Anime Vanguards is one of the biggest anime tower defense games on Roblox. It currently runs under the title Anime Vanguards: Holy Retribution. The roster now spans hundreds of units across eight rarities. That makes team building genuinely difficult for new and returning players. This Anime Vanguards tier list ranks units by job instead of raw rarity. You will learn which units carry damage, which ones buff your board, and which ones fund your economy. Let’s get right in!
How We Created this Anime Vanguards Tier List?
Anime Vanguards does not have one single power ladder. Instead, we split units into separate job categories instead. Each unit gets ranked against others doing the same job.
That structure matters. A support unit and a damage dealer are not competing for the same slot. Comparing them directly tells you nothing useful.
This tier list follows the same logic. We break the roster into five practical groups:
- DPS: units built around raw damage per second output.
- Support and crowd control: units that buff allies or apply Slow, Stun, and Repulse.
- Utility: units with mechanics that bend the rules of a run.
- Farm: units that generate Yen so you can afford everything else.
- Elemental: units ranked inside their own element rather than globally.
Best Overall Units in Anime Vanguards
These units earn a slot in almost any lineup. They cover multiple jobs or solve problems that nothing else solves.
| Unit | Rarity | Primary Role | Why It Earns a Slot |
| Alocard (Vampire King) | Vanguard | Support / DPS | Applies Bleed and Wounded, then amplifies team damage |
| Lich King (Ruler) | Vanguard | Utility | Caloric Stone effectively grants you an extra team slot |
| Sprintwagon | Epic | Farm | Cheap, reliable Yen generation from the opening waves |
| Friran (Teacher) | Secret | Farm / Support | The one farm unit that also contributes damage |
| Ice Queen (Release) | Vanguard | DPS / Control | Heavy Water damage paired with strong area denial |
Alocard (Vampire King)
Alocard sits near the top of most community rankings for good reason. He applies Bleed, inflicts Wounded, and deals full area damage from placement.
His Vanguard Familiar, Vampire’s Seal, pushes the Wounded damage bonus up to 35 percent. It also applies a 50 percent Slow whenever he hits a Bleeding enemy. That single Familiar turns him into a premier support piece.
He is not just a buffer, though. His third and fifth attacks both deal strong area damage. That makes him useful early in a run and late into boss waves.
Lich King (Ruler)
Lich King (Ruler) is arguably the most versatile unit in the game. His World Item ability, Caloric Stone, opens a menu and places any single unit you own.
That mechanic effectively hands you a sixth team slot. It also removes almost every downside to bringing him. If you own him, he belongs in your lineup.
Best DPS Units in Anime Vanguards
DPS units exist to delete waves and melt bosses. Your two or three damage slots decide how far a run goes.
| Unit | Rarity | Element | Best Used For |
| Demon Leader (Control) | Secret | Passion | Sustained high-end damage with chained placements |
| Iscanur (Pride) | Vanguard | Fire | Scaling damage in longer runs |
| Koguro (Unsealed) | Vanguard | Nature | Fast attack speed and consistent output |
| Rogita (Super 4) | Vanguard | Blast | Single-target burst against priority bosses |
| Sukono | Secret | Curse | Boss damage, boosted further by the Curse element |
| Elastic Captain | Mythic | Water | Strong damage at a lower investment cost |
Raw damage numbers rarely tell the full story. Placement cost, attack speed, and range all shape real performance of each unit in practical battles.
A cheap Mythic that you can place on wave one often beats an expensive Vanguard you cannot afford until wave twenty. Factor your economy into every pick.
Boss content and wave-clear content also reward different units. Single-target burst units struggle against swarms. Wide area units struggle against a single high-health target. Most strong teams carry one of each.
Best Support and Crowd Control Units in Anime Vanguards
Support units multiply what your damage dealers already do. A good buffer often adds more value than a second carry.
Crowd control sits in the same category here. Slowing, stunning, or repulsing enemies buys your carries more attack windows. That extra time converts directly into damage.
