Brown Dust 2 grabs attention right away with its unique name and retro JRPG style. Think console-quality gameplay and stunning visuals that’ll hook even the biggest NIKKE fans.

How Characters Work in Brown Dust 2

The game borrows a page from Honkai’s playbook: each character starts with a base version tied to the story, which you get for free. You can then equip them with costumes that tweak their skills and stats for different scenarios. However, costumes and weapons are gacha-only, and their random stats can either make your character a beast or a bust.

Our Brown Dust 2 tier list ranks characters based on their base versions, without factoring in duplicates, since some dupes can drastically change a character’s performance.

S Tier - The Proteges
Character Element Explanation
Apostle Morpeah Water It’s Apostle Morpeah—what else is there to say? Hands-down the strongest right now.
Morpeah Water New kid on the block, Morpeah hits hard before fights even start and can call in backup. Most players agree she’s top-tier, and we’re on board!
Earth Mother Believer Priestess Light Amazing healer, crucial for some modes. Her protection shuts down bosses, and her skills keep the team alive.
Violent Student Kry Dark Super strong for a 4-cost character, especially for free-to-play folks. A must-have.
Apostle Blade Dark/Phys Deals crazy damage (up to 2700%), great for fiend hunts and guild raids with her counterattack. She’s squishy with a long 5-turn cooldown, so pair her with tanky support. Free in Chapter 15, and future costumes might make her even better.
Beachside Justice Michaela Light Shines in PvE with spammable skills and self-buffs. Needs healing or SP support to offset her HP and SP costs.
Acting Archbishop Michaela Light Hits before battles, brings S-tier debuffs, but she’s fragile and needs the right team.
Dark Saintess Liberta Phys/Fire Essential support for physical team comps.
Young Lady Blade Dark High AoE damage (300% ATK) and amplification (+150%) make her a PvE beast, especially with Apostle. Her low durability hurts in PvP, but she’s great for glass cannon fans.
Michaela Light Newest addition and a powerhouse. Her magic attacks get a 200% damage boost, making her the top magic attacker. Downside? She burns through her HP, so watch out.
Poolside Fairy Refithea Water High SP cost buffer, but she cuts SP costs for allies and boosts damage big time.
Beachside Angel Teresse</ GEMINI:Water Water Offers up to 200% damage buffs, perfect for low-chain teams.
Justia Light Your starter, but still a heavy hitter. Her Quarter Moon Jab deals True physical damage across two tiles. Her free costumes (Knight of Blood, Kendo Club) also deal True damage with different ranges, but no taunt skill holds back her Blood Glutton costume.
Samay Dark Weakens enemies to Physical and Magic attacks while dishing out big damage. Her Kind Student costume boosts team ATK and heals for two turns.
Onsen Manager Liberta Dark Hits twice with magic damage (80% Magic ATK) and cuts Magic Resist by 50% for four turns.
Helena Light Awesome support who generates SP and reduces incoming damage for the whole team. Fits any squad.
Kry Dark Debuffs like his 50% defense reduction (lasting four turns) are gold. His Violent Student costume adds knockback utility.
Arines Light Starter and top low-cost supporter. Her party-wide ATK and CRIT buffs last six turns, working great for Physical or Magic teams.
Samay (Kind Liberator) Dark Deals AoE Dark Magic damage (up to 900% MATK at +5) with a 15% Magic RES debuff. Great for PvE mob clearing and PvP bursts, but her low HP means she needs supports like Helena.
Rou Dark Her 75% evasion (drops 5% per turn) and heavy counter damage make her a PvP nightmare. Her base costume’s knockback skill wrecks both front and backlines.
Levia Fire Strong mage with killer single-target damage. Her Track and Field Team Captain costume adds solid AoE and magic vulnerability. Both are key for maxing her PvE damage.
Daughter of Starwind High Elf Archer Phys/Wind Top single-target damage dealer, perfect for stall strategies depending on the team.

