Age of Annihilation-Inclusive Tier List

[ryguy266]

Tier lists exist for both classic Heroscape and inclusive of C3V/SOV units. These tier lists evoke discussions of the units' abilities and place within the meta and help newer players build armies. With Age of Annihilation being released, this tier list will be a useful tool for new and veteran players alike who plan to play in these events moving forward.

The rankings are below. For a letter grade system, an S Tier adds more depth to the letter grade power rankings and allows for more subtlety among the top ranks. The rankings don't consider any customs. This tier list will only be updated after the official release of the sets and after every unit in the set has seen enough play so that 'Scapers have a reliable tier list that does not change rapidly nor depend on theoryscaping. I have marked the AoA units with their general colors to easily distinguish them from classic. For now, I will be keeping my rankings of the Haslab AoA units as I put enough work into testing them to be worth it, and I expect the rankings will not change much. For now, every unit has been marked as unreleased. Explanations of rank meaning and the AoA rankings are in the spoiler below.

S

Deathreavers
Major Q9
Marro Warriors
Raelin the Kyrie Warrior (RotV)

A+

4th Massachusetts Line
10th Regiment of Foot
Frostclaw Paladins (Unreleased)
Grimnak
Heavy Gruts
Isamu
Knight Primus Adelbern (Unreleased)
Knights of Weston
Nilfheim
Sir Gilbert

A

Admiral EJ-1M (Unreleased)
Airborne Elite
Axegrinders of Burning Forge
Blastatrons
Braxas
Crimson Widow (Unreleased)
Darrak Ambershard
Death Chasers of Thesk
Dreadnaughts of New Tortuga (Unreleased)
Dorim the Bulkhead Brawler (Unreleased)
Gladiatrons
Izumi Samurai
Kaemon Awa
Krav Maga Agents
Major Q10
Marcu Esenwein
Marro Stingers
Me-Burq-Sa
Nerak the Glacian Swog Rider
Thyraxis Dragoon (Unreleased)

A-

Agent Skahen
Alastair MacDirk
Arrow Gruts
Crixus
Cyprien Esenwein
Eldgrim
Eltahale
Fen Hydra
Festering Honor Guard (Unreleased)
Finn the Viking Champion
Fire Elemental
Greenscale Warriors
Iron Lich Viscerot (Unreleased)
Kurrok the Elementalist
Kyntela Gwyn
Laglor
Marrden Nagrubs
Mimring
Mogrimm Forgehammer
Phantom Knights
Queen Maladrix the Conqueror (Unreleased)
Scavorinth Lord of Ruin (Unreleased)
Tarn Viking Warriors
Zetacron

B+

Blade Gruts
Black Wyrmling
Charos
Concan the Kyrie Warrior
Guilty McCreech
Hellforge Mandukor (Unreleased)
Ice Troll Berserker
Imperator Kayne (Unreleased)
James Murphy
Johnny "Shotgun" Sullivan
Marcus Decimus Gallus
Marro Dividers
Migol Ironwill
Mohican River Tribe
Nakita Agents
Necrotech Wraithraiders (Unreleased)
Ne-Gok-Sa
Ogre Warhulk
Ordo Borealis (Unreleased)
Roman Legionnaires
Sacred Band
Sgt. Drake Alexander (SotM)
Sonya Esenwein
Swog Rider
Tandros Kreel
Theracus
Thorgrim the Viking Warrior
Tor-Kul-Na
Venoc Vipers
Venoc Warlord

B

Air Elemental
Arkmer
Ashigaru Harquebus
Atlaga the Kyrie Warrior
Capuan Gladiators
Cornelius Breech the Blackguard Prince (Unreleased)
First Officer Bok-Bur-Na (Unreleased)
Frost Giant of Morh
Fyorlag Spiders
Goblin Cutters
Horned Skull Brutes
Knight Adjuctor Oberon (Unreleased)
Marrden Hounds
Marro Drones
Minions of Utgar
Mezzodemon Warmongers
Moltenclaw
Ogre Pulverizer
Ornak
Red Wyrmling
Samuel Brown
Syvarris
Spartacus
Valguard
Vorid Burrowbreaker (Unreleased)
Wing Commander Tuck Harrigan (Unreleased)
Wyvern
Zelrig
Zombies of Morindan

B-

Ana Karithon
Anubian Wolves
Aubrien Archers
Brunak
Drow Chainfighter
Fia Bonny the Void Siren (Unreleased)
Halushia Scion of the Wild (Unreleased)
Iron Golem
Jordawn
MacDirk Warriors
Microcorp Agents
Othkurik the Black Dragon
Protectors of Ullar
Raelin the Kyrie Warrior (SotM)
Rhogar Dragonspine
Seige
Sentinels of Jandar
Sgt. Drake Alexander (RotV)
Shurrak
Sir Hawthorne
Sonlen
Su-Bak-Na
Sujoah
Tagawa Samurai
Ulginesh
Werewolf Lord
Wolves of Badru
Xenithrax the Soulweaver (Unreleased)

