PokéSurvivor

Pokémon Survivor Burst tier list and starters

Checked 14 October 2026. For a first Classic attempt, Mudkip is our sustain recommendation; Cyndaquil suits a player comfortable with low health, and Bulbasaur improves Grass damage and berry healing. These choices follow the official 9.0.3 passives. The older community tier bands below are separate opinions, not an official balance ranking.

Official download guide

What I checked

We checked starter passives in the official 9.0.3 package. Recommendations below are deductions from those passives and the documented unlock paths, not results of our own clears. Community bands retain their v9.0.1 research date; the wiki returned 403 during this audit and the public board returned a loading shell.

Pokémon Survivor Burst gameplay strip from the official itch.io page, wide pixel fieldPokémon Survivor Burst cover art from the official itch.io page

Best starter for your first run

All three are available immediately. A legendary or evolved S-band name is not a substitute for an opening starter, and progression eventually needs all three starter branches.

Your priorityStarterOfficial 9.0.3 passiveTradeoff / next unlock
Recover from chip damageMudkipRestores 8% HP on each level-up.Healing depends on gaining levels; level 75 unlocks Aron.
Damage while playing at low HPCyndaquilAttack damage increases 25% at half HP or below.The bonus requires low health; surviving 10 minutes unlocks Ralts.
Grass attacks and berry healingBulbasaurGrass damage +15%; berries restore 10% more HP.Benefits depend on attacks and berry pickups; reaching Venusaur unlocks Mareep.

Choose for the mode and unlock you want

For a build, favor attacks that benefit from the selected passive, then check that character’s evolution and equipment options. No fixed loadout or fastest-clear claim is made without a tested run.

GoalSelection approachWhy it matters
First Classic clearStart with Mudkip for level-up recovery; try Cyndaquil or Bulbasaur if their passive fits your play.Finish a valid Classic run and defeat the Ultra Boss. Reaching a timer alone is insufficient.
Rush unlock progressionUse the Pokémon named by the next unlock, after opening Rush with that character.Gastly → Sableye, Aron → Pawniard and Pawniard → Honedge require those specific Rush clears.
Tower unlock progressionBuild Pichu, Dratini or Gible for the corresponding Tower clear.These lead to Riolu, Deino and Jangmo-o respectively; an unrelated high-ranked character will not satisfy the requirement.
Boss damage after unlocking more charactersDreepy has a +15% Ghost/Dragon boss and mini-boss damage passive; Tyrunt also has a boss-damage passive.These are documented specialization examples, not proof of the highest possible damage.
Leaderboard scoreCompare the same mode, scoring rules, version and progression investment.A high score cannot establish an equal-investment tier rank or the easiest first clear.

Community damage ranks (v9.0.1)

The 14 October content research recorded these v9.0.1 community bands. They mix base and evolved names. They have not been retested for 9.0.3, and individual passive numbers should come from the current package rather than an older tier explanation.

BandNames the earlier research highlightsEvidence status
SDragapult, Deoxys, Mew, SuicuneHistorical community opinion, v9.0.1; not an official or current tested rank.
A+Goodra, Gastly, Dratini, Gible, FroslassSelected names from the historical next band; not a full tier roster.
AMudkip, Cyndaquil, Charcadet, Mewtwo, and othersSelected names from the historical band; progression and mode change their usefulness.

How to use the public leaderboard

The author links the drchips.fr leaderboard. Open it for current scores and compare records within the same mode. This audit could fetch its loading page but could not re-read live rows; earlier research screenshots are not represented here as a newly verified live ranking.

Questions

What is the best starter in Pokémon Survivor Burst?

Our first-run sustain choice is Mudkip because its official 9.0.3 passive restores 8% HP per level-up. Cyndaquil gains 25% damage at half HP or below; Bulbasaur boosts Grass damage and berry healing. These are play-style recommendations, not measured win rates.

Is this the official tier list?

No official tier ranking was found in the public author sources checked. This page separates current package passives, editorial recommendations and older v9.0.1 community opinions.

Should I use the highest tier Pokémon for every unlock?

No. Many unlocks require a clear with a named Pokémon. Use the full unlock table to choose the required character and mode before optimizing its build.

Keep reading

Unlock list How those names join the roster. Guide Starter stats. Community Board and Discord. Download 9.0.3 Choose the author’s platform package. Burst hub Current version and modes.

Sources