Wait, is that a mirage? The Shroud Stepping, Chakram throwing, sand ninja bursts his way to the top of the 2.7 Tier List. In the Lane, Baron has traded in his rocket launcher for a saxophone in his new hit single, “Feeling the Ban Blues.” Vox and Idris maintain top Carry spots, while the Jungle remains relatively the same. In other Jungle news, we have a new contender, Reza, a mage so underwhelming he got a buff after just one day! Soaring near the top of the Captains list, the Valkyrie Queen Grace poses a dominating figure slightly ahead of Lyra. With that, let’s dive deep into the list and get your VST stepping in update 2.7!
SOMETHING NEW: We’ve added arrow symbols to tell you how much a hero’s ranking has changed compared to our last tier list. Up arrows indicate that a hero has moved up in tier or position, and that this hero is more effective this update. Down arrows indicate that a hero has moved down in tier or position, and that they are less effective this update. However, it’s important to note that we didn’t simply take the difference between rankings for these numbers—new heroes or heroes that are removed are not factored into position change numbers. This will more accurately represent a hero’s change in power level.
CARRY
Nightmare
VOX (↑2) Vox retains an ever so dominant spot in the meta with his mobility and strong sustain from Poisoned Shiv. No one dashes by the young shocktrooper, easily able to obtain Poisoned Shiv to much success, he’s still a bouncing nightmare!
IDRIS (NEW) Idris comes in as the second most powerful carry in the meta, a great counter to Vox. However, he can fail when a team has proper peel and kite capabilities. This seeker’s path of destruction is only second to Vox due to his short range as a melee hero. Hope a fully built Idris is never to come online—unless you want your carry to be shrouded by his quick blade.
Kind of a Big Deal
BARON (↑0) Baron falls slightly out of favor with weapon damage nerfs in 2.7 and many players having found creative ways to deal with the rocket soldier other than armor. Not to dismay, Baron still yields one of the greatest late game damage potentials. Although “Skye’s sidekick” has a significant escape ability in the way of Jump Jets, he suffers from a meager early game and draft shutdown.
GLAIVE (NEW) Making a return from prehistoric times, Glaive has a bone to pick with his fellow heroes. With the best gank ability in the game and AOE critical attacks, Glaive holds his own in the lane with timely aggression, and serves as a possible counter to sand man. Despite the nerf to Poisoned Shiv in patch 2.7, the mammoth cat still sniffs his targets (and minions) out for the kill.
KESTREL (↑5) Kestrel rises among the ranks with glimmers of hope, being a great flexible pick into either the lane or jungle position. She remains ever so slightly able to camo her way in and out of the top picks. With the right positioning, Kestrel has the capability of shutting Idris down in the early portions of the match.
RINGO (↑0) In addition to being a solid pick against immobile heroes unable to flee from drunken gun shots, Ringo yields high potential to stagger by his weaker phase and sit ready for the right bar fight. However, the uncanny one arm gunman struggles to find solid footing on this list due to his decreasing early presence and lane harassment potential is much less impactful than before.
SKAARF (↑0) Indecipherable his gargle may be, the mighty dragon has seen an influx of play as a counter to many heroes. Though, this fire is only reached if Skaarf is able to burn bright into the late game where Dragon’s Breath is sure to melt his enemies. While Skaarf has a much better early game than some mages, he is easily shut down by a team that can apply jungle pressure and transition into a lead, allowing them to keep Skaarf from reaching his full potential for much longer.
ADAGIO (↑0) With a reintroduction of glass cannon lane carries, Adagio splashes brave minions with his gift of “I thought I just killed that little sucker!” for an easy combination opportunity for empowered basic attacks, allowing for quick kills before foes can hear his song. However, Mr. Blue-winged Seraphim remains a situational pick in the carry position as Poisoned Shiv makes it difficult for the all-powerful angel to heal or harass anyone, and has little in the ways of mobility.
CELESTE (↑0) The queen of stars reigns less and less supreme in the lane due to pressure and risky trades early on. While her late game potential is substantial, Celeste’s overall squishiness and immobility leaves her open to burst damage.
GWEN (↓7) Our infamous Sheriff of the Fold takes a skedaddle down from where she was in update 2.4 and 2.5. The introduction of Poisoned Shiv meta led to boomstick burst damage being locked up, and the key out of reach.
Impressive
JOULE (NEW) This robot riding monster rocket machine version two (9000) leaps her way to the carry list with tank and sustain mechanics. While possessing substantial damage into the late game, Joule struggles against incoming poke damage from stronger carries contesting her mech work in the lane.
