This Warborne Above Ashes Drifter Tier List is based on the final playtests + early live experience. Drifters are grouped by their overall strength, utility, and how well they fit into Season 1’s meta. Remember: Warborne is a team-driven MMO, so even “lower” tier drifters can shine if they complement your warband’s strategy.
Warborne Above Ashes Drifter Tier List (Season 1 Launch)
S Tier – Must-Have Picks
Drifters who define the meta, easy to build around, and almost always valuable.
Overdrive – Still the king of damage. His self-buff (speed, CC immunity, extra damage) lets him shred in both small skirmishes and full-scale warband fights. Works with bows, spears, or melee — Overdrive is the safe DPS choice for anyone.
Draor (Draknor) – The strongest tank right now. His prison + pull combo locks enemies in place and sets them up for devastating zerg wipes. If your warband needs frontline control, Draor is the first draft.
Revelation – Best healer/support in the game. Cleanses debuffs, removes DoTs, and throws out huge AoE heals. If your warband is serious about pushing harvesters, you need at least one Revelation.
Mole – The logistics god. Gathering faster, carrying more, and dashing out of danger. Mole wins seasons because resources = upgrades. On top of that, she’s incredible at stealing objectives and escaping.
A Tier
Solid choices that shine in the right comp or role.
Shadowseer – Used to be overpowered, but still a strong AoE DPS pick. Channels massive sustained damage and scales well in big fights.
Moonveil – “Necessary evil.” By herself she feels mediocre, but in large groups her mana regen keeps fights going. Any serious warband runs at least one.
Illusarch – Brings rare mass stealth utility. Great for ambushes and sneaky rotations. Not raw damage, but excellent tactical value.
Izzy – Surprisingly tanky with the highest Strength scaling in the game. She’s underrated and makes for a durable early tank option.
Veska – Good support utility through buffs/debuffs, though you usually only need one per group. Strong in coordinated comps.
B Tier – Decent, Situational Picks
Playable, but not first choice.
Sanguor – Lifesteal brawler. Fun to play and tankier than most agility drifters, but struggles because Warborne fights are usually “burst or die.”
Kyra – Strong early tank option. Has freeze and slow effects, but doesn’t scale as hard as Draor or Izzy.
Zero – Your starter drifter, and actually pretty solid. He’s not S-tier, but he’s better than people give him credit for. Works in multiple builds, just eventually falls behind stronger picks.
Aegis – Shields and CC immunity are nice, but inconsistent. Decent in group play, underwhelming solo.
Durion – Another “okay” tank. His defensive aura can help, but most players prefer Draor or Izzy.
Stormblade – Flashy, fun, and not useless, but overshadowed by Overdrive in the same role.
Nyxa – Niche solo survivalist with lifesteal potential. Works for specific builds, but not reliable in large-scale warband PvP.
C Tier
Can work, but usually not worth main investing.
Vryssia – Stealth assassin, but she’s clunky and rarely seen. Needs buffs or a niche meta to shine.
Umbra – Shadow clone mechanics are interesting, but too situational. Overdrive and Shadowseer simply do the same job better.
Hive Queen – The burrow mechanic is fun but gimmicky. Works for escaping, but not consistent enough to be a meta staple.
Raven – Curse builds exist, but others do it better. Feels too niche compared to other mages.
Sirokos – Sandstorm control looks good on paper, but in practice it pushes enemies out of kill zones — the opposite of what your warband wants.
Firestorm – Meme-tier turret. Fun in mass spam (20+ Firestorms at once is hilarious), but weak overall.
D / F Tier
Not worth the time unless you love the playstyle.
Varnax – Leaps in, gets himself killed, and feels like a worse version of every other tank. You’ll get him early for free, but he’s not worth sticking with.
Unknown D-rank drifter (from playtest memory) – Rarely seen, almost never used. If you can’t even remember seeing them in live fights, that says everything.
Warborne’s Season 1 meta is clear: Overdrive, Draor, Revelation, and Mole are the pillars every warband should build around. Everything else is either support, niche, or overshadowed.
That said, the game is seasonal and balance will shift. If you love a drifter’s playstyle, stick with them — just know who the current powerhouses are so you can build your warband around them.