The Titans are the eponymous stars of Titanfall 2, despite the game’s pilots arguably being the most fun humans to play as in any first-person shooter. Pilots have the ability to wall run and double jump, making for two of the best mechanics in any FPS for ground-based play,

Despite that and their array of weapons, it’s not hard to see why Titanfall 2 Titans get all the spotlight. They’re the largest, most in-your-face, and most iconic features of the series, after all. Some are objectively better than others for certain situations, though – ultimately, the strength of a Titan depends greatly upon the skill of the person controlling it.

Updated June 3, 2022 by Erik Petrovich: The best Titans from Titanfall 2 are those with high damage, high mobility, lots of tools at their disposal, or some mix of all three. Titans like the Monarch certainly have a unique playstyle, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they are good. Other Titanfall 2 Titans like the Tone or the Ion are much easier to learn and generally more effective, though they are a bit less complex. In Titanfall 2 all Titans are perfectly playable and even the “bad” ones excel in some situations – this Titanfall 2 Titan tier list is mostly based upon how easy it is to learn each Titan’s playstyle and abilities. Though the game is nearly impossible to play online currently, knowing what is the best Titan from Titanfall 2 can still be handy for offline or private server games.

7 Monarch

  • Weapon
  • : X016A2 Chaingun, an automatic rifle with armor-piercing rounds
  • Ordnance
  • : Rocket Salvo, a non-targeting rocket swarm
  • Tactical
  • : Rearm, which reduces the cooldown of abilities
  • Defensive
  • : Energy Siphon, which slows enemies and charges shields based on damage done
  • Core
  • : Upgrade Core, which increases the Titan’s effectiveness the longer the player stays alive

This titan from Titanfall 2 was introduced through its own DLC, the Monarch. Despite being named after royalty, there isn’t too much that is royal about it. This titan is literally made from the remains of two destroyed Vanguard-class titans, salvaged and put together. In terms of lore, this might explain why it’s not the strongest titan. For all that players know, it might just be put together with some duct tape and the hope that it holds.

Its abilities are interesting, but the way the Upgrade Core works makes it very frustrating to die late in the game. The Chaingun rips through enemies at close to medium range, and the Rocket Salvo is handy too. Making use of this Ordnance and the Energy Siphon ability, which slows enemies and recharges the Titan’s shields, means paying attention to the cooldown on Rearm. This ability reduces the cooldown on all the others, making it important to use as often as possible.

6 Legion

  • Weapon
  • : Predator Cannon, a minigun that takes time to get to full shooting speed.
  • Ordnance
  • : Power Shot, which has two modes. Short Range will knock enemies back, while Long Range will explode distant foes.
  • Tactical
  • : Mode Switch, which allows the Legion to switch between short and long-range rounds.
  • Defensive
  • : Gun Shield, which protrudes from the Legion’s minigun and defends the titan in the direction faced.
  • Core
  • : Smart Core, which makes the Legion’s minigun automatically lock onto targets.

The Legion is a titan that excels at both very long-range and super close-range battles. This is because it has two different firing modes for its Ordnance Power Shot. The first is a shotgun-like firing mode, which is perfect for Titans or pilots trying to get the jump on you. The second firing mode is more like a sniper rifle, able to pick apart enemies from a longer range.

The Legion’s defensive ability is Gun Shield, which is mounted on your weapon and only defends from the direction you are looking. The Smart Core ability is extremely powerful but can be thwarted by enemies who move behind cover. The Legion is decent but can take a lot of damage fighting at every range if the Gun Shield isn’t put to proper use. Players will need someone who can heal them after every fight – even if they win, they will be close to death.

5 Northstar

  • Weapon
  • : Plasma Railgun, which functions as a sniper rifle that requires charge.
  • Ordnance
  • : Cluster Missile, which explodes repeatedly on hit.
  • Tactical
  • : VTOL Hover, which allows the Northstar the unique ability to fly above enemies.
  • Defensive
  • : Tether Trap, which traps enemies in place.
  • Core
  • : Flight Core, which allows the Northstar to unleash a barrage of rockets at the ground while hovering.

A Titan with the power of flight, the Northstar was built around the ability to do one thing, and that is moving around the battlefield like a giant mosquito. The mosquito analogy doesn’t just end at flight, though, as this titan can sting like one too. Its Plasma Raillgun fires a weak long-ranged blast if fired quickly, but becomes much more powerful when charged. The maneuverability of the Northstar makes it stand out amongst the rest, too.

Its Cluster Missile Ordnance ability is very good at medium range, though it works best when enemies stay still. The Northstar’s Defensive ability Tether Trap does exactly this by snaring enemies in place for a few seconds. The Flight Core ability launches a wave of missiles at a medium-sized AoE area, essentially a better version of the Cluster Missile. The downside to this Titan is its survivability - it’s one of the most fragile Titans in Titanfall 2, so don’t spend too long hovering in one place.

4 Scorch

  • Weapon
  • : T-203 Thermite Launcher, which creates pools of flammable thermite and deals low damage.
  • Ordnance:
  • Firewall, which releases a straight line of damaging fire.
  • Tactical
  • : Incendiary Trap, which are triggered by both titans and pilots alike.
  • Defensive
  • : Thermal Shield, which nullifies some incoming damage and hurts enemies close by.
  • Core
  • : Flame Core, which unleashes a wave of fire that deals massive damage to anything in its way.

