Slayer 2 Breathing Tier List Overview
Choosing a Breathing Style matters because it determines how easily you can pressure players, clear Dungeon waves, and punish bosses. The strongest option is not always the one with the largest damage number; reliable stuns, guard pressure, mobility, and safe follow-ups often win more fights.
This Slayer 2 breathing tier list ranks the eight available styles by their overall usefulness across PvP and PvE. Balance updates can change individual matchups, but Flame and Wind are the best broad picks right now.
| Tier | Breathing Styles | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| S | Flame, Wind | Strong all-purpose combat |
| A | Thunder, Water, Stone, Sound, Serpent | Specialized but highly effective builds |
| B | Insect | Skilled combo and poison players |
S tier styles are the safest choices if you want one build that performs well nearly everywhere. A tier styles can be just as powerful when their strengths match your preferred activities, weapons, and clan bonuses.
Best Breathing Styles Ranked
Flame and Wind lead the current meta for different reasons. Flame is direct and reliable, while Wind has more demanding but rewarding combo routes.
| Style | Tier | Main strengths | Main limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flame | S | Burst, range, counter, follow-ups | Less guard pressure than barrage-heavy styles |
| Wind | S | Mobility, stuns, combo pressure | Requires cleaner execution |
| Thunder | A | Fast approach, burst damage, duels | Less comfortable for wide PvE farming |
| Water | A | Defense, control, versatile combos | Recent stun reductions lower consistency |
| Stone | A | Armor, counters, guardbreak pressure | Slow attacks and close-range commitment |
| Sound | A | Area damage, barrages, Dungeon control | Reduced guard pressure after changes |
| Serpent | A | Movement, grabs, boss damage | Needs close positioning |
| Insect | B | Poison, fast combo routes, Kocho synergy | Longer windups and less safety |
S Tier: Flame
Flame Breathing is the most complete choice for players who want strong damage without giving up range or defensive options. Its counter lets you turn an opponent’s aggression into an opening, while its follow-up attacks create dependable pressure after a successful hit.
Recent improvements made important Flame attacks faster and easier to connect. Flame Tiger and Unknowing Fire are more consistent than before, which helps both in player fights and while farming enemies. Flame also becomes particularly dangerous with a Rengoku clan pairing, adding value to an already excellent boss-focused kit.
Use Flame if you want:
- Reliable burst damage against bosses
- A counter for punishing predictable attackers
- Straightforward combo routes instead of technical setups
- A strong all-round PvE and PvP style
S Tier: Wind
Wind Breathing is the higher-skill S tier option. It offers strong movement, reach, guard pressure, and combo extensions, allowing experienced players to stay on top of an opponent instead of resetting neutral after every exchange.
Its improved strict stuns help confirm follow-ups, and faster attacks make its pressure more threatening. Wind can feel less forgiving than Flame when you miss an opener, but it has a higher payoff for players who learn its routes and manage stamina well.
Wind is especially good for players who enjoy aggressive PvP, but it also clears normal PvE content efficiently because its movement tools help group and chase targets.
A Tier Styles and When to Use Them
A tier does not mean weak. These styles have clear strengths that can make them better than an S tier choice for a particular activity.
| Style | PvP value | Boss value | Dungeon value | Recommended pairing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thunder | Excellent | Good | Average | Agatsuma |
| Water | Very good | Excellent | Very good | Works with many clans |
| Stone | Excellent | Good | Average | Axe or Mace builds |
| Sound | Good | Good | Excellent | Uzui |
| Serpent | Very good | Very good | Good | Mobile melee builds |
| Insect | Very good | Excellent | Limited | Kocho |
Thunder
Thunder Breathing excels at closing gaps quickly and converting mistakes into burst damage. It is one of the most threatening duel styles when used by a player who understands its timing, strict stuns, and guardbreak opportunities.
Its weakness is efficiency in long PvE sessions. Thunder can still defeat bosses and clear content, but its kit is more focused on fast engagements than broad area control. Choose it when PvP is your priority, especially if you have Agatsuma synergy.
