Apocalypse Strikers Tier Ratings Major Revision Aug 2016

Hello all, we will be doing a major revamp of the strikers' tier ratings.

Our goal is to revise the strikers' tier ratings to reflect the current PvP & PvE meta, as accurately as possible.

In the process, we will explain our rationales and the current PvP & PvE environment surrounding the revised strikers ratings.

This major revision comes after the utility strikers balancing carried out + late july major patch + new CoD season 5.


Read the previous major revision to better understand the current PvP meta/environment:

soccerspirits.freeforums.net/thread/388/apocalypse-strikers-ratings-major-revision


This time round, we've decided to be more technical with the striker tier list so it will be clearer as to where each striker stands.

The current ratings are still very raw and requires much polishing.

#Feel free to feedback and share your thoughts.

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Late July Major Patch: soccerspirits.freeforums.net/thread/418/major-patch-released-soccer-spirits

Utility strikers balancing: soccerspirits.freeforums.net/thread/424/august-update-patch-soccer-spirits

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First, we will revise the PvE striker ratings.

Old/Previous Ratings:



Our PvE ratings are mainly based on Colosseum of Despair (CoD) & it will be staying that way.

This is because there is no size fit all striker that is used to clear all Colosseum of Trials (CoT).

For other PvE content, bosses etc, most strikers are equally capable of dealing with most of them.

So our PvE striker ratings will be based on the striker capabilities with regard to CoD.

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Revised New Strikers Ratings for PvE (Season 5 CoD)

* means stacked actives involved

^ means with shoot only

# means increases over time



Season 5 CoD (What has changed?)

• It is very hard to survive at the backline after taking one shot at late CoD stages.
  
  Meaning after you shoot once and the ball comes back to backline, you are almost guaranteed dead.
  
  Exceptions of S-rating GKs like (Angela, BT)
  
  
• CoD Goalkeepers no longer heal when attacked.
  
  This brings back the Ravian/Bora/Kirin Cheese Strategy

Difference between 6* and 7* players' ratings?

The best unique for PvE for all strikers is Sharr of Balmung (SoB), except the cheese strikers who might use a different unique.

If your striker cannot equip SoB at 6*, meaning he needs to reroll spirit stone slot attribute at 7* to be able to equip SoB, you can drop his PvE rating by one grade to get his 6* PvE rating. 

For example, A+ > A.


Revising the players' ratings

First, we will look at the OHKO meta for CoD.

Sharr remains the #1 CoD striker (S rating)

Followed by William, Shanti, Lucid, Vonchi (S- ratings)
With high critical damage and ability to increase inflicted damage (with either passive or 2 ardor critical damage stones).

Followed by Irru, Vitos, Blade (A+ ratings)
With lower damage and similar ability to increase inflicted damage (with 2 ardor critical damage stone)

For the moment, we are not considering players who will reroll stone slots to equip 2 ardor critical damage stones. 

Ravian, Kirin and Bora gets the S- ratings for their ability to utilize the cheese strategy in CoD with goalkeeper no longer healing when attacked.
These strikers have reflex buff/debuffs and can shoot/steal permanently and kill the GK that doesn't self heal.
Useful for late CoD floors.

The current ratings are still very raw and requires much polishing.
#Feel free to feedback any ideas you might have.

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Revised New Striker Ratings for PvP

Image Address: i.imgur.com/Qz10PGA.png (For people who have problems seeing the image)

* means stacked actives involved

^ means with shoot only

# means increases over time




First of all, one can reach PvP Galaxy League Tier with ease by using any striker with ratings A+ or higher.

The PvP backline that we are considering to be up against here is:

Duran + Silk + GK (BT/Angela/Jin/Raklet/Kei) backline



The current PvP player tier ratings can be divided into 3 classes:

• Strikers with extremely high normal shot critical rate but requires stacking actives.
  
  These are mainly the utility strikers that were buffed to become vonchi-like during the utility striker balancing patch.
  
  They include: Bora, Kirin, Blade, Vann, Ravian. Also included is Irru who is a critical rate oriented striker pre-patch.
  
  These strikers are best equipped with Sharr of Balmung (SoB) for the current meta.
  
