The Best FGO Servants to Summon Now: A Guide

Fate/Grand Order (FGO) is well-loved by many for its exciting storylines and its amazing visuals. But apart from that, another aspect that makes the game so popular is its Servants. 

FGO is a game that allows players to take the role of masters who summon and command familiars known as “Servants” to combat enemies. FGO servants are important characters in the game. As such, players take them seriously as their levels and skills will greatly affect their battle performance and the player’s progress.

It’s also a great game to play if you’re looking for something to pass the time. But seeing as it’s not the only one in the market, you might want to take a look at some of the best mobile games to cure your boredom.

We have already talked about what is Fate/Grand Order previously. This time, we’ll take a look at some of FGO’s servants and the best out of them. Hopefully, this will help you build your team and make you the best master the game has ever seen.

To be clear, this article will discuss servants and servant classes that are available in Fate/Grand Order’s North America (NA) server as there may be servants in the Japanese server that are yet to be released in the NA server.

FGO Servants: Who Are They and What Do They Do?

FGO Servants are heroic spirits that the player commands in battles. These servants usually take the form of known historical, mythical, and literary figures from various cultures. Each servant has a class and possesses active skills, passive skills, and a Noble Phantasm. 

Players can summon and obtain servants by using in-game summoning materials such as Saint Quartz and Summon Tickets. There are also certain servants that can be obtained as rewards during events and on a limited time. 

For this reason, servants are mainly sorted by availability:

• Starting Servant – This servant is available from the very start of the game. This is the only servant that you cannot sell or use an enhancement for other servants on. To date, the only starting servant in the game is Mash Kyrielight.
• Non-Limited – Servants that are available in the general summoning pool. These servants are also always available to summon.
• Friend Summon Only – Servants that can only be summoned using the Friend Points that you earn.
• Story-Locked – These servants only become available in Story Summon after you’ve completed the section or singularity that they are associated with. 
• Welfare – Servants given as a reward for completing an event. These servants go straight to your gift boxes after you’ve completed an event or a singularity. 
• Limited – Servants that are only available during events. There are also different limited servants per event. 
• Unavailable – Servants that are unplayable. Hence, you cannot summon them and they cannot be earned as a reward.

When summoning servants, players will have to rely on their luck as Fate is a gacha game that gives servants at random. If you want to know more about gacha games, you might want to check out some of the best gacha games in the market that are similar to FGO.

FGO Servant Classes

Apart from their availability, servants are also mainly sorted by classes. There are three classes of servants, namely: Knight Classes, Cavalry Classes, and the Extra Classes. Under these three groups are 13 subgroups that are usually used as the main basis of classification for servants. 

The Knight (Sabers, Lancers, and Archers) and the Cavalry (Rider, Caster, Assassin, and Berserker) are the two main servant classes in the game. 

We will go through each of the 13 classes and briefly discuss their base stats.

Shielder

Base stats:  1.0x Base damage multiplier Base star generation and absorption rate of 10% and 100, respectively The base death rate of 35% All classes take and deal regular damage from Shielders

Shielders are described as Masters of Defense. Servants of this class primarily utilize a shield and are excellent for protecting a team. But, don’t get too excited. As of writing, the only known servant of this class is Mashu Kyrielight who is the player’s starting servant.

Saber

Base stats:   1.0x base damage multiplier Base star generation and absorption rate of 10% and 100, respectively The base death rate of 35% Lancers and Berserkers take double damage from Sabers. However, Lancers can only deal half damage against them while Berserkers deal 50% extra damage against them Archers deal double damage against Sabers and take half damage from them Rulers take half damage from Sabers  Alter Egos deal half damage to Sabers

Commonly assumed to be the best class overall, Sabers are powerful and agile. These warriors have swords and are useful in different scenarios. They also possess the riding skills of a Rider class servant.

