For the version 25.0 ranking published by Pocket Gamer on October 6, 2026, the listed S-tier cards are Banshee, Cowboy, Tinker, Magma Spirit, Reaper, Riding Hood, Shiba, Woodbeard, and Witch. The guide also places several Legendary and Epic cards in A and B tiers, but its card-by-card prose does not consistently match its summary table. Treat the table below as a transcription of the guide’s published summary—not as a tested or definitive ranking of every card.
Castle Duels tier list: Pocket Gamer’s published summary
The table reproduces the tier placements in Pocket Gamer’s summary table for version 25.0, in the order presented there. The guide does not publish win rates, pick rates, matchup data, or a repeatable ranking method, so these tiers are editorial judgments rather than measured performance results.
| Tier | Cards in Pocket Gamer’s summary table |
|---|---|
| S | Banshee, Cowboy, Tinker, Magma Spirit, Reaper, Riding Hood, Shiba, Woodbeard, Witch |
| A | Lil’ Dragon, Electron, Risen, Officer Piggle, Scarecrow, Soulstealer |
| B | Vampire, Zeus, Gadget, Combat Engineer, Cultist, Darkwood Fay, Golem, Swamplord, Phoenix, Bard, Armorer, Hypnotoad, Angel, Forest Guardian |
| C | Archer, Fighter, Pirate, Poison Frog, Priest, Crusher, Slime, Hungry Truffle, Alchemist, Assassin, Cold Mage |
Why the S-tier examples can be strong—and what they need
The guide’s explanations point to abilities and conditions that help explain its selections. They are not evidence that a card will outperform every alternative in every deck or match.
Banshee
Pocket Gamer says Banshee’s damage scales with the number of units on the battlefield. That makes board population and timing relevant: its potential depends on how many units are present when it fights, rather than being a fixed-value damage effect.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
#1 Best Overall
- 🏯 A NEW GAME IN THE WHITE CASTLE UNIVERSE Return to Himeji Castle for a completely new strategic challenge. The White Castle: Duel is a standalone game with its own rules and mechanics—The White Castle is not required to play
- ⚔️ BUILT EXCLUSIVELY FOR 2 PLAYERS Two clans face off for influence at the Daimio's court in a tense head-to-head strategy game. Every action matters as you compete directly against your opponent for control and points.
- 🎴 NEW MECHANICS, NEW STRATEGY Duel brings a different way to play to the White Castle universe. There are no dice or bridges—instead, use six lamp cylinders to select actions and activate the effects of your lamp cards.
- 🧠 TACTICAL ACTION SELECTION Manage resources, place clan seals, gain influence cards, collect valuable merchandise, and adapt your plans to your opponent. A special token can even exchange board actions, creating unexpected tactical opportunities.
- 📦 FOR FANS AND NEW PLAYERS ALIKE Created by Sheila Santos and Israel Cendrero (Llama Dice) and illustrated by Joan Guardiet. Whether you are new to the White Castle universe or already own The White Castle, Duel offers a fresh standalone experience designed specifically for 2 players. Ages 10+, approximately 30 minutes. Multilingual edition.
Cowboy
The guide describes Cowboy as a specialist that pulls, damages, and stuns a target. Its appeal is control as well as damage; consider whether disrupting a particular enemy is useful for your formation.
Tinker
Tinker attacks multiple enemies, fires a large projectile, and deals damage on death, according to the guide. Those separate sources of damage give it a different role from a unit that focuses on one target.
Rank #2
- BUILD YOUR PERFECT TABLEAU: Recruit characters from the Village or Castle to create a 3x3 grid of cards in your personal tableau. Each card offers unique abilities and end-game scoring conditions!
- STRATEGIC CARD COMBINATIONS: Master the art of combos by strategically placing your cards and triggering their abilities to rack up the most points by the end of the game.
- PLAYER AGENCY & FLEXIBILITY: Use the Messenger pawn to switch between the Village and Castle markets and wipe the board to gain access to fresh cards and maximize your strategic choices.
- EASY-TO-LEARN, QUICK TO PLAY: With clear symbology and a helpful game aid, Castle Combo is perfect for family game nights or competitive sessions with friends. Playable in about 20-30 minutes.
- PERFECT FOR FAMILY GAME NIGHT: A light yet challenging game designed for 2-4 players, Castle Combo offers a mix of strategy and luck in every round. Ideal for ages 8 and up!
Magma Spirit
Magma Spirit combines burning attacks with regeneration and increased damage against burning enemies. The damage benefit therefore depends on burn being applied and on the timing of its attacks.
Reaper
Pocket Gamer describes Reaper as immune to crowd control and able to repeatedly stun enemies while dealing damage. Its stated mix of resistance and disruption can matter when control effects are central to an opposing lineup.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesRank #3
- 🏯 THE ORIGINAL WHITE CASTLE EXPERIENCE Enter Himeji Castle and lead your clan to victory in the original strategy game that inspired The White Castle: Duel. Build influence at the Daimio's court, manage resources, and carefully position your workers throughout the castle.
- 🎲 WORKER & DICE PLACEMENT STRATEGY Combine worker placement and dice placement to determine your available actions. The dice you choose can open different strategic opportunities, making every decision important throughout the game.
- 🧠 MANAGE YOUR CLAN & BUILD INFLUENCE Send gardeners to the pond and gardens, warriors to defend the castle, and courtiers up the social ladder. Manage your resources and place your clan members where they can generate the greatest influence.
- 🎯EXPLORE THE MANY AREAS OF HIMEJI CASTLE Move through the castle's gardens, pond, walls, bridges, and Room of the Thousand Carpets. Each area offers different ways to develop your clan and score valuable influence points.
