Stop The Tsunami Tier Lists
Machines and materials ranked by clear speed, coin efficiency, and wave hold power.
Stop The Tsunami! is a dig-build-survive loop: clear sand, shape walls and trenches, pack them hard, press START ROUND, then earn coins when the wave fails to drown the town. Your power budget splits into two ladders that matter equally鈥?machines* that move dirt fast, and materials that absorb impact when the beach widens. This hub explains how we rank both so you spend coins on the right upgrade instead of a vanity purchase that stalls the next stage.
Ranking philosophy
Every tier rating answers three questions. First, how much wall volume does the option create or haul per minute of lobby time? Second, how well does it scale when Easy waves become Medium and Hard, and when the shoreline pulls back after a clear? Third, does it help a shared co-op wallet, or does it only shine when one player is alone? Tools that dig forever but leave packing unfinished rank lower than tools that finish a defensible line before the START ROUND button becomes a dare.
We treat early gear honestly. The toy spade is mandatory on day one and still belongs on the list, but it is outclassed the moment shovel coins appear. Late beach work with gravel, boulders, clay, and concrete is not a fashion choice鈥攖hose materials exist because packed sand alone stops holding monster waves. Rankings therefore shift by stage: early beach favors dig speed and packing discipline; late beach favors haul capacity and high-tier fill.
Machines versus materials
Machines win preparation windows. Digging, clearing a stage so the sea pulls back, and ferrying heavy fill all live on the machine ladder: toy spade, shovels, bulldozer, skid steer, excavators, dump truck. Materials win the collision. A beautiful trench dug with an excavator still fails if the crest is loose sand when Hard mode hits. Use the Machine Tier List when you are asking what to unlock next with coins, and the Materials Tier List when you are asking what to place on the wall face after the dig is done.
Coin efficiency ties the two lists together. Buying a bulldozer before you understand packing wastes a round of income. Pouring concrete on a half-height wall wastes rare late materials. Read both lists, then cross-check spend order in Upgrade Machines and construction habits in Build Defenses.
How to use these lists in a session
Solo players should climb machines until dig and haul no longer bottleneck the clock, then shift spend into better fill as the beach widens. Co-op crews should assign one driver to S-tier excavator or dump truck work while others pack and patch mid-wave on shared machines. Difficulty choice changes urgency鈥攏ot the tier order. Easy teaches the loop; Medium punishes soft packing; Hard demands clay and concrete sooner. Daily Spin and Beach Club Rewind help recovery, but they do not replace a sound upgrade path.
Related pages
- Machine Tier List 鈥?spade through dump truck
- Materials Tier List 鈥?sand through concrete
- Upgrade Machines 鈥?when to spend coins
- Build Defenses 鈥?walls, trenches, packing
Revisit this hub after major balance patches. Creator jzf25 can shift dig rates or material unlocks; when that happens, the philosophy stays, but individual ranks may move.
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers for Stop The Tsunami players.
Should I upgrade machines or materials first?
Prioritize machines until dig and haul keep up with the round timer, then invest in higher materials as the beach widens and waves grow.
Is packed sand ever S-tier?
Packed sand is excellent early and still useful for volume, but gravel, boulders, clay, and concrete outrank it once stages expand and Hard waves hit.
Do co-op shared wallets change the tier list?
Ranks stay the same, but roles change: put drivers on excavators and dump trucks while others pack walls and patch mid-wave.
Where are detailed machine and material rankings?
Open the Machine Tier List and Materials Tier List pages linked from this hub for full S鈥揅 breakdowns and spend advice.