AFK Gaming is starting to take a lot of players in the mobile market. This is probably because a lot of people don’t have the time or energy to play games anymore. AFK games, however, allow players to play and progress even when they’re not doing anything. Such is AFK Arena. With five factions and unique heroes, the game took the mobile market by storm. Here, we’re going to talk about the current meta of AFK Arena and which heroes you can use to win on PvE and PvP. Below, we provide an AFK Arena tier list for both PvE and PvP modes.
What Is AFK Arena?
AFK Arena is a free-to-play role-playing/strategy gacha game created by Lilith Games for Android and iOS. The game, as implied, can be played completely while the player isn’t touching the screen. At least, in battles. Players still need to manage their characters before heading into a fight. Still, in combat, the game is completely away from keyboard or AFK.
Today, we’re going to talk about which heroes are on top of our AFK Arena tier list for both player vs. enemy (PvE) and player vs. player (PvP).
What Are the Hero Classes in AFK Arena?
To better understand the game, let’s talk about the classes that characters have before discussing our AFK Arena tier list.
Tanks
First things first, the Tanks who gained Dura’s Fortitude. This allows them to endure blows that others can’t. Putting them on the frontlines works best as they’re the ones that can endure tons of damage.
Rangers
Rangers gained Dura’s Celerity, which means they’re faster, nimbler, and overall better at dexterity-based skills. Rangers are usually DPS units that attack at a distance. Put them behind the Tanks to ensure they’re not killed. Do note, though, that not all rangers are ranged attackers.
Supports
Supports gained Dura’s Sustenance, allowing them to help and maintain the fortitudes of their compatriots. Having a Support character is great as it makes sure that your team won’t die quickly. Put them behind a Tank character as this ensures that they stay alive and not in the line of fire.
Warriors
Warriors gained Dura’s Might, granting them great physical prowess to defeat their opponents. They’re great for killing enemies as fast as possible. Usually, they’re alongside the Tanks though as their attacks can only deal damage to enemies in front of them, unlike the rangers.
Mages
Mages received Dura’s Sorcery, allowing them to cast spells of great power. These spells can range from debuffs to pure Area of Effect spells that deal massive damage. Thus, their safety, like the Supports, is a high priority.
Classes Are Just the Start of Things
However, don’t let a character’s class fool you, there’s more to them than their class. After all, their abilities, factions, and roles will have a part to play on how high or low they are on AFK Arena tier lists. However, we’re not here to talk about abilities. We’re here to talk about the best heroes for each class on PvP and PvE. So let’s continue on with our AFK Arena tier list for Player Vs. Enemy combat.
AFK Arena Tier List for PvE
PvE, or player vs. enemy, is exactly what it says on the tin. Players fight various opponents that don’t have other players controlling them. Thus, some abilities, or even heroes, aren’t necessary to win victory. Strategies for PvE combat tend to be different from PvP, and it reflects on the best heroes to use for each class.
Do note that we’re going to be talking about the best heroes that players can use in the late game of AFK Arena. Not early to mid-game, late game. Now, with that warning, let us begin at the AFK Arena tier list for different classes in PvE modes.
Tanks
Let’s start with the Tanks. Now on AFK Arena, all factions have their characters for all five roles. However, some tanks are better than others in terms of ability and synergy. Here are the ones that top our AFK Arena PvE tier list.
1. Top Pick: Orthros
Orthros is our top pick on our AFK Arena’s PvE tier list for the Tank role, and for good reason. He’s one of the two heroes (along with Alna, who is not a Tank hero) that can both tank hits and debuff enemies. He’s a Celestial Factioned hero that can turn back the hands of time. At full power, he can straight up not die even when attacked by every enemy at once.
However, Orthros requires a whole lot of investment to reach this power, which is why he’s best on PvE. Don’t get us wrong, he’s great on PvP as well, but compared to his other compatriot Alna, he lags, which is a sad thing to see.
Below are other tanks that you turn to if you don’t have the one on top of our AFK Arena tier list.
2. Daimon
Daimon is another great Tank hero to focus on draining enemies of HP and using said HP as shields. Hailing from the Graveborn, he attacks using his doll, Stitchy, and can do pretty good damage with his HP drain. In addition to this, the amount of investment that players need to do to support him isn’t that high. This makes Daimon, if you can get him, one of the best heroes for budget builds.
3. Thoran
Thoran is another tank option hailing from the Graveborn, but his capabilities are hampered because it’s his only role. He can’t debuff or do anything more other than the tank. This, however, makes him surprisingly popular. Why? Because the only thing a player needs to consider is keeping him alive. That, and ensuring that the DPS users behind him kill the enemies.
