Arknights Endfield Tier List: The “Real” CBT2-to-Launch Ranking (and How I’d Build Teams in 2026)
If you’re here for an arknights endfield tier list, you’re probably in the same boat I am: you don’t want a pretty infographic—you want the why. Who actually feels strong when the screen is chaos, your cooldowns are awkward, and the boss decides it’s laser time? That’s what this guide is built for: a player-first, hands-on way to think about operators, teams, and investment priorities—without pretending the tier list is some holy scripture.
Quick context check: Arknights: Endfield is Hypergryph / GRYPHLINE’s 3D real-time action RPG spin-off that keeps the “operator” identity but shifts hard into manual combat, swapping, combo chains, and team synergy. It’s not tower defense. You’re moving, dodging, and rotating a 4-unit squad like you’re piloting a little machine. And the big headline for 2026 is: Endfield is scheduled to launch worldwide on January 22, 2026.
Now the important part: tier lists in Endfield are inherently temporary. CBT2-era rankings are still useful, but they’re best treated like a map drawn in pencil. Launch balance patches can (and usually do) flip some “obvious” winners. So the goal here isn’t just to label characters S/A/B—it’s to teach you how to judge value in Endfield: who makes teams function, who deletes bosses, who saves runs, and who is secretly expensive because they need too much help.
I. What This Tier List Is Actually Measuring (So It Doesn’t Lie to You Later)
Most tier lists in Endfield accidentally mix three different questions:
Who has the highest ceiling (perfect dodges, clean swaps, optimized uptime)?
Who has the highest floor (works even when you’re messy)?
Who makes everyone else stronger (supports, debuffers, enablers)?
For an “I want to progress and not regret my mats” guide, the third one is the most important. A top-tier support is basically an account upgrade. A top-tier DPS is amazing, but only after your team engine is stable.
So my ranking philosophy is:
S-Tier = Account-defining value. Either they carry content by themselves or they multiply every team you put them in.
A-Tier = Strong specialists. They shine in certain elements/comps/modes and are worth building if they match your roster.
B-Tier = Works, but asks for more. Needs specific teammates, more mechanical precision, or more time to “get going.”
C-Tier = Niche, awkward, or currently outclassed. Can still clear content, but you’re choosing extra effort.
I’m also biasing toward Endfield reality: endgame evaluation tends to orbit boss-style challenges and “do your rotation or die” mechanics, which is why so many discussions focus on things like consistent uptime, survivability tools, and debuff coverage. Community tier lists commonly organize around that kind of content and role value.
II. The Endfield Combat Loop in Plain English (Why “Synergy” Isn’t Just Buzzwords Here)
Endfield is built around a few truths you feel immediately:
1) You are never just one character.
Even if you “main” a DPS, the game expects you to rotate. Buff windows, debuffs, energy flow, status application—these are team properties.
2) Swap timing is damage.
If your buffs expire mid-burst, your DPS suddenly looks “mid.” If you swap cleanly and keep uptime, your DPS looks like a monster.
3) Defensive tools are offensive tools.
Anything that prevents interruption, stabilizes HP, or controls enemy behavior indirectly raises DPS because you spend more time attacking and less time panicking.
That’s why supports and hybrid defenders show up so high in many CBT-era rankings: they reduce the “run volatility.” And in a real-time action RPG, reducing volatility is basically increasing your average DPS.
III. Tier List Framework (The One I’d Use If I Had to Start Fresh)
Before we talk specific operators, here’s the structure that keeps you from making classic gacha mistakes:
Core team template (most reliable early):
1 Main DPS (your on-field driver)
1 Support/Enabler (healing + buffs/debuffs, ideally universal)
1 Defender or Defensive Hybrid (keeps runs stable; sometimes doubles as sustain)
1 Flex (sub-DPS, second support, or utility specialist)
This is the exact reason “universal supports” are so valuable: they fit the template no matter what your DPS is. And that’s also why some characters feel overrated on paper: if they only work when everything is perfect, they’re not actually helping you progress.
IV. S-Tier Operators (CBT2 Era): The Ones That Feel Like Cheating When They’re Online
Below are S-tier picks in the “account-defining” sense—either because they’re universally plug-and-play, or because their impact on clear speed and stability is outrageous in the kind of content people benchmark. Operator availability and tier placements are commonly discussed across CBT-focused tier lists and early guides.
A. Ardelia — The “Yes” Button Support
Ardelia’s biggest crime is being useful in basically every situation. When a support can heal, smooth rotations, and enable damage amplification without demanding specific teammates, they become the backbone of progression. That’s Ardelia’s vibe: she doesn’t just patch mistakes—she increases the team’s output by making fights more controllable and letting your DPS stay aggressive longer.
The real reason Ardelia ranks this high isn’t “big numbers,” it’s team glue. If you’ve played enough action RPG endgames, you know the pattern: the best supports are the ones that still matter when power creep hits, because their value is systemic. Damage dealers get replaced. Team engines survive.