C+

Agent Carr
Chardris
Death Knights of Valkrill
Deathstalkers
Deathwalker 8000
Earth Elemental
Emiroon
Evar Scarcarver
Granite Guardians
Jotun
Kato Katsuro
Killian Vane III (Unreleased)
Knaves of the Silver Scimitar (Unreleased)
Kumiko
Marachott the Mind Whisperer (Unreleased)
Master Win Chiu Woo
Mind Flayer Mastermind
Ninjas of the Northern Wind
Omnicron Repulsors
Otonashi
Parmenio
Retiarius
Shaolin Monks
Sir Denrick
Taelord the Kyrie Warrior
Tagawa Samurai Archers
Warden 816
Warriors of Ashra
White Wyrmling

C

Armoc Vipers
Brandis Skyhunter
Blue Wyrmling
Chana the Zenithwing (Unreleased)
Deepwyrm Drow
Exiles of the Sundered Sea (Unreleased)
Feral Troll
Gorillinators
Kee-Mo-Shi
Kelda the Kyrie Warrior
Kozuke Samurai
Marro Hive
Master of the Hunt
Morsbane
Omnicron Snipers
Quasatch Hunters
Raakchott Desecrator of Death (Unreleased)
Torin

C-

Ashigaru Yari
Dumutef Guard
Dzu-Teh
Einar Imperium
Elite Onyx Vipers
Empress Kiova
Estivara
Greater Ice Elemental
Iskra Esenwein
Khosumet the Darklord
Marro Drudge
Roman Archers
Rechets of Bogdan
Shades of Bleakwoode
Sharwin Wildeborn
Tul-Bak-Ra
Zettian Guards

D

Deathwalker 9000
Deadeye Dan
Dünd
Erevan Sunshadow
Grok Riders
Gurei-Oni
Kita the Springrunner (Unreleased)
Mika Connour
Moriko
Obsidian Guards
Pelloth
Runa
Saylind
Shiori
Sir Dupuis
Sudema
Templar Cavalry
Wo-Sa-Ga

F

Acolarh
Deathwalker 7000
Hatamoto Taro
Major X17
Sahaugin Raider


Explanation of ranks:

Spoiler Alert!

S Tier - Units so strong they can considered to be broken. They will win you a game before it even starts.
A+ Tier - The strongest units in the game. Nearly impossible to take down and staples in Cheese events.
A Tier - Brutes in any format, these units have insane versatility and have proven themselves time and time again.
A- Tier - A half step below the best but still powerhouses in most events.
B+ Tier - Bread and butter squads or key support units, these are a staple in the right army.
B Tier - The middle of the pack. Consistent performances, but matchup dependency holds them back.
B- Tier - Good into what they're good into, average into everything else.
C Tier - Good into what they're good into, bad into everything else.
C+ Tier - These units can shine in the right format. Those formats might come around once a year.
C- Tier - Right on the border of too bad to play, synergy with better units keep them afloat.
D Tier - Too weak, swingy, or expensive to ever be worthwhile.
F Tier - Is this category necessary? Yes, because something has to be the worst and these units fit the description.

Rankings with commentary:

Spoiler Alert!

S

Deathreavers: Several AoA units intend to counter the rats in some way. Unfortunately, none of them do it particularly well.
Major Q9: With the exception of a few more potential can openers to face, Major Q9 still dominates most games.
Marro Warriors: The best 50-point filler of all time.
Raelin the Kyrie Warrior (RotV): The single best standalone figure in classic Heroscape. Spoiler alert: she’s good with AoA stuff too.

A+

4th Massachusetts Line: Better than the 10th—except for the limited army options.
10th Regiment of Foot: Flexible 4-man ranged squads will always be good.
Frostclaw Paladins: The best unique squad to come out of AoA. With good stats, two lives each, and a whopping twelve bonding options, the ‘Claws are prepared for anything.
Grimnak: Turns out chomping a squad figure is really useful when that squad figure has two lives.
Heavy Gruts: Disengage shoots them to a high tier in AoA play.
Isamu: Does he always fulfill his points? Yes. Is he worth an S-tier ranking? Nope, sorry dok.
Knight Primus Adelbern: A stronger, faster Grimnak held back only by the fact that his bonding squad will, eventually, die. This brute is unstoppable into a myriad of matchups.
Knights of Weston: A plethora of additional knightly synergy cements the knights as a melee staple.
Nilfheim: Slipped out of S tier by engagement rules. Nothing in AoA can stop the ice dragon.
Sir Gilbert: Somehow even better with the addition of the Frostclaw Paladins.

