The Unofficial 6 Pack Tier List (iOS, 2023)

The Unofficial 6 Pack Tier List (iOS, 2023) Jan 23, 2023 16:27:20 GMT -5 Cdr. Crimmins and Eradicator1 like this

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Post by 079 on Jan 23, 2023 16:27:20 GMT -5

As a quick forewarning, I have created these tier lists for the iOS 6 Pack, so any information disparity between the iOS and Android 6 Pack, such as the different rule formats and the different lists of legal equipment, is not directly addressed in any way. Android players are free to use this, but I caution them to take what I say with a grain of salt and recognize they have the responsibility to interpret it for themselves.

Welcome to the official unofficial tier lists of all the 6 Pack equipment! Since I am a big fan of analyzing and comparing things based on a variety of factors to determine their overall characteristics, this was a blast to make! The now-iconic rankings done by Bronzeknee were, for a long time, the main source of 6 Pack information on this forum, despite how much they have aged and how he seems to have had some very noticeable biases towards some robots that colored their rankings. To correct that, I now make annual tier lists to bring updated and refined rankings to the forum! In a similar vein, that’s why I officially call these tier lists the unofficial tier lists, as unlike Bronzeknee, I do not see myself as the ultimate authority on 6 Pack knowledge, though as these tier lists show, I do know enough to at least share my thoughts, right? Before I begin, I would like to give a special thanks to the seasoned 6 Pack leader Cdr. Crimmins and honored veterans Ava and HAL 9OOO for their contributions to this ranking. They provided me with insight into all the robots and weapons that I did not initially consider, as well as influenced how much I prioritized certain characteristics of equipment. However, these rankings are largely my opinion, so while their views are reflected to an extent here and I value their input, this is not necessarily an accurate representation of how they view the 6 Pack meta. One of the beautiful things about 6 Pack is that it is highly subjective, so everyone will have different opinions on equipments’ usefulness. However, that does not mean there is not a general meta for 6 Pack, especially this year, which I aim to explain here!

For reading convenience, I have organized this post into spoilers, so that way you do not have to scroll a ton past all the very, very long sections! The sections are written with being read in order in mind, but feel free to skip around or only look at certain sections. And with that out of the way, enjoy!

2022 Summarized: How the Meta Changed in a Year

SPOILER: Click to show

When the 2022 tier list was drafted, the 6 Pack meta was in quite a different state then how it is now. In early 2022, there was a lot of variety in every rule set, including Casual Night. Robots and weapons that are generally considered less effective like Gepard, Gareth, Pin, and Noricum saw semi-regular to regular use, making for a more relaxed meta that was really just people playing a lot of what they liked, in true 6 Pack fashion. However, as the year progressed, a remarkable transformation would occur that lead to the meta seen today, and that is that, well, the meta got tighter and tighter. Performance-focused players like Ava, HAL 9OOO, and Ryoji made extensive use of effective robots, namely the Lancelot, and highly effective weapons, namely the Taran and Magnum. While it was agreed these robots and weapons were effective, these players proved just how effective they are over other robots and weapons. As a result, other players were forced to either be grinded up by these powerful robots, or start adding them to their hangars. Thus, compared to last year, this year’s meta is far more well-defined and places greater pressure on players to run more effective equipment. While this pressure is not enough to make the meta be considered oppressive, it does punish players who get too creative with their hangars a bit.

Aside from this general trend, there are a few hallmark events that are worth mentioning that have had profound effects on some pieces of equipment. The Fujin was buffed at the tail end of 2021 to walk during Sentry Mode, and it was only starting to catch on when the 2022 tier list was drafted, meaning how effective it now is was not fully grasped at the time of that tier list’s drafting. Next, during and after the time the 2022 tier list was drafted, I myself was running a Casual Night hangar that characteristically had multiple Rhinos, the surprising success of which ended up causing some players to reconsider the Rhino, and thus slowly led to the Rhino being a much more common sight by the end of 2022 and was held in much higher regard after players more carefully examined it. During early 2022, there was a brief and ultimately unimpactful Stalker fad in Casual Night, but it did seem to spread awareness of the effectiveness of light robots on Casual Night, which led to several players, most notably Eradicator 1, to start using the Bolt. As a result, Bolt got its own fad, but unlike Stalker, still remained a semi-common sight afterward, as players now agreed it was indeed a decent beacon-capper and harresser on Casual Night. The last robot which saw its usage increase substantially was Galahad, as the steady rise of plasma meant it became more prevalent as well, being a very common sight on Casual Night, even more common than several heavy robots, and that it started completely taking over special rule sets that eliminated heavy robots but still had it. Seemingly, Galahad went from a good robot to being easily one of the best ones in 6 Pack to a lot of players. As for weapons, the standout single event probably goes to Aphid. A new Naked and Afraid special rule set was played in the middle of 2022, during which there were no Ancile shields and lots of Griffins, leading to there being lots of Aphids, and Aphid did great. This surprise stuck with some players, perhaps most notably Ava, who was long apprehensive about Aphids but now uses them semi-regularly in her hangars. The special rule set also seemed to also increase the faith of players who were already invested in Aphid, such as Icefalldragon. As a result, Aphid, while never being considered bad, is a lot more in the public conscience now and is more highly regarded. Another event worth mentioning is how Trebuchet got a substantial 25% shorter reload buff in the middle of 2022, meaning it could be a far more effective weapon now. Nobody has really looked into this yet, but I myself plan to trial Trebuchet this year to see it is indeed now much more effective than public opinion says, so it has yet to be seen if this buff will lead to anything. Lastly for weapons, and perhaps most notably, are the new update 8.7 buffs. In this update, all tier 2 weapons got a blanket 10% damage buff, meaning that Plasma, which was already super popular after being on the rise all year, became even stronger and thus more appealing. So as 6 Pack enters 2023, it seems, based on the signs so far, the hallmark of the 2023 meta will be the reign of plasma. Maybe this is a temporary trend and will die down, but only time will tell.

As for any notable casualties from the past year, the biggest one would probably have to be Punisher and Punisher T. They have always competed with Taran and Magnum, and the slow rise and then buffs in update 8.7 to the latter two have definitely tipped the scales a bit, and a noticeable decline in Punisher and Punisher T is already starting to be observed. These weapons will likely remain rather common, but they seem to no longer be equals to Taran and Magnum. In a similar vein, Trident has lost ground to Zeus due to the latter receiving more buffs as the year progressed, though it has not suffered as much as Punisher and Punisher T have. As for robots, Carnage was the big loser, as the rise of plasma and buffs to the Zeus benefitting the Fury more than it means it has been largely pushed out of Casual Night. It is still a great robot, however, it has just found itself in rather unfavorable circumstances in the current meta. On the other hand, Fujin, mainly due to its buff to move with Sentry Mode active, has been able to hold out in the plasma-heavy meta, but it certainly is held in check by plasma and probably would be more common if not for Taran, Magnum, and Zeus’ prevalence. Not a casualty per se, but something to note.

What Else is New for 2023

SPOILER: Click to show

With this being the second installment of the Unofficial 6 Pack Tier List, I of course changed some things about this list compared to the last one, so I thought I should make a little section about them here for the people coming here after reading the first one! If you want a defined summary of the changes, read on.

Just like last year, I highly value the presentation of these tier lists, so I have slightly changed how the list is organized to make it more streamlined and less vague, as I think the main flaw with the last one was how the ranking criteria was not explained as well as it could have been. The first change that I made was with the subdivisions of each tier. Last year, I had said there was a general rule for the tier lists that entries on the left were better than ones on the right when looking at entries on the same tier. I now think that rule is a bit too vague and thus could be interpreted wrong, so I have replaced it with a school grade style system for subdividing the tiers. Taking A tier for example, there is A+ tier for the best of the A tier entries, A tier for the middling A tier entries, and A- tier for worst A tier entries, with an equipment piece’s sub-tier being denoted by +, nothing, or - in its entry’s header and the top-right corner of its picture. A simple and easy to understand at a glance system in my opinion, plus it also allows me to better structure the sub-tiers. I also revamped the star rating system present in every equipment piece’s entry. I thought having four categories was just one too many and led to categories bleeding over into each other, so I removed the mobility category and made mobility instead factor into both offense and defense. I also rewrote the definition of the utility category to better explain what exactly it measures. Just like the new sub-tiers, I hope this clears out some of the needless vagueness that the previous tier list had.

As for the tier lists themselves, many items’ rankings have changed due for a few reasons, and I have added an entry for the now-legal Storm, since the meta has evolved a bit since last year. Some of these changes are due to actual shifts in the meta that were favorable or unfavorable to certain pieces of equipment, while others are due to me having a better understanding of several pieces of equipment. This second point is especially true for the robot tier list, as for instance, I definitely ranked the Butch too high and Gareth too low, mistakes that I now only realize in hindsight and can now address with this tier list!