He’s usually paired with Daimon on his team composition. However, a dedicated team around him can be surprisingly potent, with the right characters.
4. Albedo
If attained, Albedo is one of the best Tanks in the game when it comes to PvE and even PvP. Combined with Ainz Ooal Gown, she can turn the game’s campaign into a joke. However, that’s only if you actually have them both, and they’ve been unavailable for quite some time now. This is why we consider Albedo, and even Ainz Oola Gown, a caveat on AFK Arena tier lists.
Rangers
Next up are Rangers, who deal good damage quickly. These are the ones that deal deaths with a thousand cuts. Thus, Eironn is one of the heroes to take into account when dealing with PvE.
1. Top Pick: Eironn
Eironn, overall, is hilarious when it comes to how much damage he can deal to his enemies. Eironn is a Wilder Faction hero that has high attack speed combined with some pretty gnarly Area of Effect abilities. This makes him a terror on the battlefield. However, he’s also pretty squishy, which means players need to compose teams focused around him. With enough investment, though, he can turn enemies into sashimi.
2. Ferael
The Graveborns are a faction that will honestly just keep appearing in this article. To be fair, they’re incredibly strong. Hailing from the Graveborn is Ferael, which is one of the best Rangers in the game in terms of raw DPS. Combine that with the fact that he has some good AoE abilities and debuffs and you can see why he’s on this list. He’s also great for several team comps like Eironn’s and other characters.
3. Gwyneth
Another good PvE ranger is Gwyneth from the Lightbearer faction. Her role is to deal decent crowd control and damage to enemies. But that’s all that she can offer. However, any static backline immediately gets peppered with lightning arrows that turn their HP into dust. Unfortunately, though, she really can’t compare to other high-tier rangers in the game.
Supports
Let’s talk about the supports, the guys that give buffs, heal, and more to the entire team. These make sure that the main guys on the frontlines are kept in tip-top shape. If we’re being honest here, the Celestial Twins, Elijah and Lailah, are the best in the bunch.
1. Top Pick: Elijah and Lailah
These twin siblings act as two different heroes at the same time with an additional 35% health. That alone is a great enough reason to keep them in the team. However, these twins also have some pretty great support abilities like restoring HP and Energy to allies and reducing their cooldowns. The twins just offer a whole lot of utility, so much so that they’re part of almost any team comp that you can think of.
2. Rowan
Rowan is a support that helps the team every time he goes to the field. His field stall alone is a godsend. However, the Dazzle Ability is straight-up great due to the chance that it has to stun enemies. Unfortunately, to have Rowan to his full potential, players need to get his item to +30, which is no small feat.
3. Rosaline
Rosaline is yet another good support/healer character that players can use. However, she’s only great until a certain point of the game and will fall out of favor once you get supports like Rowan and the Twins.
Warriors
Warriors are the game’s damage dealers. These characters are the ones you go for when you want a particular enemy dead on the spot. These characters deal immense damage but, when compared to Rangers, are a bit slower.
1. Top Pick: Alna
Alna is a bit of a weird Warrior character. This is because she also has a tank ability that deals a lot of damage against enemies. If you got her somehow, you’re pretty much set in terms of Tanks and Warriors due to her encompassing skillset.
2. Izold
Izold is the very definition of a bruiser due to the combination of abilities that he has. His Toxic Transfusion restores 50% of his health while also increasing his speed and attack. Meanwhile, his other skills ensure that even while he’s attacking, his health will never fall to a certain point. With enough support and buffs, Izold can and will solo entire stages even when the other heroes are just supporting him.
3. Saurus
Saurus, meanwhile, is a purely technical fighter with knockback and AoE abilities. He also has a neat ability where continuous attacks without interruptions reset his abilities. With some support, he can be a force to be reckoned with but does flag behind Izold and especially Alna.
Mages
Mages are heroes that constantly use their skills to tip battles in their favor. These characters tend to deal lots of damage using their skills, which might have additional effects. Unfortunately, though, the best Mage hero in the game is also the one that we can’t get anymore. Ainz Ooal Gown.
1. Top Pick: Ainz Ooal Gown
Fittingly enough, the moment that Ainz-sama was introduced to AFK Arena was the moment that the Mage class just straight up screwed itself over. Coming from the Overlord Light novel/anime series, Ainz Ooal Gown is a Magic Caster of great power. If leveled and cared for to the fullest extent, Ainz can and will turn your enemies into dust. He’s even better if you have Albedo on your team, as both synergize with each other well.
