Strategy Tier Lists 7

Ady’s Tier List 2-22-15

adagio

I’ve wanted to provide a tier list for awhile because I think the perspective on some heroes is skewed at different Elo. The positions the characters are in is relevant, so I’m saying Adagio is higher on the list than Petal, but they fall into the top tier together.

Simply Amazing Tier:

  • Adagio
  • Petal
  • Ringo

Pretty Good Tier:

  • Catherine
  • SAW
  • Krul

Decent-ish Tier:

  • Ardan
  • Glaive
  • Koshka

Not Bad Tier:

  • Skaarf
  • Taka
  • Joule

1) Adagio is the king of the hill right now. Insane sustain that also deal damage and restores energy means that he can last forever in lane or jungle. Innately durable. Ridiculously high attack range.

2) Petal is the fastest jungle clear and has the best level 2 in the game. Her long attack range and bonus damage from munions makes her a nasty late-game threat.

3) Ringo is a lane bully and mid-game monster. Late-game can still be troublesome with good damage on his ultimate and an INSANE steroid.

4) Catherine is strong, but isn’t where she used to be. She’s provides value with a reliable form of hard CC on a ridiculously short cooldown. Her shield can be a good deterrent, but also can change a team fight in her favor.

5) SAW still has good DPS and is so versatile for providing the damage type that your team needs: bursty, sustained, ranged, melee. He does it all!

6) Krul is love. Krul is life. A stack of Krul Weakness is 10% less damage output from any carry. Each attack and ability applies a stack. If Krul can hit you with ult, an auto, and a Dead Man’s Rush, you do 30% less damage. This is most effective against heroes who rely on attack speed like Adagio, Petal, Ringo, and SAW. See any of those in the top tiers?

7) Ardan provides some surprising damage while also providing the best saving grace for the hyper carry. I’ve seen an Ardan shield save a Ringo and grant enough movement speed to carry a game. The zoning potential of his ultimate really lets his team do work.

8) Glaive provides a form of disruption that is very unique in Vainglory; the “punt” as Shin calls it. The ability to place that slippery Ringo/Petal/Adagio right over to your team and let them have their way with them. It’s a powerhouse early-game ability, but has devastating potential in the late-game.

9) Koshka was always low on my radar, but lately I’ve discovered first hand that she packs quite the punch. I would even consider putting her above Glaive, but her CC is so unreliable that I use it more as a blink and self-stun than as an actual lock-down. Her strength lies in the base damage of the Swirly Death boosted attack. 50 damage at level 1? 50 BONUS damage? Someone please take advantage of this. I don’t mean you, hardek.

10) Skaarf has some real viability since his changes. I think his energy costs still seem wrong, and the fact that the squishy little caterpillar needs to attack people to sustain any real damage is too much of a detriment. Can he Reflex Block during his ultimate yet, or does he rely on a teammate to activate Crucible to protect him?

11) Taka sure does get into the fight well. Man, that mid-game burst damage is something. Are you done? My 50 gold guarantees a kill against Taka, and if Adagio heals himself (let’s be real, there’s an Adagio in almost every game) then you’re slowed to a crawl. Too squishy, crit is only 150% damage rather than 200%, so unless you get a couple Tyrant’s Monocles (not a recommended build) your damage isn’t even entirely impressive. Plus, his heroic perk is riddled with bugs.

12) Joule gets the “Odd Duck” award for being the lowest on the tier list. Unreliable CC, unreliable damage, slow escapes or chase abilities, and an ultimate that has an awkward hit-box and is too telegraphed. I like the idea of allowing counter-play, but Joule’s Big Red Button gives too much warning if you have vision of her.

Thanks for reading! Let me know your thoughts in the comments section below! I’ll be updating this list after Celeste has seen some play in the coming weeks!

7 Comments

  • Reply
    Inkeyes
    Feb 27, 2015 6:25 pm

    Hi Ady! Great review. I was wondering if there’s some rock paper scissor game with characters. Of course it would also entirely depends on the build. As a Krul main, I feel that melee characters are at such disadvantage toward the end game.

  • Reply
    skipper587
    Feb 24, 2015 10:41 pm

    Hey Ady! Just wanted to throw my two cents in. As a Skaarf main, it makes me a little sad to see the little dragon this low on this list. Personally, I used Skaarf to carry me from Pretty Good to Simply Amazing in 14-1. When he’s built right, he’s a carry that’s hard pressed to be matched for damage output. That being said, it’s an incredibly skill based character so I see why he might be at the bottom of your list. But I’ve still got to disagree because Skaarf’s my main! 😀 Anyways. Good article! I agree with the rest. Keep it up!

    • Reply
      AdyEndrus
      Feb 27, 2015 5:24 am

      You play a mean Skaarf. I think you’re the exception and not the rule, though. Maybe someday the Fold will be dominated by flying caterpillars. Flying caterpillars and zombies with swords in their chests. Until then we can hope!

  • Reply
    Brad Chmielewski
    Feb 24, 2015 1:05 am

    Also agree that Koshka has been low on my radar and I’m starting to give her another look. Sad to see Joule so low but your comments are spot on and she really needs a team that can work with her.

    • Reply
      AdyEndrus
      Feb 24, 2015 10:45 am

      Thanks Brad! It’s tough to be a melee in a ranged character’s world! You’re exactly right about Joule with good teamwork; it gives her a chance to shine. <- laser pun.

  • Reply
    SurpriseBirthday
    Feb 23, 2015 5:05 pm

    Thanks, super interesting to get perspectives from other top tier players!

    • Reply
      AdyEndrus
      Feb 24, 2015 10:49 am

      Thanks SurpriseBirthday! With the match history that I have saved I think I might try to go back and check historical win/loss of every champ for allies and enemies. Do you guys have any data saved/stored like that? It could potentially save me lots of time!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *