PGR: S-Rank Selector Guide

The S-rank selector is an item you get when you start the game which lets you choose one of the s ranks from the starting roster in Punishing: Gray Raven (PGR).

The selector was originally given out at the launch of the chinese version, because the servers had issues then, since then, both the Taiwan and japanese version got it. So I am confident global will also get it. It’s a sort of tradition.

Since the s-rank selector doesn’t get updated when new characters are released, there is no need to store it for later. Punishing: Gray Raven is not a very competitive mobile game and there are two modes in which players compete via a point-based ranking system for higher rewards.

The premium currency, though, is given for participation not ranking. Feel free to choose whatever character appeals to you and have fun.

Disclaimer: This guide is a compilation of PGR teambuilding guide out there. All credits goes to the original authors.

1. Whiskey Titan

Finish 40-pull Beginner Gacha First

You should finish pulling 40 times on the starter banner before picking a character from the s-rank selector. It will take you around 2-3 days of playtime to get enough summoning currency to do this.

You risk getting a duplicate starter s-rank if you fail to pick your starter from the banner first. For those of you like me who always worry about being minimally optimal at the start of a game, here’s a breakdown of which s-rank to have.

You can use the duplicate to upgrade rank

If you get a Kamui, you can pick any other character from the selector. You can also pick Kamui in the S-rank selector to make him SS-rank.

  • As a free-to-play player, you can bring any character with an S-rank to SS by scoring highly in the Pain Cage mode.

A dupe pick up from the selector is only of any value if you plan to SSS him. Since SSS to SSS+ requires three duplicates, you will have to pull him twice more from the rotating banners, if that is what you want.

S-rank Character Breakdown

S-Lee

s-lee

Starting with the s-rank version of lee s. Lee is an excellent physical damage dealer who excels at sustained damage.

Strengths

  • He has Some minor gathering capabilities with his blue skill and can deal damage in a decently sized area
  • He’s also on the easier side to play than other characters, because he can fight at range. 
  • He deals, but all around he’s a great example of a dps class character and would be a really advisable pick from the selector.

Weakness

  • His only real weaknesses are the small area his ultimate covers and the lacking burst damage.

Alpha

If there wasn’t a giant elephant in the room and that elephant is alpha, she arrives in the first patch, which should be about one and a half months after release.

Alpha is a burst, centric character. When building alpha, you focus solely on her burst, which can reach ludicrous levels in the two competitive modes.

Strengths

  • Her burst can take out multiple waves in the war zone and kill pain cage bosses in mere seconds to make up for her lack of sustained damage.
    • You pair her with another physical dps like a cara, nina early on or later rosetta, and you have the best of both worlds.
  • Well, if alpha needs someone to deal sustained damage for her, Why not pick s lee for that role? 
    • Well, the reason for that is the aforementioned rosetta she’s an s rank physical tank and the by far best unit to pair with alpha, because she increases alpha’s burst to even more insane levels while supplying the sustained damage she needs.

Weakness

  • Lack of sustained damage.

Lee can’t amplify alpha’s bursts like rosetta. Can so you would end up replacing lee anyway, Because of that there’s no reason to get him at the start. So the only reason I cannot recommend picking s lee is because alpha is simply too good and she arrives too soon after the game launches.

If you don’t want alpha – or you can’t get her Lee is the best alternative, as your lead physical DPS.

S-Liv

s-liv

Next up is the physical s rank support S-Liv. 

Strengths

  • Liv can actually do really good damage for a support unit and is quite hard to kill because of her ability to move while attacking at range.
  • She also heals herself on every 3 orb ping based on her attack power, adding to her survivability.
    • Because of this she can be a good Fallback unit. Should you find yourself in a tough challenge?

Weakness

  • The problem is that her healing is rather average being on par with the aforementioned b-rank version.
  • Shield only lasts 2 seconds
  • Sadly, she suffers greatly in the actual support department, her QTE heals and grants a shield based on her attack power, which sounds nice at first.
    • QTE does not deal damage, limiting her memory set choices.

S-Liv is an offensive support unit, which is a conflict of interest. As soon as her B-rank hits SSS, she can build a more suitable unit for physical support. S-Liv is best known for her survivability, which isn’t necessarily a safety net for players early on, but will become less necessary once you master more challenging club missions.

S-Kamui

s-kamui

You should pick up Dark tank S-Kamui as soon as possible.

Dark teams are very strong in the game and if you want to compete in war zone and pain cage. 

Strengths

  • High damage numbers on all skills during his ultimate “Dark Mode”
  • Dark Mode can be kept active indefinitely with proper gear and playstyle
  • Strong switch-in-switch-out burst damage.

Weakness

  • Requires a dark DPS teammate to allow him to stay in Dark Mode permanently by switching him in and out of combat.
  • No dark DPS available till second patch “Fallen Star

S-Kamui is very competitive in the dark stage, his entire dark damage comes from his Ultimate, which isn’t just one big attack, but also his dark mode with all his skills.

If he has proper gear and a play style which suits his playing style, his skill levels could be comparable to that of other characters in dark mode. Combining likes to build so he could stay in dark mode forever.

S-Karenina & S-Nanami

Considering how reliant both of the last characters are on each other, we’ll discuss them together.

S-Karenina is the only fire dps in the game and S-Nanami is the only fire tank, together with the later releasing fire support A-Sophia.

In the Chinese version of the game, they are the only fire units available. The fire team is currently considered the weakest team of all elements.

Strengths

  • Great sustained DPS from S-Karenina

Weakness

  • S-Nanami doesn’t bring anything to the team outside the standard tank class debuffs.
  • Repetitive gameplay because you only play S-Karenina and she is a very basic character in terms of gameplay.
  • The fire team needs two starting roster S-Ranks to complete who are inherently harder to get than new characters.

All the fire team really needs is a viable backup-DPS on the tank or support class slot to allow S-Karenina to leave the field and recover resources.

A heavy debuffer, like Rosetta, could also do the trick, though that wouldn’t mix up the gameplay.

S-Karenina is a great, sustained dps unit, but unlike his kamui for dark and alpha for physical S-Nanami doesn’t bring big burst numbers to the team and neither does a sophia.

Notes:

  • S-Karenina and S-Nanami are only recommended if you plan to get both of them.
  • Perfectly good team for any content outside of Warzone. Pain cage is mostly cleared/cheesed by Alpha anyway.

S-Rank Selector Priority List

#1 S-Kamui

He is the most solid pick for the future with what we know about the game right now. 

#2 S-Karenina and S-Nanami

Recommended if you can get both building mono element teams is the way to go in pgr for stacking elemental buffs and debuffs.

#3 S-Liv

Third place mainly for her potential using co-op missions and if you have Alpha, you will rarely play her anyway.

#4 S-Lee

S-Leei doesn’t really have a place in your roster if you have alpha. Move him up to second or have him in the first place if you don’t want or can’t get Alpha.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGIaezhYZtM&t=15s

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