Unfortunately, Ainz can only be attained during the Overlord collaboration, and that collaboration was over months ago. Let’s hope that Lilith Games brings him back soon.
2. Zaphrael
Zaphrael is who you turn to when all other mages let you down. The man’s a beast who throws lightning like it’s going out of style. And if anyone gets near him, he can either teleport or use a lightning shield. Any enemies that get near get a shock of a lifetime.
3. Mehira
Last but not least is Mehira, who is one of the best Mages in the game second only to Ainz. This is mostly due to her having the ability to charm enemies, making them fight each other. Combine that with some incredibly devastating crowd control, and you have a recipe for disaster.
AFK Arena Tier List for PvP
Now that we’ve talked about the PvE aspect, let’s talk about the game’s PvP meta, which remains largely unchanged. A lot of the game’s heroes are viable in PvP as well as PvE, some of which are better at this mode than others. We’ll talk about these entries below:
Tanks
1. Top Pick Alna
Alna, as already mentioned, is one of the biggest powerhouses in the game due to her dual role. The fact that she can tank with the best of them while dishing out the pain is an incredible asset for players. This extends towards the PvP meta, as she crushes any team that doesn’t prepare for her appearance with a little help from supports.
2. Albedo
Yet again, Albedo makes an appearance on the PvP meta of AFK Arena. This is mostly due to her abilities being incredibly suited for the Tank Role. However, the fact that she’s limited to an event is an annoyance for newer players.
3. Daimon
The reason why Daimon is great on PvP is the same reason why he’s great on PvE. The fact that he can absorb portions of enemy HP to turn into shields makes him an absolute juggernaut and terror to face. With enough buffs, Daimon can never die, while everyone else on the opponent’s team dies instead. You can even say that Daimon is a good replacement for Alna, but she takes the top spot due to how encompassing she is.
4. Orthros
Orthros, meanwhile, is great for long PvP bouts that take some time to finish. This is because his abilities make it so that he gets more powerful and harder to kill the longer a match goes on. If a match goes beyond 30 seconds, expect Orthros to never die. However, he’s incredibly vulnerable to getting blitzed by other characters.
Rangers
1. Top Pick: Athalia
Athalia makes an appearance on the PvP rankings due to the sheer amount of single target damage that she can do. That, and she has some abilities that displace enemy heroes from their positions. This means that they sometimes need more time to charge up abilities and by that point, the player’s heroes can kill them. It helps that due to this kit she’s also one of the best Ranger supports in the game and is a perfect addition to any PvP team. Combine that with the current Energy Meta, and you have a shoo-in for the top spot.
2. Eironn
Eironn is still one of the best heroes in the PvP meta due to how much he can output when he’s buffed properly. Combine that with some TLC in terms of levels and items, and Eironn can inflict death via a thousand cuts on enemy teams. He’s also one of the heroes that people put on the Burst meta, which is a pretty nutty team comp as they reduce the enemy team’s HP into ribbons.
3. Lucretia
Lucretia is here due to the debuffs that she can inflict as well as her capability to also deal good damage. With the Burst Teamcomp, she can be used to debuff the enemy team while her teammates rip them to shreds.
Supports
1. Top Pick: Elijah and Lailah
The Twins make a return on the PvP top spot due to, again, their utility. They’re just too good of a support unit that not having them on some team comps immediately hampers a team’s viability. A max leveled Twins unit can, at minimum, be placed on the main version of the Energy Team comp. If you’re playing to cycle abilities and keeping the enemy on the back foot, then the Twins are essential.
2. Talene
Next on the list is Talene, who has so much healing to spare she can be set as the only support and the team will still shine. Talene is weird in that the higher her attack, the more health she heals on her team. In addition, she also heals the team every time that she gets hit. This makes her a pseudo-tank in a sense, as she sacrifices 90% of her health into a shield so tough it takes some time to destroy. It also helps that she deals some decent damage as well.
3. Rowan
Rowan is another great addition to the Support PvP list due to, again, his stall that gives healing and energy. This alone makes him a worthy addition, but to Stall and Sustain teams, Rowan is a godsend. However, he’s still hampered by the fact that players need to have him at full power to be viable. So, Elijah and Lailah take the cake from him again.
Warriors
1. Top Pick: Alna
Rarely would you see a character top the list on two character classes, and yet, here she is. Alna is an absolute powerhouse no matter if she’s a Tank or a Warrior. With enough support, she can rip enemies to shreds with her attacks and abilities. Woe to anyone that gets in her way, for this Ice Queen has none. Any opponents shall be scattered like the snow of her wintry home. It helps that she’s an incredibly good counter to Zolrath, which we’ll talk about below.
