20 Best Champions in RAID: Shadow Legends 2023

I have been playing RAID for about 3 years, and during that time I have studied many game mechanics. From my experience, I decided to compile this selection of best heroes in RAID: Shadow Legends. The list was based on the assessment of the value of each individual hero. The versatility of the champions played the most significant role in this list, which, in my opinion, is more important than super efficiency in one specific game mode. The uniqueness of each hero’s mechanics is also important: the harder it is to replace them, the more valuable they are. Therefore, I want to warn you right away that this selection may not meet your expectations, but it is as objective as possible. And if you read the description of each of the heroes, you will be convinced of this. Let’s begin.

№1: Acrizia – Queen of Bosses

All experienced players know that the most valuable PVE heroes are those that deal damage scaling from the target’s maximum health. Acrizia is the queen among such heroes. All 3 of her skills deal damage based on the enemy’s maximum health, making her extremely effective in all PVE modes. However, Acrizia is unlikely to impress you in the arena, as her skills are poorly adapted for battles with other players. In PVP, she will be just another ordinary damage dealer and nothing more.

№2: Ma’Shalled – Ultimate Control

Waves It’s hard to imagine a more useful and versatile champion. In terms of effectiveness, Ma’Shalled is indeed close to Acrizia. He will be equally useful in almost all game modes. His unique mechanic is that with his A1, Ma’Shalled deals damage to all enemies, which is not considered “AoE“: first, he attacks one opponent, and then the others separately. At the same time, Ma’Shalled can apply the True Fear debuff to all enemies, which has a 75% chance of depriving them of their turn. Thanks to such insane wave control, Ma’Shalled is the best hero for completing Doom Tower and most dungeons (excluding Seer). In addition, Ma’Shalled applies useful buffs to the team and has a powerful aura that gives +34% attack for the entire team in dungeons.

Ma’Shalled shows excellent results in Dragon’s Lair, Minotaur’s Labyrinth, Fire Knight’s Castle, and all Keeps. He is irreplaceable against bot waves in Doom Tower and extremely useful in battles with Demon Lord and Hydra clan bosses. And the cherry on top: Ma’Shalled, as far as I know, is the only hero capable of solo farming in Sand Devil’s Necropolis up to floor 14! Please read my separate guide on Ma’Shalled, where you will find complete information about this hero and how to use him correctly in the game.

№3: Ninja – Privilege of Old Player

Ninja is primarily a boss killer who deserves the honorable 3rd place in this RAID: Shadow Legends best champions list. Although he is almost completely useless in late-game PVP, he is indispensable in PVE modes. The key feature of Ninja is his passive skill, Escalation, which gradually increases his damage if he attacks a single target. His A2 Hailburn is also interesting. With this skill, Ninja applies HP Burn to the enemy and instantly activates it, causing a very large total damage. This makes Ninja effective against almost all bosses in the game. For instance, using Ninja and Ma’Shalled, I managed to deal over 80 million damage to the Demon Lord clan boss on Ultra-Nightmare difficulty, without using Unkillable, Block Damage or Counterattack buffs. Check out the guide linked for more details.

Ninja could be obtained for 7 days of game login as part of a collaboration with the popular streamer of the same name, whose face the hero bears. As Ninja himself explained, he was inspired by the Kamael race from Lineage II. This is why the hero has only one wing on his back. At the moment, it is impossible to get Ninja and it is unknown whether such an opportunity will appear again for players in the future…

№4: Taras the Fierce – Ukrainian Thunder

Taras is an embodiment of ancient Ukrainian Cossack warriors in the traditional style: red trousers, saber, characteristic hairstyle, and colorful armor decorated with traditional Ukrainian ornaments. The hero was added to the game along with Marichka the Unbreakable during the Russian invasion of Ukraine as a symbol of the courage and resilience of the Ukrainian people, as the community manager detailed in her YouTube interview.

Although Taras damage is dependent on his health, not the maximum health of the enemy, the hero can be considered as an alternative to Seer. The A3 damage will be increased by 15% for each buff on allies. At the same time, Taras doesn’t remove buffs after hitting, like Seer, but extends them instead. Taras is primarily aimed at PVP battles and is mainly used in defensive-type teams. One of his two passive skills reduces damage from enemy skills by 50% (!), and the other reduces the enemy’s attack stat to -50% (!) in PVP. If Taras and Marichka are together on one team, the power of this Ukrainian pair in PVP is simply beyond measure.

