Sunderfolk Class Tier List: All 7 Heroes Ranked 2026

Seven heroes, four player slots, and the question of which to bring. The Sunderfolk class tier list below reflects how each hero performs across the full game, from your first dungeon to the post-story difficulty cycles, including the Vanguard added in Update 2.0.

TL;DR: Sunderfolk class tier list: Bard and Berserker are S tier (Bard for team value, Berserker for frontline stability). Ranger, Arcanist, and the Update 2.0 Vanguard are A tier (Vanguard is a high-ceiling retaliation tank, strong but more skill-dependent than Berserker). Pyromancer is B tier: strong AoE, fragile, needs protection. Rogue is C tier for most players because positioning expertise takes multiple runs to develop. For a first run, Berserker plus Bard covers almost everything.

Sunderfolk class tier list: quick answer (all 7 heroes ranked)

Sunderfolk has 7 classes (the Vanguard arrived in Update 2.0) across a 4-player party, so in a full group you choose which to leave out rather than running all of them. The tier list matters most for 2-3 player runs where you have to choose who to leave out, and for understanding which classes carry their own weight in solo play.

The rankings are based on 2,000+ Steam reviews (Very Positive) and post-launch patch 2.0.9 data. Earlier 2.0 patches adjusted Arcanist teleport range and Pyromancer fire spread: those changes are reflected here.

S tier: Bard and Berserker

Bard is the most impactful class in a 3-4 player group. The music note system works like this: every time the Bard moves to a new position, notes drop in the area and provide buffs to all heroes in range. The buffs scale with how many heroes are nearby. In a full four-player party, a Bard who repositions well every turn is generating free team-wide damage bonuses, damage reduction, and healing without spending cards on those effects.

The catch that drops Bard from broken to merely S tier: it only works if you actively reposition. New Bard players play their ability cards and forget to move, then wonder why their team isn't getting buffed. Every Bard turn has to answer "where do I need to end up?" before "what card do I play?" Once that habit is built, the Bard is the class that makes every other class in the party perform above their individual rating.

In 2-player runs, Bard is still S tier but less dominant: there are fewer heroes to buff. The pair of Berserker plus Bard is the recommended 2-player starting point for a reason.

Berserker is S tier because there's no substitute for what it does. Protector's Fury reduces incoming damage and increases outgoing damage simultaneously. The ability to pick up and throw enemies repositions the battlefield on demand. The self-sustain means the Berserker doesn't need dedicated healing support to stay alive, which gives the rest of the party more card flexibility.

Every team needs a frontline, and the Berserker is the game's best frontline by a meaningful margin. A Ranger trying to fill the frontline role will take full hits and go down fast. The Berserker absorbs those same hits and counterattacks. S tier because the role it fills is essential and it fills it better than any alternative.

GODEEPER: Class synergy design in Sunderfolk follows similar principles to party-based tactical games. LegionBound Class Synergy Guide →

A tier: Ranger, Arcanist, and Vanguard

Ranger is A tier and the safest class to play well. High single-target damage at range, trap and area-denial tools, and enough durability to survive a positioning mistake. The Ranger's challenge is that enemies close in quickly, and maintaining distance requires active pathing. If you get cornered, you take hits that the Ranger isn't built to absorb.

For 2-player runs: Ranger plus Arcanist is a strong alternative to Berserker plus Bard. The Ranger handles priority threats while the Arcanist teleports and controls group positioning. This pair is more fragile than the S-tier duo but more flexible in how it approaches encounters.

The Ranger also functions reasonably in solo play, second only to the Berserker. Higher skill requirement than Berserker (maintaining distance takes active attention) but more flexible in encounter approach.

Arcanist has the highest ceiling of any class after Berserker and Bard, but the floor requires understanding encounter layout. Teleport abilities reposition both allies and enemies mid-turn. Decoy tokens draw enemy attacks away from priority targets. At its best, the Arcanist controls exactly where threats go and who they hit. At worst, an Arcanist who teleports without a plan reshuffles the encounter in ways that create worse problems than the original positioning.

A tier rather than S tier because the gap between a Arcanist played optimally and a Arcanist played casually is the widest of any class. Patch 2.0.9 was primarily a networking stability update: the Arcanist's teleport range adjustment from earlier 2.0 patches already settled into the current balance, and it's in a good place.

