Sir We Have an Orc Problem Power, Support, and Cleanup Archetypes

Why archetypes matter more than a flat tier list

Launch-week strategy posts from ProdigyGamers, GrindnStrat, and SlashSkill converged on the same idea: Sir, We Have an Orc Problem rewards role clarity over chasing the highest single-tower damage number. Orc waves behave like fluid - they spread on open ground, compress in chokes, and leak when your kill zone ends too early. A tower that tops the post-mission chart on one map may look weak on another because the job changed, not because the turret is bad.

This guide maps the three community archetypes - Power, Support, and Cleanup - onto the five buildable towers (Gunner, Flamethrower, Laser, Mortar, Cannon) and explains how to stack them for achievement stages like 1.1, 2.1, and 6.2. Pair it with the Turret Tier List and Achievements Guide.

The three archetypes

Archetype	Job	What success looks like
Power	High DPS and pierce through dense clumps	Orc stacks shrink before reaching the trench
Support	Softening, burn DoT, crowd control	Every orc enters the kill box weakened
Cleanup	Fast single-target or leak insurance	Stragglers and runners die before base HP

Archetypes overlap in practice. A maxed Gunner with penetration behaves like Power and Cleanup. A forward Flamethrower is Support that sometimes reports Power-tier totals on wide maps. Think in layers, not labels.

Power archetype towers

Primary Power tools: Cannon, Laser, upgraded Gunner lines with penetration.

Power towers punish compressed hordes already slowed or burned. Cannons deliver pierce bursts; Lasers sustain beam deletion through the kill box after the 3.2 unlock; Gunners become Power/Cleanup hybrids once fire rate and pierce nodes stack on long straight segments.

Mortars sit between Power and Support: lobbed splash is Power against stacks, Support when they only soften before Cannons fire.

Power without Support leaks: raw burst on full-HP streams often loses to per-level orc speed. Always pair Power rows with at least one Support layer on mid-campaign maps. See Choke Points for compression geometry.

Support archetype towers

Primary Support tool: Flamethrower at the forward choke.

Flamethrowers apply burn DoT to every orc passing the cone. That is classic Support: they reduce effective wave density so Power towers finish clumps instead of tickling the front of the stream. June demo patches made ticks reliable; per-tick damage was tuned down - role unchanged.

Support placement rule from community guides: every orc should pass fire at least once, ideally twice, before Power towers fire. Double-pass layouts on S-curve maps are Support fundamentals, not optional min-max.

Cleanup archetype towers

Primary Cleanup tool: early Gunner nests and rear-line Gunners after the kill box.

Cleanup handles runners, split-path trickles, and leaks during ability cooldowns. Gunners start as your only Cleanup option; they remain insurance behind Flamethrower + Mortar + Cannon lines on late maps.

Do not confuse Cleanup with Power stacking. Three rear Gunners patching the same leak line often means your Support cone missed the stream - fix geometry before buying a fourth fire-rate node.

Mapping all five turrets to archetypes

Turret	Primary archetype	Secondary	Typical row
Gunner	Cleanup	Power (late)	Rear leak line or long lane
Flamethrower	Support	Power (wide maps)	Forward choke
Laser	Power	-	Mid-line behind burn
Mortar	Power	Support	Mid choke stack point
Cannon	Power	-	Rear finish on clumps

Laser is the mid-tree Power unlock that breaks the 3.2 wall when Gunner-only Power cannot keep pace with speed scaling. Campaign Maps explains when to farm before buying it.

Standard three-layer layout

Most community clears run this stack:

1. Support forward - one or two Flamethrower passes across the stream.
2. Power mid - Mortars on stack peaks, Lasers through the compressed segment.
3. Power rear + Cleanup - Cannon finish row plus Gunners for leaks.

Active abilities add temporary Power spikes - Bombing Runs into a Support-thinned clump behave like a short S-tier burst. Abilities do not replace missing Support cones.

Archetypes by campaign stage

Stages 1.1 and 2.1 (achievements): community guides call these straightforward. Stack near-maxed missiles with any fully upgraded Power tower - raw firepower clears without exotic perks. Details: Level 1 and 2 Walkthrough and Achievements Guide.

Stage 3.2 wall: add Laser Power behind Support before pushing. Farm earlier maps per Meta Farming Runs.

Stage 6.1: Power + Support alone rarely carry; stock active abilities. Level 6 Walkthrough.

Stage 6.2 mastery: tower-only or damageless runs test whether your three-layer layout works without ability crutches. Perfect Clear Guide.

Common archetype mistakes

• Stacking Power Cannons without Support burn on speed-ramped maps.
• Treating Flamethrower post-mission totals as proof you can skip Mortars.
• Using Cleanup Gunners as the only DPS on open-field scripts.
• Buying Power Shot or Headhunter before Support geometry works - see Combat Upgrades.

Related pages

• Turret Tier List - S/A/B ranks with map context
• Turrets Hub - all five towers overview
• Upgrade Priority - when to unlock each archetype
• How to Play - build and battle phases
• Level 1 and 2 Walkthrough - early achievement stages