- Alocard (Vampire King): the benchmark support pick. Bleed, Wounded, and a 50 percent Slow through his Vanguard Familiar.
- Friran (Teacher): generates Yen while still contributing damage. No other farm unit does both.
- Boo (Evil): applies damage-over-time effects that stack well with amplifier Memoria.
- Ice Queen (Release): locks down fast-moving groups so your carries can catch up.
- Holy Deceiver (Dark): buffs Holy damage heavily and applies a 50 percent Slow on attack.
Why Should You Use a Support Unit Instead of a Third Carry Unit?
Damage buffs apply to every unit on your board. A 35 percent amplification across three carries outperforms one extra carry in most runs.
The exception is early progression. If your damage floor is too low, no buff saves you. Build a working carry first, then add support.
Best Utility Units in Anime Vanguards
Utility units do not fit neatly into damage or support. They change how a run functions.
Lich King (Ruler) leads this category thanks to the Caloric Stone. Nothing else replicates a free extra unit slot.
Beyond him, look for units that solve specific problems. Summon-based units add board presence without extra placements. Units that ignore damage reduction handle armoured enemies. Units that convert kills into resources smooth out difficult stretches.
Best Farm Units in Anime Vanguards
Farm units generate Yen instead of dealing damage. They fund every upgrade you make during a run.
| Unit | Notes |
| Sprintwagon | The default economy pick for almost every team |
| Takaroda | Reliable early alternative if you lack Sprintwagon |
| Tempest Pirate (Navigator) | Cheap deployment with solid Yen return |
| Friran (Teacher) | Farms and deals damage, unlike every other option |
Run at least one farm unit in almost every mode. Two farms suit long survival modes where runs stretch past wave forty.
Skip farm units only in short raids. Those runs end before the economy compounds.
Anime Vanguards Elemental Tier List: What Each Element Does?
Elements grant passive bonuses that stack with your unit’s own kit. The game also maintains separate rankings inside each element.
| Element | Effect |
| Spark | Grants immunity to damage-reducing debuffs |
| Nature | Grants immunity to range-reducing debuffs |
| Water | Grants immunity to SPA-reducing debuffs |
| Fire | Adds 1% damage per placement to other Fire units in range |
| Passion | Adds 2% range per placement to other Passion units in range |
| Holy | Reduces status effect duration by 50% |
| Curse | Increases damage against bosses by 30% |
| Blast | Ignores 10% of enemy damage reduction |
Choosing an Element for Your Carry
Curse is the strongest pick for dedicated boss killers. A flat 30 percent boss damage bonus is hard to beat.
Blast suits runs against heavily armoured enemies. Ignoring damage reduction closes the gap that raw damage cannot.
Fire and Passion reward stacking. Run several units of the same element inside one range bubble to compound the bonus.
How to Build a Team With This Anime Vanguards Tier List
A balanced board beats five high-tier units every time. Use this structure as your starting point.
- One farm unit – Place Sprintwagon or Takaroda on wave one. Your economy sets your ceiling.
- Two damage carries – Bring one area unit and one single-target unit. That covers waves and bosses.
- One support unit – Alocard (Vampire King) or Friran (Teacher) amplifies everything else.
- One flex slot. Use Lich King (Ruler) if you own him. Otherwise add a second farm or a control unit.
Traits and Memoria
Traits and Memoria change unit performance significantly. Reroll traits on your core carries before chasing new units.
Memoria now ship pre-evolved, which removes a long-standing grind. Match your Memoria to your carry’s damage type rather than picking the rarest option.
Many players place a strong unit too early and then cannot level it. An under-levelled Vanguard loses to a maxed Mythic.
Final Thoughts
Anime Vanguards rewards team structure far more than rarity hoarding. One farm unit, two carries, and a strong support will clear most content. Adding a third Vanguard rarely fixes a team with no economy.
Alocard (Vampire King) and Lich King (Ruler) remain the safest long-term investments. Both cover multiple jobs and survive balance changes well. Sprintwagon stays essential regardless of what else you pull.
