Turns out breathing correctly is a lot more complicated when demons are trying to tear your head off. Check out our Slayers 2 Breathing Styles tier list!
Screenshot by Pro Game Guides
Updated September 23, 2026 (V0.145): No style changes tier in this pass, but the gaps are tighter. Water remains my provisional S-tier leader after the Whirl Pool nerf, while Thunder moves closer to S within A tier after faster casts and longer stuns. I also accounted for global skill cooldowns, the shared counter cooldown, block regeneration during stuns, damage-over-time ticks no longer activating counters, reset behavior, and mobile block-dashing.
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Water remains my early pick for the best Breathing Style in Slayers 2 after V0.145, with Flame and Wind completing S tier. The Whirl Pool nerf removes some of Water’s runaway advantage, but Water Wheel’s carry and strict-stun pressure, Basin’s catch, and Surface Slash’s approach i-frames still make the complete kit unusually dependable. Flame remains the broader counter-and-burst all-rounder, while Wind keeps the strongest technical combo-specialist case. Thunder is now the closest A-tier challenger.
I've ranked every Slayers 2 Breathing Style primarily according to its overall combat performance, taking into account damage, combo potential, mobility, range, crowd control, utility, ease of use, and performance against both regular enemies (PvE) and other players (PvP).
However, it should be noted that a lower-tier Breathing Style isn't necessarily unusable. Slayers 2 has a highly active combat system, and player skill, matchup knowledge, build choices, and how comfortable you are with a particular moveset can make a major difference.
My V0.145 assessment puts more weight on landing an attack and keeping the next opening than on how impressive the full animation looks. I also penalize rotations that depend on cycling multiple counters or bypassing cooldowns through swaps: skill cooldowns are now global, and all counters share one cooldown. A missed gap closer, slow startup, or knockback that sends the target out of reach can still undo a strong damage rotation.
S: Water · Flame · WindA: Thunder · Stone · Sound · SerpentB: InsectC: None currently
Breathing Style
Evaluation
SWater Breathing
All-Rounder · Combo Control · Defensive Approach
Kit:
Surface Slash, Whirl Pool, Water Wheel (two functions), Constant Flux, Dead Calm.
Best for:
Hybrid; especially PvP control, reactive defense, and sustained PvE.
Difficulty:
Moderate; easy access to pressure, higher ceiling through stun routing.
Synergy:
Tomioka for resets and reactive damage; Urokodaki for efficiency; Sabito for mobile sword pressure.
Unlock:
Urokodaki, underwater passage near Bamboo Grove; level 25, 5,000 Wen, and 30 Demon Horns.
Water remains first in S tier, but the lead is no longer comfortable. V0.140 directly nerfs Whirl Pool after V0.98 turned it into Water’s oppressive use-while-stunned control tool. The patch does not publish whether damage, strict-stun duration, ticks, or another value changed, so the exact live numbers are TBA rather than something I am going to reverse-engineer from vibes.
Water Wheel still carries the ranking. Tap deals 25 damage across nine ticks and refreshes 0.35 seconds of strict stun per tick, while hold carries the opponent through the sequence and activates after a 0.15-second threshold. Nothing in the newer notes reverses those changes, leaving Water with one of the most dependable conversion tools in the game.
Surface Slash keeps its approach i-frames, not hyper armor. The protection ends when the slash begins. That makes it excellent for passing through a timed threat without making the swing itself safe. Water Wheel also remains interruptible before its hit pressure takes control.
Basin and the broader kit stop Water from becoming a one-move style. Basin’s faster dash, larger slam range, and 2.25-second final stun/ragdoll still give Water a strong catch and finisher. The v0.110 block fix does create more defensive recovery during stun states, so loose gaps between Water’s hits matter more than they did when block regeneration could stall completely.
Tomioka and Urokodaki still support an S-tier base kit. Tomioka’s resets remain valuable, but global cooldown tracking means swap-based cooldown workarounds should not be part of the build plan. Water is still my best all-round recommendation in early V0.145; the current Whirl Pool damage, stun behavior, and equal-gear boss times need more testing.
