier | Uncommon-Rare | Exclusive | 10-15 min | 3-5 |
| High Tier | Rare-Epic | Secret | 15-25 min | 2-3 |
Stat Reroll Strategy
| Stat Lock | Cost | When to Use | Priority |
|---|
| 1 stat locked | 1 Stat Lock | Lock the most valuable substat | First lock on any relic |
| 2 stats locked | 3 Stat Locks | Lock 2 premium substats | Only on S-tier relics |
| 3 stats locked | 6 Stat Locks | Overkill — usually not worth it | Never on non-BiS relics |
Stat Locks are precious resources. Only use them on relics with an ideal main stat and at least 1 premium substat. Never lock more than 2 stats on any relic — the cost is too high for marginal improvement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I keep low-quality Fused Warrior pieces or reroll them?
Keep any Fused Warrior piece with the correct main stat, even if substats are bad. You need 3 pieces for the set bonus. Only reroll substats on pieces with good main stats.
Can I farm relics without doing Raids?
Challenges drop relics, but the main stat ranges are lower. Raids are necessary for BiS-quality relics. If you cannot clear Hard Raids yet, farm Normal Raids and upgrade when your team improves.
How many relics should I keep in inventory?
Keep all relics with correct main stats for your team's sets. Salvage duplicates and pieces with wrong main stats. A well-organized inventory makes it easier to find and equip the right pieces.
Is it worth farming Nightmare Raids specifically for relics?
Yes, if you can achieve at least 35% completion rate. Nightmare relics have significantly higher stat ranges. Even with a 35% clear rate, the expected value of Nightmare drops exceeds consistent Hard Raid farming for the same time investment. See our Raids guide for team strategies.