Twelve schools. Each is a tower family, an enemy type, and one side of a counter web: a tower hits an enemy of a school it beats for 1.3× damage, and one that beats it for 0.7×. No school beats more than two others, and none is beaten by more than two.
Picking a school is permanent for that tower. The damage, range and fire rate below are the tower's starting numbers, before any upgrade slot.
PyromancyEmber Spire — strong against Druidism and Beastmastery, weak to Cryomancy and Geomancy.
Ember Spire is what a base tower becomes when you give it Pyromancy. The choice is permanent: a tower keeps its school until you sell it.
Its damage against an enemy of a school it beats is multiplied by 1.3, and by 0.7 against one that beats it. Every enemy carries a school of its own, so the counter web cuts both ways on every shot.
Three paths open from here — A. Conflagration (area damage, damage over time, debuff); B. Pyroclasm (single-target damage, damage over time, crowd control); C. Emberheart (support, area damage, damage over time). The path is permanent too.
Every Pyromancy tower carries Burn before any path is chosen.
CryomancyRime Spire — strong against Pyromancy and Voltomancy, weak to Toxicology and Chronomancy.
Rime Spire is what a base tower becomes when you give it Cryomancy. The choice is permanent: a tower keeps its school until you sell it.
Its damage against an enemy of a school it beats is multiplied by 1.3, and by 0.7 against one that beats it. Every enemy carries a school of its own, so the counter web cuts both ways on every shot.
Three paths open from here — A. Permafrost (crowd control, area damage, debuff); B. Shatter (single-target damage, crowd control, debuff); C. Frostweave (support, crowd control, damage over time). The path is permanent too.
Every Cryomancy tower carries Slow before any path is chosen.
VoltomancyVoltspire — strong against Cryomancy and Aeromancy, weak to Geomancy and Druidism.
Voltspire is what a base tower becomes when you give it Voltomancy. The choice is permanent: a tower keeps its school until you sell it.
Its damage against an enemy of a school it beats is multiplied by 1.3, and by 0.7 against one that beats it. Every enemy carries a school of its own, so the counter web cuts both ways on every shot.
Three paths open from here — A. Storm Chain (area damage, single-target damage, debuff); B. Overcharge (single-target damage, damage over time, crowd control); C. Galvanic (support, area damage, debuff). The path is permanent too.
Every Voltomancy tower carries Conductivity before any path is chosen.
ToxicologyBlight Spire — strong against Radiance and Druidism, weak to Umbramancy and Arcanum.
Blight Spire is what a base tower becomes when you give it Toxicology. The choice is permanent: a tower keeps its school until you sell it.
Its damage against an enemy of a school it beats is multiplied by 1.3, and by 0.7 against one that beats it. Every enemy carries a school of its own, so the counter web cuts both ways on every shot.
Three paths open from here — A. Plague (area damage, damage over time, debuff); B. Venom (single-target damage, damage over time, crowd control); C. Toxicant (support, debuff, area damage). The path is permanent too.
Every Toxicology tower carries Poison before any path is chosen.
GeomancyStoneward — strong against Voltomancy and Pyromancy, weak to Aeromancy and Beastmastery.
Stoneward is what a base tower becomes when you give it Geomancy. The choice is permanent: a tower keeps its school until you sell it.
Its damage against an enemy of a school it beats is multiplied by 1.3, and by 0.7 against one that beats it. Every enemy carries a school of its own, so the counter web cuts both ways on every shot.
Three paths open from here — A. Quake (area damage, crowd control, debuff); B. Rampart (support, crowd control, single-target damage); C. Golem (single-target damage, crowd control, damage over time). The path is permanent too.
Every Geomancy tower carries Stunning Strike before any path is chosen.
UmbramancyDuskfang Spire — strong against Radiance and Arcanum, weak to Toxicology and Chronomancy.
Duskfang Spire is what a base tower becomes when you give it Umbramancy. The choice is permanent: a tower keeps its school until you sell it.
Its damage against an enemy of a school it beats is multiplied by 1.3, and by 0.7 against one that beats it. Every enemy carries a school of its own, so the counter web cuts both ways on every shot.
