Alright, let’s talk about how I put together my Blue Archive tier list for 2023. It wasn’t some super scientific thing, just me sitting down and really thinking about who I actually use and why.
Getting Started – Why Bother?
Honestly, I saw a few lists floating around and some just didn’t feel right based on my own time playing the game. Plus, things change, new students come out, bosses get tougher. I figured, why not make my own? Sort of a way to organize my thoughts and share what’s been working for me.
The Grind: Playing and Watching
First thing, obviously, is you gotta play the game. A lot. I spent tons of time just running through missions, doing the daily grinds, and especially pushing hard in Total Assault (Raids) and trying my luck in Tactical Challenge (PvP). You can’t really judge a student if you haven’t seen them in action yourself, right?
I paid close attention to who I kept slotting into my teams. Who made that tough boss fight suddenly manageable? Who carried me through event stages? Who was just warming the bench? That practical use was my main guide.
- Raids: This was huge. Seeing who pumped out damage on Chesed, who could survive Hod, who helped break mechanics on Binah. Big factor.
- PvP: Totally different beast. Fast skills, annoying tanks, specific counters. Had to think about who works in that mess.
- General Missions: Who clears waves fast? Who keeps the team alive without trouble? Basic stuff, but important.
I did glance at what other folks were saying online, you know, forums and stuff. Just to see if I was completely off base about someone. But mostly, I trusted my own eyes and experience. Sometimes the popular pick just didn’t click for me, or I found a less popular student surprisingly good.
Making the Tiers Make Sense
Next, I had to decide on the actual tiers. I didn’t want it too complicated. Went with something like:
- S+ Tier: The game-changers. Students who are just ridiculously strong or enable crazy stuff. You really want these.
- S Tier: Super solid, top performers in their roles. Maybe not utterly broken, but darn close. You use them constantly.
- A Tier: Good, reliable students. Get the job done well. Might be slightly more situational than S tiers, but still great.
- B Tier: Decent, usable. Maybe they shine in specific situations or need more investment, or are just okay alternatives.
- C Tier: Niche or mostly outclassed. You can use them, but there are usually better options.
Just needed simple buckets to sort everyone into.
Sorting Them Out – The Hard Part
This took the longest. I literally went through my student list one by one.
For each student, I thought about:
- Their Skills: How good is that EX skill? Does it cost too much? Are the passive buffs actually useful?
- Their Role: Is this tank actually tanky? Does this DPS hit hard enough? Does this support provide useful buffs/healing?
- Where They Shine: This was key. A student might be S+ tier for one specific raid boss but only B tier everywhere else. I tried to balance that out, or at least make a mental note. For example, I remember trying Student A in Kaiten raid, total beast. But then in PvP, she just got flattened instantly. So, had to weigh that.
- Investment Needed: Does this student need to be 5 stars with maxed skills to be good, or are they decent even at low investment? That matters too.
I started just throwing names into a document under the tier headings. It was messy. I moved students up and down constantly. “Wait, is she really S tier, or just A+?” “Nah, this guy is definitely better than that other one, gotta swap them.” Lots of second-guessing.
I compared students in the same role directly. Like, looking at all my AoE damage dealers. Who hits hardest? Who has better range? Who costs less? That helped solidify placements.
Final Polish
Once I had a rough draft, I stepped back and looked at it. Does this look reasonable? Is one tier way too crowded? Did I forget someone obvious? I tweaked things a bit more. Moved a few students around after reconsidering their performance in different areas.
It’s important to remember, this list is based on my experience up to this point in 2023. The game keeps changing, so this list won’t be perfect forever. It’s just a snapshot of what I found works best right now.
Wrapping Up
So yeah, that was basically it. Played a ton, thought hard about who works where, made some categories, sorted them out with a lot of shuffling, and gave it a final look-over. No complex math, just a lot of gameplay and gut feeling based on that gameplay. Hopefully, sharing my process helps, or at least gives you ideas for figuring out your own top students!
