Who is Best in Shadow Hearts Covenant (Tier List)

Which of the unique cast in Shadow Hearts Covenant is the best?
Majority of footage comes from Nikodem R
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[@LouffeVC]

Solid tier list! Of course, tier lists are personal opinions. As someone who has replayed the game twice in the last year and finishing a No Escapes; 99.9%*; 0 Exp Karin playthrough - with Karin soloing the Final Boss with Eternal Key/Gamble Ring for a 10,000 hit combo. Here's my tier list: *Tower of the Holy Ring will get Karin to Lv21 at minimum and was the only skipped content. God Tier: Lucia and Yuri - Lucia enables the most crazy buff of Strike Potency +50%; which affects ALL Strikes - Seals, Buffs, Damage and Healing. A Technical Ring Stat booster is now 65% and Technical Ring Energy Charge / Entrance to 270%. It additionally only costs 60MP and is available before Disc 2. Outside of Aromatherapy support, excellent secondary spellcaster in standard encounters to Anastasia. - Yuri has Energy Charge, which allows nuclear damage and can even combo with being used for an Entrance target for the one boss that only allows Magic Damage; of course with Lucia buffing. Have Yuri in Party Slot 2 or 3 to instant fuse into a 3-person combo with any Stage 2 fusion. Amazing utility through Fusions beyond raw power. Upper Mid: Karin, Anastasia and Blanca - Karin has access to the widest Line ability in the game in Bullenfogel, which Line targetting spells are criminally underrated imo and massive Heuervelk at Stage 3. Easy 2 and 4 hit rings to learn for Physical attacks. - Anastasia gains useful tools in Snap Shot and Album. Never had too much trouble with her SP, which can quickly be patched with a Seal or 2 if it is a trouble. - Blanca is a faster, more support-based Karin. Manifestations are Blanca's strong point. Annoying 3-hit ring. Lower Mid: Kurando and Joachim - Kurando is very overrated in my opinion due to the complete lack of Energy Charge. Awful Physical Attack Ring to learn, and not worth the investment. - Joachim suffers in the same way as Kurando but even further. Having to work with the Joachythms to get Joachim dealing meaningful damage is hard. Annoying Physical Attack Ring to learn. Bottom: Gepetto - Just outclassed by Anastasia in my opinion. Incredibly frail and too slow. He may have the additional damage output over Anastasia, but he will be on the floor more often than not. My end party was Karin, Yuri, Lucia and Ana.

[@plaidray2653]

Love this game my favorite game series. I even did an HD textures mod for this game :)

[@jacksmith4006]

Amazing game!! Love it!

[@jedgrahek1426]

Really? Wow, I would be super interested in playing that.

[@plaidray2653]

@@jedgrahek1426 Yeah check my channel for it :)

[@noahhobson4521]

Personally, I rate Anastasia over Gepetto since I do find her scan ability to be useful. Gepetto, on the other hand, always ends up hitting the bench and not coming off as soon as I get Lucia in the party. My endgame party is almost always Yuri, Karin, Kurando and Lucia. Karin's better speed and magic are why she gets the position instead of Joachim. Anne's cross is also a point in her favor since it's easier to get that instead all four crucifixes.

[@bulkycloud975]

Currently replaying it now, good to see people still appreciate this gem of a game. Still can’t believe how amazing the combat, story and music is.

[@hellfrozenphoenix13]

I wished I could replay it, but it's not on PC so I'd have to get a PS2 and find a copy.

[@jacksmith4006]

Thank you so much for doing a shadow hearts video !! Much love to the series ❤️ glad not forgotten

[@huntingswan1174]

One of my favorite channels covering one of my favorite games!!!!

[@jashawnful]

I seen dothack in your intro. Please do that next 😩

[@locloudanerpg]

Haha companion tier?

[@jashawnful]

@@locloudanerpg I already know Gardenia is going to be S tier!

[@blackchappel6376]

Great list!!

[@fancywaffles]

Great list! I'd switch Ana and Gepetto but that's purely a "which character do I like more" preference. My end party is usually Yuri Kurando Karin and Blanca. I dont think I've ever used Lucia except when the game makes you so I guess I need to play though it again with her.

[@MILDMONSTER1234]

Yuris fire demon fusions are hilariously broken

[@Supreme0757]

Major thumbs up for covering this criminally underrated game

[@locloudanerpg]

Thanks! Suikoden IV tier list drops this week!

[@baalmolech]

Please show some love for Shadow Hearts From the New World!! God I have such fond memories of that game and it’s a shame that the series ended there.

[@locloudanerpg]

Oh it’s coming later this year! Already have half the script written!!

[@TommyGun2533]

I really hope this series come to the new ps+ lineup. These were amazing games

[@AndyOlivera]

Im sure you've heard already, but in the wierd case you didnt: there's a double kickstarter campaign right now, from the creators of wild arms and shadow hearts, they are making spiritual successors of both franchises (Armed Fantasia & Penny Blood), it would be cool if you could make a video talking about it so you can spread the word thanks!

[@locloudanerpg]

Already gave $115 for both physical editions. I am SO hyped!!!

