MH Outlanders Tier List

Best mains and best squadmates

Game8 ranks every Adventurer twice, and that split explains most of this game's rankings. A main is the character you control, so skill and timing matter. A squadmate is run by the AI, so reliable buffs and control matter more. Pick your main from the first column, then fill your squad from the second.

Rank	Best main	Best squadmate
S	Fated Adventurer, Midori, Luka, Keres	Luxheart, Pepper, Madelyn, Haze
A	Pepper, Haze, Ryunosuke, Luxheart, Raya	Ryunosuke, Raya, Keres, Fated Adventurer, Arkaya
B	Rhodes, Arkaya, Pyro	Luka, Midori, Rhodes
C	Madelyn, Ouyang Varen	Pyro, Ouyang Varen
Unranked	Freya	Freya

Game8 scores each Adventurer on Damage, Utility and Versatility. S tier means high damage, strong team value and flexible team use. A tier can beat S with the right setup, but it is less versatile. Freya is unranked on Game8, and Kanima expects her in December.

How rankings compare

LDShop's launch list uses one overall ranking, weighing damage, support, control and handling. It leaves the Fated Adventurer out, and recommends it separately. Its top three are Luka, Midori and Madelyn. Characters within each tier are not in any set order.

Rank	LDShop overall
S	Luka, Midori, Madelyn
A	Arkaya, Haze, Luxheart, Pepper, Pyro
B	Keres, Ouyang Varen, Rhodes, Ryunosuke, Raya

Luka and Midori are the safest picks, since they sit at the top of both lists. Madelyn shows the gap best: C as a main on Game8, but S overall on LDShop because of her support value. Keres shows the opposite, S as a main on Game8 but B on LDShop, because she depends on a Dragon squad. LDShop also says it combines public mechanics with closed-beta experience, so some ranks may shift.

Character tier list by source

We also compared three other rankings, and they do not fully agree. Destructoid updated its list after launch, while EnjoyGM and Kanima published theirs before launch. Kanima's videos are based on the third closed beta, so treat those placements as provisional. Use the table to see which picks hold up across sources.

Adventurer	Rarity	Destructoid	EnjoyGM	Kanima
Fated Adventurer	SSR	S	Not ranked	Tier 0
Midori	SSR	S	B	Tier 0
Luka	SSR	A	A	Tier 0
Arkaya	SSR	S	S	Top of Tier 1
Keres	SSR	S	A	Tier 2
Pepper	SSR	A	B	Low
Pyro	SSR	B	A	Tier 1
Rhodes	SSR	A	Not ranked	Not ranked
Madelyn	SR	A	S	Tier 0
Luxheart	SR	B	Not ranked	Tier 0
Ouyang Varen	SR	B	A	High
Ryunosuke	SR	B	Not ranked	Low
Raya	SR	B	B	Low
Haze	SSR	To be confirmed	Not ranked	Not ranked
Freya	SSR	To be confirmed	Not ranked	Tier 0

The biggest gaps come from what each list values. Some rank personal damage, while Kanima's free-character list focuses on party value. Destructoid has not ranked Haze or Freya yet, though it expects both to reach S tier from their kit descriptions. Those two ranks are to be confirmed.

Best overall: Fated Adventurer

Your Fated Adventurer tops the list because it can use any weapon, element and class, so it fits any team. Destructoid calls it easily the best option, and Kanima places it at the top of Tier 0. Kanima's reasoning is that it is the only character with no penalty for using any element. If you want one character to clear everything, this is the one to play.

It is not always the highest damage dealer. Specialists can beat it, but only on monsters weak to their element. LDShop singles out Heavy Bowgun as a leading option for efficient progression, with Bow also worth exploring. Note that its Insights come from Trial Expeditions.

Best damage dealers

Luka is called the strongest damage dealer since the beta by Kanima, and his Bow keeps him at range. He out-damages the Fated Adventurer only when a monster is weak to Thunder. He is also easy to get, because he is a Standard character and an early event gives him for free. Positioning and stamina management decide how much damage he deals.

Midori is the first limited Adventurer, and Destructoid places her in S tier. She can beat the Fated Adventurer on Fire-weak monsters, and much of the game's content is weak to fire. Her Rupture mechanic exploits that weakness well, and her kit includes a very strong parry. As a melee character, she is less consistent than Luka, according to Kanima.

Pyro is a Great Sword character who takes hits and answers harder. He is also free through events at the start of the game. He beats the Fated Adventurer's Great Sword if you can trigger his super armor mechanic, but he has bad matchups. Kanima notes that Great Girros can paralyze him even through super armor.

Best squadmates explained

Haze buffs the whole squad's Affinity and Critical Elemental Damage, and those buffs work with any element. Pepper is a great Disruptor because she applies paralysis. Luxheart is a reliable source of Daze, and Madelyn's healing is a useful safety net for beginners.

Buffs and control hold up well in AI hands, while damage rotations do not. Luka and Midori drop to B as squadmates, because Game8 says they cannot perform optimal rotations there. Keep that in mind when you build a team. Put your damage dealer under your own control, then surround them with buff and control units.

Best free characters

SR characters are easy to get and quick to max out, which makes them excellent squad members. They do not bring much personal damage, so you usually put them in the party rather than play them. Kanima rates their party value very highly. These are the first characters to build if you do not plan to spend.

Madelyn is the best early support in Kanima's view. Her Ultimate heals and buffs damage for the party, and the buff works for any element. EnjoyGM also places her in S tier for squad value. Destructoid is cooler on her, saying you will find better units for teams later.

