With a balance patch on the horizon, I sought to take a snapshot of what the competitive metagame looks like today. Although I believe the ordering of this list falls in line with general consensus from the competitive community, it is opinion. Two years ago I posted my previous tier list (https://i.imgur.com/lodhRRC.png), which I've included for comparison.
S-Tier
Mobula The Mobula is an all-range threat which really has everything going for it. Forward-facing weaponry allow the ship to pressure a target while controlling engagement distance. An excellent movement profile built primarily on high vertical acceleration allow it to dodge incoming fire with ease. The turret spread combined with protected rear engines make it resistant to the disabling power of the artemis and hwacha. The Mobula has dominated the competitive field for the last year.
High Tier
Goldfish The combination of Hwacha jitter reduction and introduction of gunner stamina in last year's balance patch turned that gun into a monster, and no ship was better positioned to capitalize than the Goldfish. Previously effective exclusively at close-range, the improved Hwacha extends the Goldfish's jurisdiction well into 500m range and beyond. Kept in check only by the Mobula's evasive options and ability to snipe out the front gun, the Goldfish has favorable matchups against every ship below it on the tier list.
Squid The Squid gets major points for being the only ship on this list with a favorable matchup against King Mob. It can quickly get into the target's blind spot, focus the exposed hull, and do a lot of damage in a short amount of time. The Squid does however have a difficult time against the other ships on this list. The Goldfish's close-range disable power will stop the Squid in it's tracks, and the high armor of the Galleon and Junker can be tough to penetrate with only two light weapons.
Mid Tier
Galleon The Galleon's strength hinges entirely on one gun: the lumberjack. Being the only viable ship with access to the powerful balloon popper, it's also the only ship which can truly contest the Mobula in a long-range fight. A skilled lumberjack gunner can be disruptive and quickly lock down any target, but a few missed shots will allow your extremely vulnerable weapons to be disabled by incoming artemis fire. The Galleon also struggles against the Goldfish, which can quickly close the distance and outmaneuver the sluggish tank.
Low Tier
Junker At one point considered the best ship in the game - the Junker's fall from grace largely tracks with the rise of the Mobula. The Mobula's strengths are the Junker's weaknesses: low vertical acceleration and tightly packed components make it difficult for the Junker to protect it's guns and engines. Broadside turret placement and a slow forward charging speed means it can't dictate terms in a fight. The Junker struggles in open maps, but high armor and great close-range mobility gives it some success on Canyon Ambush.
Bad Tier
Spire What do you do with a Spire? The eternal low-tier - Spire has the same weakness as the Galleon in being a slow ship reliant on a vulnerable heavy weapon, but lacks the tankiness to sustain through multiple waves of sniper fire. At close-range it gets eaten by the Goldfish, shut down by a quick hwacha or carronade round and then quickly detroyed. The Spire's best matchup is the Pyramidion, and with the latter falling out of competitive play, the fringe utility of the Spire is gone as well.
Pyramidion A series of unfavorable balance patches has dropped the Pyramidion to the very bottom of this list. The ship's current interation is slow, fragile, and lacks the versatility of it's contemporaries. Having only two reliable gun slots prices the Pyramidion into being a close-range brawler, but having low numbers in all movement vectors makes it extremely difficult to corner a target. The Pyramidion has no good matchups and no place in a competitive game. | (https://i.imgur.com/CL1wkRH.png) |
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