Our Totally Unofficial Risk of Rain 2 Tier List – Seriously, It’s an Art, Not a Science

So, you’ve just hopped into Risk of Rain 2, or maybe you’re hundreds of hours deep, smashing through Mithrix’s face for the zillionth time. Either way, figuring out which survivor to main can be a real headache, can’t it? I mean, everyone says Loader is S-tier, but what if you just keep flinging yourself off cliffs? The thing is, this game’s power curve is wild – it’s less about one character being definitively the best and more about who can go from zero to absolute god-mode with the right items, and let’s be honest, sometimes it’s just about who’s the most fun to play. The Risk of Rain 2 tier list of characters can be quite useful.

You know what? Any good run in RoR2 feels like a perfect storm of luck and skill. You might start off feeling like a chump, barely scratching the first boss, but an accidental “2-pack” of Soldier’s Syringes and a few glasses later, and suddenly you’re a pinball of pure destruction. That feeling – when the whole screen is just explosions and numbers – that’s what keeps us coming back. But even with perfect items, some survivors just make the early game, the grind, way smoother. That’s where a tier list actually helps.

Now, before we get into the nitty-gritty, let’s get one thing straight: This isn’t some cold, mathematical assessment cooked up in a lab. This is based on real-world play, the dreaded multiplayer lag-fests, and solo attempts at the True Final Boss (yeah, that one). We’re balancing the power fantasy of a fully kitted Commando against the pure, raw damage output of an Engi turret army. Ready? Let’s check this out.

The Big Leagues: S-Tier and A-Tier Survivors

These are the absolute cream of the crop. The characters who can practically carry a run even when the item drops are stingy, or when you just can’t seem to find an Elite Aspect to save your life. They scale like crazy, they’re generally safe, and they all have that little something extra.

S-Tier: The Overlords of the Drizzle

Honestly, the S-Tier guys feel almost unfair sometimes. They just work. They have built-in scaling, amazing survivability, or just ludicrous boss damage right out of the gate.

• Loader: Okay, look, Loader is just busted. She doesn’t need a single damage item to hit like a truck, thanks to her charge punch. The mobility is insane, making her basically invincible if you know how to grapple-hook properly. You feel like a superhero zipping across the map. Plus, the shielded nature of her utility skill? Chef’s kiss. It’s almost too easy.
• Engineer: The ultimate “set-it-and-forget-it” class. Engineer’s turrets, which copy all of your items, are the definition of passive scaling. You grab an item, and boom – your power triples. It lets you focus on dodging while your little buddies melt everything. The downside? Multiplayer can get laggy when you have 100 on-hit effects going off. It’s a small price for such immense, reliable power, though.
• REX: REX is the definition of high-risk, high-reward, but once you figure out his health-for-damage mechanics, he’s unstoppable. REX heals by hurting enemies, turning the whole game into a symbiotic dance of pain and recovery. It feels weird at first, sacrificing your own HP, but trust me, when you fire that massive artillery shot and instantly heal back to full, it’s pure euphoria.

Survivor	Core Strength	Key Item Synergies
Loader	High mobility, massive fixed damage (doesn’t need items).	Focus Crystal, Old War Stealthkit, Backup Magazine.
Engineer	Item duplication via turrets, passive damage/defense.	Shaped Glass, Syringes, ATG Missile Mk. 1.
REX	Sustain/damage in one, high burst damage, massive healing.	Rejuvenation Rack, Aegis, Razorwire.

A-Tier: The Reliable Powerhouses

These are the survivors you’re always happy to see pop up. They’re super strong, just maybe a tiny bit less universally broken than the S-tiers.

• Huntress: Pure, reliable crowd control (CC) and massive mobility. Her auto-aim primary is a godsend for hectic moments, letting you focus entirely on movement. She’s squishy, sure, but if you’re good at the “W+M1” dance, you’ll be fine. Honestly, she’s the most straightforward, pick-up-and-play powerhouse.
• Void Fiend: The newest kid on the block, and he’s fantastic. The whole “corruption” mechanic is such a cool design. When you’re corrupted, you go full psycho mode, spitting out huge blasts and healing rapidly. It takes some micromanagement – watching that corruption bar – but the payoff is a devastating Jekyll-and-Hyde killer.
• Acrid: The king of DoT (Damage over Time). Acrid’s poison is the great equalizer – it does a percentage of an enemy’s health, meaning it scales infinitely. It might seem slow at first, but watching a boss’s HP tick away while you jump around is immensely satisfying. Just don’t forget that sweet, sweet leap!

M-Tier: The Solid Core – The Most Fun to Play?

This is the middle ground, the “M” for “Mainstream” or maybe “Mostly Excellent.” These survivors are totally viable, can clear the game on Monsoon with ease, and are often the most fun because they demand a little more skill and item planning.