Vanguard is the seventh hero, added in Update 2.0, and lands in A tier as a high-ceiling retaliation tank. Its Grit passive reduces incoming damage and counters for 2 on every hit, so against fast enemies that connect in small increments the counter damage stacks into a real share of your output. Compared to the S-tier Berserker, the Vanguard has a higher damage ceiling, more mobility, and board control through Knockback, but it's less consistent: it fails harder when Grit isn't building, where the Berserker holds steady under pressure. That skill dependence is what keeps it at A rather than S. It pairs especially well with the Pyromancer, tanking in range of enemy clusters while the fire AoE resolves. Full breakdown in the Sunderfolk Vanguard guide.

B tier: Pyromancer

The Pyromancer clears rooms faster than anything else in the game when it's working. Area-of-effect fire cards hit multiple enemies per throw. An encounter with clustered enemies in a fire zone is the Pyromancer's ideal condition: it deals more damage per card than any other class in that scenario.

The problem is the requirement. The Pyromancer has low health and needs the Berserker to move enemies into firing range or absorb hits that would otherwise drop it. When that protection exists, Pyromancer is a strong A-tier performer. Without it, a Pyromancer positioned on the wrong side of an enemy cluster takes a round of hits and goes down before dealing meaningful damage.

B tier reflects a class that's strong under favorable conditions but condition-dependent. In a four-player group with a Berserker present, feel free to bump Pyromancer up to A in your personal ranking. In a two-player run without a frontline, the Pyromancer's fragility is a genuine problem.

The Pyromancer's fire spread card in practice: strong when enemies are clustered, punishing when the Pyromancer is exposed.

C tier: Rogue

The Rogue is technically strong and rewards the players who invest the time to understand it. Stealth positioning lets you approach enemies from advantageous angles. High burst combos deal damage that outperforms every class in ideal conditions. Abilities trigger differently based on positioning relative to each enemy.

The word "ideal" is the problem. Every Rogue ability requires reading the full encounter layout and planning your positioning before acting. Which enemy is on which tile, which tile type grants which bonus, which direction constitutes "flanking." That knowledge takes 3-5 runs to develop for most players, during which the Rogue feels like a class with promise that never delivers.

For a second or third playthrough, the Rogue is worth experimenting with. Pair it with a Bard (the Bard's music note repositioning buffs help the Rogue set up flanks) and keep a Berserker for stability. For a first run, the positioning investment is a barrier that doesn't exist for any other class.

GODEEPER: Positioning-dependent class design shows up across tactical RPGs. Farever Class Guide: All 4 Classes Explained →

The S-tier pair in action: Berserker controls the board, Bard repositions every turn to generate passive team buffs.

Sunderfolk class tier list: party builds by player count

Solo: Berserker. Self-sufficient, absorbs hits, deals consistent damage. Ranger works as a second option but requires more active enemy positioning management.

2 players: Berserker plus Bard is the standard pick and the most forgiving combination. The Berserker soaks hits while the Bard buffs both characters passively. Ranger plus Arcanist is the tactical alternative: more flexible, more fragile.

3 players: Berserker plus Bard plus Pyromancer covers all roles. You have frontline, team support, and AoE damage. The Pyromancer benefits directly from the Berserker moving enemies into position. Alternatively: Berserker plus Ranger plus Arcanist for groups who prefer thinking through positioning over brawling.

4 players: Berserker plus Bard plus Pyromancer plus Ranger. This covers frontline, support, AoE, and single-target. The Ranger handles priority threats while the Pyromancer clears clustered groups. Bring the Rogue if your group wants an additional challenge or has a player who's experienced with the class.

Tips for each class

Bard: Move every turn, even if the movement seems minor. Notes only drop when you reposition. Standing still for two turns to play a strong card is usually worse than repositioning and playing a medium card, because the notes compensate.

Berserker: Use the throw ability to move enemies into fire zones for Pyromancer teammates. The throw also repositions enemies away from fragile allies who got cornered. It's not just an attack: it's a positioning tool.

Ranger: Your priority threat is whichever enemy is advancing toward your squishiest teammate. Ignore minor enemies if they're not threatening the party. Single-target damage output is your contribution: use it on the thing that would cause the most problems if it reached the backline.

Arcanist: Place Decoy tokens before enemies act, not after. A Decoy that draws an attack away from the Pyromancer is worth more than an attack card. Teleport planning: identify where you want to end up, then decide which ability gets you there.