Introducing & Explaining the Tier List

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I initially considered a number ranking of all the robots and weapons, but I realized that many pieces of equipment are too different to make one be reasonably ranked higher than the other in a straight-up list, so I decided on the popular tier list format instead. For those who do not know, a tier list is a ranking system where entries are placed into general tiers, in this case tiers of battlefield effectiveness, with all entries within a tier being generally on a similar level. The highest tier, the S tier, denotes the best entries, with each subsequent tier being for worse entries, ending with the worst entries in the F tier. With this format, I am able to rank equipment to an accurate enough degree, but not quite have to deal with the nitpicky nature of numbered rankings. Here are the meanings and implications of each tier on my tier list:

S Tier - Upper Meta: Entries are unrivaled in effectiveness in most if not all rule sets that include them
A Tier - Lower Meta: Entries are less powerful than S Tier entries, but are still highly and widely effective
B Tier - Fringe Meta: Entries are more restricted to niches, but those niches are widely effective
C Tier - Outclassed: Entries are less effective in Casual Night, but are highly effective in special rule sets
D Tier - Relegated: Entries are more effective than the F Tier entries, but are still seldom effective
F Tier - Obsolete: Entries are never effective and are only seen in special rule sets that demand their use

In these tier lists, I have chosen to make every tier be divided into sub-tiers, as while all the entries within a tier are definitely of similar quality, I would like to acknowledge the hierarchies that exist within the tiers with several lists. I have done this by dividing tiers into three sub-tiers: upper tier, denoted by a “+” on the entry’s header and picture, middle tier, denoted by nothing on the entry’s header and picture, and lower tier, denoted by a “-” on the entry’s header and picture. However, this is rather minor and only is meant to be a bit more accurate with rankings, and only some tiers in each of the lists will have these, so feel free to disregard this detail if it is too complex for you. As for entries from left to right within the same sub-tier, their order does not matter, so do not pay too much mind to that!

With the introduction and basic explanation of the tier system format out of the way, it is time to examine the actual rankings themselves! The biggest player here will be the rule sets of 6 Pack. You may have seen the terms “Casual Night” and “special rule set” be mentioned by me a couple of times by now, so what are they? So, with iOS 6 Pack, at the time of me writing this, the rule set of a fight night is changed on a weekly basis, with it alternating between Casual Night and a randomly selected special rule set. Casual Night, making up half of all fight nights in 6 Pack, is a rule set where the only limitation is that only one Ancilot can be used per hangar, so everything other than that is fair game. Because of its prevalence and how it will be the rules used if the 6 Pack League is ever reinstated, Casual Night is the primary metric used to determine the effectiveness of equipment, and the tier lists most resemble its meta. However, in addition to Casual Night, there are several special rules sets that get rotated in, almost all of which ban certain pieces of equipment, usually heavy robots. Thus, these rule sets can have drastically different metas than Casual Night, and often highlight special traits of several lesser used robots or weapons. I have accounted for special rule sets primarily through mentioning them in the descriptions for each equipment piece, but they also have influenced the rankings to a small extent as well. I believe that with this system, I can cover a variety of 6 Pack rule sets and their metas, and thus can produce tier lists that, while not perfect for any given rule set, can generally be applied to any rule set with good effect.

Using & Interpreting the Tier Lists

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Now on to how these tier lists are meant to be interpreted and what you can get from them! As I said, these tier lists are based primarily around Casual Night, meaning that by default, they display the effectiveness of equipment in that rule set’s meta. When using these tier lists to see equipment’s effectiveness in a special rule set, you can simply mentally apply the needed modifications yourself to see how it changes due to that rule set. I will give two examples of such modifications to explain what I mean:

An iconic special rule set is Medium Night, which is both itself a special rule set and a template that other special rule sets build off of, and as its name suggests, only allows robots of the medium class. Thus, to see the resulting tier list for this rule set, simply disregard all entries that are not medium robots. With this, it will become apparent that Galahad, Fujin, and Carnage will be the best medium robots, with the others following behind them accordingly. However, note that the lowest medium robots are still at least in C tier, which means they are not wholly bad choices, but rather just generally worse than other robots. Thus, do not just ignore them, but consider the niches they fill, as including one or more of them in your hangar may actually be worth it.

1) A very common special rule set is the Point System, which has many variations, but they all use the basic idea of giving every robot a certain point value, and then giving players a limited amount of points to use to build their hangars. This special rule set is quite different from the others, as it does not outright eliminate any robot choices, but rather limits the possible hangar configurations. Thus, the tier system still holds up in terms of illustrating the effectiveness of equipment on the battlefield, but you must take into account the point values of robots. Many of the best robots also cost the most points, so you must decide on, for instance, using a couple great robots and lots of bad ones, or using several middle-of-the-road robots. Each combination has its advantages and disadvantages, so it all depends on what you deem to be the best fit for you!

2) Most special rule sets apply primarily to or only to robots, so you will usually only have to modify the robot tier list, with the weapons tier lists remaining the same. However, there are a few special rule sets that do apply restrictions to weapons, in which case, you can modify the weapons tier lists in a similar manner to what I described above for the robots tier list. And there you have it, how to change and modify the tier lists to use them for a rule set other than Casual Night or a League setting! Some special rule sets may need more drastic changes than others, and some need more subjective judgment than others, but in general, that is how you can use my tier lists to get a basic understanding of the 6 Pack meta!

If you are new to 6 Pack, you can also use these tier lists as a kind of buyer’s guide on what you want to have to be an effective 6 Pack player. 6 Pack prides itself on being much more accessible than the live server, and that it is, but there still is an amount of progression needed to get all the equipment required to tackle all the rule sets with ease. Unsurprisingly, the top-ranked robots and weapons, especially weapons, should be the highest on your priority list, with lower down ones being largely up to personal preference. However, due to most special rule sets limiting or eliminating the top-ranked equipment pieces, having a large variety of robots and weapons is better than having lots of the best ones, so keep that in mind! I personally recommend acquiring new pieces of equipment on a case-by-case basis, only buying new robots or weapons when a rule set necessitates it and reusing what you already have when possible. This means you may not have the most effective hangar for a rule set, but it really helps to keep costs low. Additionally, some pieces of equipment, such as Gust and Gekko, are rather expensive despite not being ranked super high, so only buy them if you really want them. 6 Pack is all about experimentation and trying what you want, but some equipment are much safer investments than others, so spend wisely!

Robot Tier List

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For each robot’s entry, its name and given tier will be listed in the header, with a summary of the robot’s strengths, weaknesses, and general strategy at the bottom of each entry. Above the summary will be a list of recommended weapon builds, with an asterisk (*) next to a build denoting that it is generally not an optimal build but is still effective enough in Casual Night or special rule sets to warrant mention. Weapons listed in a build separated by a plus (+) means they can be used together, while weapons separated by a slash (/) means they are different options to pair with the same weapon. Additionally, robots have a star rating out of five stars in three categories: offense, defense, and utility, which are described below:
Offense: This rates a robot’s ability to advance on enemy robots and beacons. This measures not only firepower, but also how difficult the robot is to destroy and how fast it can approach targets.
Defense: This rates a robot’s ability to defend its territory and beacons. This measures not only a robot’s survivability, but also a robot’s ability to hold its ground and respond to a variety of threats.
Utility: This rates a robot’s value to its team beyond what the first two categories describe. This includes a robot’s unique niches, multirole capabilities, and ability to work cooperatively.
Generally, utility is the least important category, as being able to directly bolster the team’s offensive or defensive capabilities is generally better than providing either through a more indirect, nuanced way. The utility category is mainly to illustrate if a robot thrives through the usage of these nuanced tactics.

Lancelot - S+
Offense: ★★★★★
Defense: ★★★★★
Utility: ★★★☆☆

Recommended Builds
Ancile/Thunder/Zeus + Taran
Ancile/Thunder/Zeus/Trident + Punisher T
Thunder + Orkan
Ancile/Thunder + Storm*

Lancelot has always been a great robot, but by this point, it is pretty easily the overall best robot in all of 6 Pack. Lancelot has it all for capturing and defending beacons: a unique heavy and double medium hardpoint configuration, arguably the best for brawling, a front-facing physical shield, perfect for the current plasma-heavy meta, and a Rush ability to round it all off. Its only major weakness is rockets, as its large frame makes dodging them basically impossible, but the Rush ability can aid in avoiding encounters or limiting exposure time, and of course, an Ancile can be used to create the Ancilot, a build that needs no introduction. Most non-Ancile builds are still great though, possessing great burst damage and making good counters to said Ancile builds. What keeps this robot from being perfect is that it is not very multirole due to lacking solid longer range builds, and its inconsistent speed makes pairing with other robots a bit difficult. But being nigh perfect at brawling, the most important role, makes Lancelot a top hangar staple.

Griffin - S
Offense: ★★★★★
Defense: ★★★☆☆
Utility: ★★★★★

Recommended Builds
Taran + Magnum
Orkan + Pinata/Gust
Punisher T + Punisher
Taran/Orkan/Punisher T + Aphid
Storm + Gust*
Tulumas + Pin*
Molot T + Molot*

Griffin is an interesting robot, as while the current 6 Pack meta leans towards the heavy usage of shields, Griffin still finds itself as one of the best robots, despite its relative lack of survivability. Griffin has long been thought of as a jack-of-all-traits, master-of-none robot, but this interpretation is a bit surface-level. Griffin’s greatest strengths definitely do include supporting a large variety of weapons for any combat role, and being able to respond to changing battlefield conditions, but this all implies Griffin is a general purpose robot that can be outdone by another robot at any one task. This is not true, as Griffin still reigns supreme in one role after all these years: the ambusher. Griffin has difficulty facing powerful robots head-on, but it of course still can take a couple good hits before going down, so that combined with an extremely potent hardpoint configuration and the Jump ability means Griffin, when played well, absolutely can stand up to most threats. Griffin can do many things, nothing else does things quite like Griffin can.

