Tier List (Introduction)

Tier List (Introduction)

These Tier Lists are created for daily and community missions in Phoenix 2 Version 7.1.2.

• These Tier Lists are designed not only to advise you on the best ship/apex to use for survival and speedrunning purposes, but to also encourage exploring other ships/apexes.
• The wide range of tier ratings, 2 of which are practical because of survival and speedrunning purposes, ensures every ship/apex has a possible chance to prove itself to be worthy.
• Fun Factor is designed to give limelight to some ships/apexes which are not practical but fun to mess around with.
• Uniqueness gives a bit more limelight to some ships/apexes i feel are more special and should be explored.
• The Beginner Friendliness Tier is designed to help beginners and help you understand the purpose of some ships that don't really seem to fit anywhere else.
  • It also gives players who accidentally upgraded these ships the understanding that these ships help build their foundations for higher ranks.

Note that the tier list is still my own judgment of the ships in this game.

• It is by no means an unbiased, complete and holistic judgment on what each ship/apex may truly be.
• I give every ship/apex an equal chance to prove itself, and try not to bash or overpromote any ship/apex.
• For this reason, do check out other Tier Lists to reach a general sense of each ship/apex from different players.
  • A table is shown below for the different tier lists from different Phoenix 2 versions.
  • Note that the mission types and the Invader layouts do change between some versions, so be careful which version the tier lists is catered for.

The purpose of the tier lists in this guide are explained in the respective tier list pages themselves.

• The title of the tier list will also tell you a good idea of what each tier list is for.
• The difference between the Basic and Advanced Tier List is that the Basic Tier List does NOT include apexes, while the Advanced Tier List includes apexes .
  • The Basic Tier List caters to players who are either new to the game or only a few months in (which means they do not have a lot of credits yet to spend on apexes).
  • The Advanced Tier List caters to veteran players who are ready to purchase apexes .
• The Beginner Friendliness List is a single list which does NOT include apexes as beginners shouldn't invest in apexes.
  • Instead, they should aim to build a hangar of reliable ships to clear missions.
• The Unique Ships List is a single list which includes apexes since players looking for something special are usually willing to sink in credits. They are also usually stable enough to clear missions consistently.

The tier lists are as follows:

• Beginner Friendliness List
• Basic Tier List (Overall)
  
  • Basic Tier List (Survivability)
  • Basic Tier List (Speedrunning)
  • Basic Tier List (Fun Factor)
• Advanced Tier List (Overall)
  
  • Advanced Tier List (Survivability)
  • Advanced Tier List (Speedrunning)
  • Advanced Tier List (Fun Factor)
• Unique Ships List

List of Tier Lists by other Authors

You may also create your own tier lists here at the link shown below:
https://tiermaker.com/create/phoenix-2-ships-16766598

• Note that any changes made to the tier list at this link will only be visible by you. Therefore, sharing the link to others will have no use.
• You need to take screenshot of it to send to others.
• If you do create your own tier list, feel free to send it to me if you want it included in the guide!
  • This has already been done by veteran players like 皓°-Scorpion丿, and both of us have agreed to host it here on this guide.

