Rise of Kittens Tier List & Best Cat Lineup

Building a winning team in Rise of Kittens: Idle RPG is difficult with the amount of cat heroes you can select, but today I am here to talk about this and help you with the Rise of Kittens tier which will make creating an awesome cat lineup a lot easier.

We’re going to learn strategy and synergy, not just base stats – because that’s what makes the difference in the end. So without further ado, let’s check out the REAL best cats in the game!

Understanding Hero Classes and Roles

First, we must quickly go through the hero classes, as they pay an important role in the overall strategy. Each hero in Rise of Kittens belongs to a specific class, determining their role on the battlefield and how paw-erful they are:

• Warrior: Frontline defenders with high durability – basically, the game’s Tank unit.
• Assassin: Specialize in swiftly eliminating key enemy units – the DPS.
• Mage: Provide area-of-effect damage and crowd control – a traditional Support.
• Priest: Offer healing and support to sustain the team.
• Ranger: Deliver consistent damage from a distance.

A balanced team typically includes a mix of these roles to handle various combat scenarios effectively, but you can also specialize your team to get even better results.

And since we’re talking about great heroes, make sure to check out my previous list of all the heroes in Whiteout Survival.

Hero Tier List

Now let’s get to the most important part of the article: the ranking of the heroes. This is relatively subjective, but I am sure you will find my list useful and true to the current state of the game.

S Tier

These heroes dominate both PvP and PvE content and are the absolute best to have around:

• Lü Bu
• Alexander
• Guan Yu
• Fa Zheng
• Musashi
• Hades
• Kaguya
• Nobunaga
• Poseidon
• Caesar
• Susanoo
• Zhuang Zhou
• Genghis Khan
• Zhuge Liang
• Zeus
• Artemis

If you want more than a list, I will explain below why each and every one of the heroes above are considered OP at the moment.

Lü Bu

Boasts high attack and health stats, allowing him to survive longer while dealing significant damage. His main skills include:

Heaven Splitter: Deals hefty attack damage to three random foes and steals a fraction of their attack for several turns, plus burn damage over time.

Unrivaled: Boosts health, attack, critical, and block stats.

Supreme Overlord: Strengthens his basic attacks against three random enemies, cuts their attack, and tacks on burning damage.

The Unrivaled: Has a strong chance to boost Lü Bu’s health based on his attack when triggered, layering more burn effects on opponents.

He’s a good front-liner if you want raw power combined with steady damage-over-time.

Alexander

Ranks high thanks to big damage bursts and extra effects against tough foes. His skill list includes:

Divine Descendant: Deals high attack damage to four enemies, lowers their attack for a couple of turns, and applies delayed debuffs that can erupt for additional damage.

Wise Courage: Raises attack, health, block, speed, and control immunity.

Expedition Resolve: Activates upon Alexander’s death, marking all enemies so they sustain damage each turn until they fall.

Invincible Offense: Targets several enemies at random with a hefty blow, applying marks that trigger bonus attack power.

Alexander works well in boss fights and multi-enemy battles, thanks to his scaling damage and disruptive debuffs.

Guan Yu

He punishes enemy lines through powerful area-of-effect strikes and crippling debuffs. Guan Yu’s finishing abilities revolve around burning damage, armor reduction, and counters against warriors.

He can tear through tanky targets by stacking burns, and his counterattack keeps him relevant when under pressure.

Fa Zheng

Is part support, part attacker, reducing enemy accuracy while amplifying his squad’s attack and speed. His basic hits can target multiple enemies, cutting their crit chance and lowering the threat they pose.

Even when his health dips, he can swing the flow of battle by triggering team-wide buffs and enemy armor debuffs.

Musashi

Is perfect for squads built around crit synergy. His main moves tack on burning and enhance his offense each time an ally lands a critical hit, letting him regenerate a good portion of health.

Being able to debuff enemies with extra burn and armor reduction whenever he’s attacked makes him a potent choice if you enjoy an aggressive playstyle.

Hades

Hades is a game-defining mage capable of paralyzing the front row while severely weakening enemies behind them. When a unit – ally or foe – falls in battle, Hades blasts opposing forces for a couple of turns.

Because his basic hits also drain energy from targets, it’s tough for enemies to unleash their signature skills. He’s a natural pick for endgame player-versus-player and PvE dungeons alike.

Kaguya

Kaguya’s abilities scale with an enemy’s maximum HP, which allows her to chew through bosses and durable targets. Her swift takedowns and lethal bursts make her a first-rate assassin for dealing with problem foes.

Delivers high single-target damage, ideal for eliminating priority threats.

Nobunaga

He focuses on racking up damage across multiple targets, mixing splash damage with potent strikes against priority enemies. His aggressive stance and potential to chain hits let him dismantle defensive lines before they can retaliate.

Excels at dealing AoE damage and detonating burn effects, synergizing well with heroes applying such debuffs.

Poseidon

He strikes with powerful water-based attacks that slow and weaken groups, giving allies time to capitalize on foes’ reduced mobility.

