Power Rankings
The WARP Power Rankings

Power Rankings

Poll data collected by Sean Franco.


Mayfair Version


Originally compiled by Aaron Fuegi

Mike Kelly wrote:

> At times I have heard of strong powers referred to as Brutes, weak ones as Wimps, and there were some intermediate classifications. I haven't had enough opportunities to play CE to classify all of the aliens myself. What I would greatly appreciate is a list of the aliens (Mayfair edition please) with a ranking of 1 (wimp) to 5 (brute) of their stand alone play strength. Assume a six-player, single-power game. I realize that with over 100 aliens this is alot of work, so even if anyone (everyone?) posted just of list of aliens they consider 5's and a list of aliens they consider 1's it would be a huge help to me. The idea here, for me anyway, is that when playing primarily with new people it would be best if all the aliens were chosen from a subset of the whole in which all the aliens were approximately equal in power. >

> Thanks, Mike

5 is best. 1 is worst.

Powers
Gerald
Katz
Randy
Simcox
Mugsy
Aaron
Fuegi
Jonathan
Daggar
Jack
Reda
Amoeba
2
3
3
2.5
2
3
Anomaly
2
3
2
3
2
2
Anti-Matter
4 *G1
5
5
2
1
5
Aristocrat
4
5
n/r
5
5 *J2
2
Assassin
5
3
4
3.5
4 *J3
2.5 *W1
Assessor
5
n/r
n/r
5
n/r
3
Aura
3
1
2
2.5
2
3
Berserker
4 *G2
3
n/r
3
4 *J4 *G2
3
Boomerang
3
1
2
3
2
2
Bully
4
3
n/r
4
4
3
Busybody
2
1
2
n/r
3
2.5
Butler
3 *G3
n/r
n/r
3
n/r
2
Calculator
3.5 *G4
3
3
2
1 *J1
3
Cavalry
3
1
4
4 *A1
4
3
Changeling
n/a
n/r
5 *M1
3
5 *J3
2
Chosen
4 *G5
1
2
4
1
2
Chronos
5
1
5
2
3.5
4
Clone
5
1
4
3
3.5 *J10
3
Connoisseur
5
5
5
5
4 *J2 *J10
4
Crystal
3
n/r
2
3.5
1
3
Delegator
3
n/r
3
3.5
4
3
Demon
2
3
4
4
4
2.5
Deuce
4
3
3
3
3
4
Dictator
5
5
5
5
5
3
Diplomat
4
5
4
4
4
4.5
Disease
3.5
3
3
4
2.5
3
Doppelganger
5
3
4
4
4 *J10
4
Dragon
1-2 *G6
n/r
2
n/r
n/r
2
Empath
5
3
3
3
3 *J4
4
Ethic
5
n/r
n/r
n/r
n/r
3
Extortionist
5
n/r
n/r
5
n/r
3
Filch
4
1
3
3
3.5 *J10
3
Filth
4
3
5
4-5 *A2
3.5
3
Force
1-5 *G7
5
4
5
n/r
2
Fungus
5
3
5
4
4
4
Gambler
4
1
2
2
2
4
Ghost
4
3
3
3
3
3.5
Gnome
4
5
n/r
n/r
n/r
2
Gorgon
3
1
2
2
2
2.5
Grief
4
1
3
3.5
2
2.5
Grudge
3
1
2
3
3
3
Healer
4
3
4
4
4 *J10
2.5
Hurtz
2
n/r
2
1
n/r
2
Industrialist
5
3
3
3
3.5
3.5
Insect
n/a
n/r
3
3
3.5
4
Judge
4
5
4
5
n/r
4
Laser
4
5
4
3*A3
2
4
Lloyd
1
n/r
5
1
n/r
2
Loser
5
5
1
3
2.5
4
Machine
3
1
4
3.5
4*J7
3
Macron
3.5
3
4
1 *A4
1
3
Magnet
3
1
2
5
4 *J4
3
Mesmer
5
1
5
3.5
4 *J5
4
Mind
4
1
3
3.5
3.5 *J5
3
Mirror
5
3
3
2.5 *A5
2 *J1
4
Miser
2
1
2
3
3.5 *J10
3
Mutant
4
1
3
2 *A6
3
3.5
Negator
3.5
1
1
4
3.5 *J5
3
Obverse
4
3
4
2.5
2 *J2
4
Oracle
5
1
2
3.5
3.5
5
Pacifist
5
5
5
4
4
5
Parasite
5
5
5
5
5
4
Pavlov
3
3
3
2.5
2
2
Pentaform
n/a
3
5
3.5
3
4
Phantom
4
3
3
4
2.5
3.5
Philanthropist
4
n/r
4
3
4
2
Pirate
1 *G8
n/r
n/r
n/r
n/r
1
Plant
X *G9
n/r
5
4
5 *J6
5
Prolong
1
3
4
2
2.5 *J7
2
Prophet
2
3
1
3.5
4
2.5
Queue
3
n/r
2
n/r
1
2
Reincarnator
n/a
5
5
3.5
4 *J3
3
Reserve
5
1
1
3
3 *J7
3.5
Schizoid
5
1
4
4*A7
4 *A7
3.5
Seeker
4 *G10
1
2
3.5
3.5 *J5
4.5
Serpent
1-3 *G11
1
1
4.5
3.5
3
Silencer
5
1
3
5
5 *J6
2.5
Siren
1
3
1
3
2.5 *J8
2
Skeptic
1
1
1
1
1
3.5
Sniveler
4
3
4
3
4.5 *J3
4
Sorcerer
5
3
3
4
4 *J4
4
Spiff
2
3
2
3
4 *J3 *J2
2
Sting
3
1
1
3
3 *J7
2
Subversive
4
1
2
4
4
3
Symbiote
4
3
3
4
3 *J9
3
Terrorist
4.5
1
1
4
5+ *J3
2.5 *W2
Trader
5
5
5
3.5
3.5 *J10
3
Vacuum
5
1
4
4
2
3
Vampire
5
5
5
4
4.5
3.5
Virus
4*G12
5
4
5
4.5 *G11
5
Visionary
3
3
3
4 *A8
4
3
Void
5
3
4
5*A9
2.5 *J11
3
Vulch
5
1
3
5
4.5 *J7
3
Warpish
5
5
5
4.5
5
4.5
Warrior
5
3
3
3
4
5
Will
3
1
2
3
5
3
Witch
2
5
4
5
5*J3
2
Worm
1
3
2
1
1
2
Wrack
4
3
1
4
4*J3
3
Wraith
4
3
3
3
2*J12
3
Zombie
5
1
3
4.5
4
5