A Tier - The Veterans

Character Element Explanation
Wiggle Fire Think Cherry Bomb from Plants vs. Zombies. Place him to hit as many enemies as possible and watch him explode. His A Bomb in a Hoodie costume adds physical damage over time for three turns, but his HP is super low.
Deserted Flower Sylvia Phys/Water Works great with other Sylvia costumes like Sword Queen and Admiral. Solid tank overall.
Golbin Slayer Dark/Phys Decent AoE and taunt, useful against some bosses, but his high SP cost lands him in A tier.
Beachside Angel Teresse Phys/Water Niche but solid in specific team comps.
Acting Archbishop Michaela - High-risk, high-reward. Shines in certain setups but needs the right team to work.
The Descendant of the Great Witch Celia Dark A-tier with her Masquerade Bunny costume, otherwise lower tier.
Iron Monarch Wilhelmina Water High physical DPS, great for guild raids, but outclassed in PvP.
Onsen Practitioner Ventana Light Physical Massive single-target damage (up to 850% ATK against taunted enemies) with a 100% Light damage debuff for six turns. Awesome for PvE boss fights, but needs investment and isn’t great for PvP or new players.
Specialist Andrew Dark Solid 3-star evasion tank with taunt and interrupt skills.
Supreme God Archbishop Sword Maiden Light High SP cost and no follow-up skills hold her back.
Emma Light Her base costume’s six-turn attack buff is no joke, and her knockback skill adds team synergy.
Labyrinth Gatekeeper Nebris Wind Great for long fights like Fiend Hunts and Guild Raids. Her range hits a full column, solid in PvP against some comps.
Andrew Fire Evasion-based damage dealer with good Physical damage and SP drain that cripples enemies. His steal ability is top-notch for resource farming.
New Hire Seir Dark Niche but effective. Her skill boosts team damage by 10% per hit (up to 99 stacks) for six turns.
Jayden Light Solid off-tank for magic-focused teams in PvE or PvP. Tanks magic hits well and has high Crit chance.
Scheherazade Water Strips buffs from three tiles, perfect for countering buff-heavy enemies.
Lecliss Wind Tank with a two-turn taunt. Her second costume’s counter skill lasts four turns, making her a solid damage sponge.
Neon Stalker Liatris - Strong AoE for clearing columns in PvP, but low initial damage and delayed burn can miss kills. Needs +3 Rodevs Star costume for full effect.
Pool Party Justia Water Needs +3 for PvP (1 SP cost) and +5 for max dodge potential.
Eclipse Dark Drains enemy HP and SP while healing herself, keeping enemy specials in check.

Honourable Mention Tier/A- Tier

Dedicated to characters who are almost A-tier but fall short in some areas.

Element Characters
Fire Alec, Anastasia, Loen
Wind Gynt, Olstein, Gray, Nebris, Bright Moon Dalvi
Water Cynthia, Sylvia, Ingrid, Remnunt, Water Park Queen Wilhelmina
Light -
Dark Celia, Maria, Eleaneer, Queen of Signatures Michaela

Alec’s a beast for single-target True damage, perfect for chunky bosses, but needs specific gear and dupes. Anastasia’s 100% Crit boost is awesome but only lasts one turn, making her a high-risk, high-reward pick. Maria and Celia are solid AoE dark mages, but physical attackers currently rule the meta. The sharpshooter trio—Ingrid, Remnunt, and Gynt—stand out for their multi-hit attacks and versatility, especially for their rarity.

B/C Tier - The Commoners and Outcasts

B Tier

Decent characters, but they’re held back by awkward attack ranges, weaker stats, or needing specific setups.

Element Characters
Fire Beatrice, Rubia, Liartris, Lathel
Wind Rignette, Fred, Bright Moon Dalvi
Water The Magic School Professor Scheherazade, Rafina, Carlson, Teresse
Light Layla
Dark Seir

Olstein’s a lifesaver for gold farming, easing the grind.

C Tier

These characters have very specific uses but are outshined by stronger options.

Element Characters
Fire Elise
Wind Bernie, Julie, Lisianne
Water Lydia
Light -
Dark Lucrezia