Rengu, on the house by Mistfall Village’s red bridge; level 25 and 10 Demon Horns. Additional cost: TBA.
Flame remains the easiest S-tier all-rounder to recommend. Its PvE mix of advancing attacks, ranged pressure, burn, and burst still travels well across content. Flame Undulation (C) answers skills as well as M1s, but V0.140 makes every counter share one cooldown, so pairing Flame with another counter no longer creates independent defensive turns.
Blazing Universe (X) reaches farther. Its 45-stud range helps punish retreating opponents. Unknowing Fire remains a direct approach, but neither attack becomes safe just because the target looks roughly in range.
Flame Tiger is a practical close punish. The held V starts in 0.08 seconds, reducing the opening needed to begin its slashes. Keep the tap projectile for a different range; faster startup does not establish a guaranteed follow-up from every launch.
Rengoku still raises the PvE ceiling, with cleaner counter interactions. Burn and other damage-over-time ticks no longer trigger counters, so passive flame damage cannot accidentally consume an opponent’s counter window or activate your own. Indomitable Will remains separate control, while reapplying a non-stacking burn still does not create an extra stack.
S tier does not make the counter free. A baited Flame Undulation now spends the shared counter resource, and missed forward attacks remain punishable. Save Purgatory for a catch, and do not assume C answers every boss mechanic or unblockable attack. Equal-gear boss rotations remain TBA.
Hybrid; combo-focused PvP and keeping grouped enemies in reach.
Difficulty:
High; spacing, repeat inputs, and tap/hold selection.
Synergy:
Shinazugawa; sword pressure backed by ranged threats and stamina support.
Unlock:
Saneri, on the snowy water platform approached from the bear area; level 25 and 50 Demon Horns. Additional cost: TBA.
S tier for fixing the kit’s biggest practical weaknesses. Wind now has a clearer route from an opening into continued pressure. Z starts in 0.12s instead of 0.2s, X in 0.15s instead of 0.25s, and C in 0.18s instead of 0.25s. Less waiting at the start of those attacks makes its range options more threatening.
Purifying Claws (X) can now extend combos. The quicker startup gives its follow-up a more useful place after a catch. Learn the initial contact and second-input positioning first; the extender role does not make every weapon-to-X string inescapable.
Whirlwind Cutter (V) no longer sends the target away. Knockback drops from 50 to zero, allowing V to start a combo rather than end one. Keeping an enemy nearby also helps a group maintain damage instead of chasing your knockaway. Exact variant-specific routes still need assessment.
Shinazugawa supports the improved pressure loop. Windstorm Vigor’s damage and stamina benefits have more practical value when the next attack can connect. Save enough stamina for an escape, and choose Rising Dust Storm’s range variant around the target’s position.
The strongest early combo-specialist recommendation. Wind’s promotion reflects usable starters and extensions, not a claim that its entire rotation is guaranteed. Aim, tap/hold choices, and the Typhoon finisher still demand execution. We need more time to assess boss resistance and whether the new routes remain reliable against each defensive option.
AThunder Breathing
All-Rounder · Mobility · Burst
Kit:
Thunder Clap & Flash, Lightning Folds, Rice Spirit, God Speed, Flaming Thunder God.
Best for:
Hybrid; especially duel pressure and chasing openings.
Difficulty:
Moderate; higher ceiling through aim and movement discipline.
Synergy:
Agatsuma; sword pressure and reserved stamina for pursuit or retreat.
Unlock:
Zentaro, cliffs beyond the bear village; level 25 and Wall Climb. Material requirements and cost: TBA.
Thunder stays at the front of A tier and is much closer to S. V0.110 cuts Thunder Clap and Flash’s cast time by another 20% and raises its stun from 1.35 to 1.5 seconds. After V0.98 already made the opener dramatically faster, it now feels like a reliable punish instead of an attack opponents can begin answering during the announcement.
Rice Spirit regains part of its combo value. Its cast is 20% faster and its stun rises from one second to 1.25. It still lacks the old strict stun and retains the 0.3-second hold requirement unless the live build proves otherwise, so this is a better bridge—not a return of the previous lockdown.
