Inspired by the popular anime series, Trails of Cold Steel Norther War now has a gacha-styled mobile RPG! You can gather all your favorite characters from the anime and create an ultimate party of top-tier characters and conquer the battlefield.
As a new player, figuring out which characters are worth investing in can be quite confusing. To help you understand the best heroes to pick, we’ve compiled a complete Trails of Cold Steel NW tier list with all the heroes you can acquire.
Trails Of Cold Steel: NW Character Tier List
In Trails of Cold Steel: NW, you can acquire characters that have one of three rarities: SSR, SR, and R. The higher the rarity, the stronger the character is. But even among these rarity tiers, the characters have a huge difference in capabilities.
To help you understand which characters are better for your team, all the heroes that you can acquire have been put in one of the following four tiers. Here are the details on what each of these tiers are, and what they mean for the character:
- S Tier: These characters are the best of the best, and can be considered the the top picks for your team. They have strong combat potential and can be used in all PvE stages as well as new event stages. Be sure to invest in them first.
- A Tier: The characters in this tier are some of the good characters that have the potential to be great if you invest in them. With the right equipment, these characters can even be on par with some of the strongest units in Trails of Cold Steel NW.
- B Tier: This tier consists of a mixture of both SSR and SR characters that can be considered decent at best. Even with heavy investment, they cannot outdo top-tier characters. They are somewhat viable in the early game, but not in the late game.
- C Tier: These are the worst characters in Trails of Cold Steel: NW. If you get any of them, try not to use them in your team. Investing any resources in them would be the same as wasting them. Don’t waste your time on them.
S Tier Characters In Trails Of Cold Steel: NW
The list below consists of all the top-ranked S-tier characters in Trails of Cold Steel Northern War. The reason they are considered so good is also mentioned so you can use those characters appropriately.
| Character | Rarity | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Rean Schwarzer | SSR | The strongest DPS assassin available in Trails of Cold Steel: NW. Having him on your team is enough to clear any mode because of his high damage-dealing capabilities. |
| Sigmund Orlando | SSR | By far the best DPS tank you can find for your team. He gradually increases his attack with decreasing HP, making him a strong frontline. |
| Ennea | SSR | Another strong DPS ranger. She has strong combat abilities, allowing her to deal a continuous barrage of damage to enemies. |
| Rufus Albarea | SSR | One of the best frontline warriors you can have on your team. He can continuously deal solid damage while taking low damage. |
| Ries Argent | SSR | One of the best supporters with great buffing capabilities. She can increase your team’s attack while recovering CP and negating damage. |
| Alissa Reinford | SSR | One of the best mages in Trails of Cold Steel, with strong crowd control abilities. She can buff her attack, while stunning enemies from afar. |
| Alex Dudley | SSR | Great DPS warrior who gets stronger with time. He gets attack buffs based on the number of enemies as well as switches between range and melee attacks. |
| Lloyd Bannings | SSR | An all-rounder tank that can sustain as well as buff your team. Can crowd control enemies with stun while shielding teammates with buffs. |
| Laura S. Arseid | SSR | Another great tank character that even has life-leeching abilities. Great survivability and sustaining abilities to protect backline heroes. |
A Tier Characters In Trails Of Cold Steel: NW
In case you couldn’t get your hands on one of the S-tier characters, you might’ve stumbled upon one of the A-tiers by chance. These heroes are solid substitutes and with the right setup are even stronger than some top-tier ones.
| Character | Rarity | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Duvalie | SSR | She’s a strong DPS ranger, but her crowd-controlling abilities are second to none. She can CC enemies while dealing significant damage. |
| Alan Richard | SSR | Similar to Rean, he’s a damage-focused assassin who specializes in targeting the enemy backline. He can be a menace if left unchecked. |
| Agate Cosner | SSR | He’s a solid frontline unit that can act as a tank as well as a damage dealer. He can charge up attacks and deal great burst damage. |
| Mireille | SSR | She’s a damage-focused mage unit with great range capabilities. Similar to Alan, she’s a great option for targeting the enemy backline. |
| Olivert Reise Arnor | SSR | Another decent magic damage dealer with tons of unique abilities. He can punish enemy damage dealers while buffing his skills. |
| Tia Plato | SSR | She’s a complete burst damage dealer with a pinch of support capabilities. If you build her as a DPS, she can be devastating. |
| Elie MacDowell | SSR | By far the best healer in the game. She can provide tons of healing to her teammates but needs a lot of protection. |
| Elliot Craig | SSR | A decent support hero with both healing and buffing abilities. But because of having twin abilities, neither his buff nor his heal is too good. |
| Wazy Hemisphere | SSR | He’s a good AoE magic damage dealer with strong abilities. His skill set makes him perfect for taking down tanky units. |
| Fie Claussell | SSR | A good ranged assassin that specializes in targeting the weakest enemy units and damage dealers. |
| Mueller Vander | SSR | A mixture of a tank and assassin which is quite a weird combination. Lots of teleport abilities with damage reduction buffs. |
| Alfin Riese Arnor | SSR | She’s a decent healer but lacks overall support capabilities. Also has some CC skills that taunt enemies. |
| Julia Schwarz | SSR | She’s another all-rounder tank with a lot to offer. She can self-heal, and stun enemies while also providing a shield to teammates. |
| Garcia Rossi | SSR | A solid damage-focused tank that can be good in team fights. He has great damage reduction abilities while buffing his damage. |
| Klaudia von Auslese | SSR | She’s a warrior assassin with a decent skillset. She can deal damage while also occasionally stunning enemies. |
| Joshua Bright | SSR | A strong warrior assassin that can self-heal while also dealing good burst damage to enemy units. |
B Tier Characters In Trails Of Cold Steel: NW
If you find yourself with B-tier characters, be ready for some heavy investment to make them useful. Here are all the characters in this tier, and some tips on using them.
