Epic Seven PvP Tier List 2026
Epic Seven PvP tier list for 2026 with RTA pick rates, draft roles, ban priorities and the counters that decide matches.
PvP in Epic Seven is a draft problem before it is a gear problem. Two accounts with similar gear can end a match in the first two turns because one of them picked a support that the other could not answer. That is why a PvP tier list built only on damage numbers is useless.
This list uses current RTA pick rates, role scarcity and ban pressure. It assumes a mature account with speed gear, not a first-week roster.
The current RTA pool
Pick rates from the current season's public stats give a rough picture of what strong players trust:
| Hero | Role | Pick rate | Tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fallen Cecilia | Dark Knight | 42.17% | S |
| Boss Arunka | Fire Warrior | 37.14% | S |
| Genesis Ras | Earth Knight | 31.79% | S |
| School Nurse Yulha | Earth Soul Weaver | 27.07% | S |
| Belian | Dark Knight | 23.96% | S |
| Setsuka | Ice Thief | 17.79% | A |
| Rinak | Fire Soul Weaver | 17.58% | A |
| Empyrean Ilynav | Fire Knight | 17.32% | A |
| Frieren | Ice Mage | 13.54% | A |
| Ruele | Light Soul Weaver | 10.89% | A |
| Harsetti | Dark Mage | 7.88% | A |
A high pick rate means the hero fits many drafts and is hard to punish. It does not mean the hero wins every match. Fallen Cecilia's presence is a statement about how valuable flexible protection is, not proof that she kills teams by herself.
Pick rates shift with every balance patch and season reset. Use the percentages to understand role priority, not as a permanent ranking.
Why the top tier is support-heavy
RTA gives each player five picks and a ban phase. That structure rewards heroes who remain useful after the opponent has seen them. Pure damage dealers are easier to ban or answer; flexible knights and soul weavers are not.
Fallen Cecilia is the clearest example. She provides protection, disruption and a body that survives the first rotation. She fits both slow and fast drafts, which is why she is picked in nearly half of the matches in the sample.
Genesis Ras and School Nurse Yulha follow the same logic. One manipulates tempo and survives; the other repairs the damage that a bad first turn causes. Neither is a flashy pick, and both make a draft more consistent.
Boss Arunka and Belian are the damage exceptions. They are picked because they punish specific draft shapes hard enough to justify the risk. Arunka pressures teams that cannot strip or control her; Belian punishes teams that rely on repeated skill use.
Tier list by draft role
S tier
| Hero | Job | Best with | Weak to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fallen Cecilia | Protect, disrupt, survive | Slow bulky teams, revive cores | Strip and control |
| Boss Arunka | Pressure and damage | Fast openers, attack buffs | Heavy control, evasion |
| Genesis Ras | Tempo and durability | Almost any draft | Dedicated strip |
| School Nurse Yulha | Sustain and repair | Long fights, bruiser cores | Burst before healing |
| Belian | Punish skill-heavy teams | Control drafts | Cleanse and immunity |
These five are not interchangeable. A draft that picks all five without a speed plan can still lose to a faster cleave. The tier measures individual value, not team synergy.
A tier
| Hero | Job | Why they are picked |
|---|---|---|
| Setsuka | Speed pressure and debuffs | Creates turn-order advantage |
| Rinak | Support and tempo | Fits aggressive and balanced drafts |
| Empyrean Ilynav | Front-line pressure | Protects damage dealers |
| Frieren | Damage and utility | Punishes slow compositions |
| Ruele | Revive and sustain | Extends stall and defense |
| Harsetti | Disruption | Breaks scripted openers |
| Zio | Speed control | Steals the first turn |
| Sea Phantom Politis | Anti-support | Punishes cleanse-heavy teams |
| Politis | Cleanse punishment | Counters support stacking |
| Cerise | Speed and debuff setup | Enables slower damage dealers |
| Faithless Lidica | CR manipulation | Controls the turn order |
| Conqueror Lilias | Aggressive support | Pushes the team forward |
| Specter Tenebria | Debuff damage | Punishes low-resistance teams |
| Arbiter Vildred | Cleave threat | Forces bans and respect |
The A tier is where drafts are won. These heroes are strong enough to build around and common enough to plan against.
