The characters in Metal Slug Tactics have been fighting the Rebel Army for decades now, ever since their arcade days. They’re all the best of the best, but a few of them really stand out as elite troopers in the game’s turn-based battles. Once you’ve unlocked everybody, you’ll have a lot of different squad combinations to try.
If you’re not sure which characters to try next, we’ve ranked them all based on how powerful they are in general. We’ve factored in their overall potential, along with how much work it actually takes to get them there in the course of a campaign.
9
Clark Still
On paper, Clark has everything you could want in a game like Metal Slug Tactics; he hits decently hard, and his abilities focus on moving himself and his enemies around the board. That sort of gameplay is usually perfect for tactical strategy, especially when team combo attacks are such an important part of winning battles.
However, Clark is held back by his limited options early in the campaign, regardless of his loadout. He’s a great addition to the team once he’s had a chance to level up, but until then he lacks the range and versatility of other squad members, which can make it a challenge to progress when you bring him along – especially on higher difficulties.
8
Nadia Cassel
Nadia is a tricky character to use. Setting traps and summoning drones can be a recipe for success, but you really need to know what you’re doing for her to outshine characters who rely on raw, explosive force. This is Metal Slug we’re talking about, after all.
In the hands of an experienced player, Nadia can absolutely clean house. However, her playstyle is unforgiving of mistakes, so it’s a good idea to try a few practice runs with her on lower difficulties before you commit to a tougher campaign.
7
Marco Rossi
Marco has main-character energy, which makes him a great all-rounder. Metal Slug Tactics is a game that really rewards specialization, though, so Marco can start to fall behind once you start to figure out some of the more powerful builds available to other characters.
Marco excels at teamwork, so you can usually find a place for him supporting heavy damage dealers like Trevor or Ralf, or setting up vicious combo attacks with Eri or Leona.
6
Leona Heidern
Leona’s Afterimages let her quite literally be in multiple places at once, and given the right setup she can clear entire squads of enemies with energy attacks, flames, and martial-arts prowess. The operative phrase there, of course, is “given the right setup.”
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Leona is another character who takes at least one region’s worth of missions to really hit her stride, but in the meantime she’s at least a solid support character. All it takes is one or two extra abilities on top of her starting kit to make her a lethal force in her own right.
5
Ralf Jones
Ralf is a blend of Tarma and Trevor’s playstyles. While he isn’t quite as good at speed and defense as Tarma, nor as efficient at attacking as Trevor, he has one very big ace up his sleeve that makes him worth taking on missions.
Ralf’s Vulcan Punch has one of the highest damage potentials out of any move in the entire game. If you spend a turn building up Dodge, then save it with Warm-Up and build up more on the following turn, a max-level Vulcan Punch can knock off a huge chunk of a boss’s health bar in one go. Ralf’s a bit of a one-trick pony, but it’s a heck of a trick.
4
Tarma Roving
Tarma takes the game’s turn-based adaptation of Metal Slug’s run-and-gun gameplay and… well, runs with it. He’s the king of mobility, and his resulting Dodge capacity makes him nigh-untouchable when used correctly. While this makes him a great defensive character, he has plenty of ways to deal damage as well, including some excellent area attacks.
3
Fio Germi
Nobody in the Metal Slug Tactics lineup has more overall utility than Fio, making her a great fit for any team. Her support abilities like Acupuncture Boost can save the day, and she can be outfitted for damage, field control, or a little bit of both.
Since Fio is one of the starting trio and makes use of many of the game’s systems all together, she’s a great character for players learning the game or who want to improve their skills.
2
Eri Kasamoto
You may not be able to break the rules of the game, but with Eri on your team you can usually find ways to work around them. Can’t quite get in range for that critical Sync Attack? Not to worry, Eri’s grenades can probably reach regardless of elevation. Want to hit a boss multiple times on the same attack? Grenade Juggler can let you do just that.
Between her versatility and the wide variety of options available to her via loadouts, Eri makes a stellar choice for your team on any difficulty.
1
Trevor Spacey
Trevor really is on a different level from the rest of the roster. He has excellent, high-damage weapons, a lethal assortment of Special Actions, and the ability to make enemies fight each other. In any other game, that would be his best power, but it’s actually fairly secondary compared to Trevor’s unparalleled offense.
Trevor’s abilities have low Adrenaline costs and usually let him take Bonus Actions, so he can attack over and over again until he runs out of juice. It’s not uncommon to see him carve up bosses on his own, or single-handedly clear a path for the rest of the squad. When in doubt, pick Trevor.
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