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Roku from Anime Vanguards dashing through a forest
Image by Kitawari

Anime Vanguards Tier List – Best Units For Each Gamemode [UPDATE 3.0]

Fate units are kinda OP.

Unlike in some other TDs, stages in Anime Vanguards can be challenging. So, you will want to bring only the best units with you to get the job done. With that in mind, we prepared the following Anime Vanguards tier list to help you spend Gems wisely and clear all content in the game with ease.

Recommended Videos

Anime Vanguards Overall Tier List

The above tier list ranks all units in Anime Vanguards based on how good they are overall. All tier lists include unavailable units as well, in case you are looking for units that are worth trading for. This tier list is similar to the Infinite one because it assumes all units have been evolved and upgraded.

Anime Vanguards Story, Challenges, Raids, and Paragon Tier List

The above units are ranked from best to worst based on how impactful they can be in shorter game modes. When ranking units, we took into consideration their DPS, upgrade cost, buffs, debuffs, and on what upgrade they unlock abilities.

Anime Vanguards Infinite Tier List

The tier list for Infinite modes assumes that you will easily be able to upgrade all of your units fully. It’s mostly meant for players who want to get onto the in-game leaderboards. To accomplish this, you will need a well-coordinated squad and a lot of good units with perfect traits and maxed-out stats.

Anime Vanguards Tournament (Elemental) Tier List

The Anime Vanguards tier list for tournaments ranks units of the same element from best to worst based on their overall DPS and the utility they provide. Enemies in some game modes other than tournaments are vulnerable or resistant to specific elements as well.

Anime Vanguards Unit List

Below are listed only the evolved versions of some units because you will want to evolve every unit in AV if you can. Furthermore, the pros and cons for each unit are also based on the buffs they get when they are evolved and upgraded. The recommended traits depend on the unit’s maximum placement, whether it has an innate critical chance or DoT, and whether it is a Farm or a Buff unit.

Vanguard Units

UnitElementDetailsRecommended Traits
Divalo from Anime Vanguards
Divalo
Cosmic Element from Anime Vanguards+ Excellent DPS and Range
+ 100% Dodge chance and a counter every 10 seconds
+ Bonus DMG against slowed enemies and bosses
+ A 10-second slow ability
– Expensive to place and upgrade
• Monarch
• Ethereal
• Blitz
Images via Anime Vanguards Wiki

