Finding the best cards in Monster Train comes down to one question. Which card makes your next turn easier to win? This tier list ranks cards by decision value instead of raw stats.
The criteria are floor control, scaling, setup cost, and how well a card works in a thin deck. A card earns a high tier by solving a problem without extra support.
How this tier list is ranked
Every rank answers one question. How much does this card change a run you are still learning? A card rises when it holds a floor, scales into the boss fight, and plays well on a normal turn.
Setup cost breaks ties. A card that wins after a long setup ranks below a card that helps the moment you draw it.
Two tests decide each placement. Does the card help the current battle, and does it keep helping after the draft moves on?
S-tier cards
S-tier cards win turns on their own. They need no relic, no partner card, and no perfect draw to do their job.
Torch is the clearest example. It is cheap, removes a small threat, and stays useful once its damage goes up.
Restore does the same job for defense. A cheap heal saves a carry and fires every payoff that rewards healing.
Morselmaker supplies the morsels a Gorge payoff unit eats. The carry grows without spending a card from hand.
Bounty Stalker pays you for losing it. Its death grants permanent attack, so each battle leaves the next one stronger.
Glimmer reaches the back row. Awoken has thin answers to units that hide behind the front, and this spell removes them while firing spell payoffs.
A-tier cards
A-tier cards do the same work with one condition. Give them the right support and they match the top tier.
Animus of Will carries a large attack stat. It wants cards such as Sharpen or Razorsharp Edge to keep that stat pointed at the right target.
Demon Fiend gives Hellhorned a heavy body for the front row, which makes the floor plan easy to read.
Steelworker adds armor where the line is thinnest. That defense keeps a smaller carry alive for one more wave.
Lady of the House turns Melting Remnant deaths into value, which suits a clan that expects its units to die.
Titan Sentry is a wall. It holds the pyre floor and buys the turns a slower deck needs.
Shadoweater is the payoff for an Umbra morsel plan. Without morsels it is a plain body, so it ranks below the engine that feeds it.
The Monster Train card tier list
| Tier | Card | Why it ranks there |
|---|---|---|
| S | Torch (Hellhorned) | Cheap removal that grows with any damage upgrade and never clogs the hand |
| S | Restore (Awoken) | A cheap heal that saves a carry and fires every healing payoff in the deck |
| S | Morselmaker (Umbra) | Keeps a Gorge unit fed so the carry grows without another card from hand |
| S | Bounty Stalker (Melting Remnant) | Permanent attack on death, so a lost unit still improves the next battle |
| S | Glimmer (Awoken) | Backline removal that also triggers the spell payoffs an Awoken deck runs |
| A | Animus of Will (Awoken) | A large attack stat that pays off once the pumps arrive |
| A | Demon Fiend (Hellhorned) | A durable front-row body that keeps the floor plan simple |
| A | Steelworker (Hellhorned) | Armor support that protects a carry and steadies the front row |
| A | Lady of the House (Melting Remnant) | Converts unit deaths into value, which the clan already expects |
| A | Titan Sentry (Stygian Guard) | A defensive wall that buys the turns a slow deck needs |
| A | Shadoweater (Umbra) | The payoff for a morsel plan, weaker without the engine behind it |
| B | Branded Warrior (Hellhorned) | An aggressive body that rewards the rage and armor the clan already stacks |
| B | Horned Warrior (Hellhorned) | A plain fighter that fits any Hellhorned line without asking for support |
| B | Wickless Baron (Melting Remnant) | Grows stronger each time a friendly unit dies, a natural reform fit |
| B | Paraffin Enforcer (Melting Remnant) | Adds another body to the clan’s attrition cycle |
| B | Coldcaelia (Stygian Guard) | A cheap body that holds a floor while the spell turns are set up |
| B | Siren of the Sea (Stygian Guard) | Scales as spells are played, so a spell-heavy turn grows the board |
| B | Morselmaster (Umbra) | Widens morsel output for a Gorge plan that runs one generator short |
| C | Consumer of Crowns (Hellhorned) | A heavy body with a steep cost that punishes an early draw |
| C | Shadowsiege (Umbra) | Powerful only after the floor is stable, close to dead before that |
| C | Overgorger (Umbra) | Grows only while the morsels keep arriving |
| C | Glugsider (Wurmkin) | Wants echo support before it earns a slot in a thin deck |
Best cards for beginners
Beginners should draft cards that work in any order. Torch, Restore, and Steelworker ask for no plan, so a new player can copy them without learning a whole clan first.
Skip the engine cards until you understand the engine. Morselmaker and Bounty Stalker are strong, but both want a deck built around them.
Cards that need setup before they pay off
Some cards are powerful only after the board is ready. Shadowsiege and Overgorger win fights once the floor is set, and do little before that.
Consumer of Crowns is a heavy play with a steep price. It rewards a stable run rather than rescuing a bad one.
Cards to avoid in a thin deck
A thin deck wins by drawing its best cards often. Cards that need a wide board or a second clan fight that plan.
Glugsider wants echo support before it earns its slot. Draft it early and it sits in hand while the rest of the deck carries the fight.
This is not a verdict on raw power. It is a statement about fit, and fit decides which card you draw when the fight is close.
Picking cards for the Covenant climb
Once you know the best cards in Monster Train, the next question is your route. A strong card still has to fit the deck you are building.
Next: Clan tier list. For the relic half of the same decision, read the artifact tier list.