Decaying Winter has no official tier list, but the beginner and field guides describe each perk's role and strength in clear terms. This page organizes perks into tiers based strictly on what those guides state — not on invented numbers — and flags anything uncertain as 待确认.
S-Tier: frontline powerhouses
Berserker is called the most tanky frontline perk and rewards parry skill with huge melee uptime. Executioner is "very interesting" and rewards strong combat skill with stacking damage. Vagabond is strong but "not recommended for new players" due to its risky, parry-heavy style.
A-Tier: reliable specialists
Arbiter, Immolator, and Drifter round out the frontline as solid melee options. Backliners like Artillerist and Riskrunner bring safe, satisfying gunplay and bomb pressure. These are well-documented examples of their roles in the field guide.
B-Tier: support and basics
Support perks Mindflayer and Lazarus help the team without dealing damage directly. Basic perks Survivalist (great for looting, spawns buffed) and Damned (a true challenge, morale-immune) fill niche jobs. Their value depends on team composition.
Weapons note
Among craftable melees, the guides single out The Decimator, Reaper's Scythe, and Executioner Sword as standouts, while Fire Axe and Maria are praised for fast combos. Exact DPS rankings are 待确认 — verify on the wiki as patches shift balance.