Scorch is exactly what it says on the tin: a Titan built around scorching enemies to ash. The Scorch excels when playing in tight close-ranged areas, where a distant enemy Titan can’t pick them off. One of the downsides of the Scorch is the double-edged sword of being slow and large, making for strong attacks but making the Titan an easy target thanks to a larger hitbox. The Defensive ability Thermal Shield can mitigate this somewhat, but it’s still best to operate a Scorch in close-quarters, low-visibility areas like clusters of buildings.

Taking enemies by surprise around corners and taking on multiple foes at once are the best ways to effectively use the Scorch without becoming the biggest target on the server. Its Firewall Ordnance doesn’t do much damage on the initial hit compared to some abilities, but it effectively locks off an area. The Incendiary Trap is great for covering your rear as enemies try to close in on you, and of course the main Thermite Launcher weapon is ridiculously good against enemy Pilots as it deals a small explosion of flame rather than a pinpoint hit.

3 Ronin

  • Weapon
  • : Leadwall Shotgun and Sword melee attack, which are used interchangeably at different ranges.
  • Ordnance
  • : Arc Wave, which slows enemies upon hit.
  • Tactical
  • : Phase Dash, which lets the Ronin phase out of reality to totally avoid damage and being seen.
  • Defensive
  • : Sword Block, which reduces projectile damage by a massive amount.
  • Core
  • : Sword Core, which increases the effectiveness of every Ronin ability hugely, including boosts to melee damage, damage reduction, and ability damage.

The bronze medal goes to the Ronin class titan. This titan is one of the most versatile in the series as it is able to fulfill many roles for a team, from being a fast and mobile scout to a front-line damage dealer. With evasive maneuvers and careful timing of abilities, the Ronin can sustain itself long enough to act as a pseudo-tank. This titan specializes in dealing massive amounts of damage in short, quick bursts.

It has a wide-spread but low damage Leadwall Shotgun for its primary gun, but its weapon of choice is its Sword. The Ronin is best at melee range, constantly dancing in and out and chasing down enemies who try to get away. The Arc Wave Ordnance helps with this as it slows down enemies hit. The Phase Dash ability is incredibly powerful for getting out of sticky situations, too. The Sword Block ability negates most incoming bullet damage, and the Sword Core essentially makes the Ronin go Super Saiyan, making every ability and attack immensely more efficient.

2 Ion

  • Weapon
  • : Splitter Rifle, a single-fire rifle that can shoot three shots at once.
  • Ordnance
  • : Laser Shot, which shoots a rapid beam directly at the reticle location.
  • Tactical
  • : Tripwire, which the Ion can use to trap areas with mines.
  • Defensive
  • : Vortex Shield, which turns enemy projectiles against them.
  • Core
  • : Laser Core, which obliterates just about anything it hits.

The silver medal goes to the Titan known as Ion. Ion is a fairly beginner-friendly Titan, being a solid all-rounder with some mechanics that train the player to play the game efficiently. This Titan, similarly to the Ronin class, can play many different roles in the game. The Ion’s Vortex Shield is a powerful defensive/offensive ability that reflects enemy missiles back at them, and the Tripwire Tactical ability makes defending an area much simpler.

The Splitter Rifle shoots three shots at once in a small cleave area, and the Laser Shot Ordnance is a low-cooldown beam that hits exactly where the reticle is aiming. The only problem is that overall, this Titan’s damage output isn’t the strongest, and running out of energy mid-fight practically leaves it completely defenseless.

1 Tone

  • Weapon
  • : 40mm Tracker Cannon, which shoots explosive rounds that grant the Tone lock-on for its abilities.
  • Ordnance
  • : Tracking Rockets, which must lock on to a target in order to be launched.
  • Tactical
  • : Sonar Lock, which reveals nearby enemies and grants a portion of Lock-On.
  • Defensive
  • : Particle Wall, which totally blocks incoming fire without stopping the Tone from shooting outward.
  • Core
  • : Salvo Core, which unleashes a swarm of high-damage missiles that go where the player guides.

The best Titan in Titanfall 2 is almost certainly the Tone. This Titan earns its number one spot for a few different reasons. It is the most popular Titan, crowned by both a vote by the community and by in-game play stats. It shines at medium and long range with its Tracker Cannon, which deals good chunks of damage and builds Lock-On. The Tracking Rockets shoot missiles at a target, but it must be Locked On to work. The Tactical Sonar Lock ability reveals the nearby area and gives at least one point of Lock-On. The Particle Wall is a one-way shield that only stops incoming bullets.

The Salvo Core ability launches dozens of rockets wherever the players guide them. This doesn’t require Lock-On, and continuously shoots as the player turns and aims at different enemies. The Tone’s only major downfalls are its mobility and straightforwardness. Other Titans are able to move around much easier than the Tone, and while it’s arguably the easiest Titan to learn and excel with, its simple playstyle leaves the adrenaline-craving gamer wanting.

Titanfall 2 is available for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One