• Mercenary: High skill ceiling, high reward. Merc is all about i-frames – the invulnerability frames you get during his dash attacks. If you can keep the dash train rolling, you’re untouchable. His item scaling isn’t as immediate as, say, Engineer, but a few Crowbars and the right attack speed, and you’re a flurry of anime-level sword slices. It’s a gorgeous feeling when you get the rhythm down.
• Commando: Wait, the starting guy? Yeah! Don’t sleep on Commando. He’s the foundation. He’s simple, but his damage output is crazy reliable, and his movement skill is an excellent repositioner. The thing is, he’s entirely item-dependent. He takes those Soldier’s Syringes and crit glasses and turns them into world-ending power. But you know, without the right gear, he can feel a bit… limp. It’s a good kind of limp, though.
• Captain: The closer. Captain is awesome because he’s a utility king. Orbital strikes, healing beacons, his fantastic shotgun – he’s great. His ability to call down free items is a major power boost, which is huge! The issue? His mobility is garbage. He’s slow. He’s grounded. He needs good positioning, and sometimes that just doesn’t happen in a giant teleporter fight. Still, his late-game boss-melting power is undeniable.

Let me explain the complexity here for a second. With Mercenary, for instance, you’re not just smashing buttons. You’re actually thinking about animation cancels and using your i-frames to avoid a specific incoming projectile. It makes the combat feel so much more active. That’s the difference between S-Tier and M-Tier: S-Tier relies on passive item synergy; M-Tier relies on player input to reach max power. Honestly, sometimes I prefer the challenge.

C-Tier: Niche Picks and High-Maintenance Builds

These survivors aren’t bad – not at all! But they often have a very specific gimmick, a tougher early game, or just require a really specific set of items to feel powerful. They’re definitely not plug-and-play:

• Artificer: She’s got style, that’s for sure. Artificer is amazing early on. Her abilities hit hard, and her ability to completely lock down enemies with the freeze or stun is a big deal. The catch? Her damage falls off hard late-game without specific items (like Ignition Tanks) because her cooldowns are long. She needs a lot of items to keep up with the constant spawning hell of later stages. You really gotta commit to her, you know?
• MUL-T: The versatile one. MUL-T is cool because he can double-wield items and swap between two loadouts. The Rebar Puncher is insanely satisfying, and being able to carry two equipment pieces is huge. But for all his flexibility, he feels a little bit like a jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none. He’s big, he’s kind of clumsy, and his item requirements are often twice as high just to feel on par with someone like Loader. He’s totally viable, but you have to work harder.

Survivor	Early Game Feel	Late Game Potential	The Catch
Mercenary	Fast, high i-frames rely on chaining abilities.	Infinite scaling with Syringes, guaranteed to hit.	Very high skill ceiling; needs precise timing.
Commando	Basic, reliable, needs to land every shot.	Turns on hard with critical items and attack speed.	Item-dependent; squishy without shields or movement.
MUL-T	Clunky, good burst with Rebar, versatile.	Excellent with specific item combos (e.g., equipment swaps).	Item needs are often doubled; big hitbox.

D-Tier: The Ones We Wish Were Better

Look, someone has to be here. These guys aren’t the worst characters in any game, but in a world where Loader exists, they just feel underpowered or frustrating to play. They demand perfection and a huge dose of luck just to keep up.

• Heretic (The Final Form): Okay, this is a weird one. She’s the secret character you become by gathering all four Heresy items. When you get her, she is an absolute monster – her abilities are incredible, and she flies! But getting the four items in one run? That’s luck, plain and simple. She’s a fantastic secret, but as a viable main, she’s too random to place higher. It’s a shame, honestly, because that moment you finally collect all the items? Pure goosebumps. But there’s a catch: you give up all your items when you turn into her, and that can really hurt a run if you’re not prepared.
• Bandit: I know, I know. Bandit has a dedicated fanbase. And his backstab mechanic is cool! His ability to reset his cooldowns with his ‘Lights Out’ special is amazing for farming. But he’s melee, he’s squishy, and his damage outside of the backstab can be really low. He requires a dedicated playstyle – constantly flanking and thinking about positioning – that just feels cumbersome when REX can just point and shoot. He’s definitely got the style, but he’s a little bit of a diva when it comes to performance.

What Really Makes a Survivor “Good” in Our Risk of Rain 2 Tier List? 

It’s easy to look at raw damage numbers, but Risk of Rain 2 is a logistics game disguised as a shooter. You’re fighting the clock, not the monsters. The faster you clear the stage, the less the difficulty scales up, and the easier the next stage becomes. So, what really matters:

1. Early Game Speed: Can the survivor kill the teleporter boss quickly before the difficulty spikes? Engineer and Loader are champs here.
2. Built-in Scaling: Does the survivor have a mechanic that scales without relying entirely on random item drops? REX’s percent-based poison and Loader’s huge base damage are prime examples.
3. Survivability: Can they tank a hit, or, more importantly, avoid one? High mobility (Loader, Huntress, Mercenary) is the best defense in this game.
4. Item Independence: Can they handle the run with just a few white items, or do they desperately need a crit glass and a movement speed item just to function?