№5: Seer – Wave Slayer of Bots

PVE teams using Seer are the fastest in the game – everyone knows that. Seer, unremarkable at first glance, possesses a rare mechanic that increases her area damage based on the number of buffs removed from both enemies and allies simultaneously. Furthermore, the initial damage of this area attack depends on the maximum health of the target. To fully unleash Seer’s potential, you will have to equip her with very powerful gear and assemble a team of specific heroes who can apply many buffs to allies and reset their skills. But if you do everything correctly, Seer will annihilate waves of bots in Dragon’s Lair, Ice Golem’s Peak, Fire Knight’s Castle, and even in Doom Tower with a single strike. In PVP, the heroine is rarely used, as removing buffs from enemies requires accuracy, and the result is not always worth it.

№6: Arbiter – Universal Support

Arbiter is a free hero that every player will receive for free after completing a long chain of quests that take half a year to a year of gameplay. The versatility and usefulness of Arbiter are hard to overstate, as she is equally useful in all modes. Arbiter can resurrect allies, fill their turn meter, apply a 50% Increase Attack buff, and even remove buffs from enemies. She is used as support in almost all dungeons. She is a must-have in teams against bosses and bot waves in Doom Tower, shows excellent results in battles with the Hydra boss, and can even be used against the Demon Lord. However, the main purpose of Arbiter is PVP, where she is one of the best supports thanks to her base speed of 110 and an additional +30% speed aura.

№7: Lanakis the Chosen – Unique Team-Up

Lanakis was my first legendary heroine, so I may be a bit biased… But I assure you, there is no mode in this game where she would be useless. Lanakis can send three allies to attack at once, filling their turn meter by a full 30% (just like Arbiter, by the way) and extending the duration of their buffs. Lanakis can also apply a 50% Increase Attack and a 30% Increase Crit. Rate buffs, after which she can get an extra turn.

At first glance, these skills may seem unremarkable, but if you build Lanakis with the highest possible speed and equip her with Refresh set accessories, you will be surprised by her effectiveness in dungeons, against clan bosses, and of course, in PVP. For example, I use Lanakis as my main turn meter filler in the Live Arena. Check out my Live Arena guide to learn more about this.

№8: Mithrala Lifebane – Unique Support

Mithrala is a free heroine that every player is guaranteed to assemble from fragments obtained from chests for defeating the Hydra clan boss. Mithrala occupies such a high position in the ranking due to her versatility and exceptional effectiveness in almost all game modes, including both PVE and PVP. The heroine has a unique passive feature that turns her accuracy into resistance, making Mithrala extremely powerful in arena battles. She can also apply a 50% Increase Attack, 60% Increase Defense, 25% Strengthen, and a 30% Shield (based on Mithrala’s max HP) buffs to allies. Thanks to her skills, the heroine is successfully used in all dungeons (except maybe Sand Devil’s Necropolis), in Doom Tower, on all arenas (Classic, Tag, Live) and against both clan bosses (Demon Lord and Hydra).

№9: Vlad the Nightborn – The Most Powerful PVE Control in the Game

Many consider Vlad to be useless or mediocre, but if you trust my three-year experience playing RAID, believe me, this is not the case. Vlad is the most powerful control hero in the game, capable of turning any wave of bots into defenseless kittens. Vlad has 2 mass skills in his arsenal for this: one reduces (or steals) the turn meter of all opponents by 50% (from the current value), and the second applies Block Active Skills and 60% Decrease Defense debuffs to all enemies for 2 turns. Both skills have a cooldown of just 3 turns.

