Full Tier List · League Start Focus
SS
Martial Artist
Monk
Unarmed / Bell
New 0.5 ascendancy. Tempest Bell stacking up to 3, Hollow Palm and Way of the Stone Fist nodes give explosive melee damage with zero gear dependency. Fastest campaign clear of any melee option.
Deadeye
Ranger
Projectile / Speed
Proven league-start king. Mirage Marksman clones handle channeling for Ice Shot + Snipe - the combination trivializes both campaign and early maps. Best map clear speed in the game right now.
S
Titan
Warrior
Melee / Slam
Large hit scaling and increased slam radius. Simple, tanky, safe - forgiving for players who want to facetank campaign bosses.
Pathfinder
Ranger
Flask / Poison
Permanent flask uptime removes most defensive headaches. Poison scaling is consistent and trades-independent. Excellent SSF pick.
Oracle
Druid
Plant / CoC
Plant triggers and Cast on Crit synergies are unexpectedly strong in 0.5. One of the most rewarding new-meta picks this league.
A
Witchhunter
Mercenary
Grenade / Ward
Grenade Pin-to-Win plus Sorcery Ward holds up despite nerfs. Safe, clear, reliable for ranged players.
Tactician
Mercenary
Support / Grenade
Supporting Fire buff stacker (Ruetoo-style) and Pin-to-Win grenades. Extremely safe and scales hard. Best SSF and HC pick.
Amazon
Huntress
Crit / Projectile
High crit and infusion for precision attacks. Pairs naturally with Spirit Walker transitions mid-league.
Disciple of Varashta
Sorceress
Spell / Hybrid
Strong spell or hybrid minion options in the 0.5 meta. One of the better Sorceress choices this patch.
Smith of Kitava
Warrior
Crafting / Tanky
Custom armor forging plus elemental resistance reduction. Resilient hybrid builds, great for crafting-focused players.
Shaman
Druid
Nature / Elemental
Elemental rage and plant/minion hybrids. Solid option for Druid players who want a different angle than Oracle.
Lich
Witch
Minion / Chaos
Chaos DoT and minion army sustain (lightning/cold armies) remain very strong. Familiar for returning players.
B
Spirit Walker
Huntress
Companion / Twister
Owl Twisters + Ice-Tipped Arrows is safe but positioning-heavy. Some sources rank higher; skill-floor dependent.
Stormweaver
Sorceress
Elemental Crit
Viable Spark/Arc lightning crit, but needs re-pathing after 0.5 changes.
Invoker
Monk
Invocation / Hybrid
Monk invocation synergies are there but need more investment than Martial Artist.
Chronomancer
Sorceress
Cooldown / Time
Reworked Phased Form improves survivability, but still niche. Fun for experienced players.
Infernalist
Witch
Minion / Fire
Fire/minion army options are workable but outclassed by Lich for pure minion play.
Blood Mage
Witch
Life / Spend
Life-spend caster and Reap scythe. Impacted by leech caps in 0.5 - risky for new players.
C
Ritualist
Huntress
Rarity / Steal
Headhunter-like monster mod stealing. Rewarding for experienced farmers but not a league start pick.
Warbringer
Warrior
Warcry / Totem
Warcry detonation and ancestral are less dominant post-0.5 changes. Titan does it better for less investment.
D
Acolyte of Chayula
Monk
Darkness / Chaos
Darkness shield/weapon niche. Requires heavy investment before payoff. Skip for league start.
Gemling Legionnaire
Mercenary
Gem / Quality
Reworked gem quality and socket effects. Lower priority for league start; picks up in late-game min-max.
Key Decision Points
Speed vs Safety
Spirit Walker / Twisters is the safest campaign. Martial Artist for explosive feel. Deadeye for familiar bow play. SSF: Tactician or Pathfinder.
Playstyle
Melee unarmed: Martial Artist, Titan. Projectiles: Deadeye, Pathfinder, Amazon. Grenades/Totems: Tactician, Witchhunter. Minions: Lich, Oracle.
SSF / HC vs Trade
Tactician or Spirit Walker excel in self-found. Trade players lean Martial Artist or Deadeye for faster currency generation.
Budget
All SS and S-tier picks work on under 1 divine orb. Avoid heavy ES stacking or leech-dependent builds - both were nerfed in 0.5.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Ignoring ES/leech nerfs and running an old 0.4 build unchanged - hybrid defenses are required now
- Picking an ascendancy based on 0.4 tier lists without checking 0.5 patch changes (splash, poison duration, melee splash all shifted)
- Over-investing in unproven new mechanics (Ritualist, Acolyte) during the first week before the community solves them
- Skipping resistances to cap offense - campaign bosses punish resistances gaps hard in 0.5
- Poor Tempest Bell timing (Martial Artist) or Twisters positioning (Spirit Walker) - practice the mechanic before maps or you will die to the first rare pack
Top 3 Team Compositions
Blitz Clear
Deadeye (projectile clear) + Tactician (Supporting Fire buff) + Martial Artist (single-target burst). Blazing fast campaign, best for a coordinated group pushing speed records.
Safe Progression
Titan (tank) + Smith of Kitava (armor crafting) + Oracle (CoC utility) + Lich (minion sustain). All four can operate independently, giving flexibility if the group splits up.
SSF / HC Meta
Tactician + Spirit Walker + Pathfinder. All three are gear-independent and thrive in isolation. If anyone dies or falls behind, the rest of the group is unaffected.