It was intended for this piece to be a bright and exciting one, where I could proudly present the freshly overhauled tier list that I put considerable time and energy into crafting. Despite the change in tone, my dedication remains unwavering, and I won’t let anything keep it from basking in its deserved limelight. Unfortunately, the situation has taken a turn for the worse. Not only has Chenxing – Jade Arc seemingly outclassed the entire DPS roster with her power creep, but even the newly released Enya – Tempest, who was supposed to focus on mobbing, appears to be matching her pace. Oh bother! Let’s delve into it.

Tier List v2

After countless hours poring over what might have been a memory-leaking WordPress editor, I’m thrilled to present the revamped tier list! This redesign addresses numerous challenges with the previous layout, offering a more streamlined, polished interface that not only looks great but also provides additional insights into why and how an operative receives their specific rating.

Previously, the tier list featured comprehensive reviews for many operatives, a practice stemming from its initial form as a single Google Docs file. As it transitioned to a full-fledged website and my workflow evolved to produce individual guide articles, these extensive reviews are no longer necessary. Instead, character entries can now be condensed into brief summaries detailing their ratings. Furthermore, operatives now have separate ratings for Neural Simulation, Supreme Battleground, and general content, offering a clearer picture of their overall abilities. Additionally, there are new sections providing additional information about their unique skills, strengths, and weaknesses.

This issue persists since there aren’t current articles about our older operatives. For now, I’ve saved their reviews as “historical assessments,” and I’m uncertain about publishing them elsewhere. On one side, it’s preferable to having nothing. However, on the other, many of these reviews haven’t held up well because I didn’t have time to update them, and the new builds page provides most of the necessary information. Please share your thoughts in a comment so I can consider your perspective.

Hey there fellow gamers! Swing by the freshly updated tier list page – I believe you’ll find it a smoother and more enjoyable journey through the gaming landscape.

Let’s Talk About Powercreep

I’m just going to say it as bluntly as possible: Chenxing – Jade Arc is problematically strong.

If you recall the groundbreaking debut of Cherno – Enigma in the DPS operative realm and how it surpassed expectations, this new development is similar but with a twist. We’ve become accustomed to the evolution of DPS operatives, witnessing how they outshine their predecessors. So when I claim that Chenxing is extraordinarily powerful, it carries significant weight. She pushes the boundaries much like Cherno did, but with a key difference: Chenxing can deal more devastating burst damage in less time. This has led to significant changes, the most striking being her ability to dismantle Neural Simulation bosses. For instance, consider these two Lament of Yehrus runs as an example:

1st Paragraph: If you’re familiar with Cherno – Enigma’s initial release and how it smashed through the perceived boundaries for a DPS operative, this is quite similar in essence. We’ve grown accustomed to this second generation of DPS operatives and their ability to outshine earlier releases. So, when I say Chenxing is incredibly powerful, it carries significant weight. She transcends the norm much like Cherno did, but with a twist: Chenxing can deal more destructive burst damage in less time. This has resulted in significant adjustments, the most notable being her ability to dismantle Neural Simulation bosses. As an illustration, consider these two Lament of Yehrus runs as an example:

2nd Paragraph: If you remember Cherno – Enigma’s first appearance and how it shattered expectations for what a DPS operative could achieve, this is very much the same idea. We are now used to this new breed of DPS operatives and their ability to outperform their predecessors. Thus, when I state that Chenxing is exceptionally powerful, it speaks volumes. She pushes the envelope in the same way as Cherno did, but with a unique twist: Chenxing can unleash greater burst damage more quickly. This has led to substantial changes, the most significant being her capacity to dismantle Neural Simulation bosses. To put this into perspective, consider these two Lament of Yehrus runs as an example:

The initial video displays an impressively executed, expertly strategized run by a nearly fully upgraded team. They execute well and employ creative tactics to conquer the pillar phase swiftly. This is an outstanding demonstration of top-tier gameplay.