Exclusive Units

UnitElementDetailsRecommended Traits
Legendary Super Brolzi from Anime Vanguards
Legendary Super Brolzi
Nature Element from Anime Vanguards+ Decent DPS
+ Excellent Range
+ Attacks ignore DMG reductions
+ Increased DMG against enemies with overshield
– Gets 100% increased DMG on placement that is reduced with each attack down to a maximum of -66%
• Monarch
• Ethereal
• Deadeye
• Blitz
Haruka Rin from Anime Vanguards
Haruka Rin
Passion Element from Anime Vanguards+ Increases DMG of nearby units by 18% and Range by 10% after six waves have passed since her placement
+ Excellent support unit
• Marksman
• Solar
• Range 3/2/1
• Fortune
Mohato from Anime Vanguards
Mohato
Curse Element from Anime Vanguards+ Ignores DMG reductions
+ 40% increased DMG against enemies with debuffs
+ Stores 5% of his DMG with every kill, stacking up to 200%. With every fourth attack, the damage is released.
+ Decent DPS and Range.
• Monarch
• Ethereal
• Deadeye
• Solar
• Blitz
Tuji from Anime Vanguards
Tuji
Unbound Element from Anime Vanguards+ Gets 50% increased DMG when he has no buffs
+ Removes shields
+ At upgrade 11, he can swap between having increased DMG or increased range and boss DMG
+ Good DPS and Range
– Expensive to upgrade.
• Monarch
• Ethereal
• Deadeye
• Blitz
Renguko from Anime Vanguards
Renguko
Fire Element from Anime Vanguards+ Inflicts Burn equal to 30% of his DMG, which increases to 50% when upgraded
+ Gets up to 20% increased DMG for consecutive attacks against the same target
+ When upgraded, he inflicts a debuff that makes enemies take 25% increased Burn damage
+ Good DPS and Range
– Expensive to upgrade.
• Monarch
• Ethereal
• Blitz
Mimi from Anime Vanguards
Mimi
Nature Element from Anime Vanguards+ She gets up to 30% increased DMG and Range for each Boulder Toss and Psychic Throw she does
+ Decent DPS and Range
• Monarch
• Ethereal
• Deadeye
• Blitz
Saiko from Anime Vanguards
Saiko
Unbound Element from Anime Vanguards+ 25% increased DMG with a boss on the map
+ Inflicts a Burn equal to 25% of her DMG
+ With each Burn she applies, her SPA is reduced by 0.5%, up to -15%
+ Good DPS and Range
• Monarch
• Ethereal
• Blitz
Gilgamesh from Anime Vanguards
Gilgamesh
Holy Element from Anime Vanguards
Unbound Element from Anime Vanguards
(Upgrade 10)
+ Immune to debuffs, and he ignores 50% of DMG reductions
+ His damage is increased by 6% for each unit (except for him, Ishtar, and Saber) in his range,
+ At upgrade 10, he culls non-boss enemies below 10% HP
+ His active ability deals 350% of his damage to all enemies in range.
+ Excellent DPS and Range
– Very expensive to upgrade
• Monarch
• Ethereal
• Deadeye
• Solar
• Blitz
Zion from Anime Vanguards
Zion
Fire Element from Anime Vanguards+ Inflicts a Burn equal to 10% of his DMG, which is increased by 3% with each attack, up to 30%
+ His range is increased by 20% if an enemy is burning within it
+ He gets 5% increased DMG for each burning enemy within his range, up to 50%
+ Decent DPS and Range
• Ethereal
• Monarch
• Blitz
Pweeny from Anime Vanguards
Pweeny
Water Element from Anime Vanguards+ His DMG increased by 2.5% per attack, up to 37.5%
+ Every 5 attacks, he gets a 50% reduced SPA for the next two attacks
+ Decent DPS and Range
• Monarch
• Ethereal
• Deadeye
• Solar
• Blitz
Okorun from Anime Vanguards
Okorun
Curse Element from Anime Vanguards+ Every fifth attack, he gets a 70% DMG and -50% reduced SPA for the next attack
+ Good DPS and Range
• Monarch
• Ethereal
• Deadeye
• Solar
• Blitz
Julias from Anime Vanguards
Julias
Water Element from Anime Vanguards+ His attacks Freeze enemies, and he gets -10% SPA after freezing 10 enemies
+ He gets up to 56% increased DMG and 35% increased Range with more attacks
+ Decent DPS and Range
– Long SPA
• Ethereal
• Blitz
• Monarch
Diogo from Anime Vanguards
Diogo
Holy Element from Anime Vanguards+ Gets 0.3% increased DMG whenever an enemy enters his range, up to 30%
+ He has an active ability that freezes the whole map, and he gets increased DMG and SPA for its duration
+ Very good DPS and Range
– Long SPA
– Expensive to upgrade
• Monarch
• Ethereal
• Deadeye
• Solar
• Blitz
Mechamar from Anime Vanguards
Mechamar
Fire Element from Anime Vanguards
Blast Element from Anime Vanguards
+ Applies a Burn equal to 10% of his DMG
+ When upgraded, he gets Blast element and 200% increased damage, which is reduced by 35% with each attack, down to -140%
+ Good Range
– Low DPS
• Monarch
• Deadeye
• Ethereal
Images via Anime Vanguards Wiki

