How the Guildrun tier list should be read
This Guildrun tier list ranks Demo 0.5.1 hero priority by job reliability, team fit, and how often a hero converts the current data into fight-winning value. It is not a claim that one hero is always correct. Shop offers, relics, items, ranks, fight mode, and enemy formation can move a hero up or down.
The useful question is not who is strongest in a vacuum? It is which hero fixes the next fight while keeping a real build path open? That is the filter used below.
Tier list scope
| Tier | Meaning | Current Demo read |
|---|---|---|
| S | High-priority core | Reliable job, strong scaling or survival, and easy links to common items/relics. |
| A | Strong with a plan | Excellent when the board already supports the hero's trigger or target access. |
| B | Situational | Correct in specific comps, but weaker as a blind early pick. |
| INFERRED | Patch-sensitive | Ranking is based on Demo data and observed guide signals; verify after balance patches. |
Demo and full-game differences
Demo tier lists should be treated as early signals. Demo 0.5.1 has known hero records, ranks, items, relics, and fight modes, but future patches can change costs, trigger values, hero availability, or full-game progression. If a later patch changes a hero's base ability or specialization, re-rank the job, not the name.
Best tier list categories
The cleanest way to use a tier list is by category. A tank anchor, shield engine, back-line carry, rush finisher, and economy piece are not competing for the same job. Do not drop a needed anchor just because a carry sits higher on a generic list.
Hero tiers
| Tier | Heroes | Why they rank here |
|---|---|---|
| S | Pimenta, Pollen, Gustav, Aria, Rowan | They give clear jobs: tanking, shields, debuffs, Stall scaling, or back-line magic payoff. |
| A | Kai, Reyna, Nyx, Tilly, Dragomir, Skorn, Grace | Strong when supported by shields, Rush, Shards, Crit, poison, or late-fight survival. |
| B | Irini, Zuri, Sal, Ratna, Hoyoung, Ming, Funke, Fiona, Karsu | Playable and sometimes correct, but more dependent on setup, items, or enemy layout. |
Why Pimenta and Pollen sit high: they create useful time. Pimenta brings a front-line poison cloud and HP/S after Stall (15). Pollen adds poison, shields, and healing after Stall (15). Those are easy to understand, easy to build around, and useful before a perfect relic appears.
Why Aria and Gustav sit high: both convert protected time into area control. Aria brings Frost and Burn from range, while Gustav adds Frost damage and shields. They need protection, but their payoff is clear.
Comp and build tiers
| Comp type | Priority heroes | When to play it |
|---|---|---|
| Shield and Stall | Pimenta, Pollen, Gustav, Rowan, Grace | When fights are lasting long enough for Stall 15 to 20 effects to resolve. |
| Rush pressure | Nyx, Reyna, Kai, Tilly, Dragomir | When target access is clean and early kills matter more than deep scaling. |
| Debuff control | Aria, Pollen, Gustav, Skorn, Pimenta | When poison, Frost, Burn, or status relics are already appearing. |
| Shard economy | Tilly, Dragomir, Niklas | When the run can convert extra Shards into ranks, items, or team size. |
Use the strategy guide when you need full build routing. Use hero dossiers when a shop offers a hero you do not know. Use relic records before forcing a comp around a relic name.
When a lower tier hero becomes correct
A B-tier hero can be the correct buy when it completes a role, a duplicate rank, a dual-class path, or a mode-specific answer. Hoyoung is better when a fight needs low-health cleanup. Irini improves when attack-speed scaling and Stall timing are already protected. Zuri improves when the team can feed Crit and let her defensive scaling work.
- Move a hero up if two or more owned pieces trigger the same payoff.
- Move a hero down if it walks too long before acting.
- Move a hero down if it requires a relic you do not own.
- Move a hero up if the next enemy formation specifically rewards its range, control, or durability.
Tier list update rules
After every balance change, check four things before trusting any ranking: base ability text, specialization text, modifier pool, and mode pressure. If only one number changes, the tier may stay the same. If a trigger timing changes from Stall 15 to Stall 25, the whole build timing changes.