As we have discussed in our previous strategy guide, Arcana Tactics has a wide variety of heroes to fuse and upgrade, and the short downtime between battles means that you have to think fast on who to summon to the field. Getting your best forces as soon as possible, besides learning when to start fusing, can mean the difference between winning a fight or losing a life.
Now, there are 140 heroes available to collect as of writing. All are generally divided in five tiers of rarity indicated by the stars above their portrait. At rank five, the highest-tier heroes are inevitably quite powerful but from what we’ve seen, all of them are only available via the hero gacha. This means summoning even one of them is quite the challenge, on top of some of their prerequisite four-star heroes also being gacha-exclusive.
This Arcana Tactics tier list will focus primarily on the heroes’ performance in the campaign, as the game’s PvP mode was only recently added. In our list, each hero will be listed from the lowest to the highest rarity, segregated according to their class, and will include their element and fusion recipe. We will also disregard the one-star heroes, as they will see regular use by necessity. We’ve reduced our list to covering 89 heroes, from two-star to four-star.
Four-star heroes will also be categorized between those whose soul stones can be acquired through story missions, therefore making them easier to rank up, and those whose soul stones are exclusive to the gacha.
Though Arcana Tactics encourages fusing up to your high-level troops, some two-star or three-star heroes can easily assist the party all the way to the boss wave. In some cases, it is better to leave them be than fuse them into someone higher, as it means one less source of damage or buffs. Either way, this tier list will give you an idea of what heroes you can keep all the way to the end of a mission.
Masters Of The Blade: Swordsmen
Two-Star Swordsmen
a. Spell Sword (Fire, created through Swordsman + Lancer) – A combination we have discussed in our previous guide, the Spell Sword has a 18% chance of performing a fiery swipe that deals extra damage to her target as well as one enemy nearby, making her an early source of crowd control.
b. Paladin (Light, created through Swordsman + Swordsman) – Every five attacks, the Paladin heals himself for about 350 points of health, which generally covers about a seventh of his health if he is not upgraded. This gives him some decent self-sustaining early on, especially due to his high defenses. However, he will likely fold as a mission progresses even with other sources of healing due to his average attack speed unless he has been buffed accordingly.
Three-Star Swordsmen
a. Rune Knight (Fire, created through Spell Sword + Paladin) – Effectively a direct upgrade to the Spell Sword before her, not only does the Rune Knight have an altered version of the Spell Sword’s splash attack (slightly reducing the chance and range in exchange for more damage), she also starts with a passive that reduces incoming magical damage, making her particularly tanky against wizard-heavy formations. As a bonus, she is available for fusion right at the start of the game.
b. Highlander (Fire, created through Spell Sword + Blacksmith) – A missing arm did not slow this woman down, and it shows. She unleashes a powerful slam every five attacks to the nearest enemy, and if the health of the enemy is less than 50%, she deals additional damage to finish them off. All this results in a hero that can clear out any enemies up front and quickly eliminate wounded ones.
c. Defender (Dark, created through Paladin + Barbarian) – A team-focused tank, the Defender increases her physical defenses by 20% for every ally nearby, maxing out at five allies and doubling her defense in the process. This pairs well with her second ability, where she redirects all damage her closest ally receives to herself. This makes her a suitable mid-game tank if enough heroes are on the field to take full advantage of her defense buff.
d. Crusader (Light, created through Paladin + Ninja) – The Paladin’s bigger brother, the Crusader heals himself by 10% of his physical damage with every attack, as opposed to healing every few attacks. For every five attacks, he buffs his physical defense for six seconds. While it is a flat bonus of 300, it effectively counts as him doubling his physical defense assuming he has not been upgraded. Thus, the Crusader’s improved stats make him a suitable step up from the Paladin.
Four-Star Swordsmen
a. Valkyrie (Light, created through Rune Knight + Warden) – A magic-oriented fighter, the Valkyrie focuses more on her magical stats over her physical stats. Her first ability triggers every five seconds, converting her basic attack into an area-of-effect swing that trades reduced damage for hitting up to three enemies, with the effect lasting for eight seconds.
Her second ability heals herself based on her magical damage every nine seconds or so, and her third ability gives her an 18% chance of dealing extra damage to her target. While all these sound impressive, her subpar physical defense means that she will crumple against other swordsmen. She is best used as a support for a more dedicated tank, walloping groups while the main tank absorbs incoming blows.
b. Death Knight (Dark, created through Rune Knight + Berserker) – Riding his shadowy steed, the Death Knight is kitted out for taking damage, and his skillset and high magical defense complement this role. Whenever an enemy dies, his first ability casts Fear on a random enemy, causing it to run away from the battle for about a second before it wears off. However, he can only cast this ability once every eight seconds so do not expect him to terrify the entire enemy force in one sitting.
His second ability triggers every eight seconds, dealing a heavy blow, scaling off his physical damage, and stealing 20% of his target’s magical defense for his own use for six seconds. This allows him to tank even more damage during that period. His third ability passively decreases incoming magical damage by 25%. All these make him very good at tanking magic-heavy formations.
c. Royal Guard (Light, created through Highlander + Defender) – A startling contrast to the Death Knight in both aesthetic and stat distribution, the Royal Guard is geared towards absorbing physical blows. Her first ability has her bash her target with her shield, damaging them and stunning the unfortunate foe for a couple of seconds with an eight-second cooldown. Her second ability activates when she receives healing.
