Raid: Shadow Legends gives you well over a thousand champions to collect, so the real question is never “who can I summon” but “who deserves my upgrade materials.” The answer depends on where you fight. Arena rewards speed, control, and burst, while bosses and dungeons reward sustained damage and survivability. The rankings below split champions by those two modes so you invest in units that actually move you forward.
Quick answer: Marichka the Unbreakable is the single best pick to build right now. She sits at the top of both PVP and PVE rankings, and she pairs with Taras the Fierce for a defend-and-counter combo that works across Arena, Hard Mode, and bosses.
How the Raid tier list works
Tiers rank performance, not rarity. A high-rarity Legendary can sit below an Epic if that Epic does its job better and costs less to train. Rankings weigh how a champion holds up in Arena (PvP) against how it performs in dungeons, Doom Tower, Faction Wars, and Clan Boss (PvE). The same name can land in different tiers across the two modes because the demands are different.
| Tier | What it means |
|---|---|
| S+ / S | Meta-defining picks worth maxing first |
| A | Strong, reliable units that fill clear roles |
| B | Good but situational; need specific teams or gear |
| C | Niche or early-game value only |
Only Mythical, Legendary, and Epic champions appear in the competitive rankings, since those are the units that matter at higher levels of play. Mythical champions stand apart because every one can switch between a Base and an Alternate form mid-battle, changing role and type as you need.
Best Raid champions for PVP (Arena)
Arena standings still favor Mythical champions thanks to their raw power, but rarity alone is not the deciding factor. Legendary picks like Marichka and Taras hold their own at the very top, and a handful of well-built Epics can outperform rarer units.
| Tier | Champions |
|---|---|
| S+ | Marichka, Galathir, Siegfrund, Krixia, Harima, Nais, Arbais, Frolni, Siphi, Taras, Warlord, Alaz, Embrys, Queen of Hearts, Cruetraxa, Fabian |
| S | Odin, Krisk, Lydia, Graazur, Pythion, Baron, Mithrala, Cardiel, Marius, Androc, Lazarius, Yumeko, Pheidi, Valkyrie, Lady Kimi, Staltus, Lady Mikage (Base), Armanz, Leo, Prince Kymar, Arbiter, Nekhret, Hekaton, Tetsuya |
| A | Firrol, Seer, Graazur, Underpriest Brogni, Uugo, Whisper, R. N. Archer, Ma’Shalled, Maneater, Lyssandra, Cupidus, Vogoth, Turvold, Godseeker Aniri, Demytha, Ramantu Drakesblood, Riho Bonespear |
| B | Gnut, Sicia, Hurndig, Venus, Dark Kael, Deacon Armstrong |
| C | Teumesia, Scyl, Dracomorph, Bad-el-Kazar, Acrizia, Teodor, Othorion |
Note: A higher Team Power number never guarantees a win in Arena. Synergy and turn order matter more, which is why some of the strongest defenses skip an HP unit entirely.
Best Raid teams for PVP
These comps have proven themselves in Classic Arena and are built to push toward Platinum. Marichka anchors most of them, calling in Taras to defend her and deal extra damage. That flexibility lets you build the rest of the squad around your roster.
| Primary champion | Secondary champions |
|---|---|
| Marichka | Nais, Galathir, Siegfrund |
| Marichka | Taras, Siphi, Harima |
| Arbais | Siegfrund, Galathir, Krixia |
| Marichka | Galathir, Taras, Siegfrund |
| Armanz | Siphi, Galathir |
| Odin | Marichka, Siphi, Taras |
If your Legendary luck is thin, you can still reach Platinum with the right Epics. Because they are easier to obtain and train, units like Seer, Maneater, and Deacon Armstrong sit higher on the list than Legendaries with similar kits, and they can beat out names like Gnut, Dracomorph, and Acrizia when built correctly.
Best Raid champions for PVE (dungeons and bosses)
PvE rewards sustained damage, debuff control, and survivability rather than first-turn speed. Marichka still tops the chart despite ranking one rarity below Mythical, and several Arena favorites reappear here, proving how valuable multi-purpose units are over the long haul.
| Tier | Champions |
|---|---|
| S+ | Acrizia, Cardiel, Mithrala, Marichka, Pythion, Gnut, Riho |
| S | Teodor, Krisk, Duchess Lilitu, Lydia, Siphi, Underpriest Brogni, Taras, Graazur, Androc, Marius, Othorion, Queen of Hearts, Theodosia the Disgraced, Ma’Shalled, Valkyrie, Turvold, Venus, Ukko, Geomancer, Godseeker Aniri, Tuhanarak |
| A | Warlord, Yumeko, Lazarius, Firrol, R. N. Archer, Tetsuya the Deliverer, Bad-el-Kazar, Maneater, Dracomorph, Cupidus, Arbiter, Whisper, Nekhret, Harima, Vogoth, Uugo, Sicia, Teumesia, Leorius |
| B | Pheidi, Kawn Branchbreaker, Baron, Seer, Prince Kymar, Lyssandra, Deacon Armstrong, Trunda, Scyl, Ramantu, Hurndig, Lady Kimi |
| C | Staltus |
Some units that fall flat in Arena come alive against bosses. Teodor, Acrizia, and Gnut all shine in PvE, and Epic damage dealers such as Seer, Geomancer, and Maneater hold up well against rarer champions. If you are grinding Hard Mode story content or pushing bosses, those Epics are worth powering up.
Top S-tier champions by role
A few standout names carry teams in nearly every mode. Knowing their core job helps you slot them correctly instead of stacking overlapping roles.
| Champion | Role and strength |
|---|---|
| Krisk the Ageless | Support with massive HP, provoke, and ally protection; central to Hydra and other boss fights |
| Acrizia | Single-target damage that scales off enemy MAX HP, ideal against Hydra-type bosses |
| Siphi the Lost Bride | Speed buffs, healing, and revives that control turn order in Arena and PvE |
| Taras the Fierce | Void offensive unit with high HP scaling and devastating AoE for waves and Arena |
| Lydia the Deathsiren | Debuffer applying Decrease Defense and Weaken while blocking enemy buffs |
| Deacon Armstrong | Epic Support with a 19% universal Speed Aura and turn meter control |
Mythical champions tier list
Mythical champions are the strongest rarity, similar to Legendaries but with two switchable forms. Aim for the S-tier names, since they fit into almost any team and adapt their type to whatever you need.
| Tier | Champions |
|---|---|
| S | Alaz the Sun-Eater (Alt and Base), Androc the Glorious, Polara Fireheart, Starsage Galathir (Base), Theodosia the Disgraced |
| A | Anomaly, Arbais the Stonethorn, Ashnar Dragonsoul, Fjorad Wolfheart, Frolni the Mechanist, Gharol the Bloodmaul, Lady Mikage, Night Queen Krixia, Starsage Galathir (Alt) |
| B | Aphidus the Hivelord, Mezomel Luperfang, Siegfrund the Nephilim |
One important note for Mythicals: each form may need its own gear. A unit that swaps from Attack to Support, for example, performs best when you build for both roles rather than one.
Who to build first
If you only have resources for a handful of champions, prioritize the units that span both modes. Marichka, Siphi, Taras, and Androc all appear near the top of PvP and PvE, which makes them the safest long-term investments. Build them, gear them properly, and you will have a core that carries you through Arena pushes and boss runs alike. The meta shifts as new champions arrive, so keep an eye on balance changes before sinking materials into anything outside the S tiers.