Pyromancer: Stay behind the Berserker. If you're taking hits, something went wrong with positioning earlier in the encounter. Call for repositioning help before you go down rather than after.

Rogue: Read the full encounter before acting on your first turn. Identify which enemies you can flank, which tiles they'll move to, and where you need to be by turn two. Act second if the turn order allows it.

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Related Reading

• Sunderfolk Beginner Guide: Best Party and How Co-op Works: Full intro to Sunderfolk covering party compositions, town upgrades, phone controller setup, and how encounter design works before your first run.
• LegionBound Class Synergy Guide: Class synergy mechanics in a different tactical game, useful cross-reference for readers building team-based game knowledge.
• Farever Class Guide: All 4 Classes Explained: Co-op dungeon classes from another tactical RPG in the same 2026 indie window, useful for comparing how positioning-dependent design differs across games.
• Sunderfolk Berserker Guide: Protector's Fury and Best Builds: Sunderfolk Berserker guide: Protector's Fury cuts damage and boosts output simultaneously. Best solo class, best beginner class, S....
• Sunderfolk Vanguard Guide: Grit, Retaliation, Best Builds: Sunderfolk Vanguard guide: the Update 2.0 retaliation tank with Grit passive. Counters 2 damage per hit. Best builds,....
• Sunderfolk Arcanist Guide: Teleport Builds and Tips 2026: Sunderfolk Arcanist guide: teleport repositions enemies and allies. Pull combos, solo vs party builds, and why patch 2.0....
• Sunderfolk Complete Guide: All 7 Classes, Co-op Tips 2026: Sunderfolk complete guide hub: all 7 classes ranked, best party compositions, co-op setup, Vanguard builds,.
• Sunderfolk Online Co-op Guide: Setup, Fixes, and Party Tips: Sunderfolk online co-op supports 1-4 players on Steam and Epic.
• Sunderfolk Rogue Guide: Stealth Builds and Tips 2026: Sunderfolk Rogue guide: C tier for most players, technically powerful for experienced ones.
• Sunderfolk Pyromancer Guide: Fire Builds and AoE Tips 2026: Sunderfolk Pyromancer guide: fire spread hits multiple enemies but the class dies fast.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best class in Sunderfolk? Bard and Berserker are both S tier for different reasons. Bard provides passive zone-wide buffs that scale with team size, making it more valuable as you add more players. Berserker is irreplaceable as the frontline tank: no other class provides the same combination of damage absorption and self-sustain. Both belong in any party.

Is the Bard good in Sunderfolk? Yes. The Bard is S tier and arguably the highest-value class in a 3-4 player group. The music note system drops buffs whenever the Bard moves, which means every Bard turn generates team-wide value without spending resources. A well-played Bard makes every other class perform better than it would alone.

How many classes are in Sunderfolk? Sunderfolk has 7 classes: Berserker, Arcanist, Bard, Pyromancer, Ranger, Rogue, and the Vanguard added in Update 2.0. The game is balanced for 1-4 players with any class combination, though some pairings are significantly stronger than others.

What is the best 2-player class combination for Sunderfolk? Berserker plus Bard is the strongest 2-player pairing. The Berserker handles all frontline damage and absorption while the Bard's music notes passively buff both players. This combination clears most encounters without requiring high-level mechanical precision.

Is the Rogue worth playing in Sunderfolk? The Rogue is technically strong but C tier for most players because it requires board knowledge that takes multiple runs to develop. Stealth positioning and burst combos depend on reading the full encounter layout before acting. Experienced players who can consistently set up positioning will find the Rogue punching above C tier.

What class should I play solo in Sunderfolk? Berserker is the best solo class. It's self-sufficient, deals solid damage, and the built-in damage reduction from Protector's Fury keeps you alive through encounters that would drop squishier classes. Ranger is the second choice if you prefer ranged combat.

What changed for classes in the Sunderfolk 2.0.9 patch? Patch 2.0.9 added Steam Networking support for online play, which improved online co-op connection stability. The patch didn't change class balance directly. Card pool adjustments in earlier 2.0 patches had the most class-affecting changes, particularly to Arcanist's teleport range and Pyromancer's fire spread radius.

References

• Sunderfolk on Steam: official store page, current price, and review score
• Sunderfolk official site: Dreamhaven: developer announcements and patch notes
• Sunderfolk 2.0.9 patch notes: Steam news for full patch history