DC Worlds Collide Tier List (Version 1.1.17): Best Characters to Recruit and Upgrade

Joker, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Superman (DCU), Absolute Superman, Absolute Batman, Mister Terrific, Superman, Sinestro, Doctor Fate, Lex Luthor, Deathstroke and Green Lantern – Hal occupy the highest S+ tier in Pocket Gamer’s ranking for DC Worlds Collide version 1.1.17, updated October 2, 2026. They are the strongest starting targets, but a tier label is not a guarantee that a character is best for every five-person team, mode or opponent.

This guide explains the current placements, what each tier means, and how to choose between characters using class, Mighty/Tactical/Agile traits, tags, affiliations, encounter mechanics and your available upgrade resources.

#	Preview	Product	Price
1		Worlds Collide 2 :worlds Finest	$10.99	Buy on Amazon
2		DC Deck-Building Game Multiverse Box	$42.99	Buy on Amazon
3		Cryptozoic Super Heroes Edition DC Comics Deckbuilding Game, Multiverse Box	$65.80	Buy on Amazon
4		Superman Batman World's Finest Worlds Collide (Number 2)	$8.00	Buy on Amazon

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

DC Worlds Collide tier list for version 1.1.17

The following placements are attributed to Pocket Gamer’s list, updated October 2, 2026 for game version 1.1.17. Pocket Gamer ranks Epic and Legendary characters, while generally leaving out Elite and lower rarities unless a character deserves special inclusion. It calls S+ the highest tier and C the lowest, and recommends trying to obtain and upgrade A-tier characters and above.

Pocket Gamer’s complete page also contains lower tiers. The supplied placement data does not establish every B- and C-tier name, so this article does not guess at those entries. Check the list again before making a long-term investment, particularly after a game update.

#1 Best Overall

Worlds Collide 2 :worlds Finest

$10.99

Buy on Amazon

What the tiers actually tell you

This is an editorial ranking, not an official in-game power score. A character’s position describes broad value across the game at the cited update; it does not measure a universal win rate, damage number or guaranteed campaign result. The developers continue to add characters and adjust existing ones, so a placement can lose accuracy after a buff, nerf or new mode.

The practical reading is simple: start with S+ and S candidates when you have a choice, use A-tier characters confidently when they complete a team, and do not discard a lower-ranked character solely because of the letter. A well-built counter team can outperform a collection of individually higher-ranked characters.

Build around five slots, three classes and three traits

The official game guide says each team has five characters. Every character has a class—DPS, Tank or Support—and a trait—Mighty, Tactical or Agile. These are the first checks to make before spending resources.

DPS: damage and target selection

DPS characters specialise in dealing damage. A damage-heavy team can clear an encounter quickly, but five damage dealers may lack protection, recovery or control. Check whether the stage rewards area-of-effect damage, single-target focus or sustained damage before filling every slot with attackers.

Rank #2

DC Deck-Building Game Multiverse Box

• MULTIVERSE BOX PLUS CROSSOVER PACK: The DC Multiverse encompasses an ever-expanding realm of alternate timelines and possible futures. As the Multiverse and DC Deck-Building Game series continue to expand,there is finally a place to contain it all. Inside the DC Deck-Building Game Multiverse Box,you can store all of the currently available cards with plenty of room for expansions to come. Includes Multiverse Crossover Pack based on the Convergence storyline, available exclusively in this box.
• PLAY ALL YOUR CARDS AT ONCE: Take control of one of the Multiverse Locations in the included Crossover Pack. Both Superheroes and Super-Villains work alongside you as you try to best your foes. This set features Events, which are big-time happenings in the DC Universe that create a secondary Line-Up from a random set of cards from your collection. If you’ve ever wanted to play with all of your cards at once, but didn’t want to shuffle a 500-card main deck, this box set is for you!
• NOT A STANDALONE GAME: The included Crossover Pack requires DC DBG base game: DC Deck-Building Game, Heroes Unite, Forever Evil, Teen Titans, Rivals, Confrontations, Rebirth, or Dark Nights: Metal
• KEY FEATURES: Be the Champion of an oversized Multiverse Location. The Crossover Pack features a new card type: Events! These happenings create alternate timelines (Line-Ups) that change things up while they’re in play. Randomizer cards mean you never know which set of cards will pop up next. The storage box includes set dividers and foam inserts to store all of your cards. "
• ABOUT US: Since 2010, Cryptozoic Entertainment has been dedicated to the concept of "Fans First," striving to develop the most creative and sought-after products for pop culture enthusiasts worldwide. As an entertainment company with a diverse portfolio of licensed and original IPs, its catalog covers a broad spectrum of table top games and collectibles. Our passionate team aims to inspire gamers and collectors all around the globe, while bringing fans as part of the Cryptozoic community. 