- 📦STRATEGIC EUROGAME FOR 1-4 PLAYERS Designed by Sheila Santos and Israel Cendrero (Llama Dice) and illustrated by Joan Guardiet. For 1-4 players, ages 12+, with approximately 80 minutes of playtime. A deep strategic experience set in feudal Japan.
Other useful roles in the published list
A tier is not a substitute for understanding what a card contributes. These examples from Pocket Gamer’s descriptions show why a lower-listed card may still fit a particular plan.
- Electron (A): combines damage over time with damage reduction and slowing.
- Risen (A): an Epic tank with taunt and a shield that scales with nearby enemies.
- Officer Piggle (A): temporarily summons a shielded robot.
- Scarecrow (A): heals and poisons through summoned plants.
- Bard (B): removes crowd control and debuffs while healing.
- Darkwood Fay (B): heals and charges ally abilities.
- Hypnotoad (B): version 23.0 notes say Hypnosis moves affected enemies out of formation and temporarily removes them from combat.
Do not merge the guide’s table and card-by-card prose
Pocket Gamer’s expanded section names additional cards in its tier descriptions that are missing from the summary table. Its S-tier prose includes Cryomaster, Inferno, Sand Elemental, Candle, and Archivist, among others; the A-tier prose names Chef, Champion, Mister Frost, and Jotun. Angel is described as newly reworked, although it appears in the summary table’s B tier. Because the article does not reconcile those differences, this list does not assign the omitted names a confirmed tier or silently move Angel to a different one. Check the guide itself and current in-game details before relying on those prose placements.
Rank #4
- IMMERSIVE FANTASY ADVENTURE: Escape the Dark Castle is a captivating fantasy adventure game designed for 1-4 players. It prioritizes storytelling, atmosphere, and cooperative gameplay.
- QUICK SETUP, FAST-PACED ACTION: Enjoy a game that takes only 2 minutes to set up and lasts around 30 minutes per session, making it accessible for tabletop gaming newcomers.
- UNIQUE, EVER-CHANGING EXPERIENCE: No two games are the same! Dive into a world where players assume the roles of prisoners and collaborate to overcome the castle's horrors, traps, and challenges.
- BEAUTIFULLY ILLUSTRATED CHAPTER CARDS: Explore a richly illustrated world where each challenge and twist in the narrative is represented by large, stunning chapter cards.
- SHARED STORYTELLING: Unveil chapter cards one by one, transforming the game into a shared storytelling experience where players make critical decisions on their quest to escape.
How to prioritize cards and upgrades
Use the tier list as a shortlist, then decide based on what you can actually field and improve. Pocket Gamer advises players to improve available cards to progress and to be selective because upgrade resources can be scarce.
- Start with Arena access. Pocket Gamer says Legendary cards are generally unlocked after Arena 4, with exceptions. If you have not reached the relevant access point, build around available cards and useful synergies rather than delaying progress for a future Legendary.
- Pick for a job, not just a letter. Compare what the unit contributes—damage, durability, crowd control, healing, or support—and whether that role complements your lineup. A card whose ability needs a particular setup may be less useful in a deck that cannot provide it.
- Spend resources where they advance your current deck. The guide cautions that upgrade resources can be limited. Avoid spreading them across cards you are not using simply because they appear high on a tier list.
- Recheck mechanics after updates. The official version 23.0 notes describe changes in how Cryomaster’s Frostbite affects attack speed at rank 3 and attack and movement speed at Star rank, with the effect weakening over time. That is one example of why an older impression of a card may not match its current behavior.
Version 25.0 and upgrade-rule context
Pocket Gamer labels its ranking version 25.0 and dates it October 6, 2026. The App Store version history lists version 25.0 on September 28, 2026, and says Angel received an ability rework, stronger ally support, new mechanics, and Glyph support. Version 24.0, listed August 31, included Glyph-system changes and new units. Those dates establish version context, but they do not show that every card placement in the tier guide was retested after the latest changes.
Best Value
- ALL-IN-ONE SOLUTION: Features a double-sided case with separate access for cards and gaming accessories, enhancing organization and protection for your tabletop and card game components.
- HIGH CAPACITY & MODULAR: Accommodates 6 Commander decks or up to 800 board-game-sleeved cards, alongside 19 removable trays in various sizes for dice, tokens, and tools.
- INNOVATIVE DESIGN: Equipped with a robust clip mechanism for secure closure, and a modular tray system that’s compatible with Gamegenic's Token Silo products, allowing customizable storage solutions.
- BUILT FOR DURABILITY: Constructed from shock-resistant materials with an integrated, reinforced handle, making it ideal for safe transport to game nights and tournaments.
- VERSATILE & USER-FRIENDLY: Opens from both sides for easy access during gameplay, featuring trays that support everything from small tokens to large gaming tools, all in a compact design that’s easy to carry.
Upgrade rules also changed. In the MY.GAMES version 22.0 update notes dated June 15, 2026, the studio said: “Legendary Spheres are no longer required to upgrade Legendary units: you only need unit cards and gold.” The notes also state that starting at level 11, copies required per level increased, while the total entities needed to reach level 15 decreased compared with the prior system. For resource planning, rely on the current in-game upgrade screen rather than assuming an older cost structure still applies.
How much confidence to put in this tier list
The ranking and card explanations are from one editorial guide; official update notes support specific mechanics and progression changes, not the guide’s overall card order. Since the guide provides no performance dataset or stated ranking method, use its tiers as a dated editorial reference, not a universal measure of card strength. Recheck placements and abilities after balance updates, and weigh your Arena access, available upgrades, and team setup.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