Version	Author	Comments	Tier List Link
v6.3.9+	FBI Light Rock	You are kinda looking at it right now :P	Click Here
	皓°-Scorpion丿	This Tier List is built for primarily speedrunning & skill training purposes. From S-Tier to D-Tier, ships are ranked on the principle that the more accurate a player operates this ship, the more benefit derived. The derived benefit includes sharpening the player's skills and improving the player's position on the leaderboard. The higher the tier, the more skill a player can gain. The stronger the ship, the more it can cover mistakes made during speedrunning. A-Tier ships can have more ways to deal damage than S-Tier ships.
	Keep3r	Ships are tiered by their effectiveness in their respective roles. Defensive ships are rated on survivability, fast ships are rated on their ability to score quick times. Ease of use has been factored in.
v6.x	Flyingfish812	Known as the Phoenix 2 General Ship Exam, this tier list puts numerical scores on major subjects which are Main, Aura, and Zen, as well as minor subjects which are Survival, Speedrun, and Fun. Minor subjects (Survival, Speedrun, Fun) are also assigned letter ratings. Each apex also has an additional score of its own, known as APEX1 & APEX2. Here's how the score system works in the tier list: Base Score = Main + Aura + Zen. Used for Base Rank position. Low Score = Base Score + Min(APEX1, APEX2). High Score = Base Score + Max(APEX1, APEX2). Used for Apex Rank position. Final Score = Base Score + Survival + Speedrun + Fun + Max(APEX1, APEX2). Used for Final Rank position.	https://p2myth.club/Result
	(Echelon) Davin X	Known as the Meta Definition Project, this tier list is built by several Discord members	https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1g589HK4qS9nbbU78kQ3S78_rZ2A-ZpM-e0oVjCRpUbo/
v5.x	FBI Light Rock	I decided to leave behind a historical version of the Tier List in Version 2.5b of this guide, for memorial sake, but also to let you see videos of how they play in the past, and how the meta was like in v5.0.	Coming Soon
	SgtNene	-	https://redd.it/dxam5x
	LokiiofMillenium	It is also a partial, incomplete guide on the basics of Invaders, Turrets, Ship main weapons, Auras, Zens and Apex abilities.	https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gl78ua3o6P7kvvySRSODqKqlo7twSx8MDwRnzml95Hg
v4.x	FBI Light Rock	I decided to leave behind a historical version of the Tier List in Version 1.3 of this guide, for memorial sake, but also to let you see videos of how they play in the past, and how the meta has changed in v5.0.	https://drive.google.com/file/d/15rxS3diFnT9vmWFiYoFBtF-6jE7PIt1a/
	Fvr_Vain	Originally written in Chinese, translated by FBI Light Rock	https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1C6ZD0qU2twRB-n4jAIhCc4AmFXneH1OfpxSGtHniyMA/
	LokiiofMillenium	For v4.2	https://goo.gl/DSWsdT
		For v4.0	https://redd.it/94r1bk
v3.5+	LokiiofMillenium	-	https://redd.it/8jk4if
v3.4+	LokiiofMillenium	-	https://redd.it/83t2hm
v3.1+	LokiiofMillenium	-	https://redd.it/7i529y
v3.0+	Destroytheself	More specific by ship	https://redd.it/78m023
		More generic, description by per tier	https://redd.it/6xenvi
v2.3+	Emuser012	-	https://redd.it/6dyfeu

For each letter grade (except the highest grade X and the lowest grade C), there can also be a +/- which means it is slightly better/worse than other ships of its category, but not enough to push it to the next higher/lower tier according to the rough definition of the letter grades given below.

• Do not worry, my justification of each letter grade will be given when you read the section for the ship itself.
• Take note that these tier lists assume you intend to fully upgrade (to 6-6-6) the ship.

Note that the Tier List Rating scale is not linear.

• Sub-grade divisions are not equally spaced apart.
• Letter grades are not equally spaced apart
• To use a point system to space them apart would generally be inaccurate.

Tipbit!
Click the name of the ship you want to see in the the tier list table to navigate straight to that ship.

• A link at the end of every base form of a ship called _{Back to All Ships}, brings you back to the Basic Tier List, specifically, which part it belongs to according to the chronological order of ships.
• At the end of every apex form, another link _{Back to All Ships/Apexes} is included which brings you to the Advanced Tier List, specifically, which part it belongs to according to the chronological order of ships.

For all ships, click on the respective Aura or Zen icon to go to the generic strategies for the Auras and Zens themselves, which may not be stated under the specific ship itself due to a ton of repetition.

Please DO NOT enable Reader Mode on Safari when navigating to the specific ship you want, otherwise your browser will crash.

Ship Class

Ship class determines part of the ship's playstyle.

• Look for the playstyle you prefer from the class description and read about the ship specifics to determine if it'll suit you well enough.
• The 12 classes are as explained below (arranged from fully defensive to fully offensive, with the exception of versatile).
• Note that while some apexes may change the class of a ship, we will not consider that here since most apexes do not change the class of a ship.
• Ship Class is a term that is defined by this guide, and not used in-game.

This section has been split into 4 using horizontal lines.

1. The first section contains only ships that have both abilities (Aura & Zen ) as defensive.
2. The second section contains only ships that have 1 defensive ability and 1 offensive ability.
3. The third section contains only ships that have both abilities as offensive.
4. The last section simply lists Versatile ships that can fit anywhere.

Note that Kappa Drive will be considered offensive or defensive directly based on the Aura .

• So if the Aura is offensive, then Kappa Drive shall be considered offensive, and if the Aura is defensive, Kappa Drive shall be considered defensive.

Defensive

Playstyle is primarily oriented towards trying to desperately survive the madness of bullets and lasers. Ship core becomes of utmost importance, and killing Invaders is usually secondary.

