Reverse: 1999 is a team-driven game, which means almost any Arcanist can carry the right composition and almost any Arcanist can flop in the wrong one. Even so, Version 3.5 has a clear top end. Beryl and Brume reshaped the meta when they launched, and recent additions like Enigma, Everecho, and Ms Stranger have shifted where everyone else sits. The rankings below reflect performance across Limbo, Mane’s Bulletin, Reveries, and general story content, since there is no PvP to factor in.
Quick answer: The meta-defining picks in Version 3.5 are Beryl, Brume, Anjo Nala, Liang Yue, Charon, Marsha, and Enigma. If you are starting fresh, build one meta DPS first, then a generalist buffer such as An-An Lee or Pickles, then a sustain unit like Marsha or Kakania.
Reverse: 1999 tier list rankings (Version 3.5)
The table groups every notable Arcanist from S (meta-defining) down to F (outclassed). A placement reflects how a character performs at low investment in a team built around them, not raw star rarity. Several units climb or fall a tier depending on Portrays and Euphoria completion, and those cases are called out further down.
| Tier | Arcanists |
|---|---|
| S | Beryl, Brume, Anjo Nala, Liang Yue, Enigma, Charon, Marsha, Isolde, Flutterpage, Lorentz Butterfly, Rhiannon, Kiperina, Ulrich, Nautika, Ramona, Paper Heron, Windsong, Semmelweis, Tooth Fairy |
| A | Ezio Auditore, Recoleta, Jiu Niangzi, Igor, Lucy, Lopera, Getian, Kakania, Fatutu, Vila, An-An Lee, Pickles, Mercuria, Spathodea, Kaalaa Baunaa, Cheng Heguang, Aleph, Barcarola, Kassandra, Melania, Moldir, Sentinel, Rubuska, Corvus, Coppelia, Silverwing Eagle, Ms Stranger, Everecho |
| B | A Knight, Druvis III, Argus, Willow, Centurion, Eternity, Voyager, Medicine Pocket, Ezra Theodore, Regulus, Sonetto, 6, 37, J, Lorelei, Name Day, Buddy Fairchild, Yenisei, Sotheby, Hissabeth, Black Dwarf, Dikke |
| C | Cristallo, Ms. Newbabel, Nick Bottom, Rabies, Mr. Duncan, Satsuki, Ulu, Sweetheart, Avgust, Зима (Zima), Matilda, APPLe, Leilani, Necrologist, White Rum, Click, Lilya, Noire, Bkornblume |
| D | aliEn T, Darley Clatter, Door, Tennant, Mesmer Jr., Ms. Moissan, Poltergeist, The Fool |
| E | Bunny Bunny, Brimley, John Titor, Ms. Radio, Sputnik, TTT |
| F | Onion |
S-tier damage dealers and why they dominate
The S tier is reserved for Arcanists who change how teams are built rather than just hitting hard. Beryl anchors the Afterglow archetype, stacking Halo and Burn debuffs to fuel her follow-up nukes. Her Portrays scale her output more than almost any other character, so she gets noticeably stronger at higher investment, but she is already a top pick at P0 when paired with Isolde and Flutterpage.
Brume is the simpler build. Her Truth Tempered buff hands the whole team extra damage and Incantation Might, and her follow-up attacks scale off her own Thermoelectric Conversion stacks. She works best as the carry in Charon-led Dynamo teams. Pulling Brume without a Dynamo enabler like Charon leaves a large chunk of her ceiling on the table, so plan the pair together.
Liang Yue earned her spot through her Euphoria upgrade, which turned her into a team-wide buff engine. Anjo Nala remains the benchmark support, amplifying damage and feeding free ultimates that pair brutally with high-frequency carries. Charon ties the Dynamo archetype together with his Fear of Death debuff and electric field, and Marsha sits at the top of sustain with shields, buffs, and cleanse rolled into one kit.
Best support and buffer characters
New players tend to whiff on supports because pulling a flashy DPS feels more urgent. The result shows up at Mane’s Bulletin, where damage falls short because the buffer slot is empty. An-An Lee and Pickles are the standout generalists. An-An Lee lets your party deal more while taking less for two rounds, and Pickles raises pen rate and adds a flat damage percentage on top.
For debuffs, Isolde and Shamane both cut enemy defense for two turns. Shamane makes enemies take extra damage, while Isolde layers on a burn that doubles as the fuel for Afterglow teams. Flutterpage and Kiperina round out the top of the support pool as follow-up and Impromptu enablers respectively.
Healers and shielders that hold up in endgame
Sustain shifted noticeably in Version 3.5. Marsha is the best all-round option, and Enigma climbed fast because she defends and contributes offense at the same time. Her Bastion negates incoming damage and grants control immunity to the team, and her Cipher Machine cleanses allies while converting decoded Ciphertext into damage. If your carry is vulnerable to crowd control, Enigma is the pick. If you just need raw survivability, Marsha is the safer default.
Kakania is the strongest traditional healer thanks to her taunt mechanics, and she remains an excellent early investment for new accounts. For pure shielding, Ezra Theodore and Yenisei are reliable, and Yenisei also tops the team up with a little healing. Argus, Sotheby, Hissabeth, and Willow fill more situational sustain roles.
Who to build first as a free-to-play player
Tier lists only matter if you can act on them, and low-spender accounts have to be deliberate with resources. The biggest mistake is pulling carries without their enablers. Brume needs Charon or another Dynamo support, and Igor needs Lopera or Moldir to function, so chasing the damage dealer alone wastes the investment.
Note: Pity transfers between banners in Reverse: 1999, so holding pulls for the next 6-star DPS rerun costs you nothing and avoids spreading resources thin.
Why Sonetto and Regulus placements are always debated
These two come up in every tier list discussion because they are free, story-given characters that appear early and perform well through the opening and middle of the game. Beginner guides rank them highly, then players reach endgame, see them benched behind paid 6-stars, and feel misled.
Both takes are correct at once. Sonetto and Regulus will carry you through the bulk of the game’s content without complaint, and they are absolutely worth building if you are new. They will not be your answer for Mane’s Bulletin clears. Regulus in particular swings between tiers, and her late-game staying power is the reason she often lands a notch above units that drop off harder. That is just how live-service gacha rosters age.
Meta teams clearing Version 3.5 endgame
Individual rankings mean little without a composition behind them. These templates are the ones consistently clearing Mane’s Bulletin and Tides of Thought right now.
| Team | Composition |
|---|---|
| Afterglow (Beryl carry) | Beryl, Isolde, Flutterpage, Marsha |
| Brume Dynamo | Brume, Charon, Anjo Nala, Fatutu or Marsha |
| Star Impromptu | Liang Yue, Tooth Fairy, Aleph, Marsha or Mercuria |
| Igor Ult Burst | Igor, Lopera, Moldir or Getian, Marsha |
Most of these archetypes flex more than the lists suggest, so swap units based on what you own. The Afterglow line stacks Halo and Burn for Beryl’s follow-up nukes, while the Brume Dynamo team leans on Charon’s Fear of Death and Anjo Nala’s free ultimates to let Brume spam her follow-ups almost every turn.
Treat the lower tiers as a guide for optimizing, not a ban list. Reverse: 1999’s strength is its setting and cast, and nearly every Arcanist on this list clears casual and story content fine. The rankings exist to tell you where to point your Clear Drops and Lunacryst when you want to push the hardest fights, not to talk you out of running a character you simply enjoy.