A

Admiral EJ-1M: More attack potential than Q9, order marker flexibility, and the ability to move his screen to boot. His only flaw is much less survivability than the original tin can.
Airborne Elite: A first-round drop will still devastate any army, AoA or not.
Axegrinders of Burning Forge: More big bads to hit means the dwarves retain their usefulness in the meta.
Blastatrons: The glad/blast combo is limited less by new AoA options and more by modern army restrictions.
Braxas: Just like Grimnak, eliminating unique squad figures is a huge advantage.
Crimson Widow: Hire Crew and Midnight Raid are what make the Admiral army top-tier. She doesn’t do much after that, but she doesn’t need to. Pirate Commander is the cherry on top of an incredible unit.
Darrak Ambershard: Still the dwarves best bonding option.
Death Chasers of Thesk: Giving them a Grimnak-on-steroids as a bonding option elevates this cheap, hard-hitting squad.
Dreadnaughts of New Tortuga: The best pirate squad by miles and a threat to most armies, especially when the Admiral is involved.
Dorim the Bulkhead Brawler: Certainly best as a Dwarf Hero than a Captain, Dorim gets the Axegrinders into battle quicker and can really dish out damage.
Gladiatrons: The board control and damage potential keep them relevant in the formats they can fit into.
Izumi Samurai: The classic unit with the biggest boost from AoA, Hire Crew brings the Izumi-led pirates into the top of the meta.
Kaemon Awa: The best cleanup filler in the game.
Krav Maga Agent: The Krav still easily compete with the beefed-up AoA units.
Major Q10: The Major can go toe-to-robot-foot with most units in the game.
Marcu Esenwein: Brutal in an endgame, until you start rolling well.
Marro Stingers: Another casualty of two-life squads. Stinger drain is more tempting, and more devastating to your own army.
Me-Burq-Sa: Paralyzing Stare becomes a huge factor against more unique squads, but still too unpredictable for a higher tier.
Nerak the Glacian Swog Rider: The second-best support unit in the game. With mediocre stats, that’s usually all he is.
Thyraxis Dragoon: Maddening Chitter is tough to play around. Giving her Nagrub bonding is even tougher.

A-

Agent Skahen: A solid ranged hero on her own, and especially good at eliminating unique squad figures.
Alastair MacDirk: A strong option for a Frostclaws’ beatstick.
Arrow Gruts: The Arrow Gruts now have some of the best bonding options in the game.
Crixus: On the rare occasions the gladiators fit into a tournament build, Crixus’ shield carries the army.
Cyprien Esenwein: Chilling Touch is a lot less useful when one wound doesn’t kill a squad figure.
Eldgrim: As useful in death as life, Eldgrim is a solid filler hero for both the Knights and the Frostclaws.
Eltahale: A dependable counter to any AoA unit.
Fen Hydra: Snapping up expensive squad figures since 2010.
Festering Honor Guard: The parasites are a huge threat to heroes. It’s too bad they’re missing some sort of synergy.
Finn the Viking Champion: Adding an extra defense to a two life squad makes a huge difference.
Fire Elemental: A scary sight when all that you’re fielding are unique squads, even if they can survive a sear.
Greenscale Warriors: Their best bonding options still reside in classic, but those bonding options are the best in classic.
Iron Lich Viscerot: The Eisenek commander, with his buddy Scavorinth, can output some of the most ridiculous damage in the game. But once Viscerot goes down, the army crumbles.
Kurrok the Elementalist: A figure with a versatile toolset, but probably best with twenty fire elementals.
Kyntela Gwyn: There are better ways to spend 20 points, unless you’re got elves or 4th.
Laglor: The most underrated flagbearer, Laglor gives ranged Vydar armies a competitive edge.
Marrden Nagrubs: Thyraxis finally gives them an overly powerful bonding option.
Mimring: An eight range special is an eight range special. Bonding is icing on the cake.
Mogrimm Forgehammer: They really got the name right with this one. Mogrimm puts the hammer down.
Phantom Knights: Quick development and good stats will always be useful.
Queen Maladrix the Conqueror: A remarkably dangerous hero killer. Had the faction been completed, who knows how strong the War Brood would be.
Scavorinth Lord of Ruin: His extra turn, combined with the Iron Lich’s Vile Injection, can crush just about anything before your opponent can blink.
Tarn Viking Warriors: The second-best Hire Crew squad, and decent filler if you’ve lost your Marro Warriors.
Zetacron: Another underrated unit, Zetacron changes the way your opponent plays.

