Mario Strikers: Battle League tier list — Stats and best character to play as

Nothing is quite as satisfying as sinking a goal in a competitive sport. However, when it comes to Mario Strikers: Battle League, the character you choose will determine your stats and abilities. So, you'll want to make sure you choose a character that works with your specific play style. Some playable characters are inherently easier for beginners to handle while others take more skill to master, but can really pay off if you use them right. In addition to an overall tier list, we'll go over each character's stats, their Hyper Strike move, and their play styles.

Mario Strikers: Battle League tier list & play types

Each character in Mario Strikers: Battle League handles a bit differently, but some are easier to use than others. Boom Boom is not on this list because he is not a playable character. Remember, you can increase any character's stats with equipable gear.

Character stats and what they mean

The stats of each playable character center around five different attributes: Strength, Speed, Shooting, Passing, and Technique. This is what these stats mean for you.

• Strength: The higher this is, the more powerful the characters tackle as well as their resistance to being tackled.
• Speed: A higher number denotes that the character will move faster.
• Shooting: The higher this number, the faster and more powerful a character's shots are.
• Passing: Characters with higher passing can pass further and at a faster speed.
• Technique: In addition to determining a character's shot accuracy, the higher this number is the easier it is to perform Hyper Strikes accurately.

Pro tip: Some players find it easier to participate in competitive games while using a more traditional Switch controller as opposed to the small Joy-Cons. They tend to have a better handhold, bigger buttons, and larger joysticks for fast responses. You might want to consider getting a larger controller if you don't already have one.

Mario is by far the most balanced character you can choose, making him the perfect choice for beginners. He's got good handling, decent speed, and it's easier to land his Hyper Strike successfully than some other characters. Anyone who uses him will want to focus on shooting and performing Hyper Strikes.

Luigi's greatest strength is his shot accuracy and ability to land Hyper Strikes more easily than many other characters. I love Luigi, but he's slow and doesn't have a lot of power when shooting, which makes him harder to use, so you might want to avoid him. If you do play as Luigi, note that he works best when used to attack a goal with a buddy.

After all of these years of getting kidnapped by Bowser, it seems our princess has learned to move quickly to avoid his clutches. Her speed allows her to quickly traverse the field and get in the way of an opponent. She can easily get tackled, but if you effectively dodge around opponents you can use her ability to steal the ball and get your team on track. When scoring, try to use her Hyper Strike to stun Boom Boom and then take another shot to sink a goal.

Toad is so much of a team player that he's hard to handle on his own. You'll really need to communicate with friends and pass often to get the most out of him since he's more of a supporting character. That being the case, he's not a good choice for many players as he's harder to handle effectively.

• Toads everywhere!: Toad is one of the few characters there can be multiple of on any given team.

With his strong strength and shooting abilities, Bowser is perfect for tackling opponents and launching the ball at the enemy's goal. He doesn't move fast, which can make him miss out on using his skills. That can be frustrating for players to say the least. However, if you prefer might over speed then he'll be a great pick. Use him as a last line of defense for your goal or have him wait at the enemy goal to receive a pass and score.

What he lacks in speed and technique this ape makes up for in strength and passing abilities. He's just the sort of last defense you'll want hanging around your goal but he's also excellent at leading the charge. Use his Hyper Strike to knock back opponents and then try to score again while everyone is stunned.

Though not the fastest character on the field, players can feel very powerful and successfully score goals while controlling Yoshi. His high shooting and passing abilities make him ideal for getting the ball from a teammate and launching at the goal. The best way to use him is to have him travel up the field with a buddy, get a quick pass from a teammate, and then score.

Though not as strong as Bowser, Rosalina has relatively high stats all around making her a formidable character for the front ranks and a satisfying character to control. She's best used on the front lines tackling opponents, stealing the ball, and scoring goals.

Wario isn't exactly the most purposeful character you can choose, but his blunt power and powerful tackle make him a fun character to play nonetheless. His Hyper Strike isn't as good as some others, so if you're looking for a powerful character to score with you should look into Donkey Kong or Bowser.

Waluigi isn't the one you'll want on the frontlines all that often as his shooting power and passing skills are rather low. However, he's also pretty fast and can tackle opponents who get near his goal. If you do get the opportunity to take a shot at the opponent's goal, then plan to follow up his Hyper Strike with another shot as this can leave Boom Boom tied up and unable to defend.

This little Koopaling serves as the goalie for both teams and is not a playable character. He will act independently for either team to prevent balls from reaching the goal, but sometimes a goal will sneak in on his watch especially if he's been stunned first.

Mario Strikers: Battle League Characters coming soon

Nintendo has already revealed that additional characters will be coming to Mario Strikers: Battle League in the future. As of right now, we do not know who exactly these characters will be but we've got a few guesses. We're already missing a few playable characters from past games like Daisy, Diddy Kong, Bowser Jr., and Birdo. It also wouldn't be out of the question for Nintendo to include Toadette, or Pauline.

We'll update this section as we learn more about upcoming characters.

Some strike it hot

Each of the Mushroom Kingdom characters plays a bit differently so you'll have to determine which style you like most. You might find that you prefer to play a specific kind of way, so if you're more focused on speed, you'll want to choose a character that moves faster. If you prefer to play defense, you should look for a character with greater physical power. Regardless, you'll probably need to spend some time getting a feel for each character to see which one you like best.