Water
Water remains one of the easiest styles to recommend to newer players. It combines stuns, defensive utility, mobility, area damage, and strong boss combo potential. Even after reductions to some of its previous stun and safety options, Water is still dependable throughout progression.
Water is particularly useful when you do not have a clan-specific build planned. It works well with many setups and has tools for both grouped Dungeon enemies and single-target fights. Charge and time its stronger moves carefully rather than throwing every skill at once.
Stone
Stone Breathing is a bruiser style. Its armored attacks, counters, and guardbreak potential make it dangerous against opponents who block too much or try to trade at close range. Stone also benefits from weapon choices such as Axe and Mace.
The tradeoff is speed. Its attacks require better timing than the quicker styles, and missed commitments can leave you exposed. Pick Stone if you prefer deliberate, heavyweight pressure instead of constant mobility.
Sound
Sound is one of the best choices for Dungeons and group PvE. Its area attacks, multi-hit pressure, and crowd-control tools can handle clusters of enemies without relying on perfect single-target combos.
It remains usable in PvP, particularly with Uzui, but changes to its guard pressure and ultimate lowered its consistency against top duel styles. Sound is an excellent farming pick if your main goal is efficient wave clearing.
Serpent
Serpent Breathing is built for mobile close-range combat. It has extended combo potential, grabs, useful movement, and respectable percentage-based damage against bosses. Its multi-hit attacks also help against blocking enemies.
The style asks you to stay close and recognize openings quickly. Players who enjoy relentless melee pressure will get more from Serpent than players who prefer long-range zoning.
How to Pick the Right Style
Before spending resources to reroll, decide what you actually play most. A tier list is a starting point, not a replacement for a kit that fits your habits.
| Your priority | Best starting choices | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Competitive PvP | Wind, Flame, Thunder | Pressure, burst, and reliable punish tools |
| Boss farming | Flame, Water, Insect | Strong single-target damage and follow-ups |
| Dungeon farming | Sound, Water, Flame | Area damage and better wave control |
| Beginner-friendly progress | Water, Flame | Flexible kits with dependable options |
| Heavy melee pressure | Stone, Serpent, Wind | Guardbreaks, armor, or close-range combos |
Try the complete move set before deciding a style is bad. A build may feel weak simply because you are using its opener at the wrong range or spending stamina before the opponent commits.
A simple combat routine helps with nearly every Breathing Style:
- Start with a safe approach or movement tool.
- Confirm a hit, stun, or guardbreak before spending major cooldowns.
- Use your strongest combo extension after the opponent cannot easily block.
- Keep one escape, counter, or mobility option available.
- Reset instead of forcing an unsafe attack when your key moves are cooling down.
Clan synergy can also change the result. Rengoku improves Flame’s damage potential, Agatsuma strengthens Thunder’s pursuit, Kocho supports Insect poison pressure, and Uzui complements Sound. Keep a style that matches a strong clan bonus even if it sits slightly lower on the general list.
FAQ
What is the best style in the Slayer 2 breathing tier list?
Flame and Wind are the best overall choices. Flame is more forgiving and versatile, while Wind offers stronger sustained combo pressure for players with better execution.
Which Breathing Style is best for PvE?
Flame is the best all-purpose PvE choice because it combines damage, range, burst, and reliable follow-ups. Water is another excellent option, while Sound is especially effective for Dungeon waves.
Which Breathing Style is best for PvP?
Wind and Flame are the strongest general PvP choices. Thunder is also excellent for duels because of its mobility, burst damage, and fast engagement tools.
Is Insect Breathing bad?
No. Insect is still dangerous in PvP and can deal excellent boss damage, especially with Kocho. It ranks lower because longer windups, increased cooldowns, and limited Dungeon coverage make it less consistent overall.
Should I choose a lower-tier style for my clan?
Usually, yes. A strong clan pairing can make an A or B tier style more valuable for your build than an unpaired S tier option. Test the full kit and focus on the content you play most.