| Character | Rarity | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Scott | SSR | He’s a damage-dealing healer. Not the best combination of skills. |
| Kirika Rouran | SSR | She’s a tank assassin combination with skills that boost her HP while targeting backline enemies. |
| Shirley Orlando | SSR | A decent tank and damage dealer but inflicts self-CC that renders her useless temporarily. |
| Rixia Moa | SSR | A decent supporting character with some unique debuffing skills as well. |
| Kevin Graham | SSR | One of the worst healers in the game. Sacrifices own HP to heal others. |
| Lechter Arundel | SSR | A warrior tank with a little bit of CC capabilities. Decent at best with a proper build. |
| Anelace Elfead | SSR | A decent CC tank, but lacks damage and sustainability. |
| Renne | SSR | A magic damage dealer with a complex skillset. She can inhibit action, provide life leech buffs, and buff her attack occasionally. |
| Scherazard Harvey | SSR | A combination of a ranger and a buffer, which makes her not great in either department. Lackluster damage, subpar buffs. |
| Randy Orlando | SSR | A decent tank with attack buffing capabilities and some CC skills. Good option with some heavy investment. |
| Estelle Bright | SSR | A completely damage-focused mage. Lacks in every other aspect, needs lots of protection. |
| Claire Rieveldt | SSR | A better version of Estelle, with some life-leeching skills and silencing skills. Can be useful with investment. |
| Rogan Mugart | SSR | He’s a tank that loses HP over time. Can shield and steal attacks, but can’t sustain in long fights. |
| Aeolia | SSR | A decent healer plus buffer, but can’t support the entire team. Can only buff the weakest ally. |
| Towa Herschel | SSR | Same as Aeolia, but exactly the opposite skillset. Can only buff the strongest ally. |
C Tier Characters In Trails Of Cold Steel: NW
These are the lowest-tier characters in Trails of Cold Steel NW, and you shouldn’t use any resources on them. They aren’t viable in the early game or the late game.
| Character | Rarity | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Lynn | SSR | Ranged assassin with temporary invincibility skill, but does not target enemy backline. Attacks random enemies. |
| Michel | SSR | A supporter and buffer with almost no support skills. Instead, has subpar attack skills. |
| Noel Seeker | SSR | Decent ranger. Outclassed by other rangers in the game. |
| Josette Capua | SSR | Another decent ranger, but too dependent on skills. Initial DPS is very low. |
| Zin Vathek | SSR | Decent tank, but lacks sustainability. Needs a ton of investment. |
| Morgan | SR | Damage-dealing mage with a single support skill. Lacks overall capabilities. |
| Toval Randonneur | SR | One of the worst tanks in the game. |
| Grant | SR | Decent tank and can be good with investment. Lacks stats because of being SR. |
| Gilbert Stein | SR | One of the worst DPS rangers in the game. Consumes his own HP for every skill. |
| Ernest Reis | SR | Subpar magic damage dealer. Much better alternatives for him. |
| Douglas | SR | Same as Ernest. Moreover, lacks stats, and his skillset isn’t focused. |
| Gareth | SR | A debuffing ranger that does not focus on a single target. |
| Tita Russel | SR | A “decent at best” ranger with damage-focused skills. Outclassed by other rangers. |
| Lavian Winslet | SR | A warrior-type assassin with subpar skills. Weak against most enemies. |
| Martin S. Robinson | SR | A warrior-type tank with decent skills. Can be useful with tons of investment and equipment. |
| Iseria Frost | SR | She’s a DPS healer. Good at neither healing nor damage dealing. |
| Talion Drake | SR | He’s a DPS tank but outclassed by other tanks. |
How To Reroll In Trails Of Cold Steel: NW
Sometimes, more often than not, you’ll not get your desired top-tier characters in Trails of Cold Steel: NW. The reason for this is the extremely low chance of pulling SSR characters from the Gacha. So, to get better odds, you have the option to reroll your account in Trails of Cold Steel.
Follow these steps to reroll your account within a few minutes, and get your favorite characters in Trails of Cold Steel Northern War:
- Sign into Trails of Cold Steel: NW with a ‘Guest’ account.
- Complete the initial tutorial stages of levels one through nine.
- Claim all the rewards from the stages and your in-game mail.
- Open the ‘Gacha’ menu and draw for your desired characters.
- If you don’t get it, ‘Sign Out’ of the guest account and repeat.
- Keep doing it till you are satisfied with your pulls. After that, link your account to save your progress and continue playing.