Fury - S-
Offense: ★★★★☆
Defense: ★★★★☆
Utility: ★★★★★

Recommended Builds
Zeus
Trident
Zeus/Trident + Ancile
Thunder*
Thunder + Ancile*

Fury is the embodiment of brutal simplicity, as it really only has one battlefield application, but it does it so well that it propels itself a top spot in the 6 Pack meta. Fury has long been the top robot for midrange, as it is the only robot able to use more than two heavy weapons at once. Fury absolutely dominates large, open maps while still being a threat on smaller maps, since its burst damage lets it pound brawlers who expose themselves for any amount of time. While Fury may not be the most durable of robots, it can defend itself by simply destroying whatever is threatening it or its beacons, and by making use of cover, as its tall body and all-heavy hardpoint configuration let it peek its weapons over its cover while protecting its body. Brawling builds for this robot are not optimal, but they can still be potent if used in the right situations. Fury is never on the front lines capturing beacons, but it can aid advancing teammates or stop enemy flanks in a huge area, making it a nigh perfect overseer-type robot. Just do not overuse it!

Galahad - A+
Offense: ★★★☆☆
Defense: ★★★★★
Utility: ★★★★☆

Recommended Builds
Punisher T + Punisher
Taran + Magnum
Orkan + Pinata
Storm + Gust*
Molot T + Molot*

Galahad is essentially a mini-Lancelot, lacking the latter’s raw power, but retaining its survivability in a much more compact package. Galahad’s hull is quite weak for a medium robot, but its strong physical shield grants amazing defense versus plasma and good defense versus bullets, perfect for the current 6 Pack meta, and while Galahad does struggle against rockets, its high speed lets it avoid encounters or limit exposure time. Having one medium weapon and two light hardpoints does limit Galahad to high damage builds to be a sizable threat, but with these builds it is quite capable, being good for capturing beacons, either through force with its shield or a flank with its speed, and amazing for defending beacons with its shield and corner-shooting. Galahad having all its hardpoints on one side of its hull has its quirks, but skillful play can make the most of it. Galahad’s shield and speed grant it great survivability and good versatility, as it can shield teammates from enemy fire and last rather long against tough opponents.

Fujin - A+
Offense: ★★☆☆☆
Defense: ★★★★★
Utility: ★★★★★

Recommended Builds
Punisher T
Orkan
Taran
Tulumbas*
Molot T*

Fujin is an interesting robot, as its strategic playstyle really sets it apart from the others. It has great firepower in the form of three medium hardpoints, the strongest energy shield in 6 Pack, and moderate speed, so it is quite well-rounded at first glance. However, the weaknesses of Fujin are its durability, as it is rather fragile for a medium robot, and its Sentry Mode reducing its speed and the shield only recharging while Sentry Mode is active. Since Fujin is slow when in its strongest state, it prefers to set up camp in strategic positions as opposed to being a mobile threat. As a result, Fujin has a rather defensive playstyle, being much better for beacon defense than beacon capture, though it still can capture beacons. While its weakness to plasma is problematic in the current plasma-heavy meta, Fujin more than makes up for this with its unparalleled protection against the other two forms of damage, which enter full display when it is assisting teammates. When used effectively, Fujin can make beacons almost impossible to capture.

Natasha - A
Offense: ★★★★☆
Defense: ★★★★☆
Utility: ★★★★☆

Recommended Builds
Zeus + Molot/Gekko
Trident + Molot/ECU/Pin
Thunder + Ancile + Punisher/Magnum
Zeus + Punisher/Magnum*
Thunder + Punisher/Magnum/Gust/Pinata*

Natasha’s greatest issue is that it often is compared unfavorably with Fury, and while it is overall a little worse than Fury with its main application, ranged builds, since its lower firepower diminishes its influence, it has several advantages to offset this shortcoming. Natasha has both slightly more durability and speed than Fury, though not as much as Butch, but the main difference is of course the hardpoint configuration. Trading a heavy weapon for two light weapons, Natasha lacks the straight-up damage of Fury, but is more versatile. Molots or Gekkos allows Natasha to deter ranged builds from far away, and ECU affords it great protection from ranged builds. Two light hardpoints are also much better for brawling than one heavy hardpoint, so Natasha can be much better equipped for the role than Fury or Butch, leading to the semi-popular Battlewagon build. Natasha also has good corner-shooting with its light weapons. Natasha shines not by trying to be Fury, but by countering Fury by being cleverly set up to beat it at its own game.

Rhino - A
Offense: ★★★★★
Defense: ★★★☆☆
Utility: ★★★☆☆

Recommended Builds
Punisher T + Punisher
Taran + Magnum
Orkan + Pinata/Gust
Storm + Gust/Magnum*
Molot T + Molot*

Rhino is an interesting robot, being a strange combination of mobility and power that overall does work. It is best to think of Rhino as a heavy beacon-capper, as it does not quite fit into the traditional beacon-capper role. This is due to the drawbacks of Assault Mode, the biggest of which is its lack of maneuverability, as while in Assault Mode, Rhino cannot swivel its hull freely from its legs and cannot turn quickly, which is only exacerbated by the shield only protecting its front. This is not even mentioning rockets, which are the bane of Rhino, plain and simple. Due to these limitations, Rhino is best used not to beacon-hop like other beacon-cappers like Rogatka, but instead to quickly reach compromised positions to defend them, quickly reach the front line to aid in an assault, or perform a flank with the intention of defending that beacon, rather than leaving it. Thanks to a greater understanding of its quirks and its shield being highly effective against the current plasma-heavy meta, Rhino is finally out of Griffin’s shadow.

Butch - A
Offense: ★★★★☆
Defense: ★★★☆☆
Utility: ★★★★☆

Recommended Builds
Zeus + Trident
Zeus/Trident + Thunder
Zeus
Trident*
Trebuchet*

Butch, similar to Natasha, is often in Fury’s shadow due to the two sharing battlefield roles, but Butch has many attributes that make it appealing. While it lacks the straight-up punch of Fury, it is better in almost every other respect. Butch is the fastest heavy robot excluding abilities, and it has slightly higher durability than Fury or Natahsa to boot. But the main thing about Butch is of course its hardpoint configuration, as the Quick Draw ability has many easily overlooked small nuances. One weapon set rests at the top of Butch’s hull while the other rests on the sides of it, meaning Butch can both corner-shoot and shoot above low cover extremely well. Also, Butch is able to mix weapon sets very well, granting it great flexibility since it can carry different weapon sets for facing different threats. As a result, it can be argued Butch is actually better than Fury when it comes to purpose-built midrange robots. In the end though, Butch falls short of both Fury and Natasha due to it lacking Fury’s dominance while also lacking Natasha’s sheer versatility.

Carnage - A-
Offense: ★★★☆☆
Defense: ★★☆☆☆
Utility: ★★★★★

Recommended Builds
Zeus
Trident
Thunder
Ancile + Zeus/Thunder*

Carnage is a rather interesting robot, as while it has no business on the front lines, it fills many other roles in ways no other robot can. Carnage’s weak hull and energy shield mean that it can last for a bit against rockets and bullets, but stands no chance against plasma. While it is rather slow for a medium robot, its Rush ability means it can be strikingly fast when it needs to be. This combination of a serviceable shield and burst mobility means Carnage is both a capable midrange robot and ambusher. Its relatively low survivability means that Carnage must be very wary of its surroundings and prefers carefully-chosen duels or ranged attacks, instead of fighting whatever threat is nearby. Due to these limitations and the current plasma-heavy meta, Carnage finds itself outclassed on Casual Night. However, it is still good in that rule set as the Rush ability creates appealing strategies, and more importantly, it is indispensable on special rule sets that eliminate heavy robots, as those rule sets essentially give it a midrange monopoly.

Leo - A-
Offense: ★★★☆☆
Defense: ★★★★★
Utility: ★★☆☆☆

Recommended Builds
Thunder + Punisher/Magnum + ECU
Ancile + Punisher/Magnum
Zeus + Punisher
Thunder + Punisher/Magnum/Pinata/Gust*
Ancile/Zeus/Thunder + Aphid*

Leo is, for lack of a better word, a strange robot. Leo seems like a lumbering, powerful tank that is perfect for facing threats head-on. While this is not the worst way to use Leo, it has been revealed that its best applications are not quite what this analysis suggests. Despite having the second highest durability in 6 Pack, Leo, while not being totally dependent on one, is helped significantly by having an Ancile or ECU equipped. But really, this should not be surprising given how the 6 Pack meta has come to so heavily favor shields, so Leo doing the same makes sense, despite its durability suggesting it would not need to. After this though, Leo becomes much more straightforward: its three light hardpoints allow Leo to equip a variety of weapons, and its low speed means it, like Fujin, lends itself more to defense than offense, though it can go on the offensive if need be. If played well to minimize needless durability loss, Leo can make full use of its firepower and how it is not weak to a specific damage type to be a formidable brawler.

