Table of Contents
Meta Report - May 2024: The Season of Stale
It's official - the PvP meta is stale...
After several re-run banners and a few PVP-irrelevant releases, nothing has been released in the past month to change the PvP meta landscape. Further, there were no new potential updates for existing units (because the potential rollout has now been completed).
The meta is now so well settled and so one sided that many top-ranking players are achieving attack win rates of close to 100%. Pretty much the same few units are being used over and over in competitive play. Although it's satisfying to achieve high win rates, it's also a sign of an unhealthy meta. Devs have previously mentioned that their aim for a balanced meta is 70/30 win rate, but we're a long way off from that at the moment.
One of the few movements in the May meta was the increasing popularity of B.Helena as more players unlocked her potential upgrades. This in turn made NB.Eclipse especially deadly with the combination of B.Helena's buff and dark season buff.
Here's to hoping that we get some fresh PVP costumes next month!
How to use this tier list
Brown Dust 2 is a unique game because each character has multiple costumes, which are used together in PVP. Some costumes are not great on their own, but better when paired with other costumes on the same character. Further, the power level of each costume changes significantly with duplicates (up to +5 costume level). Therefore, there are some important things to note when using this tier list.
+5 costumes and full potential are assumed
All of the ratings compare power levels at the +5 version of the costume with full potential (where applicable). You should know that a +5 costume on your roster may be better in PVP than a +0 costume from a higher tier in the tier list. Full potential upgrades are usually worth around 2-3 costume levels.
Note also that for a lot of costumes, SP cost reduces at +3, which makes a big difference in PVP. If you don't have the reduced SP version of the costume, it will not perform at the stated tier level.
Primary tier and Secondary tier
Primary tier means how good the costume is when used first.
Secondary tier means how good the costume is when used as a follow up to your primary costume.
You can use these tier rankings to help decide which costume you should play first in PVP.
Example: Desert Flower Sylvia is not very good when used on the first turn, but performs much better when used as a finisher, preferably after Sword Queen and/or Admiral.
Ratings explained
Tier ratings are given on the following basis:
- S: The best at what they do.
- A: Better than average.
- B: Average, but not bad.
- C: Worse than average.
- D: Not recommended.
The Mirror Wars (PVP) Tier List - May 2024
| Character | Costume | Primary tier | Secondary tier | Comments | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alec | Destruction | A | A | Alec has very high pure damage which ignores all DEF, M.RES and damage reduction skills, but low HP stats. Takes out almost anything that's not energy guard buffed (e.g. Granhildr) and not Glacia. | |
| Alec | Sword Breaker | A | A | Alec has very high pure damage which ignores all DEF, M.RES and damage reduction skills, but low HP stats. Takes out almost anything that's not energy guard buffed (e.g. Granhildr) and not Glacia. | |
| Anastasia | Fire Graffiti | A | A | High damage and deep reach once her potential upgrade is unlocked. Requires buffs or late-game gearing to perform well, as she needs to crit reliably to access her crit damage bonus. | |
| Anastasia | Gentle Maid | B | B | Very high damage and good AOE. Requires buffs or late-game gearing to perform well, as she needs to crit reliably to access her crit damage bonus. | |
| Andrew | Specialist | B | B | Quite tanky with his evasion skill, is able to taunt, but his SP cost is high and he has no offensive skills. Useful in lower rank defense teams, but drops off in higher ranks in favor of the S-tier tanks described above. | |
| Andrew | Loyal Butler | D | D | Low damage, SP drain is nice but not very good value. | |
| Angelica | The Fallen | A | A | High damage but heavily reliant on crits and crit damage. Reasonably tanky stats. | |
| Angelica | Pool Party | B | A | High damage but heavily reliant on crits and crit damage. Reasonably tanky stats. High cost makes her difficult to play on Turn 1. | |
| Angelica | Neon Savior | C | C | High SP cost, low initial damage with moderate burn damage. Only recommended as a backup to Angelica's other two costumes. | |
| Arines | Priest of Vitality | C | C | The only 3-star to be rated in this tier list. +70%/+80% ATK and +30% crit rate is pretty strong for lower rank PVP, and almost makes up for her very low stats. For high rank PVP though, H.Lathel is better for his lower cost and higher stats, and there are higher value plays for 2 SP. | |
| Bernie | Righteous Raider Girl | D | N/A | Not good value for cost, and not recommended | |