Defensive Ships: Shinova, Tar'Cah, Jericho, Yoth-Hola, Vuxine, Heechi, Sakura, Zephyr, Orion, Marauder, Widget

Double Defence

Both Aura and Zen are defensive, meaning the ship has many means to defend itself. However, you still need to focus on killing Invaders as your Aura and Zen can only last you so long.

Double Defence Ships: Phoenix, Czar, Tillat'Or, Aurora, Gorthaur, Hunter, Njörun, Trinity, Lyova, Zhetass

Defend to Attack

Defensive means are deployed in order to aid the deployment of the offence.

Defend to Attack Ships: Jn'Dur, Kada Veni, Trireme, Baqlor, 502-Q8, Valkyrie, Qhelqod, Stinger, Esperon, Pandora, Disaris

Attack & Retreat

Pre-emptive offence is deployed before the ship retreats to defend itself.

Attack & Retreat Ships: Veil, Wrackr, Juggernaut, Atlas, Prime X, Boxer, Centurion

Balanced

A good balance of offence and defense, often used interchangeably or are well blended into each other.

Balanced Ships: Mist Star, Oran, Essin, Lokie, Sonah, X-81, NC-271, Predator, AB8/Klyn, Polaris, Xavis, Zimitr

Offensive

Oriented towards an aggressive playstyle, trying to kill as fast as you can before the Invaders can overwhelm you. Different from Full Offence (FO) as survival is still key and you do need to care about the ship core as you can only go so fast, and bullets and lasers will still come for you.

Offensive Ships: Geist, Xaniea, Vani-Vith, Dragonfly, Barret, Proteus, Torrent, Antioch, Icarus, Mirage

Close Combat

Extremely offensive style that requires going up close and personal to Invaders, usually almost at point blank range to be used effectively.

Close Combat Ships: NC-150, Krillou, Photurius, Arietis, Luna, Claymore

Lightfury

An even more offensive style, attempting to abuse Mega Laser as much as possible, even if it means running into rather long charge times. It is of essence to spam Mega Laser as it's main weapon is not enough to keep it alive. The Aura is defensive to aid the abuse of Mega Laser.

Lightfury Ships: Tempest, Razor VI, Cinnri, Photurius, Hime, Lorilou

Safer-FO

The Aura is offensive, and the Zen has both an offensive and defensive aspect. Bullet clearing is quite significant, but cannot be abused frequently, thus focusing more on the offensive aspect. Suitable to pick up speedrunning as you can still create rather significant clear space even if you get trapped.

Safer-FO Ships: Gladius, Saber, Uhb, Scuuxun, Shogun, Starless, Jeria

Full Offence (FO)

Both Aura and Zen are offensive, oriented towards a speedrunning and extreme offensive style, going all out to kill quickly. These FO ships have limited forms of bullet clear that gives a very slight leniency if you do get trapped.

Full Offence (FO) Ships: Fujin, Havoc, Ex04239, Exarch, Wraith, Neni, Naya, Monsoon, Warden

Blitzkrieg

Ship has no forms of bullet clear capabilities at all, so one has to kill very quickly otherwise there is no way out. The most extreme form of speedrunning.

Blitzkrieg Ships: Proxymar, Buhloo, Elyon, Ogon, Von Braun, Corsair, Reaper, Kibarrax, Banshee, Mistral

Versatile

Capable to choose between an offensive or defensive playstyle. Great for survival or speedrunning.

Versatile Ships: Yigothu, Nimbus

Main Weapon Details

The maximum DPS and a brief description of the main weapon at Ultimate level is shown with the ship. The number of projectiles or the number of sets refer to one single burst, which are applicable for both types of Burst weapons.