Raijin - B+
Offense: ★★★☆☆
Defense: ★★★★☆
Utility: ★★★☆☆

Recommended Builds
Zeus
Trident
Thunder + Trident/Zeus
Thunder*
Ancile + Thunder/Zeus*

Raijin can essentially be described as a mix between the power of Leo and the strategy of Fujin, with mixed results. Raijin’s survivability is undeniable, due to it having both the highest durability in 6 Pack and two decently strong physical shields. It also has decent firepower, with two heavy hardpoints that gain a noticeable 40% damage boost in Bastion Mode. Unfortunately though, Raijin is way better on paper than it is in practice. Raijin only having heavy hardpoints means Thunder is its only brawling option, but Raijin cannot utilize Thunder well since its low speed and Bastion Mode mean it cannot easily maintain optimal range. Also, the shields do not actually cover the fill width of Raijin’s hull, so they can be unreliable. As a result, Raijin is largely limited to midrange/brawler hybrid builds or full midrange builds, with which it does do well. Raijin works best when enemies are forced to deal with it, which does make it situational, but luckily, such situations are manufacturable, like capturing or defending beacons, or protecting teammates.

Rogatka - B+
Offense: ★★★☆☆
Defense: ★★★☆☆
Utility: ★★★☆☆

Recommended Builds
Taran
Orkan
Punisher T
Storm*

Rogatka is easily the most mobile robot in 6 Pack, and it also has some power to back that mobility up. Some robots are faster than it, but they lack the Jump ability, which is really what puts Rogatka at the top. Jumping allows it to cover distance faster, bypass obstacles other robots must traverse, and dodge enemy fire, which is only amplified by its rather short recharge. Aside from its stellar mobility, Rogatka has average durability and firepower, which is also more than other hyper-mobile robots, giving it enough bite to make it a premier robot for beacon-capping and harassing. The main weakness of this robot is that it lacks the power to face most opponents head-on, meaning that while it can quickly reach beacons, it usually has to give them up once an enemy arrives or face destruction. Additionally, Rogatka is somewhat outclassed by Rhino, a robot that is only a little slower but much more powerful. Regardless, a well-played Rogatka can create distractions to pull enemies off the front line or perform staggering flanks to beacons.

Doc - B+
Offense: ★★☆☆☆
Defense: ★★★☆☆
Utility: ★★★★☆

Recommended Builds
Orkan + Taran/Punisher T/Molot T
Punisher T + Molot T
Taran + Punisher T/Molot T*
Orkan*
Tulumbas*

Doc is a glass cannon of sorts, sacrificing durability for firepower and mobility, but how it does so is a bit interesting. Doc actually has average durability for a medium robot, but the reason it is regarded as fragile is because the medium robots that have less durability than Doc have shields to make up for it, and two medium weapons at a time is only average firepower, so it cannot brawl with powerful robots like Galahad or Fujin can. However, just like Butch, Doc has lots of nuances for skilled users to take advantage of. One of Doc’s hardpoint sets sticks out really far from its hull, so it is a great corner-shooter, and the other set rests above its hull, allowing it to shoot over low cover, both of which are complimented by its speed. Doc struggles in capturing beacons due to its relative lack of survivability, but makes up for that by being great in other applications. Doc makes an excellent wingman, as it provides a ton of firepower, and it can defend beacons against even powerful robots by using its speed and corner-shooting to stay out of sight.

Bolt - B
Offense: ★★★☆☆
Defense: ★★☆☆☆
Utility: ★★★☆☆

Recommended Builds
Aphid
Pinata
Punisher
Magnum
Punisher/Magnum + ECU
Gust*

Bolt, along with Jesse, is one of the only light robots that are easily viable in Casual Night, since its Dash ability provides several unique functions. Having low durability makes Bolt unsuitable for beacon defense, and only able to capture beacons when it is flanking or being ignored, but it still has some niches. Its three light hardpoints and the Dash ability lend Bolt to being a good harasser and ambusher. The Dash ability allows Bolt to perform several maneuvers only it can, such as walking to enemies to deliver a payload and then dashing away, dashing into an enemy for an ambush, dashing to dodge enemy shots, dashing to simply cover distance faster than just walking, or performing the coveted super-dash on maps that allow it. Bolt’s three light hardpoints work well with ECU, as the shield grants Bolt much greater survivability. Aside from Casual Night, Bolt really shines in special rule sets where heavier robots are limited or absent, as now it can damage enemies more quickly or even brawl. Many consider Bolt to be the best light robot.

Gl. Patton - B-
Offense: ★★☆☆☆
Defense: ★★☆☆☆
Utility: ★★★★★

Recommended Builds
Aphid
Magnum
Punisher
Magnum/Punisher + ECU
Gekko*
Pinata*
Molot*

Gl. Patton lacks the power of many robots, and even the mobility of many robots, but it occupies some significant niches that are what make it notable. Being the only robot in 6 Pack that can use four light weapons at once, Gl. Patton can utilize several unusual tactics. These mainly include harassment or anti-meta builds such as Aphids or Gekkos, as these weapons only work well in collusters and thus lend themselves well to this robot, but it also has direct combat capabilities. Gl. Patton typically cannot capture or directly defend beacons, but it is a great corner-shooter, and while it has relatively low survivability, it is not weak to any one damage type, making it surprisingly reliable. Thus, if played with patience, Patton can remain just out of reach of even powerful robots and wear them down, much like the Doc. Also like Doc, Gl. Patton makes a great wingman, providing lots of firepower to a teammate. Gl. Patton is versatile, but since it lacks survivability or mobility, it must remain vigilant to not be too conservative or aggressive.

Stalker - C+
Offense: ★★★☆☆
Defense: ★★☆☆☆
Utility: ★★★☆☆

Recommended Builds
Punisher
Magnum
Gust
Pinata*
Aphid*

Stalker may seem like a cool concept with its Stealth ability and speed, but in practice it only can make limited success out of those things. The Stealth ability is good, as Stalker’s small frame means only a select few robots can hit Stalker while it is active, allowing for the safe crossing of no man’s land or engaging normally deadly targets. This ability’s usefulness is also complimented well by Stalker’s speed, which is notability among the highest in 6 Pack. The downfall of this robot is that it relies completely on its ability, which heavily limits its flexibility. Only being able to spend a third of its time under Stealth’s protection, Stalker is limited to beacon capping, where the ability is used defensively to avoid enemy fire, or ambushing, where the ability is used offensively to slant engaugments in Stalker’s favor. Stalker is a lot more potent in special rule sets, as targets are more fragile and thus can be more easily destroyed before the Stealth runs out. Stalker is a bit gimmicky, but can shine in the right situations, even on Casual Night.

Vityaz - C+
Offense: ★★★☆☆
Defense: ★★★☆☆
Utility: ★★★☆☆

Recommended Builds
Thunder + Punisher/Magnum
Ancile + Punisher/Magnum
Zeus + Punisher/Magnum
Zeus + Molot/Gekko*
Trident + Pin*

Vityaz is an interesting case, as its strengths lie under its surface and only become apparent on special rule sets. On Casual Night, this robot receives essentially no play because it is outclassed by several heavy robots that all have more durability and/or firepower without giving up much mobility. However, in special rule sets where said heavier robots are absent, it quickly becomes apparent that Vityaz is rather strong for what it is. Average firepower, slightly above average durability, and respectable mobility despite being one of the slowest medium robots, Vityaz is quite well-rounded, able to utilize close and medium range weapons well. The premier special rule sets for Vityaz are Point Systems and Medium Night rule sets, as players can use Vityaz’s versatility to compliment other robots to round out a hangar or build a hangar with multiple Vityaz builds. Vityaz is great in special rule sets, and its survivability allows it to perform surprisingly well on Casual Night, but in general, it is overshadowed by too many heavy robots.

Boa - C
Offense: ★★☆☆☆
Defense: ★★★★☆
Utility: ★★☆☆☆

Recommended Builds
Thunder + Taran/Orkan/Punisher T
Zeus + Taran/Punisher T
Trident + Punisher T/Orkan*

Boa is often thought of as a mini-Leo, which is an accurate description of its strengths and weaknesses. Boa has amazing survivability, being the most durable medium robot by far, even more durable than some heavy robots, but its problems come from its strange balance of firepower and mobility. One heavy and medium hardpoint are not a bad combination for brawling, but it is lacking in damage output, so while Boa does not die quickly, it also cannot destroy enemies quickly. As a result, Boa is best used with a wingman, with Boa protecting the wingman and the wingman providing firepower. Boa’s mobility is interesting, as it is faster, smaller, and tougher than most heavy robots, allowing it to reach positions other robots may not be able to. But this sounds better than it is, as Boa is still one of the slowest medium robots, only a bit faster than most heavy robots, and its lack of hardpoints means it cannot support Ancile or ECU. Boa is a neat little package with some unique features, but it is outclassed by many heavy robots and even Vityaz.

