This Risk of Rain 2 tier list ranks every major option by overall effectiveness. Rankings factor in damage output, survivability, versatility, gear requirements, and how well each option scales.
Tier definitions: S = best in class, always a strong pick. A = strong and competitive, minor weaknesses. B = solid but clearly outperformed in most situations. C = viable only for players who enjoy the playstyle.
Builds Rankings
| Tier | Build | Rating | Playstyle |
|---|---|---|---|
| S | Huntress | 9.5/10 | Sprint constantly, fire homing attacks, blink through danger, never stop moving. |
| S | Loader | 9.5/10 | Grapple to a distant point, charged punch for massive impact, barrier absorbs retaliation. |
| A | Railgunner | 8.5/10 | Scope in, hit Weak Spots for massive damage, Concussion Device for crowd control. |
| A | Void Fiend | 8.5/10 | Build corruption through kills, switch forms for power spikes, manage timing. |
| A | Mercenary | 8.5/10 | Dash between enemies, Eviscerate for i-frames and damage, chain kills for resets. |
Detailed Builds Analysis
Huntress (S-Tier)
The fastest survivor with homing attacks and Sprint-while-shooting passive. Flurry (alternate primary) + Glaive creates chain lightning-style clear. Arrow Rain provides AoE. Phase Blink gives i-frames. The best speed-farming character and consistently strong.
Best with: Soldier's Syringe, Harvester's Scythe, Predatory Instincts, Shatterspleen Stat focus: Crit items > Attack Speed > Movement Speed
Loader (S-Tier)
A melee powerhouse whose Thunder Gauntlet punch scales with distance traveled. Grapple + charged punch one-shots most enemies even on Monsoon. Loader's barrier on hit provides natural survivability. The highest single-target burst in the game.
Best with: Bands (Runald's + Kjaro's), Crowbar, Focus Crystal, Backup Magazine Stat focus: Proc chance items > On-hit effects > Mobility
Railgunner (A-Tier)
A sniper with massive single-shot damage from the Supercharge rail. Weak Spot hits deal critical damage without crit items. Concussion Device provides utility knockback. Excels at boss killing but struggles with swarms without items.
Best with: Crowbar, Focus Crystal, Backup Magazine, Lens-Maker's Glasses Stat focus: Damage per hit > Backup Magazines (for more shots) > Mobility
Void Fiend (A-Tier)
A dual-form character that switches between Corrupted (powerful) and Normal states. Managing corruption meter is the core mechanic. Corrupted Form abilities hit harder and have different effects. The most mechanically complex survivor.
Best with: Items that trigger on-kill (Infusion, Fresh Meat), attack speed, proc items Stat focus: Corruption management > On-kill items > Attack speed
Mercenary (A-Tier)
A melee survivor with i-frame dashes and an ultimate that makes you invulnerable. Eviscerate is a get-out-of-jail ability. Blinding Assault chains between enemies. High skill ceiling — incredible when mastered but punishing when mistakes are made.
Best with: Harvester's Scythe, Predatory Instincts, Old Guillotine, Berzerker's Pauldron Stat focus: Crit items > On-kill items > Attack speed
Equipment Rankings
| Equipment | Best With | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Crowbar | Loader, Railgunner — burst damage | Deals +75% damage to enemies above 90% health. |
| Soldier's Syringe | Every survivor — universal DPS increase | +15% attack speed per stack. |
| Shaped Glass | One-shot builds, experienced players only | Doubles your base damage but halves your max health. |
| 57 Leaf Clover | Proc-based builds, Huntress, on-hit builds | A legendary item that rolls item proc chances twice, using the better result. |
| Brilliant Behemoth | Single-target characters (Railgunner, Loader) | All attacks explode for 60% base damage in an AoE. |
Equipment Analysis
Crowbar: Deals +75% damage to enemies above 90% health. Stacks multiplicatively with itself. The best opening-shot item for boss damage. Multiple Crowbars mean your first hit obliterates. Synergizes with any high-per-hit damage character.
Soldier's Syringe: +15% attack speed per stack. The most universally useful white item. Every character benefits from faster attacks. 10 Syringes more than double your DPS. Always pick these up.
Shaped Glass: Doubles your base damage but halves your max health. Stacking multiple Shaped Glass creates glass cannon builds doing 4x-16x damage. Extremely risky — one mistake kills you. The ultimate risk/reward item.
57 Leaf Clover: A legendary item that rolls item proc chances twice, using the better result. Effectively doubles your luck for all proc-based items (Tri-Tip Dagger, ATG Missile, etc.). One of the strongest legendaries for proc builds.
Brilliant Behemoth: All attacks explode for 60% base damage in an AoE. Turns single-target attacks into AoE. Multiple Behemoths increase explosion radius. Transforms any character into an AoE powerhouse.
Meta Analysis
The current meta in Risk of Rain 2 centers on item stacking and teleporter events. Builds that leverage both systems outperform those that focus on only one.
What's strong right now:
- Huntress with Crowbar is the benchmark. Everything else is measured against it.
- hidden realms builds are gaining ground as players find new synergies.
- Railgunner remains essential for learning hard content.
What's underrated:
- Loader is consistently overlooked despite being the most flexible option.
- Shaped Glass offers excellent performance for its investment level.
What's overhyped:
- Pure Mercenary builds. High ceiling but the consistency isn't there for most players.
Quick Picks by Situation
| Situation | Best Build | Best Gear | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall best | Huntress | Crowbar | Highest consistent performance |
| New player | Loader | Soldier's Syringe | Most forgiving, teaches mechanics |
| Hard content | Railgunner | Shaped Glass | Survivability when you need it |
| Group play | Void Fiend | 57 Leaf Clover | Utility and team support |
| Experienced player | Mercenary | Brilliant Behemoth | Unique challenge and high ceiling |
For full build guides, see Risk of Rain 2 builds. For progression help, check the walkthrough.