The earlier mobility nerf still matters. Godspeed remains at 50 speed rather than 80, and Lightning Fold/Godspeed did not receive the same new stun increase in the v0.110 notes. Thunder catches openings more cleanly, but it cannot spend the whole kit on pursuit and expect to retain a safe exit.
Agatsuma remains the natural specialist. Thunder damage, dash support, and cooldown reduction reinforce the quicker neutral game. Global skill cooldowns prevent swap-based timer workarounds, so build around the clan’s intended bonuses rather than trying to rotate duplicate tools.
A tier is now a narrow judgment call. Thunder’s opener and Rice Spirit are substantially healthier, but the style still has less strict-stun security than Water and less broad counter-and-PvE utility than Flame. If the new timings keep confirming consistently against experienced blockers, Thunder is the first style I would reconsider for S.
AStone Breathing
Armored Bruiser · Counter · Close Control
Kit:
Volcanic Rock, Seismic Burst, Upper Smash, Demolishing Blow, Ares of Justice.
Best for:
PvP; armored pressure, counters, and melee trades.
Difficulty:
High; counter reads, charge decisions, and target positioning.
Synergy:
Axe and Mace; Himejima for damage reduction and skill-to-M1 pressure.
Unlock:
Gyorei, outside the Stone Sanctuary dojo; level 25, Wall Climb, Axe and Mace from the Stone Trainee (15% drop rate), and Beast Cores. Exact core count and additional cost: TBA. Complete six training trials.
A tier with stronger ways to punish a raised guard. V’s tap variant now guardbreaks on its second hit. The important condition is reaching that second hit: it gives Stone a deliberate guard-breaking option, not a guardbreak on every touch.
Ares of Justice (B) gains hyper armor. The ultimate can better resist interruption during its armored window, which helps a committed bruiser finish an attack. You still take damage, and Shockwave’s counter now breaks hyper armor. Trading into a counter is not a durability test you need to volunteer for.
The counter is now a shared defensive resource. V’s counter already rose from 16 to 19 seconds, and V0.140 makes all counters share one cooldown. Triggering another counter elsewhere in the build can therefore lock Stone’s answer out as well. Distinguish the held counter from V’s tap guardbreak; the exact variant-level cooldown interaction remains TBA.
The usual build has real offsets to those buffs. Himejima’s bonus damage falls from 25% to 20% and its block-point bonus from five to three. Axe and Mace gains 10% M1 damage but loses 15% attack speed, so harder individual hits do not automatically mean better sustained damage or tighter skill-to-M1 links.
A strong close-range specialist, with demanding trades. Use Seismic Burst and Upper Smash around where the enemy will land, then keep pressure ready after a guardbreak. Axe and Mace’s Damage Reduction value also changes from 1 to 0.85; its precise formula is TBA, so I am not treating that as a flat 15% incoming-damage reduction. Ranged kiting and boss armor-break interactions still need assessment.
ASound Breathing
Control · Combo Setup · Group Support
Kit:
Bursting Bloom, Roar, Exploding Beads (long range / close range), Resounding Slashes, String Performance.
Best for:
Hybrid; PvP control and coordinated PvE.
Difficulty:
High; bead timing and knockback management.
Synergy:
Dual cleavers; Uzui's damage mark and skill-imprint defense; deliberate setup play.
Unlock:
Tengai, Iceveil Valley; level 25 and Wall Climb. Materials and cost: TBA.
Sound drops to A because blocking it becomes much less costly. Resounding Slashes (V) falls to roughly three block points of guard damage per channel from around 20, and its cooldown rises from 16 to 20 seconds. Holding a barrage into guard no longer creates the same pressure or returns as quickly.
Its other guard threats also weaken. Explosive Ball (C) guard damage falls from 0.65 to 0.15, while X loses its guaranteed guardbreak and now deals four guard damage. Treat these as pressure tools around a catch, not automatic answers to a defensive player.