SAW (↑0) Unfortunately, big gun does not equal big win. SAW remains at the bottom of the tier list due to his ever immobile kit, and is still highly susceptible to being pushed back or bursted down. SAW NO NEED MAGIC DASH BOOST. WHERE SHERIFF? HAHAHA PUNY GUN. SAW BIG GUN BIGGER PUSH BIGGEST ELO. XELWHO?? HAMIWHERE??? HIDE???? SAW NO HIDE. SEE SAW. SAW OUT.
JUNGLER
Nightmare
GRUMPJAW (↑1) Grumpjaw couldn’t decide on cake or pie, so he settled for both. The great beast with mandibles comes in on a full belly, wreaking havoc on the Fold. Despite nerfs to his damage output in 2.7, Grumpjaw remains a Hangry and powerful beast searching for enemies to sink his mandibles into, and is only made better with his Living Armor. Living Amor allows Grumpjaw to be a very aggressive jungler into almost all heroes, and Hangry provides a substantially faster clear speed than others. One wonders if the beast truly ever stops hungering.
BAPTISTE (↑11) The witch doctor of bad mojo ordains his foes to bow before him. Rivaled only by few, Baptiste brings a fearsome army of shade to any battle and is a force souls fear. Able to sustain in early skirmishes, pressure lane with Ordained, and hold high clear speed makes for a dangerous foe.
KESTREL (↑10) The jungle, where Glimmershot cannot be blocked by minions, is a great place to wreak havoc and remain stealthy to give enemies a quick death. Crystal Kestrel scales exceptionally well into the mid game where the potential to take down unsuspecting carries is high. Additionally, with the right positioning and frontline support, weapon Kestrel has an elvish desire to fill her opponents with newborn, halcyon-infused quadruplet arrows.
Kind of a Big Deal
KOSHKA (↓3) Oh look, shiny! Koshka pounces near the top of the ranks with her immense mobility and burst damage. While Koshka still has one of the quickest clear speeds in the game, she struggles to find and lockdown on some of the more prominent junglers. She still maintains a dominant presence in the jungle in the right hands.
GLAIVE (↑0) Smelling your every move, the blind grangor takes a hit from where he was in update 2.4 and 2.5 but still hunts the weak and brings immense utility to any team, whether built crystal or weapon in the jungle.
SAMUEL (↓4) The dark prince pouts in a corner as he falls out of favor in the ranks. While powerful, he’s still susceptible to being pushed or out sustained and as such is not being picked often. The corrupted genius doesn’t find this funny—don’t try to make him laugh.
SKAARF (NEW) Not only does Skaarf gargle up lane minions, but prevails in the jungle as BestDragonNA (sorry, EU, go back to your roots) from afar. The mighty, flighty, feisty, grimy, ninety-year old dragon soars high in the jungle with flaming balls, mud puddles and nasty breath capable of taking down foes before they can count to thr– …
PETAL (↑0) The Fold’s munion master and bleeko-hating ball of sunshine remains a situational counter pick. She struggles with late game scaling heroes that have copious amounts of burst damage. Of course you’re not small, Petal!
KRUL (↑1) Rest was here, but it’s time to wake up! With an increasing number of buffs in the last few patches, Krul finally sees the right amount of play into the meta for easy target lock down. However, he’s still susceptible to the massive sustain and peel potential available to many heroes.
BLACKFEATHER (↑1) While the swashbuckler may have fallen out of favor in lane, he remains a great source of poke damage, and holds gap closers that make many enemies’ hearts throb with pain.
REIM (↓6) Grandpa Reim seems to have found a suitable retirement home as he sees little play. While still being able to beat those darned youngsters with his cane, chill winds don’t help against Poisoned Shiv … and back pains.
OZO (↓5) Monkey see monkey not top of list. Being susceptible to many of the other heroes with heavy amounts of CC and sustain makes it hard for the monkey to bounce his way to the top. That’s just luck for you!
REZA (NEW) There’s a new fire wielding hero—move over, Skaarf! Reza comes in as a lackluster hero; while he offers more damage in short but consistent bursts, he has a paucity for defensive and mobile capabilities that many other melee junglers offer. Sorry, Reza, looks like SEMC didn’t share some of those “new hero genes.” Maybe some secret stuffing with your future skin?
TAKA (↓4) The sly brainwashed assassin falls out of favor from 2.4 and sees minimal use other than being a counter to few heroes. As an Assassin, Taka has great damage potential and can apply map pressure in the enemy jungle if they gank lane. However, he lacks a decent method of clearing his jungle until he obtains a Stormcrown, and is still susceptible to being caught with vision and bursted down. He didn’t think Kaiten would last forever, did he? He’ll just Kaku away for now.
