Anime Vanguards Meta Tier List: Summer Update 13.5 Familiar Rankings

Discover the best units in the Summer Update 13.5 of Anime Vanguards. Read our meta tier list and guide to the new Vanguard Familiars.

The launch of Summer Update 13.5 has completely shaken up the sandbox, introducing powerful new mechanics that have players re-evaluating their team compositions. With seven classic summer units receiving game-changing Vanguard Familiars, understanding the shifting anime vanguards meta tier list is crucial for clearing high-end stages. In this guide, we will break down the current anime vanguards meta tier list impact, detailing how these new buffs redefine character roles, elemental synergies, and overall team power. Whether you are aiming to optimize your damage output or looking for the ultimate support setup, these rankings will help you navigate the new meta.

How to Get Vanguard Familiars in Update 13.5

Before diving into how these new Familiars shake up the anime vanguards meta tier list, it is essential to understand how to obtain them. The process revolves around completing specific portal challenges introduced in the summer update.

To secure these powerful upgrades, you must challenge the Scorching Fate Trial Portals. These portals scale from Tier 1 up to Tier 4. While playing through these standard portal tiers, you have a random chance to trigger a Secret Portal.

According to community reports, clearing a Secret Portal guarantees a Vanguard Familiar drop at the end of the run. Because of this mechanic, grinding lower-tier portals to fish for Secret Portals is currently the most efficient farming strategy.

Portal Type	Tier Range	Drop Mechanics	Target Rewards
Scorching Fate Trial	Tiers 1–4	Standard clears; chance to drop Secret Portals	Portal progression & entry keys
Secret Portal	Random Spawn	Guaranteed Familiar drop upon successful completion	Random Vanguard Familiar

The Rise of the Burn Meta: Fire Synergies Explained

One of the most notable shifts in the current meta is the heavy emphasis on fire and burn mechanics. Previously, burn units often conflicted with one another, sometimes overriding damage over time (DoT) effects or resetting stacks inefficiently.

With the introduction of Update 13.5 Familiars, these limitations have been largely removed. Several units now feature abilities that scale their range, damage, or attack speed based on the number of burn stacks currently active on the target. This has led to a highly cohesive "Burn Meta," where running multiple fire-based units results in a compounding multiplier that melts boss health pools.

For players looking to push high-wave content, centering a team around fire-based damage dealers and burn-amplifying supports is now one of the most viable strategies.

Detailed Breakdown of the 7 Buffed Summer Units

Each of the seven buffed units has received a tailored Vanguard Familiar that modifies their existing passive skills. Below is an in-depth analysis of how each unit performs with their new upgrades.

1. Leo (Mereoleona)

Leo has emerged as a premier damage dealer in this update. Her Familiar grants her a massive 800% damage boost, alongside a unique risk-reward mechanic called Hellfire Incarnate. While active, this mode reduces her attack range by 1% per attack but significantly spikes her damage output.

Player experience indicates that placing Leo close to track choke points allows her to maximize this high-damage, low-range state. Furthermore, she gains Alliance's Pride, which buffs her range by 50% for 6 seconds under certain conditions, helping to offset the range decay.

2. Escanor (Pride)

Escanor remains the king of solo and AFK farming, but his new Familiar makes him a true powerhouse in team play as well. He now gains Ultimate on placement, allowing him to contribute high damage immediately.

His Ruler of the Sun passive has been buffed, increasing the maximum damage bonus from his hour stacks from 30% to 100%. Additionally, his Primal Blaze passive inflicts an intense burn that deals 70% of his base damage, which can scale up to 95% depending on your active unit slots.

3. Newsman Forecast (Weather Report)

Newsman Forecast has always been a staple support, but his new Familiar cements his position on the anime vanguards meta tier list as a top-tier support. He can now apply his signature snail slow (which reduces enemy speed by 50%) and bubble debuffs directly to boss enemies.

Crucially, his bubble debuff can now stack alongside other damage amplifiers, preventing him from clashing with other buffers on your team. He also gains bonus range for every burn stack active on the highest-HP enemy within his radius.

4. Quetzalcoatl (Sun God)

Quetzalcoatl functions as a hybrid DPS and fire-buffer. His Familiar provides a 300% damage increase and introduces the Sun God Sacrifice passive. If Quetzalcoatl cycles through different attacks without repeating them, he buffs the damage of all fire allies in range by 20% (this effect stacks but resets if an attack is repeated).

He also inflicts extra burn stacks during his attack cycle and detonates all accumulated burn stacks for 130% damage when he eventually repeats an attack.

5. Hiei (Black Dragon)

In previous updates, Hiei was often criticized for "griefing" teams because his passive removed active burn stacks from enemies to buff his own damage. The new Familiar completely fixes this issue.

His Dragon Flame Absorption no longer removes burn stacks; instead, it grants him a flat damage buff while leaving the burn intact. He also gains a 700% damage increase, and his Black Flame debuff is now applied permanently, spreading to nearby enemies when a target dies.

6. Ali (Ali Jin)

Ali Jin receives a staggering 1,500% damage buff from his Familiar. His Major Burning Desire passive allows his detonations and DoT effects to bypass enemy damage resistance entirely, while also applying a 50% slow for 10 seconds.

However, his Fire Manipulation passive places his immediate burn detonation on a 15-second cooldown. This change allows him to build up massive burn stacks before unleashing a single, devastating burst of damage.

7. Habano

Habano is a dedicated fire-support unit. While her personal damage output remains relatively low, her Familiar increases her range by 30% and allows her to reapply active burns.