B+

Blade Gruts: Bodies over brawn, as the orcs say.
Black Wyrmling: Much more difficult to kill two AoA squaddies per turn. But putting two wounds on anything with a 30-point figure feels good regardless.
Charos: Not much in AoA can challenge him, but plenty in classic can.
Concan the Kyrie Warrior: Concan is a useful staging ground for the new knights.
Guilty McCreech: Consistently more useful than you’d expect, especially when he’s facing fewer figures.
Hellforge Mandukor: He’s a complete package in an already synergistic, strong army. Reliance on the d20 can hurt his performance.
Ice Troll Berserker: A strong option in the Arrow Gruts’ arsenal of bonding.
Imperator Kayne: A single-spaced Tor-Kul-Na with a solid bonding squad makes the Imperator a powerful unit. Weaker stats keep him in check.
James Murphy: An AoE special is still nice in AoA.
Johnny “Shotgun” Sullivan: Not a bad choice if you don’t like Jandar Soulborgs.
Marcus Decimus Gallus: A key part of the Romans’ adjacency bonuses—which struggle in AoA play.
Marro Dividers: Quantity over quality is the name of the game for the Dividers.
Migol Ironwill: A sturdy figure who can roll hot, or just as likely, not.
Mohican River Tribe: The trickiest figures in their tier, but if your opponent knows what they’re doing, they won’t hold up.
Nakita Agents: A potentially powerful, if slightly risky, Hire Crew option.
Necrotech Wraithraiders: Your Raelin? No, our Raelin.
Ne-Gok-Sa: A super strong bonding option for an army plummeting in the meta.
Ogre Warhulk: If you’ve got the points, Flail can be devastating against unique units.
Ordo Borealis: Best paired with Concan. Once the Ordo have to move, they’re in trouble.
Roman Legionnaires: Their strong bonding options keep them relevant, barely.
Sacred Band: No need for adjacency bumps them up to the Legionnaires’ level.
Sgt. Drake Alexander (SotM): The heavy hitter for a Valiant army fulfills his niche well.
Sonya Esenwein: Suddenly, getting bumping Chilling Touch up a wound tier becomes massively important.
Swog Rider: Cheap damage will always be relevant. Plus, his name is fun to say.
Tandros Kreel: Cleave is a powerful tool that’s still useful into AoA squads.
Theracus: Not much new to shuttle, but old cheese strats still survive.
Thorgrim the Viking Warrior: A fantastic option to put on a plethora of AoA cards.
Tor-Kul-Na: The big boy has a lot of stomping potential that’s somewhat limited by his double base on modern maps.
Venoc Vipers: Enough vipers and any AoA unit is hissstory.
Venoc Warlord: Some say he’s still trying to change the outcome of a Frenzy roll to this day. But he’s a heavy hitter and the movement bonus is very useful.

B

Air Elemental: A lot of utility for a Kurrok build.
Arkmer: The new Wizard blood has nothing on the best classic Elf Wizard.
Ashigaru Harquebus: Cheap range is still competitive in large numbers.
Atlaga the Kyrie Warrior: Just like how Heroscape is a lite tabletop wargame, Atlaga is lite gambling for the players.
Capuan Gladiators: Fewer figures on the board and higher point totals means the Gladiators can matchup with most armies.
Cornelius Breech the Blackguard Prince: If you wanted an army with a reason to attack your own figures, Cornelius can scratch that itch.
First Officer Bok-Bur-Na: Face him off against a ton of cheap squad figures and you’ll be all set.
Frost Giant of Morh: Non-bonding heavy hitters aren’t in high demand these days.
Fyorlag Spiders: Quick, cheap units who didn’t get the bonding option in Vanguard they were hoping for.
Goblin Cutters: Sneaky little goblins that can brutalize in the right matchup.
Horned Skull Brutes: A pseudo multi-life squad, if you can get the positioning right.
Knight Adjuctor Oberon: Overwhelm is underwhelming.
Marrden Hounds: Somehow the low movement roll always happens at just the wrong time.
Marro Drones: A common squad that can grind through anything with a few good d20 rolls, classic or not.
Minions of Utgar: The minions can put in some work—or perish on the way there.
Mezzodemon Warmongers: Another thirty unique units decrease the odds that the Mezzos will be useful.
Moltenclaw: The Greenscales have better options, but Moltenclaw has his place.
Ogre Pulverizer: A bit redundant in the Deathchaser army.
Ornak: In high point melee games, he can make the difference, and he’s got another decent Marro hero to boss around.
Red Wyrmling: The curse of the uniques-only set strikes again.
Samuel Brown: A lukewarm filler in his niche.
Syvarris: Syvarris can no longer pick off figures with the pace he once could.
Spartacus: His values lies almost entirely in his Gladiator bonuses, but good stats are good stats.
Valguard: Hitting power and staying power…too bad your opponent can just ignore him once he’s engaged.
Vorid Burrowbreaker: Similar to Tuck, the Burrowbreaker is good for his points, but you could do better for bonding options.
Wing Commander Tuck Harrigan: Mobile range adds a lot of utility to the Frostclaws, but often you’ll feel like a turn with Tuck was a turn wasted.
Wyvern: Talon Grab is an objectively funny ability. Useful? Not really. But at least you’ll have a good time playing them.
Zelrig: Much like the Mezzos, the addition of over two dozen unique units only hurts Zelrig.
Zombies of Morindan: Not enough easy prey as there once was.

