Arknights Endfield Tier List: Best Operators & Teams 2026

Been rerolling accounts for three days straight. Not because I’m a masochist – because team building in Endfield actually matters. This isn’t one of those gachas where any 6-star carries you through everything.

The elemental system, combo skills, and reaction chains mean your team composition is make-or-break. Wrong lineup? You’re struggling against bosses that other players melt in seconds.

Here’s the current tier list for Version 1.0, plus actual team builds that work. No theoretical nonsense – these are tested compositions.

Tier List Overview

Quick context: Endfield has 23 operators at launch. Rankings are based on endgame viability, versatility, and how much they contribute to team damage/utility.

Tier Definitions

S-Tier Operators

The best of the best. If you have these, prioritize them.

Laevatain (6-Star, Heat, Guard)

The limited banner queen. Laevatain is a one-woman army when built correctly.

Why she’s broken:

• Ultimate scales with Combustion and Corrosion stacks
• Chain-heat lasers delete entire waves during ult
• Melting Flame mechanic amplifies AoE damage
• Best Heat DPS in the game (no competition)

The catch: Needs team support to stack reactions. Pair with Corrosion applicator (Ardelia) and Heat enablers (Wulfgard, Akekuri).

Pull verdict: If she’s on banner, go all in. Limited = won’t return for months.

Last Rite (6-Star, Cryo, Striker)

The Cryo counterpart to Laevatain. Dominates both crowd control and single-target.

Why she’s top tier:

• Cryo Susceptibility debuff shreds enemy resistance
• Insane freeze uptime with proper team
• Strong against bosses AND mobbing
• Self-sufficient damage even without ideal comp

Team requirement: Works best with Cryo enablers but functions okay solo. More forgiving than Laevatain.

Pull verdict: Excellent standard pool 6-star. Worth pulling on any banner featuring her.

Yvonne (6-Star, Electric, Caster)

Electric specialist with ridiculous AoE potential.

Why she ranks S:

• Chain lightning melts grouped enemies
• Electric reactions provide crowd control
• Strong sustained damage over time
• Good SP generation for team

Notes: Slightly more niche than Laevatain/Last Rite but dominates her element completely.

Ardelia (6-Star, Nature, Supporter)

The universal support. Fits in literally every team.

Why everyone wants her:

• Heals, buffs, AND applies Corrosion
• Corrosion triggers Combustion with Heat (Laevatain synergy)
• Physical Susceptibility buff
• Zero wasted kit

Team fit: If you have her, she’s probably on your team. That simple.

Pull verdict: Safe investment. Never a bad pull.

A-Tier Operators

Excellent units that anchor specific strategies or provide crucial utility.

Pogranichnik (5-Star, Physical, Vanguard)

Physical teams’ best friend. Generates SP for the entire squad.

Why he’s essential:

• SP battery keeps rotations fluid
• Physical Vulnerability debuffs
• Frontline presence
• Future-proof – Physical meta is strong

Usage: Core unit for any Physical composition. Don’t sleep on him.

Endministrator (Free 6-Star, Physical, Guard)

Your free 6-star from story. Actually good.

Strengths:

• Accessible to everyone
• Solid Physical DPS
• Works with starter teams
• Scales well with investment

Reality check: Not S-tier, but absolutely viable for all content. Don’t feel bad using them.

Gilberta (5-Star, Arts, Supporter)

Arts support specialist.

Why she’s valuable:

• Arts Susceptibility enables caster DPS
• Buffs team damage significantly
• Pairs well with Yvonne or arts-focused teams

Caveat: Needs a strong Arts DPS to support. Don’t build her first.

Wulfgard (5-Star, Heat, Guard)

Heat enabler for Laevatain teams.

Role:

• Applies Heat Infliction consistently
• Provides Melting Flame stacks for Laevatain
• Decent personal damage

Tier context: Excellent in Heat teams, mediocre outside them.

Akekuri (5-Star, Heat/Cryo, Supporter)

Versatile SP generator.

Why she’s everywhere:

• Works in Heat AND Cryo teams
• SP battery function is universal
• Combo Skill triggers off Stagger
• Budget-friendly investment

Team fit: Almost always a good pick. Very flexible.

Antal (5-Star, Electric, Caster)

Electric sub-DPS and enabler.

Strengths:

• Pairs with Yvonne for Electric teams
• Good personal damage
• Chain reaction potential

B-Tier Operators

Solid performers that work in their niches but don’t define meta.

Ember (5-Star, Physical, Defender)

Physical defender with support utility.

What she offers:

• Vulnerable stacks for team
• Healing capability
• Tanky frontline
• Pairs okay with Endministrator

Honest take: Usable, not exciting. If you need a defender, she works.