  Long matches which allow these strikers to stack up their critical rate and do INSANE damage with SoB.
  
  
• Strikers with AB recovery and high action speed
  
  They include: William, Lucid, Vann, Vonchi, Ravian, Shanti
  
  These strikers can get their turns faster than the rest and do more shots before enemy backline can move
  
  
• Strikers that have increase inflicted damage that synergize with Elaine active + EBM
  
  They include Sharr, Shanti, Irru and Ravian
  
  This strategy that decrease GK damage reduction counters the Duran backlines where DR is reduced and penetration power is no longer needed to overcome DR.

#1 ranking criteria atm, which will result in the S rating is AB recovery + high action speed to get a turn.

Which is why William, Vann, Vonchi, Ravian, and Shanti are given the S rating.

Lucid is slightly weaker as she is more easily killed when stealing or by defenders and loses her buff, due to weak 1st shot etc.

Thus, S- ratings.


#2 ranking criteria, will be high critical rate with high damage using Sharr of Balmung (SoB)

All the high critical rate strikers are given S- ratings.

These strikers require 5 actives to reach maxed stacks.

Which is also one of the reason why their ratings are lower than WoM strikers like William, Shanti, Vonchi.

Because WoM strikers gain critical rate via attack too, where active shot is not required.


#3 Leventor and Hiro are given the A+ ratings. 

Whether if hiro uses SoB, depends on the frontline as his normal shots critical rate is rather low.

Hiro can also equip WoM for AB recovery so it depends on the players as to which unique to use.

Leventor has the reflex/defense debuff that creates a synergy with reflex thunder lines but lacks the speed to get a turn. 


#4 Beatrice, Vitos, Griffith are strikers of the past that cannot crit.

Griffith might have high penetration power but in a 3 man frontline, her damage is low. 

Most griffith strikers that do high damage runs a 4 man frontline. 


#5 Utility strikers like Latios, Uriel with virtually no damage

These strikers are fun to play with, against weak backlines.

But if you go up against durangela backlines, these strikers with no damage cannot win the game at all.

Because they are unable to kill enemy GK. 

The match will surely end up in draw. Hence, we are giving strikers with virtually no damage lower ratings this time round.

But this does not mean that you cannot get to Galaxy league with Latios. 

You still can because there are many weak backlines out there but as time goes along, with more and more durangela, the effectiveness of these strikers will drop.


The current ratings are still very raw and requires much polishing.
#Feel free to feedback any different thoughts you might have.

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Why OHKO strikers with penetration power are not given better ratings?


As we stated, the backline we are considering to be up against is Duran Angela (-40% penetration power).

With negative 40% penetration power debuff, your striker needs to reach 140% penetration power to have full 100% penetration power.

Lets take Leventor for example:

• 30% penetration power from passive
  
  
• 25% penetration power from Luka 
  
  
• 20% penetration power from Jiho 
  
  
• 30% penetration power from Glabaris
  
  
• 16% penetration power from stone
  
  
• 20% penetration power from Guin
  
  
• Total = 141% penetration power - 40% from Durangela = 101%.
  
  You might still get some 30% penetration power substats from stones BUT...
  
  
• A lot of critical rate is sacrificed if you do not use ShoT, do not use thunder receiving pass stones
  
  Thus, your striker might not crit.
  
  
• And most importantly, players from the OHKO era will know, MAGNUS/CHITOSE will prevent the OHKO with elemental damage reduction totem.
  
  
• Hence, OHKO doesn't work against any GK with 3k+ HP and an elemental DR totem in backline which is almost everywhere.

So why OHKO doesn't work anymore? 

• Inability to reach 100% penetration power against high DR goalkeepers
  
  
• Inability to OHKO with high HP goalkeeper + elemental damage reduction totem like magnus

If you do not OHKO, the next thing you know, virgil/gaphyl/miho/metatron/felix is going to heal the goalkeeper back up.

Silk will then buff the critical resistance to a level which your OHKO striker will never crit.

If you look at the list, OHKO strikers with penetration power from passive usually have low normal shot critical rate. 

I hope this answers your questions.

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Enjoy reading and have fun !!~