Jesse - C
Offense: ★★★☆☆
Defense: ★★☆☆☆
Utility: ★★★☆☆

Recommended Builds
Aphid
Pinata
Punisher/Magnum + Pinata/Gust*
Punisher/Magnum + Aphid*

Jesse is frequently seen as a faster, lighter Gl. Patton, and that description is not that far off. Jesse’s great speed makes it able to avoid threats a lot better than Gl. Patton, but much less armor means it is even worse off when caught. Additionally, only being able to swap its weapons every ten seconds rather than having all weapons at once of course limits Jesse’s firepower, but not for all builds. Aphids have a ten second reload, meaning they perfectly sync with Jesse’s ability, meaning Aphids are its premier build and the only build where Jesse is genuinely better than Bolt or Gl. Patton. In fact, it being so strong with Aphids is why even though Bolt is better in essentially every other rule set, Jesse is arguably the best light robot for Casual Night, as Aphids are arguably the best build for light robots to fight heavier robots with. Aphid Jesses are also notable in special rule sets like Trolls and Goblins, where heavy and light robots also exist together. Beyond Aphids though, Jesse unfortunately finds itself at odds with Bolt and Staker.

Gareth - C
Offense: ★★☆☆☆
Defense: ★★★☆☆
Utility: ★★☆☆☆

Recommended Builds
Punisher T + Punisher
Taran + Magnum
Orkan + Pinata/Gust

Gareth is an interesting robot in the 6 Pack meta, because the current plasma-heavy meta both helps and hurts it, and it has a following despite its shortcomings. Gareth’s following comes from how rockets once had different mechanics, where instead of detonating on contact with an object, they would detonate at the distance the targeted robot was at when they were fired. Thus, fast robots like Gareth could dodge rockets by walking backwards, escaping the splash radius before the rockets detonated. Gareth has a lasting impression on several players as a result, meaning it often will see use in rule sets it does not belong in, most notably Causal Night. Gareth is limited to special rule sets because plasma has gotten so strong that heavy robots can simply chew through its rather weak shield, making it inadequate for Casual Night. But in special rule sets where heavy robots are absent, the current plasma-heavy meta actually helps Gareth, as its shield is more useful and it thus becomes a solid beacon-capper or light brawler.

Golem - C-
Offense: ★★★☆☆
Defense: ★★☆☆☆
Utility: ★★★☆☆

Recommended Builds
Trident + Tulumbas + Pin
Zeus + Molot T + Molot
Ancile + Punisher T+ Punisher*
Ancile + Taran + Magnum*

Golem is the black sheep of medium robots, trying to do many things but not doing any of them exceptionally well. It is most comparable to Vityaz, as it gives up a chunk of durability for some more firepower, but this tradeoff is not favorable. Golem is better at midrange than Vityaz since firepower is more important for that battlefield role, but Golem is a lot worse at brawling since it gives up too much durability for the firepower to make up for it. Golem’s strange hardpoint configuration does not help its case either, as it lacks uniformity for builds like short range plasma, meaning its aforementioned firepower advantage is not even true some of the time. Despite this, Golem still is a decent weapons platform with a bit more mobility than heavier robots, can take a couple hits before going down, and is one of the best corner-shooters in 6 Pack since all of its hardpoints stick out from its hull. Golem is an interesting novelty that, while not terrible on its own, is outclassed by so many heavy and medium robots it seldom sees use.

Gepard - D
Offense: ★★☆☆☆
Defense: ★☆☆☆☆
Utility: ★★☆☆☆

Recommended Builds
Aphid
Punisher
Magnum*
Pinata*

Gepard, like Gareth, has a bit of a history to it, but these days has little going for it. People like to bring up the old Magnum Gepard era during the old matchmaker as this robot’s heyday, and it definitely was, but the old matchmaker is long gone, and really, that is just the first of the problems Gepard faces today. The main reason this robot is seldom used in most rule sets is because it is just outclassed, plain and simple. It does actually have slightly more durability and foot speed than Bolt, but not nearly enough to make up for lacking the Dash ability. Gepard also faces unfavorable competition from Jesse, which is better with Aphids, and Stalker and Gareth, which are both better beacon-cappers and/or brawlers. Despite these severe shortcomings, Gepard can be used as a budget option in special rule sets where heavier robots that crush it are removed, but still struggles to be an appealing choice over Bolt. Gepard is worse than most light robots, but it has enough firepower and mobility to keep it from being completely useless.

Cossack - F+
Offense: ★★☆☆☆
Defense: ★☆☆☆☆
Utility: ★☆☆☆☆

Recommended Builds
Taran
Punisher T
Orkan
Storm*
Molot T*
Tulumbas*

Cossack may be a fun robot to use due to its tiny frame and quickly recharging jump, but fun is really all this robot unfortunately is. Having virtually non-existent durability, Cossack cannot face anything with any amount of power outside of corner-shooting, which to its credit, it is good at. Similar to the Gepard, Cossack is simply and hopelessly outclassed by many robots in the roles it would be suitable for, most notably Rogatka, which has more firepower, durability, and speed, making it an objectively better choice. While some outclassed robots can find niches to thrive in, no matter how small, like Aphids for Jesse, no such niche exists for Cossack outside of a handful of very special situations. Cossack is only seen in special rule sets like Cricket Night or the Point Systems, which essentially force or outright do force players to use them. In any other case, people are using it just for fun, and will often admit to doing so. Cossack has a fun rule set and is an iconic robot, but has absolutely no place in any serious hangar.

Destrier - F
Offense: ★☆☆☆☆
Defense: ★☆☆☆☆
Utility: ★☆☆☆☆

Recommended Builds
Punisher
Magnum
Pinata
ECU + Punisher/Magnum
Aphid*

Destrier, to nobody’s surprise, is among the worst robots in 6 Pack. Destrier’s only semi-notable trait is its above average speed, but abysmal firepower and durability mean that speed is not even worth talking about. This robot is hopelessly outclassed by so many light, medium, and heavy robots, it is honestly comical, with several robots being objective upgrades to Destrier. Cossack is mobile and Schutze has its heavy weapon, but Destier has absolutely nothing unique to it. But believe it or not, there are uses for Destrier! In the Point Systems rule sets for example, Destrier is the only robot worth one point that can equip a shield and still have a weapon to defend itself, so it warrants use over Cossack or Schutze for that very reason. Other than manufactured niches like that though, Destrier is no good for anything other than the butt of a joke. But that is the beauty of 6 Pack, that all equipment, even stinking Destrier, can have an actual use. Needless to say though, unless in the case above, Destrier is an easy, hard no.

Schutze - F-
Offense: ★☆☆☆☆
Defense: ★☆☆☆☆
Utility: ★☆☆☆☆

Recommended Builds
Zeus
Thunder*
Trident*

Schutze, surprisingly, is arguably worse than Destier, despite it seemingly having a handful of niches. Schutze is the only light robot with a heavy hardpoint and is one of the slowest light robots, meaning it can be thought of as a kind of heavy light robot. Unfortunately, this classification does not mean much, as Schutze is not good at anything it seemingly should be good at. It is outclassed to a comical degree, much like Destier, as any other robot with heavy hardpoints definitely has more than enough additional firepower and survivability to justify the mobility loss. In addition to being outclassed, Schutze lacks the speed and durability for beacon running or using Thunder effectively, and one heavy hardpoint is not enough for effective midrange fighting, even against light robots. Schutze is only seen in certain special rule sets like the Point Systems, simply because it can equip a Zeus, but this is little more than a novelty. With this all in mind, Destrier seems like a better option, thus making Schutze the worst robot in 6 Pack.

Heavy Weapon Tier List

SPOILER: Click to show

For each equipment peice’s entry, its name and given tier will be listed in the header, with a summary of the piece’s strengths, weaknesses, and general strategy at the bottom of each entry. Additionally, every equipment piece has a star rating out of five stars in two out of three categories, which are power and utility for weapons, and protection and utility for shields, which are all described below:
Power: The weapon’s damage output and ability to threaten other robots. This is not just a measure of DPS, but also range, ability to bypass shields, and ability to beat other weapons.
Protection: The shield’s ability to keep robots from being damaged. This measures not only durability, but also ease of use, reliability, and how many weapons it works against.
Utility: The versatility and non-damage/shielding factors of a weapon. This includes characteristics such as accuracy and psychological impact on the target for weapons, and facilitating special solo or team-based tactical maneuvers for shields.

Zeus - S+
Power: ★★★★☆
Utility: ★★★★★

Zeus has managed to secure the number one spot over the iconic Zeus and Trident, and this honor is not undeserved. Steady damage buffs from Pixonic have turned this weapon into an absolute beast over the past couple years, and it is literally reaching the point that the question of Zeus being too powerful for 6 Pack is starting to be pondered. Luckily though, it is widely agreed Zeus has not reached the point that corrective action is needed, though the fact this is even a consideration says a lot. Dealing the blow of a Trebuchet with a third of the reload time means that Zeus is a premier midrange weapon, and it can even fight at closer ranges when necessary because it simply is that powerful. Zeus’ sheer power also means that physical shields are actually not a severe deterrent, because it has the damage to just chew through them. Zeus’ biggest weakness is its lock-on delay of 3 seconds, as targeting hiccups or other situations that result in the lock-on being lost are exceptionally punishing and can sway engaugments.

Trident - S
Power: ★★★★☆
Utility: ★★★★★

Trident has lost a lot of ground to Zeus over the past couple of years due to the latter having the favor of Pixonic, it is still a great weapon for many reasons. When it comes to pure damage, Trident is weaker than Zeus for midrange and is a bit too weak to brawl. But in the current meta, raw damage is not what makes the Trident stand out, though its damage is certainly commendable. The primary trait of Trident is its splash, as it allows the weapon to hit around corners or slightly beyond its maximum range, and bypass robots’ physical shields. This makes Trident the premier weapon for countering popular robots like Galahad and Lancelot, a niche that essentially guarantees its long-term relevance. Additionally, while Trident’s full reload of 9 seconds is far longer than Zeus’ 5 seconds, it reloads individual rockets in only 3 seconds, meaning it actually has less downtime than Zeus. Trident’s weakness is that its damage massively drops after its burst, but careful ammunition management will minimize vulnerable periods.