The setup kit still earns A-tier value. Bursting Bloom’s approach and non-ragdoll stun give you a starting point, while placed beads can influence movement. Plan around the target’s response. The remaining close-bead block-disable interaction needs post-patch reassessment before it carries a combo recommendation.
Uzui softens the damage loss without restoring the old guard pressure. Enhanced Hearing’s bonus rises from 20% to 25%, and Musical Score now commits its capture immediately with one activation. That makes the specialist build easier to bring into an exchange, but stronger damage is not the same as a restored guardbreak.
Best for deliberate setups and coordinated fights. Use Roar and barrage knockback when you want the exchange to end; avoid scattering a group before teammates finish attacking. Sound remains useful in PvE, but patient blockers and missed setup windows now demand more work. Exact post-patch boss rotations are TBA.
Hybrid; mobile duels and sustained single-target pressure.
Difficulty:
High; positioning and aerial follow-through.
Synergy:
Iguro for Serpent’s Wrath, Kaburamaru, and Flash Step; sword pressure between skill openings.
Unlock:
Obari, cliff above the starting area; level 25, 20 Demon Horns, and 5 Beast Cores, followed by training and the Serpent Trainee.
Serpent remains A for skilled single-target play. Venom Fangs (C) loses range, dropping from 60 to 45. It still gives the kit reach, but catching someone from the old spacing now risks a miss. Move into a useful angle before committing.
X becomes a more isolated grab exchange. The grabbed target gains i-frames against everyone except the grabber for the grab’s duration. Your own sequence remains relevant, but teammates cannot pile damage into that same target during the protection window.
The group-fight cost deserves attention. Grabbing an enemy out of several allied attacks can waste the team’s damage window. This change is less damaging to a duel-focused recommendation than to coordinated burst; whether each boss can be grabbed in the first place remains a separate question.
Iguro loses much of its movement advantage. Its movement-speed factor falls from 25% to 5%. Serpent’s Wrath and Kaburamaru still support the specialist build, but the old passive speed advantage should no longer carry the ranking. Percentage-health bites and poison belong to the clan, not every Serpent skill.
Strong in experienced hands, with less forgiving spacing. Plan the landing position after an aerial sequence and keep a short weapon follow-up ready. Full remaining move names, exact grab escape windows, and boss damage caps are TBA. A teleport animation alone is still not evidence of invulnerability.
Hybrid; close-range combos and Kocho poison builds.
Difficulty:
High; short pursuit bursts, stamina discipline, and revised confirms.
Synergy:
Kocho's Insect Affinity, Aerial Mastery, and Poison Draw.
Unlock:
Shinora, main building’s roof at Butterfly Mansion / Butterfly Estate; level 25. Materials and cost: TBA.
Insect drops to B because safety and continuation both weaken. Z returns sooner at 17 seconds instead of 20, but trades i-frames for hyper armor and loses strict stun on the final hit. More frequent casts do not replace a protected commitment or preserve the old end-of-string confirm.
X is a more deliberate entry. The dash variant gains a 0.12s windup and its cooldown rises from 10 to 13 seconds. Avoid assuming an old Z-to-X route still holds: the target has lost a strict-stun restriction, and your follow-up starts later.
V gets faster at a steep stamina cost. Running speed rises from 50 to 65, but holding the move drains 8% Max Stamina per second. Use short pursuit bursts; three seconds already costs 24% of the maximum bar from the hold drain alone. Arriving with no escape stamina is a rather expensive catch.
Kocho remains a specialist option, with one useful v0.110 interaction. Base poison duration still falls from roughly nine ticks to five, but poison ticks no longer activate counters. That prevents passive damage from handing an opponent a counter trigger while you are outside the actual attack. Exact refresh behavior and Insect Affinity interactions still need assessment.
Viable fast melee, with a smaller margin for error. The ultimate’s range increases from 20 to 24 to better match its visuals, helping the catch at its edge. That does not undo the defensive and combo losses elsewhere. Optimized short-burst routes could improve the recommendation, but the early case now favors committed Insect players over a broad first pick.
