Kingpin Tower Defense Simulator Guide: Best Path, Summons, & Is It Good?

The Kingpin Evolution Tower has quickly become one of the most unique additions to Tower Defense Simulator. Rather than focusing entirely on raw damage, Kingpin combines multiple mechanics including powerful summons, bonus income, and flexible upgrade paths.

At first glance, it may seem weaker than other Evolution Towers, but after testing both upgrade routes, it becomes clear that Kingpin offers incredible value when used correctly. If you’re wondering whether Kingpin is worth unlocking or which path performs best, here’s everything you need to know.

What Makes Kingpin Different?

Unlike traditional DPS towers, Kingpin revolves around managing a criminal organization. Instead of simply attacking enemies, the tower summons different henchmen that each serve a unique role on the battlefield.

Some units specialize in dealing damage, while others generate extra cash, making Kingpin one of the few towers capable of contributing both offense and economy. This hybrid design makes it extremely versatile throughout an entire match instead of only excelling during the late game.

Although its placement cost is fairly expensive at around 3,600 cash, the investment becomes worthwhile once its summons begin scaling.

Kingpin’s Main Summons Explained

One of Kingpin’s biggest strengths comes from the variety of units it can deploy. Each summon fills a different role, allowing players to adapt depending on the current wave. The available summons include:

• Lackey
  • Uses an SMG to attack enemies from medium range.
  • Provides consistent ranged damage.
  • Available early in the upgrade path.
• Money Runner
  • Runs down the path.
  • Awards bonus cash upon death.
  • Excellent for increasing your economy throughout long matches.
• Bouncer
  • Melee unit with a baseball bat.
  • Extremely high DPS.
  • Large health pool.
  • Easily becomes Kingpin’s strongest summon.
• Contractor
  • Long-range sniper.
  • Fires powerful single-target shots.
  • Performs especially well on maps with long paths.

The ability to switch between these summons allows Kingpin to remain useful throughout every stage of the game.

Top or Bottom Upgrade Path in Kingpin?

Why the Bottom Upgrade Path Is So Strong

Many players initially assume the top path is the stronger option because of its economy bonuses. However, extensive testing shows the bottom path dramatically increases Kingpin’s effectiveness during actual gameplay.

The biggest reason is the Bouncer.

Once unlocked, the Bouncer becomes an incredibly powerful frontline summon capable of shredding enemies with surprisingly high melee damage while also surviving much longer than other summoned units.

Compared to Lackeys, Bouncers deal several times more damage while also having significantly higher health. Their combination of durability and DPS allows them to handle difficult waves far more consistently.

For most game modes, the bottom path should be your first priority.

The Top Path Is Built Around Extra Income

Although the top path struggles early compared to the Bouncer route, it shouldn’t be ignored. Instead, it excels once stronger enemies begin appearing.

Key features include:

• Marks enemies with bounty rewards.
• Grants additional cash after marked enemies die.
• Improves Money Runner effectiveness.
• Helps recover Kingpin’s expensive placement cost.

Against stronger bosses, these bounty rewards become extremely valuable.

During testing, larger enemies rewarded thousands of additional cash, while some late-game bosses generated tens of thousands of bonus income. This extra economy can significantly accelerate your team’s progression during Hardcore or other difficult modes.

Best Upgrade Strategy

Instead of choosing one path exclusively, Kingpin performs best when both paths are combined strategically.

A recommended progression is:

• Unlock the bottom path first.
• Prioritize Bouncers for early and mid-game defense.
• Once your defense is stable, begin investing into the top path.
• Use bounty upgrades against stronger enemies and bosses.
• Keep at least one Money Runner active if your economy needs additional support.

This approach gives you excellent damage while still benefiting from Kingpin’s unique money generation.

Kingpin’s Damage Output

Kingpin may not appear impressive when first placed, but its performance increases rapidly with upgrades.

Throughout testing:

• Base DPS starts relatively modest.
• Bouncers dramatically increase total damage.
• Contractors add powerful long-range support.
• Fully upgraded Kingpins can exceed hundreds of thousands of total damage during long matches.

In several successful runs, Kingpin even outperformed some traditional damage dealers simply because its summoned units remained active throughout the entire battle.

One feature that makes Kingpin especially reliable is that many of its summoned units receive Hidden Detection.

This means players don’t need to rely entirely on dedicated hidden counters during certain waves.

Bouncers, in particular, make hidden enemies much easier to manage while continuing to deliver high melee damage.

That added utility gives Kingpin more flexibility than many other Evolution Towers.

Performance in Molten Mode

After switching to the bottom upgrade path, Kingpin became dramatically more effective in Molten Mode. Early attempts focused entirely on the top path resulted in repeated defeats because the tower simply lacked enough immediate damage. Once Bouncers were unlocked, the difference was obvious:

• Better wave clearing.
• Stronger boss damage.
• Higher survivability.
• Easier hidden enemy control.

The improvement completely changed Kingpin’s overall performance.

Hardcore and Void Core Potential

Kingpin’s true potential appears in longer, more difficult game modes. Hardcore and Void Core feature numerous elite enemies that reward significantly larger bounty payouts. This creates an interesting gameplay loop:

• Bouncers defend difficult waves.
• Contractors provide long-range support.
• Bounty upgrades generate huge amounts of cash.
• Extra income allows faster upgrades for your entire defense.

Although the testing team ultimately failed to complete Void Core because of overwhelming late-game summons, Kingpin consistently proved valuable throughout the run. Even before reaching maximum upgrades, the tower accumulated enormous total damage while continuously supporting the team’s economy.

Is Kingpin Worth Unlocking?

Yes. Kingpin is one of the highest-value Evolution Towers currently available in Tower Defense Simulator. While it doesn’t immediately match the straightforward damage output of towers like Juggernaut, its combination of powerful summons, flexible utility, and impressive economy makes it an outstanding long-term investment.

The key is understanding how to build it correctly. Prioritizing the bottom path for Bouncers before transitioning into the bounty-focused top path unlocks Kingpin’s full potential. When played this way, it becomes a reliable damage dealer, an effective support tower, and a valuable source of additional income all at once, making it one of the most versatile Evolution Towers in the game.