B-

Ana Karithon: Whether you want a healer, a defensive boost, or something to strike at the undead, there are always better options for her points.
Anubian Wolves: Solid defensive stats for the price, but too much inconsistency against range.
Aubrien Archers: A bit too fragile and a bit too unpredictable to compete with the best ranged squads.
Brunak: While his special will be less useful, a high defense figure with carry always will be.
Drow Chainfighter: Decent filler, but not enough synergy to be the backbone of an army.
Fia Bonny the Void Siren: The pirate lass isn’t the best option for a pirate squad. Don’t let her near any heroes.
Halushia Scion of the Wild: The best Dryan Wizard, but that’s not saying much. It’s unfortunate that his familiars are so weak.
Iron Golem: The construct does not have the survivability or mobility to compete with the other heavy hitters. But Iron Tough is a very useful tool.
Jordawn: Slightly more useful than her counterpart Chardris…slightly.
MacDirk Warriors: The MacDirks crave one more movement point. They sit comfortably at the bottom of the 4-man melee barrel.
Microcorp Agents: Helped slightly, and only slightly, by Laglor. 2 attack doesn’t cut it anymore.
Othkurik the Black Dragon: Like Nilfheim, except if Nilf was more fragile, generally less strong, and his special relied on opponent placement.
Protectors of Ullar: Terrified of strong squad figures or a first turn blank. They can’t compete with the high attack outputs of the Vanguard edition.
Raelin the Kyrie Warrior (SotM): Who left Raelin out in the sun too long?
Rhogar Dragonspine: Fairly pricey, but it might be worth restoring 33% of the Admiral’s health.
Seige: Vulnerable at the start of the round and slow after, but he’s got good survivability.
Sentinels of Jandar: Too easy for pirates, or anyone, to fulfill their points against these guys.
Sgt. Drake Alexander (RotV): Fragility to getting swarmed keeps him in check.
Shurrak: Even without any strong synergies, a powerful special and a tool to move opponents’ figures keeps him slipping any lower.
Sir Hawthorne: A fun risk-reward figure that will never betray you…right?
Sonlen: When an auto-wound won’t land a kill, the Elf Archmage is in trouble.
Su-Bak-Na: Retains his usefulness as a cleanup tool and some breathing room for the Stingers.
Sujoah: Pricey, but Poison Sting puts the hurt on multi-life unique squads.
Tagawa Samurai: Get those purple experience markers ready as you field a squad that doesn’t really fit into any build.
Ulginesh: There are new wizards in town. Surprisingly, they’re not any better than the current wizards.
Werewolf Lord: Moon frenzy is game-changing. Bonding is icing on the variance cake.
Wolves of Badru: Pounce is much riskier, but the trades are often worth it into almost every AoA unit.
Xenithrax the Soulweaver: Summon Vines doesn’t do nearly enough to make up for her awful special. At least she’s got eight lives.

C+

Agent Carr: A decent counter to the Admiral-led pirates.
Chardris: At least the extra attack dice might help you kill a squad figure.
Death Knights of Valkrill: Like the spiders, they were hoping for another bonding hero in Vanguard. Unlike the spiders, they’re not that good.
Deathstalkers: Eliminating a defense roll is massive in AoA play.
Deathwalker 8000: An odd choice for reducing unique squad activations, but potentially viable.
Earth Elemental: If only he could hurt dragons or Raelin.
Emiroon: Surprisingly good utility for a build that doesn’t really need him.
Evar Scarcarver: Difficult to kill except for the beginning of every round.
Granite Guardians: They won’t beat you to the high ground, but don’t let them get there eventually.
Jotun: Almost guaranteed to reduce squad activations. With high life, he still holds up well.
Kato Katsuro: His order marker attack potential is great. His cost is not.
Killian Vane III: It’s hard to activate the blunderbuss when all your bonding squad options prefer melee combat.
Knaves of the Silver Scimitar: When will the pirates learn that two defense just won’t cut it? At least they’ll do some damage before they die.
Kumiko: She’ll get off just about one barrage before falling.
Marachott the Mind Whisperer: Marachott’s got some impressive abilities. It’s unfortunate that the mind tricks never seem to work when you need them to.
Master Win Chiu Woo: Set him up in a good spot and watch the fists fly. Just hope he doesn’t go down first.
Mind Flayer Mastermind: Enslave is no joke in the AoAscape.
Ninjas of the Northern Wind: Disappearing Ninja can swing an endgame provided you’ve destroyed any special attackers.
Omnicron Repulsors: Even with another powerful Soulborg figure to target, the Repulsors are the weakest Wave 9 units by far.
Otonashi: If you’re considering Otonashi, it means that Isamu was banned. Maybe just play 10 points under.
Parmenio: He’s got a lot more options for Disciplined Influence now. Unfortunately, none of those options make a lot of sense.
Retiarius: Net Trip is very useful against multi-life squads. He’ll die before he gets to use it though.
Shaolin Monks: Tactically threating but practically fragile to almost anything.
Sir Denrick: The size determination puts a huge restriction on his usefulness.
Taelord the Kyrie Warrior: Not much in AoA benefits from his aura. Not much in classic does either.
Tagawa Samurai Archers: The archers really push the limits of what quantity over quality means.
Warden 816: Fun synergy and a decent special. The long range is nice too.
Warriors of Ashra: Every AoA faction tears the once-effective cheap screen apart.
White Wyrmling: A cheap ranged special that won’t do any real damage.

