Methodology & Sources

A tier list without reasoning is just a picture. Here is exactly how placements on this site are decided.

The two lists

Every character receives two independent placements:

The ranking formula (how tiers are actually computed)

Tiers on this site are computed from our editorial component scores — not hand-picked per tier and not copied from other sites. To be clear about what that means: the formula and the arithmetic are transparent, but the ten component scores per character are our analysis, graded 0–10 against researched kit data (quoted on every character page). The math makes our reasoning checkable; it does not make it official. Each component is summed:

A0 Score (0–50)A6 Score (0–50)
Base Power — raw effectiveness in their role with one copy
Ease of Use — rotation difficulty, punish windows
Team Flexibility — how many teams they fit
Low Investment Value — strength without dupes/premium gear
Utility — CC, buffs, debuffs, healing, cycles beyond the main job		 Max Investment Power — absolute strength at A6
Awakening Gain — how much A0 → A6 actually changes
Team Ceiling — how high their best team performs
Role Value — scarcity/importance of the role at A6
Meta Impact — presence in top endgame clears

Score bands: S ≥ 40 · A ≥ 32 · B ≥ 25 · C ≥ 18 · D < 18. Every character page shows the full component breakdown, so you can see exactly which score drives each placement — and disagree with a specific number rather than a vague tier.

Component scores are editorial judgments, but they are grounded: where a real number exists (a multiplier, a buff %, a measured awakening gain), it's quoted in the criteria notes; where it doesn't, the criterion is marked TODO / unverified instead of being invented.

Compare, don't copy

We read Prydwen, Game8, Icy Veins and others to understand community opinion — then form our own placement. Every character page carries a stance badge:

Verification status (truth audit, July 2026)

We audited every exact claim on this site against its source. Awakening effect texts (A1–A6, R1/R2) for all 18 characters were quote-checked against Prydwen or Icy Veins pages. Per-awakening percentage gains are published only for Daffodil, Haniel, Mint, and Aurelia — these were verified verbatim. Claims we could not trace to a direct source are labeled "reported — needs verification" or TODO on the character pages. Known source quirks we flag: Prydwen's tier-list and Chiz's character page disagree with each other on her investment ratings; Mint's R6 calc commentary on Prydwen contains a copy-paste error from Daffodil's page; Prydwen's rarity labels are inconsistent across page generations. See the public Source Audit page; the raw per-character claim tables live in SOURCE_AUDIT.md in the project repo.

Scoring criteria by role

RoleWhat we compare
Damage dealersDamage multipliers, uptime, AoE vs single-target, burst windows, cooldowns, scaling, and how much A6 changes the rotation.
HealersHealing amount, uptime, emergency healing, delivery method (mobile vs stationary), extra utility.
BuffersBuff size, duration, uptime, team-wide vs single-ally, synergy with meta DPS units.
DebuffersResistance shred, defense reduction, crowd control, uptime, team value.
Tanks / shieldersShield size, mitigation, uptime, control, survival utility.

Tier definitions

TierMeaning
SExtremely strong — best value in the role.
AStrong, reliable meta pick.
BGood but not top of the meta.
CUsable but limited or outclassed.
DWeak or niche — hard to justify investment.

How A6 placements are derived

NTE's Awakening system, as verified on source pages: six Awakening levels can be unlocked in any order, and Resonance effects at 3 and 6 awakenings are much stronger than standard awakening bonuses. (The commonly repeated "duplicates convert to Mind Shards" description is still Reported, not Verified.) Our A6 placements combine:

Sources

Rankings and kit information were compiled in July 2026 from these public sources. All opinions and final placements are our own.

Known gaps (TODO)