The comparison assumes access to the core kit and considers both baseline tools and realistic clan builds. Unlock cost does not improve a combat ranking. Difficulty matters when it reduces consistency, but a demanding style can still earn S tier through valuable, usable tools.
S Tier: Exceptional overall tools, specialist strength, or build synergy with a clear practical advantage.
A Tier: Excellent choices with a narrower strength or a meaningful constraint compared with the leading recommendations.
B Tier: Good styles with useful strengths, but less consistent impact or more demanding matchups than the leading picks.
C Tier: Usable styles held back by significant consistency problems or stronger alternatives in the same role.
A combo counter alone does not tell you whether an opponent could have escaped. Normal stun, strict stun, blocking, block-dashing, and skills usable while stunned all change which routes hold together. Block now regenerates correctly during stun states, so a route with idle gaps may return defensive resources even while the target cannot move. Continuous hits can still interrupt that recovery. Water retains Water Wheel’s strict-stun pressure, while Thunder’s v0.110 cast and stun buffs make its normal-stun routes more credible without restoring Rice Spirit’s old strict stun.
Guard and cooldown management both matter more in V0.145. Block regeneration no longer stalls simply because the player is stunned, and PC now displays recovery progress in the bottom-left while guard is down. Once guardbreak stun ends, guard begins recharging from 25%; another hit cancels that recharge. Skill cooldowns are global, and all counters share one timer, closing off rotations that tried to manufacture extra defensive turns through swaps.
Hyper armor is resistance to interruption, not invulnerability, and Water no longer has it on Surface Slash or Water Wheel. Surface Slash instead gains i-frames during its approach, ending as the slash begins. Insect Z and Stone’s ultimate still use hyper armor. Learn which protection a move actually has before trying to tank a hit with it; the health bar is an excellent but rather unforgiving testing instrument.
Which Breathing Style Should You Choose?
One build for varied content: Water remains my early V0.145 first choice. Whirl Pool is weaker, but Water Wheel, Basin, Surface Slash, and multiple practical clan partners keep the complete kit ahead by a small margin.
Combo pressure: Water for strict-stun routing, Wind for a more technical starter-and-extension game, and the newly rebuffed Thunder for faster normal-stun confirms. Sound remains useful for planned team control despite weaker guard pressure.
Mobile duels: Thunder is considerably stronger after its v0.110 cast and stun buffs, though Godspeed remains slower than before. Serpent offers angle changes and isolated grabs at the cost of shorter Venom Fangs range.
Poison pressure: Insect with Kocho remains viable, but shorter base poison, fewer protected attacks, and V’s stamina drain make it a more demanding specialist.
An approachable PvE game plan: Flame. Learn the direct approach, Flame Tiger’s range options, and when to hold the counter for a meaningful attack.
Reactive defense: Water can still answer pressure with Whirl Pool and approach with Surface Slash i-frames. Flame and Stone offer counters, but counters now share one cooldown across the build, so stacking several no longer creates several independent panic buttons.
Keeping an existing Water build: Do not reroll solely because Whirl Pool was nerfed. Water remains my S-tier leader in early V0.145, but test the current Whirl Pool damage and stun behavior before building an entire route around the old values.
For bossing, start with repeatable damage windows rather than assuming strict stun works identically on every target. Water remains my first V0.145 style to test, with Flame offering excellent farming and burst, Wind supplying sustained pressure, and Thunder gaining a better single-target confirm game. Whirl Pool’s current damage and control values need fresh timing tests after the nerf. Equal-gear clear times remain TBA.
For skill points, unlock the attacks that define your rotation without neglecting stamina, health, and movement. Arena wins now award 1,000 mastery alongside scaling EXP and Wen, giving you another way to develop a style through PvP. That reward improves progression, not a style’s combat tier. Exact optimal stat splits remain TBA.
Breathing Reset now also resets your invested Breathing skill points. That makes changing styles less punishing, although the current reset cost and exact menu route remain TBA. Mobile players can also dash while blocking as of V0.145. That is an important control-parity improvement, but it does not raise one Breathing Style above another.
