In 9 Kings, your kingdom’s success hinges on your skill in crafting a balanced card deck. While you can use cards from various factions, focusing on your faction’s cards and strategies is essential for achieving victory. This tier list will help you maximize the potential of each ruler on your path to triumph.
All Rulers Ranked – 9 Kings Tier List
9 Kings is a roguelike game, meaning no king will ever feel overpowered. While some rulers are easier to play with, especially for newcomers, mastering faction-specific synergies is crucial. Until you do, focus on top-tiered rulers, like King of Spells. Don’t be discouraged by defeats; it’s all part of the process.
As the game is still in early access, expect balancing changes, especially with new kings arriving.
| Tier | Kings |
|---|---|
| C | King of Progress +Excellent at upgrading plots –Hard to play with –Lacks offensive firepower –Requires great card synergy |
| B | King of Blood +Attacks in swarms –Weak units –Slow to build efficient army King of Nothing +Easy to play with –All-round faction but average in everything |
| A | King of Greed +If you have money, you have power –If you’re short on money, you’re done King of Stone +Best defensive faction –Worst offensive option |
| S | King of Spells +Offensive powerhouse –Limited defensive options King of Nature +Excellent unit buffs –Lacks melee units |
C Tier – Hard to Progress
Until more kings arrive, King of Progress remains on its C-tier throne. It has a science fiction theme, contrasting the classic high-fantasy of other kings. While it has some great cards, it ultimately has options that don’t work as well as others, making it challenging.
King of Progress
King of Progress has several great cards, but ultimately, it has too many options that don’t perform as well as others in the game. This makes playing as King of Progress challenging unless you get lucky with cards from other factions.Best Cards:
- Concabulator – Upgrades ALL plots once it’s upgraded to level 3. After that, you can remove it and repeat the process.
- Executioner – Attacks enemy units with the lowest health.
- Overhaul – Continuing on the upgrade philosophy, Overhaul upgrades two random plots by destroying one. Upgrades one more plot after each use.
Best Perks:
- Expansionist – Starts with one extra plot per rank.
- Persistent – Gets two free rerolls per rank.
B Tier – Nothing but Blood
B-tier kings offer interesting ways to win, but lack the real power of better-ranked kings. You’ll often use some of their cards, but will seldom focus on their synergies.
King of Blood
The easiest way to explain King of Blood is to compare it with Zergs. Their units are weak, will die quickly, but are coming in large numbers, often overcoming stronger enemies. That said, this demon faction lacks real firepower and even support.
Best Cards:
- Pagoda – Summons imps to the battlefield. You’ll need as many units as possible there, so make sure to upgrade your castle.
- Vampirism – Heals units for 25% of damage dealt.
- Imp – Basically Zerglings, meaning they’re fast, weak, and coming in large numbers.
- Demon’s Altar – Summons demons that grow 0.5% stronger with each ally dead.
Best Perks:
- Pagan – Start with the Demon’s Altar on a random plot.
- Cultist – Starts with +1 Imp card in your hand, allowing you to build your Demons faster.