Archer

Base stats:   0.95x base damage multiplier Base star generation and absorption rate of 8% and 150, respectively The base death rate of 45% Sabers and Berserkers take double damage from Sabers. However, Sabers can only deal half damage against them while Berserkers deal 50% extra damage against them Lancers deal double damage against Archers, but take half damage from them Rulers take half damage from Archers Alter Egos deal half damage to Archers

Servants of the Archer class usually survive longer and are proficient with projectiles. For this reason, they are perfect for long-range battles. Additionally, their Noble Phantasms are usually designed to attack an entire enemy team at once, making them a good addition to any team.

Lancer

Base stats:   1.05x base damage multiplier Base star generation and absorption rate of 12% and 90, respectively The base death rate of 40% Archers and Berserkers take double damage from Sabers. However, Archers can only deal half damage against them while Berserkers deal 50% extra damage against them Sabers take half damage from Lancers but deal double damage against them. Rulers take half damage from Lancers Alter Egos deal half damage to Lancers

Lancers are agile servants who are skilled with long-range weapons such as spears. But, most Lancers in the game carry lancers – as their name implies. They are also very proficient in launching quick attacks and hit-and-run tactics.

Rider

Base stats:   1.0x base damage multiplier Base star generation and absorption rate of 9% and 100, respectively The base death rate of 50% Casters and Berserkers take double damage from Sabers. However, Casters can only deal half damage against them while Berserkers deal 50% extra damage against them Assassins deal double damage against Riders and take half damage from them Rulers take half damage from Riders Alter Egos deal half damage to Riders

Most servants of the Rider class possess Noble Phantasms that put particular emphasis on speed and power. They have a special skill called Riding that gives them full power over their mounts, which can range from normal horses to supernatural creatures.

Caster

Base stats:   0.9x base damage multiplier Base star generation and absorption rate of 11% and 50, respectively The base death rate of 60% Assassins and Berserkers take double damage from Sabers. However, Assassins can only deal half damage against them while Berserkers deal 50% extra damage against them Casters deal double damage against Riders but also take half damage from them Rulers take half damage from Casters Alter Egos deal half damage to Casters

Casters are adept in Magecraft and can effectively use sorcery of the highest caliber. Casters also have a special ability called Territory Creation. Similar to what is called a Reality Marble, it enables them to alter or create space around them. 

Assassin

Base stats:   0.9x base damage multiplier Base star generation and absorption rate of 25% and 100, respectively The base death rate of 55% Riders and Berserkers take double damage from Sabers. However, Riders can only deal half damage against them while Berserkers deal 50% extra damage against them Casters deal double damage against Assassins and take half damage from them Rulers take half damage from Assassins Alter Egos deal half damage to Assassins

Assassins, as their name suggests, are proficient in the art of assassination. They are servants that are skilled in silence, stealth, and covert operations. 

Berserker

Base stats:   1.1x base damage multiplier Base star generation and absorption rate of 5% and 10, respectively The base death rate of 65% Except for Shielders and Foreigners, all classes take 50% more damage from Berserkers. This also includes other Berserkers.  Berserkers take double damage from all classes except Shielders and other Berserkers Foreigners take half damage from Berserkers

Servants of this class are usually heroes who were known to have gone mad or berserk in their lifetime. Berserkers possess an ability called Mad Enhancement that allows them to trade their sanity for a large power boost. 

Ruler

Base stats:   1.1x base damage multiplier Base star generation and absorption rate of 1o% and 1o0, respectively The base death rate of 35% Moon Cancers and Berserkers take double damage from Rulers. However, Berserkers can deal 50% extra damage against them while Moon Cancers deal 50% less damage against them. Sabers, Archers, Lancers, Riders, Casters, and Assassins deals half damage against a Ruler while taking regular damage for themselves.

Rulers are servants summoned to govern the Holy Grail Wars. In works in the Fate franchise, Rulers are administrators and can use Command Spells. However, in FGO, you don’t need Rulers to govern over a Holy Grail War. Instead, they function as normal servants would.

However, with this in mind, Rulers are very powerful servants and the servants of this class are very difficult to obtain.