2. Zolrath
Zolrath is an incredibly powerful warrior hero, and a lot of the Burst team comps in the game revolves around him. Combined with Alna, there’s almost no team comp that they can bumrush to death. This is because Zolrath can force his teammates into the battle earlier. With that massive advantage, Zolrath ruled the PvP meta until Alna was released, and even then, he still manages to be relevant. Because of this, he’s on the list.
Mages
1. Top Pick: Ainz Ooal Gown
In terms of Mages in PvP, Ainz Ooal Gown is still the tippy top of the top tier. For one, he’s just so versatile as a Mage unit to not be put here. Ainz can be put on a lot of the meta comps if players make room for him. However, the best team comp is the Ainz Energy comp, which turns Ainz into the Overlord of Death that he is. However, he can also be used in the Dimensional team comp featuring Albedo, Arthur, and Talene. The last member of the team is a tossup between Flora, Rowan, Ezio, another Dimensional character, or Lyca.
2. Zaphrael
Zaphrael makes another appearance due to how prominent he is on many burst comps. This is because Zaphrael can stun entire teams wholesale for the team to slaughter. Combined that with the hero dealing some good damage, and Zaphrael has got a place on the Burst Team comp and this list.
3. Lorsan
Another surprise appearance is Lorsan, whose real worth is found in the PvP environment. Lorsan’s abilities enable him to mark enemies, which ensures that more damage is dealt from his team’s ultimates. If a vital hero in the enemy team is focused, that hero is most certainly dead. Combine that with some great AoE damage potential, and Lorsan is a great addition to any Stall team if he’s needed.
How Does AFK Arena Compare to Similar Games?
Now that we’ve talked about AFK Arena and our tier list, let’s talk about other games like it. We’ll start with Ulala: Idle Adventure, followed by Summoner’s Era, and lastly, Idle Mania.
Ulala: Idle Adventure
Ulala is AFK Arena if it’s a bit more anime and is set in the Stone Ages. This game has the players build their team of cavemen and women to take on the dangers of the Stone Age era. These can range from fighting monsters, dinosaurs (how’d they survive the asteroid?), and other creepy crawlies. Players can also capture, and tame pets that can aid them in fights.
What sells the AFK part of the game is the fact that even when the player isn’t playing, the game’s characters are doing work. They will look around the game’s world for extra gear, pets to tame, and some currency for players to use. All in all, though, the longer you stay out of the game, the better the loot your characters give you. It’s almost as if the game wants you to stay away longer on the late game so that you can get better rewards.
Anyhow, the game also has a lot of anime-like aesthetics. In addition, the game looks bright, colorful, and even fun. In addition, active gameplay does have a lot of depth to it, which is a nice addition. All in all, Ulala: Idle Adventure is a good competitor to AFK Arena.
Summoner’s Era
Next up is Summoner’s Era, which has a similar premise to AFK Arena that it’s a travesty not to include it in this article.
Summoner’s Era follows a titular summoner. In this case, Summoners in their world are messengers of gods. Their task is to summon the strongest heroes to take on, and defeat, the Dark Army. To aid players in this quest, they can summon from six factions: Light, Dark, Fire, Water, Nature, and Abyss, each with their unique heroes. The game also has a guild system, which allows other players to fight with each other on various raids.
All in all, the game’s fun art style, a good amount of content, and an emphasis on co-op PvE, and a bit of competitive PvP make Summoner’s Era a good idle game to go for.
Idle Mania
Next up is Idle Mania, which looks like AFK Arena. It’s whacky, but it’s fun.
Anyhow, the player’s job is to bring back peace and order to the world and to do so, you need to gather a team of heroes, the usual. Leaving the game will still allow the characters that players have to scavenge and get resources, so the rewards for idling the game are still there.
Like the other games in this list, players have six factions to get heroes from. These factions are Lawful, Chaotic, Undead, Civilized, Savage, and Harmonic. Like always, mixing and matching factions and synergies is key to victory if players want to win. Overall, if you’re up for some low-scale fun, Idle Mania might be your game.
Why Should You Play AFK Arena?
If you want to play a game that doesn’t have that much need in terms of commitment, then yes, AFK Arena is a good game to get. The game’s art style is charming and does grow on you. The characters have a great backstory, and the world is fascinating for those who look. Lilith Games knocked it out of the park with AFK Arena, and given how many collaborations that they’ve released already, it’s not out of the cards that more will come sooner or later.