Secret Units

UnitElementDetailsRecommended Traits
Igros from Anime Vanguards
Igros
Curse Element from Anime Vanguards+ Immune to Stuns
+ 25% increased DMG against bosses
+ 20% increased DMG and 10% increased Range after a shadow enters his range
+ Decent DPS and Range
– Expensive to upgrade
• Monarch
• Ethereal
• Deadeye
• Solar
• Blitz
Alocard from Anime Vanguards
Alocard
Unbound Element from Anime Vanguards+ Applies Bleed equal to 25% of his DMG
+ Applies Wounded to Bleeding enemies within his range, which makes them take 20% more damage
+ Gets 10% reduced SPA while Ghouls are on the map.
+ His DMG is increased by 1% for every Ghoul that dies, up to 35%
– Low non-bleed DPS
– Expensive to upgrade
• Monarch
• Ethereal
• Blitz
Gujo from Anime Vanguards
Gujo
Cosmic Element from Anime Vanguards+ Immune to debuffs
+ His DMG is increased by 0.1% with each wave
+ He has a low CD ability that freezes all enemies in his range for 10 seconds
+ For the same duration, his damage is increased by 50%, and his SPA is reduced by 2% with each kill, up to -10%
+ Excellent DPS and Range
• Monarch
• Ethereal
• Deadeye
• Solar
• Blitz
Valentine from Anime Vanguards
Valentine
Passion Element from Anime Vanguards+ With every 30 kills, his SPA can be reduced by 5%, up to -15%
+ Immune to debuffs
+ Reflects debuffs to enemies that try to apply them
+ Decent DPS and Range
– Expensive to upgrade
• Monarch
• Ethereal
• Deadeye
• Solar
• Blitz
Sukono from Anime VanguardsSukonoCurse Element from Anime Vanguards
Fire Element from Anime Vanguards
(Upgrade 9)
+ His DMG is increased by 1% for each kill during his domain
+ Until upgrade 9, his attacks apply a debuff, which makes enemies take 20% increased bleed damage
+ On upgrade 9, he gains Fire element, 40% increased DMG, and immunity to Stuns
+ Good DPS and Range
– Expensive to upgrade
• Monarch
• Ethereal
• Deadeye
• Solar
• Blitz
Images via Anime Vanguards Wiki