Avenger

Base stats:   1.1x base damage multiplier Base star generation and absorption rate of 6% and 30, respectively The base death rate of 10% Rulers and Berserkers take double damage from Avengers. However, Berserkers can deal 50% extra damage against them while Rulers deal 50% less damage against them. Avengers deal half damage from Moon Cancers as they take damage from them.

To put it simply, servants under this class are those driven to revenge and were wronged in their previous lives. They bear great hatred in the past and continue to carry these feelings as you summon them. Avengers embody hatred itself. 

Moon Cancer

Base stats:   1.0x base damage multiplier Base star generation and absorption rate of 15% and 50, respectively The base death rate of 1% Avengers and Berserkers take double damage from Moon Cancers. However, Berserkers can deal 50% extra damage against them while Avengers deal 50% less damage against them. Moon Cancers deal double damage against Rulers and take half damage from them

Moon Cancers are typically considered to be irregulars that threaten the world of the moon. This class is specific to an AI called BB. 

Alter Ego

Base stats:   1.0x base damage multiplier Base star generation and absorption rate of 10% and 100, respectively The base death rate of 50% Foreigners and Berserkers take double damage from Alter Egos. However, Berserkers can deal 50% extra damage against them while Foreigners deal 50% less damage against them. Sabers, Archers, and Lancers take half damage from Alter Egos while Riders, Casters, and Assassins take 50% more damage from them.

Alter Egos are not your typical type of servants who are embodiments of heroic spirits. Rather, Alter Egos are personifications of wishes, emotions, and personalities of other spirits. Alter Egos are created when a persona of a certain heroic spirit gains its independence as a separate entity.

Foreigner

Base stats:   1.0x base damage multiplier Base star generation and absorption rate of 15% and 150, respectively 10% base death rate Berserkers can deal half damage against Foreigners but take double damage from them Alter Egos deal double damage against Foreigners while taking half damage from them Foreigners deal and take double damage from other Foreigners

Foreigners are servants who hail from different dimensions. They are servants who can wield power from outside human boundaries. Servants of this class are usually difficult to come across and are only available during a limited period. 

Apart from these 13 classes, there is also a Beast class. These are servants that fall under the unavailable category, hence, you cannot summon under any circumstance. Beasts are classified as the containers for the Evils of Mankind and are usually enemies that you have to defeat in the game. 

You will also encounter servants with “Alter” in their names. These are servants who have greatly altered from their normal selves through a variety of means. They are not necessarily different from their normal selves, but they are notably stronger.

FGO: Who Are the Best servants?

For this part, we will go over who the best servants of each class are. Hopefully, this will help you decide which FGO servant to summon, keep, and level up. Also, note that experiences with these servants may vary from player to player, and it is up to you to maximize the potential of your servants.

For brevity, only servants of the Knight and Cavalry classes will be included as they have the most number of servants available for summoning and are often non-limited servants.

Saber

Arguably, the most popular Saber in the franchise comes in the form of Artoria Pendragon. But her powerful appearances in numerous films and games throughout the Fate franchise don’t necessarily mean that she is the strongest Saber servant. 

This would have to go to Miyamoto Musashi, a 5★ servant. Many players consider her to be the best overall Saber who can deal a great amount of damage on your enemies. Having her in your team will give you a reliable damage dealer that can help you in most quests. The only difficulty that you might encounter when using Miyamoto is that you will have to build your team around her to support her abilities – otherwise, you won’t be able to use her to her fullest potential.

Archer

Up next is an Archer who will prove to players that you don’t need a 4★ or 5★ servant to create a strong team. Arash is a 1★ Archer servant who is also a servant that you can summon easily. 

Arash is a great servant to use for wave-clearing and farming. He’s a reliable servant that you can even take if you’re planning to take on stronger bosses. He deals great damage and is great if you’re looking for a servant to open up a boss fight before using a more sustainable servant to replace him after he dies in a battle. 

