When looking for some fun games to play in your free time, Azur Lane is the game that gets talked about a lot. Ever since its release, the game has been in conversations time and again and for all the right reasons.
For those wondering, it is a mix of side scrolling shooting with some RPG and gacha charm all mixed together. The premise of the game is on the stranger side; in Azur Lane, you collect human representations of World War II warships that are called “shipgirls” in this game. Yes, it does sound strange and that’s how it works.
Thankfully, the strange name is not the only thing that this game has going for it, as there is more, thanks to its different battle mechanics.
We are now going to explore the Azur Lane tier list, so if anyone is getting started with the game, they know what they should be looking into. Tier lists are simple and we do not really have to explain how these work but for your convenience, we are going to mention the few basics.
S Tier – The Best Ships You Can Find
Starting with the S tier, as the name suggests, this will only contain the ships that are overall excellent and will sit well in almost every single situation that you can think of. For anyone who is for the best experience, these ships are the ones to go for.
With these ships, you are getting some excellent stats and skills as well; ensuring that regardless of what the game throws at your, your experience remains unfazed.
Name of the the Ship | Type of the Ship | Placement of the Ship |
Ayanami | Destroyer | Vanguard |
Azuma | Large Cruiser | Vanguard |
Baltimore | Heavy Cruiser | Vanguard |
Bremerton | Heavy Cruiser | Vanguard |
Centaur | Light Aircraft Carrier | Back Row |
Chapayev | Light Cruiser | Vanguard |
Drake | Heavy Cruiser | Vanguard |
Enterprise | Aircraft Carrier | Back Row |
Formidable | ||
Friedrich der Grosse | Battleship | Back Row |
Gascogne | Battleship | Back Row |
Georgia | Battleship | Back Row |
Helena | Light Cruiser | Vanguard |
Howe | Battleship | Back Row |
I-13 | Submarine Carrier | Back Row |
Monarch | Battleship | Back Row |
Nagato | Battleship | Back Row |
Odin | Battleship | Back Row |
Richelieu | Battleship | Back Row |
Roon | Heavy Cruiser | Vanguard |
Ryuuhou | Aircraft Carrier | Back Row |
San Diego Retrofit | Light Cruiser | Vanguard |
Seattle | Light Cruiser | Vanguard |
U-101 | Submarine | Support |
Warspite Retrofit | Battleship | Back |
A-Tier – Powerful Ships When Used Right
Move down a bit from the S tier and you are welcomed by A-Tier, which is a bit different in a way that the ships in this tier are good and they are also powerful. However, for those who are looking for the all-in-one solution, that is not quite there as these ships fail to perform on the same level, which might be a problem for some players.
However, in the hands of the right player, these ships can be just as formidable and can easily dominate the battlefield.
Name of the Ship | Type of the Ship | Placement of the Ship |
Akashi | Repair Ship | Back Row |
Alabama | Battleship | Back Row |
Amagi | Battle Cruiser | Back Row |
An Shan | Destroyer | Vanguard |
Bismarck | Battleship | Back Row |
Bunker Hill | Aircraft Carrier | Back Row |
Cheshire | Heavy Cruiser | Vanguard |
Duke of York | Battleship | Back Row |
Eldridge | Destroyer | Vanguard |
Essex | Aircraft Carrier | Backline |
Graf Zeppelin | Aircraft Carrier | Back Row |
I-168 | Submarine | Support |
Illustrious | Aircraft Carrier | Back Row |
Intrepid | Aircraft Carrier | Back Row |
Jean Bart | Battleship | Back Row |
Jintsuu Retrofit | Light Cruiser | Vanguard |
King George V | Battleship | Back Row |
Kitakaze | Destroyer | Vanguard |
Laffey Retrofit | Destroyer | Vanguard |
Minneapolis | Heavy Cruiser | Vanguard |
Montpelier | Light Cruiser | Vanguard |
Neptune | Light Cruiser | Vanguard |
Ning Hai Retrofit | Light Cruiser | Vanguard |
Noshiro | Light Cruiser | Vanguard |
Perseus | Aircraft Carrier | Back Row |
Ping Hai Retrofit | Light Cruiser | Vanguard |
Portland Retrofit | Heavy Cruiser | Vanguard |
Saint Louis | Heavy Cruiser | Vanguard |
Saratoga Retrofit | Aircraft Carrier | Back Row |
Swiftsure | Light Cruiser | Vanguard |
Tashkent | Destroyer | Vanguard |
Tosa | Battleship | Back Row |
U-47 | Submarine | Support |
Unicorn | Light Aircraft Carrier | Back Row |
Vestal | Repair Ship | Back Row |
Yat-Sen Retrofit | Light Cruiser | Vanguard |
Yukikaze | Destroyer | Vanguard |
Z23 Retrofit | Destroyer | Vanguard |
Zara | Heavy Cruiser | Vanguard |
B-Tier – Good Ships But In Right Hands
For one reason or another, the ships that are in the B-Tier are also representative of the current meta that is going on in the game and that is not at all bad. Now, with B tier ships, things are a bit mixed. For starters, these are not bad sips by any mean. However, at the same time, they are not as powerful as you may have expected, especially when you are comparing them with the other ships.
Now, the good news about these ships is that they are still good enough to dominate the battlefield, however, they have to be in the hands of someone who knows what they are doing with these ships or else you will be lost.
