When I rank a character, I look at the full value they bring to a team including their assists, their THCs, crossover counters and so on. Also, behold Spoilerception~
KJunk’s Tier List
[details=Spoiler]S Tier
Zero, C. Viper, Strider Hiryu, Dante, Firebrand
[spoiler=Explanation]Zero, Viper and Firebrand utterly dominate the neutral game in most match-ups, and assists can address the characters that would otherwise give them issues. I feel that Strider is the strongest anchor in the game right now when you factor in his value as an assist, his match-ups on point and his comeback factor with meter and/or X-Factor. You are never out of the game so long as he is coming up. And Dante is the ultimate team player with universal assists, automatic DHC synergy for combo extension or safety, comeback factor, great match-ups and a full suite of tools on point.[/details]
A+ Tier
Magneto, Wesker, Vergil, Phoenix, Trish
Explanation
Spoiler
Magneto, Wesker and Vergil are nearly as dominant as the characters above while having strong team value in their own ways as well. Phoenix continues to shape how you play against her teams, though obviously she’s easier to answer than before. I place Trish in this tier on the strength of her match-ups. She offers less team value than others, but I feel that’s she’s favored against most characters in the game and honestly has a harder fight against certain top tier assists (Vajra, Jam Session) rather than the point characters using those assists.
A Tier
Dormammu, Dr. Doom, Felicia, Spencer, Taskmaster, Hawkeye, Morrigan, Amaterasu
Explanation
Spoiler
A Tier characters generally have a few unfavorable match-ups compared to those above them. And while they may have impressive play on point, good match-ups, or great assist/DHC value for a team, or great comeback factor, they often fail to have everything at once.
B Tier
Nova, Jill Valentine, Wolverine, Sentinel, Spider-Man, Storm, X-23, Super Skrull, Doctor Strange, Akuma, Ryu, Deadpool, Chris Redfield, Viewtiful Joe, Captain America, Rocket Raccoon, Hulk
Explanation
Spoiler
B Tier characters tend to be less brutal or universal than the characters above them. They often have holes in their gameplay or tool-sets that require assists and team composition to address. However once those issues are addressed, they function well and are fully competitive characters with just slightly weaker match-ups than those above. Other characters like Sentinel, Akuma and Rocket Raccoon are here partially based on their value as assists.
C Tier
Iron Man, Haggar, Thor, M.O.D.O.K., Ghost Rider, Nemesis T-Type, Frank West, Chun-Li, Arthur
Explanation
Spoiler
C Tier characters are very inflexible, meaning that they require strict team setups and assists to address issues they have with their designs. And even once those issues are addressed, they still have bad match-ups in common situations. These are still competitively playable characters, but their issues must be respected and built around.
D Tier
She-Hulk, Iron Fist, Shuma-Gorath, Hsien-Ko, Tron Bonne, Phoenix Wright
Explanation
Spoiler
I feel these characters are strictly inferior to other characters above them and are generally unplayable unless you are simply better than your competition or are exploiting a lack of match-up experience against them.
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I feel the notable things about my list are the relatively high placement of Strider, the non-S placement of Wesker, the relatively high placement of Morrigan, and the relatively lower placements of Doctor Doom, Nova, Wolverine and Frank West.