$42.99

Buy on Amazon

Tanks: protection and endurance

Tanks absorb pressure and protect the rest of the formation. They matter when enemies can eliminate a fragile DPS early or when a battle is long enough for survivability to decide the result. A Tank from a lower tier can be the correct upgrade if your current team repeatedly dies before its damage matters.

Support: healing, debuffs and buffs

Support characters can heal allies, weaken enemies or strengthen teammates. Their value often rises when a stage has dangerous debuffs, repeated waves or a damage check that requires allies to stay active. Treat support utility as part of the team’s total output rather than comparing a support’s personal damage with a DPS character’s damage.

Mighty, Tactical and Agile matchups

Mighty characters deal additional damage against Agile targets and are weak against Tactical targets. Use the opponent’s trait to decide whether a nominally lower-ranked character gives you a favorable matchup. The official roster displays each character’s current role and trait; use it and the team power calculator instead of inferring a trait from a character’s name or from an old guide.

How to choose between two characters in the same tier

1. Fill the missing job first

Ask what your five-person team lacks: reliable damage, a frontline, healing, cleansing, crowd control or a way to finish a priority target. If you already have two strong DPS characters, another attacker may provide less value than a Tank or Support, even when the attacker sits one tier higher.

Rank #3

Cryptozoic Super Heroes Edition DC Comics Deckbuilding Game, Multiverse Box

• Box to store and organize your DC Deck-Building Game collection!
• 2 Components Boxes fit inside the rows and and can be used to store tokens and other game items
• Three standard rows each hold approximately 540 sleeved cards and wider fourth row holds approximately 360 sleeved oversized cards with Components Boxes and 520 sleeved cards without them
• Multiverse Crossover Pack introduces a mode that uses all the different sets in your box!
• Confrontation Cost tokens allow you to play with any oversized Characters in a DC Deck-Building Game: Rivals or Confrontations game!

$65.80

Buy on Amazon

2. Check the enemy trait

Compare your candidate’s trait with the current opponent. Mighty’s bonus against Agile is useful only when Agile enemies are present, while its weakness against Tactical can make it a poor choice into that matchup. Trait advantage is a battle-specific reason to rotate your roster rather than permanently replacing a character.

3. Match tags, affiliations and effects

Tags and affiliations add a second layer beyond class and trait. The official tags update describes teams built around effects such as Bleed, single-target damage, Justice League affiliation and Legion of Doom affiliation. A character who activates several effects already present in your roster can be more valuable than an isolated higher-tier pull.

4. Consider the mode and encounter rules

DC Worlds Collide has more than 12 game modes according to the official game overview. A character can be excellent in one mode and merely adequate in another because objectives, enemy formations and restrictions change. Evaluate a candidate in the mode where you will actually spend your energy and upgrade materials.

5. Account for investment stage

Investment stage is a practical decision factor, not an official formula. A developed A-tier character with usable equipment, levels and abilities may outperform an unbuilt S+ character. Before switching, compare the cost of bringing the new character to a functional level with the benefit your current team needs immediately.

Rank #4

Superman Batman World's Finest Worlds Collide (Number 2)

$8.00

Buy on Amazon

Encounter-specific team building

Some fights reward a different answer from a general-purpose tier list. The official League Challenge guidance highlights area-of-effect damage and Dispel against groups that respawn with buffs. In that situation, a character who can remove buffs or damage several targets may be more useful than a single-target specialist with a higher general ranking.