Counter picks that matter
| Threat | Problem | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| Fallen Cecilia | Protection and disruption | Strip, unhealable, or ignore her and kill the damage |
| Boss Arunka | High damage after setup | Control before her turn, or evasion |
| Belian | Punishes skill use | Cleanse, immunity, or low-skill damage |
| School Nurse Yulha | Sustains through chip damage | Burst windows and heal block |
| Genesis Ras | Tempo and durability | Speed control and defense break |
| Ruele | Revive | Kill twice or prevent the revive |
| Sea Phantom Politis | Punishes cleanse | Avoid unnecessary cleanse; kill her first |
| Cerise | Opens the turn order | Contest speed or use a faster opener |
Counter picking is not only about the hero. A counter that moves after the threat does nothing. Speed tuning and artifact choice decide whether the answer actually lands.
Do not first-pick a damage dealer with an obvious counter. In RTA, the opponent sees your first pick and can build the answer before you complete the draft.
Ban priorities
The ban phase should remove the hero that breaks your plan, not the highest pick rate on the list.
- Ban the enabler. If your team folds to a fast opener, ban the opener rather than the damage dealer.
- Ban the answer. If you are committed to a debuff strategy, ban the cleanse that undoes it.
- Leave the mirror. If both teams can use a strong support, banning it may hurt you more than the opponent.
- Respect the one-trick. A low-pick specialist can be more dangerous than a meta pick if the opponent clearly built around it.
Gear thresholds for PvP
PvP gear is less forgiving than PvE gear. A Wyvern damage dealer can get away with 180 speed; an RTA opener cannot.
| Role | Speed target | Other priorities |
|---|---|---|
| Opener | As high as possible | Effectiveness, survivability |
| Support | 220-260 | HP, Defense, Effect Resistance |
| Damage | 180-220 | Crit Chance, Crit Damage, Attack |
| Tank | 180-220 | HP, Defense, Effect Resistance |
| Control | 230+ | Effectiveness, Speed |
These are starting points, not universal cuts. A 250-speed opener with no effectiveness misses the debuff and loses the turn anyway.
Building a PvP roster from scratch
New accounts should not chase the S tier directly. Build in this order:
- One reliable opener with speed gear.
- One support that can survive a bad first turn.
- One damage dealer with a real equipment set.
- One answer to the most common threat in your rank.
- One flex pick for the draft.
That is five heroes, and it is enough to start. Adding a sixth before the first five have gear spreads your resources thin.
The Arena defense guide covers the other half of PvP: making a defense that holds while you are offline.
FAQ
What makes a hero top tier in PvP?
Contested pick rate, flexible drafting, and the ability to function without a dedicated enabler. A hero that only works in one draft is a counterpick, not a top-tier pick.
Why is Fallen Cecilia picked so often?
She fits multiple draft shells, provides a strong defensive presence, and is hard to punish with a single counter. That flexibility matters more than raw damage in RTA.
Should I build PvP heroes before PvE?
No. Build a stable Wyvern team first. PvP teams need gear depth, and the same gear carries both modes.
Related reading
- Epic Seven RTA Tier List 2026 for draft and ban logic.
- Epic Seven Arena Defense Teams 2026 for defense archetypes.
- Epic Seven Speed Tuning Guide for turn order.
- Epic Seven Tier List 2026 for the PvE side.
- Epic Seven Gear Guide for substat priorities.
Epic Seven official notices announce season resets and balance patches that move the PvP meta.
Official sources: Epic Seven on Steam, Epic Seven DB, and Epic Seven official notices.
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