Ancile - S
Protection: ★★★★☆
Utility: ★★★★☆

Ancile requires one to give up a powerful heavy weapon, but the protection it grants is incredible, and is well worth the trade for a variety of robots. The shield stops both bullets and rockets using a bubble-like barrier, with a 30 meter radius centered on the host robot. While the shield does not protect against energy projectiles, they do not deplete it, so that is a neutral point, something that unfortunately cannot be said for its counterpart, the ECU. Ancile’s bubble shield is its defining trait, as it determines how the shield is used and countered. 360° coverage is obviously great, and being able to shield teammates for cooperative play is equally great, but extra attention must be given to one’s positioning, as the shield can easily be unintentionally exposed when the host robot itself is hidden, so enemies can deplete the shield before formally engaging the robot, thus giving themselves an advantage. Generally, robots with an Ancile are to be played more conservatively, as giving Ancile more time to recharge means less damage taken.

Thunder - S-
Power: ★★★★★
Utility: ★★★☆☆

Thunder may be the premier heavy brawling weapon because it is the only such weapon, but that does not take away from its effectiveness at all. It may not have the highest damage per hit, but firing 9 shots that each deal no small amount of damage means Thunder can pound and pound targets, turning most into scrap in easily under 10 seconds. The big weakness that comes with this power is the Thunder’s pallet spread, which makes its damage quickly become pitifully low the farther away a target is. However, Thunder is not useless at range, as despite its spread, it can still damage large targets like Leo and Lancelot, and the large radius of energy shields means Thunder can easily deplete them all the way up to its 500 meter maximum range. The main weakness of Thunder is simply getting close to targets, as slow robots like Natasha, Leo, and especially Raijin may struggle to maintain effective range with a more mobile target. Thunder may need some finesse for its full potential to be reached, but it is very potent.

Trebuchet - C
Power: ★★★☆☆
Utility: ★★★☆☆

Trebuchet falls far behind the brawling and midrange heavy weapons in damage, but its unmistakable battlefield presence grants it a decent niche in the 6 Pack meta. The weapon is most comparable to Zeus, delivering an energy burst of comparable damage, but requiring 3 times longer to charge in exchange for having an extra 500 meters of range. Thus, Trebuchet is the premier sniper weapon of 6 Pack, with skilled users delivering around 40,000 damage from one end of the map to the other with Fury and Butch. Trebuchet’s recharge is what holds it back, as that means it lacks the damage to properly prevent enemy offensives. It often relies on fear tactics to keep enemies behind cover when it cannot actually damage them, but enemies can simply keep a mental timer of its charge cycle, or simply cut their losses and press on, nullifying these fear tactics. Trebuchet, though not to the extent of Zeus, has gotten some buffs in the past couple years, which allows it to pull ahead of Nashorn into the realm of viability.

Nashorn - D+
Power: ★★☆☆☆
Utility: ★★☆☆☆

Nashorn is a weapon that feels like it just kind of exists, which is not an inaccurate description to its actual place in the 6 Pack meta. Kang Dae’s rebalance separating it from Nashorn means Nashorn is more notable, but this does not help it much. Nashorn has the same range of Trebuchet, but operates very differently, being a bombardment cannon instead of a sniper weapon. Nashorn seemingly fills in the niche of being a deterrent to the ever-prevalent midrange builds, but unfortunately lacks the damage to do the role optimally. This weapon does have some bite, but it is rather outclassed by Trebuchet due to lack of a flexible charge mechanism and not bypassing any shields. Nashorn does have more sustained damage than Trebuchet, but needs to be constantly firing to utilize it, and then it competes with Molot/Molot T, weapons with far more sustained damage and only a little less range. Nashorn seems decent, but is both outclassed and quite underwhelming itself, leading to it being essentially a non-factor in the 6 Pack meta.

Zenit - D-
Power: ★☆☆☆☆
Utility: ★★☆☆☆

Zenit has always been a meme within the War Robots community, with most attempts to use the weapon in serious ways ending in failure. 6 pack likes to pride itself on making many of the game’s worst items have a home, and Zenit has actually managed to make a home in the meta, though not a very substantial one. The issues of this weapon are numerous, but boil down to how its missiles simply take too long to reach the target area, and enemies can simply walk directly towards or away from the build to make shot leading impossible, and when the missiles are actually able to hit the enemy, the damage is only okay. While the missile travel time can be shortened by being closer to the target, that runs the risk of entering the 300 meter dead zone where Zenit is useless. Despite this, there have been recent cases showing that Zenit and Noricum actually do have a use, that being depleting energy shields of advancing enemy robots from anywhere on the map. As outclassed and tedious as Zenit is, it does have an actual application.

Kang Dae - F
Power: ★☆☆☆☆
Utility: ★☆☆☆☆

Kang Dae on paper feels like a weapon that has lots of potential with countering more popular weapons, but it is disappointingly weak in practice. This weapon cannot be properly discussed without bringing up its history though, as Kang Dae used to operate largely like Nashorn, having the same range but higher damage in exchange for a longer reload, making it an intermediate between Nashorn and Trebuchet. But Kang Dae was rebalanced to have less range and damage in exchange for a much shorter reload. This update proved unfavorable for it, as while it now has a more unique identity, its damage is just pitiful. Nashorn is better as a long-range bombardment cannon, Molot/Molot T are much better as a midrange deterrent, and Zeus is almost three times as powerful with only 200 meters less range. So despite its seeming advantages on paper, Kang Dae being comically outclassed and lacking in damage dooms it to the bottom, only ever used by brand new players who think it could be a budget alternative to Zeus.

Medium Weapon Tier List

SPOILER: Click to show

For each equipment peice’s entry, its name and given tier will be listed in the header, with a summary of the piece’s strengths, weaknesses, and general strategy at the bottom of each entry. Additionally, every equipment piece has a star rating out of five stars in two out of three categories, which are power and utility for weapons, and protection and utility for shields, which are all described below:
Power: The weapon’s damage output and ability to threaten other robots. This is not just a measure of DPS, but also range, ability to bypass shields, and ability to beat other weapons.
Protection: The shield’s ability to keep robots from being damaged. This measures not only durability, but also ease of use, reliability, and how many weapons it works against.
Utility: The versatility and non-damage/shielding factors of a weapon. This includes characteristics such as accuracy and psychological impact on the target for weapons, and facilitating special solo or team-based tactical maneuvers for shields.

Taran - S+
Power: ★★★★★
Utility: ★★★★☆

Taran is a fan-favorite weapon in the community due to its surprisingly charming visual and sound design, but in 6 Pack, it rests comfortably as the best medium weapon. While its range of 350 meters means builds using it can fall prey to midrange, this is easily compensated for by good burst damage and great sustained damage, which is enabled by Taran’s firing mechanism, where it fires small, rapid bursts of plasmoids with brief windows between them, allowing for some quick damage in a small window or unloading burst after burst in a slug-out. Taran is also very accurate all the way up to its 350 meter limit, and has virtually no vulnerable periods, which combine with its damage to make it a premier brawling weapon. Taran’s energy damage is stopped by physical shields, but its raw damage is so high that it is able to just chew through them in a matter of seconds. Pixonic recently buffed Taran in update 8.7, and thanks to that, Taran has become truly monstrous, a cornerstone of the current plasma-heavy meta.

Punisher T - S
Power: ★★★★☆
Utility: ★★★★★

Punisher T and its light variant are truly classic War Robots weapons, and even years later, they continue to deliver on multiple fronts. A simple yet nuanced weapon, Punisher T turns seeming weaknesses into strengths with the correct utilization. Its kinetic damage means Punisher T needs to take time to deplete energy shields, but its incredible sustained damage means it can easily do that in addition to shredding physical shields and bare robots. In fact, at ultra-close range where all its bullets hit, Punisher T outdoes even Taran, but this damage is hindered by its spread, which makes more and more bullets miss as distance increases. But this spread is not terrible, meaning Punisher T still performs admirably at 400+ meters. Punisher T’s longer reload is its achilles heel, but careful ammunition management alleviates that. Punisher T, due to being tier 1, was unfortunately not buffed in update 8.7, meaning it has lost ground to Taran and thus, in spite of how good it still is, sees itself being somewhat edged out in the current meta.

Orkan - S-
Power: ★★★★☆
Utility: ★★★★☆

Orkan is a weapon nobody wants to see when entering a brawl, as it is as deadly as it is devious. Having an exceptionally short range of 300 meters means Orkan builds have to suffer some damage to deliver their payload, but the damage of said payload makes that easily worth it. While its rockets are rather slow, the close range and their splash damage makes aiming rather easy, so delivering a Orkan’s infamous barrage is a straightforward accord. The splash also means Orkan can attack around corners, slightly beyond its maximum range, and bypass physical shields, making it great for countering popular robots like Galahad and Lancelot. As for the actual damage, Orkan does the highest burst damage in 6 Pack in under 5 seconds, cementing it as the premier ambush weapon. Orkan’s weaknesses are of course energy shields and its low sustained damage, but proper play can account for this. Pixonic buffed Orkan in update 8.7, meaning its ever-so-slightly underwhelming damage is now way closer to its heyday.

