Aliens Fireteam Elite 2 Class Tier List Guide

The current class tier list should be treated as a testing framework rather than a fixed S-to-D ranking. Official sources confirm the six class identities and launch balance changes, but they do not publish a reproducible comparison of clear time, survivability, resource use, or team value. Third-party launch lists are useful for seeing community opinions, yet their default-build methodology does not prove a universal result.

What a reliable tier list must control

Compare classes on the same difficulty, the same mission, and the same objective. Keep weapon rules, player count, challenge modifiers, and build maturity consistent, then repeat each run instead of using one lucky attempt. Record completion time, downs, ammunition or healing pressure, ability uptime, and how often the class solves a team problem.

This method matters because a class that dominates an open room may be less useful in a narrow defense or a long Horde wave. A solo run also cannot be treated as equivalent to a four-player co-op run because squad coverage changes the value of support and control. Any result without those controls should be labeled unverified rather than presented as measured fact.

Confirmed role bands, not final ranks

The following bands summarize what the official material actually supports. They describe role identity and evidence strength, not a final “best to worst” order. The official sources confirm the tools; no source in the collected pack supplies a full launch tier table with repeatable test data.

Evidence band	Classes	Confirmed basis
Flexible role	Specialist	Can mix unlocked class abilities and perks; exact progression is unverified
Team support	Medic	Medic Kit, Adrenaline Surge, Overclock, Buffing Station, Poison Station
Automated defense	Machinist	Sentry Turret, Bodyguard Drone, Gas Turret, Rumble Turret
Control	Hunter	Cryo Pulse, Particle Pulse, Stasis Bolt, Particle Beam
Explosive pressure	Marauder, Duelist	Rockets and mines for Marauder; burst and explosive tools for Duelist

Calling these bands “S tier” would add a conclusion that the collected evidence does not support. They are useful for choosing what to test first and for explaining why a team wants a class. Replace them with measured ranks only after the same-scenario runs are complete.

Launch changes that affect future rankings

Day-1 notes changed Marauder’s Cryo Blast DPS from 10 to 25, stopped Machinist Gas and Cryo Turrets from running out of ammo, and adjusted Duelist explosive perk penalties. Hunter’s Morale Surge now grants +2 temporary health instead of +5, while other general perks received corrections such as Unyielding at +50 health and Hard to Hit at 20%.

These changes mean a pre-patch tier list is not automatically a launch-state tier list. The notes also include fixes to Medic interactions and companion Bot behavior, which can alter practical team performance without proving a class rank. Record the game version with every future test.

How to read third-party tier lists

The collected Destructoid list is explicitly a launch opinion based on default builds, and it does not disclose a same-mission, same-difficulty test protocol. AllThings provides another community tier-list perspective, but a second opinion still does not turn subjective placement into verified statistics. Use both pages as hypotheses for what to test, not as official balance data.

A good article can report those opinions with attribution while keeping the site’s own conclusion evidence-led. State the source, date, build assumptions, and whether the author tested solo or co-op. If any of those fields are absent, label the ranking unverified.

A practical test plan for players

Start with one campaign mission and one Horde map at a declared difficulty. Run each class with comparable gear, use the same player count, and save a short record of completion time, revives, downs, and key ability uses. Repeat enough times to separate a stable pattern from a lucky spawn or an unfamiliar route.

Then repeat the test with a four-player composition, because support and control may gain value when teammates can capitalize on them. Add a second mission with a different space profile so the list does not overfit a single room. Until those results are published, keep the tier order unverified.

Current recommendation

For a first pick, choose by job: Medic for support, Machinist for deployables, Hunter for control, Marauder for rockets, Duelist for burst, and Specialist for flexible endgame experimentation. That is the strongest conclusion available from the sources without inventing numbers. The site should update this page when direct launch testing supplies comparable data.

The official role evidence comes from the Steam class announcements and Day-1 patch notes. Community comparisons are represented by Destructoid’s tier list and AllThings’ list; their final rankings remain unverified for this wiki.