Every nine seconds, she and one ally near her are healed for 350 points of health, effectively sharing any healing effects while bolstering whatever health she receives. Her final ability is a simple eight-second buff to her physical defense with an eight-second cooldown between uses. This makes the Royal Guard very good against physical attackers, which generally make up the enemy front line.
d. Blade Singer (Fire, created through Rune Knight + Highlander, gacha-exclusive) – A native of the desert, the Blade Singer embodies the sweltering heat of his home region. His first ability buffs his physical and magic damage by 20% for nine seconds, with a six-second cooldown. His second ability triggers every six attacks, burning his target and two nearby enemies for three seconds, dealing 70% of his magic attack per second.
His final ability has an 18% chance of triggering, and deals very high physical damage to his target, with a small bonus if he’s squaring up against a Nature-aligned foe. All these make the Blade Singer an absolute beast against single targets, but his frail defenses and short range mean that he will need someone to weather damage in his stead.
e. Lunatic (Iron, created through Crusader + Vagabond, gacha-exclusive) – With a name like that, you can bet that his state of mind is not exactly stable, and his weapon of choice is an axe so large that he can safely attack from the rear while others take the hit (and he can hit fairly quickly, too). His first ability buffs his physical attack and attack speed for seven seconds, and its six-second cooldown means that the buff is permanent as soon as the battle starts.
His second ability triggers on a critical hit, increasing his physical attack by 6% for six seconds, and can stack up to five times for a 30% boost. His third ability gives him an 18% chance of healing himself when attacking, based on 80% of his potentially very high physical attack stat. The Lunatic is essentially a one-man wrecking ball, and even his subpar health and defenses can be mitigated by keeping the pressure to maintain his healing. A sturdy battle line does not hurt however, especially given his range.
A Hail Of Arrows: Archers
Two-Star Archers
a. Sniper (Fire, created through Archer + Archer) – Switching out a bow for a crossbow, the Sniper is an early means of picking off enemies with low physical defenses. Her sole ability has an 18% chance of firing a damaging shot at the opponent with the lowest physical defense on the field. This is typically an enemy wizard or archer who is hiding behind a shield-bearing goon or two.
b. Chaser (Nature, created through Archer + Rogue) – Whereas the Sniper is designed to take down squishy priority targets, the Chaser’s sole ability allows his basic attack to damage two targets at once, serving as an early source of crowd damage particularly against Ice-aligned enemies.
While he is not as damaging compared to the Sniper, who can potentially activate her ability multiple times in a row and bring down multiple enemies, the Chaser can weaken two enemies at a time and make it easier for his team to work through early-game crowd.
Three-Star Archers
a. Scout (Nature, created through Sniper + Chaser) – A quiet woman, the Scout’s first ability is a simple 16.5% chance of dealing extra damage to her target, while her second ability has an 18% chance of triggering on attack, and poisons the enemy furthest from her for three seconds. She can soften up several targets at once much like the Chaser, but her low magic attack must be taken into account.
b. Ranger (Iron, created through Sniper + Fencer) – When he is not snacking away, the Ranger fires a deadly arrow to the enemy with the lowest HP, picking off heavily-wounded attackers. His penchant for eating on the job does have its benefits, as he has an 8% chance of restoring some health should he be attacked. This does give him a bit more survivability than what is expected, but it is best to keep him behind your main defenders.
c. Hunter (Nature, created through Chaser + Bard) – With her trusty hawk taking to the skies, the Hunter has the longest range of all the three-star archers. Her first ability triggers every 10 seconds, with her hawk dive-bombing at her target and stunning them for about a second. Don’t worry, the hawk will (thankfully) be unharmed.
Her second ability triggers every four attacks, and simply deals increased damage. The Hunter thus serves as early-to-middle-game crowd control, especially if you use items that have her prioritize certain enemies. She is also the only Archer who can stun their target.
d. Stinger (Light, created through Sniper + Blacksmith) – On one hand, the Stinger sports the slowest attack speed out of all the three-star archers. On the other hand, every eight seconds, the Stinger doubles his attack speed for about seven seconds. Unfortunately, as soon as the buff ends, his attack speed is reduced for three seconds as he reloads his crossbow. Keep enemies from attacking him, and he is a great asset against Dark-aligned enemies.
Four-Star Archers
a. Wind Walker (Nature, created through Scout + Hunter) – Being royalty does not mean the Wind Walker cannot handle herself in a fight. Her first ability triggers every seven attacks, and deals increased damage to her chosen target. Her second ability has a 13% chance of activating and has her target the furthest enemy from her with increased damage.
Her third ability passively increases her physical damage by a portion of her magic attack stat, allowing her to take benefit from buffs that increase the magic attack. The last two abilities give her the Scout’s niche of picking off enemy archers and wizards with little trouble, even more so if her first ability activates at the same time.
b. Arcane Archer (Ice, created through Hunter + Avenger) – As her name implies, the Arcane Archer has the highest magical attack stat of all the four-star archers, and her abilities take full advantage of it. Her first ability allows her to damage up to four enemies in exchange for reduced damage, and has an 18% chance of activating on her attacks.
