DC Dual Force, the newest superhero-themed online card game made by CCG Lab, has entered its open beta phase. Players can now try to play the free-to-play game while using cards that are patterned to some of DC’s most renowned heroes, villains, characters, scenes, and more.
One card type, namely the Leader card, serves as the main avatar players can use in every game of DC Dual Force. Players will always have two Leader cards on their deck which gain certain abilities depending on the number of charges that they have.
Here are the best Leaders in DC Dual Force.
What is a Leader in DC Dual Force?
As mentioned, Leaders are used to represent a deck and often determine your strategy when approaching a game of DC Dual Force. They belong to certain Factions that present different playstyles in the game, as well as partnering them with other strategies since players must use two Leaders in every game.
All Leaders have a specific number of health points. The players’ goal to win every game is to lower their opponent’s Leader’s health to zero. Leaders also have abilities that players can use to help them gain certain advantages in the game, such as gaining additional Power, creating Recruits, giving Shield, and many more. Players can charge their Leaders’ abilities to maximize their effectiveness, but there is a tradeoff—you won’t be able to play the Leader for a short time.
DC Dual Force: State of the meta
DC Dual Force is still in its open beta phase, meaning that Leader effects in the game right now may not match their final release versions. In terms of what decks are popular based on effectiveness and consistency in winning right now, the Batman and Aquaman decks truly dominate the current meta.
Related: DC Dual Force: Release date, gameplay, cards and more
Decks with Superman are also finding success in the game since his straightforward ability can be a consistent and reliable option to deal damage while executing great defense. As for Wonder Woman, she is an excellent pick in terms of establishing a good balance between offense and defense.
DC Dual Force Leader tier list
S-Tier: Most consistent Leaders, competitively viable
Batman
In terms of consistency, Batman is the most consistent Leader in all of DC Dual Force. He belongs to the Tactics faction, whose main strength relies on disrupting the opponent’s board by using Recruit and Action card effects, as well as gaining a handful of advantages on your board.
Batman’s ability to gain plus-three Power and add a Gadget card for just two Charges makes him the most reliable Leader so far in DC Dual Force, especially with the utility he can provide on almost all stages of the game.
Aquaman
Aquaman is the best Leader in terms of establishing a more creative type of offensive strategy thanks to his ability to summon a random Sea Creature and give all friendly Sea Creatures one-Power and one-Health for three Charges, as well as giving himself plus three-Power.
Partnering him with Batman is the most ideal Leader combination players can make in DC Dual Force because of the mix of toolbox utility plus consistent offense that can be created with them.
A-Tier: Solid Leaders with powerful abilities
Superman
If you want a Leader that can be a straightforward offensive machine, then Superman would be the best fit for you. His ability costs three Charges and grants him plus-seven Power and the Invincible keyword, making him immune to any kind of damage during the turn you activate his ability. He also has one of the highest health pools in DC Dual Force at 22, meaning he’s tough to bring down.
Wonder Woman
The same as Batman, Wonder Woman’s ability only costs two charges to work. However, she works as more of a defensive Leader because of her ability to give herself plus three Power and plus one Power and one Health to a friendly Recruit placed on the same lane as Wonder Woman. Creating a deck with a Leader that can focus on offense such as The Flash has proven effective, but not as strong as our S-Tier options.
The Flash
The Flash may seem underwhelming at just 19 health, but his ability to gain plus-two Power and Flurry for just two charges makes him an offensive powerhouse. Flurry grants a card the ability to attack twice on the same turn so you can inflict a total of four damage to either one or two Leaders or Recruits if you opt to use The Flash’s ability. You can even boost his Power further with your other Energy cards to deal even more damage in a single turn.
B-Tier: Good Leader options, effective with synergy
Batgirl
Batgirl, for three Charges, can reactivate the ability of a friendly Recruit as well as giving her plus-three Power. You’ll need to combo her more effectively with your deck, however, since her ability requires you to possess that Recruit on the board already. She has the ability to turn the tide of the game in an instant if you use her ability with the right target, especially in the late game where you have access to more Silver and Gold cards.
Green Arrow
If you want a more offensive type of Leader from the Tactics faction, then Green Arrow could be your go-to choice. His ability to give you a Trick Arrow card for two Charges can provide you more options to deal damage to your opponent’s Leaders or Recruits, as well as to potentially disrupt their board with certain effects. However, some of the best Trick Arrows can be used in the late game, so you’ll need to keep him alive for a long time to see his true power emerge.
Harley Quinn
Building a deck with Harley Quinn as one of the Leaders means you’ll be leaning for an explosive deck that relies on your Recruits and Action cards to win the game. Being a Leader from the Anarchy faction makes Harley Quinn a potential offensive juggernaut, especially with her ability to give you more cards in your hand and a plus-three Power bonus. Just be cautious in keeping her alive for as long as possible, since she only has 18 health.
Cyborg
Cyborg is another offensive option from the Tactics faction. He has the ability to deal one damage for each card you have drawn in the game to a single enemy Leader or Recruit. Using Cyborg means that you need cards built around him, especially those that help you draw more cards in a single turn. If you manage to load up your hand with cards, you can potentially deal massive damage with his ability. Be wise enough to properly time when to use it since Cyborg’s ability needs four Charges to work.
The Joker
The Joker is a great damage dealer in DC Dual Force. For three Charges, you can give him plus-two Power, as well as deal four instances of one damage at random enemies in a single turn. Unfortunately, the ability makes The Joker a little too situational. Sure, with just one target on the field, you can guarantee incredibly single-damage output, but if the opponent floods the board with smaller units they’ll absorb the damage with ease.
C-Tier: Some room for improvement
Lex Luthor, Poison Ivy, Hal Jordan, Zatanna, Doomsday, Shazam
These Leaders work well on their own. Though, some of their abilities can be tweaked to make them more consistent. The exchange that players get from their ability charges can be improved to provide more flexibility and offensive options to players.
D-Tier: Inconsistent, a little weak
Black Adam
Black Adam has great offensive ability. But what makes him the most inconsistent Leader in DC Dual Force as of the moment is the build-up needed to grant him the huge plus-10 power bonus: a 10-charge cost. Playing cards with five or more Power to Charge Black Adam can’t be done until the late game, so he isn’t an effective Leader in the early to mid-game where matches are truly won and lost.
How to choose your Leaders in DC Dual Force
Choosing the Leaders you want to play in DC Dual Force depends on how you want your deck to excel. If you want to create a competitive deck that can help you climb the ranks, then using a combination of those Leaders who are consistent in their own strengths is the best thing to do. Leaders like Batman, Aquaman, and Superman have proven success already in the game.
If you want to experiment with Leaders, then creating a deck based on your playstyle could be the key. Each Leader and Faction showcases a certain playstyle that can be the basis of your deck (The Flash and Wonder Woman for a balanced yet straightforward offensive and defensive engine, The Joker and Harley Quinn for more explosive and damage-dealing plays), so don’t be afraid to try and test the decks that can best suit your own preferred gameplay.