C

Armoc Vipers: They might have been helped by a future AoA Ullar Warlord. We’ll never know.
Brandis Skyhunter: His half-elf status hurts his already limited potential.
Blue Wyrmling: Miles below its red and black cousins.
Chana the Zenithwing: A reasonable heal chance is not enough to keep the Dryans from being totally overwhelmed in a game.
Deepwyrm Drow: It’s unfortunate that Poison Weapons can’t activate for Unique Squads.
Exiles of the Sundered Sea: 75 points is way too much for a squad that will fold against the weakest attacks.
Feral Troll: If he’s your cleanup, you’d better hope the rest of your army did something good.
Gorillinators: Even as meatshields for the Nakitas they struggle to defend.
Kee-Mo-Shi: Mind Shackle is a huge threat to every AoA unit. A threat is usually all it is.
Kelda the Kyrie Warrior: Very few formats exist where the order marker to heal is worth the absence of an attack.
Kozuke Samurai: Too many ranged threats exist for such an expensive unique squad to be much use.
Marro Hive: You could potentially rebirth three squads of Stingers, for almost the cost of…three squads of Stingers.
Master of the Hunt: He’s got a lot to hunt, but he doesn’t have the stats to do it with.
Morsbane: He’s out to get you with his rod. That would be horrifying if he could ever activate it.
Omnicron Snipers: Even a skull doesn’t guarantee a squad figure kill anymore.
Quasatch Hunters: Lots of abilities that are hard to make work in traditional competitive settings.
Raakchott Desecrator of Death: His biggest problem is that to consume the dead, you actually have to kill something.
Torin: Getting Evil Eye to activate takes some serious coordination.

C-

Ashigaru Yari: It’s not much of a screen, but they’re bodies for Kato’s orders.
Dumutef Guard: A single life is too easy to take with only four defense.
Dzu-Teh: Hard to rank. Solid on snow maps, a total waste anywhere else.
Einar Imperium: Some of the most expensive per-figure units. The double attack doesn’t quite justify that point cost.
Elite Onyx Vipers: Almost guaranteed to reach their target and hit them with the force of a wet noodle.
Empress Kiova: Giving the Imperium presents is their only saving grace.
Estivara: A large aura for an average squad isn’t enough.
Greater Ice Elemental: Ice Spikes no longer carries the same threat.
Iskra Esenwein: With Life Drain tougher to achieve, Iskra becomes even less useful.
Khosumet the Darklord: The peace of mind of not destroying an Anubian Wolf is not worth the cost of an extra squad of Anubian Wolves.
Marro Drudge: The jokers of the Marro community even on their home turf.
Roman Archers: Fewer, bigger targets just manage to keep them from being unplayable.
Rechets of Bogdan: They can completely stall an opponent’s offense if they ever get on the board.
Shades of Bleakwoode: They’d be better in AoAscape if they could devour the souls of any unique unit.
Sharwin Wildborn: You could inflict 4 wounds with her special and still not have killed any unique squad figures.
Tul-Bak-Ra: Illusory walls might have helped him out.
Zettian Guards: Why you’d ever pick them over the myriad of 70-point options is a mystery.

D

Deathwalker 9000: That’s a lot of points you got there. Mind if I kill it with an Arrow Grut?
Deadeye Dan: Ullar’s Rifle won’t even stop an AoA squaddie.
Dünd: Good doggo, bad unit.
Erevan Sunshadow: A figure geared toward scenarios more than competitive play.
Grok Riders: About double what their point cost should be, Ne-Gok-Sa can only help them so much.
Gurei-Oni: Gurei tops the pile of shame in Aquilla’s Alliance.
Kita the Springrunner: Just because you can bond with something doesn’t mean you should.
Mika Connour: Taking leaving engagements is embarrassing for a shadow assassin.
Moriko: Saber Storm won’t do nearly enough to justify her inclusion in an army.
Obsidian Guards: Terrain-specific units that don’t even work well on their specific terrain.
Pelloth: Sacrificing Drow is funny, so he’s got that going for him.
Runa: Finally getting that 20 feels good until you realize it was the roll for a Nagrub.
Saylind: Spear of Summoning is a cool ability with little use in a competitive setting.
Shiori: Proof that Heroscape designers consistently overvalued Phantom Walk.
Sir Dupuis: The mounted knight stays without synergy.
Sudema: Good odds of killing a squad figure. That will be the last turn she takes.
Templar Cavalry: Dismissing the rabble is fine until you realize 4 defense isn’t that much either.
Wo-Sa-Ga: The forgotten Hivelord, Wo-Sa-Ga is best used for convincing your opponent that Coil Crush might actually work next time.