Her second ability activates every six seconds, and further bolsters her magic attack stat for eight seconds, effectively acting as a permanent buff until she is killed. Her third ability is particularly devious, as her basic attacks reduce her target’s magical defense stat by 5%, and can stack up to six times for a 30% reduction to magical defense. She will go through most physical tanks like a hot knife through butter, and can even lay down some serious damage against magical tanks if she stacks enough defense debuffs.
c. Raven (Dark, created through Scout + Ranger) – The Raven is a rather dour fellow, and his choice of element and abilities reflect it. His first ability triggers every seven seconds, dealing heavy damage to his target and scaling off his high physical attack stat. His second ability triggers when attacking and has a 16% chance of silencing a random target for three seconds, preventing them from using any abilities they may have.
His third ability increases his damage against Light-aligned enemies by 30%, stacking with his innate advantage against the element. All these make him a monster against single targets, especially if he is going against a Light-aligned foe. His magic defense is quite low however, so be wary of enemies with high magic damage.
d. Corsair (Iron, created through Ranger + Defender, gacha-exclusive) – The Corsair is a man of the seas, and his defenses are higher than expected of his class while sporting reduced attack range. His first ability has an 18% chance of damaging his target and reducing their physical defense by 30% for five seconds. While it does not stack compared to the Arcane Archer’s version, the debuff’s effects are more immediate.
His second ability activates every six attacks and damages up to three enemies. His last ability is rather unique for archers, as it redirects 25% of any damage an ally may receive to himself, provided that ally is at most 2.5 squares away. Coupled with his lower range, this means that the Corsair can serve as a complement to one of your tanks, reducing the damage they receive while laying down covering fire.
e. Ancient Bow (Fire, created through Stinger + Scout, gacha-exclusive) – The elemental opposite of the Arcane Archer, the Ancient Bow has a similar ability set that takes advantage of his high magical attack. His first ability has a 13% chance of burning his target and up to two nearby enemies for three seconds.
His second ability triggers every eight attacks, and deals increased damage to his target and up to two nearby enemies. His third ability is unique in that he gains a flat bonus to his magic attack for every Fire-aligned hero on your side of the battlefield, encouraging a setup with only that element. Sure, it will make your army particularly vulnerable to Ice-aligned foes, but the damage boost to his attacks can counteract that.
Knives In The Dark: Rogues
Two-Star Rogues
a. Assassin (Dark, created through Rogue + Rogue) – An early source of crowd management, the Assassin’s sole ability activates every seven seconds, damaging her target and silencing them for two seconds. Nothing too flashy, but it is a reliable source of extra damage and crowd control before you break out the big guns.
b. Ninja (Iron, created through Rogue + Swordsman) – Acting much like the Sniper, the Ninja’s ability activates every four attacks and throws a shuriken at the furthest enemy from the Ninja. As his short range means that he will get into a melee, this usually results in the shuriken flying into some poor enemy archer’s face.
Three-Star Rogues
a. Avenger (Dark, created through Assassin + Ninja) – A gloomy fellow, the Avenger’s first ability inflicts a permanent, 35% debuff to his target’s physical defenses, while his second ability gives him a 12% chance of evading an attack. The Avenger slices through cannon fodder quite well and his surprisingly high defenses along with his innate evasion help immensely in the survivability department. His evasion can get overwhelmed by multiple attacks at once, so be careful.
b. Slayer (Nature, created through Assassin + Blacksmith) – The Slayer’s first ability gives her attacks a 16% chance of ignoring her target’s physical defenses, allowing her to more or less deal direct damage to her target’s health. With two snakes in her hair, it is inevitable the Slayer has some form of poisoning her enemies.
This is the basis of her second ability and her attacks have a 19% chance of poisoning her target for three seconds. Unfortunately, the damage dealt is fixed and does not scale with her stats, so it is only good for softening up her prey.
c. Samurai (Ice, created through Ninja + Spell Sword) – Stat-wise, the Samurai can be seen as a sort-of opposite to the Avenger, trading out some of her defenses for improved physical attack. Her first ability is an 18% chance of dealing extra damage to her target, which scales with her physical attack stat.
Her second ability triggers every six attacks and deals a fixed amount of damage to her target and up to two nearby enemies. Not as great against single targets, but as far as three-star rogues go she is the only one with an area-of-effect attack.
d. Wonderer (Dark, created through Ninja + Sorcerer) – Great for dealing with single targets, the Wonderer’s first ability has a 22% chance of poisoning her target for three seconds. On one hand it scales off her physical attack, but on the other hand it is a measly 30% of her physical attack so it will potentially deal less damage compared to the Slayer’s version. Her second ability has a 10% chance of activating when she is attacked, and makes her invulnerable for about three seconds, with an eight second cooldown between uses. Not quite as on-hand compared to the Avenger’s version, but three seconds of nullifying all incoming attacks has its uses.
Four-Star Rogues
a. High Assassin (Iron, created through Avenger + Samurai) – The High Assassin sports the highest physical attack and attack speed stats of any four-star hero, and her first ability gives her first attack in a battle more damage. Her second ability has an 18% chance of dealing increased physical damage to her target and making them bleed for three seconds.
Her third ability increases the damage she deals to Iron-aligned foes by 30%. Needless to say, she is very good at killing single targets, and the fact that she’s free makes ranking her up a much easier affair. Just keep her short range in mind as this makes her vulnerable to area-of-effect attacks.
b. Trickster (Dark, created through Samurai + Ministrel) – The Trickster’s a bit of a challenge to use to his full potential. His first ability reduces the critical chance of up to four enemies that are at most four squares away from him. His second ability is more straightforward and has a 17% chance of dealing extra magical damage to his target and slowing them down for four seconds.
