In this post, I will rank the currently available Cards in In Falsus and go through some of the best starter builds you can use while learning the Card Integration system.
I am not ranking them purely by their highest possible Power or Defense numbers. I am also looking at how flexible their color is, how forgiving their Blueprint can be, their role in a loadout, and how reliably they perform during early progression.
That is important because a Card with huge potential is not always the best choice for a new player. A strong Blueprint that works consistently with mid-tier Iota can often be much more useful than a difficult setup that only becomes powerful with a nearly perfect layout.
Below, I have ranked Nia, Mei, Ayame, Iris, and Story from S to B tier, followed by three starter loadouts for balanced progression, burst damage, and survival. The remaining launch Cards should be ranked separately once their live-game data and Blueprints are properly verified.
In Falsus Tier List – Best Characters, Cards, Builds
Each tier reflects how reliably a Card can carry early progression.
I considered solo Power and Defense coverage, team synergy, color-match flexibility, Blueprint tolerance, and how punishing the grid can become when you are working with mid-tier Iota.
| Tier | Character | Blueprint / Card | Color | Role | Recommended Traits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S | Nia | Path to Reality | Red | Hybrid offense/defense · Red burst | Inner Concentration++, Opening Surge++ |
| S | Mei | 4AM | Blue | High Defense · Blue stabilizer | Inner Rigor++, Opening Recovery++ |
| A | Ayame | A Warm Gaze Seeking Others | Green | Green sustain · Recovery anchor | Opening Recovery++, Inner Rigor++ |
| A | Iris | Lost Garden of Bonds | Yellow | Yellow control · Combo setup | Opening Surge++, Inner Concentration++ |
| B | Story | First Drop of Abyss | Purple | Purple glass cannon · Limit output | Inner Concentration++, Opening Surge++ |
S Tier – Core Cards
These are the Cards I would build my first serious loadouts around.
They offer strong stat coverage, more reliable Blueprint performance, and Traits that scale cleanly during Encounter Phases.
Nia – Path to Reality
Nia: Path to Reality is my top recommendation for most players starting with the available Cards.
Her Red Blueprint gives you a useful balance between Power and Defense without forcing you into a fragile glass-cannon setup. You can build her for strong offensive output while still keeping enough Defense to survive difficult charts.
Inner Concentration++ is especially valuable because it turns Nia’s Phase into a major damage spike. Meanwhile, Opening Surge++ gives you additional opening pressure when you need to push through a high-Defense phase.
For the starter builds in this guide, I treat Nia as the default main damage dealer. She fits naturally into balanced teams, burst-focused teams, and even survival setups.
If you only want one Card to invest in first, Nia is the safest overall choice here.
Mei – 4AM
Mei: 4AM is the other S-tier Card, but she fills a very different role from Nia.
Where Nia focuses on balanced offense and defense, Mei’s Blue Blueprint is built around stronger Defense coverage and survivability.
Her setup favors dense Defense clusters, which makes her extremely useful when you are dealing with difficult charts and your accuracy is not yet perfect.
Inner Rigor++ can push her Defense even further, while Opening Recovery++ adds additional safety through Resolve recovery.
I recommend Mei especially if you are still learning the rhythm mechanics or frequently losing Encounters because your Resolve disappears too quickly.
She is also an excellent stabilizing slot when an Encounter favors Blue or when the rest of your loadout is built more aggressively.
A Tier – Strong Specialists
These Cards are excellent when you use them for their intended role.
They are slightly narrower than Nia and Mei as general-purpose choices, but they can become extremely valuable when their color matchup or specialty fits the Encounter.
Ayame – A Warm Gaze Seeking Others
Ayame: A Warm Gaze Seeking Others is a strong Green sustain option.
Her Blueprint trades some peak offensive potential for safer placement opportunities and useful recovery-focused Traits.
Ayame is especially valuable on longer charts where keeping your Resolve alive matters more than immediately maximizing your damage.
Opening Recovery++ works naturally with her sustain role, while Inner Rigor++ can further improve the defensive side of the build.
I like using Ayame as a third pick when Nia is already handling your main damage and you need Green coverage against Purple opponents.
She is not always the Card that produces the biggest numbers, but she can make a difficult run much more forgiving.
Iris – Lost Garden of Bonds
Iris: Lost Garden of Bonds is my preferred Yellow specialist.
She becomes particularly interesting when your strategy revolves around burst windows and strong Resonance timing rather than simply stacking the highest possible base stats.
Her Blueprint can support aggressive Power-focused layouts, and Traits like Opening Surge++ and Inner Concentration++ can give her strong offensive potential.
However, Iris benefits more from consistent chart performance than some of the safer options above her.
You need to maintain strong EXACT chains and make your burst windows count if you want to justify using her over a more stable Card.
Once your accuracy improves, I would consider swapping Iris into Yellow-focused Encounters where her color and burst potential can shine.
B Tier – Transitional and Situational
These Cards can have high potential, but they are less forgiving as general starter options.
They are better suited to players who understand the placement rules and can consistently avoid penalties.
Story – First Drop of Abyss
Story: First Drop of Abyss is the Purple glass-cannon option.