[@locloudanerpg]

I’m planning on making a short one like I did for euyden chronicles.

[@AndyOlivera]

@@locloudanerpg that's awesome? I also pledge for both games, they look pretty cool

[@bongchoof]

Karen and Blanca are great at building up the hit count in a combo. Joachim and Kurando are just punch fist but Yuri can do that earlier, only slighty worse while also being infinitely more well-rounded.

[@stefanoblack2221]

It's a shame this game gets often overshadowed (AH!) by other RPGs on the PS2 cause goddamn I do love Shadow Hearts so much! Nice list! If I can help it at all I go with the characters I like the most, regardless of their strength xD

[@luisangelbaezsegui5885]

My End team was Yuri, Karen, Kurando and my Fav, Anastasia!

[@vsolyomi]

Where the heck are the publication dates now??

[@aeroga2383]

I always get a kick out of child characters ranked low tier cause I never use them no matter how good they may be

[@vsolyomi]

Love Shadow Hearts.. No hope for re-release, sadly :(

[@RPGGUY2500]

Shadow hearts was trademarked in Japan on may 12 2022, no guarantee of course but there is suddenly a non 0 chance

[@vsolyomi]

@@RPGGUY2500 from what I read, the IP-holder company was not in gaming business at all. Maybe they're selling the IP to someone else. Then there might be hope :)

[@locloudanerpg]

@@RPGGUY2500 I saw that the other day. I think it might be for Sonys digital library but a remaster would be far out. Here’s hoping!

[@FriendlyBatDoom]

We all know Yuri is that GOAT 🐐 !!!!!

[@SJMcK]

This game was weird and wonderful and I loved it

[@chimeratcg07]

The best game of the trilogy.

[@ShaggyLad]

God Tier: Yuri, Blanca Top Tier: Joachim, Lucia Post-Night Oil, Kurando Mid Tier: Karin, Anastasia, Geppetto Low Tier: Lucia Pre-Night Oil Yuri. He's Yuri. He's the best character all around. Great at damage, support, and even magic depending on his fusions. Blanca actually has the highest int on the team, for some reason. He's the best mage behind Geppetto, despite having good stats all around. What really sets him apart though are his special abilities, which are the strongest support moves in the game. If you're playing the hard mod of the game, he is 100% mandatory to have on your team. In a normal playthrough, he's still the best mage to have on the team. Joachim is a physical powerhouse. Absolute boss killer and learns some nice techniques. He can destroy bosses, is sturdy, and can be equipped with supportive crests to help when needed. Lucia. Her stats are mid compared to the other mages, but her later oils are broken. Technical ring with her strike increasing mix makes your full party buffs insane. Add the 100% crit mix on top of this and you can absolutely destroy boss fights with her. Kurando is really limited in what he can do. Kind of like a very basic Yuri. Decent support, but mostly just a more well-rounded physical attacker. Arguably he beats Joachim in stats once you've powered up his fusions all the way, but Joachim is beefier and has better support through crests. Karin is a jack of all trades, master of none. Good at everything, but not great at anything. She can fill any hole in your party setup and is good as a sturdier support character. I usually load her up with my strength and luck boosting items cause I love watching her wreck stuff with her sword, and her well-rounded stats are more useful on hard mod playthroughs. Anastasia doesn't really have a niche as a mage. She's sturdier than Geppetto, but doesn't reach Blanca's int levels. Her photo album abilities are really lacking for the most part. Blanca outclasses her in general and Geppetto outclasses her as an offensive mage. She's never bad, but she's never the optimal choice. Geppetto has the potential to inflict the most magic damage in the game, but is also the squishiest party member. His dresses enhance certain elements damage, allowing him to nuke for big damage, but physical damage is king when it comes to boss fights. In a normal playthrough, his lower survivability doesn't matter as much, but on a hard mod run he can get taken out very easily, especially because his agility is on the lower end.

[@jedgrahek1426]

So happy to see someone talking about Shadow Hearts. I completely agree, SH 1+2 is pretty much just below Chrono Trigger, and in the same realm as Final Fantasy Tactics and Vagrant Story, for me. Why on earth so many "mature gamers" were more interested Kingdom Hearts and crap like that around the same time, and these games didn't become serious hits like Persona 3/4 did, is beyond me. Covenant is just a masterpiece in every way, shocking what a relatively small team was able to accomplish. edit: How dare you do that to Anastasia! Well, she's S-tier in terms of character design and being Anastasia Romanov and how cool her weapon is, so whatever : D Oh, also the game is, unfortunately, just kinda easy (if you are good at the ring, I guess), so while I can appreciate why Lucia is higher up on the list, etc... without a real hard mode these things simply don't ever matter, so for me party composition, and character "tier", in this game, always had nearly everything to do with how much I liked the character. Joachim is OP and can make a huge difference, but there is not a single battle in the game where I felt like there was an actual reason besides personal preference to use any particular party. I think one time I played the game with Karin, Gepetto-then-Anastasia, and Blanca-then-Japan-boy the entire time unless forced otherwise, just because those are the characters I like the most, and that final party with the two couples is kinda perfect for the story.