• Capacity only applies to ships with a beam main weapon that has instantaneous/zero travel time to Invaders. This statistic measures how long does one beam last.
  • In some special cases, it may be the average of the different durations of the different beams fired in one cycle.
• Spread refers to how wide the main weapon reaches by means of the projectiles emitted. This is based on the maximum angle any projectile of the main weapon may be emitted from the ship.
  • This is an official statistic provided by the game, but is likely based on the dev's feel of the weapon more than the actual measured maximum angle.
  • This statistic can only apply on ships that do not have a homing main weapon.
• There is a difference between Homing and Target Tracking in this game.
  • Homing refers to the capability of the emitted main weapon projectiles, to guide themselves towards their target. The projectile homing is continuous until they hit something, or miss and fly offscreen.
    • You will never see Homing beam main weapons.
  • Target Tracking refers to the ship's cannon/spawn point of the main weapon locking on to a target, before the beam/projectiles are fired. After fired, target tracking stops.
    • In the case of a beam, the beam will track on to its intended target constantly like homing projectiles.
• Blast Damage measures the damage dealt to the surrounding area, taking the impact spot of the main weapon projectile as the epicenter.
  • Blast Damage main weapons have the Blast Radius statistic to indicate how far the blast damage reaches from the epicenter.
  • While some Blast Damage are tagged as Low or Medium, the Blast Damages of Low and Medium are similar and differs by at most 1 blast damage.
  • Instead, the Blast Damage statistic is based on the overall feel of how much blast damage is dealt overall to all Invaders.
    • Thus, main weapons that have larger Blast Radius are more likely to have Medium Blast Damage although the Blast Damage may be the same as Low Blast Damage main weapons. (This explanation is confirmed by the devs.)
• Rate of Fire is the time between 2 projectiles (or groups of projectiles, if more than one is being fired at the same time) being fired.
  • Obviously, this statistic does not apply for beam main weapons.
  • Note that this is NOT an official statistic provided by the game, and is based on my feel.
• Projectile Speed is how fast a main weapon projectile is.
  • Obviously, this statistic does not apply for beam main weapons.
  • Note that this is NOT an official statistic provided by the game, and is based on my feel.
• Reload Time only applies to Burst main weapons.
  • Therefore, this statistic does not appear for Continuous Stream main weapons.
  • The Reload Time for Interruptible Burst main weapons refer to the cooldown time between bursts
  • Does not take into account time taken for the burst to continue if disrupted by charging Zens .
  • Note that Reload Time is NOT an official statistic provided by the game, but is made based on my feel of the main weapon
    • Some main weapons that have same or similar Reload Times will feel longer because the projectiles themselves take longer to hit, which is due to the Projectile Speed.

While each ship's main weapon is unique, they can be broadly classified into 3 classes. This class determines how using a Zen affects the main weapon firing. Note that these classes are defined in this guide only, not in-game.

Uninterruptible Burst main weapons

The damage is produced within a certain period of time, before the main weapon needs to recharge for the next burst is fired.

• Can be annoying to aim due to periods of time when nothing is emitted, since you can be in position for a good aim but nothing fires.
• Leakage of DPS is possible from the inevitable spill effect of wasting the remaining burst, or overkill damage (a projectile deals more damage than the remaining health of the Invader it hits).
• Such Burst weapons work very well with Zens as the main weapon continues firing even while charging a Zen.

Ships with Uninterruptible Burst main weapons: Tar'Cah, Veil, Tempest, Razor VI, Mist Star, Oran, Cinnri, Buhloo, Czar, Havoc, Geist, Juggernaut, Vuxine, Photurius, Xaniea, Ex04239, Aurora, Von Braun, Heechi, Prime X, Sakura, Vani-Vith, 502-Q8, Hunter, Gladius, Torrent, Orion, Boxer, Uhb, Wraith, X-81, Scuuxun, NC-271, Lorilou, AB8/Klyn, Icarus, Mirage, Marauder, Lyova, Luna, Zhetass, Neni, Claymore, Starless, Mistral, Naya, Warden, Disaris

• Several Uninterruptible Bursts (interruptions allowed between bursts) - Elyon, Xavis, Esperon, Monsoon
• Several Independent Uninterruptible Bursts - Ogon, Exarch, Nimbus, Widget, Zimitr

Interruptible Burst main weapons

Similar to uninterruptible burst. A burst is fired within a certain period of time, before the main weapon needs to recharge before the next burst is fired.

• Such weapons have the same advantage/disadvantage as Uninterruptible Burst main weapons aiming wise.
• However, they suffer the same disadvantage as Continuous Stream in Zen usage, disrupting the burst while the Zen is charging.
• If the burst is not allowed to complete before the Zen starts charging, the remainder of the burst continues immediately after the touch is re-engaged, making the positioning very important for these ships.

Ships with Interruptible Burst main weapons: Trireme, Zephyr, Baqlor, Saber, Valkyrie, Proteus, Njörun, Sonah, Corsair, Shogun, Predator, Mirage, Kibarrax, Banshee, Centurion

Continuous Stream main weapons

Projectiles are constantly produced at fixed regular intervals without any break in continuity.

• Easier to handle.
• Because projectiles are constantly being produced, damage is usually leaked when switching targets.
• Charging the Zen immediately cuts off the stream, which is not too ideal.