Mythic Units

UnitElementDetailsRecommended Traits
Ishtar from Anime Vanguards
Ishtar
Holy Element from Anime Vanguards+ Gets up to 50% increased DMG
+ Buffs other Fate units
+ Full AoE active ability
• Monarch
• Ethereal
• Solar
• Blitz
• Marksman
Jag-o from Anime Vanguards
Jag-o
Fire Element from Anime Vanguards+ Inflicts Burn equal to 30% of his damage
+ His ability makes him full AoE and increases his damage against burning enemies by 50%
+Good DPS and Range
• Ethereal
• Blitz
• Monarch
Sosuke (Storm) from Anime Vanguards
Sosuke
Spark Element from Anime Vanguards+ Gains 2% increased DMG for each attack on the same enemy
+ His attacks Stun enemies, and he deals 50% increased damage to Stunned enemies
+ Decent DPS and excellent Range
+ Cheap to upgrade
• Ethereal
• Monarch
• Blitz
Noruto (Nine-tails) from Anime Vanguards
Noruto
Unbound Element from Anime Vanguards+ Gets permanently reduced SPA after not attacking for 6 seconds
+ Gets permanently increased DMG with each attack, up to +36%
+ Excellent Range
– Low DPS
• Ethereal
• Monarch
• Blitz
Song Jinwu from Anime Vanguards
Song Jinwu
Curse Element from Anime Vanguards+ His damage increases with every kill he gets, up to 40%
+ After killing 40 enemies, he can spawn 15 Shadows and 5 Shadow Knights
+ He and Igros units in range get up to 25% increased DMG when his summons kill enemies
+ Excellent range
– Expensive to upgrade
• Monarch
• Ethereal
• Blitz
Obita from Anime Vanguards
Obita
Fire Element from Anime Vanguards+ Inflicts Burn equal to 30% of his DMG
+ Very good DPS and Range
+ Cheap to upgrade
• Monarch
• Ethereal
• Blitz
Akazo from Anime Vanguards
Akazo
Water Element from Anime Vanguards+ Debuffs on him are 33% shorter
+ With ability, he gets Stun immunity and 33% increased DMG and Range
+ Good DPS and Range
• Ethereal
• Monarch
• Blitz
Chaso from Anime Vanguards
Chaso
Unbound Element from Anime Vanguards+ Applies Bleed equal to 35% of his DMG
+ With each attack on a bleeding enemy, his DMG increases by 5%, up to 50%
+ Cheap to Upgrade
– Only decent DPS and Range
• Monarch
• Ethereal
• Deadeye
• Solar
• Blitz
Johnni from Anime Vanguards
Johnni
Blast Element from Anime Vanguards+ Gets 25% reduced SPA on placement
+ Good DPS and Range
– Every 10 attacks, he gets 25% increased DMG and SPA, which is an overall DPS loss
• Ethereal
• Monarch
• Blitz
Medusa from Anime Vanguards
Medusa
Passion Element from Anime Vanguards+ Applies Bleed equal to 30% of her DMG
+ Deals increased damage for every debuff the enemy has on it
+ Her ability freezes enemies for 3 seconds, with a 15-second local cooldown
+ Very high DPS and good Range
• Monarch
• Ethereal
• Deadeye
• Solar
• Blitz
Giro from Anime Vanguards
Giro
Nature Element from Anime Vanguards+ Attacks drop Steel Balls that deal 20% of his DMG as DoT
+ Huge DPS increase after reaching Golden State
+ Very high DPS and Range
– Expensive to upgrade
• Monarch
• Ethereal
• Blitz
Cha-In from Anime Vanguards
Cha-In
Holy Element from Anime Vanguards+ 20% base Critical chance and another 15% against bosses
+ 50% increased Critical Damage
+ 100% chance to dodge attacks
+ Decent DPS
+ Very big Range
+ Cheap to upgrade
• Deadeye
• Ethereal
• Solar
• Monarch
• Blitz
Saber from Anime Vanguards
Saber
Holy Element from Anime Vanguards+ Immunity to stun and good buffs to DMG, SPA, and Range once upgraded
+ Very high damage ability that increases her DMG if she kills with it
+ Very high DPS and Range
– Expensive to upgrade
• Monarch
• Ethereal
• Deadeye
• Blitz
Medea from Anime Vanguards
Medea
Curse Element from Anime Vanguards+ High DPS and Range
+ Ability that removes all resistances and other buffs from enemies
+ For each enemy hit by the ability, she gets 7% increased DMG, up to 35%
• Monarch
• Ethereal
• Solar
• Blitz
Archer from Anime Vanguards
Archer
Blast Element from Anime Vanguards+ 35% base Critical Chance and 50% increased Critical Damage
+ With enough Critical hits, his SPA is reduced by 10%, and he gets 100% Dodge Chance
+ Very high DPS and Range
+ His ability makes enemies take 25% increased damage and 50% increased Blast damage
• Deadeye
• Monarch
• Ethereal
• Solar
• Blitz
Cu-Chulainn from Anime Vanguards
Cu Chulainn
Unbound Element from Anime Vanguards+ His attacks ignore enemy Dodge Chance and stop enemies from regenerating permanently
+ 75% increased damage when hitting only one enemy
+ Very high DPS and good Range
+ Cheap to upgrade
• Monarch
• Ethereal
• Deadeye
• Solar
• Blitz
Vogita (Super) from Anime Vanguards
Vogita Super
Blast Element from Anime Vanguards+ 20% reduced SPA if only other Vogitas are in his range
+ 100% increased DMG when hitting only one enemy
+ Excellent Range
– Low DPS
• Ethereal
• Monarch
• Blitz
Tengon from Anime Vanguards
Tengon
Blast Element from Anime Vanguards+ With enough attacks, his SPA is reduced by 30%, and his Dodge Chance is increased to 60%
– Low DPS and long base SPA
– Expensive to upgrade
• Monarch
• Ethereal
• Blitz
Todu from Anime Vanguards
Todu
Passion Element from Anime Vanguards+ His ability lets him swap places with other units
+ Good DPS and Range
• Ethereal
• Monarch
• Blitz
Images via Anime Vanguards Wiki