That’s why you should develop Vlad with a focus on speed (250+) and accuracy (350-400+), and only then enhance his attack characteristics. In this form, Vlad can easily complete the entire Doom Tower on hard mode and help with passing any artifact dungeons. Vlad can be used in Classic and Tag arenas up to Gold leagues, but he is ineffective in the Live Arena. Also, Vlad easily passes Minotaur solo and is one of the few heroes in RAID who can level food on the 20th stage Fire Knight’s Castle (with the support of Coldheart, of course). A separate guide for Vlad the Nightborn will appear on the site very soon…

№10: Duchess Lilitu – Strongest Universal Support

Many players would have placed Lilitu almost at the top of the RAID: Shadow Legends best champions list. But we must be objective in assessing her, as almost all top-speed teams for dungeon runs are composed without her participation. Nevertheless, thanks to her skills (especially the passive ability, which reduces damage from mass attacks by 25% (15% against bosses)), Lilitu is excellent for passing Iron Twins Fortress, Dragon’s Lair (hard), Demon Lord and Hydra clan bosses, Doom Tower. However, Lilitu is most valuable in PVP in defensive-type teams, as she not only increases the survivability of allies, but also protects them with the Veil buff after resurrection.

№11: Krisk the Ageless – Universal Tank

Krisk’s uniqueness lies in his passive skill, Might of Ages, which applies enormous shields to the whole team, equal to 50% of his max HP for 2 turns at the start of the round. In addition, the same skill passively applies 60% Decrease Def and 50% Decrease Attack debuffs to the attacking enemy. Krisk can also apply Provocation to enemies, and both of his attacks are AoE.

Thanks to his massive skill, Krisk is one of the best heroes for arena battles when it comes to defensive type teams. In PVE, Krisk is also effective. He is ideal for the Iron Twins Fortress and can help with the Sand Devil’s Necropolis. Krisk will be useful to a beginner in all dungeons without exception. But the main application of Krisk in PVE is the Demon Lord and Hydra clan bosses.

№12: Venus – Universal DD-Support

Venus is strong in almost all game modes. She can massively apply 60% Decrease Defense, 25% Weaken, and HP Burn debuffs to enemies. The heroine has 2 AoE attacks and a double hit on her basic skill, which also applies poison to the opponent. This is enough for Venus to show excellent results in battles in all dungeons, against both clan bosses, and in the Doom Tower.

If her beloved Cupidus joins Venus in battle, the heroine unlocks her 4th skill, which allows her to remove buffs from enemies. Paired with Cupidus, Venus becomes a formidable enemy in PVP battles. You will easily find defensive teams with her participation, just scroll through the list of the TOP 500 players in the Classic Arena.

№13: Teodor the Savant – Poisonous Support

In fact, Teodor is more of a damage dealer than a support, as his main value lies in applying, extending, and activating poisons. Due to the combination of these rare features, Teodor is one of the most useful heroes for passing almost any PVE content, from Iron Twins Fortress to the Demon Lord clan boss. The hero also has a useful aura, which adds 50 Accuracy to allies in all battles, and can apply a 30% Increase Speed buff.

№14: Valkyrie – Queen of Counterattacks

Valkyrie is valued for her ability to apply a Counterattack buff to the entire team, while protecting allies with a powerful shield whose strength depends on the heroine’s Defense stat. Because of this, Valkyrie has a place in top or near-top teams against Iron Twins, Fire Knight (hard), Demon Lord, and Hydra clan bosses.

Valkyrie also has a passive skill: each time an enemy applies a buff, the heroine fills her turn meter by 10%, and each time an enemy receives a buff, the heroine reduces their turn meter by 10%. This unique mechanic allows Valkyrie to “wedge” into well-coordinated speed teams in the arenas, taking away the enemy’s first-move advantage. For example, if enemy’s Arbiter applies a 50% Increase Attack buff to allies, Valkyrie will fill her turn meter by 40% (!), and the turn meters of each of the enemies will be reduced by 10%, thus disrupting the continuous series of enemy turns. Even now, when incredibly powerful heroes have appeared in the game, Valkyrie can often be found in defensive teams on the Classic Arena.

№15: Trunda Giltmallet – One of the Strongest DD

Some may ask: why is Trunda in the rating, but, for example, Georgid, is not? The answer is simple: despite the fact that dozens of more powerful damage dealers have been added to the game, Trunda remains one of the most universal. She will be useful to a beginner for passing any waves of bots in any dungeons, but the real power of Trunda is revealed in battles against the Hydra boss and Tainted Skavag (Spider Den hard mode).