His final ability increases the critical damage multiplier of any allies that are at most three spaces away from him. His first and third abilities can be finicky to use, but luckily his staff gives him better range compared to most rogues. This means that he can stay behind someone while applying his effects.
c. Dragon Slayer (Fire, created through Slayer + Vagabond) – Despite her class, the Dragon Slayer wields a big sword and is surprisingly durable for a rogue. Her first ability increases her physical damage if the enemy she’s facing has more physical defense than she does. This can potentially offset the damage reduction that would normally occur. Her second ability gives her an 18% chance of stunning her target for two seconds.
Her third ability reduces the critical damage multiplier of any enemies that are at most 3.5 squares away from her. Sadly, her third ability is a small comfort as it does not seem to have any significant impact on their overall damage. Regardless, her first two abilities are welcome in any party layout.
d. Shadow Dancer (Dark, created through Avenger + Wonderer, gacha-exclusive) – A rather dangerous woman, the Shadow Dancer’s first ability triggers every four attacks, very quick by the game’s standards, dealing physical damage and leaving a permanent but unstackable 25% debuff to her target’s physical defense.
Her second ability activates every nine seconds, dealing damage to her target and up to two enemies 1.5 squares away. Her third ability is a simple damage buff against Light-aligned enemies. All these make her a monster against Light-focused compositions and the defense debuff makes her very good against tankier threats. As with the High Assassin, her short range is an issue.
e. Osiris (Iron, created through Slayer + Nymph, gacha-exclusive) – Osiris’ first skill is simple enough: a 15% chance of dealing extra physical damage to her target and up to two enemies that are 1.5 squares away. Her second ability is distinctive wherein every eight attacks, she sacrifices 8% of her health to heal the farthest ally from her, scaling with her physical attack.
Everytime an ally dies, her third ability increases her physical attack by 35% for six seconds. This can stack up to three times provided her allies do not die too quickly. Her second ability pairs well with her good range, which is comparable to the Trickster’s, thus allowing Osiris to attack with a tank in front of her. However, by the time you summon her, the amount healed may not be enough to justify the health lost to cast it. Her third ability can help with that, but that means one less person to take damage in Osiris’ stead.
Specialists Of Sorcery: Wizards
Two-Star Wizards
a. Sorcerer (Ice, created through Wizard + Wizard) – A simple upgrade to the standard Wizard, the Sorcerer sends a wall of ice at his target every four attacks, damaging one more enemy at least 1.6 squares away. This is a good option to get rid of clustered enemies early on, especially front-line troops who sport low magical defense.
b. Shaman (Iron, created through Wizard + Warrior) – The Shaman fulfils a similar role to the Chaser in that her basic attacks hits up to two enemies at once. In the Shaman’s case, it scales from her magical attack instead (unsurprising, as the two of them are siblings). As with the Sorcerer, the Shaman is great at dealing with the enemy’s shielded troops.
[ArcanaTacticsB 15 Wizard2]
Three-Star Wizards
a. Invoker (Light, created through Sorcerer + Enchanter) – Designed to support your forces, the Invoker’s first ability activates every five attacks and heals the frontmost ally based on the Invoker’s magical attack stat. Her second ability has an 18% chance of triggering during an attack, and damages the opponent with the highest physical attack using magic damage. She is good for bolstering whichever hero takes point, but it is best to pair her with another healer because the Invoker will only prioritize who is up front.
b. Warlock (Iron, created through Sorcerer + Assassin) – The Warlock sports very good range, and is built towards dealing with enemy crowds. Her first ability has a 17% chance of triggering during an attack, and deals increased magical damage to her target and up to two enemies that are 1.5 squares away.
Her second ability can also trigger during an attack, and has a 16% chance of stunning up to three enemies for about a second. The Warlock is great for interrupting enemy movement and ability casts, especially against higher-level melee fighters.
c. Necromancer (Dark, created through Sorcerer + Shaman) – With the powers of the dead, and by virtue of being partly dead herself, the Necromancer has a 17% chance to poison her target along with two enemies that are two squares away for three seconds. Being partly dead has its flaws however, as the Necromancer cannot receive healing from any source.
She instead receives 25% less damage at all times. Unfortunately, the damage dealt from the poison is rather low, and as long as you keep enemies distracted, the second ability’s boon is nothing of note.
d. Esper (Ice, created through Shaman + Chaser) – The Esper does not deal as much damage compared to the other three-star wizards, but compensates with his support-focused skillset. His first ability passively reduces the physical defense of all enemies that are 4.5 spaces away which, given his high range, means that he can safely debuff foes while safely behind more durable fighters.
His second ability throws his target to the skies every 10 seconds, effectively acting as a one-second stun to whoever’s unfortunate to be in his sights. These abilities make the Esper quite useful even as more powerful heroes take the field.
Four-Star Wizards
a. Archmage (Fire, created through Warlock + Invoker) – As befitting his rank, the Archmage can dish out some serious pain and do some support on the side. His first ability is a 16% chance of calling a meteor onto his target, dealing heavy magic damage to it and up to two enemies that are 1.5 squares away. His second ability triggers every five attacks and silences the enemy with the highest magic attack stat for about four seconds, which generally tends to be an enemy wizard or cleric, and cripples whatever support they might have delivered.