n/a = Not applicable. No specific rating given. Mentioned but not rated.
n/r = No rating given. Power not mentioned at all.

*G1 Allies can gang up on you. You can be stuck with high cards. Otherwise a 5
*G2 Treating Compromises as Attack 15s raises it from 2
*G3 Blasphemy on my part, I know :-)
*G4 Chance of backfire lowers it from 4
*G5 You're going to lose anywhere. Might as well try your luck
*G6 Depending how often players spend Lucre.
*G7 Depending whether or not players actually bother to pay you Lucre for your power or just agree to never use you
*G8 I would like to give this power a zero. It's that good.
*G9 Works with any power Strength 3 and up, too powerful for lower
*G10 5 if you ask the right questions
*G11 Depending on your persuasiveness
*G12 Allies gang up on you. You can be stuck with little tokens in challenge. Otherwise 5.

*M1 Changeling picks power in multipower game

*A1 In less than 6 player game would go down a notch.
*A2 In general, a 5. However, if it causes nobody to ally with you goes down 1-2 notches.
*A3 Makes compromise-compromise deals impossible. Too random.
*A4 Perhaps the only power I think may be worse to have than to not have. Can never get more than 1 reward. In a game with something like Assassin, can get bases wiped out trivially. Only is of any use defensively.
*A5 Too random. Lucre and reinforcements can make it worthless when both players play 9/19s or similar.
*A6 Depending on the game and how it is used can be very good or worthless.
*A7 With reasonable house rules on what are legal Schizoid conditions. If you basically let anything go (player must be naked to win for example), it is a 5 as conditions are so impossible to guess no one but Schizoid can possibly win without zapping Schizoid.
*A8 Why do the rest of you rank Laser higher than Visionary when Laser is Random and Visionary is not?
*A9 Primarily so good because of the fear factor it generates in one's opponents and potential opposing allies.

*J1 All of these powers-- calculator, mirror, etc.-- are variations on the same theme: second guessing your opponent. Your opponent and you start guessing what cards you'll play and if you'll use flip cards/signs/digits, etc. and, unless you're a good guesser, it comes down to not much more than a 50/50 that you'll win. If you're good at guessing or reading your opponents, crank it up a notch or two.
*J2 Slips down to 2 or 3 if there's a hand-stealing power like Trader or Mutant in the game; they'll always grab for your hand.
*J3 Not necessarily powerful, but so much fun that it rates higher than its brute force might give it.
*J4 Any power which can force your opponent's card into a compromise, and emotion control edicts: beware the berserker's power, where compromises turn into 15's.
*J5 Crank it up a notch if used wisely.
*J6 A true "oh-my-god-head-for-the-hills" power. Fear it.
*J7 Give it an extra 1 or 2 if assisted by a card-gaining power.
*J8 Crank it up a notch or two if you've got a good offensive power like the virus or deuce.
*J9 Would be better except that symbiote tokens can't hold bases alone. Any token-removing powers will ignore symbiote tokens and kill bases by removing all your primary tokens.
*J10 Card-gaining powers like this one can make card-burning powers like the Deuce, the Reserve or the Prolong really vicious.
*J11 Generates too much animosity to be effective. Other players WILL gang up on you and band together for mutual protection. Plus, the best part of this power is available to anyone: the Void Wild flare.
*J12 Too cumbersome to be worthwhile; any power with that much fine print is annoying.

*W1 Assassin is a great power in theory, but in practice experienced players can prepare themselves for the sting, and then the power is merely a nuisance.
*W2 While not very powerful, this is one of the most fun powers to have. Everyone is always looking at you with pitiful expressions, waiting for your verdict: (safe or BOOM).

Notes.
>From Randy Simcox:
A few of the powers have been modified by us to make them more to our high standards so if it looks like it shouldn't be in a certain group, it's probably a modified one. (This seems like it just has to be the case for some powers like Vulch and Silencer he has listed as Wimps(1). Also, note that he only rated powers on a basically 1-3 scale so all his rankings are 1, 3 or 5. -Aaron)

>From Aaron Fuegi:
I nowadays mostly play a modified Eon version so am unsure of some of the Mayfair powers. Those I am not sure of I left unrated. Also, as the original post suggested, I have assumed a 6 player single-power game. Power selection method was not specified but I am assuming a method which results in a reasonably powerful game (example: deal 3, choose 1) for the purposes of powers like Plant and such.

>From Jonathan Daggar:
I never play with lucre, so I left those considerations out. I did, however, figure in the likely way people will react to your power, thus the void(2.5) rates much lower. I also figured in how much fun they are to play, thus the terrorist(6) and wraith(2) rate differently.

>From Jack Reda:
We don't play lucre powers by themselves. They're only used in multi-power games, and even then, rarely.