Getting your hands on an all star tower defense gem stack large enough to actually pull the units you want can feel like a full-time job if you don't know what you're doing. If you've spent any time in the game, you know the drill: a new banner drops, your favorite anime character is finally available as a 6-star or 7-star, and you're sitting there with a handful of gems that wouldn't even cover a single ten-pull. It's frustrating, especially when you see other players rolling around with meta-breaking units while you're still trying to make do with basic towers.
The thing about gems in ASTD is that they are the absolute lifeblood of your progression. Gold is fine for the basic stuff, but if you want the heavy hitters, you need gems. The economy in this game changes pretty often with updates, but the core struggle remains the same: how do you get more gems without spending real-world money, and how do you spend the ones you have so you don't end up wasting weeks of grinding?
The Reality of the Gem Grind
Let's be real for a second—the grind is real. You aren't going to wake up with 50,000 gems unless you've been putting in the work or you've got a very generous credit card. For the rest of us, it's about being smart. The most consistent way to keep your all star tower defense gem count healthy is through the daily missions. I know, they're boring and repetitive, but they are literally free money. If you skip them for a week, you're potentially missing out on enough gems for several multis.
Then you've got the Story Mode. If you're a newer player, this is your gold mine. Every time you clear a new stage, you get a decent chunk of gems. The trick here is not to just blast through it and forget it. You want to aim for those Extreme mode clears because that's where the rewards actually start to look respectable. It's a one-time infusion of cash, sure, but it's what helps you build that initial roster so you can actually participate in the high-level events later on.
Maximizing the AFK Time Chamber
We've all got lives outside of Roblox, right? That's where the AFK Time Chamber comes into play. It's probably the most "love-it-or-hate-it" feature in the game. You essentially just sit there and let the timer tick up while you collect rewards. Is it fast? No. Is it efficient? Not really, compared to actually playing. But if you're sleeping or at school/work, leaving your character in there is better than nothing.
The amount of all star tower defense gem rewards you get from the chamber often depends on your VIP status or if there's a 2x event going on. Even without those, it adds up over a long period. Pro tip: don't rely solely on this. I've seen players stay in the chamber for days thinking they're "farming," but they could have earned five times that amount just by playing three rounds of Infinite Mode or finishing their trials. Use the chamber as a supplement, not your primary source of income.
The Strategy Behind Infinite Mode
Infinite Mode isn't just for showing off your damage numbers or trying to climb a leaderboard that resets before you can catch your breath. It's actually a pretty solid way to farm. As you reach certain wave milestones, you get rewards. The beauty of Infinite is that you can test out new team compositions while you're at it.
If you're farming for an all star tower defense gem haul in Infinite, you want to focus on efficiency. There's no point in struggling through wave 80 if it takes you an hour when you could have finished two runs to wave 50 in the same time. Find your "sweet spot"—the wave where your defense starts to fail but you've already secured the bulk of the rewards—and just reset. It keeps the gem flow steady without burning you out on a single, two-hour-long match.
Why the Pity System is Your Best Friend
Nothing hurts more than dropping 3,000 gems on a banner and coming away with nothing but 3-star fodder that you're just going to feed to your main units for XP anyway. This is why you have to understand the pity system. In ASTD, the pity system is your safety net. It guarantees you a high-tier unit after a certain number of pulls.
If you don't have enough to hit the pity, don't pull. I know the temptation is huge. You see that shiny new unit and think, "Maybe I'll get lucky in one multi." You probably won't. If you wait until you have enough for the guaranteed drop, you're ensuring that your hard-earned all star tower defense gem stash actually results in progress. Gambling your gems away on "maybe" is the fastest way to get stuck in the mid-game loop where you can't clear new content because your units aren't strong enough.
Codes and Community Giveaways
Let's talk about the easy stuff: codes. The developers are usually pretty good about dropping codes during big updates or when the game hits certain milestones on social media. It's basically a free all star tower defense gem gift package. Always keep an eye on the official Discord or Twitter.
The catch with codes is that they expire—fast. Sometimes they're gone in a matter of hours if they're particularly high-value. Also, keep in mind that many codes have a level requirement. If you're brand new, you might see a code for 1,000 gems and find out you need to be level 40 or 50 to claim it. It's the game's way of making sure people don't just make a thousand alt accounts to farm gems. It's annoying, but it makes sense for the game's economy.
Trials and Challenge Rewards
Trials are often overlooked because they can be genuinely difficult if you don't have a coordinated team or the right units. But man, the rewards are worth it. Clearing trials is one of the most satisfying ways to get an all star tower defense gem boost because you actually feel like you earned it through strategy rather than just mindless clicking.
Each trial has different requirements, and some of them are pretty niche. You might need units with specific elemental types or range capabilities. This is where being part of a community or a guild helps. Running trials with random players can be a nightmare—someone always leaves or places their units in the worst possible spots. If you can find a solid group to run these regularly, your gem count will thank you.
Spending Gems: What's Actually Worth It?
Once you've got a decent pile of gems, the question becomes: what do you do with them? It's not just about the summons. Sometimes there are items or boosts in the shop that might seem tempting. My advice? Stick to the summons unless you absolutely know what you're doing.
The meta in ASTD moves fast. A unit that is "god-tier" today might be "okay" next month. Because of this, you want to save your all star tower defense gem reserves for the units that provide utility, not just raw damage. Think about slowers, stunners, or money-makers like Bulma or Speedwagon variants. Pure damage units come and go, but a good support unit can stay in your primary deck for months.
Also, keep an eye on the "Z" banners and the special event banners. These often have higher costs but much better rewards. It's all about ROI—Return on Investment. If you're spending gems, you want to make sure that unit is going to help you farm even more gems in the future.
Final Thoughts on the Grind
At the end of the day, managing your all star tower defense gem income is about patience. It's a marathon, not a sprint. You'll have days where you feel like you're making zero progress, and then you'll hit a lucky streak or a massive code drop that changes everything.
Don't let the "fear of missing out" (FOMO) drive you to make bad decisions with your currency. There will always be another "strongest unit," and there will always be more events. Just keep hitting those dailies, run your stories, and maybe leave the game running in the AFK chamber while you grab a pizza. You'll get that dream team eventually; it just takes a bit of time and a lot of gems. Stay consistent, don't rage-pull on bad banners, and you'll be fine. Happy defending!