The thing is, we all have our favorites, right? My buddy swears by Artificer, even though I’ve watched him struggle through the third stage countless times. And honestly, that’s the beauty of this game. Even the so-called “D-Tier” characters can become unstoppable if the stars align. Don’t let a Risk of Rain 2 tier list tell you who to play – let it tell you who to play when you really need to win.

Wait, Aren’t Tier Lists Missing the Point?

Honestly, yeah, a little bit. We talk about tiers, but RoR2 is a chaos simulator. You know what? Sometimes the most beautiful run is the one where you’re struggling with a Commando, you snag one Shaped Glass and a Forgive Me Please (that item that spawns a ghost), and suddenly you’re firing a ghost army every five seconds. It’s unexpected. It’s spontaneous. And that’s way more fun than just playing Loader and punching everything to death with minimal effort.

The community calls this “The Scrappy Build,” where you make something amazing out of the junk items. So, while this guide gives you the meta, remember that the true joy of Risk of Rain 2 is defying the meta.

But there’s a catch, and it’s a big one, especially on Monsoon difficulty: you need to start strong. If you spend too long trying to get the right items, the difficulty bar, that “HAZARDOUS” text, will just creep up and suddenly you’re facing four Elite overloading Wisps at once. Nobody wants that. So, pick an S- or A-tier survivor to ensure a smooth start, and then worry about the fun, weird builds later.

Finding Your Groove: Understanding the Damage Economy

When you’re playing, you’re constantly making choices: should I buy the item or open the chest? Should I loop one more time or face Mithrix? These decisions are tied directly to your survivor’s strengths.

Look at Engineer again. His build is slow. You’re placing turrets, dropping mines, and chilling in your bubble. His movement is terrible. His primary attack is weak. But because his turrets inherit your items, he’s getting, essentially, 3x the value from every damage item. That’s a huge economy bonus.

Now, consider Huntress. She needs speed, so every Paul’s Goat Hoof is golden. She needs raw damage to make her auto-aim useful, so Lens-Maker’s Glasses are a must. She doesn’t have an item duplicator; she’s relying on pure synergy. That’s a different kind of economy – it’s about quantity and movement.

This whole “damage economy” is why a Risk of Rain 2 tier list exists. It’s about who gets the most bang for their buck.

Survivor Archetype	Primary Item Focus	Core Gameplay Loop
Brawlers (Loader, Merc)	Focus Crystal, Crit, Mobility.	Get close, hit hard, use i-frames to avoid damage.
Ranged/Utility (Engineer, Captain)	Item Duplication, On-Hit Effects, Utility.	Set up defensive perimeter/turrets, call in support.
Sustain/DoT (REX, Acrid)	Healing, Percent-Damage, Ability CDR.	Manage health/poison pools, use mobility to kite.

FAQ

Do items matter more than the survivor?

Honestly, yeah, they do in the late game. A god-run of items can make any survivor S-tier. But a top-tier survivor starts out better and hits that “god-run” threshold way faster and more consistently.

Is multiplayer easier or harder?

It’s easier to revive a teammate, but harder because the monsters scale up in health and damage for every player. It’s a trade-off. Plus, item competition is a real problem, so make sure you’re cool with your friends!

How do I get the secret Heretic character?

You don’t get her to main. You become her mid-run by collecting all four Heresy items: Visions of Heresy, Hooks of Heresy, Essence of Heresy, and Strides of Heresy. You have to swap out all your default skills.

Which survivor is the best for a beginner?

Definitely Huntress or Commando. Huntress’s auto-aim is very forgiving, letting you learn the map and enemy patterns without worrying about precise aiming. Commando is just straightforward.

Is there a hidden Risk of Rain 2 tier list for abilities?

Yes! Everyone mostly agrees that Loader’s utility skill, the Grapple Hook, is a top-tier ability just for mobility alone. REX’s shift ability, which heals and damages, is also up there.

Why is Artificer always low on these lists?

Mostly because she’s a burst damage character with long cooldowns. She can clear a stage, but she struggles to keep up with the constant spawning of enemies in later stages without very specific cooldown reduction items.

What’s the hardest part of a Monsoon run?

Definitely stages 4-5. The difficulty spikes, and you start seeing Elite enemies with the Malachite or Celestine aspects, which can shut down your build or make you unable to see them. It’s a proper challenge!

Wrapping Up: Just Have Fun, Okay?

So, there you have it. A quick, conversational Risk of Rain 2 tier list to guide your next run. Is it the definitive list? No way. This game is too complex, too random, and too much about personal skill for that. But it’s a great starting point, a little map to help you navigate the chaos.

Honestly, the main takeaway should be this: if you’re struggling with a run, Loader or Engineer will make your life so much easier. But if you’re bored, grab a Bandit, challenge yourself to chain those backstabs, and make something beautiful out of the struggle. That’s the real spirit of Risk of Rain 2. It’s all about the loop, the climb, and the glorious, item-fueled anarchy.

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