| Celia | Masquerade Bunny | B | B | Masquerade Bunny now provides Celia with access to reasonable AOE damage for a reasonable cost of 3 SP. Damage is on the low side, but it is a cheap 3x3 AOE attack. | |
| Celia | Descendant of the Great Witch | C | B | Low damage is not good value for SP cost, but can be effective when paired with Masquerade Bunny. | |
| Celia | The Curse | C | B | Low damage is not good value for SP cost, but can be effective when paired with Masquerade Bunny. | |
| Dalvi | Bright Moon | A | N/A | High magic damage, better than usual base crit damage, with a very useful vertical AOE and skip targeting. At +5, Energy Guard can meaningfully improve survival, especially when paired with B.Helena's buff. | |
| Diana | Anti-dystopia | A | A | 1 SP cost is cheap, very strong energy guards if her M.ATK is buffed. Range limitations can be overcome with potential. Despite being very strong, she is let down by a lack of follow up options (Adventurer Diana is weak in PVP). | |
| Diana | Adventurer of the Unknown | D | C | Useable as a follow up to Anti-dystopia Diana, but not good on her own. | |
| Eclipse | Nightmare Bunny | 0 | 1 | High damage, massive range, SP drain, and enough M.RES shred to overcome most units that build for high M.RES. | |
| Eclipse | Dimension Witch | A | A | Solid damage, especially once potential upgrades are unlocked. Best paired with Nightmare Bunny. | |
| Eleaneer | Magic Bow | 0 | 1 | Only one of two buff removers that cost 2 SP, the other being Pool Party Schera (limited). Her low SP cost buff removal and high damage makes her one of the best Granhildr counters. | |
| Eleaneer | B-Rank Idol | B | A | B-Rank Idol is a high cost silencer with good damage, but usually used as a secondary to Magic Bow Eleaneer. | |
| Elise | Lovely Lady | A | B | Useful plus-shaped AOE with skip targeting. Low base attack stats, but she somewhat makes up for it with DEF and M.RES shred. | |
| Elise | Code Name O | B | B | Base damage is on the low side (even with potential upgrades), but skip targeting can be disruptive and SP charge is welcome. | |
| Glacia | Alice | 1 | 1 | Best magic tank when equipped with exclusive gear. Now has access to great follow up attack with Disciplinary Committee Glacia. | |
| Glacia | Disciplinary Committee | B | A | Damage is on the low side due to Glacia's low offensive stats, but it's still a very good fixed damage attack for a low cost. | |
| Granhildr | Comeback Idol | 1 | 1 | The only taunt that can pre-emptively activate at the start of battle. Much of the metagame revolves around her existence. Used mainly in defense teams. | |
| Granhildr | The Void | A | A | Powerful if placed correctly, but not always consistent. Unlike Comeback Idol, Void does not protect your team, and relies on luck to get hit on the first turn by someone who isn't a buff remover. | |
| Gray | B-Rank Manager | A | A | Low SP cost and DEF shred makes B-Rank Gray a reliable killer, and ideal for sniping backrow targets with his skip targeting. Wind-element is also a favorable typing in the current meta given that there are water tanks but no fire tanks. | |
| Gray | Pool Party | B | A | Despite the high SP cost, it's decent value for the plus-shaped AOE and high damage. Wind-element is also a favorable typing in the current meta given that there are water tanks but no fire tanks. | |
| Gray | Vanguard | B | B | Really needs potential to be playable in PVP. Low damage against physical units, but with his wide AOE, in the current NB.Eclipse dominant meta there is some chance of hitting a magic opponent for high burn damage. | |
| Gray | Sharpshooter | B | B | Really needs potential to be playable in PVP. Low initial damage with conditional bonus. Unreliable in PVP unless you can accurately predict your opponent's formation. | |
| Helena | B-Rank Idol | 1 | B | Great magic supporter and crit buffer, but needs +5 and SP reduction from potential. Note that crit rate buff doubles from 25% to 50% at +5, allowing for "guaranteed crit" gear builds. | |
| Helena | Top Idol | A | A | Top Idol Helena now makes a viable Turn 1 turtle strategy opener. For 1 SP, she improves the survivability of all your units and boosts your SP for a big Turn 3. Can also be used as a follow up to B.Helena. | |
| Jayden | Beautiful Girl Devotee | D | D | Not good value for cost, and not recommended | |
| Jayden | Manga Research Club | D | D | Not good value for cost, and not recommended | |
| Justia | White Reaper | 1 | 1 | White Reaper has very high pure damage which ignores all DEF, M.RES and damage reduction skills. Vertical 2-tile AOE is a useful range in PVP. | |
| Justia | Blood Glutton | 1 | 1 | Blood Glutton's rework makes her a formidable choice in PVP. She deals relatively low fixed damage, but in a wide 3x3 AOE and for only 2 SP. Great for clearing non-tanks, can clear tanks if buffed. | |
| Justia | Kendo Club | 1 | 1 | High fixed damage and good range, SP cost reduced to 2 with potential upgrades. | |
