This guide is meant to provide some insight into the power level of ships in a competitive 2v2 PvP environment. Ships will be ranked by their power as a ship and in general with their most powerful builds.

For each ship, there will be a single build highlight showing a common variant of that ship that could be ran or has been ran in competitive 2v2 tournaments. These builds obviously have some variance in them and all of them possibly couldn't be shown. While this is not a ship build guide, for the sake of clarity a single strong build will be exhibited.

The author of this guide has been a part of competitive Guns of Icarus community since 2013 and has participated in and won many larger tournaments and weekly tournaments to date.

DISCLAIMER:
The following guide is meant for entertainment purposes only. Rankings are highly subjective and may be affected by the environment you play in (Non-2v2 modes, public play, Crazy King/KotH...) and also by the preference of the players. All ships are viable in public play and should be viewed in a different context.

The Tier List is sectioned into multiple tiers from S to D. Ships higher on the tier will be generally regarded more powerful. e.g. Ships high on B tier are closer to ships low on A tier.
The tier descriptions will be roughly as follows:

S Tier:
An extremely powerful ship with favourable matchups to many meta ships. This ship can drive the course of the game with relative ease in the right hands. The ships in this tier may also be highly overstatted or have many good points that make them overpower other ships that would serve a similar role in the team.

A Tier:
A powerful ship that excels in its role. Strong all-around ships and strong specialists belong in this tier. The feel of the ships in this tier is not as overpowering as the S Tier ships, but they will be a good addition to many teams.

B Tier:
A fair ship that can provide value to the team. Most ships in the game should be in the goldilocks zone between tiers A and B. Picking these ships in the correct situation can be as effective as higher tier ships, but they don't necessarily have the unfairness the more powerful ships may have.

C Tier:
A situational ship pick. The ships in this tier are not as powerful as the others. They may have many weaknesses or just don't perform well compared to the average ship. However, in the right team composition and with the right enemy, these ships can perform well.

D Tier:
A weak ship. The ships in this tier can win games, but because of their multitude of weaknesses often perform worse than the alternatives.

S
-

A
Corsair
Magnate
Stormbreaker
Goldfish
Squid

B
Pyramidion
Crusader
Galleon

C
Junker
Spire
Judgement
Mobula

D
Shrike

Updated for 22.10.2020 patch


Corsair: From S to A
I believe Corsair still to be a really strong ship, but meta change to mass Carronades makes it less overpowering than it used to be.

Squid: From B to A
Squid is just a really solid pick against almost every strong ship in the game right now. Only challenge is playing around it and fitting it into the team composition.

Build highlight updated.

Crusader: From C to B
Crusader is still quite risky, but having a slightly bigger hull and a hidden balloon hitbox is a massive upside in this meta.

Junker: From B to C
Junker seemed really good with the set of buffs to it, but this metagame with Artemis, Carro and Lumberjack being more prevalent than ever makes it harder to survive.

Shrike: From C to D
Shrike is way too vulnerable and can't do enough. It's way too easily countered and ships that it's strong against aren't really played.

Everyone's favorite Shrike/Goldfish/Squid/Galleon amalgamation. Corsair is a very aggressively statted ship with high mass and high acceleration, without being lacking in other parts. This combined with favourable gun arcs makes Corsair a force to be reckoned with. Corsair can force very aggressive and explosive engagements and even handle multiple ships at once when positioned correctly.

It is, however, the hardest ship to crew on in the game, but the sheer power of the ship makes it feel really strong in situations where it can shine.

Build highlight:
This Corsair build is standard and very effective. An engagement is usually started by popping the balloon with the front carronade while moving in fast. After the balloon pops, Corsair flies to the side of the enemy ship whilst shooting a gatling to provide a hwacha barrage to disable the enemy. The enemy is then kept down with continuous pressure and eventually destroyed with either the hwacha or a well placed ram. Very powerful.


In the past, Lumberjacks were almost ubiquitous in high levels of play and Magnate wasn't in a very good position, albeit viable. Recently, the Magnate has risen up to be a powerhouse of a ship, most importantly being extremely safe against a multitude of ships while also providing high firepower and backup heavy weapons. Magnate has a lot of potential which has been proven in the recent competitive play.

Magnate is a front facing ship that has the potential to provide versatile support and kill power in several different ranges and in several different ways. A very strong ship.

Build highlight:
Magnate is very vulnerable in its balloon, back, and to some extent even side. This build seeks to circumvent the problem by basically using the ship as a forward facing ship, shooting gatling or hades along with 2 artemis on approach. This way you're disabling the enemy while protecting your weak points. When the enemy is peppered with enough artemis and gatling, Hwacha can be used for self defense or to push in for a kill.