Chen Qianyu (5-Star, Physical, Guard)

Starter-friendly Physical DPS.

Strengths:

• Vulnerable application
• High Stagger damage
• Synergizes with Endministrator
• Available early

Usage: Great for starter teams. Gets outscaled later but carries early-mid game.

Lifeng (5-Star, Nature, Supporter)

Nature support with Arts utility.

Niche:

• Arts Susceptibility like Gilberta
• Different element coverage
• Okay healing

Problem: Needs top-tier DPS to shine. Without Laevatain/Last Rite/Yvonne, feels weak.

Xaihi (5-Star, Cryo, Striker)

Cryo sub-DPS.

Role:

• Cryo Infliction for Last Rite teams
• Decent personal damage
• Freeze uptime contribution

Context: Good in Cryo teams, forgettable elsewhere.

Fluorite (5-Star, Cryo, Caster)

Cryo enabler.

What she does:

• Boosts Cryo Infliction stacking
• Supports Last Rite specifically
• AoE coverage

C-Tier Operators

Usable but require significant investment for middling returns.

Alesh (5-Star, Physical, Striker)

The problem: Random “fishing” mechanic in his kit. Inconsistent damage in a game that demands consistency.

Snowshine (4-Star, Cryo, Defender)

Budget option: Works if you need Cryo defense. Outclassed by higher rarity options.

Perlica (4-Star, Physical, Supporter)

Starter viable: Part of early game comps. Replace when possible.

Avywenna (5-Star, Nature, Caster)

Niche: Some Nature utility but doesn’t excel anywhere.

Arclight (5-Star, Electric, Striker)

Issue: Electric has better options. Fine if you lack Yvonne/Antal.

D-Tier Operators

Avoid investing unless waifu/husbando reasons.

Da Pan (4-Star, Physical, Defender)

Why avoid: In Endfield, offense is the best defense. Shielding wastes DPS time.

Catcher (4-Star, Physical, Vanguard)

Problem: Doesn’t do enough of anything. Other Vanguards outclass completely.

Estella (5-Star, Physical, Guard)

Issue: Mediocre kit that doesn’t synergize well with meta teams.

Best Team Compositions

Theory is nice. Here are actual working teams.

Heat Team (Laevatain Core)

Lineup: Laevatain + Wulfgard + Akekuri + Ardelia

How it works:

1. Wulfgard and Akekuri apply Heat Infliction
2. Heat stacks build Laevatain’s Melting Flame
3. Ardelia applies Corrosion for Combustion reactions
4. Laevatain’s Ultimate deletes everything

Damage type: Primarily Heat/Arts

Investment level: High (needs Laevatain)

Cryo Team (Last Rite Core)

Lineup: Last Rite + Fluorite + Xaihi + Akekuri

How it works:

1. Fluorite and Xaihi stack Cryo Inflictions
2. Last Rite applies Cryo Susceptibility
3. Akekuri generates SP for skill rotations
4. Freeze + shatter cycle for massive damage

Damage type: Cryo/Arts

Investment level: High (needs Last Rite)

Physical Team (F2P Friendly)

Lineup: Endministrator + Pogranichnik + Chen Qianyu + Ember

How it works:

1. Pogranichnik batteries SP and applies Physical Vulnerability
2. Chen Qianyu and Ember apply Vulnerable stacks
3. Endministrator triggers Crush for big damage
4. High Stagger uptime for consistent Finishers

Damage type: Physical

Investment level: Low-Medium (accessible units)

Starter Team (Day One)

Lineup: Endministrator + Chen Qianyu + Perlica + Akekuri

How it works:

1. Endministrator main DPS
2. Chen Qianyu provides Vulnerable + secondary damage
3. High Stagger enables Akekuri Combo Skill
4. Perlica provides utility until replaced

Upgrade path: Replace Perlica first, then Chen Qianyu as you pull better units.

Ember Alternative Team

Lineup: Ember + Endministrator + Akekuri + Ardelia

How it works:

1. Ember’s Vulnerable stacks enable Endministrator
2. Ardelia Physical Susceptibility + Corrosion
3. Akekuri SP generation
4. Ember provides off-healing

For players who: Pulled Ember early but not Laevatain/Last Rite.

Who Should You Pull?

Let’s be practical about gacha priorities.

