Sir We Have an Orc Problem Abilities Tier List

Why abilities need their own tier list

Sir, We Have an Orc Problem has a dedicated Turret Tier List because tower ranking drives most build debates. Abilities deserve the same treatment. Missiles, bombing runs, orbital lasers, and nukes occupy distinct power curves across the campaign, and forum threads routinely misrank them by comparing late-game nukes to early-game missiles as if they compete for the same slot.

This tier list ranks abilities by phase value - how much they contribute to clearing the map you are currently stuck on - not by endgame peak damage. A missile that saves your base on level two is S tier for that moment even though orbital lasers delete more orcs on the finale.

Pair this page with the Abilities Hub for mechanics, Combat Upgrades for upgrade nodes, and Upgrade Priority for spend order.

Mid-campaign playthrough showing ability timing in action

Tier list at a glance

Ability	Early	Mid	Late	Overall
Missiles	S	A	B	A
Bombing Runs	-	S	A	A
Orbital Laser	-	-	S	S (late)
Nukes	-	-	A	A (late)

“Early” = tutorial through level 3. “Mid” = levels 4-5. “Late” = final campaign maps. Abilities unlock progressively; a dash means unavailable at that phase.

Missiles - S tier early, A tier mid

Missiles are your only active ability from the first map. Click to fire an AoE projectile at any point on the battlefield. They teach the core skill of every ability in the game: wait for density, then fire.

Why S in early game: before Gunner penetration scales, missiles are your primary burst tool against early clumps. Upgrading missile damage and radius on the combat tree is one of the best early purchases per Upgrade Priority.

Why drops to A then B: once Flamethrowers soften and Mortars splash, missiles become leak-plugging tools rather than primary DPS. By late game, one missile into a six-figure wave barely dents the count. They remain on your bar for reactive saves, but you stop building around them.

Upgrade advice: buy one or two damage and radius nodes early, then stop. Cooldown reduction has diminishing returns once bombing runs share the ability bar.

Details: Missiles.

Bombing Runs - S tier mid, A tier late

Bombing or strafing runs unlock mid-campaign on the combat branch. You paint a rectangular strike zone; aircraft or artillery hit everything inside. They are the first ability that genuinely changes how you plan a wave.

Why S in mid game: levels 4 and 5 produce merge-point density spikes that missiles cannot cover. A well-timed bombing run into a choke compression can kill thousands of orcs in one pass. The cooldown is long enough that timing matters - fire during peak density, not the opening trickle.

Why drops slightly in late game: orbital lasers and nukes handle the same density with more impact per activation. Bombing runs remain valuable between laser cooldowns, but you stop prioritizing bombing damage upgrades once late-game tools unlock.

Upgrade advice: unlock after economy stability, buy one damage node, then focus cooldown reduction. Area or duration nodes depend on map geometry.

Details: Bombing Runs.

Orbital Laser - S tier late

Orbital lasers are late-campaign unlocks that deal sustained or burst beam damage to a zone. They are the highest single-activation DPS tool available.

Why S in late game: on maps with 50,000+ orcs, an orbital laser into the densest merge can clear an entire wave segment. The cooldown is long, but the impact per activation justifies saving it for the peak moment.

Why not ranked earlier: unavailable for most of the campaign. You cannot plan around an ability you have not unlocked. Treat the laser unlock as a late-game milestone, not a mid-game strategy.

Upgrade advice: unlock after bombing runs and economy nodes are stable. One damage upgrade and one cooldown reduction are usually sufficient; further investment competes with nuke branches.

Details: Orbital Laser and Nukes.

Nukes - A tier late

Nukes are the ultimate emergency tool: massive radius, massive damage, massive cooldown. They delete almost everything in a huge area.

Why A and not S: the cooldown is punishing. On a long late-game map, you may only fire one nuke per wave. That single activation can save a run that looked doomed, but it cannot carry a map the way a well-timed bombing run carries mid game. Nukes are insurance, not strategy.

Upgrade advice: unlock only after economy, tower caps, and orbital laser are stable. One damage node is usually enough - the base nuke is already powerful. Cooldown reduction is expensive and competes with laser upgrades.

Details: Orbital Laser and Nukes.

How to read this tier list

Abilities are phase-gated tools, not competing picks. You do not choose between missiles and nukes - you unlock them sequentially and use each for the role it serves at that campaign stage. The tier list answers “where should my next ability point go?” not “which ability is objectively best.”

Forum threads that rank nukes above missiles are technically correct about peak damage but miss the point: missiles carry you through the levels where nukes do not exist. Upgrade Priority sequences ability unlocks alongside economy and tower nodes.

Ability synergy with towers

Abilities do not work in isolation:

• Flamethrower fronts soften waves before bombing runs hit - fire into burning stacks for maximum kill count
• Mortar lobs clean up survivors after a bombing run - coordinate timing so shells land during the density spike
• Gunner penetration finishes stragglers after orbital lasers thin the main body
• Cannon bursts handle the rare dense clump that survives a nuke

The Turret Tier List ranks towers by role. This tier list ranks abilities by phase. Together they form your full combat toolkit.

Stat panels and Damage Statistics

Demo patches added stat panels for abilities so you can see missile, bombing run, and laser damage next to turret totals. Use this data:

• If missile damage is negligible compared to Gunners, stop buying missile nodes
• If bombing run damage rivals Flamethrowers, your timing is excellent - invest in cooldown
• If orbital laser does less than Mortars, you are firing into thin lines - wait for density

Damage Statistics is the turret equivalent. Both tools settle arguments that raw DPS theory cannot.

Common mistakes

• Firing missiles into thin trickles instead of waiting for clumps
• Unlocking nukes before economy and tower caps are stable
• Buying multiple damage nodes for one ability instead of diversiding
• Ignoring cooldown reduction because damage numbers look bigger
• Comparing late-game ability damage to early-game missile damage as if they compete

Related pages

• Abilities Hub - mechanics and roster
• Missiles - starter ability detail
• Bombing Runs - mid-game ability detail
• Orbital Laser and Nukes - late-game ability detail
• Turret Tier List - companion list for towers
• Combat Upgrades - ability upgrade nodes
• Upgrade Priority - spend order including abilities