Luxheart is Kanima's other Tier 0 pick, despite his B rank from Destructoid. His Ultimate flashes the monster and holds three charges, and he starts each fight with two ready. That gives him value from the first seconds of a hunt. Kanima treats him as a near-permanent party member, even though his personal damage is not high.

Ouyang Varen is the lowest-damage Assault character, but he is also the safest. His Ultimate puts him in front of you to block an attack, and a successful block guarantees a stagger. It works against roars as well, and he starts with all three charges. EnjoyGM also calls him a reliable starting Assault option.

Supports and Disruptors

Arkaya sits at S tier with Destructoid and EnjoyGM, largely for his shields. Destructoid says defensive Adventurers are limited, which helps him stand out for beginners. Kanima places him lower because his buff is weaker than Madelyn's until his first duplicate. That duplicate adds 12% skill damage and lifts him to the top tier.

Keres has the widest range of rankings, from S to Tier 2. She raises Dragon damage, and her Evasive Fang lets her become repeatedly invulnerable. Kanima sees that as a niche strength, because the debuff only helps Dragon damage. LDShop also warns that her priority depends on the hunts you plan to tackle, so build her only if you plan a Dragon team.

Pepper was S tier in the second closed beta, then took heavy nerfs. Her Affinity buff helps any squad, and her Ultimate paralyzes monsters. Her low personal damage is why Kanima ranks her so low now. Destructoid still gives her A tier, and adds that a buff could push her higher.

Raya and Ryunosuke are the lowest of the free group. Raya's traps do not work on every monster, and they never work on Elder Dragons. Ryunosuke's buff only raises Fire damage, so he depends on a Fire team. Kanima keeps Ryunosuke slightly above Raya, because he uses him more often.

Tier list for pulls

Kanima's list asks a different question: is this character worth your resources? It ignores free characters and is based on the third closed beta, so treat it as a starting point. Kanima also warns that numbers may change after launch. Names below use the game's spelling.

Pull value	Adventurers	Why
Must pull	Freya	High damage plus a guaranteed topple, even on Elder Dragons
Great pull	Luka, Midori, Pyro	Strong personal damage in their element
Niche pull	Arkaya, Keres	Arkaya needs a duplicate, and Keres only helps Dragon teams
Main only	Pepper	Low personal damage, and free units can cover her control

Luka ranks above Midori because a ranged weapon is more consistent. Pyro sits behind both. Arkaya's buffs do not beat Madelyn's until his first duplicate, after which Kanima would call him a must pull. Pepper is the biggest disagreement, because Game8 ranks her S as a squadmate while Kanima calls her the worst character in the beta.

New and upcoming characters

Rhodes appears only on Destructoid's list among these three, at A tier. He is the only Ice character it mentions, which gives him a clear role. His damage needs a long setup without mistakes, so he is harder to use well.

Freya is the second limited banner, and Kanima expects her at Tier 0. She is a Disruptor with high personal damage, and her Ultimate guarantees a topple. Kanima says she has a higher ceiling than Midori but is harder to play. Her live strength is to be confirmed, since this is based on the closed beta.

What each class does

SYROBE's overview explains why squad balance matters. Assault deals damage, Disruptor controls, and Support buffs. Your Fated Adventurer is the only one who can freely switch between all three. All other Adventurers are locked to one weapon and softly locked to one element, which gives them bonuses for using it.

SYROBE personally rates Support as the best role, because Ultimate energy decides how often you can use your Ultimate. Madelyn's squadmate skill grants energy to the squad, with extra for Assault Adventurers. Haze and Arkaya can also feed energy to the team. That is one reason support picks rank highly on squad lists.

LDShop lists each Adventurer's weapon and class, which helps when you want to fill a role. Pick one Assault for your own hands, then add a Support and a Disruptor around them.

Class	Adventurers and weapons
Assault	Luka (Bow), Midori (Long Sword), Pyro (Great Sword), Ouyang Varen (Lance), Rhodes (Hammer)
Support	Madelyn (Bow), Arkaya (Lance), Haze (Dual Blades), Ryunosuke (Long Sword)
Disruptor	Luxheart (Great Sword), Pepper (Heavy Bowgun), Keres (Dual Blades), Raya (Dual Blades)

SYROBE's transcript gives no final ranking, so that order is to be confirmed. The video is sponsored, and SYROBE calls the rankings first impressions, so we use it here for skills rather than ratings.

Who to build first

LDShop's advice is to start with one controlled damage dealer and a useful supporting squad. Luka suits ranged players, and Midori suits Long Sword players. Your Fated Adventurer is a strong foundation if you are still deciding on a weapon. Add Madelyn for support, Luxheart for control, and Arkaya if survival is slowing you down.

Kanima's easiest free team is your main damage dealer plus three free characters. Luxheart flashes the monster, Madelyn heals and buffs, and Ouyang Varen blocks attacks that get through. You can replace Ouyang Varen with Pyro or Midori if you want more damage. This setup lets you focus on dealing damage while your squad handles safety.

SR characters are practically free, so they cost you no pulls, and Game8 ranks Madelyn and Luxheart S as squadmates. Save your pulls for Adventurers who bring something free units cannot, and pull for Midori only if you plan to play her yourself. Monster weaknesses should guide your next investment after that.

How long will this list last?

These rankings are early. Game8's page was last updated on 31 October, and LDShop's on 29 October. Haze's position is provisional on LDShop, and Pepper's damage rating has varied across test versions. We will update this page as post-launch testing arrives.

Use this list as a guide, not a rule. SYROBE says the Fated Adventurer can solo pretty much any monster, and that the other Adventurers are overkill on most hunts. Pick characters you enjoy, then use the rankings to fill the gaps.