Water remains my early pick for the best Breathing Style in Slayers 2 after V0.145, but it is now a close call. Whirl Pool has been nerfed, with the exact changed values still TBA. Water Wheel’s refreshing strict stun and carry behavior, improved Basin, Surface Slash approach i-frames, and several strong clan pairings still give Water the most complete package I have played so far.
Flame and Wind remain S-tier alternatives, while Thunder is the style most likely to join them. Flame is the easier counter-and-burst all-rounder, though shared counter cooldowns punish careless stacking. Wind rewards cleaner spacing and combo routing. Thunder’s 20% faster casts and improved 1.5-second and 1.25-second stuns make it much more threatening, but Rice Spirit still lacks strict stun and Godspeed remains slower. We need more V0.145 ranked and boss testing before moving it.
How I Ranked the Best Breathing Styles in Slayers 2
There are several factors I consider when ranking Breathing Styles, rather than simply looking for whichever ability produces the biggest damage number. The most important factors are:
Damage: Damage you can realistically land during a punish window, including sustained rotations and damage over time.
Combo potential: How easily a Breathing Style can start, extend, and finish combos.
Mobility: Dashes, gap closers, aerial movement, and other repositioning tools.
Range: Whether a style can threaten opponents without constantly fighting at point-blank range.
Crowd control: AoE attacks and abilities useful against multiple enemies.
Utility: Counters, defensive tools, stuns, knockdowns, and other effects beyond raw damage.
PvE performance: How efficiently the style deals with regular enemies, quests, and bosses.
PvP performance: How well the moveset performs against players who can block, dodge, punish, and escape predictable attacks.
Consistency: Startup, tracking, hitboxes, recovery, and whether a skilled opponent can escape before the next hit.
Resource efficiency: Cooldown downtime and stamina left for movement or defense after a rotation.
Build synergy: Clan tools and weapon follow-ups that improve the style in a practical build, with clan effects kept separate from innate Breathing mechanics.
Water remains my early V0.145 overall pick, with Flame and Wind alongside it in S tier. Whirl Pool was nerfed, but Water Wheel’s strict-stun carry, Basin’s catch, Surface Slash’s approach i-frames, and strong clan options keep Water narrowly ahead. The exact Whirl Pool nerf values are TBA.
How many Breathing Styles are there in Slayers 2?
Slayers 2 has eight Breathing Styles at launch: Thunder, Sound, Serpent, Insect, Flame, Stone, Wind, and Water. All eight are ranked in this guide.
Can you change your Breathing Style in Slayers 2?
Yes. Breathing Reset removes your current style and now also resets your invested Breathing skill points. The current menu route and reset cost are TBA, so confirm the item or prompt before using it and be ready to meet the new trainer’s requirements.
How do you unlock Breathing Styles in Slayers 2?
Reach level 25, find your chosen trainer, bring the required materials, and complete the training questline. Stone also requires the Axe and Mace. Mastery and skill points unlock more of your moveset afterward, and some ultimate skills require a scroll.
Are original Project Slayers tier lists accurate for Slayers 2?
No. Slayers 2 reworks combat and Breathing abilities, so the original game’s rankings, combo routes, and unlock requirements do not reliably carry over. Evaluate the sequel’s current kit and matchups.
Does your clan affect which Breathing Style you should use?
Yes. Rengoku supports Flame, Shinazugawa supports Wind, and Tomioka or Urokodaki can strengthen Water. Uzui improves Sound’s specialist value after this patch, while Kocho, Iguro, and Himejima lose some of their previous advantages. Judge the actual bonuses alongside your kit.
What is the best Breathing Style for PvP in Slayers 2?
Water remains my early V0.145 PvP pick, although the Whirl Pool nerf narrows the gap. Wind is the technical combo alternative, Flame provides a broad counter game, and Thunder is much closer after 20% faster casts and longer stuns on Thunder Clap and Flash and Rice Spirit.
What is the best Breathing Style for PvE and farming?
