Setting up a reliable all star tower defense gem farm is the first thing every serious player thinks about when a new banner drops and they're sitting on a balance of zero. We've all been there—you see a new 7-star unit that looks absolutely broken, you check your inventory, and you realize you spent everything on the last pity. It's a cycle of grinding and spending that never really ends, but if you're smart about how you gather those gems, the whole process feels a lot less like a chore and more like just playing the game.
The reality of ASTD is that everything revolves around gems. Whether you're trying to pull for the latest meta units or you're just trying to stock up on materials for an evolution, your progress is gated by how many gems you can rake in per hour. While it's tempting to just hop into any random mode, some methods are way more efficient than others.
Why the AFK Chamber is a Mixed Bag
If you've been playing for more than five minutes, you already know about the AFK chamber. It's the most straightforward all star tower defense gem farm method because, well, you don't actually have to do anything. You just park your character in the room and let the timer tick up. For people who have school or work, this is usually the go-to.
However, the returns aren't exactly going to make you rich overnight unless you have the VIP gamepass. Without it, the gem flow is pretty slow. It's great for leaving your computer on while you sleep, but if you're actually at your desk and want to make progress, standing still is probably the least efficient thing you can do. It's best used as a "supplement" to your main farming rather than your primary source. If you're really serious, you'll want to look at more active ways to fill those pockets.
Maximizing Infinite Mode Returns
When it comes to an active all star tower defense gem farm, Infinite Mode is usually where the big gains are. The trick here isn't just surviving; it's about how many waves you can clear in a specific amount of time. Some people make the mistake of trying to go for the leaderboard every single time they play. While that's cool for bragging rights, it's not always the best for farming.
For gem efficiency, you want to find that "sweet spot" where the waves are still moving fast but you're still getting a decent payout. Often, it's better to do two runs to wave 60 or 70 than it is to spend an hour and a half struggling to reach wave 100+. The difficulty spikes massively after a certain point, and the time-to-gem ratio starts to drop off.
Picking the Right Units for Speed
To keep your Infinite Mode farm efficient, you need a deck that can handle early waves without much input. You don't want to be micro-managing every single placement from wave 1. Using units with a good Area of Effect (AoE) and decent starting cost is key. If you can set up a "lazy" defense that carries you to wave 50 while you're watching a movie on your second monitor, you've successfully turned Infinite Mode into a semi-all star tower defense gem farm.
The Importance of Buffers
You can't talk about farming without mentioning Erwin or similar buff units. Even if you're just doing a casual run for gems, the damage boost you get from a properly timed buff rotation makes the enemies melt way faster. It keeps the game from dragging on. If you're struggling to kill the "Air" units or the "Shield" units, your farm is going to slow down, and your gems-per-hour will tank.
Clearing Story Mode on Extreme
A lot of players finish the Story Mode once and then never look back. That's a huge mistake. If you're looking for a quick injection of gems, going back and clearing stages on Extreme Difficulty is one of the best things you can do. The first-time clear rewards for Extreme are generous, and it's often much faster than grinding out an Infinite run.
If you've recently pulled a top-tier unit, you can probably blast through the earlier worlds on Extreme without even breaking a sweat. It's basically free money sitting on the table. Once you've cleared them all, the repeatable rewards aren't quite as good, but for a one-time boost to reach a pity pull, it's unbeatable.
Don't Ignore the Daily Tasks
It sounds obvious, but you'd be surprised how many people forget to check their daily tasks. They're usually really simple things like "Upgrade units 20 times" or "Clear 3 Story Stages." If you make these part of your routine, they add up quickly. Over a month, just doing your dailies can net you thousands of gems.
It's the most consistent all star tower defense gem farm there is because it's guaranteed. There's no RNG involved, and you don't have to worry about a bad teammate ruining your run. It takes maybe fifteen to twenty minutes of focused play to knock them all out, and then you're free to go back to the more intensive grinds.
The Role of Challenges and Raids
Challenges and Raids are a bit more hit-or-miss for farming. Sometimes the rewards are great, and other times the difficulty is so high that it's not worth the time investment for a pure gem farm. However, keep an eye on the rewards list. Occasionally, a specific challenge will rotate in that offers a high gem payout for a relatively easy clear.
Raids are usually better for getting evolution materials, but since those materials save you from having to spend gems in the long run, they're still part of the overall economy. Think of it this way: every evolution material you grind for is gems you didn't have to spend on the secondary market or on extra pulls for fodder.
Tips for Managing Your Resources
A huge part of a successful all star tower defense gem farm isn't just how you earn them, but how you spend them. It's so easy to get caught up in the hype of a new banner and blow 2,000 gems on a unit that isn't even that good. If you want to stay ahead of the curve, you have to be disciplined.
- Check the Trello or Discord: See if the unit is actually meta before pulling.
- Save for Pity: Never start pulling unless you have enough to hit the pity. There's nothing worse than spending 1,500 gems and walking away with nothing because you didn't have enough to guarantee the drop.
- Multi-Instancing (if you're into that): Some people run alt accounts to help them in Infinite Mode, which can make the farm much more stable, though it's a bit of a hassle to set up.
Final Thoughts on Efficiency
At the end of the day, the best all star tower defense gem farm is the one you can actually stick to. If you hate Infinite Mode, don't force yourself to do it for five hours a day or you'll just burn out and quit the game. Mix it up. Do some AFK farming when you're busy, knock out your dailies when you first log in, and then do a few Extreme Story stages or an Infinite run if you're feeling up to it.
The game is meant to be fun, and while the grind is real, it shouldn't feel like a second job. Keep your units leveled up, stay on top of the latest strategies, and those gems will start piling up before you know it. Just remember to be patient—those 7-star units aren't going anywhere, and with a bit of consistent farming, you'll have more than enough to grab whatever you need.