Three paths open from here — A. Reaper (single-target damage, debuff, damage over time); B. Phantom (area damage, crowd control, debuff); C. Umbral (support, single-target damage, crowd control). The path is permanent too.
Every Umbramancy tower carries Execute before any path is chosen.
RadianceDawnward — strong against Umbramancy and Chronomancy, weak to Toxicology and Voltomancy.
Dawnward is what a base tower becomes when you give it Radiance. The choice is permanent: a tower keeps its school until you sell it.
Its damage against an enemy of a school it beats is multiplied by 1.3, and by 0.7 against one that beats it. Every enemy carries a school of its own, so the counter web cuts both ways on every shot.
Three paths open from here — A. Radiance (area damage, support, damage over time); B. Judgment (single-target damage, debuff, crowd control); C. Sanctuary (support, crowd control, area damage). The path is permanent too.
Every Radiance tower carries Reveal before any path is chosen.
ArcanumMana Spire — strong against Toxicology and Umbramancy, weak to Cryomancy and Beastmastery.
Mana Spire is what a base tower becomes when you give it Arcanum. The choice is permanent: a tower keeps its school until you sell it.
Its damage against an enemy of a school it beats is multiplied by 1.3, and by 0.7 against one that beats it. Every enemy carries a school of its own, so the counter web cuts both ways on every shot.
Three paths open from here — A. Disintegration (single-target damage, debuff, area damage); B. Spellweave (area damage, support, crowd control); C. Siphon (support, damage over time, debuff). The path is permanent too.
Every Arcanum tower carries Adaptive Damage before any path is chosen.
AeromancyGaleward — strong against Geomancy and Beastmastery, weak to Voltomancy and Pyromancy.
Galeward is what a base tower becomes when you give it Aeromancy. The choice is permanent: a tower keeps its school until you sell it.
Its damage against an enemy of a school it beats is multiplied by 1.3, and by 0.7 against one that beats it. Every enemy carries a school of its own, so the counter web cuts both ways on every shot.
Three paths open from here — A. Cyclone (area damage, crowd control, damage over time); B. Zephyr (support, crowd control, debuff); C. Shrike (single-target damage, crowd control, area damage). The path is permanent too.
Every Aeromancy tower carries Knockback before any path is chosen.
DruidismThornwatch — strong against Arcanum and Chronomancy, weak to Pyromancy and Toxicology.
Thornwatch is what a base tower becomes when you give it Druidism. The choice is permanent: a tower keeps its school until you sell it.
Its damage against an enemy of a school it beats is multiplied by 1.3, and by 0.7 against one that beats it. Every enemy carries a school of its own, so the counter web cuts both ways on every shot.
Three paths open from here — A. Overgrowth (area damage, damage over time, crowd control); B. Druid (support, area damage, debuff); C. Beastcaller (single-target damage, support, crowd control). The path is permanent too.
Every Druidism tower carries Thorns before any path is chosen.
ChronomancyChronospire — strong against Cryomancy and Umbramancy, weak to Radiance and Druidism.
Chronospire is what a base tower becomes when you give it Chronomancy. The choice is permanent: a tower keeps its school until you sell it.
Its damage against an enemy of a school it beats is multiplied by 1.3, and by 0.7 against one that beats it. Every enemy carries a school of its own, so the counter web cuts both ways on every shot.
Three paths open from here — A. Stasis (crowd control, area damage, debuff); B. Rewind (support, crowd control, single-target damage); C. Haste (support, area damage, damage over time). The path is permanent too.
Every Chronomancy tower carries Slow before any path is chosen.
BeastmasteryBroodspire — strong against Geomancy and Arcanum, weak to Aeromancy and Pyromancy.
Broodspire is what a base tower becomes when you give it Beastmastery. The choice is permanent: a tower keeps its school until you sell it.
Its damage against an enemy of a school it beats is multiplied by 1.3, and by 0.7 against one that beats it. Every enemy carries a school of its own, so the counter web cuts both ways on every shot.
Three paths open from here — A. Swarm (area damage, damage over time, crowd control); B. Alpha (single-target damage, crowd control, support); C. Chimera (area damage, debuff, single-target damage). The path is permanent too.
Every Beastmastery tower carries Spawn Broodling before any path is chosen.
