If you didn’t know, Vanillaware has allowed players to recruit several characters in Unicorn Overlord, but only a few are the best for specific units. Since you can make units with up to six characters, knowing which ones will lead the charge is crucial when venturing into Cornia. Here, we’ve ranked all named playable characters and also added a few recommendations of some early-game units you can make effortlessly. While the war for this nation is an arduous one, preparing your army ahead of time will make things much easier.
Unicorn Overlord Character Tier List
Before we delve into the best units for the early game and a bit beyond that, we have to talk about the best characters in Unicorn Overlord. We’ve decided to exclude mercenaries because while it’s great that you can customize them and configure their stat growth, they aren’t as powerful as named ones. So, without further ado, here’s a short tier list of the game’s special characters.
| Rank | Characters |
|---|---|
| S | Josef, Clive, Adel, Fran, Scarlett, Selvie, Virginia |
| A | Alain, Yahna, Lex, Rolf, Sharon, Berenice, Melisandre, Monica, Tatiana |
| B | Hodrick, Travis, Ochlys, Colm, Chloe, Mordon, Nina, Aramis, Auch |
| C | Aubin, Bruno |
Before we move into units, we need to clarify something. This list isn’t definitive, as there are more characters we’ve yet to recruit. Furthermore, it’s difficult to evaluate each character, given the number of units you get at the start of the game. So, watch out for this list; we’ll update it with more characters as we progress through the game.
However, we can discuss a bit about some of the ranks we’ve given to certain characters. The ones in the S rank are overall the best in any unit and formation. For example, while lacking damage, Josef is fantastic at healing and providing defensive buffs for your units. Scarlett is undoubtedly the best healer in the game. The Knight class Adel and Clive belong to boasts huge DPS potential and is essential in almost every formation.
The ones in A rank and below aren’t bad but require other characters to shine. For example, while Alain is the protagonist, he doesn’t do much damage, and it’s better to keep him on the frontlines to take the blows from foes. While boasting high defense, Hodrick just tickles enemies during a fight, making him a great bastion but a terrible DPS. Bruno, despite his muscular form, just works against certain units and, without proper heals, will drop like a fly quickly.
Best Units for Early and Mid-Game
For this list, we wanted to focus on the best units and characters for the early and mid-game of Unicorn Overlord. We know you can promote your characters and make better and bigger formations later, but it takes a while. You can’t do most of those things until you reach Renown rank B, and that’s quite the grind. So, for now, we’ll focus on three-person units for you to choose from during the game’s first hours.
Magic Backline Unit
One unit we’ve loved recently, which has shown great results, is one with Alain, Chloe, and Yahna. The focus of this one is allowing Chloe to hit characters in a row, Yahna to buff Alain’s melee attacks, and also allowing her to do magical damage to enemies. Place Alain as the leader, and you’ll have high stamina and great Valor skills.
Josef’s Carry Unit
Josef works in any unit, so don’t feel pressured to try this one. However, we’ve witnessed that this is a unit few enemies can penetrate. By placing Josef and Hodrick at the front, you have enough protection to keep any ranged characters safe. You can switch Rolf for Yahna or another magic character, depending on the situation. Also, placing Josef as the leader is important for better mobility.
All-Rounder Unit
Another unit we liked while playing was the one with Lex, Berenice, and any ranged character. We call this an all-rounder because it adapts quickly to any situation. For damage, you have Berenice with her sword. If you want magic or ranged DPS, add Rolf or Yahna. Lex is there to provide cover from arrows and some damage, too. It might not be the best in DPS, but it won’t fall during battle stages. Furthermore, we recommended placing Lex as the leader for high stamina and reduced ranged damage.
Assassin Unit
Despite the name, this isn’t a unit with stealthy characters whatsoever. We call it the assassin unit because it gets the job done fast. It is a glass-cannon party composition, which is great against heavily-armored characters. However, it boasts high DPS potential and can clear towers and other squishy foes. Travis is your dodge tank with poison damage, which is great for finishing off certain enemies. Aubin is there to provide heavy hits and its parting blow. Clive can attack twice, and he hits hard. Usually, you won’t need to battle a unit again; this one can one-hit almost everything.
Heavy-Hitter Unit
Last but not least, we have a unit that you should only bring after triggering the First-Strike effect. Mordon and Bruno are heavy-hitting characters but can’t take hits so well. With Sharon, you can keep their HP up but don’t expect this unit to last long during fights. However, Mordon’s Valor Skills are great to damage units and then go in for the kill. It is a very niche formation, but one that will help nonetheless. We recommend placing Sharon as a leader for healing assists.
Related:
Unicorn Overlord Starter GuideUltimately, you should experiment with as many combinations as you can. While we consider these to be the best characters and units in Unicorn Overlord, don’t let that deter you from trying others. You might prefer putting them together to unlock rapport conversations or just bring your waifus to the fray. So, don’t doubt your strategic instincts and rule the battlefield as you see fit.