• Enemies respawn with buffs: prioritise Dispel or another reliable way to remove those buffs, then use enough damage to finish the wave.
• Several enemies appear together: include AoE so the team does not spend the entire battle defeating targets one at a time.
• One dangerous target decides the fight: use single-target damage, protection and control to keep that target from overwhelming your team.
• Your team has a tag or affiliation bonus: compare the benefit of preserving that synergy with the raw tier difference between replacement characters.

These are encounter choices, not permanent tier changes. Keep a small rotation of built characters so you can answer a mechanic without dismantling your main team.

A practical recruiting and upgrading path

1. Identify the mode you are trying to progress. Campaign, League Challenge and other modes can reward different damage types, utility and survivability.
2. Open the current official roster. Confirm each candidate’s class and trait, and use the team power calculator to test the proposed five-character lineup.
3. Start with S+ and S candidates that fill a real gap. Do not select a duplicate role simply because its letter is higher.
4. Use A-tier characters to complete a coherent team. An A-tier Tank, Support or counter-trait DPS can be a better next project than an unused top-tier character.
5. Check tags and affiliations. Look for effects such as Bleed, single-target bonuses, Justice League links or Legion of Doom links that your current roster can activate.
6. Test the team in the intended encounter. If it fails because of buffs, waves or survivability, change the role or utility slot before replacing every character.
7. Recheck after balance updates. Save major resources until you have confirmed that the character’s role, trait and abilities still match the current version.

Why this list can change

The developers describe strength as team-dependent and say they are pursuing ongoing buffs, nerfs and other balance changes. In the June 26, 2025 Brother Eye Recalibration preview, the DC Worlds Collide team stated: “We want every character to be exciting when you pull them, to have a team for them to work well with, and to have modes that they perform well in.” That goal means a tier list is a dated decision aid, not a permanent hierarchy.

New characters can also alter the value of older ones by creating a stronger affiliation, tag interaction or counter option. A future update may therefore change both individual placements and the best five-character combinations without making the current list incorrect for version 1.1.17.

Common tier-list mistakes

• Blindly building five S+ characters: this can leave the team without a Tank, Support or required utility.
• Ignoring traits: a favorable Mighty, Tactical or Agile matchup can matter more than a one-letter tier difference in a specific battle.
• Using old roster information: roles and traits can change; verify them on the current official roster.
• Judging a character outside its intended mode: a specialist may look weak in general content but be ideal for a mechanic-heavy challenge.
• Abandoning developed A-tier units too early: replacing a functional character can waste resources if the new unit cannot yet perform its job.
• Treating the October 2, 2026 ranking as timeless: version 1.1.17 is part of the result and should remain attached to every decision based on it.

Quick decision checklist

Before recruiting or upgrading, answer these questions:

• Does the character supply the role my five-person team is missing?
• Is its trait favorable against the opponents in the mode I am targeting?
• Will its tags or affiliation activate a useful effect with my existing roster?
• Does the encounter require AoE, Dispel, single-target damage, healing or extra protection?
• Can I build this character to a usable level without weakening my current progression?
• Has a recent balance update changed the character, its allies or the encounter?

If the answers line up, the character is a sound investment even when it is not in S+. If they do not, wait for a better fit rather than chasing the highest letter automatically.

Quick Recap

Bestseller No. 1

Worlds Collide 2 :worlds Finest

$10.99

Bestseller No. 2

DC Deck-Building Game Multiverse Box

$42.99

Bestseller No. 3

Cryptozoic Super Heroes Edition DC Comics Deckbuilding Game, Multiverse Box

Box to store and organize your DC Deck-Building Game collection!; Multiverse Crossover Pack introduces a mode that uses all the different sets in your box!

$65.80

Bestseller No. 4

Superman Batman World's Finest Worlds Collide (Number 2)

$8.00

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.