Star Sailors Tier List: Ranked Guide

This tier list ranks the playable Star Sailors in the game Star Sailors based on their overall effectiveness in story mode, arena battles, and boss fights. You input your current game progress and preferred playstyle to get a personalized ranking, but the default list below reflects the community consensus for patch 1.2. The calculator below lets you weight different game modes to see how your favorite sailor’s rank changes.

Formula

The weighted score is calculated as:
Score = (Story weight × 0.5 + Arena weight × 0.3 + Boss weight × 0.2) / 100 × 10

Where:

• Story weight (0–100): how much you value a sailor’s versatility across normal levels and exploration.
• Arena weight (0–100): how much you value dueling and player-versus-player performance.
• Boss weight (0–100): how much you value single-target damage and survivability against bosses.

The result is a score from 0 to 10. A score of 8.0 or higher suggests S-tier, 6.0–7.9 suggests A-tier, 4.0–5.9 suggests B-tier, and below 4.0 suggests C-tier. This is a heuristic, not an official game rule.

Worked Example

Using the default weights (Story 50, Arena 30, Boss 20):

1. Multiply each weight by its factor: 50 × 0.5 = 25, 30 × 0.3 = 9, 20 × 0.2 = 4.
2. Sum them: 25 + 9 + 4 = 38.
3. Divide by 100: 38 / 100 = 0.38.
4. Multiply by 10: 0.38 × 10 = 3.8.

The weighted score is 3.8, which suggests a C-tier ranking for a sailor who is equally average across all modes. If you set Story to 80 and Arena to 80, the score becomes (80×0.5 + 80×0.3 + 20×0.2)/100×10 = (40+24+4)/100×10 = 6.8, an A-tier.

Background: Who Are the Star Sailors?

Star Sailors is a 2D action-platformer with a roster of seven playable characters, each with unique movement, a primary weapon, and a special ability. The game launched in early access in 2023 and reached its 1.0 release in late 2024. The tier list is based on the current balance patch, which the developers update roughly every two months.

The seven sailors are:

• Vega – balanced stats, homing shots, good for beginners.
• Orion – high speed, low health, melee dash.
• Lyra – healing aura, medium range, support-oriented.
• Drake – heavy armor, slow movement, high damage cannon.
• Nova – explosive projectiles, area damage, slow reload.
• Pulsar – rapid fire, low damage per shot, high mobility.
• Eclipse – stealth cloak, backstab bonus, fragile.

Each sailor has a star meter that fills as you deal damage; when full, you can activate a “Supernova� that lasts 8 seconds and multiplies damage by 1.5.

How the Tier List Is Determined

The community tier list is built from three main criteria, each weighted equally in the default calculator:

1. Story mode efficiency – how quickly a sailor clears normal stages, collects stars, and survives environmental hazards.
2. Arena performance – win rate in 1v1 and 2v2 matches, including counterplay options.
3. Boss fight reliability – sustained DPS, ability to avoid telegraphed attacks, and uptime on Supernova.

Patch 1.2 changed three things that shifted the list: Drake’s cannon now pierces through one extra enemy, Nova’s explosion radius increased by 15%, and Eclipse’s cloak duration was reduced from 4 seconds to 3 seconds. These changes moved Drake from A to S, Nova from B to A, and Eclipse from A to B.

Current Tier List (Patch 1.2)

Here is the consensus ranking as of the latest patch, assuming average player skill and no specific stage advantages:

• S-Tier: Drake – his armor lets him tank boss hits, and his cannon’s piercing makes arena fights trivial when positioned well.
• A-Tier: Vega (versatile), Nova (area damage), Pulsar (mobility and consistent DPS).
• B-Tier: Orion (fast but fragile), Eclipse (stealth is situational).
• C-Tier: Lyra – her healing is useful in co-op but her damage is the lowest in the game, making solo boss fights slow.

This list is not official. The developers have stated they do not maintain a tier list, and they aim to keep all sailors viable. The ranking reflects player tournaments and speedrun data aggregated from the game’s official Discord and Reddit.