His third ability heals the ally with the lowest amount of health that is at most 2.7 squares away, healing them based on the Archmage’s magic attack stat. It also has a 16% chance of triggering during his attack. All these, along with the Archmage being one of the few Fire-aligned heroes who is not restricted to melee, make him a very potent damage dealer.
b. Eldritch (Ice, created through Warlock + Esper) – Continuing the trend of Ice-aligned Wizards, the Eldritch delivers the chill of death on his adversaries. His first ability triggers every six attacks, has an eight-second cooldown between uses, and freezes the enemy with the highest physical attack for a couple of seconds.
His second ability is a passive aura that deals low but constant magic damage to the closest three enemies that are 4.5 spaces away from him. His final ability is a 17% chance of dealing slightly reduced damage to his target and one more enemy nearby, dealing more damage if the unfortunates are Fire-aligned. If you need to cool off particularly blazing enemies, the Eldritch is your guy.
c. Mystic (Dark, created through Necromancer + Hunter) – Another support-oriented wizard, the Mystic’s first ability constantly buffs the magic attack stat of him and any allies that are two spaces away from him. His second ability has a 15% chance of stunning his target and up to two more enemies that are 1.5 squares away.
His third ability is a passive debuff to the enemy with the highest magical attack stat no matter how far they are from him, making them far less likely to damage the Mystic’s allies or heal away any damage they receive.
d. Soul Eater (Nature, created through Necromancer + Samurai, gacha-exclusive) – Like the Necromancer before her, the Soul Eater cannot receive healing, instead receiving 25% less damage.
Her first ability adds a flat increase to her magical damage based on her magic attack stat, while her second ability has a 16% chance of poisoning her target and up to two enemies that are two squares away from her for three seconds. Alas, the damage from the poison is also quite low and her other abilities are quite underwhelming for her rarity.
e. Generic (Iron, created through Esper + Servant, gacha-exclusive) – The Generic has a very interesting ability: five seconds after the battle begins, she teleports herself and any ally within 1.6 spaces from her behind enemy lines. This happens once per wave, effectively placing your biggest damage dealers face to face with the enemy’s heavy-hitting but squishy units.
As a trade-off, she reduces the movement speed of all allies within 1.6 spaces from her. Her third ability is a bomb that she throws at her target every eight seconds, damaging it and up to two nearby enemies. Place her in a way that her teleport only affects your rear forces and watch as the enemies are surrounded. Just remember that her teleport can easily get you into trouble.
f. Sibyl (Dark, created through Warlock + Necromancer, gacha-exclusive) – You would expect a singer to have a good voice, but it appears Sibyl proves otherwise. Her first ability triggers every six attacks and reduces the magic defense of her target and up to three enemies that are within four squares of her.
Her second ability activates every 10 seconds and increases her critical chance by 15% for seven seconds, leaving a three-second period where she does not have the buff. Her third ability is a bane on single targets: a 16% chance of hitting her target for double damage with more damaged dealt for every 5% of health the enemy has lost. Hope that your enemies did not pack earplugs.
Tending To Your Wounds: Clerics
Two-Star Clerics
a. Druid (Nature, created through Cleric + Wizard) – One of the earliest healers you can find, the Druid’s attacks have an 18% chance of healing the ally with the lowest health based on the Druid’s magic attack stat. She is very good at her job and, like the Spell Sword, will show up quite often at the start of a mission and sometimes even in the mid-game.
b. Bard (Light, created through Cleric + Archer) – An early buffer, the Bard buffs the physical attack of all allies by 10% for seven seconds, with a four-second “cooldown” that ensures the buff remains active once the fight begins. The buff is not much, even by the standards of early-game heroes, so the Bard will find herself fused into another hero fairly quickly.
Three-Star Clerics
a. Warden (Nature, created through Bard + Assassin) – A cleric geared more towards tanking damage, the Warden’s first ability heals him every nine hits based on his physical attack, while his basic attack damages up to two enemies. The Warden can sustain himself quite well during a fight, provided he is not overwhelmed.
b. Minstrel (Ice, created through Druid + Enchanter) – Sibyl’s more musically-capable counterpart, the Minstrel buffs the physical attack of her and all allies within two spaces by 15%, while her attacks have an 18% chance of healing an ally based on her magic attack. Unfortunately, that ally can be any one, even someone who has barely taken damage. Ensure you have at least one more healer who can prioritize patch-ups.
c. Priest (Light, created through Cleric + Cleric +Cleric) – One of two three-star heroes fused entirely from one-star heroes, the Priest heals the ally with the lowest health every four attacks, while passively increasing the physical defense of both her and any allies that are within two spaces of her. This allows them to tank attacks more effectively while keeping them topped up.
d. Pilgrim (Light, created through Druid + Chaser) – Trading out ranged combat for close range warfare and improved defenses, the Pilgrim’s first ability buffs her physical attack by 70% for six seconds, with a seven-second cooldown.
Her second ability has an 18% chance of stunning her target for about two seconds. Not the most durable of three-star tanks, mainly due to Light having no resistances, but her stun can take a load off the shoulders of more capable tanks.
Four-Star Clerics
a. Dark Priest (Dark, created through Priest + Rampager) – Unlike other clerics, the Dark Priest is capable of healing groups instead of single targets. Her (yes, her; she just happens to be bald) first ability triggers on her attacks and has an 18% chance of silencing the enemy with the highest attack speed and up to two nearby goons for three seconds.