Molot T - A
Power: ★★★☆☆
Utility: ★★★★★

Molot T is a weapon that is much better than one would think, given the state of most long range weapons in 6 Pack. What Molot T does to be successful is that rather than being a sniper weapon like Trebuchet or a bombardment cannon like Nashorn, it has the highly successful firing mechanics of Punisher T, but extended out to 800 meters. The weapon reaches maximum damage potential at around 400 meters, so builds can stay well out of brawling range, and deliver respectable damage until around 700 meters, so builds can harass midrange as well. Molot T’s versatility is further improved by its damage being high enough to let it brawl in a pinch, but only in a pinch. Molot T is what Kang Dae is trying to be, which is an effective counter to meta brawling and midrange builds without losing too much raw potential. Pixonic unfortunately did not buff Molot T in update 8.7 since it is only tier 1, but since the weapon does not face any direct competition from the tier 2 weapons, this does not hurt Molot T as badly as other weapons.

Storm - B
Power: ★★★☆☆
Utility: ★★★☆☆

Storm made its second debut in 6 Pack in the end of 2022 and passed the vote in, so it now is here to stay, and to the surprise of nobody, it is a medium version of Gust. Like the Gust, Storm’s offerings come in the form of slightly higher burst damage and much higher sustained damage than Orkan, but at the big cost of reduced effective range and no longer bypassing physical shields. Unfortunately, Orkan is way stronger than Pinata, even accounting for how it is a medium weapon against a light weapon, meaning that unlike Gust, which can genuinely be used over Pinata in certain builds, Storm finds itself squarely in Orkan’s shadow. As a result, Storm, despite being a good weapon, is an uncommon sight since everyone has Orkans, but most people would have to go out of their way to get Storms, which to most people is wholly unnecessary. Despite being generally outclassed, Storm does have its own niche, which is how its faster reload means less downtime for its builds, and its range makes it okay for depleting energy shields.

Tulumbas - C
Power: ★★☆☆☆
Utility: ★★★☆☆

Tulumbas has had a somewhat turbulent journey through War Robots’ many updates, but it manages to still be a decent option for the midrange game. Tulumbas is a sort of hybrid between Trident and Orkan, having middling range like the former and having a payload of weak individually but strong together rockets like the latter. Some prefer the Tulumbas’ old firing mechanics, where it did not reload while firing but unloaded more quickly, but it is largely a wash objectively and overall does not amount to much. Tulumbas’ bigger issue is that it is overshadowed by Trident, which deals comparable damage, has a shorter reload, and has an additional 100 meters of range, which really does make an impact. Tulumbas is still decent though, having a good splash radius to reach around cover, slightly beyond 500 meters, and counter popular robots like Galahad and Lancelot. While lacking in damage, Tulumbas does pair well with robots like Griffin, giving it some appeal, and getting buffed in update 8.7 helped address its issues.

ECU - D
Protection: ★★★☆☆
Utility: ★★☆☆☆

ECU does not carry nearly the reputation that Ancile has, but that does not make it necessarily bad. The main issue with ECU is that it is just too clunky to use to be totally worth the loss of firepower, especially a medium weapon, as most popular medium weapons are extremely potent. ECU sticks out to the side of the host robot from the hardpoint it was equipped on, which means it does not block damage unless it is turned toward the damage source, which has the extremely unfortunate consequence of making the host robot not be able to attack and shield at the same time. Additionally, while ECU only provides protection against 2 types of damage, it is damaged by all 3, unlike Ancile, and receives double damage from one of them, that being bullets. Additionally, numerous buffs to plasma weapons in 8.7 means the safety window ECU provides has been shortened a bit. Despite all this, ECU can still be effective, as skillful play can help address its shortcomings, and blocking plasma in the current plasma-heavy meta is a big plus.

Hydra - F
Power: ★☆☆☆☆
Utility: ★★☆☆☆

Hydra is a weapon that nobody takes too seriously, as it is almost impossible to underestimate. Hydra is no doubt primarily a troll weapon, with builds being able to easily remain out of enemies’ reach while delivering a stream of infuriating homing missiles. Hydra has little burst damage and is essentially useless against energy shields, yet it does just enough damage that it cannot be completely ignored. Given enough time and that the target does not enter cover and wait for the build to lose interest, Hydra can wear down any unshielded robot. Hydra is also great at picking off low health robots before they deal more damage. But these niches are laughably small, so Hdyra’s meme status is completely warranted, as its damage is not near enough to compare to other midrange weapons, and many players sit in a Hydra build far after it stops being funny and becomes a liability. Since Hydra is a tier 2 weapon, it got buffed in update 8.7, meaning it will be a bit more annoying, but will definitely remain the worst medium weapon.

Light Weapon Tier List

SPOILER: Click to show

For each equipment peice’s entry, its name and given tier will be listed in the header, with a summary of the piece’s strengths, weaknesses, and general strategy at the bottom of each entry. Additionally, every equipment piece has a star rating out of five stars in two out of three categories, which are power and utility for weapons, and protection and utility for shields, which are all described below:
Power: The weapon’s damage output and ability to threaten other robots. This is not just a measure of DPS, but also range, ability to bypass shields, and ability to beat other weapons.
Protection: The shield’s ability to keep robots from being damaged. This measures not only durability, but also ease of use, reliability, and how many weapons it works against.
Utility: The versatility and non-damage/shielding factors of a weapon. This includes characteristics such as accuracy and psychological impact on the target for weapons, and facilitating special solo or team-based tactical maneuvers for shields.

Magnum - S+
Power: ★★★★★
Utility: ★★★★☆

Magnum is one of the premier brawling weapons of 6 Pack due to its brutal simplicity. Taran is considered Magnum’ medium counterpart, but Magnum actually operates quite differently from it, which is rather unique for a light weapon. Delivering a decently powerful plasmoid every .55 seconds with infinite ammunition, Magnum is all about sustained damage, able to fire and fire until its host robot or the enemy is destroyed. Magnum thus has no vulnerable periods, which combines with its high accuracy all the way up to its 350 meter maximum range to create the perfect weapon for an armored brawler to slug it out with another one for a beacon. The 350 meter range is a limiting factor, as Magnum builds fall prey to midrange, and lacking burst damage means it must be mindful of ambushers and physical shields, but Magnum is nonetheless an amazing weapon. Pixonic buffed Magnum in update 8.7, allowing it to rise to the top of the light weapons and join Taran as a cornerstone of the current plasma-heavy meta.

Punisher - S
Power: ★★★★☆
Utility: ★★★★★

Punisher may just be a weaker version of its medium counterpart, but being a weaker version of Punisher T means this is of course one of the best light weapons. Plus, since Punisher T was not in the original releases of War Robots, Punisher is even more classic than that weapon. As for actual combat prowess, Punisher is a universal weapon, being worse than other weapons at specific things but not doing anything particularly badly. It has crazy damage at ultra-close range, shredding physical shields and bare robots, and though it needs to take time to deplete energy shields, its raw damage means it can. Punisher’s spread does hamper its damage at further distances, but it can still be a threat at even 400 meters. Punisher’s drawback is of course its 10 second reload, which can be brutal at times, but it is nonetheless a phenomenal weapon. Pixonic unfortunately did not buff Punisher in update 8.7, which made it lose ground to Magnum, which is unfortunate since a great weapon will be edged out in the meta a little.

Pinata - S-
Power: ★★★★☆
Utility: ★★★★☆

Pinata is a rather strange weapon, as despite being admittedly a little weak, it still is a premier light weapon for brawling. This is because Pinata is the sole filler of the very meta-relevant role of close-range rockets, so even though it feels a little underwhelming for the job, there is no direct replacement for it, so it gets a pass. However, this weapon delivering an underwhelming payload and taking a long time to reload means that it faces interesting competition from Punisher and Gust, since those two weapons exhibit somewhat similar damage properties and are arguably more substantial in an engagement. Pinata still has clear and important uses though, the most obvious one being that it combines well with Orkan to form a homogenous build, and can be fitted on a robot with several light hardpoints such as Gl. Patton or Leo to form a more unique ambush build. Pinata is also very cheap, which cannot be said for all of the best weapons in 6 Pack. Pixonic buffed Pinata in update 8.7, so its damage is not too disappointing anymore.

Aphid - A+
Power: ★★★★☆
Utility: ★★★☆☆

Aphid is a standout weapon, being the only homing missile weapon to truly be viable, and is in fact very viable. Aphid exists almost in a niche of its own, being a weapon that is meant to soften up enemies like Zeus or Trident, but doing so in a very unique way. Aphid’s low range, decently long reload, and higher price allow it to have substantial damage per hit, especially for a light weapon. When used on a robot like Gl. Patton or Jesse, a cluster of these weapons can easily drain a quarter of a heavy robot’s health while remaining behind cover, thanks to its homing characteristics. Aphid’s missiles are only really effective against heavy robots though, as they are more prone to missing mobile targets. Aphid’s main weakness of course, like all missiles, is that it cannot brawl at all. With the current meta constantly favoring durability and plasma, Aphids are seeing a slow rise in popularity, as they bypass physical shields and can be used on brawler hybrid builds like the Stuka Griffin, meaning Aphid has a good handful of strong applications.