Why I’d build her early: because every future DPS you pull gets better the moment you have a stable support core.
B. Laevatain — Heat Carry With “Main Character Energy”
Laevatain sits in that classic S-tier DPS bucket: high output, great conversion of uptime into damage, and a kit that rewards you for doing what Endfield already wants—staying active, chaining attacks, and cycling abilities cleanly.
Heat-style carries tend to thrive when they can keep pressure and trigger big payoff moments. Laevatain is commonly placed at the top because she offers that “I pressed the gas and the boss bar evaporated” feeling—without needing a full team of unicorn supports to function.
Why she’s a real S-tier and not a “content creator honeymoon”:
She converts good play into huge damage.
She’s not fragile in the “one mistake and you explode” way that some glass cannons are.
She scales extremely well with proper support pairing, meaning she doesn’t fall off just because enemies get tankier.
C. Snowshine — The Defensive Hybrid That Makes Runs Unlosable
Every action RPG has that one defensive unit that quietly becomes the MVP because they do three jobs at once: tank, stabilize, and still contribute to damage/control. Snowshine gets that reputation in CBT-era conversations for a reason: a sturdy unit that also helps the team maintain momentum is basically the best friend of every DPS.
If your DPS is S-tier but the team dies, the DPS is irrelevant. Snowshine solves the “random death” problem and makes your clears consistent—which is often more important than theoretical max damage.
Why Snowshine is secretly a DPS buff: because dead time is the biggest damage loss in real gameplay.
D. Pogranichnik — Physical Team Enabler With Real Utility
Pogranichnik is the kind of operator that becomes more valuable the better you understand the game. If you’re building physical-focused setups, anything that accelerates energy flow, improves uptime, or increases vulnerability windows tends to jump in value fast. Pogranichnik often shows up as a strong enabler because teams don’t just need raw DPS—they need reliable access to their good buttons.
If you’re the kind of player who likes physical comps and tight rotations, this is the kind of unit that makes everything click.
E. Last Rite — Cryo Burst With High Payoff
Cryo-style kits often shine when they can convert setup into a big punish window. Last Rite is commonly discussed as a strong burst option because the kit leans into that “lock the enemy into a bad time and cash out” fantasy. When content emphasizes boss phases and punish windows, burst carries become disproportionately valuable.
The caution: burst units can feel worse if your team can’t reliably set up windows—or if your execution is sloppy and you miss the moment. But when it works, it works.
F. Antal — The “Why Is This Unit This Good” Lower-Rarity Problem
Every beta meta ends up with at least one lower-rarity operator who punches way above their weight because their kit is efficient. Antal often gets highlighted because supports that boost the right damage types, apply useful debuffs, and stay relevant without expensive conditions become universal roster wins.
If you’re F2P or just unlucky on early banners, units like Antal matter because they keep your account functional while you wait for premium pieces.
V. A-Tier Operators: Strong, But Usually Want a Specific Home
A-tier in Endfield is not an insult. A-tier is “I’m excellent, but I’m not the answer to every question.”
A. Endministrator — Flexible Physical DPS That Feels “Good Enough Everywhere”
Endministrator has that main-character flexibility: you can run them in many situations, and they don’t feel useless when conditions aren’t perfect. That’s valuable early, because flexibility helps you clear more content with fewer built units.
The usual reason Endministrator sits A instead of S is simple: they’re strong, but they don’t warp the account the way the top supports or top carries do. They’re a great backbone, not necessarily the most broken piece.
B. Ember — Solid Heat Defender, Good Stability Pick
Ember tends to appeal to players who like the idea of “safe aggression”—you’re still pushing damage, but you’re not gambling your run every time you commit. Defensive hybrids are always good early because your roster is underbuilt and your mistakes are expensive.
If you don’t have Snowshine (or you want a Heat-aligned defensive option), Ember is a sensible investment.
C. Lifeng — Physical Damage With Team Synergy Hooks
Lifeng usually lands in “strong physical option” territory: the kind of unit that looks better the more your team supports it. If you like physical setups, Lifeng can be a great piece—especially when paired with operators that help apply vulnerability/debuff windows consistently.
A-tier warning label: don’t build Lifeng in a vacuum. Build Lifeng because your roster supports physical synergy.
D. Arclight / Perlica / Wulfgard — Element Specialists With Big Mode Dependence
These units often look amazing in the right context—especially in teams that want their element interactions—but can feel merely “fine” when you throw them into random comps. If you’re the kind of player who commits to an element identity (Heat core, Cryo core, etc.), these become higher value.
If you’re still in early progression and your roster is mixed, they may feel less impressive than a universal support.
E. Fluorite / Catcher — The “Lower-Rarity, Higher-Utility” Class
This is the bucket of units that make F2P accounts breathe. Even if they’re not flashy, utility-heavy lower-rarity operators can be the difference between “I can clear this” and “I’m stuck until I pull something.”
