Summoning is how you acquire new units in Universal Tower Defense Z. Using Gems as currency, you pull from banners that offer different unit pools, rates, and pity guarantees. Understanding the summon system — banner types, rarity rates, pity mechanics, and when to pull — is critical for building a strong unit roster without wasting Gems. This guide covers everything about the summoning system and optimal pull strategy.
How Summoning Works
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Currency | Gems (50 Gems per standard pull) |
| Banner Types | Standard, Featured, Limited |
| Pity System | Guaranteed Legendary after X pulls |
| Rates | Vary by banner type |
| Storage | Pulled units go to unit storage |
Each pull randomly selects one unit from the banner's pool. The result is determined by RNG with fixed probabilities per rarity tier. There is no way to influence individual pull results — strategy comes from choosing which banner to pull on and when.
Summon Rates by Banner
| Rarity | Standard Banner | Featured Banner | Limited Banner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Common | 60% | 30% | 20% |
| Rare | 25% | 25% | 20% |
| Epic | 10% | 20% | 25% |
| Legendary | 4% | 8% | 10% |
| Mythic | 1% | 2% | 3% |
Featured banners double the Legendary and Mythic rates compared to standard banners, but they focus on specific featured units. If you want a particular unit, the featured banner is always better than standard.
Featured Banner Details
| Banner Feature | Rate Increase | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| S-tier focus (Joyful Captain, etc.) | 2x Legendary/Mythic rates | Specific S-tier units |
| New unit debut | 3x rate for new unit | New Update 4.0 units |
| Seasonal banner | 2x + Summer units | Event-limited units |
Featured banners rotate every 1-2 weeks. The current featured unit is displayed on the banner screen. Always check which unit is featured before spending Gems.
Pity System Explained
The pity system guarantees a high-rarity pull after a certain number of failed attempts:
| Pity Tier | Pulls Required | Guarantee |
|---|---|---|
| Epic Pity | 10 pulls | Guaranteed Epic or higher |
| Legendary Pity | 50 pulls | Guaranteed Legendary or higher |
| Featured Pity | 100 pulls | Guaranteed featured unit |
Pity counters carry over between banners of the same type. If you pull 30 times on a featured banner and it rotates, your 30-pull counter continues on the new featured banner. However, pity does not carry over between different banner types (standard vs featured vs limited).
Pity Strategy
| Strategy | When to Use | Gem Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Full pity | When you want the featured unit | 5000 Gems (100 pulls) |
| Half pity | When the featured unit is good but not essential | 2500 Gems (50 pulls) |
| Stop at Epic | When testing a banner | 500 Gems (10 pulls) |
Never spend Gems on a featured banner unless you can reach at least the half-pity (50 pulls). Stopping before pity means you likely get no guaranteed high-rarity return on your investment. For Gem farming strategies, see our gems farming guide.
Which Banner to Pull On
| Banner Type | When to Pull | When to Skip |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | Early game (need any units) | Mid/late game (need specific units) |
| Featured (S-tier) | Always — best value per Gem | Only if you already have the unit |
| Featured (A-tier) | If you lack a role specialist | If you have S-tier alternatives |
| Limited | If the unit is exclusive and strong | If you are low on Gems |
| Summer Event | If you want Summer units | If you are saving for a meta banner |
The optimal strategy is to save Gems for featured banners that include S-tier units. Joyful Captain, Ancient Mage, and Pirate King are the best targets. A-tier units like Super Roku and Ultiorra are good secondary targets.
Optimal Gem Saving Strategy
| Stage | Gem Goal | Target | Time to Save |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beginner | 2500 | 1 featured pull (half pity) | 2-3 days farming |
| Mid-game | 5000 | Full featured pity | 5-7 days farming |
| Endgame | 10000 | 2 full pities | 2 weeks farming |
| Whale goal | 50000 | 10 pities (any unit) | 1-2 months farming |
At 300K+ Gems per hour from optimized Story Mode farming, you can reach half-pity in about 8 hours of active play. This makes it very achievable for free-to-play players to get Legendary units regularly. Check our beginner guide for early Gem farming routes.
Summon vs Other Gem Uses
| Gem Use | Gems Required | Value | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Featured pity | 5000 | Guaranteed S/A-tier unit | ★★★★★ |
| Team slot expansion | 500-1500 | More team flexibility | ★★★★ |
| Unit storage expansion | 200-500 | More unit capacity | ★★★ |
| Trait Rerolls | 1 Gem = 1 Reroll | RNG-dependent | ★★ |
| Evolution materials | 1000+ | Available via gameplay | ★ |
Always prioritize featured pity pulls over other Gem uses. A guaranteed S-tier unit provides more power than any other single investment. Only spend Gems on non-summon items when you have no upcoming featured banner to save for.
