Analysis of Tier 1 Characters - Alliance Edition

[fireblaster_lyz]

This Tier listing provides everyone how characters work and how their abilities work against each other in terms of their individual strengths and weaknesses. It also follows strictly to the rules featured in the Resident Evil - Deck Building Game Rulebook v1.1.

DISCLAIMER: THIS MAINLY SERVES AS A GUIDE and it does not reflect against real world performances. It just shows how much better you may have to perform in order to outwit the other character's controller.

This in-depth tier listing would not been possible without the help of the community members of the Resident Evil - Deck Building Game Forums and especially TsuKiyoMe and Tzer themselves.

Alliances Edition for [STORY MODE]
Note: Either use of the "All Day Mode" Mansion deck or Alliance Mansion.

Top Tier
Claire Redfield (Alliances)
Hunk

High Tier
Jill Valentine (Brainwashed)
Billy Coen
Steve Burnside

Middle Tier
Chris Redfield (Alliances)
Leon S. Kennedy (Alliances)
Jack Krauser (Alliances)

Low Tier
Carlos Oliveira

Bottom Tier
Josh Stone

Premier + Alliances Edition for [STORY MODE]
Top Tier
Chris Redfield (Lost in Nightmares)
Hunk
Claire Redfield (Alliances)
Billy Coen
Ada Wong

High Tier
Albert Wesker
Rebecca Chambers
Steve Burnside
Leon S. Kennedy
Sheva Alomar
Chris Redfield (Alliances)
Claire Redfield
Barry Burton

Middle Tier
Jack Krauser (Alliances)
Leon S. Kennedy (Alliances)
Jill Valentine (Brainwashed)

Low Tier
Jack Krauser
Chris Redfield

Bottom Tier
Carlos Oliveira
Josh Stone
Jill Valentine (Lost in Nightmares)

For character insights and tactics, visit post #38.

Alliances Edition for [MERCENARY MODE] [Custom Loadouts]:
Top Tier
Hunk

High Tier
Billy Coen
Jack Krauser (Alliances)

Mid Tier
Chris Redfield (Alliances)
Leon S. Kennedy (Alliances)
Jill Valantine (Brainwashed)
Steve Burnside

Low Tier
Clair Redfield (Alliances)

Bottom Tier
Carlos Oliveira
Josh Stone


Premier + Alliances for [PARTNER MODE]
Note:
-We use the "All Day Mode" Mansion deck; that is everything from Sets 1 and 2 in one mansion. Even if you were to customize the deck around a bit, most character's placements will stay as they are with perhaps the exception of Jill Valentine (Brainwashed) who obviously is broken if your deck is full of only Las Plagas and only slightly worse if there are no Las Plagas.
-Partner mode should eventually be tiered as teams as it's too hard to come up with an accurate tier list with partner mode as there are far too many variables to consider. This tier list is based on what characters roughly add the most value to teams.

Top Tier
Albert Wesker
Barry Burton
Billy Coen
Chris Redfield (Lost in Nightmares)
Claire Redfield (Alliances)

High Tier
Ada Wong
Chris Redfield (Alliances)
Claire Redfield
Hunk
Jack Krauser (Alliances)
Leon S. Kennedy
Sheva Alomar
Steve Burnside

Middle Tier
Leon S. Kennedy (Alliances)
Jack Krauser
Jill Valentine (Brainwashed)
Josh Stone

Low Tier
Chris Redfield
Rebecca Chambers
Jill Valentine

Bottom Tier
Carlos Oliveira
Jill Valentine (Lost in Nightmares)

For discussion on [PARTNER MODE], do look at the Team Combination/Partner Thread.
Also, for character insights and tactics, visit post #39.

[Umbrella_Exec]

Sorry, but in my opinion Leon is the most broke character in this game as of right now. And Chris (LIN) isn't too great to begin with. Jill (LIN) has the potential to be better than Chris.

[Gibb]

Sorry, but in my opinion Leon is the most broke character in this game as of right now. And Chris (LIN) isn't too great to begin with. Jill (LIN) has the potential to be better than Chris.

What rules are you using for Jill (LiN)? IMO the card text makes her an incredibly powerful character, but officials at Bandai actually ruled her card differently, saying she only gets 5 cards after a turn is skipped, instead of 10.

Also, which Leon are you talking about? Leon in the base set is indeed a power house, and I'd consider him a top tier character in the base set.

[RE_Crimson]

Meh I don't agree with this. Explosive Jill is pretty legit if you use her right. And if you partner her with BW Jill it makes for infinite flash grenade kill steals. Not to mention original Leon being pretty good. Also, did you account for partner potential? Because that seems important to consider.