Lancer

A popular face in the Fate franchise is the Cú Chulainn, a Lancer servant who is also the best low-rarity lancer that players can get from the general summoning pool. He is a 3★ servant that is very reliable with his skills and his Noble Phantasm that deals massive damage. 

Cú Chulainn is yet another servant who proves that rarity does not always mean that they are strong servants.

Rider

Despite being a 3★ servant, Ushiwakamaru makes for one of the best FGO servants that you could summon. She is capable of dealing heavy damage on single enemies and is a great servant if you’re looking for one who emphasizes offense. She’s particularly great with boss battles because she is one of the few Riders who can attack single targets.

It’s also worth noting that her Noble Phantasm is quite easy to level up because she is one of the servants that you can easily acquire.  

Caster

Zhuge Liang or Lord El-Melloi II is known to many players as simply Waver Velvet. He is a 5★ servant and is one of the best servants to have in the game. He can act as an offense and a defense for your team while supporting the other servants by charging their NP Gauges at the same time. This servant works in any type of team and will help elevate and boost that team to its fullest potential.

For this reason, Waver is easily one of the best servants to have as he is flexible and possesses the skills to be able to effectively help a team.

Assassin

Jack the Ripper is a 5★ servant who takes the spot as the best Assassin in FGO. She perfectly does everything that an Assassin servant is described to do. While she does have lower HP than other servants in the class, Jack still proves to be a powerful servant with her skills.

She is undoubtedly a strong damage dealer that, if you’re lucky enough to pull her, will certainly be one of the servants that you wouldn’t want to take out of your team. Just remember to team her up with two other reliable servants and you will be a force to be reckoned with.

Berserker 

Last but not the least, the best Berserker servant to summon will have to be Cú Chulainn (Alter). He is a powerful Berserker who is capable of surviving the strongest enemies of FGO. He is also a top performer that you can rely on in even the most difficult fights. 

Notably, he is also one of the servants who can fight his battles alone – ideal if you’ve already run out of support servants and you only have him left. His powerful offensive power and superb defensive skills make for a valuable servant. 

The Verdict: Who Is the Best FGO Servant?

Many FGO players choose Merlin, a 5★ Caster servant. He is, without a doubt, one of the most sought-after servants in the game for being an exemplary support servant with a great skill set. It’s also worth mentioning that Merlin fits in and can support any type of team formation.

In summary, Merlin has three passive skills that effectively build his fantastic arsenal of skills: 

• Territory Creation C – Increases his Arts card effectiveness by 6%
• Item Construction C – Debuff Success Rate increases by 6%
• Mixed Blood EX – NP Gauge gets charged by 5% in every turn

If you think his passive skills are great, Merlin also possesses three active skills that players can utilize in battle:

• Dreamlike Charisma A – This skill increases the ATK of all allies for three turns by 10%-20%. It also increases the NP Gauges of all your in-battle servants by 20%. 
• Illusion A – This skill increases the drop rate of Crit Stars of all allies by 30%-50% for one turn while decreasing the Critical Rate of all enemies by 10%-20% for three turns. Further, the skill also applies invincible to all allies for one turn.
• Hero Creation EX – This skill grants three buffs to a single ally. The skill increases their Buster Card effectiveness, maximum HP, and critical strength for one turn.

Merlin’s biggest strength lies in his Noble Phantasm called “Garden of Avalon.” His Noble Phantasm affects all allies making it ideal if you’re finding yourself in a pinch. It also restores 1,000-2,000 HP for five turns, increases NP Gauges by 5% per turn for five turns, and grants 5-25 Critical Stars per turn for five turns. This Noble Phantasm grants survivability to your team and makes Merlin into an invaluable servant when it comes to long-form fights.

Final Word

Every servant is different and every player is different as well. Regardless of who you end up summoning, servants will not be at their best if the players themselves don’t invest time in growing their servants. Ultimately, it is always up to the players to make the best of their FGO Servants.

Do you want to try your luck in summoning servants? Consider playing Fate/Grand Order and experience one of the best roleplay-gacha games in the market! FGO is available on both Android and Apple.