Limited and Seasonal Units
| Unit | Availability | Banner | How to Get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spectacular Spider | Limited (S1P1) | Spider-verse banner | Summer 2026 only |
| Smash Fighter | Limited (S1P2) | Smash banner | Summer 2026 only |
| Summer Event Unit | Seasonal | Summer currency exchange | Farm Summer Currency |
Limited banner units may return in future reruns, but there is no guarantee. If a limited unit is A-tier or higher, consider pulling — you may not get another chance. Use active codes for bonus Gems and summon tickets.
Unit Stat Comparison and Analysis
Understanding the detailed stat differences between units helps you make informed decisions about team composition and investment priority. Here is a comprehensive stat comparison across all unit tiers:
DPS Comparison by Role
| Unit | Role | Base DPS | Evolved DPS | Full Etherealized DPS | Ruler DPS | DPS/Gem Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joyful Captain | Hybrid | 1000 | 2000 | 6000 | 9000+ | ★★★★★ |
| Ancient Mage | Hill | 900 | 1800 | 5400 | 8100+ | ★★★★ |
| Pirate King | Ground | 1100 | 2200 | 6600 | 9900+ | ★★★★★ |
| Super Roku | Hybrid | 800 | 1600 | 4800 | 7200+ | ★★★ |
| Ultiorra | Hill | 750 | 1500 | 4500 | 6750+ | ★★★ |
| Shunks | Ground | 850 | 1700 | 5100 | 7650+ | ★★★★ |
| Zora | Hybrid | 600 | 1200 | 3600 | 5400 | ★★★ |
| Sasuke | Ground | 650 | 1300 | 3900 | 5850 | ★★★ |
| Ace | Hill | 550 | 1100 | 3300 | 4950 | ★★ |
Range and SPA Comparison
Range and SPA (Seconds Per Attack) determine how effectively a unit can cover the map and how frequently it attacks:
| Unit | Base Range | Max Range | Base SPA | Min SPA | Effective Attacks/Minute |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ancient Mage | 15 | 22 | 2.0s | 0.96s | 62.5 |
| Ultiorra | 14 | 20 | 1.8s | 1.0s | 60 |
| Joyful Captain | 12 | 18 | 1.5s | 0.72s | 83.3 |
| Pirate King | 8 | 13 | 1.0s | 0.48s | 125 |
| Shunks | 9 | 14 | 1.2s | 0.6s | 100 |
| Ace | 11 | 16 | 2.2s | 1.1s | 54.5 |
| Super Roku | 10 | 15 | 1.4s | 0.75s | 80 |
| Zora | 10 | 15 | 1.6s | 0.85s | 70.6 |
| Sasuke | 7 | 11 | 1.1s | 0.55s | 109 |
Unit Cost Efficiency Analysis
| Unit | Deployment Cost | Cost/DPS Ratio | Cost Efficiency Rating | Best Investment Stage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pirate King | High | Low (best) | ★★★★★ | Mid-to-Late game |
| Joyful Captain | Medium-High | Low | ★★★★★ | All stages |
| Ancient Mage | High | Medium | ★★★★ | Mid-to-Late game |
| Shunks | Medium | Medium-Low | ★★★★ | Early-to-Mid game |
| Super Roku | Medium | Medium | ★★★ | Mid game |
| Zora | Low | Medium | ★★★ | Early game |
| Sasuke | Medium | Medium-High | ★★ | Mid game |
| Ace | Low | High (worst) | ★★ | Early game only |
Unit Positioning Guide
Proper unit positioning can increase effective DPS by 20-50% depending on the map layout:
Positioning Principles
| Principle | Description | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Maximize path coverage | Place units where they can attack the longest path segment | +20-30% effective DPS |
| Use range advantage | Long-range units on Hill for elevation bonus | +15% range |
| Avoid overlap | Do not place units where they cover the same path segment | Prevents wasted DPS |
| Farm proximity | Place Farm units near the path for maximum income | +10-20% income |
| Boss focus | Position DPS units near the boss spawn for maximum uptime | +25%+ boss damage |
Positioning by Role
| Role | Ideal Position | Avoid | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hybrid DPS | Center of map, Hill if available | Isolated corners | Maximize AoE coverage |
| Hill DPS | Elevated position with path view | Ground (loses range bonus) | +15% range is significant |
| Ground DPS | Near path center | Far from path | Short range needs proximity |
| Support | Between DPS units | Far from buff targets | Buff range is limited |
| Farm | Adjacent to enemy path | Isolated positions | Income based on proximity |
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I pull on the standard banner? Only in the very early game when you need any units at all. Once you have a basic team, save all Gems for featured banners with S-tier units.
Does pity carry over between banners? Pity carries over between banners of the same type (featured to featured). It does not carry over between different banner types (standard to featured).
How many Gems do I need for a guaranteed S-tier? 5000 Gems for a guaranteed Legendary on a featured banner. The Legendary may not be the featured S-tier unit, but you are guaranteed at least an A-tier unit.
Is it worth pulling for limited units? Only if the limited unit is A-tier or higher and you have Gems to spare. Limited units do not return often, so missing them means a long wait. Check our tier list to see if the limited unit is worth the investment.