Must Pull (If Available)

• Laevatain – Limited, defines Heat meta
• Last Rite – Standard pool but top tier
• Ardelia – Universal support, never wrong

Safe Investments

• Pogranichnik – Physical teams need him
• Akekuri – Flexible, works everywhere
• Yvonne – Electric specialist if that’s your element

Skip Unless Waifu

• Da Pan, Catcher – Just weak
• Alesh – Inconsistent mechanics
• Estella – Doesn’t fit meta teams

Wait and See

• Future banners – Meta will evolve
• Anniversary units – Usually strong
• Limited reruns – Patience pays off

Understanding the Meta

Few concepts to internalize for team building.

Elemental Reactions Matter

Endfield isn’t about raw stats. Reaction chains multiply damage:

• Heat + Corrosion = Combustion (AoE explosion)
• Cryo + targets = Freeze (CC + shatter damage)
• Electric chains between enemies
• Physical relies on Vulnerability/Breach stacking

Build teams that enable reactions, not just high individual damage.

SP Economy

Skills win fights. SP generation determines how often you use them.

• Akekuri is everywhere because SP battery is that valuable
• Pogranichnik enables Physical teams for same reason
• Don’t neglect SP generation when team building

Breach vs. Crush

Physical damage mechanics:

• Breach: Reduces Physical resistance
• Crush: Triggered when Breach threshold hit, big damage

Physical teams stack Breach, trigger Crush, repeat. That’s the loop.

Team Order Matters

Operator lineup (left to right) affects:

• Combo Skill trigger priority
• Elemental reaction sequencing
• Default switching patterns

Experiment with order. Small changes can optimize damage significantly.

Future Meta Predictions

Version 1.0 meta will shift. Here’s what to watch:

Physical Staying Strong

Breach is easy to apply. Physical teams have low barrier to entry and scale well. Safe long-term investment.

Heat Needs Laevatain

Without her, Heat teams are incomplete. If you’re building Heat, pray for Laevatain banner.

Cryo More Accessible

Last Rite is standard pool. Cryo teams are easier to build over time as you naturally pull her.

New Elements Coming

Nature and Electric are underdeveloped. Future patches will likely add more units, potentially shifting tier positions.

Limited Units Usually Strong

Gacha economics. Limited banners drive spending, so those units tend to be powerful. Save for limited.

Investment Priority Guide

Resources are scarce. Here’s optimal spending order.

First Priority (Max ASAP)

1. Main DPS (Laevatain/Last Rite/Endministrator)
2. Core support (Ardelia/Akekuri)

Second Priority

3. Element enablers (Wulfgard for Heat, Fluorite for Cryo)
4. SP battery (Pogranichnik for Physical)

Third Priority

5. Sub-DPS
6. Backup teams
7. Niche specialists

Skip Until Late Game

• Multiple teams for different elements
• Collection completion
• D-tier units

Common Team Building Mistakes

Mixing Damage Types Early

Don’t run Laevatain + Last Rite + Yvonne together. Pick ONE element and build around it.

Reactions need consistent element application. Mixed teams apply nothing effectively.

Ignoring Supports

“I’ll run four DPS for maximum damage!”

No. Supports enable DPS to actually deal damage. Ardelia’s Corrosion multiplies Laevatain’s output. Pogranichnik’s SP lets skills cycle faster.

Support slots aren’t wasted slots.

Building Everyone Equally

Spread resources = no one is strong.

Focus resources on 4-5 units max early game. A maxed core team beats a mediocre roster every time.

Chasing Every New Banner

Standard gacha trap. Not every new unit is worth pulling.

Check tier lists, evaluate team fit, then decide. Impulse pulling depletes resources for actually good banners.

Quick Reference Tables

6-Star Rankings

5-Star Rankings

Best Teams Summary

Final Thoughts

Endfield’s meta rewards understanding over spending. A well-built free team clears content that poorly constructed whale accounts struggle with.

Key takeaways:

• Focus one element
• Enable reactions
• Support slots matter
• Don’t spread resources
• Save for limited banners

Tier lists will evolve as patches drop. But the fundamentals – team synergy over individual power – won’t change.

Now go build something that actually works instead of slapping your favorite characters together and hoping for the best. We’ve all been there. It doesn’t work.

More Arknights Endfield guides:

• Beginner Guide: Day One Tips – what to do first, basics explained
• AIC Factory Guide – automation setup, Stock Bills farming

Sources:

• Arknights Endfield Tier List - Game8
• Best Characters Ranked - Mobalytics
• Tier List 2026 - Endfield.gg
• Best Team Comps - Game8
• Laevatain Build Guide - TheGamer
• Last Rite Team Guide - GameRant

• Arknights Endfield
• Arknights Endfield Tier List
• Arknights Endfield Best Characters
• Arknights Endfield Teams
• Gacha Tier List
• Arknights Endfield Operators
• Arknight Endfield
• Ark Nights Endfield
• Arknight End Field