TIER LIST Updated Jan 30, 2026 Episode 1 Meta

Highguard Warden Tier List — All 8 Characters Ranked

Complete tier list for all 8 Wardens in Highguard with detailed abilities, counters, synergies, and team compositions. Rankings based on community consensus from multiple sources.

⚠️

Early Meta Notice

Highguard launched on January 26, 2026—just 4 days ago. Rankings are based on early community testing from Dexerto, Beebom, and other gaming media. The meta will evolve as players discover new strategies.

1 Warden Tier List Overview

Tier Definitions

S Best overall, excels in any team or situation
A Strong and reliable, not fully meta-defining
B Situational, requires specific setups to shine
C Niche picks, outclassed by other options

S S-Tier Wardens

These Wardens provide exceptional value in almost any situation. High versatility, strong abilities, and game-changing ultimates make them top picks.

🌪️

Scarlet

ASSAULT • Desert Assassin
S-TIER

"A trained assassin who wields wind and sand to outflank opponents and infiltrate enemy bases."

Scarlet is Highguard's premier flanker and assassin. Her Shifting Sands passive is arguably the most powerful utility in the game, allowing her to phase through destructible walls. Combined with stealth capabilities, she can infiltrate enemy bases undetected and plant bombs before defenders realize she's there.

PASSIVE
Shifting Sands: Shift a destructible wall into sand, temporarily making it passable.
TACTICAL
Sandstorm: Enter stealth mode, making yourself hidden to enemies that are far away.
ULTIMATE
Whirling Blades: Throw up to 6 deadly daggers. Killing a player with a dagger resets your cooldowns.

✅ Strengths

  • • Best infiltration ability in game
  • • Stealth enables surprise plays
  • • Ultimate resets on kills
  • • Excels in both raids and defense

❌ Counters

  • • Condor's bird reveals stealth
  • • Kai can trap her with ice walls
  • • Requires map knowledge

Atticus

ASSAULT • Lightning Captain
S-TIER

"A lightning-wielding captain who uses a high-voltage arsenal to control the battlefield and wreak havoc upon the enemy."

Atticus is Highguard's poster character and an extremely versatile Assault Warden. His Supercharged Axe speeds up Vesper farming for faster gear upgrades. His ultimate Powerstorm punishes grouped enemies and can hit targets over walls, making him devastating during Overtime when respawns are disabled.

PASSIVE
Supercharged Axe: Charged Axe releases an electrical explosion that damages nearby resource nodes.
TACTICAL
Shockspear: Throw a charged spear that shocks nearby enemies. Continuous damage charges his passive.
ULTIMATE
Powerstorm: Rise into the air and rain lightning spears that do heavy damage to players and structures.

✅ Strengths

  • • Faster Vesper farming
  • • Ultimate bypasses low cover
  • • Strong in all match phases
  • • Area denial with Shockspear

❌ Counters

  • • Kai's ice barriers block attacks
  • • Mara's respawn negates wipes
  • • Vulnerable during ultimate

A A-Tier Wardens

Strong and reliable picks that excel in their roles. While not as universally dominant as S-Tier, they're essential for balanced team compositions.

👻

Mara

SUPPORT • Soul Conjurer
A-TIER

"A mysterious conjurer who absorbs and repurposes the souls of the fallen to shield and support her allies."

Mara is Highguard's essential Support character. Her Soul Armor provides overshields to teammates, while her ultimate Immortal Coil creates a respawn point that keeps the team fighting during deep-base sieges.

PASSIVE
Sacrifice: Sacrifice downed enemy players to charge your tactical.
TACTICAL
Soul Armor: Grants allies an overshield that absorbs damage.
ULTIMATE
Immortal Coil: Create a spawn point for your team.

✅ Strengths

  • • Only Support with team shields
  • • Respawn beacon game-changing
  • • Harvest souls for faster cooldowns

❌ Counters

  • • Atticus bypasses with aerial attacks
  • • Needs soul energy to function
  • • Vulnerable without team support
❄️

Kai

DEFENSIVE • Ice Monk
A-TIER

"This disciplined monk harnesses the cold to reshape the battlefield for defense and protection. Until his inner demon takes over…"

Kai is the ultimate defensive anchor. His Frozen Repair passive restores broken walls, and his Ice Wall creates instant cover. His ultimate transforms him into a Frost Giant that tanks massive damage.

PASSIVE
Frozen Repair: Restore broken walls with ice.
TACTICAL
Ice Wall: Create an ice wall for cover or blocking chokepoints.
ULTIMATE
Frost Giant: Transform into Kai's inner ice demon with increased durability.

✅ Strengths

  • • Only Warden who repairs walls
  • • Instant cover creation
  • • Ultimate tanks for team

❌ Counters

  • • Redmane destroys walls faster
  • • Limited offensive capability
  • • Atticus ultimate bypasses walls
🦁

Redmane

DESTRUCTION • Barbaric Enforcer
A-TIER

"This barbaric enforcer unleashes primal, bestial strength upon his foes, laying waste to anything in his path."

Redmane is the ultimate siege engine. His Pounce smashes through walls, and his Beast's Roar ultimate destroys entire sections of enemy bases. His Enraged passive snowballs kills into massive movement buffs.

PASSIVE
Enraged: Gains movement and reload speed buff after killing enemies.
TACTICAL
Pounce: Smash through breakable walls. Hold to charge a powerful leap.
ULTIMATE
Beast's Roar: Roar to destroy walls and other breakable objects. Also damages enemies.

✅ Strengths

  • • Best wall destruction in game
  • • High mobility with Pounce
  • • Snowball potential with kills

❌ Counters

  • • Condor reveals position
  • • Atticus stuns during leap
  • • Niche focused on destruction

B B-Tier Wardens

Situational picks that excel in specific scenarios. Effective in coordinated teams but less impactful in solo queue.

