Support is the role that decides Diamond and above. No Strategist sits at a runaway win rate, so picks come down to who keeps a team alive through dive, who survives a flanker without help, and who still threatens damage when the heal button isn’t the answer. Season 8.5 reshuffles that order with a fresh balance pass, adjusted Team-Ups, and the arrival of Cyclops.
Quick answer: For Diamond rank and above in Season 8.5, the top Strategist picks are Rocket Raccoon, Gambit, Invisible Woman, and Cloak & Dagger in S Tier. Deadpool, Mantis, Jeff, and White Fox follow in A Tier.
Season 8.5 Strategist tier list (Diamond and above)
These rankings target high-level competitive play, so a hero that feels weak here can still carry lower ranks if you main them. The list reflects the metagame at the end of Season 8.0, the Season 8.5 balance changes, and the new Team-Up adjustments.
| Tier | Strategists |
|---|---|
| S | Rocket Raccoon, Gambit, Invisible Woman, Cloak & Dagger |
| A | Deadpool, Mantis, Jeff, White Fox |
| B | Ultron, Adam Warlock, Loki |
| C | Luna Snow |
S Tier Strategists
Rocket Raccoon finally got a change that wasn’t a nerf. His 8.0 buffs returned his meta viability and made him noticeably more survivable, not just a stronger healer. He lands as a low S-Tier pick that needs almost no practice to perform.
Gambit takes another hit, but only a moderate one to his ultimate. It isn’t enough to push him out of S Tier, and the practical effect is that he gets banned less often. Expect him in more of your games as a result.
Invisible Woman has settled in as a top healer. Her ultimate is now comparable to other supports rather than overtuned, her push and pull is strong utility, and she can vanish the instant she is threatened to dodge a pick. Even after the Season 6.5 nerfs, the overall kit holds up as a safe, flexible choice in most comps.
Cloak & Dagger swing between dominant and invisible depending on the patch. Dagger’s Season 8.5 buffs are decent but don’t tip them firmly one way or the other. At the very top level they go largely unused, yet for the bulk of the competitive playerbase they remain a solid S-Tier option thanks to lock-on healing and a strong ultimate.
A Tier Strategists
Deadpool’s healer build got a meaningful 8.5 buff that makes him genuinely usable. He still isn’t best in class, but he’s a real choice now and earns the jump into A Tier.
Mantis trades part of her signature damage amplification for an added speed boost. The lower damage buff is a nerf, but the speed gain looks like the bigger story, giving her fresh utility and more reasons to run her. That makes her a dependable A-Tier pick with room to climb if her play rate keeps rising.
Jeff cooled off after his Season 7.5 changes and isn’t quite as strong as before. The buff to his ultimate is a big deal, though, adding forgiveness when you miss the whole enemy team with it. He sits as a high A-Tier landshark with a path back toward S.
White Fox took a sidegrade in 8.0 that lowered her ceiling while raising her baseline. She still performs well, but she doesn’t have the same impact she once carried, which keeps her in A rather than higher.
B Tier Strategists
Ultron sees real play, but mostly inside three-healer comps at the highest level, which is why he’s picking up nerfs despite being an average healer. For most players he stays an off-meta pick that rarely comes out.
Adam Warlock soared in popularity after gaining flight, yet his actual viability hasn’t caught up. Multiple buffs across seasons still haven’t found him a comfortable home outside of three-healer setups.
Loki keeps trailing the better supports. Raising his healing and cutting his damage made him more situational, since he can’t respond to threats as quickly but heals far better when he’s left alone. Outside the specific scenarios where he thrives, he sits in B Tier.
C Tier Strategists
Luna Snow continues to skip the meta. High-ranking players favor stronger options, and mid-to-low play struggles to extract value from her without committing to a main. She isn’t a bad hero, but C Tier reflects how little she shows up.
A low ranking here never means a hero is unplayable. Any Strategist can win games if you master the kit and slot into the right comps and matchups. Treat S and A Tier as the safest defaults for climbing, then lean into the picks you trust as the patch settles and players sort out where Cyclops shifts the team-fight math.
