Enemy front
Terminids, Automatons, and Illuminate create different coverage priorities.
Contextual Tier List
There is no supportable named ranking that stays correct across every faction, mission, difficulty, squad, and patch. Use Strong fit, Situational, and Needs support role bands with the criteria and evidence below.
Mission job
Anti-heavy, crowd control, survival, mobility, and objective utility compete for four slots.
Squad coverage
A situational pick can become the correct choice when it fills the squad's missing job.
Opportunity cost
Every selected stratagem removes room for another answer; overlap matters when a required role is missing.
Role evidence
What each status can and cannot tell you
Status describes fit for a job, not a permanent power score. Read the known fact, missing context, evidence boundary, and revisit trigger together.
Flexible strike
Strong fitKnown: Useful across mixed targets and selected objectives.
Missing: No versioned live damage or armor-breakpoint table.
Evidence: Curated Eagle Airstrike role tags; checked 2026-08-23.
Revisit: Official strike or armor balance changes.
Dedicated anti-heavy
Strong fit when requiredKnown: Fills a clear armor-response job against heavy pressure.
Missing: Reload cadence and squad execution are outside this model.
Evidence: Curated Recoilless Rifle role tags; checked 2026-08-23.
Revisit: Official support-weapon or armor changes.
Mobility
SituationalKnown: Creates repositioning options and terrain access.
Missing: Does not replace missing damage or survival coverage.
Evidence: Curated Jump Pack role tags; checked 2026-08-23.
Revisit: Mobility behavior or mission design changes.
Priority target strike
SituationalKnown: Focused answer for predictable targets or structures.
Missing: Timing, aim, cooldown, and live target interactions are not scored.
Evidence: Curated Orbital Precision Strike role tags; checked 2026-08-23.
Revisit: Official orbital or objective changes.
Changed since last check: replaced letter tiers with role-based status rows and added explicit evidence, missing context, and revisit triggers.
Limitations: this launch comparison covers four role examples, not every weapon or stratagem. It omits live DPS, exact breakpoints, mission modifiers, and guaranteed recommendations.
FAQ
How to read this comparison
Why is there no universal S-tier list?
Faction, mission, difficulty, squad coverage, and player role change the correct four-slot choice. A universal rank would hide those tradeoffs.
Are these bands official?
No. Strong fit and Situational are transparent editorial status labels derived from the listed qualitative role model.
When should this comparison be rechecked?
Revisit it after an official balance patch or when the curated capability dataset changes.