Archero 2 lives and dies on three choices: who you main, what gear set you chase, and which skills you grab during a run. The version 1.1.6 meta has settled enough to make those calls confidently, and the gap between a top pick and a filler pick is large. Picking right means faster chapter clears, stronger PvP performance, and far less time wasted upgrading the wrong hero.
Archero 2 character tier list (version 1.1.6)
Characters unlock after Chapter 3, so this only matters once the campaign starts tightening up. Two heroes now sit clearly above everyone else, and the drop-off below S-tier is steep.
| Tier | Characters |
|---|---|
| SS | Nezha, Wukong |
| S | Demon King Atreus, Dracoola, Thor, Hou Yi |
| A | Rolla, Nyanja, Otta, Hela, Mymu, Phynx |
| B | Cleo, Alex, Helix, Loki |
| C | Seraph |
Nezha tops the list thanks to fire-based abilities that scale hard into late game. His passive damage amplification stays consistent without forcing risky positioning, which is exactly why he's the safest "best character" answer if you only want to invest in one.
Wukong sits beside him with clone mechanics that create multiple damage sources at once, effectively multiplying output without eating skill slots. He handles burst and long fights equally well, and his ultimate clears waves outright.
Dracoola remains the standout S-tier pick because he lifesteals from 1-star onward. That sustain carries you through chapters you haven't memorized yet, and at 5-star he converts excess healing into extra damage. A movement speed buff above 50% HP and a 40% attack power boost at full HP make him strong in both PvE and PvP. Demon King Atreus brings a shield that absorbs hits while boosting standard and critical damage, and Thor chains lightning between enemies for reliable crowd control.
At the bottom of the usable range, Alex is the serviceable starter, and Helix rewards low-HP play that fights against the game's dodge-first design. Both can work in skilled hands, especially in PvP, but most players will get more from higher tiers.
Best gear sets in Archero 2
Unlike the first game, Archero 2 rewards completing full sets rather than collecting isolated legendary pieces. Set bonuses scale by rarity, climbing from common all the way to mythic, so commit to one set and finish it.
| Tier | Gear set | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| S | Oracle | Rewards landing consecutive hits; ramps crit rate and doubles damage after combos. |
| S | Griffin | Grants extra stats based on the number of nearby enemies, plus crit and counter bonuses up close. |
| S | Dragoon | Explosive AoE focus, with random blasts, flame shields, and mines on kill. |
| A | Echo | Solid combo-scaling stats; a strong all-rounder one step below the top sets. |
| B | Decisiveness | Built around crit rate and crit damage; fine for most builds. |
| B | Agile Knuckles | Close-range damage and crit, but limited compared to full S-tier sets. |
| C | Destruction | Blast-on-dodge and periodic explosions; replace it as soon as you can. |
The Griffin set is the easiest recommendation for general play because its nearby-enemy scaling fits almost any build. Oracle is the combo specialist, and Dragoon leans into explosive clears. Dragon Knight gear is high rarity but underwhelming in practice. Its effects center on explosions, so only chase it if you're specifically building around that.
On weapons specifically, the Oracle Spear, Crossbow of the Dragoon, and Griffin Claw are the top picks, with the Beam Staff and Heroic Longbow as backups. Agile Knuckles sits at the bottom.
Best legendary skills to pick during a run
Skills are the abilities you choose between rooms, and the strongest ones carry runs on their own. These are the legendary picks worth grabbing whenever they appear.
| Skill | Tier | Effect |
|---|---|---|
Beam Strike  | S | Summons a strike sword that fires lasers periodically. Strong DPS with no support needed. |
Corrosive Field  | S | Damages nearby monsters and makes them take +40% damage. Ideal for close-range and circle builds. |
Power Trio  | S | Raises Max HP, attack speed, and attack power together (x1.15 each). |
Rapid Fire  | S | +1 projectile on attacks at a small attack speed cost. Huge boost to main-weapon DPS. |
Warrior's Soul  | S | x1.3 damage. Pure raw damage with no extra utility. |
Sacred Protection  | S | Shield blocks one hit per wave. Strong when stakes are high; weaker if your dodging is sharp. |
Energy Beam  | A | Charge to release a penetrating laser. Excellent total DPS in charge-skill builds. |
Super Meteor  | B | Meteors fall and release shockwaves. Okay for mobs, but better legendaries exist. |
Sprite King  | B | Summons a powerful Sprite King. Decent sprite DPS, but sprites underperform overall. |
Rotating Web  | C | Turns circling orbs into a web. Minor mob help, very weak bonus DPS. |
Soul of Strength  | C | x1.3 Max HP only. The weakest legendary stat boost. |
Best epic skills in Archero 2
Epic skills round out a build. The top ones either add survivability you can't get elsewhere or stack cleanly with your weapon attacks.
| Skill | Tier | Effect |
|---|---|---|
Soul of Swiftness  | S | x1.35 attack speed and x1.35 move speed. Big DPS plus easier dodging. |
Revive  | S | Revive once at full HP on death. Can single-handedly save a run. |
Tracking Eye  | A | Projectiles track enemies. Makes weaker main-weapon skills viable. |
Double Strike Swords  | A | Doubles strike swords summoned. The best Strike skill in the game. |
Diagonal Arrows  | A | Adds 2 diagonal projectiles. Strong for clearing mobs. |
Strike Boost  | A | x1.5 Strike damage. Excellent in Strike builds, useless without them. |
Super Flame  | A | x1.5 fire damage and faster burn. Especially efficient against bosses. |
Super Circle  | A | Adds 4 neutral orbs. One of the best Circle skills available. |
Wind Blessing  | A | Dodge chance and move speed up, size down. Great survivability, no damage. |
Meteor Pursuit  | B | Chance to cast a meteor on attack. The best Meteor skill, still only B-tier. |
Super Venom  | C | x2 poison damage. Useless without a poison source. |
How to use the tier list with build archetypes
Skills are not strictly tiered for everyone, because what works depends on the build you commit to. Before locking in picks, it helps to know which archetype you're running.
Combo builds chain consecutive hits to trigger weapon and gear bonuses. The Oracle set is the clearest example. These shine in sustained boss fights where you can hold position, but suffer in chaotic rooms where dodging breaks your streak. Otta and Dracoola pair well here thanks to consistent uptime.
Blast builds lean on explosive area damage from weapons like the Crossbow of the Dragoon and skills like Super Meteor. They clear rooms fast and fit the Dragoon set's explosion focus. There's also a popular sprite-and-orb route built around skills like Super Circle and Beam Strike, which trades single-target burst for screen-wide coverage.
The simplest path forward: pick Nezha, Wukong, or Dracoola, target the Griffin or Oracle set, and grab the S-tier skills above as they appear. From there, lean into whichever archetype your weapon and gear support, and treat the rest of the run as filling gaps rather than reinventing the build. Tiers shift with each patch, so re-check after major updates land, but the core picks here hold steady through the current version.