Stormbreaker is a close-ranged powerhouse, but the nerfs have toned down the power level of this ship significantly. Nevertheless, Stormbreaker brings in a lot of control over engagements with a Hwacha and some serious light gun pressure. Housing abnormally high acceleration stats and a small hitbox, Stormbreaker can duck and weave through the engagement while keeping up pressure with its weapons.

Low hull health and armor is a large weakness, but with proper crew work they can be extended to surprisingly high lengths. It is a staple for any team wishing to play an aggressive playstyle, especially against immobile targets.

Build highlight:
Hwachabreaker with gatling and two explosive weapons has been a no-brainer since the release of the ship. Even with the change of the heavy gun, the same build applies. This type of Stormbreaker seeks do dash to the side of the enemy to disable them with hwacha or poke them with the gatling/banshee combo. Banshees provide ample amounts of hull damage while also having potential for balloon pressure.


The power level of Goldfish has gone up significantly since the latest wave of buffs, providing the ship with enough stats to be pushed to the meta tier. Front facing Hwacha (and sometimes Carronade) is such an important tool in engaging quickly and aggressively. With the latest buffs, side weapons see more engagements and play a much larger role than ever before.

Goldfish got some buffs (some of which were reverted), which brought it back to popularity. After the meta stabilized, it stopped seeing play every single game, but still sees play often and is a staple pick for almost any team.

Build highlight:
Hwachafish with carronades is an effective one-two punch that works against most ships in the game. With the addition of the back gun, the role of this ship can be modified to pilot's liking, but the simple addition of flamethrower keeps the control spirit of Hwachafish alive. Disable with the hwacha, pop balloon with the carronade, watch the enemy crumble.


Squid has seen a resurgence in the past years with a series of direct and indirect buffs, and also because of the fact that captains have become more comfortable playing it. Squid is obviously the mobility king of Guns of Icarus, topping almost every mobility stat in the game. This allows for very aggressive play and that is quite deadly for some of the ships without close ranged protection.

The engagement pattern for squid is very elaborate, and there's many different plays to choose from. From distracting a single ship to double focusing to taking a split engagement gives Squid players possibilities that only this ship can accomplish. Squid is a high-reward skill-intensive ship that can easily die to counterpicks and fall flat.

Build highlight:
Squid with Gatling and Mortar combination in the back has been a deceptively strong ship weaving in and out of the metagame based on the captains that can succeed with it. This variant of the killing squid opts for a light carronade in the front to manipulate the enemies' vertical mobility in order to turn the tide of the battle, creating space either for the ally or the Squid itself to score a kill. Carronade in the front can also be used to destroy weapons or engines depending on the situation, which makes the build more versatile.

Pyramidion is a somewhat popular ship, but quite similarly to Mobula, the pickrate unfairly represents the power level of the ship. Pyramidion is a very safe ship in many senses. It's very simple to crew on and the builds it has have a simple and straightforward playstyle, giving the pilot a lot more time to think about the engagement instead of gun arcs.

Pyramidion is a "safe" ship, but it can't be understated how easy it is to kill at times. It is surprisingly squishy, and ships like Stormbreaker or Magnate can easily dismantle it, since it can't really dodge with its poor mobility. Pyramidion is a staple pick, but its power comes mostly from the fact that it is easy to excecute.

Build highlight:
Artemis gatling Pyramidion, or Artling, is a control-type pyramidion, strong when there's limited amount of targets to take out with the single Artemis. Artling controls the enemy and keeps them at bay with the gatling and the Artemis, looking for opportunities to deal hull damage with the light flak planted on the side.


Crusader has seen a resurgence lately. It's not the most popular ship in the competitive environment, but the fact that it has access to two heavy guns that are extremely close to each other, gives it an edge against ships like Goldfish.

Crusader is still quite a fragile ship, but the massive firepower and advantageous balloon hitbox makes it a beast in certain matchups. Meta shift and recent buffs have created a place for Crusader to thrive in.

Build highlight:
Simple combo of Hwacha and Carronade, along with armor piercing gatlings and explosive gives it a very good package of offensive and defensive power in close ranged situations. This setup is powerful because you have an access to a Heavy Carronade without giving up disabling, hull piercing or hull damage. It's still a low-hull ship, so you need to be careful, especially against mid-ranged pressure and fast ships, but this ship has the tools to pressure a kill and disable in multiple fronts.


Galleon is a ship that has seen play from time to time, thanks to its significant firepower and sturdiness. The old classic, Metagalleon, is a fearsome battle anchor for the team and the close ranged little brother with Hwachas and Carronades can shine in closer ranged maps like Paritan Rumble and Canyon Ambush.

