Fire Emblem Heroes Tier List Updated, Feb Week 3: The Takumi Era

This week in Fire Emblem Heroes with the release of a whole new collection of heroes, we've got some adjusting to do. Adjusting to the big Tier List, that is to say – deciding which characters belong on which rank level based on their skills and statistics. For the most part the rank list has remained largely the same. With the rise of overpowered characters like Takumi, however, it's become time to make some changes.

For those of you that follow the Fire Emblem Heroes Wiki, you'll find many of the same rankings here as there. The most recent rank changes made there have been made here, too – though we do mark our ranks just a bit different. Ephraim has been added to S rank, moved from A – everyone else moved has moved down the list. That includes Sully, Camilla, Raven, Merric, Cecilia, Felicia, Maria, Clarine, and Serra.

UPDATED List – a lot of changes have occurred over the past couple of days, and even the last several hours. As such, the following contains the most updated list we're able to produce at the time this update is made. Next update we'll make a whole extra new article and point to it from here – hit the Fire Emblem tag to se what's next.

NOTE: In our ranked list we're using the icons or the expanded avatar images of the heroes we're indicating. Instead of using SS, S, A, and B, we're coloring the rankings Gold Silver, Bronze. They mean the same as SS, S, and A – or best, second-best, and third-best. There's also a B ranking, sometimes a C ranking, but we're generally fans of skipping ranking that low now that there are so very many heroes to rank.

In the topmost rank – SS or Gold – you'll find Lucina, Azura, Hector, and Takumi. If you've encountered Hector or Takumi before, you'll know exactly why they're up there. Hector has "Distant Counter", which allows him to counterattack regardless of distance to attacker.

SEE TOO: Attaining the Fire Emblem Heroes free secret bonus orbs

Takumi has largely the same ability "enables unit to counterattack regardless of distance to attacker", though Takumi's is called "Close Counter." Azura allows a unit to take another action, effectively granting any user the ability to double their most powerful unit's abilities.

With Defiant Speed, Lucina enables herself to run away once her HP are below 50%. This combined with the to recover 10HP every third turn with her Falchion (which also has a Might of 16) makes her a very difficult hero to kill. She also grands adjacent allies Attack +3, which puts her directly in the center of my phalanx strategy.

This tiered ranking list comes as the folks behind the game Fire Emblem Heroes continue to update the game at a FURIOUSLY FAST rate. After waiting for the (much smaller) team of developers to kick out updates for Pokemon GO through the last year, this update rate seems like magic. If I were the sort of person that spent money on in-game purchases, I'd be spending a whole lot here.