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The Tower Buff Beam or Overclock Beam is a Series EV support defense. It increases the effectiveness of other defenses touching the beam or either node by variable amounts, based on the EV's defense stats. This beam does not have an HP stat; it can only go down to a Djinn, map hazard or when a boosted defense is either destroyed, de-summoned or sold during the Combat Phase.

Buff Beams are an invaluable asset to clear many of the more difficult missions.

Properties[]

Any defense touching the beam or its nodes has its stats increased by variable amounts. The effect can be increased by a small amount by raising the corresponding 'Beam' stats.

Tower Stat Boosted Beam Stat
Damage/Potency Beam Damage
Resistance Beam Health/Charges
Range Stock Beam Stun Time
Attack Rate Beam Rest Time/Damage Rate

Multiplier Scaling[]

*Each of the Buff Beam's stat multipliers increase by roughly 10% per upgrade level, for a total of ~50% maxed out. The factors in the graph and table below are for a fully upgraded (level 5) beam.

Damage, range and rate scaling graphs.

Damage, range and rate scaling graphs.

Defense Stats Resistance Factor Damage Factor Range Factor Rate Factor
0 (Base) 1.54 1.57 1.47 1.47
50 1.78 1.85 1.53 1.60
100 1.82 1.91 1.54 1.62
150 1.84 1.95 1.55 1.64
200 1.86 1.98 1.56 1.65
300 1.88 2.02 1.56 1.67
400 1.90 2.05 1.57 1.68
500 1.92 2.07 1.57 1.69
1,000 1.96 2.15 1.59 1.72
1,500 1.99 2.19 1.59 1.73
2,000 2.01 2.22 1.60 1.75
3,000 2.04 2.27 1.61 1.76
4,000 2.06 2.30 1.62 1.78
5,000 2.07 2.33 1.62 1.79
6,000 2.08 2.35 1.63 1.79
7,000 2.10 2.37 1.63 1.80
8,000 2.11 2.39 1.63 1.81
9,000 2.11 2.40 1.63 1.81
10,000 2.12 2.42 1.63 1.82

Notes/Tips[]

For more information, see Advanced Buff Beam Guide.

  • The Buff Beam's stat modifiers cannot be increased in any way aside from upgrading it or the builder EV's defense stats.
  • Buff Beams are impossible for players to rebuild/relocate without selling or letting them go down.
  • Buff Beams are instantly destroyed under any of the following conditions:
    • Any buffed defense is destroyed by brute force.
    • A Djinn completes their de-summoning spell to banish the beam itself or any boosted defense.
    • A buffed Trap, Aura, Shock Beam or Damage Totem exhausts completely.
    • Selling a buffed defense outside a Build Phase.
  • The following conditions do not destroy the Buff Beam:
    • When a boosted defense is pushed off the beam by a Sharken or boss.
    • A boosted minion walks off the beam.
    • A boosted tower is moved away by a Jester's Move Tower ability.

Specific Rules[]

  • Tower Boost and Remote Defense Boost will still attempt to empower Buff Beams, despite having zero effect. Guardian and Polybius pets ignore them entirely.
  • Tower Boost stacks multiplicatively with the Buff Beam's damage multiplier on affected defenses.
  • All of the Buff Beam's stat modifiers share the same buff category as Remote Defense Boost and Guardian pets. Whichever boost(s) is/are the highest will take precedence.
    • In Redux, the resistance given by a Squire Guardian or Defensive Polybius is separate from Buff Beams (and presumably Remote Defense Boost). Therefore, the two sources will stack on the same defenses.
  • Besides max health, the following tower statistics affected by hero defense stats cannot be boosted by a Buff Beam:
    • Slice N Dice Blockade suction strength and radius (Redux Only).
    • Oil Trap debuff potency.
    • Minion movement speeds.
    • Minion attack speed multipliers.
    • Damage and Speed Totem potency.
  • Buff Beams cannot and will not attempt to boost other Buff Beams or Warrior Minions.
  • Buff Beams will only boost traps if the beam crosses the traps' detonation/detection range. The beam must also be roughly coplanar to the traps' center, somewhere along its length.
    • The Ethereal Spike Trap strangely does not follow the coplanar requirement in the same way as other traps. This could be due to the fact it detects aerial opponents.

Buff Retention[]

  • Traps and auras can 'pickup' the benefits of a Buff Beam further away than normal if their radius is expanded into the beam. If the original range buff source (Monk Guardian, another Buff Beam, etc.) is then removed, they will remain boosted by the distant beam, as long as that beam's range multiplier is sufficient.
    • A similar result can be achieved with the Move Tower ability:
      • How-To: As a Jester, move the trap or aura close enough to the desired Buff Beam. Then, move it again to anywhere in which its increased size still encompasses the beam. Beware that sloped terrain will decrease how far away you can move traps.

Management[]

  • Starting near the end of early-game progression (level 60-73 heroes in Godly gear), it becomes more mana cost-effective to upgrade the Buff Beam itself rather than what it is buffing, even to the max level. Upgrading the beam effectively upgrades every defense along it and improves their stats more than upgrading them individually. This comes at a risk though; if the beam is destroyed, the player is left with a much weaker defense than if each defense were to be upgraded individually.
  • Choosing to upgrade a defense will attempt to position the player's cursor above a level 0-4 Buff Beam over any other defense, prioritizing the least upgraded beam that is closest to the player.

Version History[]

Vanilla[]

  • ?: Introduced with Series EV.

In Other Dungeon Defenders Games[]

Dungeon Defenders II[]

The Tower Buff Beam was shortened to "Buff Beam" in DD2.

Dungeon Defenders: Awakened[]

Now known as the Overclock Beam, Series EV's signature support defense was greatly nerfed in the transition from DD1 to DDA. The range and rate boosts are weaker, defenses only touching a node are no longer buffed, and the maximum length for 4- and 5-DU beams is shorter. The removal of several DD1 quirks further tone down their prowess. They are still an invaluable support asset for damage-dealing towers on Nightmare and Massacre though, especially mage towers, Wisp Dens and fused Electric Auras.

On the plus side, Overclocks had their base cost reduced from 4 to 3 DU and will not go down if a buffed tower is sold during combat. In Rift Mode, fused Overclocks can also improve the durability of walls tremendously.

References[]

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