VI. B-Tier and C-Tier: Not Trash, Just… You’re Choosing Hard Mode
This is where players argue endlessly because B-tier units can still clear content—and sometimes look great in clips. The issue is efficiency.
A. Alesh / Da Pan / Chen Qianyu / Akekuri / Estella
These tend to be “works if you build around them” units: they might require specific timing, setup stacks, positional conditions, or team support to feel smooth. If you enjoy that style, you can absolutely make them work. But if you’re optimizing progression, they’re not your first priority.
B. The Weird Cases: “Low Tier” But High Ceiling
Some units get placed low because they’re awkward, but they have a niche where they look insane—usually because their scaling is strange, or because content favors their mechanics in a specific patch cycle. This is the kind of thing that changes fast post-launch.
The honest truth: in beta-era tier lists, B/C is often less about “bad” and more about “not worth your first wave of resources.”
VII. Mode Focus: Why Endgame Content Warps Tier Lists
alpha — and Why You Should Care
Even without pretending we know the final launch endgame perfectly, we already know how this goes: endgame modes push you toward a meta shaped by boss patterns, damage windows, survival checks, and rotation discipline. Tier lists naturally gravitate toward units that:
keep your team alive without killing tempo,
provide reliable amplification,
and don’t crumble when a boss forces movement.
That’s why Ardelia-style supports and Snowshine-style stabilizers remain high even when DPS rankings shuffle. And it’s why some “paper DPS” fall if they can’t maintain uptime.
VIII. Reroll and Early Progression: What I’d Actually Recommend (No Copium)
If you’re rerolling or starting close to launch, here’s the clean priority logic:
Priority 1: A universal support that fixes teams.
If Ardelia is available in your early pool or reroll targets, she’s the kind of pick that prevents regret.
Priority 2: One carry you actually enjoy piloting.
Laevatain is a classic recommendation because Heat carries tend to scale well and feel good in action combat. But if you hate the playstyle, don’t force it. You will burn out.
Priority 3: A defensive anchor (or defensive hybrid).
Snowshine-type units make progression consistent. Consistency beats highlight-reel damage if you’re trying to clear.
Priority 4: Fill gaps with utility and element synergy.
This is where Antal-style picks shine: low-cost value that makes your team function while you wait for premium pulls.
IX. Builds and Investment: What Matters More Than “Tier”
A mistake a lot of players make in new gacha action RPGs is over-investing in raw DPS stats while ignoring rotation stability.
For Main DPS: prioritize stats and setups that let you maintain uptime and convert windows. A DPS that gets interrupted is a fake DPS.
For Supports: energy flow, cooldown alignment, and “teamwide value” matter more than personal damage.
For Defenders: your goal is not to become immortal—it’s to keep the team’s tempo alive. If your tank takes forever to do anything, you’re paying a hidden DPS tax.
If you want a practical way to measure “is this unit worth building,” ask:
Does this unit make my best DPS feel smoother?
Does it reduce the number of runs I lose to randomness?
Does it fit multiple teams without forcing weird sacrifices?
If the answer is “yes,” the unit usually ages well.
X. Community Consensus vs Reality: How to Use Tier Lists Without Getting Tricked
Here’s the healthiest way to use an arknights endfield tier list:
Use tiers to decide who gets built first, not who is “good” or “bad.”
If you love a B-tier character, build them—but build them after your team engine exists.
Check multiple lists for consensus because beta metas exaggerate hype cycles. Community tier lists and guides frequently shift as people discover rotations, team interactions, and optimization tricks.
Also, remember launch balance changes are real. Even the most confident CBT2 tier list is a “best guess” until the launch patch settles.
XI. FAQ (The Stuff Everyone Asks, Answered Like a Human)
“Who should I reroll for?”
If you’re optimizing: a universal support first (Ardelia-type), then a carry (Laevatain-type), then a stabilizer (Snowshine-type). The order matters because supports upgrade your whole roster.
“Is the tier list reliable if launch is coming?”
It’s useful, but not permanent. The biggest trap is treating CBT2 as final. With Endfield launching January 22, 2026, expect early balance adjustments and meta churn.
“Can I clear with lower-tier operators?”
Yes. Endfield is execution-heavy. But you’ll work harder for the same results, especially if you don’t have strong support glue.
“Should I build multiple teams early?”
No. Build one “real” team first. Four half-built characters feels worse than one fully built core team with a clear rotation plan.
If you take one thing from this arknights endfield tier list, let it be this: Endfield is a team game disguised as a character game. The operators that truly deserve S-tier aren’t just the ones with big damage screenshots—they’re the ones that make your whole account function: universal supports like Ardelia, high-impact carries like Laevatain, and stabilizing hybrids like Snowshine that keep your runs from falling apart when content gets nasty.
With Endfield’s worldwide launch set for January 22, 2026, the smartest plan is simple: build a stable core, invest in synergy, and treat tier lists like a compass—not a cage.