Punishing Gray Raven has been out for 2 weeks and if you are still struggling to decide who to main, our tier list is here to help.
Note that this is just a general tier list and is not specific to a specific mode in Punishing Gray Raven. The same Construct who dominates War Zone may not be as good in Phantom Pain Cage, for example. Thus, this tier list looks at how each Construct performs overall.
Obviously, depending on how much you invest in each Construct, they will perform differently overall. As such, take this tier list as a rough guide on which Construct to main and invest in. Also, we firmly believe that waifu > meta, but if you still care about performance, then carry on reading.
With that out of the way, let us dive into this Punishing Gray Raven tier list!
Tier 0
The god tier, the creme de la creme of Constructs. Will delete everything on sight.
Alpha (Lucia: Crimson Abyss)
The first event Construct to release in the game, Alpha is widely considered to be the best. Since her launch and even until the current content in the Chinese servers, she is still reigning at the top.
No one comes close to Alpha in terms of burst damage. Simply activate her core passive, and enemies get deleted. Even though she deals physical damage, she is so good at dealing damage that she remains an excellent choice for element-based content like War Zone and Phantom Pain Cage. This is why Alpha is recommended to everyone Before you even get the top elemental damage dealers, she is your best bet.
Tier 1
Extremely good Constructs that are top picks even in future content in Chinese servers.
Kamui: Tenebrion
“Mr. Kimochi Yokatta~” is the definition of a great character. One of the best Tanks in the game, has a role in Dark teams, what more can you ask for?
Dark teams are considered to be one of the better element teams and Kamui is the backbone for it. Even when Dark Watanabe takes centre stage as the main damage dealer (with Luna eventually replacing him), Kamui: Tenebrion will still remain relevant as the go-to Tank and can even deal damage close to the both of them! He’s also one of the best options against Musashi IX and Camu in Phantom Pain Cage.
Karenina: Ember
The game’s tsundere is the best fire-element damage dealer in the game. Also, early game, her damage output is noticeably higher than the other S-ranks (besides Alpha, that is).
Sadly, fire teams are not as strong as the other damage types. Still, she has a solid place in the meta because no other character can take over her role as the best fire DPS at the moment. Furthermore, her ultimate can inflict insane damage with the right positioning and is one of the higher damage ultimates in the game.
Liv: Eclipse
Huh? What’s a B-Ranked Construct doing in the same tier with all the S-Ranks? Do not underestimate Liv!
While Liv: Eclipse’s kit obviously falls behind the Attackers, she brings a lot to the table, far more than what her base B-Rank justifies. Firstly, when evolved to SSS-Rank, Liv gives a passive 10% increase in physical damage to the active Construct, making her invaluable for physical damage teams. Her Core Passive also deals ridiculous burst damage. She’s great at killing the bosses of the earlier stages of Phantom Pain Cage, simply have her in backup, switch to her when the fight starts and tap on a red orb right away. It is possible to kill the boss in less than 5 seconds if you are strong enough. Overall, Liv: Eclipse is a great pick for newbies and veterans alike.
Lee: Entropy
Lee: Entropy is the best physical Attacker in the game, until Alpha’s release that is.
It is a shame, because he does have a good kit overall, but is outshined by female Vergil in almost every way. Alpha will always be superior in Phantom Pain Cage, but Lee: Entropy can compete with her in War Zone under the right circumstances as he naturally has greater AoE in his attacks. Then again, 8/10 times, you will probably achieve a better score with Alpha than with Lee: Entropy.
Tier 2
Great Constructs that can fill specific niches, but are outclassed by those in Tier 1.
Liv: Lux
Liv: Lux is the go-to healer for Lightning teams. We had to put her a tier below Liv: Eclipse simply because Eclipse offers so much more than her in terms of damage.
Liv: Lux has excellent support skills. Her QTE is insanely helpful in letting you catch a breath. Her ultimate is one of the best ones to use in co-op. Even then, for most of the game’s content, Liv: Lux is better kept in your backup instead of being on the field.
Nanami: Pulse
Rollerblade girl is the best tank for fire teams. That’s about it.
While she plays the same role as Kamui: Tenebrion, Nanami: Pulse does not have as great of a moveset. Also, since fire teams are not as strong as dark teams, she will always play second fiddle to Kamui.
Liv: Luminance
S Liv is by no means a bad unit. It is just that B Liv is a better, more offensive support in physical teams. Since the game’s meta centres around how fast you can kill the enemy, Luminance just has to take a step down.
Still, Liv: Luminance is hands down the hardest Construct to kill in the game. This machine is nigh immortal. If you are bad at the game, then Liv: Luminance will carry you through like the angel that she is.
Karenina: Blast
You’re probably starting to see the pattern here. Ember beats Blast for the better fire DPS, and that is why Blast is in Tier 2.
She has an excellent QTE, mind you. When paired with characters like Alpha, she makes them even better as she is really good at gathering enemies into one spot. Other than that, she does not really stand out.
Tier 3
Constructs that are good, but are outclassed or will be powercrept in the future.
Lucia: Dawn
Lucia: Dawn is a decent character and is currently the best Lightning DPS.
However, she will soon be outclassed by Bianca: Verity. Even then, her kit needs her to mark enemies first, and even after maximum marks, the extra damage she deals is not worth the effort. Also, if the enemy is weaker, they will die before you even make full use of the marks. Other characters deal damage quicker and with less restrictions.
Nanami: Storm
Nanami: Storm is technically one of the best Tanks late game.
The only problem is that she needs too much investment. She will always be relegated to the backup slot 90% of the time as she does not have as much to offer as your main Construct.
Bianca: Zero
Bianca: Zero is a solid damage dealer who will sadly be powercrept hard.
She has a spammable ultimate and good damage. In the infancy of the Global version of the game, you will see quite a bit of her, but as time passes, Bianca: Zero will pretty much fade into obscurity, outshined by the majority of the upcoming releases.
Tier 4
You can still clear all of the game’s content with these Constructs, it is just that most of the other ones are noticeably better.
Lucia: Lotus
Sorry, Lucia fans. Lucia: Lotus is average in pretty much anything. Her Core Passive is basically the same as Liv: Eclipse, but Liv deals a lot more damage while Lucia needs the enemy to stay alive so that it is not wasted.
Lee: Palefire
Lee suffers the same problem as Lucia: Lotus, but is made worse by the fact that his damage is mixed between fire and physical. He just cannot keep up in terms of damage, even with the best Memories.
Watanabe: Nightblade
Nightblade is cool, but being forced to always hit enemies in the back to deal maximum damage is a huge restriction. It is difficult to deal consistent damage as a result. When almost every other pure physical DPS is better, it is hard for Watanabe: Nightblade to stand out.
Once again, we want to reaffirm that waifu > meta. Do note take this tier list as gospel, but instead, play the Punishing Gray Raven characters whom you like the best.
For more Punishing Gray Raven content, you can check out our progression guide.
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