Impressive
SKYE (↓1) Our mobile mech stealing teen remains a situational pick in the current meta. While still strong into the late game, she struggles to suri her way out of burst damage and strong sustain from other heroes. “It’s hard to rain death from above when dead.”
RONA (↑0) North isn’t always forward, as Rona ends up at the bottom of the ranks. Poisoned Shiv has not been kind to her; however, calm she may be, Rona leaps out of the fray when she’s out-sustained and raged by many.
ALPHA (↓12) Alpha’s prime directive to kill has come to a halt as she begins to break her sequence of infinite reboots. While strong into some warriors, she falls only to lie there until reboot. Poisoned Shiv does not treat her kindly as termination from the meta isn’t part of the protocol.
IDRIS (↓2) Idris struggles in the jungle against more threatening enemies. While the open area serves him well to Shimmer Strike from many angles, Chakram becomes harder to hit, and thus is drastically divergent to find success unlike his role as a carry.
JOULE (↑0) Heaving Plating may help from the front, but not from the back—where the jungle creates many opportunities to be struck from many angles. Joule remains an ever so unfavorable pick in the jungle as she is countered by many. She can’t quite Rocket Leap away if she dies before knowing what hit her.
CAPTAIN
Nightmare
CATHERINE (↑7) Halcyon shimmering veins are just too impressive. Catherine’s merciless pursuit of enemies aids allies to catch and quickly kill key targets. Her late game potential will leave you stunned, but more impressive is untroubled target lock down from her disrupting abilities. As well, Catherine’s Captain of the Guard perk buff in patch 2.5 provides twice the tankiness in the late game.
GRACE (NEW) The mighty paladin storms her way onto the Fold, and her intervention into the meta finds Grace in a great position as a top Captain in our 2.7 Tier List. Her mace of retribution brings great benediction to her allies. She provides an easy way to slow and lock down heroes with Benediction and Holy Nova. As well, being a quick and tanky hero, Grace seems only rivaled in the early game, where she still remains strong in the right hands.
LYRA (↑2) The gythian mageborn finds her spot at the top, but beaten by another healer. Lyra’s sigils bring great sustain and harass potential to match and trade with the potency of an early game Grace. Constant nerfs and buffs to Lyra’s kit leaves her unsteady and snared out of the top spot … for now.
Kind of a Big Deal
LANCE (↓2) This knight of gythia was distracted by crystal and gold from true purpose. While still viable, the tanky knight suffers from ways to shield his allies from immense burst damage. While Lance also has various ways to help allies lock down enemies, he lacks the early game presence and survivability that other heroes have.
ARDAN (↑2) A father’s instincts are always to protect those he loves. Having immense team utility to help absorb damage, speed up, and slow down approaching enemies, Ardan traps his enemies in his Gauntlet and remains a strong frontline with the buff to Julia’s Gift in update 2.6. However, with Poisoned Shiv’s capability to reduce the effectiveness of Ardan’s meat shield, he’s left to age through another patch.
FORTRESS (↓2) Little wolf of the north still hunts with tooth and claw alongside his allies. Aiding heroes with a means to weaken and deal significant damage to enemies in the late game, Fortress’ hunt begins by being hunted in the early game as a very squishy target, and susceptible to being attacked by a pack of enemies.
BAPTISTE (NEW) The witch doctor enjoys a bit of saving his allies now and again, bringing strong utility and damage at short notice through a flexible pick. While reaping away at his enemies souls’, Baptiste is susceptible to being bursted down by other aggressive Captains. He does however have a deal of survivability due to his perk in the early stages of the game, and can juggle damage with his team effectively to win an early skirmish and gain a lead.
Impressive
PHINN (↓4) The mighty slow river troll stopped to smell the flowers along the way. Phinn comes in at the bottom of the ranks for being highly immobile and less rewarding into the late game, as well as having a considerably weak early game than top tier picks. Many see the large river troll as a target for damage, but that’s not very polite company to keep.
FLICKER (↑0) A bleeko bunny of many tricks couldn’t sneak into the top of the list. While being highly mobile, he remains highly susceptible to early vision and burst damage. Flicker is still one of the squishiest Captains available despite poofing up with buffs in update 2.7.
ADAGIO (↓3) Our seraphim of ancient power struggles to help his teammates with his Gift of Fire. Adagio remains squishy, and with the potency of Poisoned Shiv, one wonders why the blue-winged seraphim sees any play. The angel of darkness isn’t going to have any fun for a while.
Let us know your thoughts on our Vainglory Hero Tier List! From accuracy to article format, we take all feedback into consideration. If you wish to view old Hero Tier Lists, you can do so here. Credit to those involved in this Vainglory Hero Tier List:
- HipsterSkaarf — Graphic Artist
- Zeal, DrakenMythik — Writer
- Sean — Editor