Water, Flame, Wind, and Thunder form my current PvE shortlist. Water remains the most complete, Flame is straightforward for farming and burst, Wind maintains pressure, and Thunder’s faster confirms improve single-target damage windows. Equal-gear boss times remain TBA.
What is the easiest Breathing Style for beginners?
Flame remains the easiest strong recommendation for beginners because its approach, ranged option, burst, and counter have clear jobs. Remember that counters now share one cooldown across the build, so do not stack several and expect independent defensive turns.
Do you need to complete Final Selection before learning Breathing?
No. Breathing training starts at level 25, while Final Selection opens at level 45. Learn your style and develop its core attacks before taking on the selection trial.
Is Serpent Breathing the same as Snake Breathing?
Yes. Snake Breathing is another name used for Serpent Breathing. It is one launch style, not an additional ninth option; Obari is its trainer.
Is Water Breathing still C tier?
No. Water remains my early V0.145 S-tier leader, although V0.140 nerfed Whirl Pool and the exact changed values are TBA. Water Wheel’s strict-stun pressure and carry, Basin’s improved catch, and Surface Slash’s approach i-frames still give the style an excellent complete kit.
Why is Wind Breathing S tier now?
Wind’s faster startups, X combo extension, and removal of V knockback improve how its attacks work together. It can now keep a target nearby after opening a combo. S tier reflects that early practical ceiling; it does not mean every string is guaranteed.
Was Sound Breathing nerfed?
Yes. V deals far less guard damage and has a longer cooldown, C loses guard damage, and X no longer guarantees a guardbreak. Sound drops to A here, though Uzui’s stronger Enhanced Hearing bonus and simpler Musical Score activation support its specialist build.
Does hyper armor prevent damage?
No. Hyper armor resists interruption but still allows incoming damage. Water Wheel and Surface Slash lose hyper armor in V0.98; Surface Slash instead has i-frames during its approach, ending when the slash begins. Insect Z and Stone’s ultimate still use hyper armor.
Was Thunder Breathing buffed in Slayers 2 V0.110?
Thunder was rebuffed in V0.110. Thunder Clap and Flash and Rice Spirit cast 20% faster; their stuns rise from 1.35 to 1.5 seconds and from one to 1.25 seconds respectively. Rice Spirit still lacks strict stun and Godspeed remains slower, so Thunder stays at the front of A tier for now.
How much mastery does the Arena give in Slayers 2?
Each Arena win now awards 1,000 mastery, plus EXP and Wen that scale with your level. That makes Arena a useful progression option, although the reward does not affect the combat ranking of a Breathing Style.
What changed with Water Whirl Pool in Slayers 2 V0.140?
V0.140 confirms that Water Whirl Pool was nerfed, but the patch notes do not give a damage, stun, duration, or tick value. Until the live change is measured reliably, the exact nerf remains TBA. Water stays S tier here because the rest of its kit remains strong.
How do global cooldowns and shared counter cooldowns work in Slayers 2?
Skill cooldowns are now global, and every counter shares one cooldown. In practice, swapping tools or stacking several counters should not provide separate timers or extra defensive turns. Exact edge cases between tap/hold variants still need more testing.
These V0.145 rankings will need another look once the Whirl Pool nerf is measured and Thunder’s new confirms settle into ranked play. For now, choose a kit that suits your clan and the content you actually play, then learn its openings before committing to another reset. Check out our other Slayers 2 guides for progression routes, trainer locations, and build advice.
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About the Author
Nikola Savic
Senior Staff Writer
Nikola is a Senior Staff Writer at Pro Game Guides with over 14 years of experience in gaming and esports journalism. A former editor-in-chief of the Serbian gaming publication Play!Zine and the RUR Esports portal, he has covered games professionally since 2012 across both Serbian and international media (senior editor at GINX Esports and GosuNoob). At PGG, he focuses on Roblox guides and tier lists, with particular depth in anime-inspired action RPGs and horror experiences like Paradox. Having been gaming since the early ’90s, he is a longtime PC gamer, and he brings an RPG and strategy game mindset to evaluating builds, meta picks, and game mechanics.