| Justia | Knight of Blood | A | 1 | High fixed damage and good range with potential upgrade. However, the higher 3 SP cost makes it less suitable for Turn 1 play compared to other skills. | |
| Justia | Pool Party | A | C | Potentially powerful setup for a very low SP cost, but vulnerable to buff removals. Utility in the current meta has increased due to a) turtling on Turn 1 attack becoming a viable strategy to counter Granhildr and b) strong synergy with Blood Glutton Justia. | |
| Kry | Violent Student | A | B | Violent Student Kry has one of the best knockbacks in the game, and is a very strong opener for only 1 SP. Has good odds of lethal if the knockback connects, and also helps set up the board for vertical AOE attackers. Also has a pretty good followup on Turn 2 with Marauder Kry. Drops off in higher tier PVP in favor of White Cat Rou. | |
| Kry | Liberated Marauder | B | B | Despite being a 4-star unit, Marauder Kry deals fairly good damage, and is reliable thanks to his 50% damage reduction. Kry's main weakness is that, as a 4-star unit, his stats are capped at Lv80. Great as a follow up to Violent Student. | |
| Lathel | Homunculus | 1 | B | Best physical supporter for PVP, only costs 1 SP, so he can be easily slotted into a physical attacking team. | |
| Lathel | Lonely Survivor | A | A | Very high damage and deep reach for 2 SP (with potential SP reduction). Versatile follow up options with other Lathel costumes. However, a drawback is that you cannot buff him with H.Lathel on the same turn. | |
| Lathel | Promise of Vengeance | B | A | Very high single target damage and low SP cost, but no AOE. Although he can be used on Turn 1 as a tank breaker, in most cases the better use is as a finisher following H.Lathel. | |
| Lathel | Medicinal Herb Tracker | B | B | Damage is not quite as good as POV.Lathel, but there is a small chance of catching something on his diagonal AOE. | |
| Lathel | Pool Party | B | B | Great damage potential if built for full crit damage, but a full crit damage build does not synergize well with other costumes. Cost is on the high side compared to impact. | |
| Lathel | Dark Knight | C | B | Dark Knight gives a massive Energy Guard and can turn around games if timed correctly. However in a fast meta where buff removers are ever popular, he usually is not reliable enough to justify using over one of Lathel's strong offensive costumes. | |
| Layla | Anvil of Creation | D | N/A | Not good value for cost, and not recommended | |
| Lecliss | Android Queen | 1 | 1 | One of the best physical tanks when equipped with exclusive gear. The reflect from a high level Android can win games. | |
| Lecliss | Killer Doll | 1 | 1 | Now that she only costs 3 SP with potential, she's an excellent physical defender on par with Alice Glacia | |
| Liatris | Maid Name R | B | B | Wide 3x3 AOE is great, but damage is on the low side and it's difficult to trigger her bonus burn damage. | |
| Liatris | Neon Stalker | B | B | Excellent reach, but damage is slightly on the low side. Struggles against tanks. The advantages of her reach are also somewhat overshadowed by NB.Eclipse who has far better range and also comes with SP drain. | |
| Liatris | Rodev's Star | C | B | Huge AOE, but very high SP cost at 5 SP (4 with potential). | |
| Lisianne | Wandering Priest | D | N/A | Useless | |
| Lucrezia | Seductive Wings | D | N/A | Not good value for cost, and not recommended | |
| Nartas | Unknown Sage | C | N/A | High damage against physical types, but 4 SP cost means an "all or nothing" opener with unpredictable results. | |
| Olstein | Fiend Scholar | B | C | An effective Turn 1 disabler and tank if positioned correctly. In addition to draining SP, his skill silences units in a 3x3 AOE for 2 of your opponent's turns, which can completely shut down your opponent's strategies. | |
| Olstein | Sage of the Blue Clouds | D | C | 70% damage reduction for 1 SP is nice, but there's no guarantee you'll hit your opponent's strong damage dealers. Not reliable. | |
| Rafina | Code Name A | B | A | Rafina has naturally tanky stats due to high base HP. DEF reduction skill and skip AOE is great, but held back by low base ATK stats. | |
| Rafina | Game Club | A | A | Damage amplification and 3x3 AOE is great, but base ATK is on the low side, and she is weak to wind (Lecliss and Zenith). | |
| Rafina | Steel Engine | B | B | Good stats, damage and AOE, but barrier removal effect activates after damage is dealt, which is disappointing and makes the effect mostly useless. | |
| Refithea | Pure White Blessing | C | C | Property damage and chain buffs have relatively low impact in PVP. Full team energy guard can help, but the power level is a weak substitute for RH.Rou who costs the same SP. She is also very SP hungry as she needs to re-apply her buffs every turn. | |
| Roxy | Respected Master | D | C | Unreasonably high SP cost makes her very difficult to use in PVP. HP is also very low. | |