Molot - A-
Power: ★★★☆☆
Utility: ★★★★★

Molot, much in the same vein as Punisher, is a scaled down version of its medium counterpart, so it works the same way as that weapon. Molot differs from Punisher, however, in that it is not quite powerful enough to justify being used in the absence of Molot T when robots that can use Molot T are available. Punisher can be equipped on robots like Gl. Patton, Bolt, and Stalker, all robots that use it well as wingmen or harassers, but when it comes to long range, robots having potent hardpoint configurations is paramount to offset the lower general damage output of long range weapons. Thus, while a Molot Gl. Patton is not bad per se, it is hard to justify that build over a Molot T/Molot Griffin or Molot T Fujin, given the Molot family’s role of anti-midrange and slowering enemy advancements works best when it has good damage. Molot somewhat struggles on its own, but can be potent in special rule sets where enemies are more fragile. Molot is not affected too badly by not being buffed in update 8.7 due to a lack of tier 2 competition.

Gekko - B+
Power: ★★☆☆☆
Utility: ★★★★☆

Gekko has an extremely unique place in the 6 Pack meta, as it is a weapon that shines in rather unusual circumstances. Gekko has interesting firing mechanics, with its full burst delivering roughly the damage of a Zeus burst and it reloading while firing. However, it takes a long time to both unload and reload, so this damage potential is difficult to utilize in practice. Gekko sees its greatest applications in special rule sets, as in Casual Night it comes off as a Molot wannabe, only being used in tandem with Zeus or Trebuchet, but in special rule sets that eliminate popular Molot platforms like Griffin and Fujin and have a midrange Carnage meta, Gekko’s burst damage and energy damage bring it into the spotlight as a premier anti-meta weapon. Unfortunately, Gekko’s price means that most do not use it due to having better things to buy, but this weapon is by no means bad. Gekko could use a buff, so to see it get passed up in update 8.7 is disappointing, especially when its relatives Trebuchet and Zeus got buffed, at least it is still decent.

Gust - B-
Power: ★★★☆☆
Utility: ★★★☆☆

Gust seems like it would have a lot of potential, and while it does not live up to that potential, it still is a respectable weapon. In practice, it functions similarly to the Pinata, being a close-range weapon that can quickly unload a ton of damage, but then has to reload. Gust has a noticeable damage advantage over Pinata thanks to its higher burst damage and shorter reload, but this is hamstrung by its spread. Similar to Thunder, Gust must be at ultra-close range to deal full damage and at farther ranges, it is useful mainly to probe large targets like Lancelot or deplete an energy shield. The unfortunate reality for Gust is that most robots that carry light hardpoints have a difficult time utilizing it, since they lack the survivability and/or mobility needed to get up close for the full damage. There are robots that can utilize Gust well enough though, such as Griffin, Stalker, Natasha, and Leo. Since Gust is tier 2, it got a buff in update 8.7 that, while not being enough to bring it up to Punisher or Pinata, still does a bit to make it more worthwhile.

ECU - C
Protection: ★★★☆☆
Utility: ★★☆☆☆

ECU on light hardpoints is not as problematic as it is on medium ones, since less firepower is given up in order to have it, but ECU still finds itself being a rather unpopular item. The loss of a Punisher, Magnum, or even Aphid leads to a tangible reduction in damage output, and many robots with suitable light hardpoints have characteristics that mean they do not lend themselves super well to ECU. Another potential deal-breaker for it is that the host robot needs to stop firing to use ECU. While ECU is damaged by rockets despite not protecting against them and is shredded by bullets, its protection against Plasma is substantial and ultimately its saving grace. In the current plasma-heavy meta, physical shields are paramount, so ECU is seeing some legitimately good applications right now. Several robots can benefit greatly from being equipped by an ECU, including Leo, Natasha, and Bolt, and some robots are benefitted less by it but still can use it to decent effect, such as Rhino, Gareth, and even Destrier.

Pin - D+
Power: ★★☆☆☆
Utility: ★★☆☆☆

Pin, much like its medium counterpart, has had a rough journey through War Robots’ history, but it is even worse off than that weapon. Pin has been overshadowed by Tulumbas since day one really, but with its older firing mechanics, it actually did have a bit of a unique identity. Tulumbas reloaded 8 rockets in 18 seconds while Pin reloaded 4 in 12 and unloads those rockets more quickly, so while Tulumbas clearly had more damage, Pin was able to fire more frequently, so it could have a bit more of a battlefield presence, meaning something like a Pin Gl. Patton was surprisingly justifiable. However, in its current state, it takes roughly the same time to unload as Tulumbas, and the reload while firing mechanic eliminates the shorter reload advantage. Thus, Pin is only seen complimenting Tulumbas and Trident, with little independence. To make matters worse, Pin did not get buffed in update 8.7 while Tulumbas did, as Pin is only tier 1 while Tulumbas is tier 2, meaning Pin really is in a rather dire state currently.

Noricum - D-
Power: ★☆☆☆☆
Utility: ★★☆☆☆

Noricum is honestly the cult weapon of 6 Pack, with a dedicated few swearing by it while it gets largely shunned by everyone else. Even those who use Noricum are often just trolling, but a handful of people believe that it is a genuinely viable and underrated weapon. This is because Noricum has different firing mechanics than its heavy counterpart, Zenit, granting a number of advantages over that weapon. Noricum unloads in a burst instead of a steady stream, and the missiles travel much faster, meaning enemies have less time to react and get more damage dumped on them at once than with Zenit. However, and this is what dedicated users are often unwilling to admit, the damage is still pitiful, and the large spread means only Anciles catch the full volley. But just like Zenit, Noricum has found a genuine application rather recently, which is its ability to deplete energy shields from anywhere on the map, and its bursty nature means it is arguably better than Zenit. Noricum only has a small use, but it does genuinely have a use.

Spiral - F
Power: ★☆☆☆☆
Utility: ★☆☆☆☆

Spiral, like its medium counterpart, occupies a niche that can have potential, but lacks the damage to be anything more than a meme. Spiral does have different firing mechanics than Hydra, rapidly firing 3 missiles instead or slowly firing 6 missiles, meaning that while it has less sustained damage, it has more burst damage, which is surprisingly useful for a weapon like this, since it gives targets much less time to get behind cover. Thus, something like a Spiral Gl. Patton or Jesse actually has advantages over a Hydra Fujin or Doc, for example. This also explains the Hydra/Spiral Griffin is the most popular 600 meter homing missile build, as it combines both weapons to gain the advantages of both. Spiral is sneaky, annoying, and is good for finishing off low health robots, but none of these uses have any real bearing on the usual 6 Pack battlefield. Like Pin, Spiral did not get buffed in update 8.7, meaning this already terrible weapon is being further left in the dust by more popular weapons and shall remain the worst light weapon.

With all of the explaining of how the tier lists work and what you can get out of them, I can now wrap things up and give the final disclaimer regarding something of this nature. While I am proud of what I have made here and personally consider it to be an overall reliable analysis of the 6 Pack meta, you should not take it as gospel. Unlike the live server, where there is a rigid hierarchy of equipment and using the less effective options often guarantees defeat, 6 Pack gives much more room to the player to maximize what they have and be able to do well with anything. Thus, do not feel that exclusively using the highest-rated robots and weapons is required to do well, as while it certainly helps, it is indeed not required. Also, while I did my best to make the tier lists well-rounded, they do have some weaknesses for some rule sets, such as Gareth being one of the middle-ranked light robots being inaccurate for Light Night special rule sets, where it is one of the best robots. So, use your own judgment when making decisions, and feel free to consult other players, as many veterans will gladly discuss equipments’ effectiveness. I am not the only player in 6 Pack who likes sharing opinions, so use all the resources you can to get educated! Moving on to a much larger point though, and what I see as the main knock against a ranking like this: many players would argue that the spirit of 6 Pack is that it lets players do whatever they want without being slaves to a system, and that saying 6 Pack has a well-defined meta, which is basically what these tier lists do, takes the fun out of it. Well, I say more power to them, which may come as a surprise given how I have talked at length about how a solid meta emerged this year, but as I said, strictly adhering to the 6 Pack meta is only a suggestion, so if players want to run a less optimal build or two, that is fine, so long as it is in good spirit. Except for Cossack, Schutze, and Destrier, no robot or weapon is objectively outclassed by another, so players are free to use what best suits their play style, or is just what they want to use at that given time. They may not be the most effective that they can be, but if they are having fun, does it really matter? But with that said, I see it is a pretty common question among newcomers as to what you should get when starting 6 Pack, and all players should pay at least some attention to the effectiveness of their hangar, as there does come a point where while they may be having fun, they are ineffective to the point of being a liability for their team, thus making it less fun for the other players. Additionally, some players’ way of having fun is being the most effective they can be, so for the inquisitive newcomers and people who want to be the best they can (like myself!), I leave here these tier lists as trusty references, should you want them. With that, I am finished, so thanks for reading (congratulations if you made it all the way through!), and this took a TON of time to make, so I hope something here was educational or at least entertaining![/font]

The Unofficial 6 Pack Tier List (iOS, 2023)

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