Ships with Continuous Stream main weapons: Shinova, NC-150, Krillou, Jericho, Fujin, Jn'Dur, Yoth-Hola, Proxymar, Kada Veni, Wrackr, Phoenix, Tillat'Or, Arietis, Atlas, Essin, Gorthaur, Dragonfly, Hime, Lokie, Barret, Yigothu, Antioch, Trinity, Polaris, Qhelqod, Reaper, Jeria, Stinger, Pandora

(Invader/Cone Triggered - Synchronous/Independent): Some ships have this tag attached on top of one of the above 3 weapon types. This means the main weapon does not fire until an Invader is in range.

• If the presence of any Invader on field triggers the main weapon to fire, it is referred to as Invader Triggered.
• If a part of or the entirety of the main weapon is only triggered when any Invader is in range of one or more of the ship's weapon, it is referred to as Cone Triggered.
• If there are no Invaders in the range of the ship weapon(s) cone, the main weapon does not fire.
• If the entirety of the weapon fires when there is an Invader in range, it is considered as Synchronous.
  • The main weapon's rhythm is consistent and never goes out of sync.
• If different cannons of the ship have a different cone range, it is considered as Independent.
  • Not all cannons may fire at the same time because of the different cone range of each cannon.
  • Some Invaders may be in cone range of some cannons, but not in cone range of other cannons.
  • Some cannons may also be in the midst of reloading even though an Invader is in their cone range, so they will not fire yet.
    • If the Invader is still in cone range of that cannon after the reload time, it will fire.
  • This can cause some cannons to be out of sync if you are not careful.

21.25 DPS main weapons

Proxymar, Trireme, Czar, Ogon, Lorilou

25 DPS main weapons

Jericho, Yoth-Hola, Mist Star, Oran, Kada Veni, Cinnri, Vuxine, Heechi, Hime, Gladius, Yigothu, Orion, Sonah, Uhb, X-81, Mirage, Marauder, Widget, Reaper, Claymore, Banshee, Zimitr, Warden, Disaris

31.25 DPS main weapons

Shinova, Tar'Cah, Veil, Krillou, Razor VI, Wrackr, Phoenix, Buhloo, Havoc, Juggernaut, Tillat'Or, Elyon, Atlas, Essin, Prime X, Vani-Vith, Zephyr, Baqlor, 502-Q8, Dragonfly, Hunter, Barret, Saber, Valkyrie, Proteus, Torrent, Njörun, Boxer, Corsair, Antioch, Trinity, Wraith, Scuuxun, Shogun, Predator, Polaris, Lyova, Qhelqod, Nimbus, Zhetass, Neni, Xavis, Starless, Kibarrax, Jeria, Centurion, Stinger, Mistral, Naya, Pandora, Monsoon

34.375 DPS main weapons

NC-150, Jn'Dur, Tempest, Photurius, Xaniea, Arietis, Gorthaur, Lokie, Exarch

37.5 DPS main weapons

Fujin, Geist, Ex04239, Von Braun, Sakura, NC-271, AB8/Klyn, Icarus, Luna

Unique DPS main weapons

• Aurora (36.5)
• Esperon (325/12 ≈ 27.08)

Homing/Target Tracking main weapons

• Homing
  

  Minor	Von Braun, Saber
  Average	Kada Veni, Gladius
  Good	Jericho, Vuxine, Sonah, Banshee
  Very Good	Cinnri, Heechi, Yigothu, Marauder, Reaper
  Perfect	Yoth-Hola, Mist Star, Hime, Orion, X-81, Claymore, Esperon, Disaris

• Target Tracking
  

  Very Limited	Tempest, Essin
  Limited	Sonah, Antioch
  Slow	Ogon
  Fast	Torrent, Polaris, Warden
  Perfect	Oran
  Instant	Proxymar, Trireme, Czar, Uhb, Shogun, Lorilou, Mirage, Zimitr

Blast Damage

Low	Krillou, Havoc, Juggernaut, Njörun, Jeria
Medium	Von Braun, Proteus
High	Aurora

Beam main weapons

Long (>1000ms)	Buhloo, Widget
Medium (500-1000ms)	Veil, Razor VI, Ex04239, Icarus, Mirage, Luna
Short (<500ms)	Fujin, Baqlor, Exarch, Boxer, Wraith, Lyova, Centurion, Mistral, Esperon, Monsoon
Special (Averaged)	Elyon

Trivia

Know more about each ship, including behind the scenes for some of them. Trivia are fun facts about the ship and its apexes that are not important to know to play it properly.

• Trivia in this guide are either some interesting observations about the ship or its apexes , material that comes from the dev themselves, or is widely circulated in the communities.
• Fan made trivia or lore will not be documented here.

Most of these trivias take a lot of work to gather, so I hope that you will appreciate the ships more.