His broad coverage and debuff potential set up teammates for swift and decisive eliminations.

Caesar

Caesar reduces incoming damage by stripping enemy defenses while boosting allies’ resilience.

He can maintain control and soak hits for more fragile companions.

Susanoo

He wields lightning-quick swordplay to devastate clusters of enemies, layering extra damage over time.

His strong burst combos, plus synergy with allies who spread debuffs, make him a sturdy choice for those aiming to dominate the battlefield.

Zhuang Zhou

Zhuang Zhou conjures wide-ranging illusions that confuse enemies and mitigate their offense.

He excels in extended battles where his illusions and debuffs can wear enemies down, letting allies sweep up unprepared opponents.

Genghis Khan

He ramps up his offense as he takes down targets, gaining greater power the longer he fights.

His mid-range strikes harass foes effectively, and once he picks up steam, he can dominate both weaker and bulkier adversaries.

Zhuge Liang

Zhuge Liang is crippling enemy forces’ ability to hit hard or move swiftly, he sets the stage for allies to finish off weakened targets in record time.

He slams entire teams with large-area spells and draining debuffs.

Zeus

He thrives on punishing packed enemy formations with thunderbolts and follow-up shocks.

His debuff detonation approach clears weaker foes in a flash, adding a reliable source of crowd damage for any squad.

Artemis

Artemis delivers team-wide heals while fortifying allies’ defenses, particularly those with Divine skills.

She steadies the group through longer confrontations, keeping damage dealers healthy and ensuring momentum stays on your side.

If you want to check out the best heroes in other games, I recommend taking a look at the Don’t Starve Together tier list for solo play.

A Tier

These heroes may not always match the punch of S-tier champions, but they remain effective with decent gear and synergy – and especially if you don’t have all the ones in the tier above:

• Yi Song-Gye
• King Arthur
• Wei Yan
• Cao Cao
• Zhao Yun
• Diaochan
• Zhou Yu
• Dian Wei
• Pang De
• Wu Zetian
• Qn Seondeok
• Cheon J.G
• Xun You

B Tier

These midrange cats can hold their own in early and mid-game but typically get replaced later. Some have specific abilities that occasionally prove useful, but consider them stepping stones in your setup.

• Zhang Bao
• Matilda
• Fuxi
• Ma Teng
• Hanzo
• Yi Sun-Sin

C Tier

These lag behind the rest, with weak damage or inconsistent effects. Use them only if you have no better options.

• Hua Mulan
• Candragupta
• Galahad
• Tadakatsu
• Kenshin
• Rahu
• Helen of Troy

How to Build the Best Team in Rise of Kittens

You always need to create teams that take into account each hero’s strengths. With so many options available, there are various setups that work and you can create your own if you pay attention to the synergies and complementary effects.

Another thing that can influence the setup is whether you’re trying to excel in PvP or PvE. For the latter, focus on AoE damage dealers and heroes with self-sustain like Zeus and Musashi. For the former, prioritize control abilities and single-target burst from heroes like Kaguya or Yi Song-Gye.

With these in mind, here is one cat lineup that might work well for you if you have all the cats available:

Zhuge Liang (Chaos/Mage) – AoE Burst and Debuffer

Zhuge Liang’s spells affect clusters of foes, applying debuffs that reduce their damage output and movement potential. He excels at both handling swarms in PvE and keeping opposing squads in PvP at bay, balancing well crowd control mechanics with raw magical firepower.

Wu Zetian (Priest/Support) – Healer and Debuffer

She balances healing with powerful debuffs and stuns, making sure that your strongest damage dealers are kept alive.

Hades (Mage/Control) – Crowd Control Specialist

Hades’ ability to petrify front-line enemies and debilitate back-line units is great for controlling the battlefield.

Lu Bu (Warrior/DPS) – AoE Bruiser

Lu Bu’s relentless offense and crowd-clearing abilities quickly shred both squishy back-liners and tanky front-liners. His high survivability, paired with armor-reduction and burning debuffs, makes him a reliable hero for most team setups.

Kaguya (Assassin/DPS) – Single-Target Damage Dealer

Her Max HP-scaling attacks are highly effective against bosses and tanky enemies, making her a reliable damage dealer and opponent destroyer.

Alexander (Ranger/DPS) – Multi-Target Damage Dealer

A versatile attacker who can strike several foes and apply lingering marks, Alexander’s multi-enemy assault weakens enemy formations while scaling damage to pressure sturdy opponents. His finishing strikes and delayed debuffs give him an edge in drawn-out battles, making him ideal for both PvE waves and high-level PvP.

Wrapping up

Now you know which are the best heroes in the game, as well as a recommended setup in case you don’t want to go through the trouble of creating one yourself.

There are plenty of options out there and I would love to hear your opinions – both in terms of who you think the best heroes are, but also your preferred team setups.

Another game with interesting heroes is Whiteout Survival. Like all games in this genre you will also need to know the best heroes Whiteout Survival and where to get them.