Name of the Ship | Type of the Ship | Placement of the Ship |
Albacore | Submarine | Support |
Ark Royal | Aircraft Carrier | Back Row |
Aurora | Light Cruiser | Vanguard |
Birmingham | Light Cruiser | Vanguard |
Casablanca | Aircraft Carrier | Back Row |
Cavalla | Submarine | Support |
Champagne | Battleship | Back Row |
Cleveland | Light Cruiser | Vanguard |
Columbia | Light Cruiser | Elite (Special) |
Dido | Light Cruiser | Vanguard |
Hanazuki | Destroyer | Vanguard |
Hermione | Light Cruiser | Vanguard |
Hood | Battle Cruiser | Back Row |
Hyuuga Retrofit | Aviation Battleship | Back Row |
Ibuki | Heavy Cruiser | Vanguard |
Javelin | Destroyer | Vanguard |
Jeanne D’Arc | Light Cruiser | Vanguard |
Kaga | Aircraft Carrier | Back Row |
Kawakaze | Destroyer | Vanguard |
Little Bel | Light Cruiser | Vanguard |
Littorio | Battleship | Back Row |
London | Heavy Cruiser | Vanguard |
Mogami Retrofit | Heavy Cruiser | Vanguard |
Newcastle Retrofit | Light Cruiser | Vanguard |
Nicholas Retrofit | Destroyer | Vanguard |
North Carolina | Battleship | Back Row |
Queen Elizabeth | Battleship | Back Row |
Shouhou | Light Aircraft Carrier | Back Row |
Tirpitz | Battleship | Back Row |
U-81 | Submarine | Support |
Valiant | Battleship | Back Row |
Z1 Retrofit | Destroyer | Vanguard |
C-Tier – Average Ships But Can Still Work
The C tier of Azur Lane ships is filled with most of the ships that can although hold on their own but they will have a hard time when it comes to being unique or different and are often easily replaced.
Name of the Ship | Type of the Ship | Placement of the Ship |
Algerie | Heavy Cruiser | Vanguard |
Arizona | Battleship | Back Row |
Belfast | Light Cruiser | Vanguard |
Curacoa Retrofit | Light Cruiser | Vanguard |
Curlew Retrofit | Light Cruiser | Vanguard |
Eskimo | Destroyer | Vanguard |
Gangut | Battleship | Back Row |
Hiryuu Retrofit | Aircraft Carrier | Back Row |
Izumo | Battleship | Back Row |
Kagerou Retrofit | Destroyer | Vanguard |
Kizuna Al | Destroyer | Vanguard |
Little Renown | Battleship | Back Row |
Prinz Eugen | Heavy Cruiser | Vanguard |
Sheffield | Light Cruiser | Vanguard |
Shoukaku | Aircraft Carrier | Back Row |
Sirius | Light Cruiser | Vanguard |
Souryuu Retrofit | Aircraft Carrier | Back Row |
Suruga | Battleship | Back Row |
Victorious | Aircraft Carrier | Back Row |
Wichita | Heavy Cruiser | Vanguard |
Zuikaku | Aircraft Carrier | Back Row |
D-Tier – Poor Ships That Aren’t for the Endgame
This tier pretty much writes itself but if you are still concerned, these ships are not really meant for the endgame. If you want to use these ships in the beginning, that is fine but anything more than that and you are going to be facing a lot of issues.
Name of the Ship | Type of the Ship | Placement of the Ship |
Akagi | Aircraft Carrier | Back Row |
Bataan | Aircraft Carrier | Back Row |
Biloxi | Light Cruiser | Vanguard |
Carabiniere | Destroyer | Vanguard |
Eagle | Aircraft Carrier | Back Row |
Fumiruiru | Aircraft Carrier | Back Row |
Kinu | Light Cruiser | Vanguard |
Mikasa | Battleship | Back Row |
Reno | Light Cruiser | Vanguard |
Sendai Retrofit | Light Cruiser | Vanguard |
Shangri-La | Aircraft Carrier | Back Row |
Taihou | Aircraft Carrier | Back Row |
U-73 | Submarine | Support |
F-Tier – Ships You Have to Avoid at All Costs
This really should not come as a surprise but if you are talking about these ships, these have to be avoided at all costs. Sure, you can use them in the early to mid-game and might have a good experience with them but if you are looking for a better experience, then that is not going to be a good experience.
Ship of the Name | Type of the Ship | Placement of the Ship |
Anniversary Kizuna Al | Aircraft Carrier | Back Row |
Chaser | Light Aircraft Carrier | Back Row |
Hibiki | Destroyer | Vanguard |
Icarus | Destroyer | Vanguard |
Isuzu | Light Cruiser | Vanguard |
Naganami | Destroyer | Vanguard |
Tanikaze | Destroyer | Vanguard |
Tartu | Destroyer | Vanguard |
U-556 | Submarine | Support |
Zeppy | Aircraft Carrier | Back Row |
Final Words
Azur Lane is a lot of fun when you finally figure out the mechanics and start playing the game. Sure, it might not be everyone’s cup of tea but if you are looking for something that is truly different and will provide hours of fun, this is the game you should be playing.
With this tier list, you will have a much better trying out the game and making the type of progress you want.
I have been gaming for almost 24 years with extensive knowledge of all platforms and the gaming industry, in general. With interests in literature, art, gaming, and PC hardware.