In the arena, Trunda is still relevant due to one of the strongest AoE in the game, but in the higher leagues, she is not as effective as she once was. Almost all defensive teams use Stone Skin, which Trunda simply cannot overcome, and therefore has long lost the status of the best DD for arena battles.

№16: Prince Kymar – Recharge!

Prince Kymar is the best among the few heroes capable of reducing or resetting skill cooldowns for allies. He can also massively remove buffs and apply sleep to enemies, having one of the best (30%) speed auras for the arena. Almost no top team for speed dungeon farming is complete without Prince Kymar. He is successfully used against the Hydra boss, in the Doom Tower, and in the arenas at any stage of the game. But it’s important to note that the hero is extremely difficult to implement. You can’t just add him to the team and rejoice. A team with Prince Kymar must have a strict turn order and a well-prepared preset of skill usage priorities. Otherwise, the effectiveness of the hero will be significantly reduced.

№17: Gnishak Verminlord – One of the Best DD in the Game

Gnishak was available to all players in the New Year’s fusion 2022-2023. The utility of this hero is hard to overstate, as he not only can massively apply Bombs to enemies that explode after 1 turn, but also replace them with 2 poisons after the explosion. Gnishak has one of the best (30%) auras for boosting attack in all battles and can apply a 50% Decrease Attack debuff to enemies.

Thanks to his skills, Gnishak shows excellent results in almost all dungeons, and can even solo farm some of them. The hero is also indispensable in battles against Bommal, the most challenging boss of the Doom Tower. He can be successfully used against Demon Lord and Hydra clan bosses. And, of course, Gnishak is great in the arenas, as Bombs are the only debuff that can be applied to enemies protected by the Stone Skin buff.

№18: Leorius the Proud – One of the Strongest DD

In PvE, Leorius is notable for his ability to apply a 25% Weaken debuff to enemies before a mass attack, and then additionally apply True Fear to them for 1 turn. Additionally, the hero has immunity to most control effects as long as his A2 skill is not on cooldown. Both of Leorius’s mass attacks deal very high damage, which is additionally increased by 1% for each 1% of the champion’s lost health.

Moreover, when receiving a fatal blow, Leorius protects himself with an Unkillable buff for 1 turn, like Scullcrown. This set of skills makes the hero one of the best damage dealers in the arenas. He is primarily used in a defensive type team, as opponents will almost always be protected by Stone Skin, which Leorius simply cannot break through.

№19: Hurndig – One of the Best DD in the Game

Hurndig is a maximally versatile and self-sufficient damage dealer who will be useful in almost all game modes, but predominantly in the mid-game. Once upon a time, players could get Hurndig by completing a fusion. Now he can only be obtained from shards.

Hurndig’s main advantage lies in his two powerful mass attacks, which also apply 25% Weaken, 60% Decrease Defense, HP Burn, and 50% Decrease Accuracy debuffs to enemies. At the same time, Hurndig can completely reduce the turn meter of a single target enemy and gets an extra turn if he kills an enemy with his A1. Hurndig will be useful both in dungeons and the Doom Tower, as well as in arenas, but one of his best uses is fighting the Hydra boss. However, you can even use him against Demon Lord if you try hard enough.

№20: Geomancer – Punishes Bosses

Geomancer would have been a mediocre epic hero if not for his unique mechanics. If an enemy attacks allies, the damage will be reduced by 15%. The reduced 15% will be reflected back onto the enemy under the effect of an HP burn debuff applied by Geomancer. Geomancer also reflects 30% of the damage each time he is attacked, and has a 30% chance to inflict additional retaliatory damage on the enemy equal to 3% of their maximum health. This unique mechanic makes Geomancer, if not the best, one of the best heroes for battling Iron Twins, Demon Lord, Hydra, and some Doom Tower bosses. Unfortunately, in PvP, the hero is useless.

Conclusion

In reality, there are many more great heroes in RAID: Shadow Legends. However, in this list, I tried to include those that are the most versatile, the most in-demand, and the most useful at all stages of the game. This does not negate the fact that Siphi, Rotos, Georgid, Warlord, and other heroes are strong in the arenas, but that is a separate category, which is much less important than versatility. If you have any wishes, preferences, objections, or notes, feel free to leave them in the comments. I would be happy to expand the list of the best champions in RAID: Shadow Legends if it’s important to you.