She also provides a 50% damage buff to all units within her range for 10 seconds. Because she loses a portion of this range buff with each upgrade, she is most effective when placed early and left at lower upgrade tiers to maximize her supportive coverage.

Unit Name	Familiar Passive	Primary Stat Buff	Key Utility
Leo	Hellfire Incarnate	+800% Damage	High-risk range decay for extreme close-quarters DPS
Escanor (Pride)	Ruler of the Sun	+200% Damage	Auto-upgrades, 100% stack buff, instant Ultimate
Newsman Forecast	Weather Forecast	+30% Range	Slows bosses, bubbles stack with other debuffs
Quetzalcoatl	Sun God Sacrifice	+300% Damage	Cycles attacks to buff fire allies and detonate burns
Hiei	Black Flame permanent	+700% Damage	Spreads permanent Black Flame without removing burn
Ali	Major Burning Desire	+1500% Damage	Bypasses damage resistance and slows targets by 50%
Habano	Domineering Leader	+30% Range	Reapplies burns and grants a 50% damage buff to allies

Anime Vanguards Meta Tier List: Summer Update 13.5 Rankings

Evaluating their placements in the anime vanguards meta tier list requires looking at both raw damage output and utility in team-based environments. While solo units like Escanor excel in specific game modes, the synergy between fire units has elevated several characters to the highest tier.

To experience these units firsthand and test these rankings yourself, you can play the game directly via the official Anime Vanguards page on Roblox.

S-Tier: The Meta Definitive

These units offer unparalleled utility or damage, making them mandatory for high-level progression and leaderboard runs.

Leo (Mereoleona): Currently dominating the DPS rankings on the anime vanguards meta tier list. Her raw damage output when Hellfire Incarnate is active outclasses almost every other attacker in the game.
Newsman Forecast (Weather Report): The ability to slow bosses and stack bubble debuffs alongside other damage amplifiers makes him the best support unit in the current update.
Escanor (Pride): His ease of use, auto-upgrading mechanic, and massive self-buffs make him indispensable for both active play and passive grinding.

A-Tier: Highly Competitive

These units are incredibly strong and form the backbone of the popular fire-synergy team compositions.

Hiei (Black Dragon): The removal of his burn-clearing penalty makes him a phenomenal team player. His permanent Black Flame spread provides excellent crowd control and wave clear.
Quetzalcoatl: Excellent for boosting the damage of S-tier fire units like Leo, while contributing respectable cyclic damage and burn detonations.
Ali (Ali Jin): Boasts some of the highest single-hit burst damage in the game, though his performance relies heavily on proper timing and team setup.

B-Tier: Niche / Situational

These units are useful in specific setups but are generally outclassed by top-tier options.

Habano: While her 50% damage buff is powerful, her low personal DPS and restrictive range scaling limit her viability compared to more versatile supports like Newsman Forecast.

Tier	Unit	Role	Meta Status
S	Leo (Mereoleona)	Main DPS	Best boss-killer; unmatched scaling
S	Newsman Forecast	Crowd Control / Debuffer	Essential support; slows bosses
S	Escanor (Pride)	Solo DPS / Farmer	Top choice for general content and AFK
A	Hiei (Black Dragon)	AoE DPS / Debuffer	Strong wave clear with permanent Black Flame
A	Quetzalcoatl	Hybrid DPS / Buffer	Excellent buffer for fire-centric teams
A	Ali (Ali Jin)	Burst DPS	Bypasses defense; requires setup
B	Habano	Buffer / Support	Niche fire-buffer; low personal damage

Team Building Strategies for the Burn Meta

To get the most out of the current meta, you should design your team to take advantage of overlapping fire buffs. Adjusting your team to match the current anime vanguards meta tier list means focusing on synergy rather than just raw individual stats.

Here is an example of a highly optimized fire-synergy team:

Main DPS: Leo (Mereoleona) — Placed at the front of the defense line to maximize her low-range, high-damage state.
Secondary DPS / Detonator: Quetzalcoatl — Placed slightly behind Leo to cycle attacks, buff Leo's fire damage, and detonate accumulated burns.
Debuffer / Crowd Control: Newsman Forecast — Used to slow fast-moving bosses and apply bubble multipliers.
Support / Buffer: Habano — Placed early in the track to provide a passive 50% damage boost to your primary attackers.

Position	Unit	Primary Responsibility
Lead Attacker	Leo	Melt boss health pools at close range
Bridge Buffer	Quetzalcoatl	Maintain fire damage buffs and trigger detonations
Crowd Control	Newsman Forecast	Keep bosses slowed and vulnerable to extra damage
Base Support	Habano	Provide flat damage boosts to active attackers

Frequently Asked Questions

Which Vanguard Familiar unit has the highest DPS in Update 13.5?

Based on player testing and community showcases, Leo (Mereoleona) currently boasts the highest damage-per-second (DPS) potential. When her Hellfire Incarnate active ability is triggered, her damage spikes dramatically, allowing her to shred high-health bosses faster than any other unit in this update.

How do Vanguard Familiars affect the anime vanguards meta tier list?

Vanguard Familiars have shifted the meta toward elemental synergy, specifically fire and burn teams. Units that were previously mediocre or difficult to use (like Hiei, who used to remove helpful burn stacks) are now top-tier options because their Familiars allow them to work cohesively with other fire units.

Can Newsman Forecast slow bosses with his new Familiar?

Yes. Prior to Update 13.5, Newsman Forecast (Weather Report) could not apply his snail slow to boss enemies. With his new Vanguard Familiar equipped, he can now slow bosses by 50% and apply his bubbled debuff, making him one of the most valuable support units in the game.