Her second ability heals her and up to three allies within two spaces of her every two seconds, based on a portion of her magic attack stat. Her third ability is a 25% chance of resisting status effects for both her and all allies that are within two spaces of her. Needless to say, she’s a great complement for single-target healers.
b. Bishop (Light, created through Priest + Minstrel) – A natural upgrade to the Priest, the Bishop sports some potent healing abilities. Her first ability activates every six seconds and heals the front-most hero in your party.
Her second ability triggers every six attacks, and heals four randomly-selected allies within two squares of her. Her final ability increases the attack speed of her and up to two allies within two squares of her. Her single-target heal is fantastic, but it will always target whoever’s up in front no matter how healthy they are, so have someone back her up.
c. Oracle (Ice, created through Warden + Invoker) – The Oracle is designed as a tank against magic-heavy formations, and can even give Barriers to some allies every now and then. His first ability is a 14% chance of sending his opponent and a nearby friend airborne, while his second ability casts magical Barriers onto three random allies in front of him.
The shields absorb damage based on a portion of the Oracle’s magic attack stat, and last four seconds with a whopping 12-second cooldown between uses. His last ability allows him to restore his health based on a portion of any magical damage he receives, with a one-second cooldown, allowing him to tank magic attacks even more.
d. Templar (Light, created through Priest + Defender, gacha-exclusive) – A more general-purpose Cleric tank, the Templar’s main draw is whenever she receives a Barrier: she reduces all damage received by 15% for five seconds.
Her attacks have a 15% chance of slowing her target and up to two enemies for about three seconds. After every five attacks, she heals any ally currently under attack by a portion of her physical attack stat. The healing itself is subpar, and her Barrier bonus is useless without some means of getting one.
e. Windcure (Nature, created through Minstrel + Pilgrim, gacha-exclusive) – The best four-star Cleric available, with her biggest weakness being her exclusivity to the gacha, for every five attacks, the Windcure grants a regenerative buff to four random allies, healing them every second for four seconds.
She grants an effectively permanent physical defense buff to herself and all allies within three spaces of her, and dispels all active debuffs every nine seconds. If you manage to roll her, consider yourself lucky.
Getting Into The Thick Of It: Warriors
Two-Star Warriors
a. Barbarian (Dark, created through Warrior + Warrior) – Ready to avenge his fallen comrades, the Barbarian gains a substantial buff to his physical attack and attack speed for six seconds when an ally dies, with the buff only activating once per battle. Unless the mission’s star requirement says no casualties, using this buff is a bit of a gamble. Thankfully, the Barbarian has good physical stats so he can weather a few hits in the early game.
b. Monk (Ice, created through Warrior + Spirit) – The monk can be considered a “support tank” of sorts, in that his attacks have a 16% chance of healing him and a nearby ally for a flat 300 HP each. Good for early-game formations, though flat values do not scale well later into a mission as health and damage go up.
Three-Star Warriors
a. Berserker (Dark, created through Barbarian + Druid) – Living on the edge, the Berserker increases his attack speed once his health goes below 55%. Every time he gets the killing blow, he gains a flat 50% increase to his physical attack for about six seconds, which can stack up to three times. Unfortunately, he has very poor defenses, so keeping him alive long enough to take full advantage of his abilities can be quite challenging.
b. Gladiator (Iron, created through Barbarian + Monk) – Sporting very high physical defense, the Gladiator’s attacks have a 17% chance of dealing extra damage, with a portion of that based on her physical defense stat. In addition, she gains a stackable 5% damage reduction every time her health is reduced by 15%, making her increasingly difficult to kill the lower her health gets. Just be wary of wizards.
c. Striker (Light, created through Monk + Paladin) – Cute as a button, the Striker has quite high physical and magical attack stats, and her attacks have a 16% chance of dealing extra magic damage to her target and one more enemy.
Every six attacks, the Striker stomps an enemy within three spaces of her who has lost the most health, making her good at finishing off wounded foes. In addition, her magical defense is surprisingly high, allowing her to walk up to wizards and take them on.
d. Rune Master (Fire, created through Monk + Shaman) – That robotic arm is not for show: the Rune Master’s attacks have a 15% chance of dealing extra physical damage based on her magic attack stat, while healing up to two allies within two squares of her every 10 seconds, also based on her magic attack stat. These traits make her the successor to the Monk in terms of combat role.
Four-Star Warriors
a. Champion (Nature, created through Gladiator + Striker) – A real prize fighter, the Champion’s basic attacks can chain up to two enemies, dealing more damage to Ice-aligned enemies. Every six attacks and within three spaces of him, he unleashes a powerful blow to an enemy that has lost the most amount of health, dealing double damage.
His final ability increases his physical attack by 60% for five seconds every time he gets the killing blow, stacking up to five times. Single targets beware.
b. Destroyer (Ice, created through Gladiator + Whitesmith) – Despite her name, the Destroyer excels at receiving damage and staying alive. She passively reduces all damage from Ice-aligned enemies by 35%. Every five attacks, she slows down up to two enemies for about four seconds. On top of that, she heals herself for 30% of her maximum health every seven attacks, so she can quickly get back to the fight once she’s delivered enough blows.
c. Warshaper (Nature, created through Berserker + Warden) – The Warshaper’s armor is not just for show: it provides a sizeable amount of physical defense. His attack has a 14% chance of damaging his target and a nearby enemy, knocking them back and forcing them to move back into position. Every eight seconds, he reduces the physical attack of up to three enemies within about four spaces from him for five seconds, allowing him to tank even more.