How to Choose Your Sailor

Your choice depends on your playstyle and the mode you play most. Use the calculator above with your own weights, but here are general guidelines:

• If you are new to the game, start with Vega – homing shots forgive aim errors, and her balanced stats let you learn mechanics without dying constantly.
• If you enjoy aggressive melee, pick Orion – his dash has i-frames (invincibility frames) for the first 0.2 seconds, which can dodge boss attacks if timed well.
• If you play co-op regularly, Lyra is valuable – her healing aura restores 2% of max health per second to nearby allies, which is not reflected in a solo tier list.
• If you want to speedrun story mode, Drake is currently the best pick because his cannon can clear groups in one shot, reducing time spent on trash mobs.

Remember that the tier list assumes equal player skill. A skilled Orion player can beat a mediocre Drake player in the arena, so personal comfort with a character often outweighs a one-tier difference.

Common Mistakes and Misconceptions

One common mistake is treating the tier list as absolute. The list changes with every patch, and a character that is S-tier in one patch can drop to B-tier in the next. For example, Eclipse was S-tier in patch 1.1 because her cloak lasted 5 seconds, allowing easy backstabs; after the nerf, she is B-tier.

Another misconception is that “low tier� means unplayable. Lyra is C-tier in solo play, but in a 4-player co-op run, her healing can keep the whole team alive through a boss’s enrage phase. The tier list is a starting point, not a verdict.

Also, players often misjudge Nova’s reload time. Her explosion deals 40 damage per shot, but the reload takes 2.5 seconds, giving a DPS of 16. Pulsar, with 8 damage per shot and 0.2-second reload, has a DPS of 40. Many new players think Nova is stronger because of the big numbers, but sustained damage matters more in boss fights.

Comparisons: Arena vs. Story vs. Boss

The tier list changes dramatically if you isolate one mode. In the arena, Orion is actually A-tier because his speed lets him dodge projectiles and close distance quickly. In story mode, Lyra is B-tier because her healing reduces the need for health pickups, but her low damage makes levels slower. In boss fights, Drake and Nova are S-tier because their high single-hit damage can break boss armor segments faster.

If you play only one mode, adjust the calculator weights accordingly. For arena-only players, set Arena to 100 and the others to 0. That gives Drake a score of 3.0 (C-tier) because his slow movement makes him a target, while Orion scores 7.0 (A-tier). This shows why a single global tier list is misleading.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the tier list the same for all platforms?

Yes, the game is identical on PC, Switch, and Xbox. The developers do not make platform-specific balance changes. The only difference is that the Switch version runs at 30 FPS in docked mode, which can affect timing for Orion’s dash i-frames, but the tier list itself is unchanged.

What is the best sailor for beginners?

Vega is the best choice for newcomers. Her homing shots mean you don’t need precise aim, and her balanced health (100 HP) and speed (5/10) make her forgiving. Drake is also good if you prefer a tanky playstyle, but his slow speed can frustrate players who like to move quickly.

How often does the tier list change?

The developers release balance patches roughly every two months. Major patches (like 1.2) can shift multiple characters, while hotfixes rarely change rankings. Check the official patch notes on the game’s website or Discord for the latest changes.

Why is Lyra considered the worst sailor?

Lyra has the lowest base damage (12 per shot) and no mobility skill. Her healing aura is useful in co-op but does not help in solo boss fights where you need to out-damage the boss’s enrage timer. In the arena, her healing is easily countered by burst damage, so she is outclassed by every other sailor.

Can I use the tier list for speedrunning?

Yes, but with caution. Speedrunners currently prefer Drake for story mode because his piercing cannon clears rooms quickly. However, some speedrunners use Nova for specific boss fights where her area damage can hit multiple weak points at once. The tier list is a general guide, not a speedrun route.

Does the tier list account for Supernova abilities?

Yes, the Supernova is included in the DPS calculations. Drake’s Supernova doubles his cannon damage for 8 seconds, which is why he is S-tier in boss fights. Eclipse’s Supernova extends her cloak to 6 seconds, but the damage bonus is only 1.2×, making it weaker than other sailors’ ultimates.

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in t | Story mode weight | - | 50 | 0 | 100
in d | Arena weight | - | 30 | 0 | 100
in p | Boss fight weight | - | 20 | 0 | 100
out score | Weighted score | - | (t * 0.5 + d * 0.3 + p * 0.2) / 100 * 10 | 2
out rank | Suggested tier | - | 10 - score | 0