The meta in Samkok: New Force keeps evolving with every new unit release. TapScreen Gaming has released an updated Tier List 2.0, shifting the rankings around and introducing a new “Oddball” tier for units that don’t neatly fit into the traditional rankings. If you’re wondering which heroes are worth your investment and which ones should just be used as food, here’s the complete breakdown.
Samkok New Force Tier List (August 2025) – Best Heroes
Understanding the Tiers
- Triple S (SSS): Best of the best, core of any top-tier team.
- Double S (SS): Strong and reliable, often core but slightly outshined by top picks.
- S Tier: Solid performers, situational but effective.
- A Tier: Usable, but generally better as food or early-game fillers.
- Burn/Oddball: Niche picks — powerful in specialized teams (like Burn/Poison comps) or oddball roles.
SSS Tier
The strongest heroes in the game right now, shaping both PvE and PvP teams.
Lu Bu – Once the uncontested king of damage, Lu Bu still dishes out enormous numbers but needs heavy rage support. His AoE true damage and pursuit mechanics keep him relevant, though IMT heroes are overtaking him.
IMT Chao – A game-changer support. Strips buffs, reduces rage, grants invincible shields, and applies debuffs that shut down enemies. One of the most impactful heroes in any fight.
IMT Zhuge Liang – Currently the best support in the game. Provides healing, rage, attack, crit buffs, and debuff removal. He can double-cast skills, making him essential for rage management and survivability.
IMT Sima Yi – The new damage king. His poison-based kit scales insanely well, shredding enemies while reducing their hit rate. Even at low Hero Soul, he outdamages Lu Bu. The only drawback: he loses damage if only one enemy remains, so you’ll need a secondary single-target finisher.
SS Tier
Still excellent units, either as damage dealers, supports, or defensive picks.
Yuan Shao – AoE damage dealer who stacks permanent attack buffs. Great at scaling damage, but not mandatory if you have IMT units.
Zhang Liao – Excels at finishing enemies under 50% HP, chaining skills, and snowballing kills. Perfect as a secondary DPS next to Lu Bu or IMT Sima Yi.
Zhang Fei – One of the best tanks thanks to taunts, invincible shields, rage control, and unyielding survivability.
Lu Lingqi – Debuff powerhouse who weakens enemies, boosts allies, and synergizes incredibly with IMT teams.
Zhuge Liang (Regular) – Still an important rage generator and healer if you don’t have the IMT version.
S Tier
Strong but situational heroes that fill team gaps.
Diao Chan – Works well in Lu Bu teams thanks to charm/pursuit synergy. Decent support for free-to-play.
Sima Yi (Regular) – Still good for AoE damage and rage-based scaling but outclassed by his IMT version.
Guo Jia – Rage support and debuffer, best for free-to-play Lu Bu comps.
Xun Yu – Extra turns and crit buffs make him useful, but not standout.
Xiao Qiao – AoE dispel and rage manipulation, but her IMT counterpart is straight-up better.
Ma Chao – Rage-reduction specialist, useful against rage-heavy teams.
Sun Shangxiang – Great rage redistribution and attack buffs for a Lu Bu nuke team.
Cai Wenji – Healer with cleanse and revive mechanics, though overshadowed by better supports.
Zhurong – Decent frontline attacker with defense-stealing debuffs, strong early but falls off later.
Dong Zhuo – Shields and damage-sharing, though he has dropped off compared to stronger survival tools.
A Tier
Units you’ll mostly use as 13★ food or early-game filler.
Cai Wenji – Shield support with debuff transfer. Doesn’t scale well into the late game.
Xiahou Dun – A tank, but tanks generally don’t hold much value compared to rage/shield supports.
Guan Yinping – Budget damage dealer that stuns herself after attacking. Good early, but falls off quickly.
Dian Wei – Self-damaging unit with little long-term use.
Tai Shi Ci – Weak tank option, best used as food.
Burn & Oddball Tier
These heroes shine only in specialized team comps like Burn or Poison.
Lady Huang (Oddball) – AoE silence and stun potential. Useful mainly for PvP control.
Lü Zun (Burn) – Core of burn comps, offering stuns and burn spread.
Zhou Yu (Burn) – Burn spread and healing synergy. Great in full burn teams, not so much elsewhere.
Sun Ce (Burn) – Burn detonation specialist. Critical for burn comps but irrelevant outside them.
Jia Xu (Oddball) – Poison specialist. Pairs extremely well with IMT Sima Yi, detonating poison stacks and punishing healers.
Lady Zhen (Oddball) – Offers Sanctum buffs to block debuffs. Niche but useful against poison-heavy PvP teams.
Sun Jian (Burn) – Tanky burn applicator, but otherwise replaceable.
The Tier List 2.0 shows just how much the meta has shifted with the release of IMT heroes. IMT Sima Yi now sits comfortably at the top as the best damage dealer, while IMT Zhuge Liang and IMT Chao are must-have supports. Classic powerhouses like Lu Bu are still relevant, but no longer dominate the way they once did.