F

Acolarh: Neither the movement bonus or the aura justify his cost.
Deathwalker 7000: Easily the funniest ability in the game. Easily one of the worst units.
Hatamoto Taro: If you Hata reason to field him, all that moto-vation will go out the door when you find out he’s useless and you want to Taro your cards in half.
Major X17: He’ll be dead on arrival in any AoA game.
Sahaugin Raider: They exist to make every other 25-point-or-less figure look good.

[ryguy266]

Reserved to track changes

Changes 8/29/2023 (Post ScapeCon III)

Spoiler Alert!

There was good data collected from the Age of Rebirth, but with <40 games played, it's hard to draw too many conclusions, especially with a lot of players dropping throughout due to it being a side event. Additionally, as with most Heroscape units, it will take time for players to find optimal builds and also learn to play optimally. That being said, there is an obvious one that can be changed from my previous ranking already.

Dorim the Bulkhead Brawler B+ -> A
The Axegrinders and the Chain Axer proved themselves on the big stage. In a format dominated by big boys, the tiny guys bring the heat.

[Myriadite]

I love the fact that you made this list. Since I have often found these very helpful (and often entertaining), I will be including your ranking commentary in the AoA books I create.

[Dysole]

Having an S tier threw me a little bit seeing the A+ stuff where you have it but I'll try to adjust with how I think you're roughly dividing things up.

Frostclaw Paladins - I think you have them a bit too high. 3 move is really painful and if you bump them up to 6 move they only have 1 or 2 attack. That's not really going to be that helpful against masses of common squads. They're good but I don't think they're this level of good.

Knight Primus Adelbern - Yeah, he's super good. Agree.

Crimson Widow - Also very good. Agree.

Admiral EJ-1M - 3 life 6 defense for 170 points worries me but he's an amazing stabilizer for the Pirates. Probably put him at A- or B+ though because that lifense combo worries me.

Dreadnauts of New Tortuga - I don't know if I think they're the best pirate squad but they are really good. A bit better against heroes than squads (except the two lifers) which makes me want to downgrade them a touch but I think this is fine. I'd probably put them in the next lower tier though if I was making the rankings.

Thyraxis Dragoon - Yeah this figure is a pain and worth every one of those 195 points. Agree.

Festering Honor Guard - There's a number of armies these things can wreck. I agree with this placement.

Iron Lich Viscerot - I think this is a bit too high. Can output a lot of damage yeah but will also get wrecked in return by squads. I think the Lich is B tier until there's a whole cadre of Eisenek in the game

Queen Maladrix the Conqueror - Probably correct since I'm far more worried about her damage output than I am the Lich's

Scavorith, Lord of Ruin - I strongly disagree. This figure is so easy to tie up so that the extra turn does almost nothing. This is a C figure as far as I'm concerned.

Dorim the Bulkhead Brawler - Dude is legit really good and I think he belongs in the A tier. Agree he's a bit better with the Dwarves but I think he makes an excellent pirate addition.

Hellforge Mandukor - Auto wounds are really strong. This probably loses a dedicated fight against common squads but this is just an absolute bane for anything with high defense or defensive special abilities. Probably agree but I'm tempted to think it's a low A.

Imperator Kayne - Only getting to stomp once per turn and no healing really hurts compared to TKN. Ranged attack is nice but I think this is a lower B even with the bonding.

Necrotech Wraithraiders - These things are arguably better than the Lich so I guess I'd put the Lich in the tier below these things.

Ordo Borealis - If you can get them into position great. I'm just wondering how easy that is. Until I see solid performances with them I'd knock them down to low B tier.

Cornelius Breech the Derelict Prince - I don't understand why you would want to attack your own figures with Cornelius in the army. Dude is a solid beatstick and First Assault giving him a reason to play disengage games is fun. He's probably B- but I can't disagree too much with this placement.

First Officer Bok-Bur-Na - He can do some stuff but I'm not sure it's enough to threaten common squads more than any other double attackers. The debuff is neat. I think that alone might be worth the bump up to B+ but this is fine since it's uncertain how hard that will be to use.

Knight Adjuctor Oberon - Hate that this figure has a name that means King of the Fairies. He's decent. I'd probably put him in B-

Vorid Burrowbreaker - Yeah agree. Solid figure that you won't hate having but isn't amazing.

Wing Commander Tuck Harrigan - Being able to drop on height is pretty neat and having more control over it than you do with Airborne. Again solid but not amazing. Basically agree.

Fia Bonny the Void Siren - She feels like a figure that you keep back until the board is cleared out. I can agree with this ranking.

Halushia Scion of the Wild - I feel like without all the familiars revealed I can't really rank this figure.

Xenithrax the Soulweaver - Special is honestly solid. 5 range 4 attack with potential for more. Heck you can probably use your own figures to bridge gaps. Even if your opponents don't bunch up you can do some real annoying things. Xen is probably B or B+. The vines can also make things real nasty to play around.