Her Blueprint can chase very high Power, but that offensive potential comes with less comfortable Defense coverage and greater placement risk.
A single bad setup involving Falsehood or Disconnect can remove the advantage you were trying to build.
That makes Story rewarding when everything goes right but frustrating when you are still learning how Blueprint placement works.
I would treat Story as a more situational Card rather than making it your first major investment.
For experienced players who can build around the risks, the Power potential can be attractive. For early progression, though, Nia, Mei, and Ayame are generally easier to use consistently.
C Tier – Unranked Until More Cards Are Verified
The remaining launch Cards are not included in these rankings until their Blueprints and live-game mechanics can be properly verified.
For now, I would rather leave them unranked than place Cards into S, A, B, or C tiers based on guesses.
Once all available Blueprints can be tested with confirmed in-game information, the full ranking can be expanded to cover the complete roster.
Best In Falsus Starter Builds
Below are three starter loadouts built around different priorities.
The full loadout can hold up to five Cards, but these three-card setups give you a simple starting structure while covering different roles and Blueprint colors.
Before spending valuable Iota, I recommend checking how your layout performs and making sure you are not creating unnecessary penalties.
Build 1 – Balanced Progression
Nia + Mei + Ayame
This is my favorite all-round starter setup.
You get Red burst damage from Nia, Blue survivability from Mei, and Green sustain from Ayame.
Together, they provide a comfortable combination of offense, Defense, and recovery without overlapping Blueprints.
Pros
- Strong overall tolerance for mistakes.
- One penalty is less likely to completely destroy the run.
- Covers Red, Blue, and Green roles immediately.
- Good mixture of damage, Defense, and sustain.
Cons
- Lower maximum burst than a fully offensive setup.
- Yellow and Purple opponents may require a color adjustment.
- Not designed for the fastest possible Phase clears.
Color Coverage
- Red (Nia) beats Green
- Green (Ayame) beats Purple
- Blue (Mei) beats Red
This gives you a useful spread of coverage across the available colors.
Recommended Songs
Ghost Ray, Cryogenic, and Hyaloüyne
You can rotate your third Card depending on the dominant color and the type of Encounter you are preparing for.
Build 2 – Burst DPS Overdrive
Nia (Inner Concentration++) + Mei + Iris
This build focuses more heavily on Phase damage.
Nia is your primary offensive spike, Iris provides additional Yellow burst potential, and Mei remains in the setup to make sure your Resolve does not disappear while you are preparing for the important damage windows.
Pros
- Very high single-Phase damage potential.
- Strong synergy with Resonance timing.
- Nia’s Inner Concentration++ can create major burst spikes.
- Iris adds another aggressive offensive option.
Cons
- Much less forgiving than the balanced setup.
- BREAKs can become more dangerous.
- Recovery options are more limited.
- You need stronger accuracy to get the most from the build.
This setup works best when you can consistently maintain your chart performance and make the Resonance windows count.
Color Coverage
You get a combination of:
- Red offense
- Yellow burst
- Blue defensive support
The biggest weakness is sustained Purple coverage, so Ayame can become a better choice than Iris when Green coverage is more important.
Recommended Songs
Ordirehv, à la mode (ULT), and Deep Into The Vibe
These are the types of charts where good Resonance timing can make your burst strategy more valuable.
Build 3 – Survival and Recovery
Mei + Ayame (Opening Recovery++) + Nia
This is the safest starter build for players who are still learning difficult charts.
The idea is simple: prioritize Resolve survival first and damage second.
Mei provides the strongest defensive foundation, Ayame adds sustain and Recovery potential, while Nia gives the team enough offensive power to avoid becoming completely passive.
Pros
- Best overall forgiveness.
- High Defense coverage.
- Additional Resolve recovery.
- Excellent for learning Encounters.
- A strong option for early farming and consistent clears.
Cons
- Slowest kill speed of the three builds.
- Boss Phases can take longer.
- DPS checks can still become a problem if accuracy drops too far.
This is the setup I would recommend if your main goal is getting reliable Dive Clears rather than chasing the highest possible damage.
Color Coverage
The build uses:
- Blue sustain
- Green recovery
- Red offense
You can swap Nia depending on the color requirements of a specific Encounter.
Recommended Songs
Hyaloüyne and Ghost Ray on MIN or EVO
Longer charts can make the additional recovery and Defense more valuable, especially while you are still becoming comfortable with the mechanics.
For a first serious In Falsus loadout, I would start with Nia and Mei.
Nia gives you reliable offensive power, while Mei provides the Defense needed to survive difficult Encounters. From there, your third choice depends on what you need.
Choose Ayame when you want sustain and recovery, Iris when you want more burst potential, or Story when you are comfortable taking bigger Blueprint risks for higher offensive output.
The most important thing is not simply copying an S-tier setup. Your Iota collection, Potency values, Traits, Blueprint placement, and chart accuracy will all affect how strong the final loadout actually becomes.
A well-built A-tier Card with zero penalties can easily be more useful than an S-tier Card created with a poor layout. Build around what you can consistently craft, then adjust your colors and Traits for the Encounter in front of you.