[@danielhall6585]

I disagree with this list a bit but isn’t that the fun of tier lists? I would switch Gepetto and Anastasia. For me Gepetto’s stats are just too bad because of his slow speed and low survivability. His special skills are largely forgettable. Anastasia usually makes it as my magic/support user on endgame though I will concede Lucia is probably the better choice. Her skills aren’t great but there are a few good ones, the robot laser thing I seem to remember being great for combos. Blanca leans to magic instead of Karin’s physical but his speed and support skills outclass Karin for me. Actually I would put him at the bottom of the top tier. Lucia has amazing support, but I am biased against her character probably. I usually don’t use her much though I can definitely see her potential. Kurando is decent for most of the game and god tier at the very end. Personally I don’t like using overpowered items like minds eye and the keys are pretty rare. In the end I like to have Yuri, kurando and then two support mages (those arc spells can help, especially gale and rage) so speed is key for me. That’s why my favourite team is Anastasia, Blanca, Yuri and Kurando but I will agree that Anastasia may not be optimal… Lucia is probably the better choice. It’s been a while since I played it so I might be wrong about character’s speed though. Just my opinion though and how I play the game. As long as you are throwing in Yuri and at least one support I think most teams are viable. Actually I usually play through the game switching between two teams anyway because all the characters are fun to use. Anyway, nice video. Thanks for making me think this deeply and Shadow Hearts again.

[@locloudanerpg]

Love this. Disagreeing with the list is great! These are meant to start a conversation. Thanks for the feedback and support!

[@torru36]

Surprised the combo system didn't get a shoutout in the entire vid. It's probably the best reason Karin outclasses Bianca.

[@user-pi1lb4tf2f]

Sorry but I won't put anastasia on shit tier list. Anastasia has scan and most importantly, steal. You can abuse it for useful items and accessories. Gepetto's greatest weakness is his speed but he has natural affinity to Yuri meaning if you transform Yuri into something bigger he will always be on a combo with him which is useful though he will be put to bench as the backside healer having the highest mana. Blanca and Karin are both balanced fighters but Karin is easily overshadowed by the 3 physical dealers while Blanca is still useful for magic and support. Lucia is a wild card because she can do the guaranteed crit and her tarrot cards are broken if you are near a save station. In terms of the 3 physical dealers (Yuri, Kurando, Joachim) The gap is really small but Yuri tops them in terms of Versatility but Joachim is the highest damage dealer whether as the golden bat or as the Great Question so I guess it's Kurando behind then either Yuri or Kurando. Affinity doesn't really play a bigger role but those with Natural Affinity with Yuri has an advantage since they can perform combos with him without losing a turn. S tier would be Yuri/Joachim A - Kurando B - Blanca, Lucia C - Karin, Anastasia D - Gepetto

[@OreWaLavai]

Is your name a combination of Locke, Cloud and Zidane?

[@locloudanerpg]

Haha yup

[@OreWaLavai]

@@locloudanerpgpoor Squall being skipped over lol. Still, nice channel. Found it looking up chrono cross party member info.

[@locloudanerpg]

@@OreWaLavai yeah, it was getting a little long at that point and I’m not the biggest Final Fantasy eight fan. Glad you can find the channel! Be sure to check out my PS2 RPG challenge videos. I think you’ll find them interesting.

[@OreWaLavai]

@@locloudanerpgaye, a lot of folk weren’t very keen on FF8, I love it though, might even be my fave. I’ll slowly work my through your content though. Big JRPG fan, so the theme of the channel is right up my alley. Always happy to listen to differing opinions on rpg’s I’ve played, and learn about ones I haven’t.

[@XDantevsVergilX]

This game is coming to playstation store in june

[@locloudanerpg]

What?! It is?

[@XDantevsVergilX]

@@locloudanerpg Yeah it got leaked it will be in the playstation now service when it merge with PS+

[@strictlynineties]

yeah no

[@icessoup]

lol ?@@XDantevsVergilX

[@XDantevsVergilX]

@@icessoup on my steam deck lol

[@TheFlyingV]

I still don't understand how Lucia, possibly the best buffer in JRPG history, isn't God tier.

[@chazproctor7886]

Ps2 was the best time for jrpgs imo

[@shellren]

My team was yuri, kurando, karin and anastasia. Lol i can't believe she's in the sh*t list

[@Arumatt13]

Because she NOT so low. Anastasia very cool and strong character in the game.

[@trazyntheinfinite9895]

I always had a hard spot for Karin, honestly.

[@locloudanerpg]

Haha did you mean a hard on or a soft spot?

[@joeybrianguerrero23]

Shadow hearts from the new World my original childhood memories

[@rizzibear]

Imo kurando heavily overrated and blanca heavily underrated here. Focusing on supporting yuri gets more damage out than using multiple physical attackers(that are worse than yuri). Kurando also never gets energy charge.

[@baalmolech]

We believe in Lucia supremacy here 😌🙏🪭🔮

[@locloudanerpg]

All hale the fortune telling Goddess!

[@redclover5460]

I like her so much that I modeled an Incense Synthesizer Alchemist after her in Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous. I've only just started playing, so I'll have to see how she fits in that setting.