[Alucard Sparda]

Alliance Top Tier characters I see currently are

Steve Burnside: Healing every turn automatically is something you really gotta love using an choosing which way to use uroboros injection is pretty helpful

Billy Coen: multiple buys early in the game can really set you up early and returning a card from your discard pile to your hand when you get 10 or more there helps a bunch. Multiple flamethrowers is kinda good.

High tier

Chris Redfield: He mainly specializes in 1 or 2 weapon types that you want to give him and being able to use that style to use him with only 1 weapon type is amazing. 60 ammo for 2 magnums? yes please!!!

Leon S Kennedy: With the effects he have to stack things on the bottom of the deck to the top is good, but it can take him a while to reap the true benefit of his second effect due to it is high for him to level up to level 2


Jill Valentine (brainwashed): Still with the same thing as the first one, she still loves them bombs. Her increase in weapon power similar to star crossed duo is pretty reliable for her first effect and the second one being able to trigger whenever she wants to is pretty helpful

Middle Tier

Jack Krauser: sucks that he can't use more than 1 weapon, but the extra health and extra damage that he can deal is pretty effective

Claire Redfield: being able to trash herbs for more damage is pretty good for her and she is able to last longer than the previous Claire

Carlos Olivera: Being able to peek into the mansion is helpful, but the other effect of if he ties with an infected I don't see doing as well as others say since how often will Carlos tie in an infected in damage? next to none

bottom tier
Hunk: low health, and being able to send damage to your partner is kind of a way you would not get anyone to play with you as a partner again, and the only good time for his second effect is if either you were playing solo or your partner died

Josh Stone: Limit to weapons hurts him more than Jack since there are not many good weapons in the expansion that is below 50 cost. The only good thing he has is the second effect of adding more attachable cards


if you agree/disagree with what I say, feel free to comment on it

[Gibb]

Meh I don't agree with this. Explosive Jill is pretty legit if you use her right. And if you partner her with BW Jill it makes for infinite flash grenade kill steals. Not to mention original Leon being pretty good. Also, did you account for partner potential? Because that seems important to consider.

I hadn't thought of this until you mentioned explosive Jill, but another possibility would be to attach the Grenade Launcher and a Flash Grenade to a partner. That way anytime another player in the game draws a Las Plagas, you get the steal. Almost seems cheap, but for any other enemy that appears, those cards wouldn't be very useful. Of course, attaching a grenade launcher and the rocket launcher would be pretty cheap, in a combined game, haha.

[Tzer]

Gibb: With BW Jill the Flash Grenade has to be trashed from your hand, if it is attached to your partner, it's not in your hand, meaning you can't trash it for her ability. Also, if you use an attached rocket launcher + grenade launcher, the rocket launcher doesn't stay attached, but goes into your discard pile instead of being trashed.

Alucard Sparda: The Russian Assault Rifle certainly helps in getting the exact damage with Carlos

fireblaster: Now Krauser should be a bit higher up. Being able to do AT LEAST 50 dmg for free EVERY TURN is something not to be underestimated! Also, I'd rate Hunk better than Alliance Leon, Leon gets you to choose cards, yeah, but it'll still be one of the 5 cards you draw every turn. With Hunk you get +2 Free cards every turn, which gives you quite an advantage.
Josh CAN be exploited, given you're playing partner mode and there isn't Archrival in the resource pile.

[The Enforcer]

I hadn't thought of this until you mentioned explosive Jill, but another possibility would be to attach the Grenade Launcher and a Flash Grenade to a partner. That way anytime another player in the game draws a Las Plagas, you get the steal. Almost seems cheap, but for any other enemy that appears, those cards wouldn't be very useful. Of course, attaching a grenade launcher and the rocket launcher would be pretty cheap, in a combined game, haha.

We've had it happen, but attaching the Rocket Launcher is a wasted action since as Tzer was saying it still goes to Discard after use. Have your main character fire the Rocket Launcher and you still keep the effect of the Grenade Launcher if attached.

[ShakeZoola]

What rules are you using for Jill (LiN)? IMO the card text makes her an incredibly powerful character, but officials at Bandai actually ruled her card differently, saying she only gets 5 cards after a turn is skipped, instead of 10.

Would you care to site that? LIN Jill is currently one of my fav characters and this would drastically effect the way I play her!

[Gibb]

Would you care to site that? LIN Jill is currently one of my fav characters and this would drastically effect the way I play her!

http://www.bandaicg.com/residentevil...pdated-4-29-11)

PR-002 Jill Valentine

[Once Per] LVL 1 – As your turn starts, you can choose to skip your current turn and discard your hand (You do not draw 5 cards at the end of this skipped turn). If you do, at the start of your next turn, you get to draw 5 cards, get an additional Buy, Action, and Explore. If you do this and your next turn is skipped due to an effect, then you will not get the bonuses of your effect.