In the second video, I’m shown not performing what was expected, but still managing to defeat Lament of Yehrus quicker. This is a team that has significantly less investment, only nine Manifests and three SSR gacha weapons. Even on a run where I wasn’t playing optimally (I spent the first ten seconds goofing around instead of stacking arrows with charged shots), my clear time was almost two seconds faster – which is like an hour in the competitive world of Neural Simulation. An even more optimal run with this team could have done it even quicker, making the situation even worse.

From my perspective, watching the second video, it’s clear that Chenxing managed to bypass the Lament of Yehrus’ challenging minigame by delivering a single powerful blow when the boss was at 80% health. Normally, Lament of Yehrus is just a punching bag, with its unique feature being the pillar phase. For those aiming to improve their run times, mastering and refining the pillar breaking strategy has been key. However, there were also skip strategies involving an exploit with the boss’ freeze mechanic, but these demanded significant investment in the team and relied heavily on favorable random number generation (RNG). But now, it seems that with some strategic arrow stacking, you too can bypass the Lament of Yehrus’ pillar phase, potentially setting a new personal best time.

In simpler terms, it seems unfair and unhealthy for the game that Chenxing – Jade Arc, being a “wedding operative,” uses her high burst damage to outperform other DPS characters without any restraint. The ease of access to such powerful damage is concerning, especially since Chenxing can swiftly eliminate most bosses within five seconds or less on certain enemies at higher investment levels, leaving little chance for other operatives to take them down first.

As a gamer, it’s downright nerve-wracking to see how Enya – Tempest is taking the gaming world by storm, outpacing my favorite game character before I can even blink.

Indeed, she can unleash her high damage output only once. Moreover, her movement capabilities are somewhat restricted during the process of gathering U-Energy for her ultimate skill. However, these aspects seem inconsequential. The mere fact that a character primarily focused on area-of-effect (AoE) combat is even being discussed in the same Neural Simulation debate as Chenxing – Jade Arc, a character who has already redefined the Damage Per Second (DPS) meta, appears absurd. Surprisingly, Enya, thanks to Deiwos’ passive that grants her both AoE power and versatility in boss fights, is not only able to match, but sometimes even surpass Chenxing’s performance.

In simpler terms, after a significant improvement in DPS (Damage Per Second) performance by Cherno – Enigma around a year ago, I had expected Seasun to adjust and slow things down. For most of the second half of 2024, it appeared that they were doing so, as DPS increases became more manageable and some less impressive releases were made. However, it seems that Seasun is now accelerating again, which could indicate a second major leap in performance with Chenxing – Jade Arc and Enya – Tempest as potential forerunners rather than isolated incidents. I sincerely hope this isn’t the case, but I feel compelled to issue a warning.

Tier List Updates

View the full tier list here.

Enya – Tempest

NEW! → T0

As a devoted fan, I’ve always found it perplexing that the Snowbreak meta seemingly dismisses Enya – Tempest’s competitive potential. Her base damage ratios, when compared, appear too diminutive to justify her area-of-effect (AoE) skills dealing noteworthy damage. However, as we all know, Enya defies such expectations and remains a formidable top-tier DPS operative. She seemingly disregards the opinions of tier list editors who deem the impossible, well, impossible.

Without getting too playful – Enya’s initial attack ratios might not seem extraordinary, but with allies like Tess – The Magician enhancing her ultimate, those seemingly modest figures escalate to quite formidable levels. Furthermore, when she benefits from the Deiwos passive, which boosts her damage in single-target battles against bosses, Enya manages an astounding feat – she rivals Chenxing – Jade Arc’s extraordinary burst power. It’s important to note that this is typically a one-time burst of damage, but when it packs such a punch, additional attacks are seldom required.