Killian Vane III - Probably one of the weakest pirates yeah but bonding with a special attack is still really solid. Would probably put him at B-

Knaves of the Silver Scimitar - 4 figure squad is good. They're a bit spendier than I like but I think they could pull their weight if they're like the second wave after other pirates have engaged with things. Still probably about where I would put them.

Marachott the Mind Whisperer - Without seeing all familiars don't really feel like I can rank.

Chana the Zenithwing - Need to see all the familiars.

Exiles of the Sundered Sea - I honestly think they are better than the Knaves because Stealthy and the Pistols mean you just put one Order Marker on them for 3 rounds and try to kill as much as you can from range and I think that's much more likely to work than trying to play First Assault games with the Knaves. I'd put them at B-

Raakchott Desecrator of Death - Can't judge without all the familiars.

Kita the Springrunner - This isn't good but it's 30 points which means I don't expect much. I don't think it's D level. Need to see all familiars thought to be sure.

~Dysole, waiting to see the whole set for final thoughts

[ryguy266]

Originally Posted by Myriadite

I love the fact that you made this list. Since I have often found these very helpful (and often entertaining), I will be including your ranking commentary in the AoA books I create.

Hey, glad these were helpful! With the recent news of the reboot-reboot, these will probably change, but they are a great start to making the books feel fleshed out!

[ryguy266]

Originally Posted by Dysole

Having an S tier threw me a little bit seeing the A+ stuff where you have it but I'll try to adjust with how I think you're roughly dividing things up.

Thanks for putting this together, Dysole. This is great feedback. Glad to see we agree on most things. As I just mentioned above, these rankings may change with the Renegade relaunch, especially since full factions will probably (almost certainly) change things on their own, and actually getting to see lots of players use these in a competitive setting will probably slightly adjust the rest.

As for the few points we disagree, here's my rebuttal:

Iron Lich--Anyone can get memed by 4th Mass. I don't think he "gets wrecked" by tons of squaddies any more than the other A- tier heroes with their full synergy. He's definitely a float between B+ and A- though.

Scavorinth--This is the one we disagree on the most. The Eisenek faction's ability to obliterate any frontward position is devastating. And you don't really tie up a 7 life, 4 defense figure--he ties you up. He'll stay at A- for now until I can be convinced that the sheer dice output isn't worth the cost.

Dorim--I agree with you on this. I think I underestimated him with pirates. When the next update on these rolls around, he will probably get bumped up a tier.

Killian--I probably picked on him a bit too much, and he might end up being a useful utility figure in certain formats. We'll keep an eye on him.

Your feedback on every figure is appreciated, whether it is in agreement or not, and especially where you have suggested a very small change. Those are the most interesting discussions and I'm looking forward to taking care of this tierlist with the future of Heroscape in mind. I'm hoping this can be a great place in the forum moving forward, and you've done a great job jump-starting that!

[ryguy266]

Updated with ScapeCon results. I currently have my eye on the Admiral, Viscerot, and Ordo Borealis, but until more events arise I won't be able to draw too many conclusions from the Age of Rebirth event. In a year's time there will be a deluge of games to draw on to lock in the rankings as players smarter than I utilize the units. In the meantime, Dorim got a big kick up to match the Axegrinders' ranking.

[orgsbane]

I also went ahead and updated the AoA books I'm curating with your rankings, and subbed to the thread to keep an eye out for changes. Thanks for the hard work!

[ryguy266]

I've made some updates to the tier list. None of them involve figure rankings.
Update 1, or Let Me Be Clear
I've added my explanation of what the tiers mean to me. With another tier involved, the much-needed S Tier, I realized that some of what the A/B rankings mean might get muddled. Hopefully those explanations help.

Update 2, or I'm Sorry For Your Eyes
I've changed the colors for the Aquilla AoA units to a darker yellow, and bolded all of the unit names so that they are easier to read. I apologize for anyone who got a headache trying to find Dorim.

Update 3, or Keeping The Power In Rankings
Despite the influx of new AoA units released by Renegade, I will not be adding them to the tier list yet, nor will I be adjusting any of the previously revealed Haslab units. There has been a recent creep of theoryscaping into community rankings, which I've taken to calling "the Deadeye Dan effect." While it is fun to theoryscape, one only has to point to the first 5 pages of the Book of Deadeye Dan to understand that ranking units without seeing them played seriously in a tournament setting, or playing them yourself, is folly. I released this tierlist after many hours of testing these units against others and myself, but now that they will be widely available to players much smarter and more creative than I am, it only makes sense to wait to see what comes to life in the tournament scene. This Age of Annihilation-Inclusive Tier List will only be updated when sets are physically released, and only then when units have seen an appropriate bulk of tournament play to ensure that this tierlist remains a reliable and accurate resource. Anything else would be a disservice to these rankings.