Sir We Have an Orc Problem Upgrade Priority

The upgrade tree in Sir, We Have an Orc Problem offers dozens of tempting combat nodes, but order matters more than in a traditional tower defense. Because every run pays you - win or lose - the fastest clears come from investments that make the next attempt easier. This page lays out a priority route you can adapt with the Upgrade Planner and cross-check against the Turret Tier List.

Core principle: compound before spike

Two upgrade types compound across the whole campaign:

1. End-of-battle income (flat bonuses and percentage increases)
2. Tower slot caps (especially Gunner count early, then Mortar and Cannon on multi-path maps)

Spike damage - missile radius, Gunner penetration, Flamethrower tick rate - solves the map you are on. Economy nodes solve every map after. Unless you are one upgrade away from a clean clear that unlocks a bonus currency payout, favour compound nodes first. The Economy Meta guide explains when perfect clears are worth delaying combat purchases.

Phase 1 - First three levels

Step 1: Unlock Gunner tower immediately after your first run. Manual missiles alone cannot hold hundreds of orcs.

Step 2: Buy one or two flat end-of-battle income nodes. They cheaply double the value of failed attempts on level one.

Step 3: Pick missile damage or missile radius once. Radius helps clustered paths; damage helps when you manually target tight groups. Do not max missiles yet - one node is enough.

Step 4: Increase maximum Gunner towers before stacking Gunner fire rate. An extra turret multiplies DPS; fire rate only scales what you already placed.

Step 5: Add base HP only if leaks are frequent. Ten HP is cheap insurance while learning placement.

At this stage, ignore locked Flamethrower or Cannon nodes if the demo marks them unavailable. Gunner plus missiles carry the early campaign.

Phase 2 - Mid campaign (multi-path maps)

Once enemy counts reach the low thousands, priorities shift:

Unlock a second tower line. Mortar excels at arcing into dense lanes; Cannon pierces with single-target cannonballs. Read Combat Upgrades for branch details, but generally:

• Narrow choke with side spill → Mortar explosion radius nodes
• Long straight funnel → Cannon penetration and fire rate
• Wide front line where every orc passes once → Flamethrower (strong after balance patches; verify on your build version)

Resume economy every third or fourth purchase. A five percent end-of-battle boost often outvalues another Gunner damage tick over five runs.

Unlock strafing / bombing run when manual missiles cannot cover two lanes. See Bombing Runs for timing; the ability node itself is a mid-tree combat unlock, not an early luxury.

Gunner penetration becomes a spike upgrade once orcs stack in a single tile. One penetration level can feel like doubling effective DPS at a choke without raising cap costs.

Phase 3 - Late campaign and demo extras

Late maps introduce ten-thousand-plus orc waves and faster move speed per level. Adjust as follows:

Tower caps for your main carry. If Flamethrowers lead damage, cap upgrades on that tower beat marginal Mortar radius. Use Damage Statistics (demo addition) after a run to see actual contribution - it removes guesswork from priority debates.

Headhunter suits elite or high-HP targets mixed into swarms. Buy it when base leaks come from chunky units, not volume.

Power Shot is a burst modifier for ability or turret windows. Prioritise it after your primary tower line is capped, not before economy catches up.

Orbital laser and nuke paths belong late. They are emergency tools; fund them after stable passive DPS. Details sit on Orbital Laser and Nukes.

Two currencies, two priorities

Survival payouts fund most early nodes. Perfect clear currency unlocks stronger ability upgrades and some cap nodes. Priority split:

Situation	Priority
You leak orcs but almost win	Survival income + HP + slot caps
You win with leaks	Combat DPS + missile cooldown
You can reliably perfect clear	Ability unlocks + Power Shot + nuke branch

Farm an earlier level for perfect clears only when the next ability node costs more than two full payouts from the current map. Otherwise push forward with survival currency - incremental games reward momentum.

Common mistakes

Maxing one tower type before caps. Fire rate on three Gunners loses to a fourth Gunner slot at the same total cost tier.

Ignoring missiles entirely. Even endgame players use missiles to burst clumps during ability cooldowns. One radius node remains relevant.

Copying tier lists blindly. The Turret Tier List ranks average performance; your map geometry may favour Mortar over Flamethrower. Statistics nodes exist to validate your layout.

Skipping economy after a win streak. Wins feel like proof you do not need income nodes; the next level’s speed bump proves otherwise.

Suggested checklist (balanced route)

Use this sequence with the planner tool’s balanced focus, then deviate when stuck:

1. Gunner unlock
2. Flat end-of-battle income (twice)
3. Gunner cap + one Gunner damage or fire rate
4. Missile damage or radius
5. Percentage end-of-battle income (once)
6. Second tower unlock matching your map
7. Cap upgrade for that tower
8. Bombing run unlock
9. Penetration or explosion radius on your carry tower
10. Damage Statistics
11. Orbital laser branch start
12. Headhunter or Power Shot based on leak profile

Revisit Economy Upgrades whenever steps 6-12 stall - another five percent income node is often the unblock.

When to reset your plan

Patch notes that rebalance Flamethrower tick damage, missile knockback, or move speed per level can invert old priorities. After each demo update, run one familiar farm level with Damage Statistics enabled, note which tower led, and reorder steps 6-9 accordingly. The tree is persistent; your route should evolve with it.