Galleon packs a big punch, but the lack of forward facing guns really hurts the ability to chase kills and the relatively big balloon and large hull profile make it somewhat easy to disable. Recently, Galleon has gained some traction as a staple ship, since the fall in the popularity of Judgement and thus earns a good spot in the current meta.


Build highlight:
Metagalleon has seen play since the beginning of Guns of Icarus. It uses the Lumberjack/Hades/Heavy Flak trifecta on the left side to break their balloon, break their hull and finish off with a heavy flak into the dropping enemy ship. Close ranged guns on the right are nothing to scoff at for defense, since they can disable the entire enemy ship in seconds if their position slips.

Junker is a strong all-rounder that can fit in many team compositions. Junker's access to multiple trifectas, excellent vertical mobility and strong hull armor makes it a solid pick. Junker's large balloon is a big red target for balloon poppers, which diminish its effectiveness as a ship, but Junker's ability to recover from situations quickly makes up for some of that weakness.

Build highlight:
This Junker build takes on a more mid-ranged playstyle with a double Artemis and a gatling to track the enemy. The two artemis of course provide ample amounts of point disables, but the cherry on top of the cake is that close-ranged side that can put out two gatlings worth of armor pressure before the mortar finishes off the kill.


Spire is a ship that disappoints many. Its massive hull hitbox and low survivability make it seem like it's doomed no matter what the enemy is. However, Spire has deceptively high mobility stats especially when buffed, and can reach extremely fast killtimes if you happen to get the pounce on the enemy ships. Spire is certainly one of the highest skillcap ships in the game and has many bad matchups, but do not underestimate a well flown Spire.

That being said, Spire still belongs in the lower tiers because of its many weaknesses.

Build highlight:
This variant of Spire uses Lumberjack and Hades along with two light flaks to deliver a fast and deadly blow to the enemy ship. Gunner shoots out the enemy balloon with the Lumberjack while hades shoots down the hull. After a double break, double flaks can deal crazy amount of damage in a short time period.

The playstyle of this ship is closer to flanking ships than sniper ships. Spire can not stand up in a toe-to-toe fight with almost any long-ranged ship, so the pilot of the Lumber Spire needs to use their wits to flank and strike fast to not prolong the fight.

Mobula is a ship staple long ranged ship that's more powerful than its pickrate would suggest. It hasn't been seen often in SCS for quite a while, but even then, Mobula is a versatile long-ranged ship that can defend itself quite well in close range and even pursue kills at point blank range. Except the obvious front facing 5 light weapons, other Mobula's strengths include exceptional vertical mobility and a slim hull hitbox.

Because of Goldfish, longer ranged playstyles are not being favored and that's pushing Mobula down quite a lot. What used to be a strong long ranged support ship struggles to see play with the lack of suitable team composition. It's still a potent ship in an undeniably unfavourable metagame.

Build highlight:
Merc Mob with double artemis. Playstyle of this ship is simple: point your forward towards the enemy ship while keeping distance. Mercury and Artemis are a pain for any ship with a heavy weapon to deal with, but Lumberjacks still cause a lot of headache for this build because of the limited vertical arcs of Mercury and Artemis. Close ranged guns of choice can be used to fend off Squids, or even used to push in for a close quarter kill.

Judgement is still a powerhouse of a ship that has been left in the sidelines because of nerfs, unpopularity and meta shifts. Judgement still has potential to do everything it used to do when it was the go-to long ranged ship.

Forward facing heavy-light-light trifecta is a very strong combination with weapons like Lumberjack and Nemesis and key components (hull and balloon) are in very convenient positions for multiple crew members to access, but its weakness to close ranged fast ships like Squid, Stormbreaker and Goldfish and nerfed hull HP brought it down quite a bit when a different style of long ranged battle gained popularity.

Build highlight:
Lumberjack Judgement with an armor breaking weapon and a hull breaking weapon is simple, yet extremely effective. Lumber Judgement can fight in many different ranges and win long-ranged duels with its tankiness. Back hwacha and light weapon of choice also provide some interesting gameplay choices.

Shrike is a fast ship that moves in and delivers a Hwacha to a defending ship's flank. Shrike boasts quite significant speed and a very comfortable and snug ship layout. However, Shrike has several problems that keep it in the C tier

Shrike really suffers from the prevalence of Hwachas in the meta. It takes too long to recover from a hwacha barrage, so it's naturally less common as ships that are less vulnerable or can bring something other to the table.
Shrike's power level has fallen, but at its core it is a fine ship, despite being slightly overshadowed by the alternatives.

Build highlight:
A fairly standard Shrike that uses hwacha for both disabling and kill power. Utilize high acceleration to dash around the battlefield into the flanks of the enemy, disable them and keep them that way.