Legendary Units

UnitElementDetailsRecommended Traits
Itochi from Anime Vanguards
Itochi
Fire Element from Anime Vanguards+ Applies Burn equal to 25% of his DMG
+ 50% increased damage against Burning targets
+ Good DPS and decent Range
• Blitz
• Marksman
• Vigor 3
• Swift 3
• Range 3
Kinaru from Anime Vanguards
Kinaru
Holy Element from Anime Vanguards+ Reduced SPA for the first five attacks on each wave
+ Good Range and decent DPS
• Blitz
• Marksman
• Vigor 3
• Swift 3
• Range 3
Goi from Anime Vanguards
Goi
Unbound Element from Anime Vanguards+ Gets 10% increased DMG for each unit in his range, up to 100%
+ After 6 attacks, he gets 100% Dodge Chance until attacked
+ High DPS and decent Range
• Blitz
• Marksman
• Vigor 3
• Swift 3
• Range 3
Roku (Dark) from Anime Vanguards
Roku (Dark)
Holy Element from Anime Vanguards+ 15% increased damage with each attack, up to 150%
+ Good DPS and Range
– Loses 50% of the DMG gained with each wave
• Blitz
• Marksman
• Vigor 3
• Swift 3
• Range 3
Grim Wow from Anime Vanguards
Grim Wow
Water Element from Anime Vanguards+ Deals 150% increased damage to enemies with overshield
+ 10% increased DMG for each consecutive attack on the same target
+ Very good DPS and decent Range
• Blitz
• Marksman
• Vigor 3
• Swift 3
• Range 3
Bean from Anime Vanguards
Bean
Water Element from Anime Vanguards+ Applies Bleed equal to 20% of his DMG
+ Deals 30% increased damage to Bleeding enemies
+ Decent DPS and Range
• Blitz
• Marksman
• Vigor 3
• Swift 3
• Range 3
Inamuki from Anime Vanguards
Inamuki
Blast Element from Anime Vanguards+ 200% increased DMG on placement
+ Pushes enemies back
– His damage is reduced by 20% with each attack, down to -160%
• Blitz
• Marksman
• Vigor 3
• Swift 3
• Range 3
Nobaba from Anime Vanguards
Nobaba
Water Element from Anime Vanguards+ Applies Bleed equal to 18% of her DMG
+ Deals 50% increased damage to Bleeding enemies
+ Good DPS and Range
• Blitz
• Marksman
• Vigor 3
• Swift 3
• Range 3
Agony from Anime Vanguards
Agony
Blast Element from Anime Vanguards+ Pushes enemies back
+ DMG and Range are increased by 40% after pushing an enemy back
+ Good DPS
– Short Range
• Blitz
• Marksman
• Vigor 3
• Swift 3
• Range 3
Takaroda from Anime Vanguards
Takaroda
Nature Element from Anime Vanguards+ Excellent Farm unit
+ Gives 10,000¥ each wave on max upgrade
• Fortune
Images via Anime Vanguards Wiki

Epic Units

UnitElementDetailsRecommended Traits
Kokashi from Anime Vanguards
Kokashi
Spark Element from Anime Vanguards+ Stuns enemies• Vigor 2
• Swift 2
• Range 2
Kinnua from Anime Vanguards
Kinnua
Spark Element from Anime Vanguards+ Temporary gains frenzy, which reduces his SPA by 40% and gives him a 50% chance to Stun enemies• Vigor 2
• Swift 2
• Range 2
Shinzi from Anime Vanguards
Shinzi
Holy Element from Anime Vanguards+ Gets increased DMG with each wave, up to 50%• Vigor 2
• Swift 2
• Range 2
Pickleo from Anime Vanguards
Pickleo
Cosmic Element from Anime Vanguards+ Every sixth attack of his deals 150% bonus DMG
+ Good Range
+ Cheap to upgrade
• Vigor 2
• Swift 2
• Range 2
Genas from Anime Vanguards
Genas
Fire Element from Anime Vanguards+ Applies Burn equal to 20% of his DMG
+ His attacks reduce his SPA down to -30%
– The reduced SPA buff resets after 8 seconds if he isn’t attacking
• Vigor 2
• Swift 2
• Range 2
Genitsu from Anime Vanguards
Genitsu
Spark Element from Anime Vanguards+ Every eighth attack of his deals 200% bonus DMG
+ Decent DPS
• Vigor 2
• Swift 2
• Range 2
Sprintwagon from Anime Vanguards
Sprintwagon
Passion Element from Anime Vanguards+ Good Farm unit
+ Gives 2,550¥ each wave on max upgrade
• Vigor 2
• Swift 2
• Range 2
Inosake from Anime Vanguards
Inosake
Unbound Element from Anime Vanguards+ Applies Bleed equal to 10% of his DMG
+ Every 10 kills, he enters a frenzy that increases his DMG by 40% and reduces his SPA by 10% for 5 seconds
+ Good DPS
+ Cheap to upgrade
• Vigor 2
• Swift 2
• Range 2
Alligator from Anime Vanguards
Alligator
Nature Element from Anime Vanguards+ Slows enemies by 50% for 3 seconds• Blitz
• Marksman
Gaari from Anime Vanguards
Gaari
Nature Element from Anime Vanguards+ Hitting an enemy lowers his SPA by 5% for 10 seconds, down to -50%• Vigor 2
• Swift 2
• Range 2
Nazuka from Anime Vanguards
Nazuka
Unbound Element from Anime Vanguards+ Deals 75% increased damage to Burning enemies• Vigor 2
• Swift 2
• Range 2
Blossom from Anime Vanguards
Blossom
Passion Element from Anime Vanguards+ Cleanses nearby units of all debuffs• Marksman
• Solar
• Fortune
• Range 3
Images via Anime Vanguards Wiki

