You just spent 5,000 Gems on the new banner and pulled a unit you’ve never seen before. Is it trash? Or did you just secure a slot in the “Infinite Mode” Leaderboard?
In Anime Vanguards, power creep is real. The units that were OP in 2025 are now mid. With the January 2026 Raid Update, the meta has shifted from raw damage to Status Effects (Bleed/Burn) and Support Buffs.
Stop wasting your Essence evolving the wrong units. Here is the definitive Tier List for the current meta.
👑 S+ Tier (The “Broken” Units)
If you have these, you win. Period. They are required for Nightmare Raids.
| Unit Name | Role | Why it’s OP |
| Song (Shadow Monarch) | Summoner / DPS | The king of the game. His “Arise” ability summons shadows that block enemies AND deal damage. He is a one-man army. Evolving him to Song (Awakened) is the #1 priority for any player. |
| Alocard (Vampire King) | Global AoE | He hits everything. His range is practically the entire map. While his attack speed is slow, his raw damage per hit one-shots boss waves. Essential for skipping waves. |
| Cha-In (Dancer) | Boss Killer | Highest single-target DPS in the game. Her “Crit Rate” passive allows her to melt Raid Bosses in seconds. Pair her with a buffer, and she hits for millions. |
⚔️ S Tier (The Meta Staples)
These are excellent and can clear 99% of content.
- Igros (Blood Knight): Best Bleed unit. Essential for enemies with high regeneration. His attack speed is insane.
- Vogita (Prince): The best Burn unit. His active skill launches a massive AoE explosion that lingers. Great for crowd control.
- Sosuke (Curse Mark): Only good if Evolved. His “Amaterasu” black flames do percentage-based damage, which scales infinitely in high-wave runs.
- Gojo (The Honored One): He used to be S+, but got nerfed slightly. Still incredible for his “Time Stop” ability which freezes enemies in place.
🛡️ Support Tier (MANDATORY)
You cannot win without these. Damage isn’t everything.
- Sprintwagon (Speedwagon):
- Role: Money Farm.
- Verdict: You need money to place units. You literally cannot play the game without him. Place 3 of him immediately at the start of the match.
- Pinky (Sakura/Healer):
- Role: Base Healer / Buff.
- Verdict: In the new Raids, enemies damage your base directly. Pinky is currently the only viable unit that heals Base HP.
- Obita (Buffer):
- Role: Damage Buffer.
- Verdict: Increases the range and damage of all nearby units by 20%. Put him next to your Song or Alocard.
📉 B Tier (The “Mid” Trap)
Do not invest heavily in these. They fall off after Wave 20.
- Luffo (Rubber): Good for early game story mode, but lacks the range for endgame.
- Noruto (Sage): Decent damage, but Sosuke does his job better.
- Ichtigo (Substitute): Too slow. His damage is high, but he misses fast enemies.
🧬 The “Traits” Meta (Rerolling)
In 2026, the Unit is only 50% of the power. The Trait is the other 50%.
You need to use Trait Rerolls to get these specific stats:
- Monarch (0.1% Chance): +300% Damage, +50% Range. If you get this on Song, you have the best unit in the game.
- Deadeye: +40% Range, +50% Crit. Essential for Alocard to hit the entire map.
- Blitz: +30% Attack Speed. Put this on Igros to stack Bleed faster.
Warning: Do not reroll traits on your Farm units (Sprintwagon). Traits usually increase Damage, which does nothing for money units. Look for the “Fortune” trait for them specifically.
🧠 Strategy: The “Infinite Mode” Setup
If you want to reach Wave 100+:
- Wave 1-10: Place 3 Sprintwagons. Do not defend. Let your base take a little damage. Max out your money.
- Wave 11: Place Igros at the front to catch leaks.
- Wave 20: Place Obita (Buffer) in the middle of the map.
- Wave 25: Surround Obita with Song and Alocard.
- Wave 50+: Set all units to “Strongest” targeting priority.