His final ability increases any healing he receives by a small percentage of his physical defense, with a two-second cooldown between uses. It is not much, but it helps keep the Warshaper alive for longer.
d. Savage (Fire, created through Striker + Rune Master, gacha-exclusive) – The Savage is a physical powerhouse, and gets deadlier when she starts racking up kills. Her basic attacks “mark” her target. When her target dies, the Savage receives a 0.05 attack speed boost that stacks up to five times, greatly increasing her damage output.
In addition, her attacks have a 14% chance of dealing double physical damage to her target, dealing more damage proportional to how much health the enemy has lost. Her final ability kicks in every five attacks, slowing down her target for about four seconds. Get those marked enemies killed and watch the Savage do her best.
e. Swashbuckler (Fire, created through Striker + Wonderer, gacha-exclusive) – The Swashbuckler is all about burning his enemies, and uses both his physical and magical attack stats for his abilities. His basic attack has an 18% chance of dealing magical damage based on his physical attack to the enemy with the highest magical attack, burning them for about four seconds.
Every six attacks, he deals magical damage to three enemies that are within three squares of him, and he already deals constant magical damage to those enemies every second. He does not have much in the way of survivability; have someone absorb the blows while he sets everything ablaze.
Long-Range Melee: Lancers
Two-Star Lancers
a. Guardian (Iron, created through Lancer + Lancer) – Decked out in full plate, the Guardian trades out offensive power for physical defense. Every 4.5 seconds, he reduces all damage he receives by 15% for six seconds. All these make for a suitable early-game tank.
b. Fencer (Dark, created through Lancer + Archer) – She is not as durable as the Guardian, but every five attacks she unleashes a rapid flurry of stabs, hitting her target four times. She’s good as an early source of single-target damage.
Three-Star Lancers
a. Rider (Iron, created through Guardian + Fencer) – Taking to the field on his horse, the Rider gains a small, stackable buff to his physical and magical defense every time he is healed; up to a maximum of three stacks. His attacks have a 14% chance of charging at his target, pushing them and a nearby enemy back. The Rider is a good tank with some decent crowd control on the side.
b. Rampager (Fire, created through Fencer + Spell Sword) – The Rampager’s defenses are a bit on the low side, but luckily his jousting lance provides suitable physical attack and enough range to comfortably attack behind a more durable friend. His attacks have a 17% chance of making his target bleed for three seconds, while he deals double physical damage every five attacks. Keep him safe and single targets are swiftly overcome.
c. Maestro (Ice, created through Guardian + Druid) – The Maestro serves as a ferrywoman of sorts for your tanks, as she passively increases the movement speed of her and all allies within two spaces of her. She also heals all allies and herself within that area for a small amount every three seconds. Put her behind your shield wall to get your vanguard to the front as soon as possible, and the passive healing keeps them up longer.
d. Vagabond (Fire, created through Guardian + Barbarian) – A master of the polearm, the Vagabond’s attacks have an 16% chance of hitting up to three enemies. She also gains buffs to her physical attack and attack speed, provided there are no allies within one space of her. That buff of hers can be a challenge to take full advantage of, but you can put her on the flanks while using heroes whose abilities reach farther out, particularly healers, as the Vagabond cannot take advantage of tanks to divert damage.
Four-Star Lancers
a. Ruler (Nature, created through Rider + Maestro) – A support-oriented hero, the Ruler activates a permanent physical and magical attack buff to herself and three allies that are within two spaces away, after six seconds have passed. Should she take damage, she casts a buff that covers the same number of allies and uses the same range, and it reduces any damage received by 20% for about seven seconds, with an 11-second cooldown.
Finally, she heals two randomly-selected allies every nine seconds, provided they are within three spaces of her. She is not entirely limited towards support however, as her magic attack is quite high and her range allows her to pick off enemies in relative safety.
b. Fortress (Ice, created through Rider + Rampager) – Befitting her name, the Fortress has the defense stats to match, especially against magical attacks. When hit, she has an 8% chance of restoring health based on her overall damage, and for every five attacks, she deals double damage to her target and slows them for three seconds.
In addition, she increases the magic defense of her and all allies within three spaces of her for about seven seconds, casting it every nine seconds. Her range is also surprisingly long for a tank, which is not a good thing as it might cause enemies to prioritize someone other than her. Keep this in mind when readying your formation.
c. Lightning Lord (Light, created through Vagabond + Gladiator) – We could make all the electric jokes we would like, but overusing them would fizzle them out. The Lightning Lord has high physical and magical damage, and his basic attacks have a 16% chance of hitting three additional enemies who are within 3.5 squares of him.
Every four attacks, he targets the enemy with the most health and deals double magical damage, stunning them for about three seconds. As if his damage output was not shocking enough, he gains a flat magical damage boost based on his magic attack stat. The Lightning Lord is very good at dealing with crowds and bosses alike.
d. Operator (Iron, created through Maestro + Whitesmith, gacha-exclusive) – Combining magic and technology, the Operator activates a buff six seconds after a battle has started, buffing the attack speed of both her and up to two allies within two spaces of her.