| Roxy | Emerging Desire | B | C | Viable with B.Helena, but very low damage makes her difficult to use in PVP. Her cheap silence can be effective if you get lucky, but overall it can be hit and miss. HP is also very low. | |
| Rou | White Cat | 1 | 1 | Evasion based tank. 1 SP cost, high offensive power on knockback, versatile follow up options with multiple other costumes. | |
| Rou | Red Hat | 0 | 0 | Energy guards are big and 50% crit buff allows for reliable crits. Costs only 2 SP with potential upgrades. Can be used either as a follow up to White Cat or as an opener for turtle strategy attack teams. | |
| Rou | Stray Cat | C | B | High damage, but not a good opener due to high SP cost. Best used as a finisher to follow other Rou costumes. | |
| Rou | Nature's Claw | B | A | High single target damage is very good for breaking tanks. Evasion makes Rou very hard to kill. | |
| Rubia | Maid Name C | 1 | A | Evasion for only 2 SP is very powerful. Best used on Turn 1 to improve her survivability. | |
| Rubia | Empress of the Ocean | A | A | High SP cost, but makes up for it with huge range and DEF reduction for reliable damage. Rubia has great offensive stats. | |
| Rubia | Thorn of the Desert | B | B | Good offensive stats, decent skill damage, average SP cost. | |
| Samay | Kind Student | B | B | With potential unlocked, she is the only unit to buff for 0 SP. With her base costume (Kind Liberator), Samay is also able to follow up with a decent attack on the second turn, making her a versatile unit. Held back by low stats. | |
| Samay | Kind Liberator | C | B | A decent skill that is held back by Samay's low base M.ATK stat. M.RES shred can be useful in a magic team. Best used as a followup to Kind Student Samay. | |
| Scheherazade | Lapis Witch | 1 | 1 | Schera is hands down the best buff remover, as all her costumes remove buffs and have good AOE and damage. | |
| Scheherazade | Code Name S | 1 | 1 | Schera is hands down the best buff remover, as all her costumes remove buffs and have good AOE and damage. | |
| Scheherazade | Pool Party | 0 | 1 | Only one of two buff removers that cost 2 SP, the other being Magic Bow Eleaneer. Her low SP cost buff removal makes her one of the best Granhildr counters. | |
| Scheherazade | Magic Professor | C | C | High SP cost, but damage is too low to justify the cost. | |
| Seir | Demon's Daughter | A | A | Very cheap taunt with potential unlocked. High HP like Lecliss and Glacia, but ranks below Lecliss and Glacia due to lack of offensive skills and vulnerability to Light (Justia). | |
| Seir | B-Rank Idol | B | C | Cheap skill, but no taunt makes it unreliable. High HP like Lecliss and Glacia, but ranks below Lecliss and Glacia due to lack of offensive skills and vulnerability to Justia. | |
| Sylvia | Sword Queen | 1 | A | One of the very few attack costumes that has 1 SP cost. High base crit and very versatile for an attacking team. Pairs well with H.Lathel to get past high DEF opponents. Weak against Lecliss. | |
| Sylvia | Admiral | A | A | Very good damage and AOE on her own, but even better when used after SQ.Sylvia (SQ.Sylvia's ATK buff improves Admiral's damage and energy guard). Energy Guard creates a good set up for Desert Flower Sylvia on the following turn. | |
| Sylvia | Desert Flower | C | B | Sylvia has very low base HP so she is not well suited to play as a tank. Not a good opener, but can be used as finisher, once your opponent's strongest skills have been exhausted. Best played following Admiral Sylvia (who gives an energy guard that improves survivability during the Desert Flower skill period). | |
| Teresse | Medical Club | C | C | Cost is too high for impact, and aura range is difficult to make use of. | |
| Teresse | Angel of Destruction | B | B | Teresse is a decent tank as she has very high base HP, tying with Lecliss for highest in the game. Despite having a better stats and knockback than Kry (Teresse hits 3 units instead of 2, and has better collision damage), Teresse ranks lower than Kry because she currently has no good offensive followup. | |
| Ventana | Comeback Idol | D | C | Super high SP cost is not justified for her single target damage. | |
| Ventana | Snow White | C | C | High SP cost, mediocre damage (unless opponent has taunt or concentrated fire applied). | |
| Yuri | Comeback Idol | A | A | Huge physical damage (one of the highest raw numbers in the game) with reliable full row reach. Great synergy with Whitebolt. Stealth skill improves survivability if placed properly. | |
| Yuri | Whitebolt | A | A | A very solid buff removal skill with great damage and reasonable SP cost. Great synergy with Comeback Idol. | |
| Zenith | Robin Hood | 0 | N/A | Don't be fooled by her art, she's built like a tank rather than a damage dealer. Her skill does not do much damage, but it costs 0 SP, has no cooldown, and is very good for setting up followup lethal attacks or for breaking evasion/Gran's reflect. |
