Hero ratings and verdicts on RAID GURU are not a sentence and not a "build now" order. They are a compressed guideline: how useful a champion is in a specific mode when properly built. Here is how to read those numbers and the text under them without wasting gear, books and XP.
What's behind a hero rating
A rating is a condensed opinion across several parameters at once, not "power" in a vacuum. Look at what it is made of:
- Base stats and kit. Stat spread, number of hits, debuffs (poison, HP burn, decrease defence), buffs and control.
- Role in a team. Damage dealer, debuffer, support, tank — champions are always rated inside a role, not in general.
- Build requirements. One needs damage gear, another needs accuracy and speed, a third needs survivability. The more expensive the build, the lower the real value early on.
- Accessibility. Rarity, books, duplicates: a legendary without books is rated differently from an epic that works out of the box.
Most importantly, a rating almost always assumes a developed champion — 6 stars, masteries, gear for the role. The same hero at 4 stars in random gear will show a fraction of it.
One number, many modes
Campaign, Arena, dungeons, Clan Boss and Doom Tower ask for different things. A champion can be strong in Arena and mediocre in dungeons — that is not a contradiction, it is a different job. So look at the mode-by-mode breakdown rather than the overall score, and at which mode you actually need right now.
Starter champions are a good example. Kael is valued for poisons and steady damage in campaign and against Clan Boss, Elhain for straightforward area damage and fast farming, and Athel and Galek each have their own strong modes. Their scores differ between sections — that is normal, not a mistake on the site.
How to read the verdict itself
The text under the score usually matters more than the number. Read it in blocks:
- Strengths. What the champion does better than others and why.
- Weaknesses. Where they fall off: low base stats, long cooldowns, reliance on accuracy.
- Where they shine. Specific modes and team types.
- The price. Gear, books, masteries — how much investment turns the rating into reality.
- Who does not need them. Verdicts often say directly that a late-game account already covers this niche.
Role matters more than the score
Comparing champions of different roles by a single number is pointless. A damage dealer with a lower score can give you more than a "universal" with a higher one if your team lacks damage. Focus on the role:
| Role | What to check first |
|---|---|
| Damage dealer | Attack base, multipliers, area damage, ignore defence |
| Debuffer | Accuracy, chance to place, debuff duration |
| Support | Heals and shields, speed, cooldowns |
| Tank and control | Survivability, provoke or stun, accuracy |
And do not forget synergy: a team has five slots, and a single champion's rating does not account for an ally bringing decrease defence or speed boosts.
Account stage matters
The same score reads differently depending on where you are. On an early account, a champion who works out of the box is often more useful than a top-tier one that needs legendary books and specific gear. In the mid game, closing specific dungeons matters more. In the late game it is farming speed, consistency and place in the meta.
So before you invest, ask yourself: which mode do you want to close in the next couple of weeks, and what resources do you actually have?
Common mistakes when reading ratings
- Looking at the number only and skipping the verdict.
- Ignoring requirements: a debuffer without accuracy is useless, a damage dealer without speed never takes a turn.
- Confusing a champion rating with a build rating — the latter is always about gear and masteries.
- Expecting top results right after levelling, without books and masteries.
- Forgetting the game changes: balance patches can lift or drop a champion, while a verdict lives longer than a patch.
Summary
RAID GURU ratings are a map, not an order. They save time if you read them in the right order: role and mode first, the number second, build requirements third. Run any champion through a short checklist:
- Which role they fill and what your team is missing.
- Which mode you will actually use them in.
- How much gear, books and masteries it takes to make the score real.
- Whether that niche is already covered by someone else on your account.
That way a rating becomes a tool instead of a lottery.
12/10/2026