Every nine seconds, she casts a 10% damage reduction buff for her and three allies within two spaces her that lasts for five seconds. For every five attacks, she slows down up to three enemies for about three seconds. Reducing damage received while making select allies hit faster, that is what the Operator was trained for, and she can hit quite hard as well.
e. Vanguard (Dark, created through Rampager + Esper, gacha-exclusive) – Geared towards defense, the Vanguard’s attacks steal 50 physical defense from his target and adds it to his own for three seconds; he can stack this bonus up to five times. Every six attacks, the Vanguard reduces the physical attack of three randomly-selected enemies by 25% for about five seconds, making him absorb even more damage.
Lastly, he has a 50% chance of resisting Bleed or Poison effects, and while situational, some later missions will feature these status effects in droves, allowing those resistances to really shine. Suffice to say, the Vanguard is very difficult to bring down by physical means.
Elemental Embodiments: Spirits
Two-Star Spirits
a. Enchanter (Nature, created through Spirit + Cleric) – The Enchanter’s attacks have a 19% chance of dealing double magical damage, making her a good way of cracking open early-game defenders. It is a good thing she can find the necessary scrolls out of all the things falling out of her backpack.
b. Blacksmith (Fire, created through Spirit + Lancer) – At the start of a battle, the Blacksmith gives all allies a flat 20 bonus to their physical and magical attacks. Balancing this out is the rather long animation time of this ability, and lugging that anvil along means that the Blacksmith attacks quite slowly.
Three-Star Spirits
a. Servant (Dark, created through Enchanter + Shaman) – An artificial entity created from mana, the Servant is built for damage and her attacks have a 17% chance of damaging up to two enemies. The Servant’s physical defense is high, but should she fall in battle, she will get the last laugh. On death, the Servant explodes, dealing 700 fixed damage to three enemies who are within four spaces of her when she goes.
b. High Spirit (Iron, created through Spirt + Spirit + Spirit) – Another three-star hero created entirely of one-stars, the High Spirt trades out ranged combat for duking it out in melee. It has a 35% chance of ignoring an attack entirely, and hits up to two enemies every five attacks. His magic defense is quite high, but his physical defense suffers in exchange.
c. Whitesmith (Light, created through Blacksmith + Monk) – A direct promotion for the Blacksmith, the Whitesmith’s buff casts much faster and not only increases the party’s physical and magical attack, but also increases their physical and magical defense.
In addition, her basic attacks have an 18% chance of dealing 50% more damage to her target. Her damage output is not terribly amazing, but the buffs she casts at the start of a battle are well worth fusing her.
d. Nymph (Nature, created through Enchanter + Bard) – Brining nature’s gift to both her allies and her enemies, the Nymph’s attacks have a 19% chance of casting a regenerative buff on the ally with the most health lost, regaining health every second for about three seconds.
Meanwhile, every five attacks she summons roots to restrain her target for three seconds, preventing them from moving but allowing them to attack. Not exactly a full stun, but it does keep that particular enemy from advancing at least.
Four-Star Spirits
a. Salamander (Fire, created through High Spirit + Highlander) – The mythical elemental of Fire, the Salamander functions much like the Swashbuckler by burning all nearby enemies. His basic attack has two separate effects: a 15% chance of burning up to three enemies within four spaces of himself for four seconds, and a 14% chance of targeting the enemy with the highest physical attack and knocking them and up to two nearby allies back.
On top of this, the Salamander receives 35% less damage from other Fire-aligned enemies. Groups will melt down while he is in play.
b. Sylph (Nature, created through High Spirit + Servant) – A rather surprising recipe for a rather squishy but hard-hitting hero, the Sylph works best in the rear while granting buffs and sending deadly gusts. The Sylph grants a 10% attack speed boost to herself and the two closest allies, which will most likely be archers or wizards.
Her attacks have a 15% chance of making her target bleed for four seconds, and for every six attacks, she knocks up to three units back. This makes her great for cutting your tanks some slack while making her chosen enemy lose health.
c. Undine (Ice, created through High Spirit + Maestro) – Another hero best placed in the back, the Undine passively increases the magic attack of her and the two closest allies, while every five attacks she creates a Barrier for the front-most ally for seven seconds. Every 10 seconds, she slows down up to three enemies for about four seconds, making her a good tank complement much like the Sylph.
d. Exorcist (Iron, created through Servant + Whitesmith, gacha-exclusive) – The Exorcist is built for dishing out physical damage, but is quite slow. Fortunately for you, the Exorcist will teleport to the furthest enemy every 10 seconds, allowing him to dish out pain to an unfortunate mage.
His attacks have an 18% chance of dealing double damage, healing him for the amount of damage dealt, and damaging up to three enemies every six attacks. With the way his teleport works, he will be jumping between the enemy’s back and front rows, serving as a particularly deadly distraction.
e. Shade (Dark, created through Servant + Berserker, gacha-exclusive) – Like the Salamander, the Shade is geared towards dealing with crowds, does that job with gusto, and is more balanced between physical and magical attack. His basic attack has a 14% chance of damaging up to three enemies that are within four spaces from him, and a 15% chance of reducing the range of an enemy that is at least four spaces away from him for three seconds.
This in turn forces that enemy to move closer, exposing them to more damage. Finally, every four attacks he fires a chain attack that jumps to three enemies, making him quite the bane of Light-aligned groups.
And that wraps up our hero tier list for Arcana Tactics! We hope that this tier list helps you decide which heroes are worth your time and resources to summon and use and while this list is not entirely complete, these heroes will be encountered fairly frequently. If you guys have any tips or opinions about our tier list, please let us know in the comment section. Have fun and game on!