Rare Units

UnitElementDetailsRecommended Traits
Roku from Anime Vanguards
Roku
Blast Element from Anime Vanguards+ His DMG increases by 6% after each attack, up to 42%• Vigor 1
• Swift 1
• Range 1
Rukio from Anime Vanguards
Rukio
Water Element from Anime Vanguards– Only good for bosses• Vigor 1
• Swift 1
• Range 1
Vogita from Anime Vanguards
Vogita
Holy Element from Anime Vanguards+ His DMG increases by 5% after each attack, up to 35%• Vigor 1
• Swift 1
• Range 1
Jon from Anime Vanguards
Jon
Spark Element from Anime Vanguards+ His DMG increases by 0.2% after each attack, up to 300%
– Low DPS on placement
• Vigor 1
• Swift 1
• Range 1
Luffo from Anime Vanguards
Luffo
Blast Element from Anime Vanguards+ Good DPS for a Rare unit• Vigor 1
• Swift 1
• Range 1
Ichiga from Anime Vanguards
Ichiga
Unbound Element from Anime Vanguards– Low DPS• Vigor 1
• Swift 1
• Range 1
Joe from Anime Vanguards
Joe
Spark Element from Anime Vanguards– Very Low DPS• Vigor 1
• Swift 1
• Range 1
Sosuke from Anime Vanguards
Sosuke
Fire Element from Anime Vanguards+ Applies Burn equal to 30% of his damage
+ Very good DPS for a Rare unit
• Vigor 1
• Swift 1
• Range 1
Noruto from Anime Vanguards
Noruto
Nature Element from Anime Vanguards+ Best single target DPS Rare unit• Vigor 1
• Swift 1
• Range 1
Sanjo from Anime Vanguards
Sanjo
Fire Element from Anime Vanguards+ Decent DPS for a Rare unit• Vigor 1
• Swift 1
• Range 1
Images via Anime Vanguards Wiki

And now, you can focus on getting only the best units in Anime Vanguards with the tier list above. If you want to claim some freebies, including Trait Rerolls, check out our Anime Vanguard codes.


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Author
Image of Zhiqing Wan
Zhiqing Wan
Associate Editor
Zhiqing is a History undergrad from the National University of Singapore. She started playing video games in 1996 when her dad introduced her to Metal Gear Solid, Silent Hill, and Resident Evil -- and the rest, as they say, is history. When she's not obsessing over Elden Ring and Dark Souls lore theories, you can find her singing along loudly and badly to Taylor Swift's latest bops. Formerly the Reviews Editor at Twinfinite, she joined the Escapist team in 2024. You can reach her at zhiqing@escapistmagazine.com.
Author
Image of Matija Stojković
Matija Stojković
Digital Content Producer
Matija strives to be at the tippity-top in every game he plays. Whether it's an MMO, such as Throne and Liberty, an action RPG like Path of Exile, or Roblox titles, the only thing that matters to him is becoming the best. For that reason, he spends countless hours developing builds and rotations while figuring out how to manipulate in-game mechanics to his advantage. On Roblox, his favorite experiences are Peroxide, Blox Fruits, and last but not least, Type Soul. In his spare time, he watches anime and tries to look cool in front of his mirror while playing his favorite tunes on an electric guitar.