This Anime Vanguards tier list is a current decision method, not an official developer ranking. Update 15 and the 2nd Anniversary changed the comparison window, while available public boards do not disclose one consistent, same-build test for the full roster. Current anniversary units therefore remain provisional here. The named board below is preserved as a dated 14.5 historical reference, never as a claim that those placements survived Update 15.
Dated role board for comparison
The names above reflect public lists checked on September 2, 2026. They are not a complete roster, an Update 15 ranking, or exact ordered grades across every mode. Before using one, compare it with the Update 15 roster and the live Codex.
How the tiers are judged
General investment value includes early deployment, upgrade curve, late scaling, placement efficiency, useful ability uptime, mode coverage, and realistic acquisition. A unit rises when it solves more than one job without requiring an unavailable team. A specialist can remain the best answer to a particular mechanic even if it sits below a general carry.
DPS comparison uses the full attack cycle, area, target count, cost, and realistic build rather than the largest hit. Support comparison uses team gain, uptime, range, stacking, and slot cost. Control comparison accounts for immunity. Farm comparison uses payback time.
Pick a tier for your mode
Story favors accessible units with a smooth curve. Infinite favors long scaling, sustainable economy, global effects, and repeated boss handling. Raids and Dungeons prioritize their current mechanics, elements, cleanses, or special targets. Worldlines can reverse an element comparison through weather. PvP and Gauntlet use their own rules and should not inherit a Story ranking.
Before investing, write the target: “clear Lunar Bridge Floor 9,” “reach the next Worldlines milestone,” or “stabilize Story Act 6.” The best unit is the one that solves that target at a cost your account can finish.
Handle new and changed units
The historical official changelog proves the five 14.5 names, elements, and sources, while the anniversary release introduces another set of current decisions. Launch-week rankings can overvalue perfect showcases. Compare each new unit at the same evolution, trait quality, stats, Familiar, Memoria, support, and spent Yen as an established unit.
Do not transfer rare stats or consume the only good trait until multiple runs show an improvement. Dungeon and Worldlines units can also require long source grinds. Acquisition cost belongs in an investment tier even if combat ceiling is high.
When not to follow the board
Keep an existing lower-ranked unit when it clears reliably, has a finished build, or fills a mechanic the higher name cannot. Do not replace a support merely because a damage list omits it. Do not chase an unavailable event unit while ignoring an accessible evolution.
Use Best Teams for complete compositions, Unit Roles for utility, and the Units Dex to reproduce a comparison.
Tier List FAQ
Who is the safest current general recommendation?
There is no first-party current answer. History’s Strongest appeared near the top of several public 14.5-window comparisons, but that is historical community judgment. Recheck Update 15 performance, access, mode, and build before investing.
Are the newest units ranked?
Update 15 additions and any changed older units stay provisional. Their identities can be documented before their final mode placements; ranking still needs comparable current builds.