Chenxing – Jade Arc

T0 ↓ T0.5
NEW! → T0 [M1T2]

To clarify, Chenxing‘s performance initially appears puzzling due to her competitive standing against the previous top-tier DPS characters at lower investment levels. However, this will become clearer as I elaborate. At these stages, her burst potential is still subject to a prolonged preparation phase because she relies on sticking arrows. Yet, when Chenxing ascends to M1T2 power levels, the necessity for extensive pincushioning significantly reduces, making her setup less of an issue. Consequently, she gains unparalleled burst damage potential, pushing lower-invested versions of herself down a tier. In this new context, only Enya – Tempest can match Chenxing’s performance, placing them both in the upper echelon of Tier 0.

Yao – Nightglow

NEW! → T0

Yao is an exceptional Ballistic specialist, comparable to the highly sought-after Fenny – Starshine. Although her utility doesn’t surpass Fenny’s reload-eliminating ability, she compensates with powerful support enhancements to Attack, critical hit rate, and Ballistic Damage – all crucial stats for a Ballistic DPS operative. Despite not being fond of overtime, it appears Yao will be putting in extra hours in the Neural Simulation arena and beyond.

Enya – Exuvia

T0 ↓ T0.5
NEW! → T0 [M2T2]

The supremacy of Chenxing – Jade Arc, an operative who excels in both technology and ballistics for high DPS, has caused a significant shift in the traditional DPS rankings. This change also affects many of Enya’s top skill-based DPS combinations. To add to the challenge, several of these skill-based operatives – Katya – Dawnwing, Cherno – Enigma, and Siris – Ksana – have opted to team up with Tess – The Magician instead. This switch not only boosts their damage but also streamlines their rotation sequence. Even the arrival of Enya’s alternate form, Enya – Tempest, as a strong skill-based DPS contender, faces difficulties in amassing support skills due to her lack of shooting abilities, making it hard for Exuvia to fully utilize her damage buff potential. It’s ironic.

As a player, I find myself needing to invest more resources into Enya to keep her competitive as a top-tier support. Previously, she was able to hold her own, but now her basic abilities just don’t cut it anymore.

Marian – Riptide

T0 ↓ T0.5

Finally.

As a gamer, I’ve always found it hard to swallow that Riptide landed in Tier 0 since she joined. In my eyes, she didn’t deserve that rating and was primarily there due to the mighty Skill DPS operatives like Katya – Dawnwing. The lack of Skill support options made her seem even more deserving.

However, with many Skill DPS characters being pushed down and a shift in support preferences making it tough for even Enya – Exuvia to hold her ground, it seems inevitable that Riptide will be booted from Tier 0 soon too.

Fritia – Turbo

T1 ↓ T2
NEW! → T1 [M4T2]

Ignore the decrease in her ranking; it’s simply the same decline that all current DPS operatives experienced following the release of Chenxing – Jade Arc and Enya – Tempest.

The intriguing aspect in this case lies in her recent increase in investment rating. Enhancing Fritia’s signature weapon or adding more Manifests doesn’t address her fundamental issues, but it does bump up the numbers significantly, making Turbo effective against a variety of bosses and preventing her from lagging behind due to power creep.

Cherno – Those Two

T3 ↑ T2

It turns out that Cherno’s 4-star version has been gaining popularity lately. This is because tough opponents like Njall – Hardened and Katya – Frostcap are vulnerable to Cherno, allowing her to delay their invincibility periods just enough for you to defeat them. Although she may not be as adaptable as the top-tier support character Acacia – Redacted, having access to Alloy Truth makes a strong argument for promoting Cherro.

Most DPS operatives

Placement lowered by 1

It turns out that the abilities of Chenxing – Jade Arc and Enya – Tempest, which can essentially destroy most bosses in the game incredibly fast, have resulted in a significant power imbalance within the Snowbreak DPS meta. Who would have guessed that such overwhelming power could lead to such a vast disparity?

It’s all so tiring.

In a recent update on February 20, 2025, Cherno – Enigma was moved down from Elite (T0) to High Elite (T0.5), while Bubu – The Geomancer was promoted from High Elite (T0.5★) to Elite (T0).

Lyfe – Infinite Sight

T0 ↓ T0.5

Bubu – The Geomancer

T0 ↓ T0.5