Quick answer
Overall App Tier List at a Glance
This first table ranks choices for general account progression. Specialist farming, boss and first-clear maps can move a choice by one or more tiers.
| Tier | Builds | Weapons | Stats / Investment | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S | Balancio Gunslinger | Plasma Beam, Chain Lightning, Shotgun | Damage, Attack Speed, broad permanent power | Useful on the widest range of maps and solves the most common crowd, close-pressure and scaling problems. |
| A | Horde Clearer, Boss Hunter, Safe Progression | Sniper, Pistol, Shuriken | Speed, Range, Crit, Dodge | Strong when the build and map activate their specialist role; slightly less universal. |
| B | XP & Resource build during a push | Blaster, Fist, Tempest Relic | Max HP, HP Restore, Armor/Shield | Can be correct with investment or a matching stage, but usually needs a clear reason. |
| C | Redundant five-weapon setups | Any new low-rank weapon chosen only for its tier label | XP Gain, Pickup Range and Luck during a hard progression wall | These choices trade away the damage, coverage or durability needed to pass the current gate. |
Complete setup ranking
Build Tier List
Balancio Gunslinger
Pistol + Shotgun + Plasma Beam or Chain Lightning, backed by Attack Speed, Damage, Range and Speed.
Why S: Balancio's visible Swift and Gunslinger path supports movement and firing speed without demanding a narrow map condition.
Horde, Boss & Safe Builds
Each can outperform the S-tier general build when the map matches its crowd, focused-damage or survival job.
Why A: excellent at one problem, but less efficient when that problem is absent.
XP & Resource Build
Chain Lightning and Plasma Beam with XP Gain, Pickup Range, Luck and Speed on repeatable content.
Why B for pushing: economy stats lose value when a boss or wave is already stopping progression. It becomes S-tier for safe farming.
Redundant Loadout
Three crowd weapons with no boss answer, or several focused weapons with no way to control normal enemies.
Why C: strong individual cards cannot compensate for a missing loadout job.
Persistent weapon ranking
Weapon Tier List
Rank is based on general role coverage. Current weapon level and rank are the first tie-breakers.
| Tier | Weapons | Best Job | Moves Up When | Moves Down When |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S | Plasma Beam, Chain Lightning, Shotgun | Crowd lanes, scattered targets, close burst | The loadout lacks their specific job and the card is reasonably developed. | A much higher-rank weapon already fills the same role. |
| A | Sniper, Pistol, Shuriken | Boss focus, reliable baseline, ranged flex | Bosses survive, or existing investment makes the card immediately stronger. | Normal enemies are already closing every safe lane. |
| B | Blaster, Fist, Tempest Relic | Investment-dependent flex, close combat, specialist utility | The weapon has a rank advantage or completes a missing role. | It requires abandoning a developed main weapon or forces unsafe positioning. |
Hero ranking rule
Hero Tier Depends on Development and Role
The App's hero cards have unique upgrades. A complete public roster with stable current values is not shown on the store listing, so rank the card visible on your account instead of copying an old character list.
Safest named pick: Balancio for general progression.
| Tier | Hero Profile | Example / Test | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| S | Developed general hero with broad Speed and Attack Speed value | Balancio with Swift and Gunslinger | Unknown maps, first clears and everyday progression. |
| A | Developed specialist whose current card directly matches the map | Offense, resilience or focused-damage profile | Boss, horde or survival stage where the trait is active. |
| B | Useful hero with low current upgrades or an incomplete weapon plan | Promising card without the resources to support it | Secondary build after the primary account route is stable. |
| C | Fresh unlock selected only because it looks rare | No matching weapons, stats or map role | Avoid during a progression wall. |
Gear and skill priority
Stat Tier List for General Progression
| Tier | Stats | Best Use | Context That Changes the Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| S | Damage, Attack Speed | General clear speed, crowd control through faster kills and boss scaling. | Move one down only when damage is already comfortable and survival is the sole failure. |
| A | Speed, Range, Crit Chance, Crit Damage, Dodge | Movement safety, ranged builds and boss-focused damage. | Crit rises to S on Boss Hunter; Speed and Range rise on obstacle maps. |
| B | Max HP, HP Restore, Armor, Max Shield, Shield Regen | Difficult first clears and maps where normal mistakes create a damage chain. | Rise to A or S when one hit or projectile pressure is the current wall. |
| C | XP Gain, Pickup Range, Luck during a hard push | Safe repeat farming and account growth. | Rise to S on an easy repeatable map; stay low while a boss or wave blocks progress. |
Tier movement
What Changes a Tier?
Current rank
A developed A-tier weapon can beat a fresh S-tier unlock.
Map layout
Obstacles raise Speed and Range; dense maps raise coverage.
Failure point
Boss damage, crowd pressure and survival require different S-tier answers.
Hero synergy
A hero's current upgrade card can raise the matching weapon or stat.
Avoid tier-list traps
Common Ranking Mistakes
Treating the tier as a damage formula
Tier combines role coverage, safety and investment value. It is not a fixed DPS measurement.
Ignoring weapon level and rank
Persistent upgrades can outweigh a theoretical base-tier advantage.
Using one list on every map
Boss, horde, obstacle and farming stages change what deserves S tier.
Mixing App and browser rankings
The two games use different weapons, heroes and progression systems.
Monster Survivors App Tier List FAQ
What is S tier for general progression?
Balancio Gunslinger, Plasma Beam, Chain Lightning, Shotgun, Damage and Attack Speed are the safest universal priorities. A specialist can move above them on the right map.
Who is the best hero?
Balancio is the safest named general choice because Swift and Gunslinger support broadly useful Speed and Attack Speed. A developed specialist may be better for a matching boss, horde or survival stage.
Can an A-tier weapon be better than S tier?
Yes. Current level, rank, unlocked bonuses and the missing role in the loadout can outweigh the default tier.
Where can I see full build details?
Use Best Builds for hero, weapons, gear, skills and maps; Best Weapons for weapon packages; and App Upgrades for permanent resources.
Turn the Tier Into a Working Setup
The detailed guides explain when each ranking applies.
Heroes Tier List
Compare hero cards, development and map roles.
Best Builds
Complete hero, weapon, gear, skill and map setups.
Best Weapons
Full weapon roles, replacements and upgrade rules.
App Upgrades
Permanent power, Gilded Cores and gear enhancement.
Gilded Cores
Check rare-resource spend priority before chasing a tier jump.