🔥

Slade

ASSAULT • Fire Maverick
B-TIER

"A pyroclastic maverick who melts opponents with magma from below and firestorms from above."

Slade excels in tight corridors where his fire abilities can block chokepoints and flush enemies from cover. However, his reliance on environmental conditions limits his versatility.

PASSIVE
Firebomb: Explodes and spreads magma to an area.
PASSIVE
Hotstreak: Gains reduced cooldowns and increased firepower when on a kill streak.
TACTICAL
Heatwave: Sends out a cascading wave of molten fire.
ULTIMATE
Firestorm: Rains down fire upon the targeted area.

✅ Strengths

  • • Excellent area denial
  • • Strong in corridors/tunnels
  • • Two passive abilities

❌ Counters

  • • Kai's ice absorbs fire
  • • Scarlet bypasses zones
  • • Weak at range
🦅

Condor

RECON • Skilled Explorer
B-TIER

"A skilled explorer who channels her extrasensory abilities through her winged guardian to track enemy movements."

Condor is the only Recon Warden, providing unmatched intel gathering. Her bird reveals enemy positions, making her invaluable for planning attacks. However, she lacks combat and defensive abilities.

PASSIVE
Hunter's Instinct: Condor's bird warns her when enemies are nearby.
TACTICAL
Eyes in the Sky: Send out her bird to scan and detect enemies that move.
ULTIMATE
Soaring Guardian: Launch 3 smoke clouds that reveal enemies within its wake.

✅ Strengths

  • • Best intel gathering
  • • Reveals stealthed enemies
  • • Counters Scarlet

❌ Counters

  • • No combat abilities
  • • No mobility or escape
  • • Atticus/Redmane close gap fast

C C-Tier Wardens

Niche picks that are outclassed by other options. Can work in very specific team compositions but rarely optimal.

🌿

Una

DEFENSIVE • Spirit Binder
C-TIER

"A spirit binder capable of summoning the wayward spirits of the Wildwood to aid her in battle."

Una offers a unique summoner playstyle with spirit companions. Her Helping Hand passive provides loot bonuses, but she's overshadowed by Kai for defensive roles and lacks consistent damage output.

PASSIVE
Helping Hand: Spirits appear to give Una loot.
TACTICAL
Forest Wisps: Summon mischievous spirits who lob concussion grenades at enemies.
ULTIMATE
Tree Walker: Summon a large forest spirit that throws smaller explosive spirits at enemies.

✅ Strengths

  • • Unique summoner playstyle
  • • Free loot from passive
  • • Chokepoint pressure

❌ Counters

  • • Atticus destroys wisps easily
  • • Slade's fire kills wisps
  • • Outclassed by Kai for defense

📋 Warden Classes Explained

Each Warden belongs to one of 5 classes that define their role in the team:

⚔️

Assault

Aggressive abilities for frontline combat.

Wardens: Scarlet, Atticus, Slade
🛡️

Defensive

Protection, repairs, and area control.

Wardens: Kai, Una
💥

Destruction

Breaking structures and creating entry points.

Wardens: Redmane
👁️

Recon

Scouting, tracking, and intel gathering.

Wardens: Condor
💜

Support

Healing, shields, and team buffs.

Wardens: Mara

👥 Recommended Team Compositions

With 3-player teams, role balance is crucial. Here are proven compositions:

🔥 Aggressive Raid Comp

Scarlet (infiltration)
Atticus (damage)
Redmane (wall breaching)

Focus: Fast raids, overwhelming offense

🛡️ Balanced Meta Comp

Scarlet (flex/infiltrate)
Mara (support)
Kai (defense)

Focus: All-around flexibility, sustainable fights

🏰 Unbreakable Defense

Kai (wall repairs)
Mara (shields)
Condor (intel)

Focus: Hold base, outlast enemy raids

⚡ Lightning Strike

Atticus (AoE damage)
Slade (area denial)
Redmane (breach)

Focus: Zone control, punish grouped enemies

⚔️ Counter Matchups

Quick reference for which Wardens counter each other:

Warden Countered By Counters
Scarlet Condor, Kai Slade, Una
Atticus Kai, Mara Redmane, Una, Condor
Mara Atticus, Redmane Atticus (negates wipes)
Kai Redmane, Atticus Scarlet, Slade
Redmane Condor, Atticus Kai, Una
Slade Kai, Scarlet Una
Condor Atticus, Redmane Scarlet
Una Atticus, Slade, Everyone

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is the best Warden in Highguard?
Based on early meta consensus, Scarlet and Atticus are considered the best Wardens. Scarlet's infiltration abilities make her essential for raids, while Atticus provides unmatched versatility across all phases of a match.
How many Wardens are in Highguard?
Highguard launched with 8 Wardens: Atticus, Condor, Kai, Mara, Redmane, Scarlet, Slade, and Una. More Wardens will be added in future Episode updates.
Are all Wardens free in Highguard?
Yes, all Wardens in Highguard are completely free. Unlike some hero shooters, you do not need to unlock or purchase any characters.
What are the 5 Warden classes?
The 5 Warden classes are: Assault (aggressive combat), Defensive (protection and repairs), Destruction (breaking structures), Recon (scouting and intel), and Support (healing and team buffs).
When will this tier list be updated?
We update this tier list with each Episode release, major balance patches, and as the competitive meta evolves. The next major update is expected with Episode 2 in February 2026.
Which Warden is best for beginners?
Atticus is recommended for beginners due to his straightforward abilities and versatility. Kai is also beginner-friendly for players who prefer a defensive playstyle.

📚 Related Guides

📋 Version & Sources

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